Washburn Education Department

05/22/2026

05/08/2026

Dr. Carolyn Carlson represented Washburn University and the other institutions of higher education in Kansas at the signing of HB 2485 by Governor Laura Kelly. This bill, known as the Blueprint for Literacy, supports teachers, students, and families through a statewide collaboration.

05/06/2026

Dr. Michael Rettig was honored as Professor Emeritus at a reception for those retiring from Washburn University. Thanks Dr. Rettig for all you have done for us. We will miss you!

05/06/2026

Congratulations to our hardworking, Spring 2026 student teachers! We celebrated their accomplishments on Tuesday, May 5. Mr. Carter described this group of new teachers as “smart.” They not only have high GPAs, but they are able to determine what their students need to be successful and modify the way the teach to meet their needs. We are excited for the bright futures of these teachers!

04/15/2026

Topeka Collegiate brought elementary students to campus so our STEM Methods teacher candidates could teach them about earthquakes and volcanoes. We appreciate our ongoing partnership with Topeka Collegiate!

04/15/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18pGczsCNu/?mibextid=wwXIfr

03/14/2026

On March 13, Dr. Carolyn Carlson testified at the Kansas Senate Education Committee hearing to discuss the unique collaboration among the literacy faculty at the seven public institutions in Kansas as well as innovative literacy projects occurring across the state.

03/04/2026

STEM + Literacy + Art + Robots = a powerful integrated lesson

In Elementary STEM Methods, teacher candidates wrote a short fiction story, built characters/setting, and programmed Sphero robots (with plastic cups + craft supplies) to help tell their story. In our debrief, they were amazed at how many standards one activity can address across ELA, math, science, and the arts -
and how adaptable it is for elementary classrooms.

02/19/2026

Cheer on the Bods on Wednesday, February 25!

02/07/2026

Dr. Carolyn Carlson and Ms. Tracie Lutz will be sharing their knowledge and passion at The Reading League Kansas conference in March!

🎤 Elevating Literacy Conference Session Spotlight: This Isn't Horseshoes: 10 Specific Ways to Sharpen Explicit Instruction with Dr. Carolyn Carlson and Ms. Tracie Lutz

In this session, participants will actively engage in sharpening their skills in explicit literacy instruction. Based upon research and experience, the presenters will share ten specific ways participants can immediately make their literacy instruction more explicit, resulting in an increase in student learning.

✨ If you’re looking for classroom-ready strategies to strengthen explicit instruction and energize your instruction, register now! https://bit.ly/ElevatingLiteracyConf26