Intersections of Diversity, Literacy, and Learner Difficulties

Dennis Conrad is Professor Emeritus at the State University of New York - Potsdam. Before completing his Ph.D. at Virginia Tech, he completed studies at Mausica Teachers College, Trinidad; Sheffield University, and the University of London (UK). More recently he has served as Manager, Student Support Services Division, Trinidad. This volume is the fourth he has co-edited. He has taught at regular and special schools and universities in Trinidad and the USA. A former school principal, Professor Conrad earned the President’s Award for Excellence in Research and Scholarship-Cultural Pluralism. He has been a Board Member of the EERA, Chair of AERA’s Caribbean and African Studies in Education SIG, and Chair of the Department of Inclusive and Special Education. His main research interest is in the intersection of leadership, diversity, disability, and education. Theresa Abodeeb-Gentile is an Associate Professor and the former Director of Elementary Education at the Universityof Hartford in West Hartford, CT.  Dr. Abodeeb-Gentile received her doctorate in Literacy Language and Culture from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Prior to her appointment at the University of Hartford, Theresa taught courses at American International College in Springfield Massachusetts, UMASS Amherst, and was an elementary inclusion classroom teacher and literacy specialist in Massachusetts for 16 years. She continues to stay active in schools, while doing both professional development and research. Her scholarship interests include the intersections of pedagogy, learning, literacy, identity, and inclusive education.

1. Premise of the Book: Considering Learner Difference and Literacy.- Section I Literacy Contexts: A Matter of Difference.- 2.“I’m Writing to Teach Those Who Do Not Know”: Making the Case for Inclusive Pedagogy that Values Difference and Capitalizes on Students’ Expertise.- 3. Collaboration in career and technical education to support all learners: Reflections and practices from the field.- 4. Effective planning and revising strategies for meeting the needs of students with learning difficulties and literacy needs.- 5. (Re)Framing Difficulty: ELLs and Literacy Instruction.- 6. Listen to their Voices: Early childhood Professionals Reflect on their Experiences Teaching Language Skills to Young Children.- 7. Stories of Teaching (and Learning how to Teach) Literacy to Diverse Learners in a Language Classroom.- Section II    It’s Personal: Advocacy and Action.- 8. Learner Differences and Second Language Learning: A Post-Colonial Perspective.- 9. The Construction of LiteracyIdentity: Alice’s Story.- 10. An Ecological Examination of “Literacies”: A Mother’s Journey.- Section III     Moving Forward & Building Bridges.- 11. Constructing Successful School Models for Inclusive Literacy: Supporting Student Success Through Strategic Instruction in Diverse Settings.- 12. Moving all up at Sireira Moderna Academy.- 13. Final Thoughts: Conversations, Intersections, and Education for All: Where to?.- Afterword.