CV

Curriculum Vitae

Roberta Robinson, ED. D

236 Grand Avenue, W. Hempstead, NY 11552   –    Email: RobertaRobinsonEd.D@gmail.com

Home: 516-833-5594 – Mobile: 516-578-5641

EDUCATION________________________________________________________    

  • Ed. D., Literacy Studies, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY

Dissertation: “An Elementary Level Annotated Bibliography of Middle East and Arab World Literature”

  • CAS, Literacy, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY
  • MA, Teaching of Writing, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY
  • BS, Education,  State University of New York – Empire State College, Westbury, NY

SUMMER INSTITUTES________________________________________________________

  • Yale University PIER – Worlds of Islam: Regional Perspectives on Unity & Diversity
  • Dar al Islam -Teachers’ Institute on Understanding Islam and Muslims
  • The Arabic Language Institute of Fez – Culture, History and Language of Morocco

INTERNET________________________________________________________________

  • UNC/National Humanities Center – Understanding the Modern Middle East – 2020
  • Harvard Graduate School of Education – Educating Global Citizens – 2018
  • National Humanities Center – Islam in America: A Cultural History – 2017

CERTIFICATIONS____________________________________________________________

New York State:   Permanent Certification: Nursery, Kindergarten, Grades 1-

                                Professional Certification: Literacy – Birth – Grade 6

New Jersey State: Permanent Certification: K – Grade 8

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE_____________________________________________________

Literacy Specialist – Reading/Writing Learning Clinic – Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY

  • Instruct, guide and support students in literacy practices based on individual needs.
  • Develop individualized lessons for each student.
  • Evaluate student progress.

Beta Reader – YA work in progress book focusing on trailblazing Iranian women: Jasmin

            Mogheli, Anousheh Ansari, Mina Bissell and Dorsa Derakhshani                                                      

Literacy Coach – William Spyropoulos Greek American Day School, Flushing, NY

  • Introduced teachers to workshop approach to writing instruction.
  • Collaborated with teachers to plan and organize workshop routines.
  • Provided demonstrations of minilessons using mentor texts.
  • Worked jointly with teachers to develop informal literacy assessments.

Reading Teacher Grades K – 5 – Great Neck School District, Great Neck, NY

  • Implemented Leveled Literacy Intervention Program.
  • Consistently evaluated learning styles of students to improve growth.
  • Created targeted reading goals and instructional pathways based on informal assessments.
  • Systematic and strategic daily planning to meet the needs of each individual student.
  • Communicated and collaborated with classroom teachers to plan individualized interventions.
  • Assessed students, analyzed data, communicated results with administration, teachers and parents.

Elementary Classroom Teacher – Rodeph Sholom School, New York, NY

  • Responsibilities included daily instruction in all academic areas, curriculum implementation, grade-level planning, classroom management, integration among numerous subject areas and collaboration with other teachers.
  • Used balanced literacy program that included guided reading, shared reading, independent reading, as well as independent and shared writing.
  • Administered formal and informal, formative and summative assessments.
  • Generated interim and quarterly progress reports.

Adjunct Professor – Camden County Community College, Camden, NJ

  • Taught academic tract reading focusing on skills to help students become more efficient and flexible readers using longer, complex reading selections.
  • In preparation for a required writing course, lessons focused on comprehension, recognizing text structures, identifying the main ideas and supporting details and drawing inferences.

Adjunct Professor – Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY

  • Taught reading and writing to incoming freshmen students.
  • Writing instruction focused on the writing process: prewriting, using a variety of techniques: graphic organizers outlines, free writing or note cards; drafting, partner reading for revision, proofreading and editing.
  • Reading instruction focused on comprehension and analysis of texts and dialectical note taking for class discussions.
  • Students were required to write a short research paper. In preparation for the final project, time management, research techniques, development of a thesis statement, organization and understanding audience were taught.

Elementary Classroom Teacher – Grade 2 – Northside School, Floral Park Queens, NY

  • I had the opportunity to teach a class comprised of nine students from nine cultures. All students spoke a minimum of two languages, English and their heritage language.
  • Lessons always included a hands-on activity designed to foster a sense of partnership and community.
  • Multicultural literature was employed liberally to help children learn about each other’s cultures and for sharing different perspectives to enable students to understand the importance of context and historical underpinnings. Discussions were guided by students’ questions and comments.
  •  Science and math lessons frequently taught together with as many hands-on projects as possible to facilitate understanding concepts.

PUBLICATIONS_____________________________________________________________

  • Multicultural & Global Literature as Agents of Change in Media Literacy Research & Applications Across Disciplines. M. N. Yildiz, M. Fazal, R. Feirsen, M. Ahn & S. Ozdemir. (Eds), Media literacy research and applications across disciplines. Hershey, PA: IGI Global
  • MEOC Website:                                                                                                                 An Elementary Level Annotated Bibliography of Middle East and Arab World Literature
  • Social Studies Docket:

How Children in Other Countries get Books

Multiculturalism, Our Global Society and the 21st Century Classroom

  • Yale PIER Website lesson plan

PRESENTATIONS___________________________________________________________

Great Neck Public Schools

  • Educating Tomorrow’s Global Citizens – 2020

Three University Conference: Georgetown, George Washington & Howard Universities

  • The Wonder of Story – 2019

New York Institute of Technology

  • Keynote Presentation on Global Education – 2018

Long Island University, C W Post

  • Exploring Differences: Multicultural or Global Education – 2018
  • Looking at the Differences in Children’s Literature in a Globalized Society – 2017

Nassau Reading Council

  • America: The Great Experiment: A Work in Progress – 2014
  • From Monoculturalism to Multiculturalism – 2016
  • Explore the World – Explore Ourselves; Read the World – Read Ourselves – 2018

Hofstra University

  • A Rational for an Elementary Middle East and Arab World Themed Annotated Bibliography – 2018
  • Do Teachers Need Better Preparation to Serve the Needs of Muslim Students? – 2017
  • Literacy and Identity in a Muslim Community Center – 2016

East Hampton School District

  • Combating Otherness Using Multicultural Literature – 2015

Reading Specialist Council of Suffolk

  • Multiculturalism, Our Global Society and the 21st Classroom – 2015
  • Going Global: What It Means and How Do We Do It? – 2019

Harvard University

  • How Can the Health of Planet Earth be Improved? – 2018

EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH__________________________________________________

Middle East Outreach Council Book Award Committee – 2015 – 2020

  • Read and evaluate Middle East themed picture books, youth fiction and non-fiction books for MEOC yearly book award.
  • Currently the non-fiction book award subcommittee chair.

AFFILIATIONS______________________________________________________________

  • Fulbright Association
  • Phi Delta Kappa – Executive Board Member of Long Island University Local Chapter 15
  • International Literacy Association
  • National Council for the Social Studies
  • Middle East Outreach Council
  • Nassau Reading Council Board Member
  • National Council of Teachers of English

TEACHING INTERESTS_______________________________________________________

            I am a life-long learner, world traveler and literacy specialist. Over the years I have explored various cultures in 35 countries on three continents, maintaining journals documenting my experiences. I lived in Iran for three years, and with families in Rajkot, India and Fez Morocco. I also spent a month in Kassala, Sudan learning from members of the Eritrean Liberation Front about their struggle to liberate Eritrea from the Ethiopian Government of Haile Selassie. In the United States, my explorations took me to 47 states with a focus on places of historical interest.

The trajectory of my life experiences has been a steady widening of my interest in and understanding of the cultures of the Middle East and the Arab World.  I believe broader educational goals that include non-Western European cultures, will enable students to live productive lives in a global society and embrace the concept of “perspective”. There is a need for students and teachers in US schools to know more about non-Western European cultures. Pairing multicultural and global literature with social studies would help teachers and students understand those cultures. Global education is becoming a necessity to sustain a healthy life on this planet. A step in that direction is adopting a global perspective. Within that global perspective is the path to learning how to negotiate solutions. But, opening minds to context-based perspectives, I think, should come first and begin in first grade through “story”, because “story” not only challenges the intellect, it touches the heart.