Episode 21

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Published on:

26th Sep 2025

S02E10 (21). Norman Stahl, Ph.D.

Norman A. Stahl received his Ph.D. from the Program in Language Communications at the University of Pittsburgh. Previous to his doctoral work he earned degrees at San Francisco State University (M.A.-Interdisciplinary Studies in Education & B.A. - History), and the City College of San Francisco (A.A. - History). Currently, he is a Professor Emeritus of Literacy Education at Northern Illinois University. Stahl served for over a decade as the Chair of the Department of Literacy Education, and he also served as the Chair of the Curriculum and Instruction Department, the Director of the College Reading and Learning Program, and the Director of the Learning Research Laboratory. He is an affiliate of the Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language and Literacy. Norm now holds emeritus status at N.I.U. He also held faculty positions at Georgia State University, the University of Pittsburgh, and San Francisco State University.

Dr. Stahl has authored or co-authored over 100 publications (including edited texts, monographs, chapters, scholarly articles, yearbook pieces, editorials, etc.). His articles have appeared in the Journal of Literacy Research -- the Journal of Reading Behavior, Reading Research and Instruction, the Reading Teacher, the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy -- the Journal of Reading, the Journal of Developmental Education, the Journal of College Reading and Learning, among others. His work has also appeared in the yearbooks of the Learning Research Association, the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers, and the American Reading Forum. Specific areas of scholarly interest include postsecondary reading instruction, content analysis research, and historical research. He is the co-editor of Teaching Developmental Reading (two editions) and also Teaching Study Strategies in Developmental Education both from Bedford/St. Martin's Press.

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Getting Smarter
The podcast where knowledge meets curiosity. Join professor Margaret Vaughn as she explores groundbreaking ideas with top scholars, aimed at sharpening our thinking. With her guests, Dr. Vaughn dives into a world of profound insights and intellectual adventure. Our journey to getting smarter starts here.

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Margaret Vaughn

Margaret Vaughn, PhD. is a professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Washington State University. As a literacy researcher and former classroom educator, she recognizes the valuable role of teacher input and decision making in policy and practice and supports efforts to develop equity-focused learning environments. She is an advocate for student agency and works both nationally and internationally to discuss the role of student agency in learning environments. She is the recipient of several awards including the American Educational Research Association’s Review of Research Award as well as the Association of Teacher Educator’s Distinguished Research in Teacher Education and is a US Fulbright Specialist. Her award-winning research addresses issues of teacher practice and contemporary educational issues. She has published numerous articles on developing agentic focused literacy practices, adaptive instruction, and teacher visioning as well as books such as, Accelerating Learning Recovery for All Students: Core Principles for Getting Literacy Growth Back on Track (Guilford Press), Teaching with Children’s Literature: Theory to Practice (Guilford Press), Student Agency: Honoring Student Voice in the Curriculum (Teachers College Press), Overcoming Reading Challenges: Kindergarten through Middle School and co-editor of Principles of Effective Literacy Instruction, Grades K-5 (Guilford Press).