C&I Ph.D. candidate Madeleine Israelson (Literacy Education) has had a busy spring. Earlier this year, she was awarded a Robert Schreiner Reading Fellowship to support her dissertation research in reading education. Awardees are selected based on the importance of the research, the clarity with which it is described, and the potential the work has for making a significant contribution to the field. Madeleine’s dissertation research has already been cited in an Education Week article examining the effects of e-books on building reading comprehension skills. In addition to this work, Madeleine is working on a blog to help teachers select appropriate apps for the classroom.
We recently interviewed Madeleine to learn a little bit more about her experiences and what she’s enjoying about her research.
What is most exciting about your work/research/studies?
My dissertation research explores how kindergarten-3rd grade teachers are using tablets and apps in early literacy instruction. I’m really excited about this work! Since these tools for learning are so new, there is so much potential to use tablets and apps in innovative and transformative ways. More and more, we are seeing tablets in early elementary classrooms. However, there are an overwhelming number of apps that purport to teach literacy, and the process of finding quality apps can be challenging and time consuming for teachers. My hope is that my research will help early elementary teachers who are seeking to do innovative and exciting things with learning technologies in their literacy instruction.
How did your path lead to the University of Minnesota and to C&I in particular?
I earned my initial elementary teaching license through C&I. While I was working as a teacher I enrolled in the reading specialist program at UMN. Those 5 courses were really life-changing for me. I was able to learn from eminent scholars and take research-based instructional practices back to my classroom. This course of study let me be a much more effective teacher for my students; they learned and enjoyed reading and writing much more because I was improving my instruction. As I saw first hand the exciting potential to improve educational experiences for students through scholarly research, I was inspired to pursue my doctorate.
What has surprised you along the way?
Probably how fast graduate school went… I remember watching a colleague defend her dissertation the week I started my program. I thought, “Well, that won’t be me for a long time,” and here I am, getting ready for my dissertation defense!
What have you most enjoyed about your experience in your program?
I’ve been really fortunate to be part of several research and instructional teams during my time in the program. These opportunities to collaborate with faculty members and graduate students on both research projects and curriculum development have been invaluable to me. I learn so much from everyone I’ve had the privilege to work with over the past four years.
What’s most challenging?
For me, it was overcoming self-doubt. There have been times over the last four years when I thought, “Oh, I probably can’t get a paper accepted to that conference,” or “Oh, I don’t know if I can present on that topic.” But luckily I’ve had incredible mentors and amazing friends. Their encouragement and support has helped me do things I thought I couldn’t do. So I’d encourage prospective or new graduate students to go for it and try things that are new, scary or daunting. I’ve found graduate school is a great time to take risks, experience failures, grow and learn, then take some more risks and celebrate successes!
Any memorable forks in the road, or surprising turns?
My daughter was born when I was writing my preliminary exams! My committee was incredibly understanding and supportive. I was able to take time to stay home with my little girl after she was born and still stay on track to finish my program as planned.
Do you have hobbies or activities that you do outside of work?
I spend as much time with my husband and our daughter as I possibly can! We take swim classes, draw and paint, and read lots of books together. We also like to travel and go to parks, playgrounds and zoos.
Do you have a motto or a set of words to live by?
I’ve been really inspired by this quote from John Dewey since I first read it in one of my classes:
“If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow.”
– John Dewey
In fact, this quote prompted me to think and ask questions that led to the conception of my dissertation study.
To read “Researchers Voice Concern Over E-Books’ Effect on Reading Comprehension,” the article that cites Madeleine’s research, please visit Education Week’s website. Visit the Literacy Program Area webpage to learn more about our academic programs in Literacy.
