Barbara Vokatis | SpeakerHub

Personal Details

Bio

I am an educator with 30 years of experience in the field of education. Currently, I am I am an associate professor of literacy education in an Upstate New York higher education institution.

I am also a therapy dog handler. I am passionate about incorporating dog therapy creatively and innovatively in education to help children in reducing their anxiety and increasing their engagement and motivation to learn in all subjects. In order to achieve this goal, I innovate in my own dog therapy practice.

Dog therapy shows tremendous benefits but experimentation in the area is only in its beginning stages. I have spoken about this topic both nationally and internationally.

Let's connect and collaborate on spreading more awareness about dog therapy to help all children and their parents!

Katie Baron, a therapy dog handler, speaks about me:

"At the National Dog Show Therapy Dog Symposium Rowan University held on December 8, 2023, Dr. Barbara Vokatis spoke about the benefits of therapy dogs in the classroom - not just as a calming presence, but as active participants in the learning process for the children. Her passion and eloquence when speaking about her experiences with Carmel in the classroom inspire me to do more with my therapy dog."

Current position (1)

Associate Professor

SUNY Oneonta

Achievements (1)

PhD in Literacy Education

Degrees (1)

PhD in Literacy Education

SUNY at Albany

2009

Presentations

Presentations (2)

Transforming the Presence of Therapy Dogs into a New Approach to Education

Research has shown that interactions with therapy dogs can enhance focus, attentiveness, engagement, and motivation and improve academic performance, such as in reading skills (Beetz, 2015). However, further incorporation of therapy dogs in simple but creative activities enhancing learning in a variety of subjects can contribute to learning even more. As an educator, author, and innovator in the area of dog therapy, I understand the profound impact that animal-assisted therapy can have on creating a positive and inclusive environment conducive to learning social and emotional skills and all subjects, including language arts and content areas such as math. In my presentation, I provide effective strategies for starting dog therapy and developing creative collaborations between teachers and therapy dog teams. I also provide examples of activities in which therapy dogs are incorporated to enhance learning social and emotional skills and achievement in subjects such as math and literacy.

Creative Assisted-Animal Intervention to Boost Children's Learning

In my presentation, I discuss the origins of my literacy/therapy dog lab, describe the heat features of my collaboration with an elementary school teacher, and provide effective strategies for developing creative collaborations between teachers and therapy dog teams. I also provide examples of activities in which therapy dogs are incorporated to enhance learning social and emotional skills and achievement in subjects such as math and literacy.

Past talks (2)

Transforming the Presence of Therapy Dogs into a New Approach to Education

The National Dog Show Therapy Dog Symposium at Rowan University

Rowan University

December 8, 2023

Creative Animal-Assisted Intervention to Boost Children's Learning

Mini Conference: Therapy Animals in Schools: Addressing the Most Common Questions from Field Leaders

Online

February 29, 2024