Bourdage, Kristin: - Kristin Bourdage is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Education at Otterbein University, USA. Kristin's earliest teaching assignments were second grade and language arts/reading at the middle level. She currently teaches literacy pedagogy to preservice teachers and facilitates professional development for K-12 teachers in literacy methods, curriculum design, project-based learning, and discussion approaches. Kristin studies classroom talk and discussion. Her latest interests explore the way classroom talk engages students in social emotional development and civic discourse. Her research has appeared in publications such as Language Arts, Language and Education, chapters in edited texts, and the National Reading Conference Yearbook. Kristin presents her work at professional education conferences at state and national levels.