In the near future, I hope to teach a literacy assessment course. As I consider the mandates put forth by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), I feel concern for the continuation of meaningful classroom literacy instruction and assessment practices. I do not agree with ideas in this mandate that call for only "scientific methods" based on "reliable and replicable methods" of teaching and assessing reading because I believe the definition of what this actually means is too narrow. Reflecting on my own past, I see the blending of instruction and assessment, looking closely at what children already know in order to help them move ahead, and the opportunity to reflect on literacy assessment practices with other teachers as important positives to consider when assessing literacy. The course syllabus is a product of that history.

Politics of Literacy

The Politics of Literacy is another class I dream of teaching.  My interest in this topic developed out of my own research on the NCLB website.  This research compelled me to look critically at ways in which literacy is political and ideological and what this means for teaching and learning.

Qualitative Research Methodology

I am a champion of qualitative research methodology and excited by the possibility of teaching this course soon.  Qualitative researchers work to understand and explain the meaning of social phenomena in natural settings using naturalistic inquiry, field study, participant observation, case study, and ethnography (Merriam, 1998).