Wendy Williams
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Mail code: 2780Campus: Poly
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Dr. Wendy R. Williams, Associate Professor of English Education, is a scholar of visual and multimodal narrative. Underpinning all of her work is a commitment to inclusion and student/teacher creativity. She is the author of Listen to the Poet: Writing, Performance, and Community in Youth Spoken Word Poetry (2018, University of Massachusetts), which explores how a poetry organization in Arizona employs “community of practice” principles to support the literacy practices of diverse youth. Her second book project, Mentoring Youth Writers: How to Help Students Thrive in the Writing Classroom and Beyond, is submitted and under contract with the National Council of Teachers of English. A third book project, on visual storytelling, is in progress (data collected). In addition, she has published many articles in leading journals. Her work has been supported with funding from National Endowment for the Humanities, Southern Poverty Law Center, and Arizona Humanities.
Dr. Williams was recently elected co-chair of the Commission on Arts and Literacies (NCTE/ELATE), a national community of scholars and educators who are committed to advancing arts education. In addition, she has served as a column editor for English Journal (“Teaching Creative Writing” column), board member for the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, and chair of NCTE's Achievement Awards in Writing Committee. She has reviewed manuscripts for a variety of journals, including Research in the Teaching of English.
At ASU, Professor Williams represents her college on the Curriculum and Academic Programs Committee (CAPC) and has been appointed incoming associate chair for the 2024-2026 term and interim chair for the Spring 2025 semester. This committee oversees program proposals for the entire university. In addition, she was elected to ASU’s Governance Grievance Committee (GGC) and appointed to the university’s Media Literacy Task Force (MLTF).
She founded and directed ASU’s Young Authors' Studio (2017-2023) and the ASU Sparky Slam poetry competition (2017-2019), programs focused on encouraging youth creativity, visual/multimodal literacies, and experiences with the arts. Meanwhile, ASU undergraduate and graduate students in these programs gained real-world skills (e.g., time management, communication, leadership, and teamwork skills) through their work mentoring these youth writers.
Professor Williams also designed the new 15-credit CISA Writing Certificate for ASU, which includes a visual/multimodal storytelling component. She has created many new ASU courses: ENG 505 Narrative Research Methods, ENG 520/446 Visual Narratives, ENG 466 Studio Ghibli Films, ENG 473 Children's Literature, ENG 394 Writing about Food, and ENG 484/584 Mentoring Youth Writers, and she has taught the YA literature and methods of teaching writing and language courses (ENG 471, 480, and 482). Prior to becoming a professor, she taught English in the Phoenix metropolitan area—at Sunnyslope HS, Landmark MS, and Cheyenne ES—for nine years.
Dr. Williams has a background in food studies as well. She is a culinary school graduate who cooked alongside Chef Gregory Casale at Gregory’s World Bistro, wrote for Arizona Food and Lifestyles magazine, and worked in event planning for Hilton. In addition, she is a certified Maricopa County Master Gardener who is attempting to grow hundreds of varieties of edible plants from seed in her home garden.
Outside of her work as a professor, she plays cello, studying under the direction of Dr. Xue Chen. Previously, she studied, taught, and competed in Shotokan karate and was invited to join the U.S. team (ISKF/JKA).
Ph.D. Curriculum and Instruction: English Education, Arizona State University (2015)
M.Ed. Secondary Education: English, Arizona State University (2008)
B.A.E. Secondary Education: English, Arizona State University (1998), Summa cum laude
A.O.S. Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts, Scottsdale Culinary Institute (2001), Honors Graduate
Books (Monographs)
Williams, W.R. (data analysis in progress). Visual Storytellers.
Williams, W.R. (under contract, manuscript submitted, 280 pages). Mentoring Youth Writers: How to Help Students Thrive in the Writing Classroom and Beyond. National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Press.
Williams, W.R. (2018). Listen to the Poet: Writing, Performance, and Community in Youth Spoken Word Poetry. University of Massachusetts Press.
Articles and Chapters
Williams, W.R. (in press). “Talking Back to the Bard through Words, Visuals, Gestures, and Sounds: Multimodal Assignments that Honor Students’ Voices and Cultures.” In L. Turchi (Ed.), Design and Discomfort in Anti-Racist Shakespeare Classrooms. Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies (ACMRS) Press.
Williams, W.R. (2024). “Using Visual Storytelling to Support Democratic Approaches to Literacy Instruction.” In P. Hartman & J. Spanke (Eds.), Cultivating Democratic Literacy through the Arts: Guiding Preservice Teachers Towards Innovative Learning Spaces in ELA Classrooms, pp. 55-70. Information Age Publishing.
Williams, W.R. (2022). "Expanding What Counts as Writing: Animation in English Language Arts." English Journal, 111(6): 78-80.
Williams, W.R. (2021). "Reflections on Writing and Teaching: A Study of Five Writing Contest Winners." English Teaching: Practice and Critique, 20(3): 385-397.
Williams, W.R. & ByBee, K.D. (2021). “Visions of the City: Examining Urban Landscapes in Shaun Tan’s Visual Narratives.” In L. Nicosia and J. Nicosia (Eds.), Examining Images of Urban Life: A Resource for Teachers of Young Adult Literature, pp. 151-163. Myers Education Press.
Williams, W.R. (2020). “Examining Studio Ghibli’s Animated Films: A Study of Students’ Viewing Paths and Creative Projects.” Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 63(6): 639-650.
Williams, W.R. (2020). “Taking Risks with Form.” English Journal, 110(2), 104-106.
Williams, W.R. (2019). “Attending to the Visual Aspects of Visual Storytelling: Using Art and Design Concepts to Interpret and Compose Narratives with Images.” Journal of Visual Literacy, 38(1-2): 66-82.
Williams, W.R. (2019). “Exploring the Art of Spoken Word Poetry with Students: A Sample Unit.” In K. Macro and M. Zoss (Eds.), A Symphony of Possibilities: A Handbook for Arts Integration in Secondary English Classrooms, pp. 36-50. National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Press.
Williams, W.R. (2018). “Attempting Arts Integration: Secondary Teachers’ Experiences with Spoken Word Poetry.” Pedagogies: An International Journal, 13(2), 92-105.
Williams, W.R. & Blasingame, J. (2017). “Celebrating All Voices: Assuring Diversity in Young Adult Literature.” In J.A. Hayn, J.S. Kaplan, and K.R. Clemmons (Eds.), Teaching Young Adult Literature Today: Insights, Considerations, and Perspectives for the Classroom Teacher, 2nd ed., pp. 223-250. Rowman and Littlefield.
Williams, W.R. (2017). “Learning from a Teacher-Machine: Terror and Implanted Knowledge in The Prisoner.” In M.M. Dalton and L.R. Linder (Eds.), Screen Lessons: What We Have Learned from Teachers on Television and in the Movies, pp. 59-66. Peter Lang.
Williams, W.R. (2015). “Every Voice Matters: Spoken Word Poetry in and outside of School.” English Journal, 104(4), 77-82.
Williams, W.R. (2014). “New Technologies, New Possibilities for the Arts and Multimodality in English Language Arts.” Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education (CITE English Language Arts), 14(4), 327-355.
Williams, W.R. (2014). “Art Does Align with Common Core State Standards.” Language Arts, 92(2), 120.
Williams, W.R. (2013). “‘Untold Stories to Tell’: Making Space for the Voices of Youth Songwriters.” Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 56(5), 369-379.
Editorials
Williams, W.R., & Moulton, F. (2023). "The Wonderful World of Manga." YA Wednesday. http://www.drbickmoresyawednesday.com/weekly-posts/the-wonderful-world-of-manga
Williams, W.R. (2021). “Amanda Gorman’s Poetry Shows Why Spoken Word Belongs in School.” The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/amanda-gormans-poetry-shows-why-spoken-word-belongs-in-school-153838
Williams, W.R., & Reid, S.F. (2019). “Young Authors’ Studio: Writing and Learning Together in Arizona.” Literacy Today, 38-39.
Williams, W.R. (2018) “Innovation and Artistry in Young Adult Literature.” YA Wednesday.
Williams, W.R. (2013). “What’s Cooking in Your YA Literature Class?” In A.P. Nilsen, et al. (Eds.), Literature for Today’s Young Adults (9th ed.), pp. 378-379. Pearson.
Courses
2024 Spring
Course Number | Course Title |
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ENG 466 | Studies in International Film |
ENG 446 | Visual Narratives |
2023 Fall
Course Number | Course Title |
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ENG 471 | Literature for Young Adults |
ENG 505 | Narrative Research Methods |
2023 Spring
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
ENG 597 | Graduate Capstone Seminar |
ENG 466 | Studies in International Film |
ENG 394 | Special Topics |
2022 Fall
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
ENG 446 | Visual Narratives |
ENG 520 | Visual Narratives |
ENG 584 | Internship |
2022 Summer
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
ENG 466 | Studies in International Film |
2022 Spring
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
ENG 505 | Narrative Research Methods |
ENG 473 | Crit Approaches Children's Lit |
2021 Summer
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
ENG 466 | Studies in International Film |
ENG 466 | Studies in International Film |
ENG 466 | Studies in International Film |
2021 Spring
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
ENG 466 | Studies in International Film |
ENG 484 | Internship |
ENG 584 | Internship |
ENG 471 | Literature for Young Adults |
ENG 584 | Internship |
2020 Fall
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
ENG 446 | Visual Narratives |
ENG 590 | Reading and Conference |
ENG 520 | Visual Narratives |
2020 Spring
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
ENG 466 | Studies in International Film |
ENG 484 | Internship |
ENG 584 | Internship |
2019 Fall
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
ENG 505 | Narrative Research Methods |
ENG 446 | Visual Narratives |
2019 Spring
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
ENG 466 | Studies in International Film |
ENG 598 | Special Topics |
ENG 473 | Crit Approaches Children's Lit |