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Contact Information

Send email to Dr. Mattix Foster

Phone: (703) 993-4007
Fax: (703) 993-9380
Email: amattix (@gmu.edu)

George Mason University
Fairfax Campus
Thompson Hall 1501
4400 University Dr.
MS 1E8
Fairfax, VA 22030

Curriculum Vitae

View April Mattix Foster's curriculum vitae in PDF format.

Profile

April A Mattix Foster is an Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Education, College of Education and Human Development.  She joined the Mason faculty in 2012.  Dr. Mattix Foster teaches courses in international education and the International Baccalaureate. 

Dr. Mattix Foster received her PhD in Language, Literacy and Culture from the University of Pittsburgh, her MAT in Elementary Education and Secondary Social Studies Education from Chatham University, her MA in International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh, and her BA in History and Political Science from Saint Francis University.  Professionally, Dr. Mattix Foster taught middle and elementary school at The Ellis School in Pittsburgh, PA, Golden Door Charter School in Jersey City, NJ, The Anglo American School of Moscow, Russia, and The International School of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.  

Recent Publications

Journal Articles

Mattix Foster, A. A. & Hayes, C. (In press). Dreamcatchers, water protectors, and the question of authenticity: Supporting teachers in choosing and using Indigenous children's literature. Early Childhood Education Journal.

Mattix Foster, A. A., Ramos, K. A., Rich, S. & Eisenberg, R. (In press). Teaching through the pages of a book: Teaching for anti-racism and global competence with children’s and adolescent literature. Reading in Virginia.

Mattix Foster, A. A. (2019).  Interview with Paul Fochtman: Superintendent of the Year 2018. InterED 45(126), 5-9.

Mattix Foster, A. A. & Ramos, K. A. (2017). Advocating for English learners. Early Years Bulletin, 4(4), 5-7.

Mattix Foster, A. A., Khoshen, S. & Wrightsman, K. (2017).  The future of international schools: Fostering global competence.  InterED 44(123), 29-34.

Crawford, P. A. & Mattix Foster, A. A. (2017).  All the colors of the world: Color explorations with young children.  Early Years Bulletin 4(3), 6-8..

Sobolak, M., Mattix Foster, A. A. & Crawford, P. A.  (2017).  Validating the visual: Illustrations as mentor texts. Childhood Education 23(2), 176-180.

Crawford, P. A., Sobolak, M., & Mattix Foster, A. A. (2017).  Knowing and growing with mentor texts. Childhood Education, 93(1), 82-86.

Ramos, K. & Mattix Foster, A. A. (2016). Connecting home and school for English learners. Early Years Bulletin, 4(2), 11-12.

Sobolak, M. & Mattix Foster, A. A. (2016).  Sharing the pen: Interactive writing in the early years.  Early Years Bulletin, 3(4), 8-9.

Drake Patrick, J. & Mattix Foster, A. A. (2016).  Supporting military-connected children in the classroom.  Early Years Bulletin, 3(3), 8-9.

Mattix Foster, A. A. & Daly, K. (2016).  Creating global citizens: Using attitudes and action to teach character education.  Childhood Education, 92(1), 80-85.

Mattix Foster, A. A., Cunningham, H. B. & Wrightsman, K. (2015).  Using service-learning as a tool to develop intercultural understanding.  Journal of International Social Studies, 5(2), 54-68.

Mattix Foster, A. A. & Drake Patrick, J. (2015).  Promoting science inquiry: Text sets as a gateway to learning.  Making Literacy Connections, 30, 17-23.

Shaklee, B., Mattix Foster, A. A. & Lebron, J. (2015).  Meeting the needs of a changing landscape: New innovations in international teacher preparation.  Journal of International Schools, 35(1), 46-55.

Sobolak, M. & Mattix Foster, A. A. (2015).  Word sorts: Using word building blocks to bolster literacy development.  Early Years Bulletin, 3(1), 19-21.

Mattix, A. A. & Sobolak, M. (2013).  The gender journey in picturebooks: A look back to move forward.  Childhood Education, 90(3), 229-233.

Sobolak, M. & Mattix, A. A. (2012).  The power of children’s literature as a literacy instructional tool.  Focus on Elementary, 25(1), 1-5.

Mattix, A. A. (2011).  Teaching around the globe: The world of the Third-Culture Kids. Focus on Elementary, 24(1), 6.

Mattix, A. A., & Crawford, P. A. (2011).  Connecting the Dots: Exploring Themes in Adoption Picturebooks. Early Childhood Education Journal, 39(5), 313-321. 

Book Chapters

Shaklee, B., Mattix Foster, A. A. & Baily, S.  (2017).  Globalization: Defining the terrain.  In N. Aloni & L. Weintrob (Eds.), Beyond Bystanders: Educational Leadership for a Humane Culture in a Globalizing Reality.  Sense Publishers: Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Sobolak, M. & Mattix, A. A. (2014).  Using children’s literature to explore positive gender role models.  In J. Dowdy and K. Cushner (Eds.) From the margins toward the mainstream: Activities to enhance social justice awareness in literacy education and the arts.  Rowman and Littlefield: Lanham, MD.

Fitzgerald, J. & Mattix, A. A. (2014).  Person like me.  In K. Cushner and J. Dowdy (Eds.) From the margins toward the mainstream: Activities to enhance social justice awareness in social studies and the social foundations of education.  Rowman and Littlefield: Lanham, MD.

Shaklee, B. & Mattix, A. A. (2013). Connecting theory to practice: Continuity in teacher development.  In M. Hayden and J. Thompson (Eds.) Exploring issues of continuity: The IB in a wider context.  John Catt Education: Saxmundham.

Reports

Bland, L. C., Miller, A., Mattix Foster, A. A., Sapp, E., Knipe, J., Ramirez, E., Gallagher, M., Apollon, M., Konapasky, A., & Menditto, A. (2014). Chesapeake Bay Watershed Education Scale-Up Initiative: Evaluation Report. National Geographic Society, Washington, DC.

Other Information

Recent Honors

George Mason University “Online Teaching Excellence Award” Winner - 2023

George Mason University “Online Teaching Excellence Award” Teacher of Distinction - 2019

George Mason University “Online Teaching Excellence Award” Teacher of Distinction - 2018

George Mason University “Teaching Excellence Award” Winner - 2017

Distinguished Alumni Keynote Speaker – St. Francis University Annual Awards Ceremony 2014

“Student Leadership Award” - University of Pittsburgh, School of Education 2012

Refeered Presentations

Parsons, A. W., Hayes, C. Drake Patrick, J., Heo, H., Gu, D., Korona, M., Taousakis, M., Mattix Foster, A., Sharkey, M., Nakamatsu, M. T., Ngo, T., Parsons, S. A., & Ives, S. T. (2023, Nov. 10). Developing a community-supported literacy tutoring system. [Conference session]. Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers, Santa Fe, NM.

Mattix Foster, A. A. & Ramos, K. A., (2023, October 26). Leveraging literature to support student global competence. [Poster presentation]. Teaching Professor Online Conference.

Mattix Foster, A. A., Ramos, K. A., Rich, S., & Eisenberg, R. (2023, October 21). Leveraging literature: Teaching for anti-racism and global competence. [Conference presentation]. AASL Annual Conference, Tampa, FL.

Mattix Foster, A. A. (2023, June 1). Supporting anti-racist education through promoting global competency with children’s literature. [Poster presentation]. NAFSA Annual Conference, Washington, DC.

Mattix Foster, A. A. (2023, March 17). Teaching for anti-racism and global competence. [Conference presentation]. CEESA Annual Conference, Vilnius, Lithuania.

Shaklee, B. D., Dequanne, B., Song Chen, C., Moran, C., & Mattix Foster, A. A. (2023, February 8). Rethinking recovery: International schools and the path out of the pandemic. [Panel presentation]. AAIE Global Leadership Conference, Washington, DC.

Urbancic, I. & Mattix Foster, A. A. (2023, January 6). Pathways to developing intercultural competence: Applications in practice. [Poster presentation]. HICE Annual Conference, Honolulu, HI.

Verbiest, C. & Mattix Foster, A. A. (2023, January 6). Powerful puke: Multicultural children’s literature in early childhood education classrooms. [Poster presentation]. HICE Annual Conference, Honolulu, HI.

Mattix Foster, A. A. & Ramos, K. A. (2023, January 4). Teaching for anti-racism and global competence. [Conference presentation]. HICE Annual Conference, Honolulu, HI.

Ramos, K. A. & Mattix Foster, A. A. (2023, January 3). Developing anti-racist approaches in teacher education. [Roundtable presentation]. HICE Annual Conference, Honolulu, HI.

Mattix Foster, A. A. & Ramos, K. A. Eisenberg, R. N. & Rich. S. (2022, November 10). Through the pages of a book: Teaching for anti-racism and global competence with children’s and adolescent literature. [Conference presentation]. Globally Responsive Education and Teaching (GREAT) 2022 Annual Conference, virtual.

Mattix Foster, A. A. & Ramos, K. A. (2022, October 14). Teaching for anti-racism and global competence using children’s literature. [Conference presentation]. Southeast TESOL 2022 Annual Conference, Richmond, VA.

Urbancic, I. & Mattix Foster, A. A. (2022, July 1). Exploring intercultural competence: A practical framework for connecting diverse cultures, societies, and ideologies and forming understanding, friendship, and peace. [Conference presentation]. International Association for Intercultural Communication Studies, 27th Annual Conference, virtual.

Mattix Foster, A. A. & Urbancic, I. (2021, November 19). Intercultural competence and connecting across cultures: Theory and practice [Conference presentation]. Globally Responsive Education and Teaching (GREAT) 2021 Conference, virtual.

Mattix Foster, A. A. & Ramos, K. A. (2021, November 11). Building bridges: Using children’s and adolescent literature to understand sociocultural identities and strengthen cultural pluralism [Conference presentation]. VACTE 2021 Conference, virtual.

Ramos, K. A. & Mattix Foster, A. A. (2021, November 11). Imagining ways that education for global competence can be an anti-racist approach in teacher education [Conference presentation]. VACTE 2021 Conference, virtual.

Daly, K. & Mattix Foster, A. A. (2018, June). Teacher as researcher: An exploration of developing research skills in the classroom [Roundtable presentation]. International Baccalaureate Educators (IBEC) University Conference, Bath, UK.

Mattix Foster, A. A. (2017, May). Conceptualizing the internationalization of education [Conference presentation]. International Journal of Arts & Sciences’ (IJAS) International Conference for Education, Boston, MA.

Mattix Foster, A. A. & Ramos, K. (2017, March). Preparing teachers to advocate for equity for PK-12 English learners at home and abroad [Workshop presentation]. Annual meeting of the Virginia Association of College Teachers and Educators (VACTE), Williamsburg, VA.

Parsons, A.W., Parsons, S. A., Patrick, J. D., Mattix Foster, A. A., Irish, C., Sell, C. Picard, M., Silver, L. W., & Bartolini, M. C. (2016, December). The impact of sustained literacy professional learning on teachers’ knowledge and instruction [Conference presentation]. Annual meeting of the Literacy Research Association (LRA), Nashville, TN.

Parsons, A. W., Parsons, S., Mattix Foster, A. A., Irish, C., Drake Patrick, J., Bartolini, M.C., Silver, L., & Ewaida, M. (2016, November). The process of developing an effective early literacy professional learning institute: Year two [Roundtable presentation]. Annual meeting of the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers (ALER), Myrtle Beach, SC.

Mattix Foster, A. A., Sobolak, M. J. & Solum, K. (2016, May). Children’s literature: The potential bridge to social justice education [Conference presentation]. International Journal of Arts & Sciences’ (IJAS) International Conference for Education, Boston, MA.

Shaklee, B. D., Mattix Foster, A. A. & Lebron, J. (2016, May). Developing critical assessments in IB teacher preparation programs [Workshop presentation]. International Baccalaureate Educators (IBEC) University Conference, Kent, OH.

Mattix Foster, A. A. & Sobolak, M. J. (2016, March). Using children’s literature to teach social justice [Poster presentation]. Association for Childhood Education International’s (ACEI) Institute for Global Diplomacy Education, San José, Costa Rica. 

Mattix Foster, A. A. & Wrightsman, K. (2016, January). Building school culture through intercultural competency [Workshop presentation]. Council of International Schools Symposium on Intercultural Learning, London, UK.

Mattix Foster, A. A. & Solum, K. (2016, January). Internationalizing teacher preparation [Conference presentation]. Hawaii International Conference on Education, Honolulu, HI.

Mattix Foster, A. A., Sobolak, M. J. & Solum, K. (2016, January). Reading social justice: Using children’s literature for equity and action [Poster presentation]. Hawaii International Conference on Education, Honolulu, HI.

Mattix Foster, A. A. & Solum, K. (2015, May). Globalizing teacher preparation: Integrating internationalization into university preparatory classes [Poster presentation]. NAFSA International Education Annual Conference, Boston, MA. 

Mattix Foster, A. A., Solum, K. & Cambridge, D. (2015, March). Global education for teachers project [Conference presentation]. Association for Childhood Education International’s (ACEI) Institute for Global Diplomacy Education, Washington, DC. 

Sobolak, M. J. & Mattix Foster, A. A. (2015, March). Girls on the run: An examination of females in children's literature [Roundtable presentation]. Association for Childhood Education International’s (ACEI) Institute for Global Diplomacy Education,   Washington, DC. 

Mattix Foster, A.A. & Merz, S. A. (2014, December). International teachers’ perceptions of literacy in multilingual classrooms [Poster presentation]. Literacy Research Association (LRA) Annual Conference, Marco Island, FL.

Mattix, A. A. & Solum, K. (2014, April). Reading social justice: Using children’s literature for equity and action [Poster presentation]. Association for Childhood Education International’s (ACEI) Global Summit on Childhood, Vancouver, Canada.

Sobolak, M. J. & Mattix, A. A. (2014, April). Gender depiction in children’s literature: A historical review [Conference presentation]. European Teacher Education Network (ETEN) Annual Conference, Leipzig, Germany.

Bland, L. C., Shaklee, B. D., Kitsantas, A., Miller, A. D., & Mattix, A. A. (2014, April). A new paradigm for gifted program evaluation: From standards to utility using research-driven guidelines [Roundtable presentation]. American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA.

Cushner, K., Mahon, J., Soppelsa, B., Emert, H., & Mattix, A. A. (2013, November). Innovative approaches to enhancing the international and intercultural dimension in teacher education [Workshop presentation]. Society for Intercultural Education Training and Research (SIETAR) Annual Conference, Arlington, VA.

Mattix, A. A. & Daly, K. (2013, April). Character education and the Primary Years Programme [Poster presentation]. Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) Institute for Global Education, Washington, DC.

Sobolak, M. & Mattix, A. A. (2013, April).  The power of children’s literature as a literacy instructional tool. Paper presented at the European Teacher Education Network (ETEN) Annual Conference, Hasselt, Belgium.

Mattix, A. A. (2012, October). Home is where the heart is: The concept of home identity and Third Culture Kids [Conference presentation]. Alliance for International Education (AEI) Annual Conference, Doha, Qatar.

Mattix, A. A. (March, 2012). Home is where the heart is: TCK's and the question of home [Conference presentation]. Association of Childhood Education International (ACEI) Global Summit on Childhood, Washington, DC. 

Sobolak, M. & Mattix, A. A. (2012, February). Reading specialist candidates: Are preservice     teaching programs doing enough? [Roundtable presentation]. Eastern Educational   Research Association (EERA) Annual Conference, Hilton Head, SC. 

Mattix, A. A. (2011, November). Connecting the dots: Exploring themes in adoption Picturebooks [Poster presentation]. National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NAECTE) Annual Conference, Orlando, FL.

Invited Presentations

Evmenova, A., Mattix Foster, A. A., Smuncy, D., McCarron, G. P., Kreitzer, C., Dodman, S.,Yamanaka, A., Grimsby, G., Chung, Y., Ahmad, A., Kim, Y., & Rytikova, I. (2023, October 6). Inclusive and equitable teaching online. [Panel presentation]. Innovations in Teaching and Learning Conference, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.

Mattix Foster, A. A. (2023, September 26). Integrating innovative teaching with classroom management. Presentation for Beijing Information Science &Technology University, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.

Mattix Foster, A. A. (2023, June 21). Building intercultural communication skills. Workshop for Student Ambassador Convening, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.

Lebron, J. & Mattix Foster, A. A. (2023, June 1). Creating and sustaining communities of practice. Workshop for USAID Opportunity 2.0: Higher Education Learning Summit, Manila, Philippines.

Mattix Foster, A. A. (2023, April 20). Teaching Internationally. Presentation for Educator’s Rising, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.

Mattix Foster, A. A. (2022, June 5). Classroom management and teaching styles. Workshoppresented for Beijing Information Science &Technology University, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.

Mattix Foster, A. A. (2022, April 30). Connecting readers with books. Presentation for Mason Coaching Institute for Math and Literacy: An In-Depth Workshop, Manassas, VA.

Mattix Foster, A. A. & Shaklee, B. (2022, April 14). Service, citizenship, and engagement in higher education. Presentation for PESO Mentoring Series, George Mason University, virtual.

Mattix Foster, A. A. (2021, October 12). International education scholarship: How to enhance yours! Presentation for Center for International Education, George Mason University, virtual.

Mattix Foster, A. A. (2021, October 26). Building collaborative learning in asynchronous courses. Presentation for George Mason University Teaching Gaggle, virtual.

Mattix Foster, A. A. (2021, July). Teaching innovations. Workshop presented for Beijing Information Science &Technology University, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.

Mattix Foster, A. A. (2021, May). Project based learning. Workshop presented for China TOOT STEM Programs, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.

Mattix Foster, A. A. (2018, February). Innovative teaching practices. Workshop presented for Guangdong Polytechnic of Science and Technology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.

Mattix Foster, A. A. (2018, January). Promoting international education. Workshop presented for Dalian Neusoft University, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.

Mattix Foster, A. A. (2017, November). Teaching and developing critical thinking. Workshop presented for Beijing Information Science and Technology University, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.

Mattix Foster, A. A. (2017, November). Innovative teaching practices. Workshop presented for Ningxia University, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.

Mattix Foster, A. A. (2017, July). The development of higher education in the United States. Workshop presented for Jiangsu Normal University, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.

Mattix Foster, A. A. (2017, July). Integrating innovation into teaching higher education. Workshop presented for Dalian Neusoft University, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.

Mattix Foster, A. A. (2017, March). Global citizenship education. Presentation for Fairfax County School District’s Globalizing Your Classroom program. Robinson High School, Fairfax, VA.

Mattix Foster, A. A. (2017, February). Innovations in teaching. Workshop presented for Changping Teachers Program, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.

Mattix Foster, A. A. (2017, February). Innovations in teaching. Workshop presented for Jiangsu Province Business Professors Program, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.

Mattix Foster, A. A. (2017, January). Supporting English learners. Presentation for the Greater Washington Literacy Council. Edward L. Kelly Leadership Center, Manassas, VA.

Mattix Foster, A. A. (2016, November). Global competence. Presentation for the Peace Corps Global Competence Training for Educators Program. Peace Corps Headquarters, Washington, DC.     

Mattix Foster, A. A. (2016, November). Global citizenship education. Presentation for Fairfax County School District’s Globalizing Your Classroom program. Fairfax County High School, Fairfax, VA.

Mattix Foster, A. A. (2016, September). Building global competency in teacher preparation programs. Presentation for International Education at George Washington University Seminar Series: Building Teacher Global Competency, a Focus on Teacher Education and Professional Development. George Washington University, Washington DC.

Mattix Foster, A. A. (2016, September). Innovative teaching methods. Workshop presented for Ningxia Teaching Innovation Capability Advancement for Elementary and Secondary School Teachers Training Program, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.

Mattix Foster, A. A. Interactive teaching strategies. (2016, September). Workshop presented for George Mason University-University of Management and Technology Collaboration for Faculty Excellence in Teaching and Research (CFETR) program, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.

Mattix Foster, A. A. (2016, August). Intercultural competence. Workshop presented for Fulbright Fellows, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.

Mattix Foster, A. A. Assessment in higher education. (2016, April). Workshop presented for George Mason University-University of Management and Technology Collaboration for Faculty Excellence in Teaching and Research (CFETR) program, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.

Mattix Foster, A. A. & Wrightsman, K. (2015, September). Intercultural competence. Workshop presented for Fulbright Fellows, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.

Mattix, A. A. & Drake-Patrick, J. (2013, October). Military connected children in school settings. Workshop presented for Stratford Landing Elementary School, Fairfax County, VA.

Sturtevant, B. & Mattix, A. A. (2013, August). Improving reading outcomes: A comparison of instructional approaches. Panel Moderator for USAID Global Education Summit: State   of the Field, State of the Art, Washington DC.

Mattix, A. A. (2013, August). Models of teaching. Workshop presented for the Beijing Technology and Business University, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.

Mattix, A. A. (2013, June). The study of teaching. Workshop presented for NUST, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.

Mattix, A. A. (2013, March). The power of picturebooks in early childhood literacy and development. Workshop presentation for Literacy and Society, University of California, Los Angeles, CA.

Mattix, A. A. (2012, October). Professional development: Continuing education for educators. Workshop presented for a U.S. Department of State sponsored visit by the Ministry of Education of the Bahamas, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.

Mattix, A. A. (2011, March). English language learning and young children. Workshop for Introduction to Early Childhood Education courses, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA. 

Mattix, A. A. (2011, February). Understanding the ELL experience. Workshop for Teaching English Language Learners courses, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.

GRANT FUNDING

Mattix Foster, A., Ramos, K. A., Shin, J., Haley, M. H., Kim, S., Pierce, L. V., Shaklee, B. (2022). Real-world video-based scenarios to enhance teacher preparation supported by George Mason University CEHD Innovation Grant. $9750/1 year (Principal Investigator).

Mattix Foster, A., Ramos, K., Rich, S., & Eisenberg, R. (2022). Teaching for anti-racism and global competence supported by the Longview Foundation. $24,979/1 year (Co-Principal Investigator).  

Horak, A. K. & Shaklee, B., & Daly, K. (2019-2024). Project ExCEL-Ignite. U.S. Department of Education, Jacob Javits Gifted and Talented Education Program. Five Year Amount: $2,986,876 (Researcher).

Mattix Foster, A. & Cambridge, D. (2013). Global education for teachers collaborative (GET Collaborative). Longview Foundation. [$25,766/1 year (Co-Principal Investigator).

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