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VIDBE-Q Volume 63 Issue 4
about conversations that weekend with colleagues was hearing about their own
experiences in a variety of O&M preparation programs, Northern Illinois University,
University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Cal State L.A., Western Michigan University,
Florida State University, and my own alma mater, Texas Tech University. While
listening to the diversity of experiences in these programs across different professors
and in various decades, I was bolstered by the realization that our newly forming
program at PSU was developing on a solid foundation of knowledge and experience.
Like many O&M programs, the majority of our courses are online with the
advanced course being hosted face-to-face in the summer. As our first cohort of 16
students were delving into the Foundations of O&M textbook; reviewing APH's "Step-
by-Step" curriculum; and reading peer-reviewed articles, they were listening to
podcast interviews that willing O&M colleagues generously shared with me
(http://podcasts.gseweb.org/; PDX Scholar Podcast). Our courses were also enriched
by deep practitioners such as Mary Tellefson, and emerging scholars such as Tara
Brown-Ogilvie. This summer, respected O&Ms, including Mike Yamada, Judy
Koch-Smith, Ed Silva-Geversoni, Sarah Willsie, Rebecca Cervantes-Foley, David
Miller, and Scott Crawford all provided direct instruction and enrichment to our first
cohort and to me.
With 16 students in our first cohort and 21 in our second, PSU is joining the few
and hardworking sister O&M programs to meet the needs of children and adults in
unique communities. As one administrator from Hawaii shared, although an O&M may
only serve a radius of 50 miles, that professional often has to travel by boat or plane to
