Getting Smarter

Host Dr. Margaret Vaughn interviews Dr. Judith Green, a UC Santa Barbara education professor known for research on teaching-learning relationships, socially constructed disciplinary knowledge, and classroom discourse, and founder of the Santa Barbara Classroom Discourse Group focused on equity and access. Green recounts growing up in an intergenerational, bilingual Yiddish-English home, formative school experiences including a sixth-grade teacher who shifted her academic trajectory, and how the Sputnik-era move toward skills-based instruction affected her brother’s reading support. She describes her teacher education at Berkeley, work across diverse schools, development of “pull-in” reading support, critique of standardized testing that ignored classroom language diversity, and graduate study comparing discourse frames with traditional observation systems.

In this episode of 'Getting Smarter,' Dr. Margaret Vaughn talks with Dr. Michèle Foster, an esteemed scholar whose work resides at the confluence of language, culture, and the experiences of Black educators and students. Dr. Foster's extensive career includes teaching in Boston's public schools during the desegregation era, developing multicultural curricula, and conducting significant research into Black teachers' pedagogical insights. Her foundational work illustrates the importance of culturally relevant pedagogy and the necessity of viewing Black students' linguistic and cultural backgrounds as assets in learning. Dr. Foster emphasizes the need for a multidisciplinary approach in academia, one that values old and new research while encouraging students to develop unique scholarly voices. The conversation is rich with anecdotes from Dr. Foster's career, insights into effective teaching practices, and provides listeners with a broader understanding of the complexities and opportunities in educating Black students.

In this episode of Getting Smarter, Dr. Margaret Vaughn speaks with Dr. Alfred W. Tatum, Executive Director of the Literacy Research Center and Clinic at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Dr. Tatum shares his journey in education, driven by a deep calling to improve literacy among African American youth. He reflects on his experiences as a teacher, researcher, and leader, highlighting key projects like the African American Male Summer Literacy Institute and community engagement work.

In this episode of 'Getting Smarter,' Dr. Margaret Vaughn interviews Dr. Sonia Nieto, Professor Emerita at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Dr. Nieto, a pioneering figure in multicultural education, shares her journey from deciding she wanted to be a teacher at age 10 to becoming a renowned educator and advocate for multilingual and culturally diverse students. She discusses her challenging but ultimately rewarding early teaching years in New York City, her groundbreaking work at PS 25, and her influential publications, including 'Affirming Diversity' and 'The Light in Their Eyes.' Dr. Nieto emphasizes the importance of hope, resilience, and the interconnectedness of various educational fields like multicultural and bilingual education. She offers insights on remaining hopeful and proactive amidst current challenges in education, advocating for a more inclusive and multicultural society.

In this episode, Dr. David Bloome recounts his initial disinterest in schooling, stemming from negative personal experiences and societal tensions during his youth in Southern Connecticut. He discusses his entry into education through Teacher Corps, his time in challenging schools like Cleveland, and his eventual move into higher education.

Dr. David Bloome is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Teaching and Learning at The Ohio State University. His research and scholarship have involved collaborations with colleagues, teachers, and doctoral students. His scholarship focuses on the uses of written language in and out of classrooms. He has held several leadership positions in the field including President of the National Council of Teachers of English, National Conference on Research in Language and Literacy along with serving as an editor for Linguistics and Education, Reading Research Quarterly, and Research in the Teaching of English. Dr. Bloome has received several awards for his research including The John J. Gumperz Memorial Award for Distinguished Lifetime Scholarship from the AERA Special Interest Group on Language and Social Processes, the Distinguished Scholar Award from the National Conference on Research in Language and Literacy, and the Oscar Causey Award from the Literacy Research Association, among others. In 2008, he was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame and in 2011 he was elected as a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association.

In this episode, Dr. Carol D. Lee shares her journey from a young child with a passion for teaching to becoming a leading figure in education. She discusses the influences of her family, the challenges and support she encountered throughout her education, and her shift from a private school teacher to an advocate for culturally relevant pedagogy. Dr. Lee highlights pivotal moments, including her involvement in the Black Arts Movement and the establishment of African-centered schools. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the complexities of human learning, the role of relationships, and the need for educational systems that support both cognitive and emotional development.

Carol D. Lee is the Tarry Professor Emerita in the School of Education and Social Policy and African-American Studies at Northwestern University. She is President of the National Academy of Education, a past president of the American Educational Research Association, AERA’s past representative to the World Educational Research Association, past vice-president of Division G of AERA, past president of the National Conference on Research in Language and Literacy, and past co-chair of the Research Assembly of the National Council of Teachers of English. She is a member of the National Academy of Education, a fellow of AERA, the National Conference on Research in Language and Literacy, the International Society of the Learning Sciences, a former fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies in the Behavioral Sciences, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Reading Hall of Fame. She has received numerous awards including Distinguished Contributions to Education from AERA, the McGraw Prize in Education, the Squire Award and the Distinguished Service Award from the National Council of Teachers of English, Scholars of Color Distinguished Scholar Award from the American Educational Research Association, the Distinguished Alumni Award from the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Illinois-Urbana, The President’s Pacesetters Award from the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education and an honorary doctorate from the University of Pretoria, South Africa. In 2023, she was selected by President Biden to serve on the National Board for Education Sciences. She is a founder of 3 African centered schools in Chicago spanning a 50 year history. Her research addresses cultural supports for learning that include a broad ecological focus, with attention to language and literacy and African-American youth. Her career spans 58 years, having taught high school, primary school and at community college before entering Northwestern University.

Norman A. Stahl received his Ph.D. from the Program in Language Communications at the University of Pittsburgh. Previous to his doctoral work he earned degrees at San Francisco State University (M.A.-Interdisciplinary Studies in Education & B.A. - History), and the City College of San Francisco (A.A. - History). Currently, he is a Professor Emeritus of Literacy Education at Northern Illinois University. Stahl served for over a decade as the Chair of the Department of Literacy Education, and he also served as the Chair of the Curriculum and Instruction Department, the Director of the College Reading and Learning Program, and the Director of the Learning Research Laboratory. He is an affiliate of the Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language and Literacy. Norm now holds emeritus status at N.I.U. He also held faculty positions at Georgia State University, the University of Pittsburgh, and San Francisco State University.

Dr. Stahl has authored or co-authored over 100 publications (including edited texts, monographs, chapters, scholarly articles, yearbook pieces, editorials, etc.). His articles have appeared in the Journal of Literacy Research -- the Journal of Reading Behavior, Reading Research and Instruction, the Reading Teacher, the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy -- the Journal of Reading, the Journal of Developmental Education, the Journal of College Reading and Learning, among others. His work has also appeared in the yearbooks of the Learning Research Association, the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers, and the American Reading Forum. Specific areas of scholarly interest include postsecondary reading instruction, content analysis research, and historical research. He is the co-editor of Teaching Developmental Reading (two editions) and also Teaching Study Strategies in Developmental Education both from Bedford/St. Martin's Press.

Dr. Almasi joined the faculty of the University of Kentucky in 2004 and is the Carol Lee Robertson Endowed Professor of Literacy Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. She teaches courses in literacy research and theory and research design. Her career began as an elementary school teacher and literacy specialist in Maryland.

Dr. Almasi earned her Ph.D. and M.Ed. in literacy education at the University of Maryland and her B. S. in Education from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. Following her graduate work, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the Learning Research and Development Center at the University of Pittsburgh. She was the recipient of the International Reading Association’s Outstanding Dissertation of the Year Award in 1994 and the National Reading Conference’s Outstanding Student Research Award in 1993.

Her pedagogical and research endeavors have critically examined the contexts in which children make sense of text, particularly in peer discussion environments. Her research has also examined comprehension and the strategic processing that occurs while children read. She is currently a co-principal investigator on a grant funded by the U. S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, in which she is helping design a narrative comprehension intervention to assist third graders who struggle to comprehend, and who are at-risk for ADHD.

She has published several books including Teaching Strategic Processes in Reading, now in its second edition. and her research has been published in journals such as: Reading Research Quarterly, Journal of Educational Psychology, Journal of Educational Research, Journal of Literacy Research, Elementary School Journal, Educational Psychologist, and Reading Psychology. She has served as an elected member of the Board of Directors of the International Reading Association (2008-2011) and the Literacy Research Association (2008-2011). She is currently the President-Elect of the Literacy Research Association and served as President in 2015.

Richard "Dick" Allington, a nationally known scholar in reading instruction and winner of numerous awards in the field of literacy, served as a professor of reading education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville from 2005 to 2017. He is past-president of the International Literacy (Reading) Association. Prior to his appointment at UT, he held faculty positions at the University of Albany (where he chaired the Reading Education program) and at the University of Florida where he held the Rose Fein Distinguished Professorship.

Sheila W. Valencia is Professor Emerita of Language, Literacy, and Culture at the University of Washington, Seattle where she contributed to the teacher preparation, masters, and doctoral programs in literacy. She began her career as a teacher in New York City, then spent six years as Director of Reading in Adams Country School District, and finally 32 years as a faculty member at UW. Her research focuses on literacy assessment, policy, and teacher development, particularly how to create and use assessment to improve teaching and learning. Working on long-term collaborations with several states and school districts, she has conducted research and professional development projects on aligning both instruction and assessment with deeper, rigorous learning in literacy and social studies. Her work has appeared in numerous edited books and top-tier journals including Reading Research Quarterly, Educational Assessment, Journal of Teacher Education, Elementary School Journal, Journal of Literacy Research, and The Reading Teacher.

Valencia has served on national, state, and local assessment committees to improve assessment systems and policies including the Common Core Standards Advisory Panel on Literacy, National Assessment of Educational Progress subcommittees, and IRA/NCTE standards and assessment committees. She currently serves as a member of the Nationall Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Validity Studies Panel and the Technical Advisory Panel for Smarter Balanced Assessment. Dr. Valencia has been honored as a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), the Dina Feitelson Research Award from the International Literacy Association (ILA), the P. David Pearson Scholarly Influence Award, and outstanding teacher education article from American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE).