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ERI Scholar of the Month
DR. MEI SHEN
Dr. Mei Shen is an Assistant Professor of Special Education at California State University, Sacramento. Mei Shen completed her doctoral degree in Special Education at Michigan State University, with a graduate specialization in language and literacy education. Her research focuses on improving literacy outcomes for struggling students and teaching them to use literacy as a tool to build positive identity and advocate for equity and social justice.
WHAT'S THE TOPIC OF YOUR PRESENTATION?
My presentation focuses on evidence-based practices to enhance struggling learners’ writing performance as well as help them establish positive writer’s identity.
WHY IS THIS TOPIC IMPORTANT?
Writing is not only an important literacy skill that affects a student’s academic achievement and future career, but also a critical social practice for civic participation and social justice advocacy. Students need to demonstrate sufficient writing abilities to meet the school curriculum requirements for writing and use writing as a tool to facilitate learning of various content areas. When entering the job market, there are a number of occasions that require them to engage in writing for employment and promotion (e.g. writing an impressive resume, demonstrating good presentation skills, composing a persuasive recommendation letter, etc.). In addition, they also need to use writing as a tool to communicate with others by texting, blogging, emailing, and so forth to fully participate in social and civic activities, and establish a positive writing identity that navigates the power system of the society and advocates for social justice and equity. From this sense, effective writing instruction plays a critical role not only in helping students, particularly those struggling writers, achieve academic success in school but also pursuing the wider objective of fostering political change and supporting social justice.
HOW DOES THIS WORK FIT WITHIN YOUR BROADER RESEARCH PROGRAM AND/OR WORK AS FACULTY MEMBER?
I have been actively conducting research and scholarly activities following the two strands of my research program: a) investigating the efficacy of reading and/or writing intervention on the literacy outcomes for struggling learners with mild/moderate support needs, particularly those with language-based learning disabilities (LLD); and b) examining the relationship between motivational profiles and reading/writing achievement for students with mild/moderate support needs, particularly those with LLD and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Therefore, this work I am sharing aligns with my first research strand. In addition, my scholarly work in evidence-based writing instruction for struggling learners also enable me to incorporate the most up-to-date research and practices in the field of literacy development and instruction into my own teaching of the language and literacy courses with our MMSN candidates at Sacramento State.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE THE AUDIENCE WILL TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR PRESENTATION?
Developing a good understanding of how combined writing strategy instruction with teaching of self-regulation skills can improve struggling students’ writing performance.
Using writing as an effective tool to:
- establish positive writer’s identity
- build inclusive and positive writing community
- advocate for social justice and equity
LINK TO A RECENT ARTICLE, PROJECT, OR OTHER SCHOLARLY-RELATED WORK:
