Biography:
Current Job and Position
Dr. Serota is a 14-year tenured Professor in the Department of Education. In September 2011, she was also appointed the college's first Director of Online Teaching, and she currently maintains that role.
Education
She has earned: Ph.D., Curriculum & Instruction, from the University of Missouri at Columbia; M.Ed., Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas; and, Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri at Columbia.
Background and Courses Taught
Dr. Serota teaches education courses such as social studies methods, middle school methods and philosophy, child & adolescent growth and development, and diversity in education. She also supervises both early field pre-service teachers as well as student teachers. She holds graduate school certification in college teaching, women's studies, and graduate course work completion in human development and family studies. Her prior high school teaching experience includes four years at a high school for at-risk students, where she taught social studies, journalism, and leadership courses.
Scholarly/Professional Highlights
Included in her scholarly achievements are recent presentations and attendance at international conferences relative to pre-teacher socialization as well as online graduate course development and implementation, peer review of manuscripts for Social Studies and the Young Learner, and document review and accreditation visits with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Dr. Serota is a member of Kappa Delta Pi, International Society in Education, The National Social Science Association, National Network for Educational Renewal, the Missouri Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, and Teaching for Tolerance. Honors and Awards include: Alpha Chi Faculty Mentor (2015, 2007), Recipient, Remley Women's Center Exceptional Faculty & Staff Award (2010), Summer Research Grant (2016, 2009, 2007, 2006), Kappa Alpha Order Fraternity Westminster Employee of the Month (2008), and Dean's Award for Junior Faculty of the Year (2007).
Dr. Serota's publications include the following:
Concannon, J.P., & Serota, S. (2017, in review). Relationships among career interests, self-efficacy, self-regulation, and occupational outcomes on persistence in undergraduate engineering: A qualitative case study.
Serota, S.B., & Bennett, L. (2010). Reflections on learners and learning in early field experiences for secondary social studies. In E.E. Heilman (Ed.), Social studies and diversity education: What we do and why we do it (pp. 350-353). New York: Routledge.
Serota, S.B., & Bennett, L. (2008). Can we? Do we? Are we? Socializing future teachers. Journal of Teacher Education,17(1), pp. 63-72.
Serota, S.B., & Bennett, L. (2007-2008). Pre-service teacher socialization in early field experiences. Research in the Schools, 14(2), pp. 64-77.
Bennett, L., & Serota, S.B. (2007). The impact of teaching philosophy on instructional strategies: Reflections of fine tuning an online graduate course. National Social Science Journal, 28(2), 32-41.
Dr. Serota's presentations include the following:
Concannon, J.P., Aulgur, L., & Serota, S. (2014). It’s now the Golden Anniversary of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and now it’s time to reflect and ask: Can government funds predict high school students’ advanced and proficient state assessment scores? Presentation for the Annual Critical Questions in Education Conference, Louisville, KY.
Hardeman, K, Serota, S., Hardeman, K., & Bolen, M. (2014). The pros and cons of online education: What in the world have we done? What are we doing? Presentation for the Iowa Communication Association Conference, Ankeny, IA.
Aulgur, L., Serota, S., Concannon, J., & Crowson, C. (2013). Critically evaluating pre-service teacher performance. What are we giving up? Presentation for the Annual Critical Questions in Education Conference, San Antonio, TX.