Caroline T. Clark, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Contact Info:

E-mail: clark.664@osu.edu
Office: 221A Ramseyer
Phone: (614) 688-5449
Fax: (614) 292-4260

Mailing Address:

29 W. Woodruff Ave.
Columbus, OH 43210-1177

Education

1996 Ph.D., Educational Studies - Reading and Literacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
1993 Master of Arts - Reading and Literacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
1986 B.S., Education and English, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN

Research Biography

My teaching and scholarship focus on literacy practices across formal/school and informal settings and on community-based literacy research with young people for social action. Overriding this work are critical questions regarding "what counts" - as literacy, as research, as tutoring, as service-learning, as English - where, when, how and under what conditions. These questions go hand-in-hand with issues of "who counts"- whose voices are heard? whose literacy practices are valued? - and unpacking the simple dichotomies that normatively divide groups from teacher vs. student, to gay vs. straight. Hence, my contexts for doing this work have included closely examining the collaborative research work of a group of K-12 teachers and university educators around writing and portfolios; co-researching literacy and engaging in social action with middle and high school students in after-school programs; and investigating literacy practices and positioning relative to need, help and ability/disability in the context of my own teaching of service-learning and content literacy courses. My commitments to literacy research as a means for political action and social justice shape my scholarship and teaching, particularly my most recent work on teaching against heterosexism and homophobia and understanding the connections between this work and anti-racist pedagogies.

Activities and honors

Co-Chair (with M. Blackburn) National Council of Teachers of English, Assembly for Research, 2005-2006.
American Educational Research Association, Division C, Section 1 Co-Chair (with M. Blackburn), 2003-2004.
Member, Research Forum of the National Council of Teachers of English, 2004-2005.
Nominating Committee, College Section, National Council of Teachers of English, 2003-2004
Member, Standing Committee on Research, National Council of Teachers of English, 2002-2005.
Secretary/Treasurer, National Council of Teachers of English, Assembly for Research, 1999-2004.
Member, Commission on Composition, National Council of Teachers of English, 2001-2004; 2005-2007.
School of Teaching & Learning Probationary Faculty Research Award 1998-1999
Jason Millman Promising Scholar Award Finalist, Cornell University 1998
Walgreen Award for Student Research in Literacy l995- l996
Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellowship 1994-1996
Rackham Research Partnership Fellowship 1994-1995
Prechter Scholarship in Reading, Literacy and Language 1992-1993

Selected Grants History

Blackburn, M. V., Clark, C. T., Copenhaver-Johnson, J. F. "Creating a Community of Inquiry to Combat Homophobia in Schools through Literature and Film." National Council of Teachers of English, $20,000, January 1, 2006-December 31, 2007.
Clark, C. T., Blackburn, M. V. & Marks, H. M. "The Transfer of Literacy Competencies by Adolescents in School and Internship Settings: A Pilot Study." P-12 Scholars Program, Ohio State University, $20,000, September 2005-August, 2006.
Clark, C. and Rogers, T. "The Language, Literacy, and Culture Section Of the School of Teaching and Learning: Moving to the Forefront of Literacy Research." Proposal submitted to The Ohio State University's program for Academic Enrichment, 2000-2001 competition. $144,000.00 in annual rate from the University with an equal match from the College of Education.
Clark, C., and Newell, G. "Collaborating Through Cases: Secondary English Teachers Learning About Teaching with Technology." PT3 Grant to English Education Community of Learners, $29,000.00, January 2001-June 2002.
"Writing Our Lives: Student Inquiry in Two Columbus Neighborhoods." Proposal submitted to the Columbus Foundation, 1998-99 Competition, $5,500.
"Forging Identities of Success: Students Inquiring Into Urban Communities." The Spencer Foundation Small Grants Program, 1998 Competition, $32,800.

Selected Publications

Blackburn, M. V. & Clark, C. T. (Eds.) (2007). Literacy Research for Political Action and Social Change. New York: Peter Lang.
Bloome, D. & Clark, C. T. (2006). Discourse in use. In J. Green, G. Camilli, & P. Elmore (Eds.) Complementary Methods for Research in Education. Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association.
Clark, C. T. & Young, M. (2005). Changing places: Theorizing space and power dynamics in service-learning. In Butin, D. (Ed.) Looking In, Teaching Out: Critical Issues and Directions in Service Learning. New York, NY: Palgrave Press.
Clark, C. T. (2003). Examining the role of authoritative discourse in the labeling and unlabeling of an "LD" college learner. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 47 (2), pp. 128-135.
Clark, C. T. (2002/2003). Unfolding narratives of service learning: Reflections on teaching, literacy, and positioning in service relationships. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 46 (4), pp. 288-297.
Clark, C. T., Chow-Hoy, T. K., Herter, R. J. & Moss, P. A. (2001). Portfolios as sites of learning: Reconceptualizing the connections to motivation and engagement. Journal of Literacy Research, 33 (2), 211-241.
Clark, C. T. & Medina, C. L. (2000). How reading and writing literacy narratives affects pre-service teachers' understandings of literacy, pedagogy, and multiculturalism. Journal of Teacher Education, 51 (1), 63-76.
Clark, C. T., Herter, R. J., & Moss, P. A. (1998). Continuing the dialogue on collaboration. American Educational Research Journal, 35 (4), 785-791.
Clark, C. T. & Moss, P. A. (1996). Researching with: Ethical and epistemological implications of doing collaborative change oriented research with students and teachers. Teachers College Record, 97 (4), 518-548.
Clark, C. T., Moss, P. A., Goering, S., Herter, R., Lamar, B., Leonard, D., Robbins, S., Russell, M., Templin, M., Wascha, K. (l996). Collaboration as dialogue: Teachers and researchers engaged in conversation and professional development. American Educational Research Journal, 35 (1), 193-231.

Courses

T&L 800.99 - Introduction to Issues of Language, Literacy & Culture
T&L 645 - Teaching Writing in the Secondary School
T&L 971 - The English Curriculum: Literature

School of Teaching and Learning