Welcome to Dr. Lisa R. Hassler's Website

Dr. Livia Pailer-Duller is on today’s show to discuss this important topic of dyslexia and dyscalculia, and how her organization is helping children and families across the world.

Here to discuss the topic of Black girls in the American educational system is Dr. Hyacinth Dwyer. She has examined the experiences of the Black girl in the K-12 public school system in her study, Education and the Black Girl, and determined effective strategies that teachers can use to better meet her needs for success.

In this episode, I focus on theory as a variable. How can theory affect positive change in education? Here to discuss theory in education is Dr. Michael Grahame Moore. He first defined distance education in his Theory of Transactional Distance in 1972 and then expanded on that in 1997. He was named as “one of the 128 most important, influential, innovative and interesting thinkers on education of all time,” by The Routledge Encyclopedia of Educational Thinkers in 2016. Dr. Moore is internationally recognized for establishing the scholarly study of distance education and for pioneering the practice of teaching online. Theory affects positive change in education because it uses scholarly study and research to describe what we know works. The Theory of Transactional Distance is not new, only the full and sudden emergence of America’s classrooms online in 2020. As a nation, we took a huge leap forward teaching from online platforms. While it felt painful because the educational system was not prepared, we still learned a lot and advanced. Now, educational leaders and politicians need to keep the momentum moving forward. COVID was the wake-up call to America that the way we are preparing teachers is outdated. So here is the call to action: Teachers and parents- advocate for distance education teacher training through your state and district. Online education whether it’s pure, blended, hybrid, or hyflex is growing and we need the best education for our children. This is only possible through applying sound theories to teaching methods.

Timeless Echoes: Embracing the Power of History with Historian Dr. Christopher Berg In this episode, I focus on history in education. Why study history?

In this episode, I focus on virtual school in special education as a variable with Barbara Southwick. She discusses how virtual school in special education is an untapped resource that opens up possibilities in students with disabilities.

In this episode, I explore the fascinating findings on working memory, its impact on academic attainment, and the promising avenues for intervention and support. How does working memory determine student success and how can it be improved? Over the years, studies conducted by Dr. Tracy Packiam Alloway (www.tracypackiam.com) have provided growing evidence of the significant connection between working memory and academic achievement. The capacity of an individual's working memory plays a crucial role in their ability to acquire knowledge and develop new skills. Deficits in working memory have been observed in various learning difficulties including reading disorders, math difficulties, ADHD, and motor impairments. In fact, Alloway's large-scale screening study revealed that one in ten students experience working memory deficits, leading to below-average performance in language and math. Surprisingly, research also indicated that all components of working memory are present by the age of 4. As a result, it is vital to prioritize finding effective interventions to overcome these challenges and maximize students' learning potential. Traditionally, working memory was believed to be genetically fixed, however, recent studies highlight the remarkable plasticity of the developing brain and suggest that working memory capacity can potentially be enhanced through environmental interventions and support. Join us as we delve into the world of working memory and its implications for optimizing learning outcomes with Dr. Tracy Packiam Alloway. She is an award-winning psychologist, professor of memory, 15 time author and Associate Editor of the Educational and Developmental Psychologist journal. Dr. Alloway has been featured on The Doctors TV, Good Morning America, the Today Show to name a few. She also consults for documentaries, ABC/NBC and the CW affiliates, AMC TV, and the World Bank.

In this episode, I focus on the reading habits of teenagers with high school English teacher, Beth Donofrio. Beth has her bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education for English and her master’s degree in Children and Adolescents at Risk from Harvard. She is a conference speaker, editor, and author of the book, Champions Way: Inspiring Stories from the Journeys of Hometown Champions.

In today’s episode, I continue with my personal background in education to discuss the research I conducted and how it led me to podcasting. Dr. Gregg Hassler, Jr. DMD joins me as a co-host. He was a school board president, is a dentist, but most importantly, is my husband. He's always said that it’s important that my audience gets to know who I am as an educational podcaster and so...this is it!