Dr. Aftynne Cheek, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Reading Education and Special Education at Appalachian State University's Reich College of Education (RCOE), has been named the co-recipient of the 2016 University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) Graduate School Award for Innovative Use of Technology in a Thesis/Master’s Production or Dissertation.
Her dissertation titled "Effects of Online Module + eCoaching on Comprehension Instruction for Students with Severe Intellectual Disability" explored reading comprehension instruction for students with severe intellectual disabilities, specifically the effects of an online module and eCoaching on teachers' transfer of knowledge into practice. Her research was supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs Research to Practice Division.
Cheek joined the Appalachian faculty in 2016 after earning her Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Her research interests include:
- Teacher preparation
- eCoaching
- Literacy instruction for students with severe intellectual disabilities.
Dr. Cheek has previous experience working in P-12 schools as an Adapted Physical Education Teacher and in the classroom, teaching students with moderate and severe intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities, autism, traumatic brain injury, mental illness, and emotional and behavioral disorders. At Appalachian State University, she currently teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the adapted curriculum.
Aftynne Cheek
