vitae
RUTH R. KENNEDY
Assistant Professor
Bloomsburg University
3208 McCormick
400 East Second Street
Bloomsburg, PA 17815
570-389-4551
EDUCATION
Ed.D December 2002
Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA
Major: Curriculum and Instruction
Dissertation: The Effects of Participation in an Elementary
Cross-Age Tutorial Program on Students' Perceived Sense
of Community within their School.
Chair: Dr. Wenfan Yan
M.A. July 1994
Columbia International University, Columbia, SC
Major: School Administration
B.A. June 1992
Cedarville University, Cedarville, OH
Major: Elementary Education
Award: Irma Dodson Award for student teaching
professional experiences
August 2004-Present
Assistant Professor at Bloomsburg University
January 2003-May 2004 Instructor at Kutztown University
July 1996-July 2003 Principal of Cressona Christian School, Cressona, PA
August 1995-June 1996
Fifth grade teacher and principal of the Severna Park Area
Christian School, Annapolis, MD
1994-1996
Director of the summer program of Annapolis Area
Christian School and also teacher of remedial language
arts and math for grades 5-10
August 1994-June 1995 Middle school teacher at Annapolis Area Christian School
August 1992-June 1994
Middle school teacher at Grace Christian School in Bowie,
MD
publications
Refereed:
Kennedy, R. (2009). The power of in-class debates. Active Learning in Higher Education.
Kennedy, R. (2008). Learning styles of elementary teacher candidates. Academic Exchange Quarterly 12(1), 56-62.
Kennedy, R. (2007). In-Class Debates: Fertile ground for active learning and the cultivation of critical thinking and oral communication skills. International Journal on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education 19 (2), 183-190. http://www.isetl.org/ijtlhe/pdf/IJTLHE200.pdf
Kennedy, R. (2006). Building a School-Wide Sense of Community: Cross-Age Tutoring. E-Journal of Teaching and Learning in Diverse Settings 4 (1) .
Kennedy, R. (2006). We need to talk: Strategies for successful parent-teacher conferences. Curriculum and Teaching 21(1), 95-102.
Kennedy, R. (2006). Breaking down
the barriers of age segregation. National Social Science Journal
26(2), 55-65.
http://www.nssa.us/26_2/26-2%2010%20KennedyBreaking.htm
Refereed (under submission):
Kennedy, R. Motivation to teach: The decision to study early childhood education. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education.
Kennedy, R. School readiness: The views of teacher candidates. Childhood Education.
Kennedy, R. & Zhao, D. To teach or not to teach: A study in China. Learning and Teaching.
Book Reviews:
Darian-Smith, K., & Factor, J. (Eds). (2006). Child’s Play: Dorothy Howard and the Folklore of Australian Children. Victoria, Australia: Museum Victoria. Review published in Play Review 31(3), 10 .
Willis, J. (2006). Research-based strategies to ignite student learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Review published in Childhood Education 83(5), 332.
Rawlinson, J. (2006). Fletcher and the falling leaves. New York: Greenwillow Books. Review published in Childhood Education 83(5), 327.
Jones, E. & Cooper, R. (2006). Playing to get smart. New York, Teachers College Press Review published in Play Review 30 (1), 3.
Kaltman, G. S. (2005). Help! for Teachers of Young Children: 88 Tips to Develop Children's Social Skills and Create Positive Teacher-Family Relationships. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Garriel, B. S. (2004). I know a shy fellow who swallowed a cello. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Review published in Childhood Education 80 (5), 273.
Ingold, J. (2003). Mountain Solo. Orlando, FL: Harcourt. Review published in Childhood Education 80 (3), 162.
Articles:
Harton, R. (2000). "Our personal values: Do they matter?" Christian School Education 4(1), 38-39.
Kennedy, R. (2005). "Breaking down the barriers of age segregation" Perspectives Journal 28(1), 65-76.
Online Course:
Kennedy, R. (2006). Working with Preschoolers. Thomson Education Direct: Scranton, PA.
presentations
International Refereed:
March 26, 2008 "Hot Topics in Early Childhood "presented at
ACEI's annual conference held in Atlanta, Georgia
March 26, 2008 "The Power of In-Class Debates " presented at
ACEI's annual conference held in Atlanta, Georgia
May 4, 2007 "Motivation to Teach" presented at the Association for
Childhood Education International’s annual conference held
in Tampa, Florida
October 20, 2006
“Reflective Practice: The Learning Style Self-Analysis of
Teacher Candidates” presented at Phi Delta Kappa
International’s annual Summit on Public Education held in
Washington, D.C
April 14,
2006 “Using In-Class Debates in Elementary and Middle
School”
presented at the Association for Childhood Education
International’s annual conference held in San Antonio,
Texas
April 14,
2006 “In-Class Debates: Critical Thinking and
Interactive
Learning” presented at the Association for Childhood
Education International’s annual conference held in San
Antonio, Texas
October 13, 2005
"In-Class Debates: Critical Thinking and Interactive
Learning" presented at the International Society for
Exploring Teaching and Learning's annual conference held
in Cocoa Beach, FL
March 25, 2005
"Tips for Having Successful Parent-Teacher Conferences"
presented at the Association for Childhood Education
International's annual conference held in Washington, DC
March 25, 2005
"Breaking Down the Barriers of Age Segregation in Our
Schools" presented at the Association for Childhood
Education International's annual conference held in
Washington, DC
April 17, 2005
"Homework Tips for Parents" poster session at the
Association for Childhood Education International's
annual conference held in New Orleans, LA
National Refereed:
November 10, 2007 “To teach or not to teach, that is the question ” presented
at NAEYC's annual conference held in Chicago, IL
December 1,
2006 “What do our students learn by watching us” presented
at the National Council of Social Studies annual
conference held in Washington, D.C.
December 1, 2006 “Using In-Class Debates in Middle School Social Studies”
presented at the National Council of Social Studies
annual conference held in Washington, D.C.
October 15, 2004 "Breaking Down the Barriers of Age Segregation in Our
Schools" presented at the National Social Science
Association's annual professional development
conference in Baltimore, MD
State Refereed:
March 13, 2001
"Using Newspapers to Teach Middle School
Mathematics" presented at the Pennsylvania Middle
School Association's annual convention held in Hershey
Professional Memberships
Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI)
Association of Pennsylvania State College & University Faculties (APSCUF)
National Association for Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
Phi Delta Kappa (PDK)
ADDITIONAL TRAINING
Wimba Live workshop (August 9, 2007)
Dreamweaver workshops by Judy Ohl (April 25 & May 8, 2007)
Teacher Work Sample workshop by Dr. Lillie West (March 30, 2007)
Adobe Acrobat Professional workshop by Dr. Regina Bobak (January 10, 2007)
Teams & Journal LX workshop by Dr. Regina Bobak (January 8, 2007)
Update on Highly Qualified Teacher Requirements webinar by PA Dept. of Education (November 3, 2006)
Active Learning Strategies TALE workshop by Dr. Mel Silberman (October 5, 2006)
Assessment Strategies workshop by Dr. Virginia Anderson (September 13, 2006)
Where the Money Is workshop by Dr. Jerrold Harris (September 6, 2006)
SMART Board workshop (August 22, 2006)
What’s New in Blackboard 7 workshop by Dr. Regina Bobak (August 21, 2006)
TALE Book Chat Group to discuss What a Professor Learned by Becoming a Student (Spring 2006)
Horizon Wimba Live Classroom workshops by Dr. Regina Bobak (October 2005)
Active Learning TALE workshop by Dr. James Eison (October 7, 2005)
Blackboard Refresher workshop by Dr. Regina Bobak (August 25, 2005)
Turnitin workshop by Dr. Regina Bobak (August 24, 2005)
Assessment Anchor Training for Postsecondary Teacher Education Faculty in Harrisburg (June 14, 2005)
Blackboard II workshop by Dr. Regina Bobak (June 3, 2005)
Respondus workshop by Dr. Regina Bobak (June 2, 2005)
Blackboard I workshop by Dr. Regina Bobak (June 1, 2005)
ACEI/NCATE Program Reviewer training in Washington, D.C. (March 26, 2005)
GRANTS
Funded
$20,000 Multi-institution Program-to-Program Articulation in Early Childhood Education Pilot Project (2007)
$500 grant from the President’s Fund for Academic Initiatives (2006)
$250 TALE Stipend to Attend a Conference on Teaching and Learning (2005)
$751 Grant for Cressona Christian School by the Benevolent Association of Pottsville (2002)
$12,000 Grant for Cressona Christian School by the First Federal Charitable Foundation (2001)
Unfunded
$2,500 BU Research and Disciplinary Project “School Readiness and Pre-Kindergarten Programs” (2007)
$5,510 PASSHE Faculty Professional Development Grant "The Chinese Learner" (2006)
HONORS/ AWARDS
Nominated, Outstanding Woman Award (2008)
Nominated faculty, The Student Athlete Academic Awards Luncheon (2006, 2007)
Session selected to be sponsored by the ACEI Intermediate/Middle Childhood Committee (2005)
Irma Dodson Award for student teaching (1992)
COURSES TAUGHT
University Seminar (09.100)
Introduction to Early Childhood Education (62.121)
Teaching Social Studies in the Elementary School (62.390)
Teaching Language Arts in the Elementary School (62.391)
Teaching Math in the Elementary School (62.398)
Methods and Materials I in Early Childhood Education (62.410/62.510)
Teaching in Education: First Experience (62.494)
Teaching in Education: Second Experience (62.495)
Early Childhood Summer Practicum (62.496/62.596)
Language Arts in the Modern School (62.528)
Internship in Education (79.312)
Teaching, Learning, & Assessment (79.301/79.501)
PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
Established partnership between the Pennsylvania Child Care Association’s T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Pennsylvania scholarship program and Bloomsburg University (2007)
Established partnerships with eight schools and child care centers in Columbia and Montour counties for a three credit early childhood field experience (2005-2007)
Service
International:
Invited lecturer for the course “Math: International Curriculum” at the Chinese Teacher Training Center in Beijing, China from July 24-28, 2006
Invited lecturer for the course “Philosophy of Education” at the Chinese Teacher Training Center in Beijing, China from July 24 – August 4, 2006
Professional book reviewer for the Association for the Study of Play (2006-present)
Member of the Review Board of the International Journal on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (2006-present)
Member of the Publications Committee of the Association for Childhood Education International (2006-present)
Children's book reviewer for the Association for Childhood Education International (2003-2004, 2007)
Professional book reviewer for the Association for Childhood Education International (2007)
ACEI/NCATE reviewer (2005-present)
Local:
Member, Columbia Child Development Program Board of Directors (2007- present)
Member, Columbia-Sullivan Head Start Curriculum and Resources Committee (2007 –present)
Member, Community Engagement Group for Early Care and Education of Montour County (2007-present)
Member, Columbia-Sullivan Head Start Transition Conference committee (2007-present)
Member, Professional Development Advisory Board for OCDEL (2007 – present)
Participant, Early Care and Education Community Breakfast (June 28, 2007)
Participant, Early Childhood Articulation Forum (March 21, 2007)
Participant, Early Childhood Providers meeting (March 7, 2007)
Invited speaker, “How Children Learn” presented to the parents of children enrolled in the Columbia Child Development Program in Bloomsburg, PA (January 9, 2007)
Member, Education Board at First Baptist Church of Danville (2007 – present)
Teacher, Vacation Bible School at First Baptist Church of Danville (July 2005, July 2006, July 2007)
Coordinator, Math and Science Activities Fair at the Bloomsburg Public Library (one evening a semester from spring 2005 – present)
Speaker, AWANA Club (grades K-5) at First Baptist Church of Danville (2006)
Invited lecturer, “Assessment: What is its purpose and how can it be used?” presented to the Columbia Sullivan Head Start (March 14, 2006)
Speaker, “Homework Tips for Parents” presented to parents at the Boyertown Elementary School in Boyertown, PA (January 22, 2004)
University:
Advisor, Kappa Phi (2007 – present)
Participant, Majors Fair (October 24, 2007)
Member, TALE Teaching Scholar Grant Review Committee (2007 – present)
Member, Professional Development Committee (2007 – present)
Member, Library Advisory Committee (2007 – present)
Member, TALE director screening committee (2007)
Member, Instructional Support Specialist search committee (2007)
Participant, PASSHE Regional Blackboard meeting (April 16, 2007)
Participant, Graduate Commencement (May 11, 2007)
Speaker, “Silberman Active Learning Workshop Follow-Up” TALE Seminar (March 7, 2007)
Secretary, APSCUF/ BU Executive Board (2006 - present)
TALE Ambassador for the Department of Early Childhood & Elementary Education (2004 – present)
Delegate, Bloomsburg University Forum (2005-2006)
Participant, Student Move In Day (August 22, 2006)
Member, Bloomsburg University’s Trash to Treasure Team (2005)
Speaker, “Best ideas from the International Society for Exploring Teaching and Learning” TALE Seminar (March 30, 2006)
Speaker, “In-Class Debates: Critical Thinking and Interactive Learning” TALE Seminar (November 17, 2005)
College:
Speaker, "Learning Styles" presented to the Education House, sponsored by BU's student chapter of ACEI (April 17, 2008)
Speaker, “Family/School Partnership” presented at Cooperating Teacher Workshop (August 9, 2007)
Evaluator, Ralph & Edna Feather Memorial Scholarship Fund (2007)
Speaker, Education House freshman orientation (June 20 & 27, 2007)
Director, Education House Living Learning Community (2007-present)
Speaker, "Student Teaching" presented to the Education House, sponsored by BU's student chapter of the Association for Childhood Education International (March 7, 2006)
College Marshal, undergraduate commencement ceremony (December 17, 2005)
Speaker, “Electronic Portfolios” presented for the Education House, sponsored by BU’s student chapter of the National Association for Music Education (November 27, 2005)
Speaker, “Blue Packet Review” presented for the Education House, sponsored by BU’s student chapter of the Association for Childhood Education International (October 11, 2005)
Speaker, “Using LiveText to Create an Electronic Portfolio” presented to the BU student branch of the Association for Childhood Education International (February 15, 2005)
Presenter, NCATE/PDE accreditation visit poster session (2005)
Member, College of Professional Studies Student Teaching Supervisors Committee (2004 – 2005)
Moderator, Hiring practices panel presentation for student teachers (December 17, 2004)
Member, Kutztown University’s College of Education Student Teaching Committee (2003-2004)
Department:
Presenter, Open House (October 27, 2007 and April 19, 2008)
Member, Summer Incentive Monies Committee (2007 – present)
Co-chair, Curriculum Committee (2007 - present)
Chair, Early Childhood Curriculum Committee (2007)
Speaker, T.E.A.C.H. program information session (April 26, 2007)
Chair, Search & Screen Committee (2004 –2007)
Chair, Praxis Task Force (2005- 2006)
Co-Advisor, Bloomsburg University’s student branch of ACEI (2004 – present)
Member, Portfolio Committee (2004 – present)
Member, PDE Early Childhood Education Master’s Degree Report Writing Team (2005)
Member, Curriculum Committee (2004 – present)
Co-author, PDE Professionalism Section III document for accreditation (2005)
Co-author, PDE ECE Master’s Program report for accreditation (2005)
Participant, Freshman orientation (2004 - present)
Mentor of two faculty members (2005-2006, 2007 - present)
Member, Kutztown University’s Elementary Education Professional Semester Committee (2003-2004)
Co-author, ACEI SPA Social Studies Assignment for accreditation at Kutztown University (2003)