COE faculty represented at ALER
The annual meeting of the Association for Literacy Educators and Researchers (ALER) was held in Hilton Head, SC on November 4-7 and was well attended by Georgia Southern University College of Education faculty. In attendance were Nedra Cossa, Ph.D., Taylor Norman, Ph.D., Leslie Roberts, Ph.D., and Amanda Wall, Ph.D. Faculty presented their current research.
Norman and Wall presented “Collaborating with Teacher Candidates to Create Place-Based Integrated Curriculum,” which included their work with eight middle-level teacher candidates in spring 2020 to create place-based integrated curriculum at two historic sites in Savannah, the Owens-Thomas House and Slave Quarters and the Beach Institute African-American Cultural Center. The team of faculty and students visited these locations and worked to integrate state and national standards as guidelines for the Interdisciplinary curriculum. The study revealed that teacher candidates recognized possibilities with place-based curriculum to draw on local cultural, historical, and natural resources in ways that are relevant to students and their communities.
Cossa presented “Scientific Perceptions in Children’s Picture Books” which detailed a study examining pre-service teachers’ perceptions of scientific inaccuracies in children’s picture books and if these perceptions are reflected in how they plan on using and teaching with books that contain scientific inaccuracies. This research was conducted with Kathleen Crawford, Ed.D.
Roberts hosted a symposium and a presentation. The symposium, “Current Directions in Motivation Research in the Literacy Classroom,” presented the results of recent research in traditional and virtual environments that highlight current understandings of the nature of literacy motivation and classroom practices that influence its development.
Roberts’ presentation, “Young Adult Literature as an Impetus for Change,” reflected on the central knowledge that undergraduate students often do not take courses that require them to critically think and analyze text to better understand cultural, political, and historical impacts. Students also may not critically reflect on self and potential biases. Roberts’ study explored 15 non-education undergraduate students who experience diverse young adult literature and their reactions/reflections through using a critical lens to view these books as both windows to others’ lives and mirrors to better understand themselves.
Cossa and Roberts shared their updates on their continued involvement in chairing the Membership Committee as well as Wall and Roberts chairing the Middle/Secondary Division.
Roberts was presented with the 2020 Dissertation Award.
Posted in Conferences