Barbara Steckel
Professional Title: Associate Professor
Areas of Academic Focus and Expertise:
Literacy coaches and their influence on the professional development of in-service teachers.
Area of Work and Concentration at Lesley: Literacy, reading, English language arts
Representative List of Recent Courses Taught:
Practicum: Interactive Instruction and Assessment; Role of the Language Arts Specialist; Integration of the Language Arts; Content Area Literacy
Education: Ed.D., Boston University; M.S., B.A., Herbert H. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Representative List of Recent Publications / Exhibitions:
Her recent publication, "Literacy Coaches in Urban Elementary Schools: What Does it Take to Make an Impact," was a featured article in the September 2009 issue of Reading Teacher.
Presentations
- Dr. Steckel has served as the president of the Massachusetts Reading Association, and has presented sessions on current issues in literacy at the annual conference of the MRA, the Greater Boston Council of the International Reading Association, Literacy For All, and The International Reading Association.
- Presentation on reading specialists and their work with English Language Learners at the Literacy Researchers Association annual meeting, December, 2010.
- Presentation on Reading Specialists working with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students at National Reading Conference, December, 2010.
- Presentation at the National Literacy Coaches Summit in April 2011: how literacy coaches have effectively promoted teacher engagement and professional development to improve student achievement.
Dr. Steckel's courses are enriched by her background as an elementary and middle school reading specialist, literacy coach, adolescent literacy consultant for the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and director of a district literacy program. As coach and director of literacy she has made a significant contribution to improvement of literacy education through initiatives to introduce teachers and administrators to formative assessments, varied fiction and nonfiction materials, and research-based instructional practices. Her courses reflect her focus on the practical concerns and needs of teachers as they attempt to make a positive impact on the literacy lives of students.
bstecke2@lesley.edu