Lisa Anne Didion
Lisa Didion graduated May 2007 from the
University of Missouri with a teaching degree
in Special Education, and is attending the
M.Ed. program in Special Education at
Peabody College of  Vanderbilt University in
the Fall of 2007.
From its roots in 18th-century Davidson Academy, Peabody grew into a college
dedicated to the training of teachers. A gift from educational philanthropist George
Peabody inspired the institution to adopt his name and to move to its current
location, a National Historic Landmark.
Vanderbilt, endowed by Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt in 1873, is a
“New Ivy” in the 2007 Kaplan/Newsweek guide, How to Get into College.
opinion was supported by the new Missouri state constitution of 1865. The document suggested that all state universities
house a department in instruction of teaching. It was at this point that the Board of Curators created the Normal College in
President Lathrop considered the training of teachers to be among the most important functions of any state university. His
1868. Its purpose was to prepare teachers for public schools. E.L. Ripley of Michigan was appointed as the director.  Grace C.
Bibb from St. Louis took charge of the school in 1878. She was the first female appointed a deanship at the University. Under
her leadership, women were first allowed into the Normal College, then all other University departments. After a series of name
changes during the early 1900s, the Normal College eventually became the College of Education.
After a merger in 1979, the combination of Peabody and Vanderbilt
further enhanced the intellectual and social resources available to
our students. Forward-thinking from the beginning, Peabody has
pioneered

* the field of special education
* a unique undergraduate curriculum, Human and Organizational
Development
* educational technology tools with The Adventures of Jasper
Woodbury, video-based adventures that focus on mathematical
problem finding and problem solving
* the field of community psychology
Special Education Master's Degree (M.Ed.)

The M.Ed. professional degree offers individualized preparation for students who have
completed undergraduate programs in special education or related areas. The program
stresses field-based learning and experiences while offering ample opportunities to
participate in teaching, research, and service. Basic requirements include a core of
courses and field-based competencies common to all areas of special education
including high incidence disabilities, severe disabilities, early childhood education, and
visual impairments.

Field experiences are a key component of your individual program of studies. You will be
able to work with children and adults with mental retardation, autism, language
impairments, behavioral disorders, learning disabilities, visual impairments, orthopedic
disabilities, or multiple disabilities.
Lisa Didion attended and graduated from
St. Charles Borromeo Elementary School and
Duschesne High School in St. Charles, Mo.
Didion