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...

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 in...

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 p...

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 challengi...

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...

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 i...

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...

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 ed...

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 (whe...

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. He...

Rita M. Bean, PhD, is Professor Emerita in the School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to joining the university, she taught at the elementary school level and served as a reading supervisor for grades K–12. Dr. Bean has published numerous articles, book chapters, and books on topics including professional learning and the role of reading specialists and literacy coaches. She is...

James W. Cunningham  is Professor Emeritus of Literacy Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has over 100 publications, including books, book chapters, research articles, professional articles, and scholarly reviews. He has presented many papers at national and international conferences. He was on the editorial boards of  Reading Research Quarterly ,  Jour...

Dr. Karen Wixson, Professor Emeritus of Education, retired from active faculty status at the the University of Michigan's Marsal School in 2011. Wixson received her bachelor of science degree in behavioral disabilities from the University of Wisconsin in 1972 and her master of science in education from SUNY-Binghamton in 1975. She earned her master's degree in reading education in 1978 and her doc...

Timothy Rasinski is a professor of literacy education at Kent State University and director of its award winning reading clinic. He has written over 200 articles and has authored, co-authored or edited over 50 books or curriculum programs on reading education. He's published numerous best-selling books with  Teacher Created Materials  and  Shell Education , and has also authored boo...

Dr. Donna E. Alvermann is University of Georgia Appointed Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus. She is also The Omer Clyde and Elizabeth Parr Aderhold Professor in Education Emeritus. Formerly a public classroom teacher in Texas and New York for 12 years, her current research focuses on critical media literacy and young people’s uses of popular media. She is the author of numerous articles an...

P. David Pearson is an emeritus faculty member in the School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley, where he served as Dean from 2001-2010. His current research focuses on literacy history and policy. He also holds an appointment as a Professor of the Graduate School and is the Evelyn Lois Corey Emeritus Chair in Instructional Science. He has been active in professional organizati...

Patricia (Patty) Anders holds the Jewell Lewis Distinguished Professor of Reading in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies, College of Education, the University of Arizona. She received her doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1976. Dr. Anders’ research and scholarship focuses on secondary school student’s language and literacy development, particularly in...

Professor David Reinking is semi-retired with a courtesy appointment as an Adjunct Professor in the University of Georgia's Mary Frances Early College of Education. He serves the department as a consultant, advisor, mentor, and resource, drawing on his diverse past experiences and leadership positions in the field. These include editorships of the field’s two leading journals ( Reading Research Qu...

Douglas Fisher, Ph. D., is professor and chair of educational leadership at San Diego State University. Doug is a credentialed teacher and administrator in California. He has published over 250 books, chapters, and articles focused on school improvement and was elected into the Reading Hall of Fame in 2022. Doug has lived in the San Diego area his entire life. In his spare time, he enjoys reading,...

You know Elfrieda H. Hiebert, known affectionately as "Freddy", is a big deal because she has her own Wikipedia page! Here's what that says: Elfrieda "Freddy" Hiebert  (born 1948) is an educational researcher whose work examines  literacy ,  learning ,  early childhood development , teacher development,  writing  and  children's literature . The main thrust of he...

Anne Haas Dyson is a former teacher of young children and a fellow of the American Educational Research Association. Among her previous appointments was as a longtime professor at the University of California, Berkeley, where she received the campus-wide Distinguished Teaching Award. She has spent over 40 years studying the childhood cultures and literacy learning of young schoolchildren, for whic...

James Hoffman is a Professor of Language and Literacy at The University of North Texas and currently serves as the Meadows Endowed Chair for Literacy. Dr. Hoffman is a former editor of The Reading Research Quarterly and The Yearbook of the National Reading Conference. He has served as President of the National Reading Conference and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Inter...

Susan Neuman is a well-known and well-respected thought-leader in early childhood and literacy development. She specializes in literacy and policy for children who live in poverty. She has written more than 100 articles and authored and edited 11 books! She has taught and researched at a number of universities and is currently a professor of Childhood and Literacy Education at NYU. She is on 'X' (...

To find someone who is renowned in their field, look no further than the SUNY system and Dr. Peter Johnston! Dr. Johnston is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Albany, joining their Literacy Teaching and Learning Department in 1981 when it was just called the Reading Department. He serviced as chair 1999-2001 and 2009-2013. He retired in 2014. Dr. Margaret Vaughn talks to Dr. Johnston about...

In this episode, Dr. Margaret Vaughn talks with Dr. Patricia A. Edwards, Distinguished Professor of Language and Literacy at Michigan State University. Dr. Edwards is an internationally-recognized literacy scholar, known for her work in supporting literacy learning and development for families of color. She is a member of the Reading Hall of Fame, as well as NCRLL Distinguished Scholar. NCRLL stan...