Dr. Kathleen Gradel

Ed.D., University of Virginia

Dr. Kathleen Gradel holds the rank of Professor in the College of Education. She has taught a wide array of face-to-face and online, graduate and undergraduate courses in special education, foundations, literacy, technology, and action research. For the past three years, she has been an instructor and facilitator in the Fredonia First-year Program; in addition, through the Provost's office, she has provided faculty support to cross-major first-year seminar faculty.

Dr. Gradel has worked with preservice and inservice educators for more than 45 years, teaching from preschool through doctoral levels. She has achieved the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, in recognition of instructional innovation. And – in 2016 – she earned the SUNY FACT2 Award for Excellence in Instruction/State-Operated and Statutory Campuses, for innovation in technology-enhanced instruction.

Dr. Gradel has been consistently active within the K-12 arena. She also has extensive experience as a grantwriter and program director in the non-profit disability world. As a junior in college, she pioneered a then-innovative "inclusion" service model for preschoolers with and without disabilities. From that point on, she has maintained her commitment to P-12 teaching/learning. For example, her expertise in interventions with students possessing significant disabilities led to her work – with colleagues – in initiating two Master’s preparation programs at Buffalo State College; this work has earned ongoing recognition from her undergraduate and Master’s students, many of whom have continued to serve as teacher leaders and administrators. She has co-authored and co-directed multiple professional development-focused grant initiatives, in partnership with regional school districts and Fredonia colleagues. She has served as Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Technology for the Silver Creek School District, and as the director of two inclusive preschool/primary educational programs. She has worked with Chautauqua County school districts to launch a menu of blended and online AP (Advanced Placement) courses, offered to regional high schoolers via Erie2 BOCES.

Dr. Gradel has been involved in Fredonia’s Professional Development Center since its inception. She was among the first PDC Fellows, and twice served as a PDC Associate. This year, she has been privileged to be part of the PDC's work to infuse OER (Open Educational Resources) into courses across our campus and SUNY. She has for several years co-taught coursework required of new Fredonia online faculty. Notably, during the past two years, Dr. Gradel designed and built a full series of on-demand professional development micro-courses, accessible for both novice and experienced online instructors. As part of this initiative, she established the microcredentialing (digital badging) infrastructure associated with this professional development sequence.

Technology-supported learning/teaching is Dr. Gradel’s favorite areas of effort. She is consistently active in multiple statewide technology initiatives; she is recognized for her expertise in helping P-12 teachers develop skills in the use of evidence-based practices, especially those strengthened with pedagogically sound technology. She frequently works with higher ed faculty and support staff, focusing on technology to enhance campus-based and online learning locally, statewide, and nationally. She co-moderates the WNY Google Educator Group, is a popular professional development consultant, and works regularly with K-12 district and university faculty. She is an active contributor in ed tech regional activities and SUNY technology initiatives. She serves as an OpenSUNY Online Learning Ambassador. She is a member of the regional Technology Integrators Forum, extending connections with tech leaders in our region’s school districts.

Dr. Gradel has a SUNY presence, too. She served on the SUNY Provost’s OpenSUNY Advisory Committee, during the important two-year scale-up of OpenSUNY. She also works with SUNY Center for Professional Development as a professional development facilitator, where she routinely hosts online courses for faculty statewide. She is one of Fredonia's FACT2 representatives, and is an OpenSUNY Online Learning Ambassador. She is a "favorite" presenter at tech-focused statewide conferences. This year, she has also been asked to serve as an external evaluator for new SUNY online programs, as they scale up.

Dr. Gradel has a consistent record of campus and community service. Today, most of her campus service is in the area of online learning, and as long-time co-Advisor for the International Education Honor Society (Kappa Delta Pi). For nearly a decade, she served as Chair of the campus Planning & Budget Committee, and for several years provided leadership to the county's largest disability service organization, The Resource Center.

Office Hours

• See regularly updated schedule

Teaching Interests

Educational foundations; early college success; tech-supported instruction; personal digital productivity and identity; classroom motivation/positive behavioral supports; differentiated instruction; action research.

Research Interests

Strategies to facilitate school success of P-12 students with learning needs enrolled in inclusive classrooms; preparation of pre-service educators in tech-supported instructional skills; and early college success strategies.

Intellectual Contributions