Valerie Harlow Shinas, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Education at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA and Chair of the Language and Literacy Department. A former middle school teacher and reading specialist, she earned a Ph.D. in Literacy Education from the University of Delaware. Her scholarly work is centered on 21st century literacy learning, including the ways that digital tools and texts transform reading, writing, and learning. As a teacher educator, Dr. Shinas also has a deep interest in teacher education and how to support the ongoing development of preservice and in-service teachers’ knowledge and skills using technology.