College of Education

College of Education students from Grand Canyon University are taking advantage of an innovative pre-service resident teaching program that enables them to create and implement lesson plans and work directly with students on an accelerated basis. These benefits are evident at Westwood Elementary, where GCU students are putting educational theory into practice.

GCU’s Academic Excellence Site (AES) partnership with Westwood Elementary is multi-faceted, from a pre-service resident teaching program to the Learning Lounge, Canyon Professional Development, Leadership Coaching and Parent View. Among the many positive results: Westwood students are building skills, gaining momentum and developing a vision for higher education.

Grand Canyon University has wrapped itself around Westwood Elementary, the first of three K-12 schools designated as an Academic Excellence Site. As part of GCU President Brian Mueller’s five-point plan, a team of departments, including K-12 Educational Development, the College of Education, and the Learning Lounge, collaborate to improve academic success in local schools and help young students consider college as part of their future.

When students identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) struggle to fit in socially, GCU leaders collaborate with solutions. In Part 2 of GCU Today’s series, Dr. Tim Griffin, Pastor and Dean of Students, Dr. Sherman Elliott, Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the father of a son on the spectrum and Student Disability Services director Beth Jamison discuss their experiences supporting students on the spectrum.

“You’re a collector of Coca-Cola products!” “You’re a flight attendant who accidentally boarded a cruise!” GCU students threw suggestions at their teammates, who had seconds to create a character, right then and there, as part of an improv workshop Saturday. The workshop was helmed by improvisationists with The Second City Touring Co., who were in Phoenix performing in “It’s Not You, It’s Me” at Phoenix Theatre. It was the first time talent from The Second City, which launched the careers of Steve Carell, Mike Myers, Jordan Peele and Tina Fey, to name a few, led a workshop on campus. “These opportunities are few and far between,” senior history and secondary education student Garrett LaPorte said.

Four flights and a four-hour taxi ride, covering more than 9,000 miles to reach her student-teaching assignment, proved to be a minor inconvenience for Ashley Olander, whose desire to experience a different culture led her to a remote mountaintop in southern India where she led seventh grade physical education classes. Olander is one of nine Grand Canyon University students who have embraced international student-teaching. “It is a beautiful opportunity to learn about our world, but most importantly that they see God’s hand at work in our children, no matter if it is in a classroom in America or India or Japan,” said Dr. Kimberly LaPrade, Dean of the College of Education.

It’s a legacy as big as the state of Texas: Kelly Taylor and five other members of her family have been online students at GCU since 2011. “I think the support system with GCU makes working on a degree much easier,” said Tammy Jones, one family member, who encouraged her mother, then 75 years old, and daughter to also become Lopes.

It’s been a big year so far, but there’s more to come in 2018-19. The spring semester will kick off with the grand opening of the new 150,000-plus-square foot Colangelo College of Business Building on Jan. 9 and will barrel forward through April and May with signature events such as the Canyon Challenge, Mr. GCU, the Theatre Department’s presentation of Holocaust drama “Who Will Carry the Word,” Serve the City in February, the Roadshow Tour at GCU Arena, basketball and much more. Check out some highlights from GCU Today’s 2019 Winter-Spring Calendar.

Photos by Slaven Gujic GCU News Bureau The Friday afternoon ceremony at Grand Canyon University winter commencement featured graduates of the College of Education, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, and College of Theology.    

What makes a great teacher? It starts with a great education, and Aimee Frank, Victoria Monk and Jessica Gajewski all spoke highly of their experience at Grand Canyon University. They were three of the College of Education graduates Friday in winter commencement.