Alex Cann participates in teaching demo at William Woods University

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Alex Cann

FULTON, MO (04/11/2012)(readMedia)-- William Woods University education technology students recently got a lesson from an unlikely source: second-grade students from Jefferson City's West Elementary School.

Alex Cann of, San Diego, Calif., was one of the WWU students involved.

With the assistance of their teacher, Shannon Barnard, they helped the WWU students learn more about classroom teaching, providing demonstrations in literacy and mathematics.

Barnard demonstrated technology integration in teaching, transitions, cooperative teaching and other teaching strategies. The WWU students also completed teaching activities with the second-graders.

"It gave my second-graders a chance to shine and show off what they understood, and it gave the college students a chance to watch and learn ways to guide the students when they were having trouble completing a task," Barnard said.

A 2008 WWU graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education, Barnard is currently enrolled in WWU's Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree program.

"Having our own graduates come back to provide demonstrations says a lot about the quality of our program," said Dr. Roger Wen, associate professor of education and business. "Shannon is an excellent teacher at a very young age."

While on campus, the West Elementary students ate lunch with college students at Tucker Dining Hall and took a tour of campus, including the equestrian facilities, led by William Woods students.

The project was accomplished with financial assistance from faculty creative grant funding provided by the academic dean's office.

"Spending a day with Miss Barnard's second-graders was a wonderful experience," said Leigh Rice of Fulton. "I am a secondary education major so most of my time has been spent in the high school setting. It was so great to see the kinds of activities and projects the students get to work with in class."