Dr. Allen Webb
Curriculum
Vita
University Address: Department of English; Western Michigan University; Kalamazoo, MI 49008 (269) 387-2605
Email Address: allen.webb@wmich.edu
Web site: www.allenwebb.net
EDUCATION
University of Oregon, 1988-1992. Ph.D. in Comparative Literature with Distinction
Dissertation: "Subjects in the Making: Literary Constructions of National Identity in Early Modern Europe and the Twentieth Century 'Third World'" Director: Alan Wolfe. Ph.D. Fields: African and African American literature.
University of Oregon, 1986-88. Masters of Arts in Comparative Literature. MA Fields: Literary Theory, Latin American literature, English and Spanish Renaissance.
Lewis and Clark College, 1985. Partial Completion of High School Principal's Certificate.
Lewis and Clark College, 1981-85. Masters of Arts in Teaching in English and Education. Major fields of study: Reading and Writing Pedagogy, British and American literature. Oregon Standard Teaching Certificate in Secondary English.
Lewis and Clark College, 1980-81. Oregon Basic Teaching Certificate with endorsements in Secondary and Middle School, Language Arts and Social Studies.
Swarthmore College, 1975-79. Bachelor of Arts in English cum laude, Honors Program.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Western Michigan University, Professor of English
Assistant Professor 1992, Associate Professor 1998, Full Professor 2004
English 6800 Advanced Methods in Teaching Literature
English 6440 Studies in the Novel
English 6100 Special Topics Graduate Seminar: Colonialism, Literature, and National Subjects
English 6100 Special Topics Graduate Seminar: Studying and Teaching Multicultural Literature
English 5970 Special Topics: Literature on the Web
English 5970 Special Topics: Using Technology to Teach English
English 5390 Postcolonial Literature
English 5830 Multicultural Literature for Adolescents
English 4800 Teaching Literature in the Secondary Schools
English 4790 Teaching Writing in Secondary Schools
English 4100 Special Topics: Literature on the Web
English 3140 African Literature
English 3120 Western World Literature
English 2230 Black American Literature
English 1100 Literary Interpretation
University of Oregon, Graduate Teaching Fellow, 1986-91:
Comparative Literature 201, Special Topics: Third World Literature
English 107, Early World Literature
English 109, 20th C. World Literature
English 104, Introduction to Fiction
Writing 121,122, College Composition
West Linn High School (Suburb of Portland, Oregon), Teacher of English, 1980-86
Literature and Composition at all levels, including 5 years teaching Senior English (year-long survey of British Literature for college-bound students) and 4 years teaching Basic Writing (at-risk sophomores).
Member Child Advocate Study Team (interdisciplinary team met weekly to develop strategies and policy for at-risk students).
Supervised Student Teacher 1986.
PUBLICATIONS
Literature and the Web: Reading and Responding with New Technologies With Robert Rozema. Addresses the experience of teachers and students using digital archives and web 2.0 technology for the teaching and study of literature. HEINEMANN PRESS, 2008.
Literature and Lives: A Response-based, Cultural Studies Approach to Teaching English, NCTE PRESS, 2001. NCTE “Bestseller,” Reviewed in: Council Chronicle May 2001 (10.4, pg 1-7); English Journal July 2003 (90-91); Roundtable focus review Pedagogy 2003 (3.2, pg. 293-320)
Making Subject(s): Literature and the Emergence of National Identity, ROUTLEDGE, 1998. A scholarly and comparative study of Renaissance and postcolonial literature in English, Spanish, and French in a special series in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies, edited by Jonathan Hart. Reviewed in: Comparative Drama; Canadian Journal of Comparative Literature.
Teaching and Testimony, Rigoberta Menchú and the North American Classroom, SUNY PRESS, 1997. Part of a series, "Interruptions: Border Testimony(ies) and Critical Discourse/s" edited by Henry Giroux. I am coeditor, author the introduction and a chapter.
The Doctoral Degree in English Education. Edited collection of 17 essays by 37 contributors addressing doctoral preparation of faculty in English teacher education. KENNESAW STATE UP, forthcoming 2008. Selected as a distribution title by NCTE PRESS. I am editor, author the introduction and two chapters and the appendix.
Books in Progress
Teaching Literature in Virtual Worlds. Edited collection of 12 essays examining the experience of using on-line virtual worlds as teaching tools for specific literary works. I am editor, author the introduction and two chapters.
“Digital Texts and the New Literacies.” English Journal, September, 2007.
“Virtual Realities and Teaching Literature.” With former students Joseph Haughey and Linda Dick. SITE conference proceedings, 2007
“Internet y el futuro de la literatura” in Aula de Letras, 1, Spring 2006. Reprinted as a chapter in La creatividad como herramienta de comunicación: análisis, procedimientos y aplicaciones. Ed. Margarita García Casado. University of Cantabria Press. Santander, 2007.
“A Multimodal Approach to Addressing Antisemitism: Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist and William Eizner’s Fagin the Jew” with student Brandon Guisgand, in Page by Page, Panel by Panel: Building Literacy Connections with Graphic Novels, James Carter, Ed., NCTE Press, 2006.
“LiteraryWorlds.org: Virtual Reality Environments and Teaching Literature.” The Journal of Media Literacy, 53.2, Fall 2006, 46-52.
“Becoming Centered: CEE Membership and Program Development” with Jill VanAntwerp, et al. English Education, 38.4, July 2006, 384-393.
“English Education Job Crisis,” Associated Departments of English (ADE) Bulletin, 137, Spring 2005.
“Pursuing Deep Learning: Digital Engagement for English Preservice Students” with Robert Leneway in Integrated Technologies, Innovative Learning by Steve Rhine and Mark Bailey. International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), June, 2005. Available on the web at URL: http://education.ed.pacificu.edu/insights/westernmi.html
“Retrospective on ‘Teaching Third World Auto/Biography’” Oregon English Journal, 26.1 Spring 2004, 110-117.
"Close Encounters of the Third World Kind: Teaching I, Rigoberta Menchú to High School Students in Southwest Michigan" in Language Arts Journal of Michigan (19.2) Fall/Winter 2003, 33-45.
.
"Teaching, Testimony, and Truth: Rigoberta Menchu's Credibility in the North American Classroom." The Rigoberta Menchu Controversy. Arturo Arias, ed. Minneapolis: U Minnesota Press, 2001.
"Women's Writing and the Literature Curriculum at Y2K," Oregon English Journal, Spring 2000.
"National and Colonial Education in Shakespeare's The Tempest," Early Modern Literature 5.1 (May 1999): 3.1-39. Available on the web at URL: http://purl.oclc.org/emls/05-1/cwebtemp.html.
"Sometimes it Doesn't Work Out: Letters to a First Year Teacher." English Journal, May-June 1999.
"Training Teachers with Rigoberta Menchú: A Computer Conference." Teaching and Testimony. SUNY Press, Spring 96.
"Prison, Race, and Social Justice: Teaching to the Contemporary Crisis." College Literature, Fall 1995. Special Issue: "African American Literature and Literary Theory."
"Youth Violence and the Language Arts: A Topic for the Classroom." English Journal, September 1995.
"Race and Huckleberry Finn: Censorship, Dialogue, and Change" English Journal, November 1993.
"A Multicultural Tempest: Shakespeare for the 1990'." English Journal, April 1993.
"Tarzan, Kurtz, and the 'Third World': Canons and Encounters in World Literature, English 109." College Literature, Special issue on Teaching Commonwealth or Postcolonial Literatures." Fall 1992. Reprinted as a chapter in the book Order and Partialities: Theory, Pedagogy, and the Postcolonial, SUNY Press, 1995.
"Other-Fashioning: The Discourse of Empire and Nation in Lope de Vega's El Nuevo Mundo." As a chapter in the book Amerindian Images. Hispanic Issues Series, U of Minnesota Press, Spring 1992.
"Representing the Homeless." Review Essay for American Literary History, Winter 1992. (Invited)
"Homelessness and Language Arts: Contexts and Connections." English Journal, November 1991.
"Auto/Biography of the Oppressed: The Power of Testimonial." English Journal, April 1991.
"'Third World' Auto/Biography: Testimonial Narrative in Canon and Classroom." Oregon English Journal, Fall 1990. Selected as one of the outstanding articles of the journal and reprinted with a new introductory article in a special retrospective 25 anniversary issue in 26.1 Spring 2004.
"Writing and Gender." West Linn Educator, 1985.
“An Invitation to Mentorship: Next Step in Your Professional Growth?” for May 2009 English Journal.
“Literature from the Modern Middle East: Making a Living Connection” for January 2009 English Journal.
“Students and Faculty Speak Out on Connection and Collaboration: Bridging the English and English Education Gap” with Kenan Metzger submitted to College English
“TPACK Development in the Creation and Use of Virtual Worlds for Literary Study” for Research in English Language Arts and Technology
"Writing to Inspire Change," Review of Reading, Writing and Rising Up, English Journal November, 2001
Review of The Romance of the New World: Gender and the Literary Formations of English Colonialism, by Joan Pong Linton (Cambridge, 1998) for Early Modern Literature 5.3 (January 2000): 12.1-10. Available on the web at: http://www.shu.ac.uk/emls/05-3/carwebrev.htm. (Invited)
"Homeless Americans in the Curriculum." Film Review for Oregon English focus issue on "Literature of the Americas," Spring 1992 (Invited)
Home. My professional website includes interactive, on-line syllabi for all of my courses, resources for teachers and students, and professional and personal information. http://www.allenwebb.net.
Colonial and Postcolonial Dialogues. A comprehensive site for postcolonial studies. http://www.wmich.edu/dialogues
Teach English. A resource for secondary teachers interested in integrating technology into learning. http://www.wmich.edu/teachenglish
Teach MLK. A resource site for teachers to support teaching about Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement. http://www.wmich.edu/teachmlk
Literary Worlds. A collection of virtual worlds for literature study created by a team of 8 literary scholars and 5 doctoral students that I led, supported by a WMU Presidential Innovation grant. http://www.literaryworlds.org
Michigan English Standards. A resource for teachers in Michigan regarding the MI 9-12 Language Arts Content Standards and Expectations, which I co-authored. http://mienglishstandards.wikispaces.com/
English Methods.com. A resource for professors of English education and members of the CEE providing support for teaching university courses in English methods. http://www.englishmethods.com.
Michigan CEE.org. The website of the Michigan Conference on English Education. http://www.michigancee.org.
Teach Multicultural Lit. A website addressing the challenges of teaching multicultural literature in secondary schools. http://teachmulticulturallit.wikispaces.com.
English Job. A website with resources to support job seekers in secondary English. http://englishjob.wikispaces.com.
CONFERENCES
“Teaching Things Fall Apart in a Virtual World” panel I organized with teachers from Texas, North Dakota, Michigan. NCTE Fall 2008, San Antonio.
“Internet y el futuro de la literatura” Congreso: La Creatividad como herramienta de comunicacion, Universidad de Cantabria, November 2005. (written and delivered in Spanish)
“The Special Power of Literature,” Oregon Council of the Teachers of English, Portland and Medford, Fall 2004, NCTE Co-sponsorship.
“Controversy in the Literature Classroom,” British Columbia Teachers of English Language Arts, Vancouver, BC, Fall 2003. NCTE Co-sponsorship.
"English Teaching and Cultural Studies: Stories from my Classroom," MCTE Spring Conference, Lansing 2001.
“Doctoral Programs in English Education” MCTE Fall 2008, Lansing.
“Teaching Contemporary Literature from the Middle East,” MCTE Fall 2008, Lansing.
“Teaching Literature Using Digital Archives and Texts,” NCTE Fall 2007, New York.
“Implementing the New Michigan Language Arts Content Standards” MCTE, Lansing, Fall 2007.
“Virtual Worlds and Teaching: Experiences, Results, and Possibilities” A series of presentations and workshops that I led and organized, included faculty and doctoral students in the Presidential Innovation Grant and given on the WMU campus, May/June 2007.
“Virtual Realities and Teaching Literature,” SITE, I organized, presented, and led a panel. San Antonio, April, 2007.
“Teaching Literature in Virtual Worlds: Free, On-line Environments to Deeply Engage Your Students” MCTE Lansing, Spring 2007.
“Invasion of the Podcasters,” a series of presentations on the WMU campus to the Faculty Senate, Presidential Cabinet, and administrative teams as leader of the WMU Podcast Initiative, March 2007.
“Civil Liberties and the New Technologies” NCTE Fall 2006, Nashville.
“The Middle School Reading Crisis: Are Standards the Answer?” Invited presentation, Standing Committee on Affiliates, NCTE Fall 2006, Nashville.
“New Digital and Multimodal Tools and Resources for Methods Instruction” at the day-long CEE Workshop I organized and led on “Multimodal Literacies in English Methods Courses.” NCTE Fall 2006, Nashville.
“The Village of Umuofia: Virtual World” with Joe Haughey, Games, Learning, and Society Conference. Madison, WI, August 2006.
“Doctoral Programs in English Education” Strand Chair, CEE Leadership Summit, Chicago, Summer 2006.
“An Infusion Model of Technology Integration: Is it Sufficient?” on panel “Technology Preparation in English Education Doctoral Programs.” NCTE Fall 2005, Pittsburgh.
“Social Justice Approaches to Teaching Literature” MCTE Lansing, Spring, 2005. Organized poster session with 45 presenters.
“CEE Membership and Program Development” Strand Member, CEE Leadership Summit, Atlanta Georgia, May 2005.
“The Priorities of English Education Doctoral Programs: A Survey.” NCTE Fall 2004, Indianapolis.
“Digital Archives and Rewriting Literature,” Assembly on Computers in English Workshop, NCTE Fall 2004, Indianapolis.
“The Future is Now: Digital Archives and the Literature Classroom,” Oregon Council of the Teachers of English, Portland and Medford, Fall 2004
“Using Digital Archives in the Teaching of Literature,” MCTE Lansing, Spring 2004.
“Integrating Technology in English Teacher Education,” SITE, Atlanta, Winter 2004.
“Attracting, Hiring, and Retaining English Educators,” organizer panel “Doctoral Degrees in English / Education,” NCTE Fall 2003, San Francisco.
“Africa and Islam in the Secondary Curriculum,” MCTE Lansing Fall 2003.
“Stories from Senegal,” English Department, WMU, October 2003.
“Beyond the Webquest: New Ideas for Teaching Literature with the Internet,” MCTE, Lansing, Spring 2003.
“The Job Market for PhD’s in English Education,” CEE Annual Meeting, NCTE, Atlanta, Fall 2002.
“Developing Interactive Teaching Websites for the Secondary Classroom,” NCTE, Atlanta, Fall 2002.
"Digital Story Telling and Teacher Preparation," PT3 Conference, Washington DC, Summer 2002.
"Teacher Created Content-Based Websites in Secondary English," Thinkquest Conference, Seattle, Summer 2002.
"Reflective Practice and Teaching with Technology," MCTE, Lansing, Spring 2002.
"Preparing for Digital Story Telling," Society for the Integration of Technology into Teacher Education (SITE) Nashville, March 2002.
"Cultural Studies Approaches to Teaching Shakespeare," NCTE Spring Conference, Portland, 2002.
"Literary Theory and the Language Arts Curriculum," NCTE Fall, Baltimore, 2001.
"Beyond Electronic Portfolios: Pre-service English Teachers Develop Teaching Websites," on panel I organized: Preparing English Teachers to Use Technology, NCTE Fall, Baltimore, 2001.
"Cultural Studies Approaches to Teaching Shakespeare," Language Arts Professional Development Day, Portland Public Schools, October, 2001.
"Homelessness: Connecting Literary Works to Each Other and Social Justice," Language Arts Professional Development Day, Portland Public Schools, October, 2001.
"A 9-11 Emergency: Teaching About Islam, Arab Americans, and the Middle East Crisis in Language Arts." Language Arts Professional Development Day, Portland Public Schools, October, 2001.
"Technology, the Internet, and the Future of English," MCTE Fall Conference, Lansing, 2001.
"Interactive Teaching Websites," MCTE Spring Conference, Lansing 2001.
Reading from Literature and Lives sponsored by the WMU English Department, April 2001.
"Language Teaching and Internet Technology," with Nathan Richardson, Michigan Association of Bilingual Educators, Spring 2001.
"Transforming the British Literature Survey," NCTE Milwaukee, Fall 2000. Paper on a panel I organized: "Teaching a Multicultural, Postcolonial British Literature."
"A Sense of Displacement: A Multicultural Approach to British Literature." NCTE NW Regional, Big Sky Montana, 2000.
"African Novels for the High School Curriculum" on a panel I organized, "Teaching African Literature." MCTE Spring Conference, Lansing, 2000.
"Multicultural Approaches to British Literature," MCTE Conference, Lansing, Fall 99.
The Cultural Studies Movement and Language Arts Teaching: New Theories / New Practices," NCTE Annual Conference, Denver, CO, Fall 99.
"Toward a Multicultural British Literature," MCTE Annual Conference, Lansing, MI, Fall 99.
"La literatura multicultural de los EE.UU: Una introdución," Universidad de Cantabria, Santander Spain, 99. (written and delivered in Spanish)
"The Cultural Studies Movement and Language Arts Teaching: New Theories / New Practices," NCTE International Conference, Bordeaux France, 98.
"Homework!," MCTE Bright Ideas Conference, MSU, Spring 98.
"World Wide Web and Computer Conferences in the Teaching of Writing," Writing Across the Curriculum Conference, WMU, 1997.
"Addressing the Needs of Violent and Troubled Youth" Three hour workshop, NCTE, Chicago, 1996.
"Reconstructing the National Allegory via Ousmane Sembene's Les bouts de bois de Dieu." MLA, Chicago, 95
"Testimony and Response: Rigoberta Menchú and North American Students" moderator and panel organizer MLA, Chicago, 95.
"English Teaching and the Michigan Militia." MCTE, Lansing, Fall 95.
"Taking it From the Streets: Addressing the Youth Violence Crisis." MCTE, Lansing, Fall 95.
"Crime and the Classroom: How Do We Make the Connections," NCTE, Minneapolis, Spring 1995.
"Social Justice Approaches to Language Arts Teaching," Engfest, Western Michigan University, Fall 94.
"Takin' It From the Streets: Addressing the Youth Violence Crisis," Engfest, Western Michigan University, Fall 94.
"Race and Huckleberry Finn: Issues and Strategies in the Classroom." NCTE, Portland, OR, Spring 94.
"From Testimonial Narrative to Cultural Studies in the Secondary Schools" NCTE, Pittsburgh, Fall 93.
"Teaching Rigoberta Menchú's Testimonial" Panel organized for NCTE, Pittsburgh, Fall 93.
"Racial Issues and the Classroom." Engfest. Western Michigan University, Fall 1993.
"National and Colonial Pedagogy: The Tempest and the Modernization of Political Authority." MMLA, MLG Panel, Fall 92. (Invited)
"Racist Literature in the Classroom." MCTE, Lansing, Fall 92. (Invited)
"Novel Nations and the National Novel." MCEA, Fall 92. (Invited)
"Oak Openings and the Frontier Heritage." Engfest, Western Michigan University, Fall 92 (Invited)
"Science, Surveillance, and Pedagogy: The Tempest and the Related Technologies of Imperial and National Rule." Modern Literature Conference, Michigan State University, Fall 92. (Invited)
"Third World Literatures and Colonizing Educations." NCTE. Seattle, Fall 91.
"Racist Literature in the Classroom." OCTE, Portland, Fall 91. (Invited)
"Colonized Women/Colonized Nation: The Manufacture of a 'New World' in a comedia of Lope de Vega." Hispanic Cultures of the Pacific Coast of the Americas. University of Oregon, Spring 1991 (Invited)
“Exceeding the National Allegory." MLG Institute on Culture and Society. University of Oregon, Spring 1991.
"The Future of Education in Africa." Panel Discussion, Africa into the 21st Century. University of Oregon, Spring 1991.
"Incorporating 'Third World' Literature into English Programs: The Possibilities for Testimonial." University of Hartford. Hartford, March 1991. (Invited)
"Homelessness and Literature." NCTE NW Regional, Portland April 91. (Invited) Also at this conference organized a symposium consisting of three presentations and two panel discussions of topics related to "Teaching about the Gulf War."
"Homelessness, Literature, and Pedagogy." MLA, Radical Caucus Session, "Literature and the Streets." Chicago, 90.
"Teaching about Homelessness in English and Social Studies." Portland Public School District, Special joint meeting of chairs of English and Social Studies departments, December 90. (Invited)
Panel discussion of the novel Nervous Conditions, by Tsitsi Dangarembga. Willamette University, November, 90. (Invited)
"Legitimating Renaissance Colonialism: Lope de Vega's El Nuevo Mundo." PAPC Spanish Peninsular Session, San Jose State University, Fall 90.
"Representing the Decolonization of Education: Rosario Castellanos, Ngugi wa Thiong'o, and Rigoberta Menchú." Western Humanities Conference "Political Correctness and Cultural Studies." U of California, Berkeley, Fall 90.
"'Third World' Testimonial in the Language Arts." OCTE, Oregon Coast, Fall 90. (Invited)
"The Nationalist Frame for Literature and Language Studies: Hegemonic Tribalism in the Era of Multi-National Capital." Stanford G.S. Conference on 'Framing,' Spring 90.
"Recognizing Resistance in the Texts of 'Third World' Women." Symposium on Gender and Political Change. Lewis and Clark College, Spring 90.
"'Third World' Literature in European Languages: Cultural Conceptions and Positions." Canadian G.S. Conference in Comparative Literature. Vancouver, BC, Spring 90.
"Literature and Homelessness." NCTE NW Regional, Billings, Spring 90. (Invited)
"Dueling Banjos: A Model for Cultural Dialogue in the Literature Course." OCTE, Portland, Fall 89. (Invited)
"Education: Site of Paralysis or Resistance in Third World Literature." Modern Literature Conference on "Third World Literature." University of Michigan, Winter 88.
"'Third World' Literature in English." NCTE NW Regional, Coeur d'Alene, Spring 87. (Invited)
"Will Bloom be Socrates' Hemlock? Evaluating the Critical Thinking Movement." OCTE, Portland Fall 87. (Invited)
"Teaching Basic Writers." NCTE NW Regional, Vancouver, BC. Spring 85.
"Designing Classroom Projects." OCTE, Portland, Fall 83.
"Increasing Student Involvement and Success: An Exciting Course in Mass Media." OCTE, Portland, Fall 82.
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
National
Executive Committee, Conference on English Education (CEE), 2004-08
Executive Committee, Assembly on Computers in English (ACE), 2004-08
Member CEE Commission on Technology in Education, 2002-present
Conference Proposal Evaluator, NCTE 2004-08
Member Executive Committee Assembly on Computers in English 2002-present
State
President, Michigan Conference on English Education (MCEE), 2008-10
Michigan Department of Education, Standards Committee (with three others wrote MI High School Language Arts Standards and Content Expectations), 2005-2006
Co-Editor, Language Arts Journal of Michigan 2002-2005
Executive Committee, Michigan Council of the Teachers of English (MCTE) 2002-2005
University
Podcasting Initiative Leader, 2006-2007
Organizer Martin Luther King Day Presentations, 1997-2007.
Arts and Sciences Technology Committee, 2000-04.
Organizer WMU Postmodern Theory / Cultural Studies Faculty Reading Group, 1992-present
Task Force Leader: Integration of Technology in Teacher Education, 1997-98.
Fellow of the Lewis Walker Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnic Relations, 1999-2002.
Workshop Leader, Integrating Technology into Teacher Education, Spring and Fall 2001.
Task Force Leader: Integration of Technology in Teacher Education, 1997-98
Elected Representative WMU Faculty Senate, 1996-99
Conference Chair: "Crisis in the Classroom" Western Michigan University, October 1996
Member University / Public Schools Collaboration Team, 1993-5
Conference Co-Chair: "The Controversial Classroom" Western Michigan University, October 1993
Conference Co-Chair: "Fascisms: Roots/Repetitions/Replays" U of Oregon April 3-4, 1992.
Founding member faculty/graduate student U of O Postcolonial Discourses Reading Group 1989-1992.
Department
Chair English Department Chair Search Committee 06-07
Elected Representative English Department Policy Committee, 1995-97, 99-00, 00-02, 02-04, 06-08
Chair English Department Policy Committee, 99-00, 04-05.
Elected Member English Department Tenure and Promotion Committee, 1999-00, 00-02, 07-09.
English Department Graduate Committee, 2003-05
English Department Technology Committee, 2000-present.
English Department Program Committee, 1999-2005
Member English Education Committee, 1992-present
Chair English Education Committee, 1994-98, 2002-04
Literature Committee, 2003-present
Community
Precinct Captain, Democratic Party, presidential campaign, 2005
Assistant Scoutmaster, Boy Scout Troop 205, 2000-02
Organizer Teacher's Alliance for Justice, 1994-97
Editorial Review Board Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education (CITE) 2006-present
English Education, 2003-present
Modern Language Association Options for Teaching Series, 2002-present
National Council of the Teachers of English Annual Conference, 2004-present
National Council of the Teachers of English Press, 2000-02
English Journal 1999-present
College Literature, 1994-present
Early Modern Literature, 1999
Simon &'Schuster, 1996
Duke University Press, 1995
Dissertations Directed (Completed or Anticipated Completion)
Joe Haughey, Teaching Shakespeare as Embodiment (2009)
Zaydun Al-Shara, “Creative Metacriticism: The Portrayal of Literary Theory in Contemporary Fiction” (2009)
Gretchen Voskuil, Critical Analysis of “Best Practice” (2008)
Robert Rozema, “Electronic Literacy: Teaching Reading and Literature in a Digital Age” (2004)
Adela Najarro, “Two Places at Once: Essay and Poetry on Latino Life, Art, and the American Way” (2003)
Melinda Dobson, “Preparing Teachers to Use Technology: The Webquest in the Secondary Language Arts Methods Classroom” (2003)
Lisa Schade, “How Does It Mean? Literary Criticism as Scaffolding for Reading and Interpretation” (2002)
External Reader for Tenure/Promotion Files
University of Colorado Denver, Fall 2008.
University of Florida, Fall 2004.
Oakland University, Fall 2003.
GRANTS
Co-Investigator, “Thoughtcrime Virtual World Project” NEH New Initiatives Grant, $40,000, Spring 2007. Not awarded.
Principle Investigator, “Integrate Virtual Reality Environments into Teaching and Learning,” 2005 Presidential Innovation Fund, $116,898. Awarded February, 2006. Coordinated team of 13 Co-investigators, plus technical and student staff. Developed web resource at www.literaryworlds.org.
Co-Investigator, “Preparing Tommorrow's Teachers to Use Technology,” US Department of Education. Submitted Spring 2003. $150,000. Not Awarded.
Co-Principal Investigator, Fulbright Group Study Grant in Dakar, Senegal, Co-Director, Tradition and Transition in Senegal: Preparation Phase; In-Country Study Project for 14 Teacher/Scholars June-July 2003; Curriculum Development and Dissemination Phase. Fulbright Program / WMU Cost Share $85,000. Awarded 2003.
Co-Principal Investigator, Fulbright Group Study Grant in Dakar, Senegal, 2002. Not awarded.
Co-Principal Investigator, “English Education Wireless Study” $39,000, 2002. Not awarded.
Principal Investigator, “Study of Wireless Classroom at Battle Creek Extension Campus” $90,000 matching grant, fall 2002. Not awarded
Principal Investigator, Wireless Technology in English Education, WMU Teaching, Learning and Technology, $10,000. Awarded 2002.
Investigator, Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use Technology, 3-year, $1,200,000 US Department of Education Matching Grant. 50% buyout. Member PT3 Executive Committee, PT3 Technology Committee, Responsible for the integration of technology into teacher education outside of the College of Education.
Organized and administered faculty mini-grant program, 2000-2002. One and two day workshop organizer, "Developing Websites for Teacher Educators," Spring and Fall 2001. Awarded 2000. Dispursed $30,000.
Principal Investigator and Director, Michigan Department of Education WMU Summer Institute, $80,000 matching grant, Awarded 2000.
AWARDS
“A+ Site” by Web English Teacher for “Village of Umuofia,” Virtual World based on novel Things Fall Apart, www.literaryworlds.org/umuofia, 2006
Awarded Sabbatical 2005-06, Book project The Doctoral Degree in English Education Forthcoming 2009
Faculty Achievement Award for Teaching, WMU College of Arts & Sciences, 2004
Teaching and Research Award, “The English Education Job Market” WMU, College of Arts and Sciences, fall 2002.
WMU, College of Arts and Sciences, Teaching and Research Award, "Postcolonial British Literature" 2000.
Awarded Sabbatical 1998-1999 Book Project "Cultural Studies Approaches to Teaching English" (Published in 2001 as Literature and Lives: A Response-based Cultural Studies Approach to Teaching English)
Faculty Research Grant, Western Michigan University 1997-98
Faculty Research Grant, Western Michigan University 1993-94
Humanities Center Research Fellowship, University of Oregon 1991-92.
University of Oregon Graduate Student Research Awards, 1989 and 1990.
Letters of commendation for outstanding student evaluations of teaching, Department of English, University of Oregon, 1989 and 1990.
Voted one of West Linn High School's "Most Inspirational Teachers," Senior Class 1985.
PROFESSIONAL CONSULTING
Parchment Public Schools, 2008
Michigan Department of Education, 2005-06
West Linn Public Schools, Fall 2001
Portland Public Schools, Fall 2001
Kalamazoo Public Schools, Fall 2000, 2001
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
National Council of the Teachers of English
Conference on English Education
Michigan Conference on English Education
Modern Language Association
Michigan Council of the Teachers of English
International Society for Technology in Education
Assembly on Computers in English
Society for Critical Exchange
October 2008