Sacramento State - PAGE TITLE

Faculty Web Site for Dr. Susan O’Hara

Introduction

As a teacher and a researcher I am interested in the role of the teacher in effective science, mathematics and technology reform, the use of technology as a vehicle for providing all students with meaningful learning experiences, and the development of effective professional development models which facilitate an infusion of technology into curricula. My teaching goal is to continue to reflect and grow as a teacher. As an educator I strive to provide meaningful learning experiences, which link theory and practice, for pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, and faculty, and which will assist them in infusing technology into their own classrooms in effective ways. My research goal is to continue to develop and expand a program of research in the design and study of technology supported learning environments.

Teaching

I believe that all students can learn to use technology effectively to support their own teaching and learning. This is best achieved in a learning environment where students are engaged in hands-on activities and reflective discussions. For these learning environments to be the most effective they must be well structured and facilitated by the instructor. I continuously try to improve my ability to structure and facilitate classroom activities so that students are challenged, collaborating with their peers, and encouraged to be critical thinkers.

I have used Web CT and Taskstream as online course and program tools for my students. These web based program include online communication and collaboration tools. This allows for greater depth of class discussion through the threaded discussion tool. It also allows students to have greater access to me. I contact each of my students, personally, through email at least three times a semester to gain their feedback on the course. I try to incorporate as much of this feedback as possible into my course changes. One of my primary goals is to continue to refine my courses to meet the needs of all my students. Another of my teaching goals is to help students become independent learners and critical thinkers, with respect to technology, as they progress through their professional careers.

Research

My experience on research projects includes, serving as a statistical consultant and evaluation specialist for the Center for Research in Education, Excellence and Diversity (CREDE), Project WRITE: Science-Based Integrated Curriculum, funded by the Texaco foundation, and the Return of the Salmon Project, funded by the Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, I have served as co-principal investigator on three grants: Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers for Technology (PT^‑3), a three year U.S. Department of Education grant; Intel Teach to the Future for Teacher Preparation; and a grant funded by the Linguistic Minority Research Institute (LMRI). My research agenda focuses on investigating ways, specifically through the use of new technologies, to provide a challenging and meaningful science curriculum to linguistically and culturally diverse populations. One component of this is providing educators with effective professional development experiences. Over the past five years, through funding from LMRI, I have worked with a colleague to investigate the impact of hypermedia authoring on the science vocabulary and concept development of English language learners. I have co-authored articles for numerous journals including Science and Children; the Journal for the Education of Students Placed at Risk (JESPAR), the Journal of Adult and Adolescent Literacy (JAAL), and Teacher Education Quarterly. I have also co-authored two books for classroom teachers, NETS Grades 6-8 Multidisciplinary Resource Units (2004) and Teaching Vocabulary with Hypermedia, 6-12 (2008).

This is a 'call-out box'

Susan O'Hara, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Teacher Education
Sacramento State University

Phone: (916)278-4616

Email: oharas@csus.edu