Dr. J. David Betts

Content Educational and Employment Background Research Interests Honors and Awards Service and Outreach – Wildcat School Favorite Theories and Researchers Book Recommendation Words to Grad Students Current Courses Discussion of Selected Publications

B.A. 1967: General Arts and Science Pennsylvania State University M.A. 1975: Speech/Communication Pennsylvania State University Thesis: The Pennsylvania Traveling Players: A Film (Film and Monograph: Children’s Theatre and Creative Drama) Educational Background

Ph.D. 1994: Language, Reading, and Culture College of Education, University of Arizona Dissertation: Art as Mediation for Learning: The Arts Integration Program Advisor: Dr. William Valmont Minor: Special Education and Rehabilitation, Technology for Special Populations Educational Background

Media * First position: 1966–1975: Executive Producer, Performing Arts Television. WPSX-TV (PBS) Penn State Television, University Park, Pennsylvania. * Latest position: 1986–2002: Vice President, Producer/Director, Co-proprietor. Southwest Series, Inc. Tucson, Arizona. Producers and distributors of educational video and audiocassettes. Employment Background

Academic * First position: 1989–1993: Adjunct Lecturer. Department of Media Arts, College of Fine Arts, University of Arizona. * Current position: 2008–present: Associate Professor of Practice. Department of Teaching, Learning, and Sociocultural Studies, Program in Language, Reading, and Culture. College of Education, University of Arizona. Employment Background

Literacy Design experiments in technology in education New literacy studies Multimedia arts education and community computing Teaching artist preparation Teacher professional development in technology and the arts Technology and the arts Computer- mediated communication and literacy Semiotics and media in education Research Interests

Concept developed by the New London Group (East Coast) Idea that we live in a multimodal world – surrounded by sign and symbol systems that didn’t exist 100 years ago Need for competence in these areas is recognized; schools have to acknowledge new literacies What is the New Literacy?

2006: Distinction for Cinematography. The Videographer Awards, for the video One Grand Family. 2006: Celebrate Literacy Award. International Reading Association and Tucson Area Reading Council, for Exemplary Service in the Promotion of Literacy. 1999: Research Award. American Alliance for Theatre and Education Research, for “Teaching Them to Imaginate,” co-authored with Dr. Laura McCammon. Honors and Awards

Local/State Outreach 1987–present: Kiwanis de Amigos, Tucson. Past president. 1992–2002: Media Arts Advisory Board, Tucson/Pima Arts Council. 1999–present: Arizona Technology Education Association 2007–2009: Local Education Agency, Strategic Long Range Technology Plan, Arizona Department of Education, Wildcat School Tech Plan. Co-author. Service and Outreach

National/International Outreach 1993–present: Member, International Reading Association 1996–present: Member, Association for the Advancement of Computers in Education 2003–present: Member, Association for Educational Communication and Technology 2006–present: Member, International Society of the Learning Sciences Service and Outreach

Charter school in Tucson run by the UA Colleges of Education and Science Conducted media project involving interviews with teachers, kids, professors Worked with media arts team to develop a “digital scrapbook” Wildcat School

Constructivism (theory of learning where people generate knowledge through experiences) In education, applied by creating environment where students have ownership of their learning and learn by doing Vygotsky – activity theory (human activities are complex and socially situated) Business and industry use this theory to address issues of productivity Individuals love agency (we are here to do things) Favorite Theories and Researchers

Looking for Spinoza, by Antonio Damasio About interactions between emotion and cognition (How do you feel about a book you want to read? How does this affect your learning?) Book Recommendation

They are in an excellent situation at College of Education to learn how to teach reading and writing They can learn about nature of acquisition of literacy (work by Goodman) Whole language approach – look at meaning (not reductionist) Words to Grad Students

LRC 320 (Teaching with New Technologies, online) LRC 430/530 (New Literacies) LRC 505 (Language and Literacy) LRC 515 (Semiotics of Media in Education) LRC 551 (Reading, Writing, and Text) LRC 560 (Multimedia Literacy) LRC 564 (Literacy and the Arts) LRC 645 (Technology in Literacy Research) LRC 696a (Seminar: Semiotics and Media in Education) Current Courses

Betts, J. D. (2003). Art + Technology Integration: Developing an After School Curriculum. Afterschool Matters. V.2, pp. 13–22. Betts, J. D. (2008). Learning to Be Multimedia Teaching Artists: Apprenticeship in Multimedia Arts Education. Teaching Artist Journal. 6(4), 266–278. Selected Publications