Welcome to my webpage

My name is Shirley Kelly. I have taught graduate and undergraduate courses in Techniques of Research, Measurement and Assessment, Educational Psychology, Child Development, Human Development, Language and Literacy Development, and Management of Disruptive Classroom Behaviors within a student-centered environment.

Faculty & Research Skills

Prepared, administered, and evaluated student assignments with the aid of rubrics that were provided to students	Analyzed course information to determine online and face-to-face course content and requirements
Supervised graduate students in the development of their theses proposals	Displayed excellent oral and written communication skills
Integrated a variety of technological tools such as blogs, wikis, etc. in the design and delivery of courses	Proficient in the use of Weft QDA, SAS, SPSS, Inspiration, BlackBoard, Smart Board, Desire2Learn, and Microsoft Office Suite
Served on university strategic plan committee	Analyzed national data sets
Presented papers at local, national, and international conferences.	Advised students regarding course and academic matters
Maintained a strong innate desire to learn and share my knowledge with others	Developed course syllabi

Teaching Philosophy 

My teaching philosophy is grounded within the Piagetian/Vygotskian paradigm. This paradigm upholds the idea that teachers should act as facilitators in the learning process. Teachers should help students build the knowledge and skills needed to solve problems in their environment in a manner that allows students to become self-regulated learners. My instructional strategies include the three key classroom practices described below:

Building a Community of Learners: Students learn the content of my courses in Tribes Learning Communities (TLC) and cooperative group work. These instructional strategies help to build positive classroom relationships, motivate students, and model supportive and welcoming learning environments for teacher-education students to learn and grow in their chosen profession. I hope that these pre-service teachers will eventually implement similar strategies in their prospective classrooms.  

Communicating Clear Expectations: National and State Standards are used to develop detailed syllabi that outline specific learning goals and objectives for students to learn over the instructional period. These objectives are then used to develop lesson plans, lectures, monitor instruction, and assess students' progress. Grading rubrics are also utilized to communicate my expectations about the quality of students' performances. Students usually work to meet the expectations outlined in the rubrics. Hence, rubrics are another means to enhance student motivation and performance.

Providing Authentic Learning Experiences:  I usually provide students with meaningful, authentic assignments that they can include in their teaching portfolios. The assignments help teacher-education students develop valuable skills that they can apply in their prospective classrooms. Technology such as Desire-to-Learn class management system, PowerPoint presentations, concept mapping software, Excel, Word,  wikis, blogs, and online search engines, etc. are integrated into lectures and assignments. Such practices provide ample opportunities for students to learn some of the technological skills needed to succeed in the 21^st century. Assignments are also designed to help students develop the reading, writing, problem solving, and critical thinking skills needed to succeed in today’s information society.

---