Dr. Laura Dees

• Position: Professor
• Department: School of Education
• Office Location: Building 85, Room 187
• ldees@uwf.edu
• Campus: 850.474.3058

Biography

Dr. Laura Dees spent nearly 20 years teaching in elementary and middle schools, giving her a rich background for her role as Professor of School of Education at UWF.

Dees has a doctorate in Education. She has published research about creating a positive classroom environment for foster children, techniques to increase literacy, constructive use of iPads in elementary schools, lessons learned from first-year teachers, the effects of poverty on academic achievement, and many other topics.

Peer-reviewed publications include International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, Educational Research and Review, College Student Journal, Journal of Instructional Psychology, and others.

She is Consulting Editor of Preventing School Failure and a manuscript reviewer for two other organizations.

Dees has won both the Distinguished Faculty Service Award and the Distinguished Teaching Award (twice).

Her Ed.D., earned in 2000, is in Curriculum and Instruction. Dees has published two teaching manuals, both approved by the Florida Department of Education. She teaches graduate and undergraduate courses.

Degrees & Institutions

Dees received her bachelor's degree and master's degree from Mississippi State University. She went on to earn her doctorate degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of West Florida.

Research

• Qualitative research
• technology applications in K-12 settings
• literacy
• advocacy

Special Interests

• Leadership
• K-12 Partnerships
• University/Community Service

Keywords: positive classroom settings for foster children, effects of poverty on academic achievement, iPads as teaching tools in elementary classrooms, conflict resolution in multicultural classrooms, lessons of first-year teachers, techniques to increase literacy, Alternative Certification Program