Wendy Williams
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Mail code: 2780Campus: Poly
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Dr. Wendy R. Williams, Associate Professor of English, is a scholar whose research spans the areas of English education, visual/multimodal storytelling, and food studies. Underpinning all of her work is an interest in the role of creativity in teaching and learning. She is the author of Listen to the Poet: Writing, Performance, and Community in Youth Spoken Word Poetry (2018, University of Massachusetts), Mentoring Youth Writers: How to Help Students Thrive in the Writing Classroom and Beyond (under contract, National Council of Teachers of English), and articles in leading journals in her field. She has received funding from National Endowment for the Humanities, Southern Poverty Law Center, and Arizona Humanities.
Professor Williams 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, ENG 484/584 Mentoring Youth Writers) and has taught the YA literature and methods of teaching writing/language courses. Previously, she taught secondary English for nine years.
She has served as column editor for English Journal, board member for the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, and chair of NCTE's Achievement Awards in Writing Committee. At ASU, she founded and directed the Young Authors' Studio program (2017-2023) and Sparky Slam poetry events for youth (2017-2019). Currently, she serves on ASU’s Curriculum and Academic Programs Committee (CAPC), Governance Grievance Committee (GGC), and Media Literacy Task Force (MLTF).
Dr. Williams has a background in food studies as well. She is a certified Maricopa County Master Gardener who is attempting to grow hundreds of edible plants from seed, a culinary school graduate who cooked alongside Chef Gregory Casale at Gregory’s World Bistro, and a former food writer for Arizona Food and Lifestyles magazine who also worked in event planning for Hilton.
Outside of her work as a professor, she plays cello, studying under the direction of 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)
A.O.S. Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts, Scottsdale Culinary Institute (2001)
Books (Monographs)
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. 216 pages.
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 |
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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 |