College of Education

Working together to build healthy, just, and intellectually vibrant communities

Academic Divisions

Together, our three divisions prepare skilled professionals in the fields of early learning, teacher education, rehabilitation and mental health counseling, sign language and deaf culture, interpreting and interpreter education, health promotion, and exercise science. Our graduates are academically strong, ready to contribute to the continuously evolving state of their chosen professions and prepared for a variety of diverse and complex roles in schools, service organizations, and businesses.

Division of Deaf Studies & Professional Studies

Programs in American Sign Language, interpreting, rehabilitation, and deaf education.

Division of Education & Leadership

Teacher licensure degrees, endorsements, and specializations. Non-licensure programs in early childhood studies, education studies, educational technology, and special education.

Division of Health & Exercise Science

Programs in community and school health, exercise science, sports leadership, and physical education.

Stories from the College of Education

Western Oregon Educational Technology Summer Conference

Western Oregon Educational Technology Summer Conference By Maddie Little November 21, 2023 2023, EdTech, Education & Leadership On August 15th, 2023, Western Oregon’s Educational Technology Program held a free online conference that focused on providing practical skills, discussions, presentations, and workshops on ethical, smart technology integration into teaching, learning, and training. The conference was for anyone (teachers, staff, classroom assistants, administrators, etc.) working in K-14 who was interested in improving or expanding their use of technology to support teaching, learning, and training in their current or future workplaces. The conference offered multiple sessions with different presenters in each session. The presenters were individuals with experience using technology to support teaching, learning, and training and who wish to share their takeaways, research, and/or experiences with others.  The goal of the conference was to promote joyful, intelligent, ethical, and compassionate user- and learner-centered technology in learning and working environments. There were a total of five sessions at the conference. The first session was presented by Seyed Abdollah Shahrokni and Britany Stagnoli. Together, they discussed the use of educational escape rooms (EER).  The workshop walked participants through the process of building a virtual EER using Google productivity tools. The workshop supported educators in the creation of opportunities for students to be involved further in the learning process by participating in escape rooms that focus not only on content but on engagement, critical thinking, and technology use. The second session, presented by Alexandra Smith, a graduate student in the MSEd: Educational Technology program, was about making up for the missing interaction and connection, while suggesting that it’s possible to connect and interact more...

WOU’s Protactile Language Institute (PLI)

WOU’s Protactile Language Institute (PLI) By Maddie Little November 21, 2023 2023, Deaf Studies & Professional Studies, Faculty & Staff The US Department of Education has featured a blog post about WOU’s Protactile Language Institute (PLI) grant, written by WOU PI’s Heather Holmes and CM Hall. Click here to read it! Categories 2021 2022 2023 Academics Alumni & Students Bilingual Teacher Scholars Community Health Deaf Studies & Professional Studies Early Childhood EdTech Education & Leadership Exercise Science Faculty & Staff Health & Exercise Science Teacher Licensure Uncategorized College of Education Richard Woodcock Education Center Phone: (503) 838-8471 Email: education@wou.edu ACADEMIC DIVISIONS Deaf Studies & Professional Studies Education & Leadership Health & Exercise Science OFFICES AND CENTERS Dean’s Office Office of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Office of Clinical Practice & Licensure Office of Assessment & Data Management Center for the Advancement of Paraprofessionals Research and Resource Center with Deaf*...

Welcome New Faculty Member Nancy Vargas

Welcome New Faculty Member Nancy Vargas

Welcome New Faculty Member Nancy Vargas By Maddie Little October 13, 2023 2023, Community Health, Education & Leadership, Faculty & Staff Nancy Vargas is an Assistant Professor in the department of Health and Exercise Sciences. Professor Vargas comes to WOU with an impressive background and wealth of experience in Public Health and Education. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology from the University of California, Riverside, a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of California, Fullerton, and is currently a PhD Candidate at Oregon State University studying Public Health. For many years, Professor Vargas worked in urban settings, developing curriculum and programming in the fields of drug and violence prevention, nutrition, mental health, and leadership for K-12 schools and community organizations. At Oregon State University, she has dedicated over two thousand hours volunteering for the 4-H outreach program. Over the summer she spent a week volunteering for an overnight summer camp for migrant youth and is always looking for opportunities to immerse herself in the lived experiences of Latinx youth and families.  As a Latina that has lived in both California and Oregon, Professor Vargas has experienced the rich diversity of urban and rural communities. Nancy’s personal journey closely aligns with the evolving demographics at Western Oregon University. Her historical experiences mirror the challenges faced by many of our student families, from being the first in her family to receive an education beyond elementary school, to food insecurity, or the constant worry of having a mixed-status family. Her presence as an instructor at WOU, with her urban and rural experiences, provides tangible examples of the historically excluded communities...

Western Oregon University Recipient of Prestigious Award

Western Oregon University Recipient of Prestigious Award

Western Oregon University Recipient of Prestigious Award By Maddie Little October 10, 2023 2023, Academics, Education & Leadership, Faculty & Staff, Teacher Licensure Western Oregon University is one of 21 higher education institutions in the country recognized for their leadership and commitment to continuous improvement by The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). Western’s College of Education was specifically recognized. The recognition award, The Frank Murray Leadership Recognition for Continuous Improvement, is named after the founding President of the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC). CAEP was created by the consolidation of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and TEAC. Murray was the founding President of TEAC, served as Chairman of the Board for TEAC, and was also an initial member of the CAEP Board of Directors. He was a key advocate for a single set of educator preparation standards to unify the profession and was instrumental in the merger that created CAEP. He also served as the Dean of the College of Education at the University of Delaware from 1979 to 1995. “Frank Murray was passionate about education preparation, a prominent leader in our profession, and an advocate for evidence to improve education. The providers that CAEP is recognizing are committed to continuous improvement and preparing their students to succeed in a diverse range of classrooms after they graduate,” said Yuhang Rong, Chair of the CAEP Board of Directors. “CAEP Accreditation is a sign of commitment to quality through purposeful use of evidence. The Murray Leadership Recognition recipients should be proud of their accomplishments.”  Recipients of the 2023 Frank Murray Leadership Recognition for Continuous Improvement are selected from...

The COE Mathematics Department Receives a New Grant

The COE Mathematics Department Receives a New Grant By Maddie Little October 10, 2023 2023, Early Childhood, Education & Leadership, Faculty & Staff Dr. Rachel Harrington collaborated with faculty from Pacific University, Texas Woman’s University, and the University of Dayton to obtain a grant that supports preservice elementary educators. The Teacher Quality Partnership Project Proposal Toolkit for Enacting Digital Curricula provides funds that will support preservice teachers in learning how to use digital mathematics curricula in the classroom. Dr. Rachel Harrington explained the need for the grant saying, “With the proliferation of digital curriculum that’s appeared in schools across the nation, there is a lack of examples and resources that demonstrate how to effectively and appropriately use digital curriculum. No one in the field of elementary mathematics education has yet talked about how pedagogy changes when teaching mathematics with digital materials versus print materials.” Therefore, this grant will allow WOU faculty to go out into schools to record and discuss using digital curricula with inservice teachers. Once WOU faculty has gathered information from inservice teachers, the mathematics department will create examples and resources to share with students in their elementary education mathematics courses. This grant will support preservice teachers by learning how to use digital mathematics curricula in their future classrooms. Categories 2021 2022 2023 Academics Alumni & Students Bilingual Teacher Scholars Community Health Deaf Studies & Professional Studies Early Childhood EdTech Education & Leadership Exercise Science Faculty & Staff Health & Exercise Science Teacher Licensure Uncategorized College of Education Richard Woodcock Education Center Phone: (503) 838-8471 Email: education@wou.edu ACADEMIC DIVISIONS Deaf Studies & Professional Studies Education & Leadership...

Welcome New Faculty Member Dr. Annie Delbridge

Welcome New Faculty Member Dr. Annie Delbridge

Welcome New Faculty Member Dr. Annie Delbridge By Maddie Little October 3, 2023 2023, Academics, Education & Leadership, Faculty & Staff Dr. Annie Delbridge recently joined the Division of Education and Leadership as an Assistant Professor in Literacy Education. Dr. Delbridge grew up in California where she taught third grade in bilingual schools. After teaching third grade for a few years she volunteered for the U.S. Peace Corps. She volunteered for two years in rural Paraguay where she worked with other educators as an elementary education advisor. When Dr. Delbridge returned to the U.S. she became a literacy coach at a dual immersion school in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she also earned her reading specialization endorsement. Professor Delbridge mentioned, “I enjoyed learning about literacy education so much that I decided to continue in graduate school and earn a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction in Literacy Education with a supporting area in Second Languages and Cultures from the University of Minnesota.” Then, Dr. Delbridge went on to teach a literacy foundations course in the elementary teacher preparation program at California Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo, California. After teaching this course for six years, she moved to Oregon last year and began teaching part-time at Oregon State University. Now, Dr. Delbridge has joined the WOU community. Dr. Delbridge chose to continue her work at WOU because of the DEL’s strong commitment to students and social justice. She expressed, “I have heard nothing but amazing things about the education program at WOU ever since arriving in Oregon and I am thrilled to be joining the team. I am looking forward to collaborating...

Contact Us

College of Education Main Office

Location:
220 Richard Woodcock Education Center (RWEC)
345 Monmouth Ave N.

Hours:
Monday – Thursday
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Phone: (503) 838-8471

Email: education@wou.edu

en_USEN