Position
Academic Background
Sample Courses   
Teaching Philosophy
Research & Interests   
Notable Academic Appointments & Awards
Publication Highlights     
Selected Scholarly Presentations and Activities

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• Assistant Professor of Education

Academic Background         

• University of Massachusetts, Lowell: Ed.D. in Language Arts and Literacy, 1994
• University of Vermont
  • M.Ed. in Reading and Language Arts, 1979
  • BS in Education, 1974

• Literacy I: Primary Reading and Language Arts
• Literacy I: Practicum
• Literacy II: Intermediate Reading, Language Arts, and Social Studies Methods 
• Literacy II: Practicum
• Introduction to Women's Studies

Teaching Philosophy

I believe that our mission is not to prepare merely adequate teachers, but to inspire tomorrow's educators to consider teaching a vocation whereupon their own enthusiasm for learning is communicated to children on a daily basis. The purpose of education is not to provide justification for commonly held beliefs, but rather to provoke students to think critically about tenants they once believed irrefutable.

Passionate teaching is both an art and a science. The science is manifested in the research and theory that drives our instruction; the art is revealed by how we employ methodologies that allow all learners to flourish.  It is my goal that students exit my class as artists and scientists who are able to craft classrooms where children are empowered to participate in democracy, are impassioned to become lifelong readers, and who feel emboldened to take chances and make mistakes.

Research & Interests

My research interests are in the areas of children's reading attitudes, writing and critical thinking, and in teaching for social justice.

Notable Academic Appointments and Awards

• Award in area of "Knowledge" for article "Graphic Organizers: Tools for Learning or Worksheets in Disguise?"  Journal of Reading Education. Organization of Teacher Educators of Reading. Inter-national Reading Association. Spring, 2005
• Sylvia D. Brown Scholarship Award, presented by the Massachusetts Reading Association, 1994 and 2000
• Who's Who of America's Teachers, 1998 and 2005 
• Pi Lambda Theta Honor Society
• Phi Delta Kappa Honor Society
• Alpha Upsilon Alpha Honor Society

Publication Highlights

• "Revise? I Like It Just the Way It IS!"… Taking the Pain Out of Writing Revision. The Primer. Massachusetts Reading Association. Fall, 2005
• "Graphic Organizers: Tools for Learning or Worksheets in Disguise?" Journal of Reading Education. International Reading Association. Spring, 2005.
• Standards For Reading Professionals 2003 (with Chesler, Romeo, Smith, and Shaw). International Reading Association. This research based publication is utilized internationally in the design and approval of graduate reading programs. December, 2003.
• "Why NCATE Is Important to You" (with Berger, Chesler, and Romeo). The Reading Professor. International Reading Association. Volume XXIV, No. 2, Spring 2002.
• "NCATE Moves Toward Performance-Based Standards," with Chesler, Romeo, and Berger, Reading Today. International Reading Association. December 2001/January 2002
• "Learning Theory," in Theorizing Composition. Mary Lynch Kennedy, Editor. Greenwood Publishing Co. 1998.
• Family Literacy Resources in Massachusetts .  Information Pamphlet,  Massachusetts Reading Association.  Spring, 1996
• "Using Essay Writing to Increase Critical Thinking." The Primer.  Massachusetts Reading Association.  1995.
• "Whole Language: Implications for the Adult Learner." Connections: A Journal of Adult Literacy.  Spring, 1991.

Selected Scholarly Presentations and Activities

• "IRA and NCATE," International Reading Association Annual Conference. Toronto, Day Long Institute, 2006.
• "Your Institution's NCATE Visit," International Reading Association Annual Conference. Chicago, Day Long Institute, 2005.
• "Understanding the New Reading Standards: How Changes Impact Graduate Programs" and
  "Rejoining Programs Under Previous Standards," International Reading Association Annual Conference. San Antonio, Texas, Day Long Institute, 2004. 
• "New Reading Standards" and "Reviewing Rejoinders," International Reading Association Annual Conference. Reno, Nevada, Day Long Institute, 2003.
• "Revising Expository Writing," National Council of Teachers of English Spring Conference, Portland, Oregon, 2002.
• "Performance Assessment" and "Reviewing a Graduate Program for the International Reading Association," International Reading Association Annual Conference, San Francisco. Day Long Institute, 2002.

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