Laurel Byrne, Ed.D.

Before coming to La Salle, Laurel Byrne served as an instructor of early childhood foundations and early childhood teaching methods courses as a member of the Early Childhood Program Team at Rowan University. During her time of service at Rowan University, she was actively pursuing her doctoral studies at Widener University, which she completed in December 2013. She began her teaching career at a professional development school in Camden, NJ. She taught first grade for six years and kindergarten for one year before leaving to pursue her graduate studies. During her time as a classroom teacher, she also served as a cooperating teacher.

Active in the field of early childhood education, she is a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Additionally, sje was afforded the opportunity to explore progressive education in early childhood during site visits to The Bank Street School for Children and The University of Chicago Lab Schools. While at Rowan, she worked collaboratively with fellow colleagues to plan and facilitate a conference designed especially for pre-service teachers entitled STEM through the Eyes of the Young Child. She also served as summer faculty for the Rowan Urban Teacher Academy.

Areas of Expertise/Research Interest
Early Childhood/Elementary Education
Multicultural Teaching Concerns
Creating Learning Community Classrooms

Education
Ed.D., School Administration: K-12 Educational Leadership with a Concentration in Curriculum, Instruction, and Staff Development, Widener University
M.A., Instructional Technology, Richard Stockton College
Post Baccalaureate Teacher Certification, Rowan University (Formerly Glassboro State College)
B.A., Political Science, The College of New Jersey (Formerly Trenton State College)

Certification
Elementary School Teacher (N-8), New Jersey

Teaching
Differentiated Instruction, Assessment, and Technology Integration
Schools/Families/Communities
Introduction to Early Childhood Methods

Research
Dissertation: Multicultural Teaching Concerns of Early Childhood Teacher Candidates and Beginning Teacher with Regard to Their Knowledge and Understanding of Diverse Families

Community Service
Gifted and Talented Parent Panel