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April Leach

About April Leach

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April Leach

Fellow Specialist/Librarian/Researcher/Educator

Roles over the past twenty years include: Hands-on Literacy and Instructional Coach, Media Specialist, Professional Development Designer, New Teacher Program Coordinator, Team Builder, Grant Writer, Grant Lead Coordinator.

Recent grants include ,Cyber Cafe  (Palm Beach Post Video) Palm Beach Post Article - a collaboration with Randall Fujimoto of WeThink Learning, in which Middle School Students worked collaboratively to investigate real world issues, devise solutions, then build them in Minecraft for Education while 15 categories of Social Emotional Learning.

At work on a grant pilot project with Alicia Haywood of iSpeak Media: My Media Story, with a student population of 1300 in which students are embarking on a journey of self-discovery, developing an awareness of, a relationship with, and investigating how to apply media literacy in their future.

Scholarship includes: Co-editor with Ian O’Byrne of the Special Issue of the Journal of Literacy and Technology Through the Portal of Art and Culture: Media Literacy as the Art of Communication, and on its board. Articles include: Journal of Media Literacy Educators – Special Issue on Disabilities, Digital Media Production to Support Literacy for Secondary Students With Diverse Learning Abilities, and Chapter: Literacy Learning and Assessment for the Digital Age  for the Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Third Edition IGI Global Volume IV. Worked on the International Literacy Association Taskforce on Teacher Preparation in Literacy producing a paper in Literacy Practice and Research -Beyond State Requirements: Examining Teacher Preparation for Literacy Instruction in United States Teacher Education Programs. On the Board of Student Body Health Education Services, a non-profit providing a holistic approach to student wellness and learning. On the Board of the non-profit foundation School Grants Made Easy.

Presenter Media and  Literacy Conferences, including CIRCL (The Center for Innovative Research in CyberLearning) in Washington D.C., National Association for Media Literacy Educators, Literacy Research Association, the University of Rhode Island Summer Institute for Digital Literacy, and at the University of Washington.

April Leach received a Ph.D. in Education Technology and eLearning from Northcentral University, a M.Ed. in Education – Literacy PK-12 from the University of Nebraska, a B.A. in Comparative Literacy with minors in Social Psychology and Sociology with a Teaching Certificate from Ramapo College of New Jersey, and is certified in Art. 

Languages: English & French

Happy Places of Mind and Body: France, Yoga, Swimming, Orchids, Cooking Divine Delights