Reisboard, Dana_22SP

Dana Reisboard, PhD

  • Associate Professor
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Affiliated Programs

Education

  • Graduate Certificate, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusive Leadership in Organizations (2023)
    Temple University (PA)  
  • PhD, Literacy (2008)
    Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey—New Brunswick (NJ)
  • MA, Applied Psychology (1995)
    New York University (NY)
  • MA, Special Education (1995)
    New York University (NY)
  • BA, Psychology (1993)
    George Washington University (DC)

About Me

My teaching philosophy is grounded in critical literacy, culturally responsive pedagogy, equity literacy, and the belief that learning is both cognitive and relational. I draw on explicit instruction, scaffolded learning, critical reflection, and community-engaged experiences to help students connect theory with practice and develop increasing responsibility for their own learning.

Across my courses, students examine how identity, culture, language, history, bias, and systems shape teaching, learning, opportunity, and belonging. I ask students not only to consider multiple perspectives, but also to reflect on the assumptions and experiences they bring to educational settings and how those may influence their decisions as educators.

Critical literacy remains central to my teaching. Students explore how texts, curriculum, language, policies, and educational practices communicate with particular perspectives and values. They consider whose voices are represented, whose are missing, and how historical and structural contexts shape educational experiences.

Ultimately, my goal is to prepare reflective, responsive educators who can translate knowledge into practice, build meaningful relationships with students and communities, and create learning environments in which all students are seen, valued, challenged, and able to experience a genuine sense of belonging.

  • Reading education - explicit instruction/direct explanation
  • Critical literacy
  • Literacy coaching
  • Early childhood education
  • Character-building integrated into the curriculum

Research Interests

My research is grounded in praxis—the connection between critical reflection and action—and examines how teaching and teacher education can contribute to more equitable and responsive schools and communities. My scholarship focuses on culturally responsive

pedagogy, critical and equity literacy, teacher identity and reflection, community-engaged learning, and belonging in educational spaces.

I am particularly interested in how identity, culture, language, history, bias, and systems shape educational experiences and educators' decisions. My research also explores children’s literature as a site for examining representation, historical narratives, antisemitism, and other forms of bias and exclusion. Across these areas, I am interested in how educators move from awareness and critical reflection toward meaningful changes in practice.

Media Expertise

  • Literacy and explicit instruction
  • Critical literacy
  • Culturally responsive and equity-centered pedagogy
  • Teacher identity and critical reflection
  • Community-engaged learning and belonging.

Publications

  • Reisboard, D. (2026). Through a distorted lens: Belonging and ethical representation of Jewish identity and Zionism in selected Palestinian advocacy picture books. Journal of Jewish Education, 1–22.
  • Ciampa, K., Reisboard, D. & McHenry, N. (2022) What Analysis Reveals about Teacher Educators’ Understanding of Culturally Responsive Instruction and Translation into Practice, The Teacher Educator, 10.1080/08878730.2022.2066742 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08878730.2022.2066742?scroll=top&needAccess=true
  • Reisboard, D., & Ciampa, K. (2021). Culturally responsive education during literacy coursework in an undergraduate teacher education program. PA Reads. 
  • Ciampa, K., & Reisboard, D. (2020) Books like me: An investigation of urban elementary teachers’ journey’s toward more culturally responsive pedagogy. Journal for Multicultural Education.
  • Ciampa, K., Reisboard, D. (2020).  Redesigning a reading specialist certification program: developing introspective literacy leaders through action research.  Educational Action Research
  • Reisboard, D. (2017). Discovering read aloud books that develop character and cognition.  PA Reads: Journal of KSRA.  
  • Reisboard, D. (2015). Promoting equity and inclusion with critical literacy pedagogy. Workshop presentation at the European Conference on Literacy, Klagenfurt, Austria.
  • Reisboard, D., & Jay, A. B. (2013). Teachers’ perceptions: Transitioning from teacher selected materials to implementing a core reading program. E-Journal of Balanced Reading Instruction, 1(2), 24–39.

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

  • Pennsylvania Educators Diversity Consortium (PEDC)
  • International Literacy Association (ILA)
  • National Association of Multicultural Education (NAME)
  • Association of Teacher Educators (ATE)

Awards

  • 2023  Provost Grant, Widener University
  • 2023  Faculty Development Grant, Widener University
  • 2020  Faculty Development Grant (July 2020- July 2021; $1,000) 
  • 2019  Faculty Development Grant (July 2019-July 2020; $1,800) 
  • 2018   Borislow Community-Engaged Faculty Research Fellowship Award: The      effects  of transactional strategy instruction to support urban elementary      students’ comprehension in the 21st century (July 2018-July 2019; $6,000; Role: PI) 
  • 2018   Widener University Faculty Development Grant: undergraduate research assistant (July 2018-July 2019; $400.00; PI).  
  • 2016   Widener University Faculty Development Grant: read alouds that develop character and cognition (July 2016-July2017; $400. Role; PI) 
  • 2015  Faculty Development Grant, Widener University 
  • 2014   International Reading Association May member of the month  
  • 2014   Faculty Development Grant, Widener University 
  • 2004  The Edward Fry Fellowship, Rutgers University, awarded annually to an outstanding doctoral student whose field of concentration is in literacy development

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