Elements of Dr. Brown-Wood's Pedagogy

Dr. Brown-Wood believes learning happens best when it is a part of an active process of knowledge building. Thus, educators must strive to establish a classroom environment where students can participate in the understanding of content and construction of knowledge in a meaningful way!
She believes an optimal classroom includes the following components:
  1. A learning environment that activates a student’s current understanding and personal experience as a starting point to integrate new knowledge,
  2. Curriculum content presented in ways that engage different types of learners giving them a variety of avenues to learn and master the material, and
  3. A student-centered classroom which affords students an opportunity to learn from and with the professor as well as fellow learners within the classroom in an active and hands-on way.

Dr. Brown-Wood's Work in the College Classroom

Classes Dr. Brown-Wood Has Taught 

  • Introduction to Principles and Practices in Early Childhood Education
  • Child Development
  • Positive Guidance Strategies with Young Children
  • Care and Education of Infants and Toddlers
  • Language Development
  • Curriculum and Interactions in Early Childhood Education
  • Advanced Practicum in Early Childhood Education

Classes Dr. Brown-Wood Has Assisted In

  • Reading in the Elementary School Classroom​
  • Effective Instruction: Writing, Literacy, and Language Learners​​​
  • Educating Children with Exceptionalities
  • Methods in Elementary Social Studies
  • Cross-cultural Child Development

Joyful Literacy with Children


See Dr. Brown-Wood's work with the fantastic Joyful Literacy Team of WestEd as she served as a lesson facilitator with first grade students. These instructional videos serve as fantastic resources for teachers working with young children to support literacy skills.

Introduction to the Joyful Literacy Approach

This video provides an overview of the Joyful Literacy approach for PreK-first graders and an introduction to the other to videos in the series, featuring Dr. Brown-Wood delivering a lesson plan to first graders.

​Explicit Vocabulary Instruction

Joyful Literacy: Interactive Readalouds, Oral Retelling, and Writing

​​This video shows Dr. Brown-Wood explicitly teaching the word “lonely” using lessons from the Joyful Literacy book kit for María Mariposa.
This video shows the five-day readaloud, oral language, and writing instructional sequence from the Joyful Literacy book kit for María Mariposa in a first grade classroom, delivered by Dr. Brown-Wood.
Learn more about the Joyful Literacy Book Kit for the book Maria Mariposa HERE
"I thoroughly enjoy teaching and adore watching learners grow and come to understand the material I cover in a way that is meaningful to them. I work for 'aha' moments and the internalization of material that changes the schemas of my students."

​Dr. Brown-Wood's pedagogy informs how she conducts her presentations and workshops as well!
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