OFFICE HOURS
On-campus Office Hours:
By appointment
Online Office Hours:
Flexible on Zoom, email for appointment
COURSES TAUGHT
EDN 340 Reading Foundations K-6
EDN 584 Reading and Teaching Reading
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Language, Literacy, and Culture: Teaching & Learning, The University of Iowa, 2019
M.A., Reading, The University of Northern Colorado, 2007
B.A., Elementary Education and French, The University of Iowa, 2003
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Family engagement, home visits, elementary education, literacy, language, culturally sustaining pedagogy
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
- Szech, L., Reed, D. (2018). Literacy education at home: Approaches for practicing
reading and writing. Iowa Reading Research Center Blog. Retrieved from https://iowareadingresearch.org/blog/home-practicing-reading-writing
RECENT PRESENTATIONS
- Szech, L. White Teachers, Diverse Students: Using “Mirror” Books to Better Know ourStudents and Engage in Self-Reflection. Presentation at the Whole Language Umbrella Annual Conference, Columbia, SC (July 2019)
- Szech, L. Centering relationships: Literacy research through the lens of a family-teacherconnection at home. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Literacy Research Association, Indian Wells, CA (November 2018)
- Szech, L. Using quality diverse literature to help students discover who they are and who they might become: Strengthening parent-teacher partnerships with Notable Books. Roundtable presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Council of Teachers of English, Houston, TX (November 2018)
- Szech, L. Shifting the power from school to home: expanding notions of literacy throughhome visits. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the International Literacy Association, Austin, TX (July 2018)
- Szech, L. Teaching literacy through family diversity. Paper presented at the Meeting of the Critical Questions in Education Conference, Portland, OR (March 2018)
- Szech, L. Strong girls read strong books: Linguistically diverse books as “mirrors.” Panel presentation at the Annual Convention of the National Council of Teachers of English, Atlanta, GA (November 2016)
HONORS AND AWARDS
Scholarships and Fellowships:
Ballard and Seashore Dissertation Fellowship. Awarded by the Graduate College, University of Iowa, ($10,000, Spring 2019)
University of Iowa Hugh Vollrath Ross Scholarship Award (Summer 2017)
Recognition:
Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award (Competitive, $1000) (Spring 2018)
University of Iowa Council on Teaching
Recognition as Top Faculty and Staff Member by Graduating Seniors (Spring 2018) University of Iowa Office of the Executive Vice-President and Provost
Grants:
Szech, L. (Principal Investigator) Strengthening teacher-family connections in a high- needs elementary school. Awarded by the Community Foundation of Johnson County $4,656 (2016-2018)
Szech, Laura (Principal Investigator), Strengthening teacher-family connections in a high- needs elementary school. Sponsored by the College of Education Graduate Student Research Award, $500 each year (2016-2017, 2017-2018)
Szech, Laura (Principal Investigator), Dissertation research project. Sponsored by the College of Education Graduate Student Research Award, $500 (2018-2019)
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
- Congressional Literacy Advocate
National Council for Teachers of English, Advocacy and Leadership Summit, Washington, D.C. (April 2018)
- Journal Reviewer
English Teaching: Practice and Critique
- Organizer
University of Iowa College of Education Teaching and Learning Graduate Student Research Colloquium (April 2017)
- Graduate Student Council Representative
College of Education, Teaching and Learning Department (2017-2018)
- Committee Member
University of Iowa College of Education Diversity Committee (2017-2019)
Memberships
National Council for Teachers of English
International Literacy Association
Literacy Researchers Association