Making Math Meaningful

Nancy O’Rode , PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Michael D. Eisner College of Education at California State University, Northridge. When she is not teaching mathematics methods and curriculum for elementary schools, she is Zumba dancing, kikoy collecting, bird watching, chocolate inhaling, and is a life-time member of the Jane Austen Society.

Rewarding Reading Practices

Renee Ziolkowska , EdD, is an Associate Professor at California State University, Northridge. She has worked as a classroom teacher and a reading specialist. Her teaching and research interests center around literacy. She enjoys traveling, trying new foods, and devouring books. She maintains a fitness program by attempting to keep up with her 6-year-old daughter, Sophia.

Teaching Writing Right

Kathleen Dudden Rowlands , PhD, teaches in the Department of Secondary Education and directs the Cal State Northridge Writing Project. When she can sneak away for a few days, she enjoys camping and hiking in Death Valley or Joshua Tree, spoiling her grandchildren, or checking up on the school of Humuhumunukunukuapua’a (reef trigger fish) that live in Shark’s Cove on Oahu.

Successful Social Studies

Joyce H. Burstein , EdD, is a Professor of Social Studies Education and the Director of Community Engagement at California State University, Northridge. She is the recipient of the university’s Distinguished Teaching Award and author of several works on social studies and arts education. After hours, you can catch her in her role as party mixologist.

[Page xii]Greg Knotts , PhD, is an Associate Professor of Elementary Education and the Director of the Queer Studies Program at California State University, Northridge. He has published and presented extensively on social studies, the arts, and LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) issues in elementary education. He dreamed of being a Solid Gold Dancer; okay . . . he’s still dreaming . . . but now it’s for So You Think You Can Dance.

Stellar STE(A)M Strategies

Erica Rood is a veteran teacher who is convinced that all children can learn and deserve to learn. As a national finalist for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (we’ll find out in 2016!), Ms. Rood is currently continuing her education as a member of NASA’s Endeavor Leadership program through California State University, Northridge’s STEM Masters Program. She is currently researching arts integration in a variety of STEM areas and one day hopes to be the first ballerina to travel to space!

Awe-Inspiring Arts Integration

Mary Wolf , PhD, is the Director and Assistant Professor of Art Education at Daemen College. For 20 years, she’s taught art and advocated for the arts at a variety of levels in a variety of settings including elementary, middle, high school, magnet school, alternative school, home school, adult education, higher education, and at international, national, state, and local conferences. She secretly wants to teach and represent the arts as a professor on the sitcom, The Big Bang Theory.

Ann Fontaine Lewis , MEd, K–12 Content Specialist and Professional Developer in Delaware, is a former classroom teacher, administrator, curriculum supervisor, and a current adjunct professor who presents nationally on literacy, curriculum and instruction, assessment, classroom management, and arts integration. She spends her “spare” time training and riding horses, feeding her addiction to reading and writing, and enjoying her family, farm, and friends.

Beth Thompson is a visual arts teacher at Dundalk Elementary School in Baltimore County and has taught visual art education in Maryland for over 30 years. She’s presented at state and national conferences advocating for S.T.E.A.M. and was named Maryland State Art Educator of the Year, 2014. On a daily basis, Beth captures the imagination and energy of children of all ages—including her husband Albert.

Tuning in With Technology

Lisa A. Dieker is a Pegasus Professor and Lockheed Martin Eminent Scholar Chair at the University of Central Florida. In addition, she directs [Page xiii]the doctoral program in special education and is one of the creators of the virtual classroom TeachLivE. She has no spare time these days even as an empty nester, but when she does, she enjoys her two crazy cats (one will ignore you, and the other will attack you)—noting her failure in behavior management with her pets.

Lauren Delisio is a doctoral candidate in Exceptional Education at the University of Central Florida. She is a native New Yorker with 9 years of teaching experience in both general and special education classrooms. Her areas of research interest include identifying effective academic interventions for students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms, especially in STEM content areas. A true Type-A personality, Lauren enjoys creating to-do lists, cleaning, and waiting on the prince of the house, her tiny, pampered Pomeranian.

Caitlyn A. Bukaty is a doctoral scholar of Exceptional Education at the University of Central Florida. A native of Buffalo, New York, she’s still thawing out! As a professional educator and former ballet dancer, Caitlyn infuses her passion for the arts with her commitment to students. She is especially interested in postsecondary transition for students with disabilities. The rest of Caitlyn’s time is consumed by catering to the every whim of her two rescue dogs, Giselle and Bukets.

Perfectly Positive Behavior

Brittany Hott , PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Special Education at Texas A&M University-Commerce. While Dr. Hott spends much of her time focused on developing and testing interventions to support secondary students, with or at-risk for, learning and behavioral disabilities, she has been observed running in circles—literally! Dr. Hott is a Boston and New York marathon qualifier and multiple ironman finisher.

Laura Isbell , PhD, is an Assistant Professor at Texas A&M University-Commerce. Her research interests include curriculum development and the impact of RTI on students and teachers. When she is not busy working, Laura enjoys watching the Green Bay Packers. Go Pack go!

Jennifer Walker , PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia. Her research interests include students with emotional and behavior disabilities and positive behavior supports. Recently, Jennifer moved to a house on 11 acres where she is trying to figure out how to raise chickens without actually having to touch them or clean their coop.

Classy Classroom Management

Luisa Palomo Hare is a kindergarten teacher in a high-poverty urban school in Omaha, Nebraska. She is endorsed in English as a Second [Page xiv]Language and has her masters in Educational Administration. Luisa has been recognized by Warren Buffet as a recipient for the Buffet Outstanding Teacher Award and is the 2012 Nebraska Teacher of the Year. Luisa’s biggest surprise of all came when she adopted her Goldendoodle, Sadie, and promptly fell head over heels in love with all things dog!

Wendy W. Murawski , PhD, is a Professor in Special Education and the Executive Director and Eisner Endowed Chair for the Center for Teaching and Learning at California State University, Northridge. She’s published and presented extensively on co-teaching, but when she’s not traveling or working, she is creatively decorating cupcakes.

Cool Cooperative Learning

Scott Mandel , PhD, has been a classroom teacher for 30 years. A National Board Certified Teacher, he has written 11 teacher education books, including Cooperative Work Groups: Preparing Students for the Real World and Improving Test Scores: A Practical Approach for Teachers and Administrators. He wants to write a book about champion sports teams in his hometown of Cleveland, but he’s still waiting for material.

Unique Universal Design for Learning

Tamarah M. Ashton , PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Special Education at California State University, Northridge and a frequent presenter for the Speakers Bureau through CSUN’s Center for Teaching and Learning and with 2Teach LLC. When not running the graduate program in Special Education, Dr. Ashton is on stage in numerous theatrical productions waiting to be discovered. Still . . . waiting. . . .

Incredible Inclusion

Amy Hanreddy , PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education at California State University, Northridge where she teaches classes related to inclusive and collaborative practices that benefit all students. Amy has worked as a special education teacher and an administrator at an inclusive school and has presented on a range of topics related to inclusive education with a particular focus on students with significant support needs. When she is avoiding deadlines, Amy is busy posting cat and kid pictures on Facebook.

Erin Studer , EdD, is the Executive Director of CHIME Institute in Los Angeles, California. CHIME is a national model for inclusive education and serves over 700 children from the Los Angeles area each year. Dr. Studer has taught special education and general education in K–12 and also has taught preservice educators at the university level. He hails from [Page xv]the great state of Iowa and, like many from his native state, spent many years wrestling. Though he no longer grapples, he enjoys wearing his wrestling shoes around the house because of how cool they look.

Creative Co-Teaching

Wendy W. Murawski , PhD, is the Executive Director and Eisner Endowed Chair for the Center for Teaching and Learning at California State University, Northridge. She’s written four books, as well as chapters, articles, and software . . . all on co-teaching. In fact, she and her coauthors, Tamarah Ashton, Claire Hughes, Sally Spencer, and Lisa Dieker, have been extending the co-teaching culture to co-shopping, upon which they are intent on becoming experts.

Amazing Assessment

Brooke Blanks , PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Special Education at Radford University. She is particularly interested in inclusive classrooms in rural schools. When she is not teaching, writing, or supervising interns, Dr. Blanks enjoys running (slowly) and learning to play more than three chords on her guitar.

Great Gifted Education

Claire E. Hughes , PhD, lives her life in twos: She is an Associate Professor at the College of Coastal Georgia in a dual-certification Elementary/Special Education teacher preparation program and received her doctorate in both gifted education and special education from the College of William and Mary. She specializes in twice-exceptional children; lives on St. Simons Island, but works in Brunswick on the mainland; and has two children, two dogs, two cats, two fish and is one half of a two-parent team.

Engaging English Language Learners

Shartriya Collier , PhD, is currently an Associate Professor, Director of the Los Angeles Times Literacy Center and Graduate Advisor in the Department of Elementary Education at California State University, Northridge. Dr. Collier’s personal teaching motto is, “transform the world, one mind at a time.” When she is not teaching students or working with families in the community, she is a professional deejay and backup singer at local lounges and events in and around the Los Angeles area.

Addressing Autism Spectrum Disorder

Emily Iland , MA, is an award-winning author, advocate, filmmaker, researcher, and leader in the autism field. She travels extensively conducting [Page xvi]training in English and Spanish on almost every autism-related topic. When she is not exhausted from doing all that stuff, she loves to research family history, which is not as boring as it sounds, honest!

Developing Deaf Education

Flavia Fleischer , PhD, is currently the Chair of the Deaf Studies Department at California State University, Northridge. She is an activist who is very interested in fighting against oppression of all minorities, especially oppression of Deaf people through her research and teaching. When Flavia is not handling department needs, teaching, or presenting, she is either out on her crazy training runs or in the kitchen experimenting with new recipes.

Will Garrow , PhD, is from upstate New York, where he was first introduced to the Deaf community through his career as a professional snowboarder. As a faculty member at California State University, Northridge his teaching mainly focuses on how oppression works in American society, Deaf culture, and ASL linguistics. When Will is not teaching, he can be found either on the snow in the mountains or splatting balls on the racquetball court.

Rachel Friedman Narr , PhD, is a Professor in Special Education/Deaf Education at California State University, Northridge. She’s published and presented nationally on reading with DHH students and parent-to-parent support for families raising DHH children. She’s best known for her truthiness and well . . . her husband’s amazing skills in the kitchen.

Superb Social Skills Instruction

Michelle Dean is an Assistant Professor in Special Education at California State University, Channel Islands. She received her PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles. Michelle’s research focuses on the social engagement of children with disabilities at school. At home, Michelle changes diapers, plays “I’m gonna get you,” and cooks in real and pretend kitchens. Prior to becoming a professor and a mom, Michelle was a special education teacher for the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Fantastic Family Collaboration

Susan Auerbach , PhD, is a Professor in the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Department at California State University, Northridge. She’s published and presented extensively on family engagement, school leadership, and school-community partnerships. She enjoys relaxing with [free range] chicken TV in the backyard—the curious antics of Buffy, Little Red, Skittery, and Peck.