Alderton, Elizabeth, PhD
Assistant Professor
PHD, UW-Madison, 2007
Office: N/E 417
Telephone: (920) 424-7229
E-mail: aldertone@uwosh.edu
Areas of Expertise
-
Adolescent Literacy
-
Middle School
-
Teacher Professional Development
-
Forgiveness Education
Brief Bio
I began teaching algebra and reading in a junior high, and transitioned to a language arts teacher on a team when the school switched to a middle school. I also worked as a reading specialist at both the elementary and middle level. I then chose to focus on helping future teachers develop when I began teaching at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. This experience helped me realize that I too wanted to continue developing professionally, which led me to the University of Wisconsin-Madison where I pursed a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on Teacher Education.
I believe that my job is to be a facilitator as the students and I construct knowledge with each other. I need to have high expectations and understand that it is my obligation to challenge all students, from diverse backgrounds and experiences, and to help them develop as professionals. I need to be knowledgeable about education, schools, methods and teacher learning theories. The curriculum I provide should be student centered rather than teacher centered. In addition, I need to provide hands-on, meaningful experiences that allow students to apply their learning to real-life situations.
As a scholar, I am interested in qualitative research that deals with teacher learning and professional development. My current writing and research focuses on how teachers understand and implement a forgiveness literacy curriculum in urban schools and how this impacts their classrooms and the children they teach.
Date of First Employment at UW Oshkosh: January 1999
Years of P-12 Experience: 5 Years
Classes Typically Taught
-
Teaching Language Arts
-
Middle School Education
-
Adolescent Literacy
-
Administration and Supervision of Reading Programs
-
Literacy and Language in Expressive Art
