Larson Appointed to Endowed Professorship Honoring Michael W. Scandling
A renowned scholar on literacy, Joanne Larson, has been named the Michael W. Scandling Professor of Education at the
“I am delighted to present this honor to such a committed and distinguished educator,” said Raffaella Borasi, dean of the
Her ethnographic research examines how language and literacy practices mediate social and power relations in literacy events in schools and communities as a way to empower all students to achieve the level of literacy needed to be successful. Her commitment to supporting literacy education reform in the community has presented funding for the
Larson also is involved in an ethnography of a collaborative community reform called the “Rochester Children’s Zone” (RCZ) that will ultimately identify how urban schools and communities can better meet the needs of children. As part of this ethnography, Larson and other Warner colleagues are working with an elementary school in the “RCZ” to understand the processes and outcomes of the school’s programs and how they build on various social networks influencing students’ lives.
Larson’s collaborations with practicing teachers and educators have produced both single and co-authored articles in highly respected journals. Larson is also the editor of Literacy as Snake Oil: Beyond the Quick Fix (2001), currently in production of a second edition due in spring 2007. She is the co-editor of the Handbook of Early Childhood Literacy (2003), which provides an overview of contemporary research into early childhood literacy. Her most recent book, Making Literacy Real: Theories and Practices in Learning and Teaching (2005), co-authored with Jackie Marsh, explores the breadth of the complex and important field of literacy studies, orientating literacy as a social practice grounded in social, cultural, historical, and political contexts.
Most recently, Larson has branched out from traditional publication venues to collaboratively produce a documentary film, A Life Outside, which explores the teaching life of Lynn Astarita Gatto, 2004 New York State Teacher of the Year.
As a literacy expert on Mayor Robert J. Duffy’s panel, Larson participated in the Mayor’s Leadership Summit on Literacy in November 2006. The
Larson earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and a doctoral in curriculum from the
The professorship she assumes was established by the late William F. Scandling in honor of his son, Michael W. Scandling, vice-president of marketing at Datastick, who serves on the Warner School's Dean's Advisory Committee.