Victoria Fantozzi

Dr. Victoria Fantozzi is an Associate Professor of Childhood and Early Childhood Education at Manhattanville University's School of Education. With extensive experience spanning academic research and practical classroom teaching, she brings a comprehensive perspective to her work in early childhood education.

Education

• Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, University of Virginia (2010)
• M.T. in Elementary Education, University of Virginia (2003)
• B.A. in Psychology, University of Virginia (2003)

Research Focus

Dr. Fantozzi's scholarly work centers on three interconnected domains that address critical challenges in contemporary early childhood education:

• Teacher education: Her research examines mentoring relationships, observation practices, and professional identity development among preservice teachers, revealing nuanced perspectives on what student teachers seek from mentor teachers.
• Curriculum history: She has conducted significant historical analysis of John Dewey's educational philosophy and practices, challenging common misconceptions about progressive education.
• Technology integration: Her groundbreaking work explores how digital tools can be meaningfully incorporated into play-based early childhood classrooms to support literacy development while maintaining developmentally appropriate practices.

Her research consistently bridges theory and practice, ensuring scholarly contributions have direct classroom applications.

Publication Patterns

Dr. Fantozzi's publications reveal an evolving research trajectory from historical educational analysis toward practical technology applications. Her early work focused on teacher preparation and educational history, while her recent scholarship increasingly examines digital tools in preschool settings. A consistent theme throughout her work is the emphasis on technology as an enhancement to, rather than replacement for, developmentally appropriate practices. Her research has been published in leading journals including Educational Researcher, Young Children, and the Reading Teacher.

Professional Leadership

• New York State Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (Treasurer)
• National Association for the Education of Young Children (Member)
• National Council of Teachers of English (Member)
• Association of Teacher Educators (Member)

Teaching and Public Engagement

Dr. Fantozzi teaches courses in Emergent Literacies, Early Childhood Foundations, and Research Methods. During the pandemic, she provided media commentary on the challenges of transitioning to online education, noting that "Online courses have planned routines and structures because you know you won't see students face-to-face. Here, teachers are being thrown into this. They have to take what they do daily in their classrooms, and make it work online." Her work with the Watchung Cooperative Preschool's iPad program demonstrates her practical approach to technology integration in early childhood settings.