Richard Smith
Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership
School of Education and Professional Licensure
Degree Program
M.S. Education (MSEd)
Dr. Richard A. Smith is currently a senior member of the contributing faculty at Walden University. He has been with Walden since 2002. He has served as Clinical Associate Professor of Instructional Design and Technology at the University of Houston- Clear Lake (UHCL), where he was also the coordinator of the UHCL master’s degree program in Instructional Design and Technology. In addition, he was the Director of Educational Technology for the Houston Independent School District in Houston, Texas. Dr. Smith is the author of numerous articles on, and made many presentations about, education topics.
Richard Smith has a bachelor's degree in sociology from New York University and has a Master of Arts in Teaching from Antioch University, earned through his participation as a teacher-intern with the Urban Teacher Corps in Washington D. C. His Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction is from the College of Education of The University of Texas at Austin. After earning his doctorate Dr. Smith became a program coordinator with the Institute for Urban and Minority Education at Teachers College, Columbia University where he assisted K-12 schools to meet the requirements of Title IX.
Dr. Smith also served as a Peace Corps Volunteer for rural public health in India. In addition, he worked as a curriculum specialist in the area of public health, with the Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) in rural Arkansas & Mississippi. He has learned Spanish, Malayalam, and Hebrew via the intensive conversational method (and French the way we all studied languages in high school). Dr. Smith also has a Texas Mid-Management School Administrator Certificate earned at Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas. Amongst his various teacher certifications are a Bilingual (Spanish/English) High School Social Studies license valid for teaching in the New York City school system. He was a junior high school teacher in Washington, D.C. and in New York City (Harlem).
Courses Taught
EDUC 6619 - Teaching Students with Special Needs
EDUC 6650 - Enhancing Learning Through Linguistic and Cultural Diversity
EDUC 6710I - Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society
Education
PhD, The University of Texas at Austin - Austin, TX United States
MA, Antioch University - Yellow Springs, OH United States
BA, New York University - New York, NY United States
Texas Mid-Management Administrator Certificate, Texas Southern University - Houston, TX United States
Public Service
Urban Teacher Corps, Member - Washington, DC United States
Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), Participant - West Memphis , AK United States
United States Peace Corps, Volunteer - Kerala, India
Awards / Honors
Melba Law Steeg Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair of Educational Technology Leadership at Northwestern State University, Louisiana , Northwestern State University, 2014
Keynote Address, Innovations in Teaching & Learning Technology Conference - Lee College, 2012
Contribution to the Field of Distance Learning-Finalist, Texas Distance Learning Association , 2010
Publications
Smith, R. A. (2009). Determining Quality in School of Education Technology Programs. TechEdge, Journal of the Texas Computer Education Association.
Holt, T. (2012). Forward "180 Questions".
Smith, R. A. (2010). Those Who Can’t Remember The Past…Are Condemned to Repeat It. Journal of the Texas Computer Education Association.
Presentations
Smith, . A., Vafa, S., Richardson, R. C. (2017). Facilitating Online Course Instruction for Students with Special Needs . Texas Distance Learning Association .
Smith, R., Crawford, C. (2015). How to Produce an Ed Tech YouTube Video Talk Show. Texas Distance Learning Association .
Smith, R. (2015). Enhance Student Support and Engagement Through Production and Application of a Simple Video Talk Show. Walden University.
Smith, R., Crawford, C. (2015). Recognizing the Differences between For Profit and Not for Profit Institutions of Higher Education: Advocating Strategic Planning Efforts through the Lens of Differentiated Faculty Experiences. International Society for Educational Planning.
Smith, R. A., Vafa, S. (2016). Use of Augmented Reality in Higher Education. Sam Houston State University.
Smith, R. A., Vafa, S. (2017). Using Video to Speak With, Not at Your Students. Texas Distance Learning Association.