Dr. Diane M. Miller
Dr. Diane M. Miller
Associate Professor - Assistant Chair for Graduate StudiesUrban EducationBiography
Dr. Miller's professional background encompasses 19 years of K-12 public education work focused on secondary English language arts and reading education experiences, ranging from classroom teaching to school- and district-level leadership to district- and regional-level curriculum work. After serving UHD's Department of Urban Education for four years as an adjunct lecturer, Dr. Miller expanded her work with pre-service teachers, working one year as a lecturer, six years as an assistant professor, and now as an associate professor with tenure at the Northwest and Downtown Campuses. To her students, especially those who are working to someday have students of their own, she offers her heart for exciting English language arts and reading instruction coupled with a solid foundation in the current, research-based teaching methods. She believes that students of all ages should encounter and embrace success in the classroom, soaking up encouragement and enrichment according to their individual learning styles, personalities, and life experiences. Strengthening self-image through these academic accomplishments is especially critical to those students who are cutting new educational paths for themselves and their families. Dr. Miller challenges her students to enter the profession with passion, realism, competence, humor, respect, and flexibility. Her classrooms are filled with tears and laughter, reading and writing, enjoyment and challenge.
Degrees Earned
University of Texas at Austin B.A. English/Government
Texas A&M University-Texarkana M.A. English
Texas A&M University Ph.D. Curriculum & Instruction-RLA
Dr. Miller offers a balanced foundation of practitioner-based passion and researcher-oriented perspective. Her research interests reflect her passion for bridging the persistent research-practice gap, specifically in the area of content-area writing and reading, and her interest in the levels of student engagement and depth of evidence-based responses in hybrid learning environments. Dr. Miller's recently completed doctoral dissertation, "Writing Tasks in Content-Area Instruction: A Systematic Review of the Literature," was a broad-scale systematic literature review of the current research about the use of writing tasks to improve students' knowledge attainment and achievement in reading/language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies classrooms. Additionally, she has conducted a content analysis of professional development modules to explore the disconnect between research and practice, and she completed a pilot study which examined the impact of learning environments upon students' levels of engagement with the course material as shown through survey data and their depths of understanding as demonstrated through evidence-based written responses. She is currently working with the Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts to capture the voices of Texas' teachers during the ELAR TEKS revision process. Additionally, she is excited about coordinating the inaugural Children's Literature of England in May 2016.
Courses Taught
READ 3305: "Foundations of Literacy, EC-12"
READ 3306: "Language and Literacy"
READ 3307: "Language Arts Instruction, EC-12"
READ 3309: "Teaching Reading in the Content Areas, 4-12"
READ 4303: "Literacy Curriculum, Methods, Assessment 3-6"
READ 4321: "Literacy Across the Curriculum, 8-12"
READ 5315: "Visual Literacy, Multimedia and Poetry in the Language Arts Classroom"
MAT 5317: "Reading Curriculum, Methods, Assessment, and Diagnosis 4-8"
MAT 6310: "Reading in the Multicultural Classroom"
READ 6370: "Developing Literacy Teacher Educators"
READ 6380: "Practicum in Teaching Reading"
MAT 6390: "Directed Study in Urban Teaching"
Experience Qualifications
Dr. Miller offers a balanced foundation of practitioner-based passion and researcher-oriented perspective. Her research interests reflect her passion for bridging the persistent research-practice gap, specifically in the areas of content-area writing and reading and disciplinary literacy. She is interested in the ways mentorship and engagement impact students on their paths to becoming teacher candidates and, of course, teachers.
Dr. Miller's doctoral dissertation, "Writing Tasks in Content-Area Instruction: A Systematic Review of the Literature," was a broad-scale systematic literature review of the current research about the use of writing tasks to improve students' knowledge attainment and achievement in reading/language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies classrooms. Previously, she conducted a content analysis of professional development modules to explore the disconnect between research and practice, and she completed a pilot study which examined the impact of learning environments upon students' levels of engagement with the course material as shown through survey data and their depths of understanding as demonstrated through evidence-based written responses. A hallmark of Dr. Miller's work is collaboration, and she has worked with colleagues both at UHD and at other institutions to write about topics ranging from professional mentorship to using children's literature in content-area classrooms. Dr. Miller was honored to serve the English teachers of Texas as the President of the Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts, and she used her time on the Board to help capture the voices of Texas' teachers during the ELAR TEKS revision process through a statewide survey, public testimonies, and resultant publication.
More than any of this, Dr. Miller loves her UHD Gators! She volunteers as the dedicated co-sponsor of the Be a Teacher Club (UHD-NW), can often be found bragging about UHD at recruiting events around the city of Houston, and proudly designed and implemented (twice!) the first faculty-led trip for the Department of Urban Education: the Children's Literature Tour of England and France.
More Information
Awards
- Dean's Award for Distinguished Service: Faculty, 2021 Award Recipient—College of Public Service (college-wide) recognition
- University Faculty Awards: Excellence in Scholarship, 2021 Finalist—one of four finalists for university-wide recognition
- McGraw-Hill Distinguished Scholar Award, 2018 Award Recipient—Conference on Academic Research in Education, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- Texas A&M University Department of Teaching, Learning, and Culture Distinguished Graduate Student, 2014 Award Recipient