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Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Master's Program in Reading Education

Faculty

Gwynne Ellen Ash

Email:  gwynne@txstate.edu
URL:    https://faculty.txstate.edu/profile/1921177

 


Degrees:

  • B.A. in English, University Honors, Trinity University, San Antonio
  • M.A. in English, Texas A&M University
  • Ph.D. in Reading Education, The University of Georgia

 

Certifications: 

  • English Language Arts Composite (6-12), Texas
  • English (6-12), Texas
  • Reading (6-12), Texas
  • Master Reading Teacher (EC-12), Texas
  • Reading Specialist (EC-12), Texas
  • English as a Second Language (Supplemental), Texas

 

Teaching Experience:

  • Middle School English Language Arts, Reading, and Gifted/Talented
  • Community College Developmental Writing, University Introduction to Composition

 

Hobbies/interests:

  • Reading, Caring for my niece, Playing trivia, Gardening, Reading some more

 

Courses I teach

  • RDG 5310, Teaching Literacy with Children’s and YA Literature in the Elementary, Middle, and Secondary Schools
  • RDG 5322, Teaching Reading in the Elementary and Middle Schools
  • RDG 5345, Assessment-driven Literacy Instruction
  • RDG 6333, Reading Specialist Internship II

 

Fun Fact

  • I am a Jeopardy Champion. I’m the one on the right.

 

Favorite Quote

“Reading and writing, like everything else, improve with practice.  And of course, if there are no young readers and writers, there will shortly be no older ones.  Literacy will be dead, and democracy—which many believe goes hand in hand with it—will be dead as well.”  —Margaret Atwood

Asaaf

Lori Czop Assaf
Email:  lassaf@txstate.edu 

Websites:
http://loriczopassaf.wp.txstate.edu/
http://chintsaeasttsu.weebly.com/
http://www.education.txstate.edu/ci/ctwp/
 

 

 

 

Degrees

B.A. in Liberal Arts, University of San Diego
M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction, University of Texas at Austin
Ph.D. in Language and Literacy, University of Texas at Austin

 

Certifications
Elementary Lifetime Pre-K-6 Texas
Elementary Lifetime Pre-K-6 National Certification
Reading Specialist Pre-K- 12 Texas

 

Teaching Experience

Elementary (1, 2, 3, 5 grades)
Middle (6, 7 grades)
Reading Specialist Elementary and Middle

 

Hobbies

Running, sand volleyball, hiking, yoga, traveling around the world, gardening, and writing.

 

Courses I Teach

RDG 5320 Literacy Foundations

RDG 5331 Literacy Methods for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Children

RDG 5340 Connecting Reading and Writing in the Classroom

RDG 6336 Teacher Research: Reading Specialist Internship

Study Abroad Program to South Africa

Central Texas Writing Project

 

Fun Fact

The summer after my first year of teaching, I worked with the University of Poland on an archaeological dig for 2 months. This was an exceptionally thrilling experience for me since my grandfather’s family is from Krakáw. I learned a great deal about cultural diversity and how much fun one can have digging in the dirt! (I found 7 different artifacts from the 16th century!)

 

Favorite Quote

"One child, one teacher, one book, and one pen can change the world."

-Malala Yousafzai

Maneka Deanna Brooks

Email:  Maneka@txstate.edu
URL:   http://brooksphd.com/

 

 

 

Degrees:

  • B.A. in Psychology, Minor in Spanish, Loyola Marymount University
  • M.A. in Secondary Bilingual Education, Loyola Marymount University
  • Ph.D. in Educational Linguistics, Stanford University

 

Teaching Certifications:

  • Single Subject Social Studies Credential, California
  • Bilingual Crosscultural Language and Academic Development (Spanish) Credential, California

 

Teaching Experiences:

High School History, High School/Middle School ESL, High School English Language Arts, & Writing Center (High School, Undergraduate, & Graduate)

 

Hobbies/Interests:

  • I enjoying exploring different parts of the country and the world.

 

Courses I teach:

  • Reading 5331, Literacy Methods for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Children
  • Reading 6330, Language Acquisition and Development for Literacy Instruction

 

Fun Fact:

  • I have always been a big fan of radio. In recent years, I have become an avid podcast listener. My favorite podcasts are about technology news. 

 

Favorite Quote:

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.” Dr. Seuss

Carol Delaney

Email:  cdelaney@txstate.edu
URL:  https://faculty.txstate.edu/profile/1921203

 

 

 

 

Degrees

  • B.A. in Early Childhood Education, William Paterson University
  • M. S. in Reading Education, SUNY Geneseo
  • Ph.D. In Reading Education, Syracuse University

 

Certifications

  • Reading education (EC-adult), New York
  • Reading education (EC-adult), New York
  • Early childhood education (EC-8), New Jersey

 

Teaching Experience

  • Middle school social studies, English, and reading
  • Elementary school reading
  • High school reading

 

Hobbies/Interests

  • Organic gardening, country music, dancing, outdoor markets, dogs, travel

 

Courses I teach

  • Rdg5324, Teaching Content Area in Secondary Schools
  • Rdg5326, Developmental Reading in Middle and Secondary Grades
  • Rdg5340, Connecting Reading and Writing in the Classroom
  • Rdg5320, Foundations of Reading

 

Fun Fact

As an adolescent, I loved reading Nancy Drew mysteries. I still enjoy young adult novels and hope to write one of my own some day!

 

Favorite Quote

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

- Author unknown

Jesse Gainer

Email:  Jessegainer@txstate.edu

 

 

 

Degrees:

·       B.A., Spanish, Earlham College, Richmond, IN
·       M.Ed. in Language and Literacy, University of Texas, Austin
·       Ph.D. in Curriculum Studies, The University of Texas, Austin

 

Certifications:

·       Texas Elementary Education Grades PK-8
·       Texas Bilingual/ESL Grades PK-8

 

Teaching Experience:

·       Bilingual Elementary Teacher, Austin, TX
·       Reading Recovery/Decubriendo La Lectura Teacher, Austin, TX

 

Hobbies/interests:

·       Walking

 

Courses I teach

  • RDG 5322, Teaching Reading in Elementary and Middle Schools
  • RDG 5340, Connecting Reading and Writing in the Classroom
  • RDG 5310, Teaching with Mexican American Children’s and Young Adult Literature in the K-12 Curriculum

 

Fun Fact

·       My first job was catching frogs.

 

Favorite Quote

 "All of life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better"

-Emerson

Minda Morren López

Email:  minda.lopez@txstate.edu

 

 

 

 

 

Degrees:

  • B.A. in Art, The University of Texas, Austin
  • M.Ed. in Second Language Education, University of Houston
  • Ph.D. in Culture, Literacy, and Language, The University of Texas, San Antonio

 

Certifications:

  • Texas Elementary Education Self-Contained Grades PK-8
  • Texas Bilingual/ESL Grades PK-8

 

Teaching Experience:

  • Bilingual and Dual Language Elementary Teacher, Houston, TX
  • Elementary/ESL Teacher, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
  • Intensive English/ESL Teacher, Rice University
  • Bilingual/ESL Specialist, Education Service Center, Region 20

 

Hobbies/interests:

  • Water lover, especially with my son Zach. Trail running goddess. Yoga addict. Live music enthusiast. 

 

Courses I teach

  • RDG 6333, Reading Specialist Internship: Professional Development in Schools
  • RDG 6330, Language Acquisition and Development for Literacy Instruction
  • RDG 5340, Integrating Reading and Writing
  • RDG 5331, Literacy Methods for Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Students

 

Fun Fact

  • I’ve been to all 50 states, most countries in Latin America, and I have lived on five continents.  I have yet to visit Antarctica. 

 

Favorite Quote

“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.  Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!” – Goethe/W.H. Murray

Sharon Fontenot O’Neal

Email: sfoneal@txstate.edu

 

 

 

 

 

Degrees:

  • B.S. Secondary Education, University of Texas at Austin
  • M.A. Reading Education, The University of Alabama in Birmingham
  • Ph.D. Language and Literacy, Curriculum & Instruction, The University of Texas at Austin
     

Teaching Credentials

  • Texas Teaching Certificate (Lifetime)
    Grades 7-12
    History and Speech
     
  • Texas Teaching Certificate (Lifetime)
    Grades 7-12
    Reading
     
  • Georgia Teaching Certificate
    Grades 7-12
    History and Speech
     
  • Alabama Teaching Certificate
    Grades 7-12
    History, Speech and Reading

 

 

Teaching Experience:

  • Grades 1-8, Birmingham City Schools, Birmingham, Alabama

 

 

Hobbies/interests:

  • Hobbies
    • Yoga
    • Dachshunds
    • Reading and Writing
  • Interests
    • Children’s and Young Adult Literature
    • Social Justice/Equity/Critical Literacy
    • Reflective Teaching
    • Slam Poetry

 

 

Courses I teach

  • RDG 5310, Teaching Literacy with Children’s and YA Literature in the Elementary, Middle, and Secondary Schools
  • RDG 5322, Teaching Reading in the Elementary and Middle Schools
  • RDG 5345, Assessment-driven Literacy Instruction
  • RDG 5340, Connecting Reading and Writing

 

Fun Fact

I love to attend live rock concerts and have been since 1963 when I saw The Beatles.

 

One of my favorite quotes:

“Our children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.” 
James Baldwin

Jane M. Saunders

Email:  janesaunders@txstate.edu
URL:    https://faculty.txstate.edu/profile/1921267

 

 

 

Degrees:

  • B.A. in Letters, The University of Oklahoma
  • M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies, University of North Texas
  • Ph.D. in Curriculum Studies, The University of Texas at Austin

 

Certifications:

  • English Language Arts Composite (6-12), Texas
  • Speech (6-12), Texas
  • Reading (6-12), Texas

 

Teaching Experience:

  • Middle School English, High School Latin, English, Writing, Speech

 

Hobbies/interests

  • Gardening, Cooking, Live Music on Patios, Yoga, Exploring Nature with Dogs

 

Courses I teach

  • Reading 5326, Developmental Literacy in the Middle and Secondary Grades
  • Reading 5331, Literacy Methods for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Children
  • Reading 5340, Connecting Reading and Writing in the Classroom
  • Reading 6336, Reading Specialist Internship

 

Fun Fact

  • Because my dad got transferred a lot growing up, I went to eight schools during my K-12 schooling experiences.  That taught me a lot about making friends quickly and offered great insight about the kinds of teaching and learning experiences I preferred.

 

Favorite Quote

“We are wrong to think that moments go away, never to be seen again. This moment and every moment lasts forever.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.