EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

FACULTY

TONY DONK
Professor of Education
Elementary Education

E-mail: donk@hope.edu

B.A., English/Elem. Educ., Western Michigan University, 1977
M.S.W., Social Work, Western Michigan University, 1983
Ph.D., Curriculum, Teaching & Educational Policy, Michigan State University, 1996

TEACHING RESPONSIBILITIES

Educ. 280/281 - Literacy I: Reading & Language Arts from Birth to Grade 2
Educ. 220/221 - Educational Psychology
IDS 100 - First Year Seminar: Fall, 2001
IDS 452 - Senior Seminar: Education & Christian Ways of Knowing

PUBLICATIONS

Dell’Olio, J. & Donk, T. (2007). Models of Teaching: Connecting Student Learning with Standards. Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA.

Donk, T. (2004). TE reform: Learning to teach writing – Can theory, research and teaching models really influence practice? In: (Ed) R. J. Mezeske. Reforming teacher education in the liberal arts setting.

Donk, T. (1996). Limitations of theory in guiding on-line decision-making in process writing contexts: The case of Emily. Doctoral dissertation, Michigan State University.

Donk, T. (1994). Writing skills: Are they part of the process? Michigan Reading Journal, (27) 3, 13-17.

Donk, T. & Reagan-Donk, T.E. (1992). Literacy Through Teamwork. Holland, MI: Love, Inc./World Vision.

MAJOR PRESENTATIONS

05/1/05 – 05/05/05 - But When I Was in First Grade: Excavating and Enriching Preservice Teachers’ Beliefs About Literacy Learning and Teaching
International Reading Association, 50th Anniversary Convention San Antonio, Texas

07/15/03 - 07/18/03 - Teaching As We Were Taught to Teach: Enhancing the Apprenticeship of Observation in Literacy Teaching and Learning The Tenth International Literacy and Education Research Network Conference on Learning London, England

07/04/01 – 07/08/01 - The Writing Workshop: Revisiting Teacher Decision-Making in the Writing Conference The Eighth International Literacy and Education Research Network Conference on Learning Spetses, Greece

03/19/01 - Standards Based Authentic Assessment: Seeing is Believing Co-presenters: Leslie Wessman & Linda Jordan Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Annual Conference, Boston, Massachusetts

GRANTS

2005, Frost Center Fellowship, Frost Center Student-Faculty Grant

2004, Frost Center Fellowship, Frost Center Student-Faculty Grant

2003, Brookstra Faculty Development Fund,

2001, Albertus Pieters Fund, The Strosacker Foundation

2000, Matthew J. and Anne C. Wilson Foundation Faculty Development Fund

AWARDS

1997, First Year Faculty Development Grant, Cole Faculty Development Grant

1997, Academic Excellence Award, College of Education, Michigan State University

1986, Excellence in Education Award, West Ottawa Public Schools

RESEARCH AND TEACHING INTERESTS

Issues of Literacy
Teacher Cognition
Literature-based reading instruction
The process approach to writing instruction & teacher decision-making

PERSONAL

Before coming to Hope I was a teacher in the West Ottawa Public Schools for several years. I have taught at the middle school level, as well as first, fourth, and fifth grades. I also directed a program called "Literacy Through Teamwork: Home, School and Preschool Child." This program was funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The goal of the program was to assist parents of Headstart students as they encouraged their children's emergent literacy efforts. I continue to have an interest in the emergence of children's reading and writing.

My nonprofessional interests center around my family. My wife, Theresa, was a first grade teacher. Theresa is now the Principal at Georgetown Elementary School in Hudsonville. We have two children. My daughter Kelsey is in high school. My son Keenan is in middle school. I also enjoy reading, traveling, long distance biking, and working in our yard.