Ellen Spitler

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Ellen Spitler

Associate Professor of Adolescent Literacy

Secondary, K-12 and Educational Technology

Bio

I completed my undergraduate degree in English and initial licensure for secondary teaching at Colorado State University. Once licensed, I taught middle and high school English in Tucson, Arizona for ten years. In my sixth year as a classroom teacher, I began graduate work at the University of Arizona, focusing on adolescent literacy, completing my PhD in 2009. Previously, I was Assistant Professor of Secondary English Education at the University of Hawai'i but was excited to return to Colorado and make MSU Denver my professional home.

Degree

PhD in Adolescent Literacy

University of Arizona

MA in Adolescent Literacy

University of Arizona

BA in English

Colorado State University

Other in English

Colorado State University

Published Works

  • Spitler, E., Ibara, L. C., Mendoza-Maurer, J. M. (2023). Autobiography and Self-Portraiture: A Strengths Based Framework for Trauma-Informed Pedagogy, and Identity and Resiliency Transformation. (A volume in Contemporary Perspectives on Developing Trauma Informed TeachersIssue 979-8-88730-107-5, pp 169-194). IAP – Information Age Publishing. www.infoagepub.com
  • Spitler, E., Bernhardt, P. . Programmatic Lesson Planning Implementation .
  • Spitler, E., Ibara, C., Mendoza-Maurer, M. (2017). Multigenre Author Autobiography & Multimodal Self-Portrait: The role of art integration in transforming complex and critical thinking in university and secondary English/Language Arts classrooms. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice/North American Business Press, Inc., 17(5), 98-109. .
  • Spitler, E. . Content Area Preservice and New Teacher Literacy Identity Development: Three Transactional Dimensions of Transformation. Literacy Research Association.
  • Spitler, E., Shaw, L., Mulcahy, C., Valerie, L. . Teacher Literacy Identity Transformation: Pedagogical Dimensions of Multimodal Practices. ,
  • Spitler, E. (2013). Methods of Teaching Language Arts; Observation Participation Teaching Practicum: English/Language Arts. National Council on Teacher Quality,
  • Spitler, E. (2011). From Resistance to Advocacy for Math Literacy: Bob's Teacher Literacy Identity Transformation. International Literacy Association,
  • Spitler, E. (2009). Transformation of Preservice and New Teacher Literacy Identity: Three Transactional Dimensions. Dissertation Abstracts International (UMI 3366707).
  • Spitler, E., Anders, L. P. (2007). Reinventing Comprehension Instruction for Adolescents. (pp 167-191). International Reading Association.

Research Interests

Research interests focus on adolescent literacy, teacher education and teacher professional development are framed by sociocultural, reader response, psycholinguistic, and pedagogical theoretical constructs. Specifically: disciplinary literacy in secondary classrooms; comprehension strategy instruction; metacognition; multimodal literacy instruction; teacher beliefs and teacher literacy identity, instructional/pedagogical transformation, the design of literacy instruction and practice, and the design of teacher professional development in support of disciplinary literacy.

Teaching Interests

Teaching interests focus on disciplinary [content area] literacy, literacy professional development as a critical component of the student teaching semester, and continued literacy professional development during a new teacher's induction years in her/his own classroom.