Author Information

Cynthia Kiefer, PHD

Cynthia Kiefer has served on the English Faculty at Scottsdale Community College in the Maricopa County Community College District for nine years.  Prior to teaching for SCC, she taught secondary English Language Arts for 18 years and engaged in a business career in the library technology and book industries for nine years. She holds a PhD in Curriculum & Instruction, English Education from Arizona State University. Cynthia aspires to provide opportunities for her first-year composition students to develop their critical writing, reading, information, rhetoric, and digital literacy knowledge and skills through scaffolded practice, social learning, feedback, and assessment. The instructional guidance and exercises in both volumes of Claim Your Voice in First Year Composition were created to help students develop their lifelong  learning literacies and the confidence necessary to meet the literacy expectations in higher education and their future careers. Because of this, she is passionate about working with students to “claim their voices” as people with the agency to effect change and achieve their aspirations through their critical literacies and rhetorical knowledge skill. Cynthia’s teaching philosophy and methods are based on current research in the field and her belief that all students can “learn to learn.”

Serene Rock, MA

Serene Rock is a member of the Library & Information Studies Faculty at Scottsdale Community College. She earned an MA in Information Resources and Library Science from the University of Arizona and brings over ten years of experience in information literacy and metaliteracy instruction and assessment to the pages of this ebook.  In addition to Claim Your Voice Volume 1 & 2, Serene has co-authored two book chapters and presented at numerous regional, national, and international conferences related to teaching and learning information literacy in higher education.

In Claim Your Voice Volume 2,  Serene presents rhetorical research  as a thoughtful and strategic approach to seeking and evaluating information in order to solve problems, make decisions, and/or communicate effectively.  She breaks down the research process and provides students with a metaliteracy structure for information seeking while allowing them room to explore, develop, and apply their own analytical and critical thinking skills.  Serene believes students who are metaliterate are empowered, thoughtful, and informed researchers.