Athene C. Bell
PhD Portfolio
George Mason University

Vita

Coursework and Reflections

Professional Experiences

Dissertation
(TBD)

Goals Statement

Academic and Professional Growth

Analytical and Integrative Thinking

Major
Education
Specialization in Literacy and Reading

Minor
Teacher Education

Doctoral Advisory Committee

 Dr. Kristien Zenkov, Chair
Dr. Elizabeth Sturtevant
Dr. Jacquelynn Malloy

Dissertation Committee
To be determined

Contact:  athenebell@gmail.com

George Mason University
4400 University Drive
Fairfax, VA 22033

College of Education and
Human Development

Athene C. Bell
9130 Grant Avenue
Manassas, VA 20110
703 201 2621
athenebell@gmail.com

Education

Ph.D Student:  Literacy and Reading Education
George Mason University
Spring 2009 to Present

Reading Specialist License
George Mason University
Fall 2008

M. Ed., Elementary Education
Bowie State University
Fall 1984

B.A., English
University of Maryland
Spring 1973

Certifications/Licenses

Virginia Professional Teaching License:  English—K—12

Virginia Professional Teaching License: Elementary Education—Grades 3—6

Virginia Professional Teaching License:  Gifted and Talented—K—12

Virginia Professional Teaching License:  Reading Specialist  K-12

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards:  National Board Certified Teacher

Professional Experience/Administrative

• Collaborate with teachers in the use of effective literacy strategies, analyzes instruction, and provides specific information on strategy implementation
• Assist in the development of curriculum that supports systematic and explicit phonics instruction
• Review core, supplemental, and technological intervention materials
• Collaborate with teachers in the selection and implementation of reading and writing programs and approaches selected by the district
• Provide support in understanding and implementing curriculum, curriculum frameworks, enhanced scope and sequence, SOLs, and SOL Blueprints
• Provide resources and training to school staff on scientifically based reading and writing research and evidence-based instructional practices
• Coach, co-teach, model, demonstrate, observe, and provide feedback for classroom teachers on the implementation of reading and writing intervention approaches
• Assist in the use of data from assessments as the basis for instructional decision making
• Establish a literacy leadership team support network for teachers
• Coordinate and assist with Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) testing, progress, monitoring, and intervention services for identified students
• Coach in administering and interpreting data from the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA), Measurement of Academic Progress (MAP), and Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments and tests
• Meet with literacy coach team to assess progress and needs

• Conduct research to support the writing of Dr. Zenkov
• Edit and co-author documents for national publication
• Assist with the PDS initiative and magazine
• Identify appropriate grant opportunities
• Assist with data analysis
• Conduct library research for literature reviews

Assistant Editor:  National Association for Professional Development Schools, PDS Partners Magazine
Fall 2008 to Present

• Edit article submissions three times annually
• Send congratulatory notices and magazines to selected contributors
• Solicit call for magazine article contributions via email
• Maintain PDS database

School-University Partnerships Manuscript Review Board, Co-editorial associate with Dr. Kristien Zenkov
Winter 2010 to the present

Professional Experience/Teaching

Faculty Term Instructor, EDRD 300:  Literacy and Curriculum Integration for Specialist Teachers, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 
Spring 2011

Faculty Term Supervisor, EDRD 637:  Supervised Literacy Practicum, George Mason University/Manasssas City Reading Specialist Cohort, Manassas, VA     
Fall 2010                                                

Faculty Term Instructor, EDRD 300/501:  Literacy and Curriculum Integration for Specialist Teachers, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
Fall 2009

• Prepared updated syllabus
• Developed instructional materials including PowerPoint presentations for class instruction
• Developed general requirements for course
• Graded assignments and calculated final grades
• Modeled literacy strategies including those that meet literacy needs of diverse students
• Taught lessons that incorporated literacy processes into the content areas of art, music, and physical educationlinking webpages in kompozer

Graduate Teaching Assistant, EDRD 630:  Advanced Literacy Foundations and Instruction, Birth to Middle Childhood, Dr. Ana Taboada Professor, George Mason University, Johnson Learning Center, Manassas, VA
Spring 2008

• Prepared PowerPoint for 6 + 1 Trait Writing presentation
• Assisted in evaluating student presentations and final products
• Developed instructional materials for theory presentations
• Collaborated with instructor on the preparation of instructional materials

Teacher/English, Grade 8, Grace E. Metz Middle School, Manassas, VA
Fall 2003 to Spring 2006

Teacher/English and Social Studies, Grade 6, Grace E. Metz Middle School, Manassas, VA
Fall 2000 to Spring 2003

Teacher/English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Grade 6, Weems Elementary School, Manassas, VA
Fall 1998 to Spring 2000

Gifted and Talented Resource Specialist, Grades K—6, Manassas City Schools, Manassas, VA
Fall 1996 to Spring 1998

Teacher/English, Grade 7, Grace E. Metz Middle School and Jennie Dean Middle School, Manassas, VA
Fall 1985 to Spring 1996

Professional Experience/Conference and Workshop Presentations/Completed 

• AERA 2011 Annual Meeting, Co-presenter with Dr. Kristien Zenkov, "Picturing culturally relevant literacy practices:  Using photography to see how literacy curricula and pedagogies matter to urban youth"

• Virginia Education Media Association (VEMA) Conference Presenter, Saturday, April 2, 2011, Manassas, VA,  "Using photography to improve diverse students' writing, self efficacy and achievement"

• Panel Discussion Participant, "The role of the reading specialist/literacy coach," March 16, 2011 for George Mason University graduate students seeking reading specialist licensure in EDRD 634, George Mason University, Fairfax campus
  

• Professional Development Schools National Conference, Co-presenter with Dr. Kristien Zenkov, "Professionalizing the 'marriages' of of PDS and non-PDS mentors and interns:  'Placements,' 'Speed Dating,' and 'Matching' in three US settings"

• NRC/LRA 60th Annual Meeting, Roundtable Presenter with Dr. Kristien Zenkov, Marriam Ewaida, and Megan Fell "A Center- Based Instructional Framework for Ninth Grade English Language Learners:  A Formative Design in Progress"

• Research Assistant to Dr. Ana Taboada, IES United States History for Engaged Reading (USHER), a Manassas City Schools/George Mason University three year reading comprehension initiative
  

• Co-presenter with Dr. Kristien Zenkov, Marriam Ewaida, and MeganFell--Gainsville Middle School Back to School Convocation; "Through Students' Eyes:  Seeing Youths' Perspectives on School:  Visual Metacognition as a Tool for Motivating Youth;" Gainesville, VA

• GMU College of Education and Human Development, Secondary Education Program, Capstone Portfolio Reviewer with Dr. Anastasia Samarus
  

• Co-Presenter for Dr. Elizabeth Dutro--AERA 2010 Annual Meeting, Invited Reception/Business Meeting—“Transforming Practice through Teacher Research:  ‘The Impact of Digital Photography Among Low Achieving Adolescents,” April 30-May 4, 2010, Denver, CO

May 2, 2010

• Co-Presenter with Dr. Kristien Zenkov--AERA 2010 Annual Meeting—Roundtable Discussion—“Professional Development Schools and Social Justice:  Studies of School-University Partnerships Committed to the Highest Ideals of Equity:  ‘The Effectuation of a PDS Partnership:  Addressing the Realities of Struggling Adolescents,” April 30-May 4, 2010, Denver, CO

• Co-Presenter with Dr. Kristien Zenkov--Professional Development Schools National Conference 2010, “Professionalizing the Matching of PDS Mentors and Interns:  From ‘Placements’ to ‘Speed Dating’,” March 11-14, 2010, Orlando, FL

• Co-presenter with Dr. Kristien Zenkov—College of Education and Human Development, George Mason University, Research Symposium:  A Community of Scholarship, “Picturing a Writing Process:  Using photographs to understand how to teach diverse youth to write,” George Mason University, Fairfax, VA

• Guest Presenter, EDRD 635/Dr. Kristien Zenkov, “Through Students’ Eyes:  The Impact of Digital Photography Among Low-Achieving Adolescents" 
  

Fall 2009

• Guest Panel Presenter for Dr. Lynne Schrum for new doctoral students in EDUC 805

Spring 2009, Fall 2009

• Manassas City Public Schools, 6 + 1 Trait Writing

Spring 2009

• Manassas City Public Schools School Board, Manassas, VA, Co-presenter with Dr. Kristien Zenkov and Mr. Mike Dufrene,” Through Students’ Eyes:  Osbourn High School Students”

Spring 2009

• Manassas City Public Schools, Manassas, VA, Reading Comprehension

Spring 2008, Fall 2008

• Manassas City Public Schools, Manassas, VA, K-2 Centers

Spring 2008 to the presentlinking webpages in kompozer

• Manassas City Public Schools, Manassas, VA, National Board For Professional Teaching Standards

Spring 1999

• International Reading Association, Rochester, NY, Reading Comprehension Strategies

Spring 1999

• Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, Reading Comprehension Strategies

Spring 1998

• Indian River School District, Indian River, DE, Reading Comprehension Strategies

Fall 1998

• Sharon County School District, Sharon, PA, Reading Comprehension Strategies

Fall 1998

• Annual National Board For Professional Teaching Standards Conference, Washington, D.C.

Spring 1997, Fall 1997

• VASS Annual SOL Conference, Williamsburg, VA

Fall 1996

• University of Virginia, Fairfax, VA, Virginia Tech, Falls Church, VA, Portfolio Assessment

Spring 1991

• Virginia Middle School Association Conferences, Norfolk and Richmond, VA

Spring 1990, Spring 1991

• George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, Reading To Learn Project Adjunct trainer and teacher

Professional Experience/Conference and Workshop Presentations/Future

• National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Conference Co-Presenter, Chicago, IL, November 19, 2011  Proposal Accepted:  Picturing relevant writing practices:  Using photography to see how writing curricula impacts eighth grade studets' writing practices
  

• Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers (ALER) Conference, Richmond, VA, November 3-6, 2011                 Proposal Submitted:  A center-based instructional framework:  Guided learning groups for ninth grade ELLs
  

Publications

Zenkov, K., Harmon, J., Bell, A. (2011).  What leadership looks like:  Using photography to see the school leaders city youth desire.  Journal of School Leadership, 21(1), 119-157.

Bell, A., Ewaida, M., Fell, M., & Zenkov, K. (In press).  Seeing students' perspectives on "quality" teaching:  Middle school English language learners' pictures and "at risk" high school youths' voices.  Voices From the Middle.

Zenkov, K., Harmon, J., Horvath, L., Ewaida, M., Bell, A., & Fell, M.  (In press).  Seeing across miles, oceans, and languages:  Using photographs and Web-based dialogues to help youth make sense of school and their lives.  Equity and Excellence in Education.

Zenkov, K., Harmon, J., Bell A. (In press).  Seeing students’ perspectives on school:  Using photography to meet city youth where they are.  English Education.

Lynch, M., Zenkov, K., Ewaida M., Bell, A. (In press).  Through students' eyes:  Using photography to improve diverse students' writing self-efficacy and achievement.  Chapter submitted to Breaking the Mold of Education for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students:  Innovative and Successful Practices for 21st Century Schools.

Affiliations

American Educational Research Association (AERA)
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)
Greater Washington Reading Council (GWRC)
International Reading Association (IRA)
Literacy Advisory Board Member, George Mason University
National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE)
National Reading Council (NRC)
Virginia Association for Teachers of English (VATE)
Virginia State Reading Association (VSRA)

Awards

2009—Best article, 2008-’09—Virginia Association for Teachers of English (VATE), “Technology environments and competency:  Emerging themes.”  Virginia English Bulletin, 58(2), 57-64.

1997—Gifted and Talented Teacher of the Year

1995—National Board For Professional Teaching Standards Certified Teacher

1994—Manassas City Schools Teacher of the Year

Original

Updated

Professional and Educational Goals Statement
September 2008

In September 2008, I began the last class toward completion of my Reading Specialist license in the George Mason University ASTIL program.  The following goal statement was submitted with my application for admission to the doctoral program at GMU.

Doctoral Candidate’s
Experience, Goals, Objectives

        Since 1985, I have been employed with the Manassas City School system.  For 19 years I taught English/language arts to students in grades six through eight.  A genuine love of teaching and for children helped to maintain high standards and many classroom successes.  During that time, streamline productive educational programs were implemented with vigor and enthusiasm.  Teaching strategies combined with innovative methods for implementation were incorporated into the classroom.  Modeling my own works, students learned that skill mastery requires practice and patience, and that making mistakes is a natural part of the learning process.  “Real life” situations were stressed in class, and students acquired a desire to pursue knowledge independently.  Test results for attendants were impressive.  Few students failed to pass state mandated tests.

        In June 2006, I became the Manassas City Schools division literacy specialist.  Job responsibilities include collaboration with teachers in the selection and implementation of reading programs as well as providing guidance in the use of effective literacy strategies.  A deep knowledge of the reading process was critical if efforts to share knowledge with teachers were to be successful.  It was critical for me to demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the subject in order to assist teachers in increasing their knowledge and skills.  In an effort to achieve this goal, in the fall 2006 I was accepted into the George Mason University/Manassas City ASTIL literacy cohort reading specialist endorsement program and will complete the process this December 2008.  The final product of this effort is that further involvement and participation and a keen desire to continue to learn have been awakened.  As a result, a new career goal has been established, and that is to pursue a doctoral degree at George Mason University with concentration in literacy.

        Core responsibilities as the Manassas City division literacy specialist include supporting teachers in every facet of literacy instruction.  This includes offering assistance in the implementation of the language arts curriculum and collaboration with teachers in the evaluation of reading and writing frameworks.  In addition, assistance is regularly offered to teachers in the analysis and interpretation of assessment data to ensure that instruction is aligned to student needs.  Further responsibilities include a willingness to coach, co-teach, model, demonstrate, and observe and provide feedback on classroom instructional practices in reading and writing.  But somehow, in spite of the magnitude of the job responsibilities, I feel that further knowledge is needed in order to truly impact teaching and learning.  This I know can best be achieved through the study and research at the doctoral level.

        At this point in my career, given my extensive experience in teaching both students and teachers at the middle school level, I have a keen desire to acquire more knowledge and research skills that will lead to a mastery of specialized knowledge that can be applied to adolescent learning in general and to the impact of adolescent motivation and engagement specifically.  In this way, I hope to fully understand the individual needs of students and reach them in ways that contribute to their increased knowledge, talents and self-esteem. This will require the acquisition of specialized skills and much research practice, critical reading, and analytical thinking.  I believe that I can achieve this goal through the George Mason University doctoral program with specialization in literacy.

        To date, my efforts to excite students to appreciate and seek learning to attain their maximum potential have been successful, but clearly, these efforts have little significance without further study. Streamline productive educational programs that have been implemented with vigor and enthusiasm have not yet tapped into the heart of learning how to fully motivate and engage adolescents to reach their maximum potential.  I believe that further study of teaching strategies and innovative methods devised by teachers is needed in order to truly prepare adolescents for life in the 21st century. This will require much hard work, yet the desire to become an expert in the field has been aroused.

       It is my hope to acquire the specialized skills needed to focus on the study of adolescent literacy with emphasis on motivation and engagement.  I anticipate active participation in the discovery of new knowledge that will lead to teaching teachers at the college level.  Experience at this level is extant, however isolated workshops for teachers is not enough.  Clearly, research is needed in order to discover, interpret and develop methods for teachers in order to advance knowledge.  I hope to achieve this goal through doctoral study at George Mason University. 

Updated

Professional and Educational Goals Statement
January 2011

    As I step back to reflect on the past two and a half years as a doctoral student, I am overwhelmed at the opportunities and experiences that have shaped my journey through the PhD in literacy program.  And while my goal of teaching at the university level has not changed, my perspective of the magnitude of the prospect has grown substantially.  In the process of realizing this long term goal, I know two things to be certain.  Once my goal is achieved, it will not end, for at the heart of teaching is on-going work in the fields of research and publication that I know to be essential if work achieved is to be authentic and fulfilling.  I am also aware of the process of the journey that has molded and challenged my thinking and has resulted in a broad understanding and intersection of competency in educational research, writing, and teaching. It is precisely this experience that has resulted in the establishment of short term goals along the way and to be sure, I anticipate this final phase to be the most challenging part of my experience.    

     It is with this understanding that I begin the last of my course study with the clear recognition that soon enough it will be necessary to effectively demonstrate all that I have learned.  I must focus my interests that have been perpetuated and expanded differently in every class completed.  I must select a single topic of interest to explore and develop a detailed understanding of its central phenomenon in order to begin the research process for it is sure that I will pursue this goal qualitatively.  And in this final phase I must seek to maximize my understanding in each of three remaining courses that represent the triangulation and streamlining of my interests:  qualitative methodology through the exploration of multimodal literacy and writing with adolescents.  This will require deep thinking related to my overall research goals, conceptual framework, and research methods—all of which I have been preparing through practice and study since my doctoral studies began nearly three years ago.

       Professional and Educational Goals Statement
January 2010

         It is hard to believe that I have completed my first year as a doctoral student at George Mason University.  And to be sure, in many ways it has been a humbling experience.  Upon completion of the GMU ASTIL literacy cohort program, I believed that academic work at the Ph.D level would be an extension of graduate study.  Early in the Ph.D. program while trying to make sense of DesCartes, Bruner, and Kuhn and their connections to my ways of knowing, I realized that study at the doctoral level required that I embrace a new analytic and integrative way of thinking and knowing.  As the semester progressed, I was introduced to John Dewey’s How We Think (Dewey, 1910), and to some degree, self validation was reinforced as I embraced the idea that my future work would be founded on the principles of reflective inquiry.  Shared activities within a community of inquiry were needed to launch my thinking to a new level.  As a result, I have come to embrace each new course and professional experience as an opportunity for constructive learning, discussion and problem solving.  Questioning and collaboration confirmation are key to this process.

        This idea for me, the self motivated and independent learner for a lifetime, was a milestone reached.  For me, prior to the study of reflective inquiry, the shared view of collaboration when thinking did not exist.  Reflective inquiry began and ended in the internal world of my own mind.  In essence, I was more adept at critical thinking and did not understand the depth or process of reflective thinking.  I have come to know that reflective thinking begins and ends in the external world and that resolution and action are part of the shared world of reflective inquiry.  Key to this revelation is the idea that through reflective inquiry, understanding is confirmed and reality is constructed through social interaction. 

        With that said, my original goal was to teach pre-service teachers at the college level. I believed that further study of teaching strategies and methods was needed to prepare adolescents and thus ultimately prepare teachers for education in the 21st century.  While the goal of teaching adults has never changed, the fundamental philosophy that embraces the method for achieving this goal was awakened during my second semester as a doctoral student when I was given the opportunity to teach EDRD 300/501.  And this experience has been a key highlight of my educational and professional career.  Through this experience, I have come to understand my need for increased knowledge in educational research.  Strategy instruction and streamline educational programs as originally thought are no longer the key focus for my teaching.  Rather, working with college students, I often wondered how far we have come as educators since the time of John Dewey’s rejection of pedagogy that focused on rote memorization. Thus, I have come to believe that my greatest contribution to education will be to teach students to think, to inquire, to reflect, and to deepen understanding through research within the field.   

References
Dewey, J. (1910).  How we think.  Boston:  D. C. Heath & Company

Program of Study Coursework

Reflections

Access to Transcripts

Program of Study Coursework

Course Number

Course Description

Credits Completed

EDUC 800

Ways of Knowing

Spring 2010    

EDUC 802

Leadership Seminar

               3     

Spring 2009

EDUC 805

Doctoral Seminar in Education

               2

Research Methods (12)

Spring 2010

EDRS 810

Problems and Methods in Educational Research

 Fall 2010

EDRS 811

Quantitative Methods in Educational Research

               3

 Summer 2010

EDRS 812

Qualitative Methods in Educational Research

 Spring 2011

EDRS 822

Advanced Qualitative Methods

Professional Specialization
Literacy and Reading (21)

Summer 2008

EDRD 797

Special Topics:  Leadership in Literacy

Fall 2008

EDRD 635

School Based Inquiry in Literacy

Summer 2009

EDRD 829

Advanced Foundations of Literacy Education

 Fall 2010

EDRD 830

Foundations of Literacy:   Birth Through Later Childhood

               3

Fall 2009

EDRD 831

Foundations of Literacy:  Adolescence Through Adulthood

Spring 2010

EDRD 832

Seminar in Emerging Trends and Issues In Literacy

Fall 2009

EDUC 994

Advanced Internship in Education:  EDRD 300/501:  Literacy and Curriculum Integration for Specialist Teachers

Minor Field of Study
Teaching and Teacher Education (12)

Spring 2009

EDUC 874

The Achievement Gap

 Spring 2011

EDUC 850

The Study of Teaching

 Spring 2011

EDUC 890

Internship in Education

Dissertation (12)

 Summer 2011

EDUC 998

Doctoral Dissertation Proposal

 Fall 2011

EDUC 999

Doctoral Dissertation Research

                                                                                                                                                                Total credits  53

 Return to Top                                                                                                                                                                        

EDRD 797

EDRD 635

EDUC 805

EDRD 829

EDRD 831

EDRD 832

EDRS
812

EDRD 830

EDRS 822

EDUC
998

EDUC 999

EDUC 800

EDUC 994

EDRS 810

EDRS 811

EDUC 890

EDUC 874

EDUC 802

EDUC 897

 EDUC 850

Summer 2008

EDRD 797
Special Topics:  Leadership in Literacy
Dr. Betty Sturtevant

        As part of the requirement for the class, I was required to write a book review of a choice book focusing on literacy leadership.  Additionally, a final paper was required that included a literature review as part of an article suitable for publication.  The selection of John Guthrie’s Engaging Adolescents in Reading heightened by interest in the dilemma of reading motivation in secondary students and was combined with a final paper that included a literature review titled “Technology Environments and Competency:  Emerging Themes.”  Two key events that would eventually lead to a change in my thinking and direction toward identifying a dissertation topic emerged.  First, upon completion of the class, I submitted the paper to the Virginia Association for Teachers of English (VATE), and it was published as the best article for 2008-09 in the Virginia English Bulletin.  Second, and most important, my interest in technology as a catalyst for motivation and engagement among adolescent learners for improved literacy development was heightened.  I found myself thinking about research in this field and less about teaching pre-service teachers.  At this time, I was unable to make connections between these areas of interest.

Link to Reflections

Fall 2008

EDRD 635
School-Based Inquiry in Literacy
Dr. Kristien Zenkov

        Prior to beginning EDRD 635, the final course required in the ASTL reading specialist licensure program, I applied to the GMU doctoral program.  Conceptually, I knew that completing a research project related to literacy teaching practices would be required however; I had no idea that participation in this class would be the catalyst that steered my thinking and interests to new directions.  A spiraling chain of events followed quickly during this semester, and with the help of Dr. Betty Sturtevant, Dr. Kristien Zenkov accepted my offer to work as his graduate assistant in the literacy program prior to my acceptance as a doctoral student.  This experience provided huge benefits that created a path for focused literacy study as well as a clear understanding of work at the doctoral level. 

        During the first class of EDRD 635, Dr. Zenkov outlined expectations for students, “Teachers must be resilient individuals who are willing to take risks to let school literacies matter to themselves and their students.  I intend that this course will be one that you remember.”  With those words, and an introduction to Dr. Zenkov’s work in the Through Students’ Eyes project that demonstrated the use of photographs and photo elicitation as a form of data collection for research, the identification of a topic of interest for future research study was crystallizing. 

        The teacher research produced in this class focused on the use of photography as a catalyst for oral language development among low-achieving adolescents.  And this work has become the foundation for planned future work related to visual literacy and technology as motivating and engaging agents for improved literacy skills among adolescent learners.  This teacher research also became the focus for future presentation in two of Dr. Zenkov’s graduate level literacy classes and will be presented at the AERA Annual Meeting in May 2010.  What happened to my original goal of teaching pre-service teachers?  Frankly, this was buried under new interests and prospects for future study of the impact of visual imagery.  Several things were clear; my interests for future research were becoming defined, and I recognized the work that significant work would be required to increase my knowledge in the field.  Additionally, I was anticipating the coursework at the doctoral level that was to begin the following semester.

Spring 2009

EDUC 800
   Ways of Knowing
Dr. Stephen White

        The deep-seated desire to succeed pushed me to attend class during the first weeks of Ways of Knowing.  Never before had I read material with such little comprehension or ability to apply concepts.  Descartes, Bruner, Lyons, LaBoskey, Gleick and Kuhn had been foreign in my repertoire of studies.  Furthermore, I had never considered my way of knowing as a critical component of self discovery, and I found myself grappling with the details that these authors presented rather than focused on the larger ideas and themes.  As I was not taking a literacy class where analysis and synthesis and critical dialog and connectivity were familiar due to experience with the content, little personal validation for understanding occurred; and I remember questioning over and over the purposes of the authors and while I slowly began to understand,  still made few connections to my own life and work.  

In late February journal reflection three required a visual depiction of my own way of knowing represented at the center of the pictorial with the analysis of various approaches for teaching to be represented in the periphery.  This was designed in response to a video-tape viewing of Secretary William Bennett’s teaching in the late 1980’s.  I depicted myself in the center of a baseball diamond as a pitcher with batters approaching in an effort to reach the three bases.  Each base represented a unique framework of educational theory.  For example, reaching first base suggested that my “pitch, response, way of knowing” was intended to reflect a behaviorist response while reaching second base, might have been a socio-cultural approach.  The understanding that various situations required varied responses depending on the circumstances was apparent to me.  Yet, I still had not connected the significance of my way of knowing to the work I had planned in the doctoral program.    

        By late March, I had decided to study John Dewey’s theory of reflective thinking as the topic for the final paper.  Perhaps it was Dewey’s view of inquiry as a method of scientific inquiry and as a way of knowing that led to my realization of the purpose of EDUC 800. Understanding a variety of approaches and perspectives of ways of knowing was critical for future study of various scholars’ and researchers’ approaches to their practices.  It was necessary to identify and understand implications of positivist, rationalist, and empiricist approaches in order to understand related research and to identify my own research goals.

        Not until the end of the semester did I began rethinking my original idea for dissertation topic.  Clearly with an empirical approach to understanding and knowing, I believed that qualitative analysis would provide a valid method needed for my future work. There was no question that scientific inquiry related to the study of visual literacy.  I was anxious to return to literacy courses in pursuit of critical learning and new perspectives in the field, and at this point in time, thinking about teaching pre-service teachers to think about their own ways of knowing based on the history of educational theory began to emerge.  Prior experience in teaching adults was far removed from the idea of incorporating critical thinking related to ways of knowing into professional development, but this would congeal later in the year.  

   Link to Reflections  

Spring 2009

EDUC 802
Research and Scholarship in Education
Dr. Joan Isenberg

        The opportunity to see and hear first-hand the CEHD faculty as representative of a wide range of educational scholars that makes up part of the George Mason research community rejuvenated my decision to study at the doctoral level.  All scholars presented their work passionately, and I remember thinking of the partnerships established, the shared input, the professional commitment, and the democratic ideals that were presented were reflective of a community of practice that I wanted to enter.  The wide range of interests and research methods presented led me to think about how my own interests and future research might impact the educational community.  While I was unclear as to the precise path to follow, I was assured that the opportunity to pursue would be navigable given the support I had previously experienced.  Clearly understandable was that my limited experience would require sustained knowledge acquisition. The hope that someday through research and membership in my own community of practice I could potentially impact some aspect of education, was becoming a realistic prospect.  Given that I had some idea of a topic to pursue for dissertation, the desire to learn about the history and philosophy of visual literacy was heightened.  In order to be able to identify a research question and methodology for research, I knew that would need to first become an expert in the knowledge base required to become a true scholar.  This understanding combined with the realization from EDUC 800 that reading required a clear and critical understanding of the author’s way of knowing propelled the desire to begin to build a well constructed base of knowledge that would become the foundation for all future work.

Spring 2009

EDUC 874
The Achievement Gap
Dr. Gary Galluzzo

        Developing an understanding of the achievement gap and the implications for educators and education were the focus of Dr. Galluzzo’s class, and in my mind should be a required class for all students in CEHD.  Extensive reading of current literature and research related to the dimensions of the achievement gap were reviewed, explored and discussed and began a foundation of knowledge that will continue to grow and be shared.  Each reading built upon the next as I tried to construct a picture of the findings unfolding.  Midway through the semester, it was required that a visual representation depicting the variables that impact and perpetuate the achievement gap be created.  It was at that point that I began to conceptualize the importance of research in education as it might relate to my field of study.  No single study could address the magnitude of the issue, and I wanted to be a part of the community of researchers working toward providing evidence that clearly demonstrated a method for closing the gap.  Resonating loudly were articles referencing “the soft bigotry of low expectations.”  While unsure as to my role in and goal of teaching pre-service teachers, I knew that research supporting findings related to the achievement gap would serve as a critical component in teaching.  One thing remained constant; connections to my topic for dissertation were growing.  I wondered, could the study and projected research related to visual literacy and photographic elicitation present findings that could potentially in some miniscule way, serve to reduce the gap in learning?

        An outcome related to taking this class resulted in the formation of a Teachers-as-Readers group within my own school district’s middle school.  Selecting Karin Chenoweth’s It’s being Done as the primary reading for the semester, school staff met bi-weekly to review evidence of schools that were closing the achievement gap.  Prior to doctoral study, I may have been anxious to see positive results from the group’s reading and discussion, and this would have likely manifested in the form of my expectation that teaching be changed, strategies improved, and methods revised.   However, with my investigation of reflective inquiry in EDUC 800 and an understanding of building communities of practice in EDUC 805, I came to appreciate the rich discussions and revelations made by the group.  While concrete programs were not created as a result of this group, I believe that through doctoral study, I learned an effective method for understanding how change occurs, and as a result; each participant became the beneficiary of significant knowledge that could ultimately lead to positive change.  This was an important revelation for me in my development as a doctoral student.

Summer 2009

EDRD 829
Advanced Foundations of Literacy
Dr. Betty Sturtevant

        By summer 2009, I was eager to begin foundational study of theory and research related to the study of visual literacy and technology.  If this were to become part of my dissertation topic, I was determined to learn as much as possible.  In the process, Dr. Sturtevant provided class participants with readings related to the history of reading that afforded the opportunity to compare and contrast literacy development in the United States.  This focus of study came at a critical time in my doctoral work as I was never before as keenly focused.   Equipped with the Handbook of Reading Research (Kamil, Mosenthal, Pearson, & Barr, 2000) and Readings in Reading Instruction (Robinson 2005), I delved into the readings analyzing my own beliefs in an effort to increase my knowledge and skills.  As with the recognition that multiple ways of knowing can be attributed to individuals, I became aware that research too undergoes paradigm shifts that leads to new understandings in different areas.  From behaviorist to cognitive to socio-cultural theories in reading over time, I realized that my interests were relatively new to the field of reading and thus may require more a different approach, one which I had not yet identified.  Additionally, as Chall (1996) pointed out, “The use of research and theory for improving practice has not been consistent.”  Did this mean that the hope of impacting pre-service teachers would be equally difficult? 

        Two key events occurred during EDRD that have led to new understandings and heightened awareness of literacy study.  First, the choice to pursue the topic of visual literacy and technology as a literature review provided me with significant background knowledge in the field.  Deliberately choosing to conduct a review of the literature, recurring themes from previous study of the topic in EDRD 635 and EDUC 797 emerged.  Reviewing studies from 1992 to the present, I was able to predict specific areas in which a new study of visual literacy might fall.  While I did not conduct research as to the validity of my conclusion, the idea that results of the studies related to visual literacy that I was finding were somewhat predictable in terms of overarching themes, provided me additional focus for future work in dissertation.  Could the recurring themes that I found be powerful enough to affect change in thinking through further research? 

        As part of Dr. Sturtevant’s method for increasing students’ understandings, guest speakers are frequently invited to speak in class.  Dr. Jackie Malloy was among the presenters that summer, and, her primary topic of discussion focused on formative experiments. While keenly informative, I gave little thought to the potential implications of her work to mine.  I made no connection to what I was finding in terms of recurring themes in studies of visual literacy to the idea of formative experiments.  My conclusions were not based on research study although I believed that some kind of different approach was needed to ultimately affect change.  It wasn’t until the fall 2009 that I requested a meeting with Dr. Malloy.

Fall 2009

EDUC 994
Advanced Internship in Education
Dr. Kristien Zenkov, Chairman

        Late in the spring 2009, Dr. Zenkov provided me with the opportunity to teach EDRD 300/501/Literacy and Curriculum Integration for Specialist Teachers:  Focus on Art, Music, and Physical Education.  This experience has been a significant highlight of my professional career, and with all new experiences, much was learned.  My experience as a lifetime student of literacy gave me great confidence in professional knowledge; my experience at the college level working with undergraduate and graduate students was scant although I continuously reminded myself that this was my goal i.e. to teach pre-service teachers.  In planning, one key goal was to provide students with fundamental research based literacy strategies that could be easily adapted for teachers in content areas.  After meeting with prior instructors of the class, I revised the existing syllabus to reflect the integration of visual documentation reflection, as noted previously, one of my key interests, as well as a group activity.     

        From the first class to the last, students responded to their progress in the understanding of literacy teaching in their content areas via pictures and reflections.  This method not only allowed me to formatively analyze progress, but the students themselves were able to navigate and track their own understandings.  I quickly learned that while most students participated in class discussion related to text readings, these discussions were lifeless and distant from their limited classroom experiences.  Early in the semester I decided to provide students with as many authentic experiences as possible in an effort to enhance literacy knowledge.  For example, students participated in a modified Directed Reading Assessment (DRA) and conducted studied read alouds with picture books reflecting their own disciplines.  Students read NAEP reading results and examined released Standards of Learning tests.  Integrating the philosophies of Vygotsky and Dewey, students came to know the importance of social constructivism and the importance of reflective inquiry.  My doctoral study was being tested, and it was working.

        The single greatest challenge in the class was directly related to issues raised in EDUC 874, The Achievement Gap.  In spite of continued research based readings and discussion related to learning styles and diversity, in general, students held pre-conceived ideas related to best practice.  One student noted that “pop quizzes” forced him to study, thus this method would likely be used in his own classroom.  No further discussion would allow him to see a different point of view.  The study of instructional strategies was mastered by this student, but what did it matter if he couldn’t conceptualize individuality and diversity?  My hope at this point is to continue to pursue the study of visual technology integration in order that students themselves might begin to be allowed to document their own understandings, stories, and assessments of education in order for educators to fully understand the power of their voices as teachers.

Fall 2009

EDRD 831
Foundations of Literacy:  Adolescence through Adulthood
Dr. Betty Sturtevant

        Continued study of literacy in EDRD 831 deepened my knowledge of research study and enhanced my understanding of classroom instruction.  Most significant however, was the opportunity to write a proposal for the National Reading Conference, 2010.  Additionally, I decided to write the final course paper in conjunction with the proposal.  A ninth grade ESOL classroom within my own school district provided the context for my work that I had identified as a research study-in-progress.  While not completely the focus of my intended topic for dissertation, the experience of conducting the research and writing the proposal was needed.  As my experience with research study was limited, I was apprehensive about the outcome.  Shortly after this decision was made, I read Ivey and Broaddus (2007) that described a formative experiment among adolescent Latina/o students learning to read, write, and speak English.  Interest in formative experiments was heightened, and I remembered the work introduced by Dr. Malloy the preceding summer who had described formative experiments as a method in which interventions could be changed.  Knowing that I would not be able to use a control group in my work, this method was intriguing.

        Throughout the semester I worked with the ninth graders and learned how to identify a pedagogical goal and factors that inhibited or advanced its effectiveness.  Most helpful was in the flexibility of the modification of the intervention to more efficiently address the pedagogical goal.  This meant that change in the instructional environment was a natural part of the research process.  The format allowed classroom teachers to change the instructional framework within the classroom as well as design new curriculum during the time of the study.  I was intrigued with initial findings, and the goal for improved reading and writing among adolescent English language learners remained constant.  The interventions changed, and student assessment revealed on-going progress.  Upon completion of the final paper I contacted Dr. Malloy who met with me to discuss the formative design.  Could this method be integrated into my dissertation work?  Could my final study be viable as a published work?

Link to Reflections

Spring 2010

EDRS 810
Problems and Methods in Education Research
Dr. Anastasia Kitsantis

          EDRS 810 was both practical and beneficial and had a significant impact on my thinking.  I began to understand the differing approaches to educational research and the importance of identifying the research method appropriate to the problem and purpose of the study.  While prior classes in literacy had prepared me for writing in an organized format, EDRS 810 strengthened my understanding of the need for a conceptual framework, methods for sampling as well as data collection and analysis.  It was in EDRS 810 that the validity of methods became a reality, and when I began to clearly understand the benefits of both quantitative and qualitative research.  As my interest in formative design soared, so too did my interest in mastering an understanding of both quantitative and qualitative research.  It seemed to me that the extension of knowledge paralleled the discovery of new methods.  Dr. Kitsantis required analysis of finding “gaps” in existing studies much as prior professors had required.  It was not until this class that I fully comprehended the necessity of delving deeply into prior research in order to find those gaps.   

            The Human Subjects online mandatory training and required human subjects proposal were new to me and beneficial to my overall understanding of the research process.  Without this knowledge, the final product, my dissertation, would not be possible.  Additionally, both qualitative and quantitative methods sections were requirements for this class.  Final presentation took place in a poster presentation format that provided me with the practical experience I might need in the future as a presenter of my own research as well as a presenter at future conferences.  Having had the opportunity to pursue study of both methodologies expanded my appreciation for both.  While not an expert in either, my understanding was the foundational framework needed to seriously begin considering the best method for my own research within the fields of literacy and teacher education.

Summer 2010

EDRS 812
Qualitative Methods in Education
Dr. Joseph Maxwell

Had someone told me that one of the most challenging courses in the program would be EDRS 812, I would not have believed it. Dr. Maxwell's qualitative research course during the summer of 2010 was challenging. Keeping up with the course readings and writing the researcher memos were difficult, but they were not what challenged me the most. The real challenge came with designing, conducting, and reporting on an actual qualitative study. Having read several published qualitative studies, I was under the impression that qualitative research was easy. Perhaps this was good because qualitative researchers know how to tell the stories of their participants or a particular phenomenon with such clarity that the untrained eye misconstrues this clarity for simplicity. Qualitative research, I have since learned, is anything but simple.

My earlier work in EDRS 810 prepared me to write the methods section of a qualitative research paper. But, I soon realized that I had little knowledge of how to build the actual design of a qualitative study or the experience/knowledge of how to analyze qualitative data. In the fall of 2008 my research experience in EDRD 635 and work with Dr. Zenkov provided me with knowledge of the coding and data collection process. Though that experience was beneficial, it was limited. What I did not realize until taking EDRS 812, was that in qualitative research, the researcher is often the data collection instrument and the actual process of collecting interview data may serve as an intervention. With these new realizations came new challenges, such as how best to address researcher bias and when to conduct follow-up interviews with the participants.

            The major project for this course was to conduct an actual qualitative study. My goal for the final research project was to gain an understanding of the beliefs and perspectives of high school students in an effort to understand key factors related to their school success and failure from their own points of view. One key goal of this study was to understand students’ perceptions rather than my own interpretations of those perceptions.  Thus, the students themselves might be able to tell us how their understandings might have influenced their school behavior. Additionally, because discussion of school experiences may have been difficult for some students, the idea of motivating students to talk about their school experiences through photographs that they themselves had taken, began to materialize. I was familiar with this work from prior experience in working with Dr. Zenkov and the Through Students’ Eyes project.     

Soon after I began to conduct the interviews, it became apparent that becoming a good qualitative researcher would take practice. As I transcribed the interviews and began to analyze the data, I found that I missed many opportunities to ask follow-up questions. It also became clear that I should have conducted follow-up interviews because the data analysis left me with more questions than answers.  Writing the final research report was more difficult than I ever could have imagined. Yet, that experience left me wanting to do more qualitative research.

In addition to learning that I have a lot to learn, this project also left me wondering why researcher bias is not addressed more fully in all educational research studies. After all, how I write my research questions, whether related to variables or a phenomenon, is directly affected by my academic, personal, and professional experiences. I am beginning to question the simplicity of some quantitative studies that attempt to reduce complex constructs to a few "measurable" variables. The reality is that educational research is complex and rather messy. At this point--my last semester in my program of study, I feel as though I should have defined myself as either a quantitative or qualitative researcher, but I do not see myself fitting neatly into either research paradigm, and I continue to lean toward formative design studies knowing that this will not be the chosen method for my dissertation.

Fall 2010

EDRD 830 
Foundations of Literacy: Birth through Later Childhood
Dr. Seth Parsons

EDRD 830 was the last of the required courses in my specialty field, and while there was no required text, focus for readings explored themes related to emergent literacy and the development of historical trends of literacy development—a theme previously explored in EDRD 797.  I was to a large degree surprised by the abilities I had acquired since studying the historical perspectives of literacy during the summer of 2008.  Dr. Parsons’ approach to article reviews required substantial attention to research design and analytical critique of findings based on the authenticity of the research methodology.  Because I had taken EDRS 810 and 812 and was in the process of taking EDRS 811, I found myself looking for gaps in the literature related to issues of reliability, validity, bias and methods—topics remote to my full understanding during the summer of 2008. 

Oral language development from birth through age 5 became the focus of my study in this class.  The final paper required a synthesis, analysis and critique of the related literature which I found challenging and exhilarating.  Choice of the topic resulted in the availability of  research to some extent.  Because I had taken the research classes that prepared me for this analysis, I opted to explore the assignment through examination of varied articles and multiple meta-analyses previously conducted in the field.  My purpose in doing this was not only to learn more about the oral language development in young children, but to also explore relationships between topic focus, research methods, findings, and conclusions through the history of the topic.  Because the topic was lucratively researched, I found the task unlike previously explored literacy endeavors.  I was actually critiquing the experts’ work with the highest respect for the authors but more importantly with the knowledge that all research holds some degree of flaw.  My goal was to expose these flaws and shortcomings. In doing this, I find myself better equipped to defend limitations in my own work through open admission of my own biases.
 

 Link to Reflections

Fall 2010

EDRS 811
Quantitative Methods in Education
Dr. Charles Thomas

Fall 2010

EDUC 897
Independent Study
Dr. Kristien Zenkov,  Committee Chair
Dr. Shanon Hardy, Supervisor

       Given the opportunity to supervise the EDRD 637 literacy practicum during the fall 2010 semester fulfilled the third element critical to the development and planning of my topic for dissertation.  This was the consideration of teachers’ perspectives in selecting instructional strategies for improved learning among sixth grade students.  Work in EDRS 810 and 812 gave me some experience in investigating the socio-cultural perspective of students and their school experiences, and work in EDRD 831 provided the foundation for developing an instructional framework for secondary students.  Additionally, study in EDRD 797 and 832 focused on the impact of motivation and student achievement that became the critical component in designing instructional frameworks.  In constructing these ideas for dissertation, one key component was missing.  I had never explored the idea of considering how teachers select instructional strategies for students from the perspective of teachers themselves.  Although literacy research studies have significantly contributed to an understanding of students’ successes and failures in school from their own points of view, there is a dearth in the current research that would explain how and why teachers choose to consider students’ perceptions into their daily instructional decision making practices. It was the purpose of this study to fill the current gap in the research through the investigation of teachers’ and students’ perceptions of sixth grade classroom literacy instructional strategy practices. 

    Research questions that guided this study follow:

1.   How are these teachers selecting literacy intervention strategies as instructional practices that will meet the needs of struggling readers?

2.      How do students who are receiving intervention strategy instruction perceive the intervention strategies being used?

3.      To what extent does the teacher’s use of literacy intervention strategies reflect students’ literacy performance as determined from the perspectives of both teachers and students?

             The findings from this pilot research study provided an extended and contextualized examination of how teachers selected appropriate materials and implemented a variety of assessment and intervention strategies based on individual students’ interests, strengths, and needs.  As well, the research perspective addressed both teachers’ and students’ perspectives of the instructional strategies selected for the participating students identified as struggling readers.  Findings from this pilot study confirmed what I believe to be the need for future research in this field and thus confirmation of the relevance of my proposed dissertation topic and planning. 

Throughout this study, teachers’ influence was evident throughout tutoring sessions after teachers completed interest inventories with the students and subsequently adjusted instructional practices based on the interests of the students.  The relationships between students and teachers influenced the level of motivation and the amount of effort and enthusiasm that students were willing to exert.  All of the students developed trusting relationships with their teachers and began to feel that their teachers understood them and thus began to view their education as a partnership rather than isolated sets of instructions.  Within two months, students began to realize that they themselves had the power to change their attitudes and behavior toward school and learning.  As the weeks progressed they began to feel as though teachers were allies and advocates as opposed to their opponents.          

            Another interesting finding of this study was that students tended to link teachers’ attitudes toward them with the way that teachers taught.  Teaching without expressing concern for the personal lives and interests of the students, was interpreted by the students as lack of caring.  Students were motivated by teachers who cared about their learning and who demonstrated enthusiasm for learning about their perspectives. When varied intervention strategies were developed that promoted student involvement and considered students varying interests, the students became enthusiastic about the subject and delved deeply into topics of their choice.  These findings confirm the need for future quantitative and qualitative research in this area and as I prepare for my final semester of coursework, I will work toward fine tuning these findings into a valid, realistic and workable topic for dissertation.  

Publications

National Association for Professional Development Schools

Presentations

National Association for Professional Development Schools

        Since the fall 2008 I have worked as the assistant editor of the PDS Partners magazine, the official magazine of the National Association for Professional Development Schools.  At the request of Dr. Zenkov, the magazine’s editor, I accepted this responsibility as part of fulfilling GA responsibilities.  Little did I suspect the impact the position would have on my work as a doctoral student and my growth as a scholar.  Maintaining a comprehensive database of PDS members, requesting articles for submission, reviewing articles, and sending congratulatory notes for acceptance include detailed aspects of the position.  However, I quickly learned of the significant contribution that the organization makes in the establishment of school/university partnerships after attending the 2009 spring PDS national conference in Daytona Beach, FL.  Never before had I seen such a group of committed educators working toward a common goal.  And while my own school district has not yet entered into this partnership, work toward that end has been perpetuated and is in progress.

        Reviewing articles for the magazine has given me great advantage.  First, my understanding of the need to unite university and school efforts for improved teaching and learning has been widened.  This will assist greatly as my goal to teach at the university level will be impacted through an understanding of this partnership.  Methods to achieve this are clearly articulated in the vast assortment of articles reviewed.  Work toward strengthening this partnership can be achieved through active participation as well as heightening students’ awareness of the need, and it is my hope to achieve both.

Presentations

        As a co-presenter with Dr. Zenkov for the February 1, 2010 Faculty Research Symposium I had the opportunity to experience not only sharing research among university professionals, but equally important, I was able to gain a clear sense of acceptance of the work presented through audience feedback.  Two key issues emerged.  First, through doctoral study to this point, I was confident that prior work achieved was rigorous and relevant.  In essence, all of the preceding classes were a culmination of the preparation needed for the symposium presentation.  And too, I was confident that the connection between research and practice was authentic as this idea is tantamount to my goal of teaching.  As student voices were uncovered during the visual and interactive presentation, “Picturing a Writing Process:  Using Photographs to Understand How to Teach Diverse Youth to Write,” I felt the value and significance of the presentation through my own belief in it as well as the audience’s nonverbal feedback.

        As with all worthwhile endeavors, there are lessons to be learned.  And while the audience received the presentation with affirmation of applause, one question related to assessment and findings reverberates.  While the intent of the presentation was to demonstrate how through the use of photographs and reflections diverse youth can improve their literacy skills, it appeared that the method used to report findings provoked questioning.  Prior to the presentation significant thought had been given to the best method for communication given only 10 minutes for speaking and five minutes to answer questions.  While there was no question as to the overall success of the presentation, preparation for future conferences, workshops and symposiums will be sure to consider the question raised.  Hard work and rigorous study is indeed important.  I have learned that oral communication must reflect every aspect of the message intended combined with the firm belief in my own work as a researcher and educator.

Experiences:  Researcher, Designer and Teacher

Research Products

January 2011
Experiences: Researcher, Designer and Teacher

          My first experience in qualitative research began at the conclusion of the ASTIL literacy reading specialist cohort program in EDRD 635, School Based Inquiry in Literacy during the fall 2008.  Under the tutelage of Dr. Kristien Zenkov, I designed a pilot research study that explored the impact of digital photography among low achieving adolescents.  And this was the impetus that has since developed into an enduring passion to pursue the study of multimodal literacy instruction through qualitative design.  And too, lessons learned through the experience strengthened and refined my work in EDRS 812 as I developed a qualitative study titled “Voices from the High:  High School Graduates’ Perceptions of their High School Experiences.”  Through difficult and tedious work of transcript analysis and Dr. Maxwell’s focus on validity and reliability, my understanding of the qualitative research process was slowly refined and fine tuned.  Combined with 19 years of teaching English to adolescents, focus for dissertation was beginning to take shape.  The process of allowing participants to generate responses and to write about emerging themes through a constructivist framework was like the unfolding of a great piece of literature.  It was at this point in my studies that I knew qualitative design would be the research method I would embrace for dissertation.   Future courses would generate further topics of interest.

          EDRD 829 provided that opportunity.  Continuing my study of multimodal literacy, Dr. Betty Sturtevant not only encouraged all students to publish their work, but offered explicit instruction in publishing for beginning researchers.  This was the catalyst that yielded my first publication and desire to continue writing.  During the fall 2009, I discovered formative design with the help of both Dr. Sturtevant and Dr. Jackie Malloy which led to a formative design pilot study and paper titled “A Center-based Instructional Framework for Ninth-grade ELLs:  A Formative Experiment That  Investigates Beginning Reading and Writing Achievement.”  My experience in qualitative study was growing as I expanded my range of interests, and it was during that fall that I began teaching EDRD 300/501 to prospective teachers of art, music and physical education.  Integrated into the syllabus was a requirement for students to produce a form of multimodal literacy and accompanying reflection related to work accomplished.  It was through the assimilation of my previous work, study and findings that this became a reality.  And too—this method will be replicated and expanded as I begin to teach EDRD 300 in the spring 2011 with a clear requirement for multimodal documentation reflections as well as collaborative products that require the incorporation of multimodal literacy.  And too, supervision of the literacy cohort practicum EDRD 637 that included teachers pursuing their reading specialist endorsement in the fall 2010 led to an independent study that further explored qualitative design and the perspectives of teachers and their instructional decision making processes.  By the spring 2011, repetitiveness of interests and work was clearly evident.  I was continuously working with multimodal literacy, qualitative design, teachers and adolescents—all of which is planned to be integrated into my work for dissertation.

January 2011
Research Products

          Work in EDRS 810 laid the foundation for basic understanding of both qualitative and quantitative design methods.  And work in EDRS 811convinced me that my interests did not reach to collecting information from large populations or collecting data using instruments rather than participant responses.  Capitalizing on a qualitative and constructivist perspective, my proposal for formative design experiments was accepted and presented at the NRC/LRA annual meeting in December 2010.  Equally important to me was the final qualitative study written in EDRS 812 that led to collaborative publication in the peer reviewed journal Voices From the Middle with Dr. Kristien Zenkov.

          It was in the fall 2008 that I first began working with Dr. Zenkov and the Through Students’ Eyes project.  Since that time, I have conducted pilot research related to multimodal literacy methods in my own school district at the high school, alternative education center, middle school and intermediate school.  While much of this work has been inspired by Dr. Zenkov’s own work, the foundation for execution and understanding rests in the coursework that I have taken.  In collaboration with Dr. Zenkov and peer colleagues, I have assisted in writing and have had four additional research articles accepted for publication in peer reviewed journals. 

Fall 2010

School/University Partnerships Review Board

        During the winter 2010, Dr. Zenkov made the request that I serve on the School/University Partnerships review board.  Embracing this as an opportunity to participate in a challenging and rewarding experience, I was eager to try.  With some prior knowledge  of the goals related to SUPs as a result of my work with the Professional Development Schools Partnership magazine, the importance of the topic and its significance toward improved teaching and learning was familiar.  My task was to review submissions for the organizations prestigious journal and to submit written critiques of manuscripts submitted.

        Much like my journey through doctoral studies, it became my responsibility to approach this task with a critical eye toward the applicability of the submissions to building relationships among the university and schools.  As well, much as my studies demanded comprehensive analysis toward the end result i.e. usefulness to me as a researcher and instructor, I approached this task similarly.  Of utmost importance would be each submission’s relevance to building school/university relationships as well as the applicability toward classroom practice and relevance to 21st century learning.

        While my expertise in research analysis at this time is limited, I believe that I have a foundational understanding of the complexity of different research approaches.  As each submission is reviewed, I use this knowledge with the assumption that the end result could be generalized to the population at large.  This method of thinking is a result of my studies and serves to summarize the applicability of the end result.

        Every one of the classes I have taken to date have contributed to a critical understanding of the needs of students in today’s world.  As a reviewer, I could expect nothing less from the contributor submissions.  After reading, I would reflect on the content in terms of its value to teachers and ultimately students.  Was it current?  How could it help bridge the equity gaps in education?  Would it be possible that the issues presented could effect change for improvement?  And, I have posed similar questions in each of the classes I’ve taken.  The end result is generally dependent on my own work ethic and ability as I suspect is the same among SUP contributors.