Karen Cachevki Williams
Professor and Department Head
307-766-4145
307-766-5686 – FAX
Positions and Education:
Head of Department,
Professor, Child & Family Studies 2006
Associate Professor,
Assistant Professor, University of Wyoming, 1995-2001
Lecturer, University of Wyoming, 1993-1995
Ph.D. Curriculum and Instruction/Early Childhood,
M.A. Human Development/Developmental Education,
B.S. Home Economics/Consumer and Family Education Services,
B.A. English/Secondary Education,
Professional Memberships:
American Educational Research Association
National Association for the Education of Young Children
National Association for Multicultural Education
Instruction:
Health, Safety and Nutrition in Early Childhood Programs (FCSC 2050), Child Development (FCSC 2121), Multicultural Influences on the Young Child (FCSC 3220), Professional and Research Perspectives in Family and Consumer Sciences (FCSC 4010), Later Childhood/Adolescence (FCSC 4122), Families of Young Children with Special Needs (FCSC 4124), Directing Preschool and Day Care Programs (FCSC 4127), Internship in Child Development (FCSC 4130), Administrative Internship in Child Development (FCSC 4131), Child Care Health Consultation (FCSC 5105), Interdisciplinary Seminar in Early Childhood (FCSC 5115), and Graduate Seminar in Child Development (FCSC 5129).
Research Interests:
I believe that
research should be tied to and inform teaching, and should have a practical
application as well as a theoretical focus.
Consequently, I have several areas of research.
- College student cognitive development, learning, and assessment.
This research area ties to my interests in distance education, creating communities of learners, and strategies of teaching that prepare quality teachers of young children. Sample publications in this area include the following:
Williams, K.C., Nelson, J.V.,
McLeod, D.M., Meyer, S.S., Cameron, B.A., & Wangberg, J.K. (2003).
A collaborative faculty approach for improving teaching of writing and
critical thinking across disciplines: A
Wyoming case study.
Quoss, B., Williams, K. C., & Cooney, M. (2000, July). Promoting students’ intellectual development: A qualitative study of teaching practices. Family Science Review. 13 (1-2), 31-43.
Williams, K.C., & Akintunde, O. (2000, Nov./Dec.) Colorless, tasteless, and odorless? College students’ perceptions of their racial and ethnic identitities. The Journal of Early Education and Family Review, 8 (2), 22-32.
- Young children’s physical development and its relationship to cognition, health, and social/emotional development.
This area of research directly connects to the
state-wide federal grant project I have directed for the last nine years. It is called Healthy Child Care
Williams, K.C. (2004/September – in press). Effect of Day Care Center Design, Scheduling
and Climate on Preschool Children’s Opportunities for Gross Motor
Development. Journal of Early
Education and Family Review.
Williams, K. C. & Mackenzie, C. A. (2003). Case Study of Gross Motor Patterns of Preschool Children: A Look at Four Children in Three Contexts. Journal of Early Education and Family Review. 11 (2), 5-24.
- Early childhood and college classroom teaching strategies.
I love working with young children and helping practicing teachers to be more aware of the world through children’s eyes. Children need connected, meaningful learning experiences that take their interests, abilities, and cultural backgrounds into account. Adults need much the same. Articles in this area include:
Williams, K.C. & Cooney,
M.H. (2006, March). Young children
and social justice. Young Children,
61 (2), 75-82.
Williams, K. C. (2002). “Using Group Projects to Enhance Online Learning” Journal of Teaching in Marriage and Family. 2 Issue 1, 115-121.
Williams, K.C., Cooney, J.N., and Nelson, J. (1999). Storytelling and storyacting as an active learning strategy. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 20 (3), 347-352.
Williams, K.C. (1997). What do you wonder? Engaging children in curriculum planning. Young Children, 52 (6), 78-81.
- Research and professional ethics.
Professionalism is something we in this department model for our students and value. Ethics is at the root of professionalism. The following articles tie to teaching, research practice, and look at the issue from multiple perspectives:
Cooney, M.H., Quoss, B., and Williams, K.C. (1999, fall). Intellectual foundations for teaching ethical decision-making to college students. Teaching and Learning: The Journal of Natural Inquiry, 14 (1), 5-15.
Williams, K.C. (1996). Ethics and the research mission of campus-based early childhood programs. Cascade, WI: National Coalition for Campus child Care.
Williams, K.C. (1995). Blanket consent forms: Barriers to parental involvement in early childhood research. Researcher, 10 (1) 22-25.
Williams, K.C. (1993). In whose interest? In S. Mathison, E.W. Ross, and J.W. Cornett (Eds.), A Casebook for Teaching about Ethical Issues in Qualitative Research (pp. 44-45). N.Y.: Qualitative Research SIG, American Educational Research Association.
- International perspectives on early education and learning.
I believe that we have much to learn from other
countries and their concepts of early childhood development and learning. Two articles on parent and teacher
perceptions of play and curriculum in
Office address:
Department of Family and Consumer Sciences
AG 251
Department 3354