Dorian Harrison

Dr. Dorian Harrison is an Associate Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at The Ohio State University. With a strong foundation in early childhood and elementary education, she brings extensive classroom experience to her work in teacher preparation and literacy instruction.

• Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, Specializing in Language and Literacy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2018
• M.A., Learning and Teaching, Lipscomb University, 2010
• B.A., Liberal Studies, University of Memphis, 2006

• Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education
• Children's Literature
  • Diverse Literature
  • Global Literature
• Community/Youth Development and Organizations
• Early Childhood Education and Teaching
• Elementary Education and Teaching
  • Critical Literacy
  • Critical Media Literacy
  • Reading across the curriculum
  • Writing across the curriculum
• English/Language Arts Teacher Education
• Equity
• Literacy
• Reading Teacher Education
• Rural Education
• Teacher Education
• Urban Education

Dr. Harrison’s research focuses on critical literacy, examining how students and educators can interrogate texts to uncover underlying messages, challenge assumptions, and develop a deeper understanding of language and its role in shaping thought. Her work emphasizes the importance of fostering reading comprehension through strategies that encourage questioning, reflection, and contextual analysis.

In the field of teacher education, Dr. Harrison is dedicated to preparing future educators to implement literacy practices that promote active engagement and thoughtful interpretation. She designs coursework and professional development that equips teachers with the skills to support diverse learners in developing strong comprehension abilities and critical thinking through text-based inquiry.

She has presented nationally on literacy pedagogy, curriculum design, and the integration of critical literacy into classroom practice. Dr. Harrison’s scholarship continues to influence how educators approach reading instruction and prepare students to become thoughtful, analytical readers.

• OSU Newark, Seed Fund Grant, 2022
• OSU Department of Teaching and Learning, Envision Small Grant, 2021
• OSU Department of Teaching and Learning, 2021
• Tennessee’s Spark Blueprint Grant, 2018

1. Harrison, D. (in press).  Review of S. Austin & T. Nathaneal (Eds), Global Children’s Literature in the College Classroom. Rowman and Littlefield. The Lion and The Unicorn.
2. Harrison, D. & Flowers, T. (2024). Print, Digital, and Multimodal Texts in the Classroom. Cognella Publishing.
3. Harrison, D. (2024). In Dialogue: The depth of political influences in education. English Journal, 57(1).
4. Blackburn, M., Bloome, D., Harrison, D., Hikida, M., Katz, L., Power-Carter, S., Khalid-Warraich, A. (2024). Editor’s introduction: Epistemic (In) Justice and the search for ways to language research in the teaching and learning of literacies, literatures, and the language arts. Research in the Teaching of English, 59(1).
5. Harrison, D. & Linares, R. E. (2023). Engaging Elementary Students beyond the Text through Multimodal Critical Literacy. Language Arts 100(6), 448-461. https://doi.org/10.58680/la202332542.
6. Harrison, D. (2023). An autoethnographic exploration of ABCD within a rural pre-service education course. Community Development. https://doi.org/10.1080/15575330.2023.2244585.
7. Linares, R. E., Harrison, D., Korson, S. (2023). Oversights and erasures of diversity in first grade read aloud materials: A critical multicultural analysis. Literacy Research and Instruction, DOI:10.1080/19388071.2023.2267622.
8. Harrison, D. (2023). ESL Community Partnerships in Urban Settings. In T. A. Flowers, The Urban Education Sourcebook. Cambridge Scholars. ISBN: 1-5275-1752-7.
9. Harrison, D. (2023). De-centering deficit frameworks and approaches: The mentor/mentee relationship in an afterschool tutoring program. The Urban Review. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-023-00655-8.
10. Harrison, D. & Spinelli, H. (2023). Reflections on disrupting historic understandings and white lenses on teacher pedagogy and practice. In K. Olmstead, K. Colantonio-Yurko, & S. Troiani (Eds.) Many books, many stories: using children’s and young adult literature to open classroom conversations (p. 85-104). Peter Lang Publishing. ISBN: 9781433199158
11. Harrison, D. & Brown, C. T. (2022). Discovering the Roadblocks to Culturally Relevant Dispositions in Teacher Education. Urban Education 0(0). https://doi.org.10.1177/00420859221140396.  
12. Harrison, D. (2022). Critical practices with kidwatching and literature. Talking Points, 33(2), 20-28.
13. Harrison, D. (2022). The building blocks: A return to discussions of culturally relevant pedagogy in teacher education. Journal of Language and Literacy Education, 1-7. Retrieved from http://jolle.coe.uga.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Harrison_SSO-February-2022.pdf
14. Flowers, T. & Harrison, D. (2022). Culture, Language and Humanizing Practices in 21st Century Classrooms. Kendall Hunt.
15. Murray-Everett, N. & Harrison, D. (2021). Pre-service Teachers Confronting and Examining Media Bias. International Journal of Multicultural Education 23(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.18251/ijme.v23i1.2231.  
16. Jones, A., Korson, S., Murray-Everett, N, Kessler, M., Harrison, D., Cronenberg, S., Parrish, M.L., & Parsons, M. J. (2021). Teacher candidate tensions with the edTPA: A neoliberal policy analysis. The Educational Forum 85(2), 193-211.
17. Flowers, T. & Harrison, D. (2021). Investigating Critical and Contemporary Issues in Education. Kendall Hunt Publishing.
18. Murray-Everett, N. & Harrison, D. (2021). Pre-service Teachers Confronting and Examining Media Bias. International Journal of Multicultural Education, 23(1). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18251/ijme.v23i1.2231. 
19. Harrison, D. (2021). School Based Representations of America’s African American and Latino Populations: An Analysis of Informational Picture Books in Social Studies. Journal of Literacy Innovation.  
20. Jones, A., Korson, S., Murray-Everett, N, Kessler, M., Harrison, D., & Cronenberg, S. (2020). Teacher candidate tensions with the edTPA: A neoliberal policy analysis. The Educational Forum. Harrison, D. (2018).

1. Harrison, D., Brown, C., Tingle, L. (2024). Show me your smile: BIPOC students navigating predominately white rural educational institutions. AERA Annual Conference. Philadelphia, PA.
2. Harrison, D., Tingle, L., Brown, C. (2023). Early childcare teacher beliefs on multicultural literature. Literacy Research Association Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA.
3. Korson, S., Harrison, D., & Linares, R. (2023). Cultural erasures in a ‘diverse’ read-aloud curriculum. Literacy Research Association Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA.
4. Harrison, D. & Tingle, T. (2023, April 20-23). Journeys with Multicultural Education. OhioAEYC Early Childhood Conference, Sandusky, OH.
5. Harrison, D. & Brown, C. (2023). Reclaiming BIPOC multimodal narratives in rural schools. Literacy Research Association Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA.
6. Blackburn, M., Bloome, D., Harrison, D. (2023). Writing a social justice research article in literacy, literature, and language arts education: Challenges, complexities, and contributions. National Council of Teachers of English Annual Conference. Columbus, OH.
7. Korson, S., Linares, R. E., & Harrison, D. (2023, April 13-16). Cultural Erasures in Curricular Materials Containing Racial Diversity. AERA Annual Conference. Chicago, IL.
8. Brown, C. T. & Harrison, D. (2023, April 13-16). “I just need help!” How student voice underscores the importance of antiracist teaching and mentoring practices. AERA Annual Conference. Chicago, IL.
9. Brown, C., Harrison, D., Lindsay, K., Jones, J., Williams, D., Dowe, A. (2023, February 24-26). Project Mentor: Strategies to Retain, Train, and Empower Black Preservice Teachers. AACTE Annual Conference. Indianapolis, IN.
10. Burtch, D., Harrison, D., and McDaniels, G. (2023, February 24-26). Teacher Education in Action: Networking Across Institutions for Educators of Color. AACTE Annual Conference. Indianapolis, IN.
11. Harrison, D. (2022, November 17-20). Recognizing and rethinking cultural and linguistic representations in literature for young children. National Council for Teachers of English Annual Conference. Anaheim, CA.
12. Bloome, D., Harrison, D., Katz, L. (2022, November 17-20). Writing for publication in Research in the Teaching of English – Research-based argumentation in historical, social, and cultural contexts. National Council for Teachers of English Annual Conference. Anaheim, CA.
13. Harrison, D., Linares, R. E., & Korson, S. (2021, December 1-4). Seen but not Heard: Diversity in Wonder’s First Grade Read Aloud Materials. Literacy Research Association Annual Conference, Roundtable. Atlanta, GA.
14. Harrison, D. (2020). Community pathways to support family learning with adult ESL classes. National Council of Teachers of English Annual Conference, virtual.
15. Murray-Everett, N. & Harrison, D. (2020). Pre-service teachers confronting and examining bias: Media’s portrayal of race and racism. College and University Faculty Assembly Annual Conference, virtual.
16. Harrison, D., West, A., & Fain, J. (2020). Planning for Social Justice: Community narratives as windows to ‘seeing’ equitable spaces. NCTEAR Annual Conference, Nashville, TN. 
17. Harrison, D. (2019). Negotiating power, positioning, and identity within an after-school space. National Council of Teachers of English Assembly for Research. University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL.