Fall-Winter 2011 Volume 28 No 2
Features
Mobile Happiness
Dr. Drew Erhardt and Dr. Edrick Dorian teamed up to develop the MoodKit, a new mood-improvement application for the iPhone.
Coasting to Comprehension
Most would suggest that inspiration travels from teacher to student, but in Ty Kastendiek’s unconventional teaching career, the flow is more circular.
Learning How to Lead
Early childhood education practitioners must diligently seek to improve their methods and learn new teaching techniques.
Perspectives
Letter from the Dean
“There’s a way to do it better… Find it!“ ~Thomas Edison
The Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology prides itself on its dedication to innovation. Our faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to think outside the box to find new methods of solving complex issues and to find creative techniques to improve upon established procedures.
Unsatisfied with the status quo, GSEP professor Drew Erhardt and alumnus Dr. Edrick Dorian (PsyD ’03) created a new way to disseminate mood improvement tools and techniques through mobile technology. Frustrated with the bureaucracy of the conventional school system, alumna Allison Powell (EdD ’11) pursued the emerging field of online K-12 education. Ty Kastendiek (’86, MA ’99), a teacher of 17, years embodies this culture of innovation by transitioning from a textbook-centered teaching model to a hands-on, textbook-supported approach.
As we model Christ—the greatest innovator—GSEP strives to find the best ways to serve our community. We aim to prepare those who will contribute to a better quality of life for all. Valerie Velazquez, a candidate in our social entrepreneurship and change master’s program, traveled to Haiti to serve young women displaced by the earthquake. Through our annual COASTAL 5k/10k Walk/Run, we were able to create a lunchtime, after-school, and summer science and technology lab at Holmes Avenue Elementary School in Los Angeles and offer 200 hours of one-on-one counseling for children at the Union Rescue Mission’s residential facility for homeless mothers and children.
Because of our dedication to finding new ways to serve, Pepperdine was admitted to the 2010 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with distinction for its strong institutional commitment to service and compelling campus-community partnerships that produce measurable results for the community.
GSEP will continue to value and encourage innovation as we aim to outpace this rapidly changing world.