Speak the truth in a million voices. It is silence that kills the world.
~ St. Catherine of Siena

Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Brother Michael entered the De La Salle Christian Brothers following his high school graduation and received his B.A. in English on this campus, at the then Christian Brothers College, in 1971. He holds a M.A.T. in English and Communication Arts from St. Mary's University, Winona, Minnesota (1975) and a Ph.D. in Education, with a specialization in English Language Arts, from the Language, Literacy, and Culture Program of Studies in the School of Teaching and Learning at The Ohio State University, Columbus (2005).

A high school English and Religion teacher for 30 years, Brother Michael brings to campus and the Department of Education not only practical pedagogical experience at the secondary level but also a zest for teaching and learning that he hopes to share with students and colleagues.
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TEACHING INTERESTS

Sociocultural theory and practice, issues in multicultural literacy education, issues in the literacy education of Hispanic adolescents, Lasallian pedagogy and multicultural theories, culturally responsive educational practice, middle school and secondary school English language, literature, and composition instruction, issues in the construction of school and classroom communities of practice, shared commitments and responsive practices in Catholic and public schools, general qualitative research methodologies, ethnographic approaches to literacy research.

RESEARCH AND SCHOLARLY INTERESTS

Sociocultural theory, multicultural literacy, activity theory, education for social justice, Lasallian educational tradition and spirituality, teacher education, reader-response theory, writing across the curriculum, responsive English language arts teaching in middle and secondary schools, the role of school culture in effective literacy instruction, innovative Catholic and public school literacy initiatives, effective instructional practices in the literacy education of Hispanic adolescents, fostering constructive dialogue among Catholic and public school educators, researchers, and policymakers.

PERSONAL HOBBIES AND INTERESTS

Ohioana, Ohio State football and basketball, college football and basketball, topical stamp collecting (Lasalliana, poets, authors, and literature), genealogy, reading of all sorts, writing poetry, gardening, outdoor sports and activities, cooking.