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About Our Program
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Parent Resources
- Audio & Braille Books
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How It Works
- News & Media
- Resources
- Year In Review
- Penguin Group, USA
Doreen McCammon
Director of Operations
The Dollywood Foundation
Diane Givens
Parents as Teachers
Diane Givens has long been an advocate for parent education, early childhood education and family literacy. From grant writer to family literacy director to training facilitator, Givens’s career has led her into many areas of the early childhood field. At Parents as Teachers, Givens oversees the department that coordinates the Family and Children Education (FACE) program with the Bureau of Indian Education, i-3 BabyFACE progam and Tribal Home Visiting. In this capacity, she directs and supports technical assistance and training to project sites in program implementation of home-based services.
For five years, Givens served as the coordinator of Parents as Teachers early literacy initiative. She provided support to programs in the field by developing and promoting early literacy training and products. She was a key player in the development of the National Early Literacy Panel, Early Literacy Parent Handbook, Early Literacy Tool Kit, and Early Literacy Professional Development.
Givens continues to partner with other organizations in the early literacy field to create and enhance materials, activities and promising practices to assist parents and educators in providing rich literacy environments in the homes of young children. She also participates in national and regional presentations and exhibits across the nation.
Givens has served on the International Reading Association’s Family Literacy Committee (renamed as the Early Literacy Committee); the National Center for Family Literacy’s Family Literacy Alliance; and the National Institute for Literacy, National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, and U.S. Department of Education’s Partnership for Reading. She also mentored several Head Start programs through licensing and certification. She recently served as a St. Louis County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) and mentor, supporting abused and neglected children.
Givens’ teaching experiences include early childhood, early literacy, cultural diversity classes at Webster University, University of Missouri–St. Louis and St. Louis Community College Field Base Program. She served as a special expert work group member for the Third National Even Start Evaluation, U.S. Department of Education, ABT Associates. Givens also provided technical assistance to Even Start American Indian Programs for the U.S. Department of Education with Research and Training Associates, Inc.
Givens holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a master’s degree in early education from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She has received specialized training in Constructivist, Reggio and Family Literacy. She is a certified trainer in ASQ-3 and ASQ:SE, Twiga Foundation Block Fest, and Parents as Teachers Foundational/Implementation Training. In her spare time, Diane enjoys working in her vegetable garden and reading to and with her niece, Nadia.
John Micklos, Jr.
Freelance Writer and Editor
An award-winning writer/editor and the author of more than 15 books for children and young adults. For more than 25 years, John served as editor in chief of Reading Today, the membership newspaper of the International Reading Association.
Now a freelance writer/editor, John’s books include four poetry picture books, a six-book, elementary-level series on the Revolutionary War, and biographies of Alexander Graham Bell, Amelia Earhart, Muhammad Ali, Elvis Presley, and others. His byline has appeared in national publications such as Highlights for Children, National Geographic Kids, and Modern Bride.
John has done featured presentations for the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English, as well as for state reading groups in many states. He has done author visits to schools in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Texas, Indiana, and Maine.
John’s professional affiliations include the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, the National Writers Association, the Education Writers Association, and the Association of Educational Publishers. He is a past president of the latter group.
Edna Rogers
Retired Teacher
National State Teacher of the Year organization President.
Education:
Red Bank High School
Carson-Newman College
University of Tennessee – B.S. and M.S.
Occupation:
Retired school teacher
Teaching Experience
Dixie County High School – 1 year
Sevier County Head Start – 6 years
Sevierville Primary Preschool Summer Program – 13 years
Sevierville Primary – 25 years
Awards & Recognitions
- 1988 Sevier County Teacher of the Year
- 1989 Sevier County Teacher of the Year
- 1989 Key to the City of Sevierville
- 1989 Sevier County Dedicated & Exemplary Accomplishments Award
- 1989 Governor’s Outstanding Tennessean Award
- 1989 District Teacher of the Year
- 1989 Tennessee Teacher of the Year
- 1990 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Math
- 1992 Who’s Who Among American Teachers 1992 Rotary Distinguished Service Award
- 2001 Sevierville Mayor’s Proclamation of Edna Loveday Rogers Day, May 25
Professional & Community Affiliations
- 1989 – present: Board Member of the Dollywood Foundation
- 2000 – present: Board Member of the Dollywood Foundation Library Committee
- 1989 – present: Board Member of the Sevier County Educational Foundation
- 1998 – present: Board of Directors for Berkshire Education Scholarship Foundation
- 1975 – present: Knoxville Council of Adoptable Children
- 2000 – present: Board of Directors Member of the National Teachers Hall of Fame
- 1989 – present: Delta Kappa Gamma
- 1989 – present: Kappa Delta Phi
- 1989 – present: National State Teachers of the Year
- 2000 – present: National State Teachers of the Year, President
- 1991 – present: Tennessee State Chapter of Tennessee State Teachers of the Year, President
- 2001 – present: Sevier County Retired Teachers Association
- 2002 – present: Advisory Board for the Public School Forum of East Tennessee
- 1996: Ambassador for US / South African Joint Conference of Education
- 1997 – present: Commissioner for the Tennessee Human Rights Commission
- 1981 – 2001: Career Ladder Level III Teacher
Chaya Kilkarni
B.A.A. M.Ed.
Ed.D. Vice President
Professional Education
Education:
B.A.A. M.Ed.,
Ed.D. Vice President,
Professional Education
Dr. Chaya Kulkarni is currently the Director, Infant Mental Health Promotion (IMP), The Hospital for Sick Children Toronto. Infant Mental Health Promotion is a coalition of individuals and professional agencies dedicated to promoting optimal mental health outcomes for infants in the first three years of life. Dr. Kulkarni provides leadership to research, professional education and public awareness activities at IMHP. Dr. Kulkarni was Vice President of Parent and Professional Education at Invest in Kids prior to joining IMHP as Director.
Dr. Kulkarni has also served as the Senior Policy Analyst and Researcher for the Office of the Official Opposition at Queen’s Park where she was able to influence and inform practices surrounding early childhood care and education. She has also worked directly with children and families in the childcare sector.
Dr. Kulkarni has lectured with Ryerson University and the Canadian Mothercraft Society, Seneca College and York University in the areas of early childhood development, infant mental health and early intervention. Dr. Kulkarni also sits on the selection committee for the Prime Minister’s Awards for Teaching Excellence.
Dr. Kulkarni received her B.A.A. from Ryerson University and attained her Masters and Doctorate in Education from the University of Toronto.
Jinx Stapleton Watson
Associate Professor Retired
Coordinator of Youth Services
Education:
Vanderbilt University Peabody College, Education Leadership, 1992-96 Ed.D.
Harvard University School of Education, Human Development & Reading, 1978-79 C.A.S. [Certificate of Advanced Study*]
Harvard University School of Education, Elementary Education, 1965-66 Ed.M.
Cornell College, Mr. Vernon, Iowa, Political Science & Spanish, 1961-65 B.A.
*Evaluated by the College of Education, University of TN. as equivalent to the UT education specialist degree (Ed.S.)
Publications:
"Self-Study in Professional Practice" invited chapter in The International Handbook of Self-Study in Teaching and Teacher Education Practice, Edited by John Loughran, Mary E. Hamilton, Vickie LaBoskey, Tom Russell. Kluwer Press, 2003 (with Susan Wilcox). [The nature of self-study in relation to reflection, action research and critical inquiry in tertiary education and professions other than teacher education]. In press.
"'If You Don't Have it, You Can't Find it:' A Close Look at Students' Perceptions of Using Technology" invited chapter in Youth Seeking-Information: Theories, Models and Approaches, Edited by Mary K. Chelton and Colleen Cool. Scarecrow Press, 2003. Submitted and accepted.
"The Science Fair: Views from its Stakeholders" accepted by School Library Media Quarterly (under final editing; online publication, March, 2003).
"Teaching Ourselves to Notice and Wonder." Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Self-Study of Teacher Education Practice (S-STEP), "Making a Difference in Teacher Education Through Self-Study," August 4-8, 2002, Herstmonceux Castle, East Sussex, England.
“Learning History through Literary Memoir," The ALAN Review, 29(3), 2002, 10-14.
"Students and the World Wide Web," Teacher Librarian: The Journal for School Library Professionals 29(1), 2001,15-19.
"Appreciating Gantos' Jack Henry as an Archetype." The New Advocate, 14(14), 2001, 379-385.
"Snapshots of a Teen Internet User." Educational Media and Technology Yearbook (26th Volume). Edited by Robert Maribe and Mary Ann Fitzgerald, Libraries Unlimited, 2001, 115-124.
"Making Sense of the Stories of Experience: A Methodology for Research and Teaching." Journal of Education for Library and Information Science 42(3), 2001,137-148.
"Moving Towards Reflective Practice: Two Modes of 'Reading' Our Practice" Proceedings of The First Carfax International Conference on Reflective Practice, "Making a Difference through Reflective Practice: Values and Action." July 13-16, 2000.
"Reading for Understanding: Methods of Reflecting on Practice." The Journal of Reflective Practice 1(1), 2000, 57-67 (Susan Wilcox second author).
"Biography of Suzanne Fisher Staples." Writers for Young Adults Supplement 1. Edited by Ted Hipple. Scribner's Sons, 2000, 279-286.
"Students and the World Wide Web: Issues of Confidence and Competence." Proceedings of the Third International Forum on Research in School Librarianship (IASL),
"Unleash the Power! Knowledge, Technology, Diversity. . . " November 14, 1999. Edited by Lynne Lighthall and Eleanor Howe, 199-200.
"Individual Choice and Family Loyalty: A Look at the Work of Suzanne Fisher Staples." The ALAN Review, 27(1), 1999, 25-28.
"Learning from a Kindergartner's Response to Literature." The New Advocate, 12(2), 1999, 185-187.
"'If you Don't Have it, You Can't Find it:' A Close Look at Students' Perceptions of Using Technology." Journal of American Information Science 49(11), 1998, 1024-1036.
"Transforming 'Got a Minute?' Stories into Reflective Narrative." Conversations in Community: Proceedings of the Second International Conference of the Self-Study of Teacher Education Practices, East Sussex, England, August 16-20, 1998, Edited by Ardra Cole and Susan Finley, 182-185.
"Children's Paperless Projects: Inspiring Research via the Web." Proceedings of the IFLA General Conference, Amsterdam, Holland, August 16-20, 1998, Booklet 3, 101-107 (Dania Bilal first author).
"The School of Information Sciences Meets Librarians' and Teachers' New Professional Needs." Tennessee Education 27 (2) / 28(1), fall 1997/ spring 1998, pp. 23-24.
"The Golden Thread." Guest Editor, Tennessee Educational Leadership XIII (2), 1986.
"From a Teacher Center Journal: Hypotheses about inservice." Boston University School of Educational Journal 163(2), 1981, 173-183.
"Old Tales for Young Tellers." Outlook 33,1979, 31-45. (Excerpted in Children's Literature in the Elementary Schools, 3-6th editions, by Charlotte Huck.
Professional Presentations:
"Education for Democracy." National Institute for Higher Education Professionals and Facing History and Ourselves, June 1-6, 2001, West Cornwall, CT.
"Extending Reading Experiences through Literature." A Presentation for the Elementary Teachers and Teacher Assistants in the Sam Houston School, April 11, 2000, Maryville, TN.
"The Best of the Best in Picture Books." A Presentation for the Pre-School and Elementary Teachers of the Oak Ridge Public Schools, January 26, 2000, Oak Ridge, TN.
"Reading Memoir in the Secondary Schools." A Presentation for the Facing History and Ourselves Regional Program, January 5, 2000, Memphis, TN.
"Books, Babies and Toddlers." A Presentation for Knoxville Promise Childcare Staff, December 4, 1999, Knoxville, TN. (Susan Epling, co-presenter).
"The Goodness and Payoff of Reading Aloud." A Presentation for the UT Center of Children's and Young Literature, November 15, 1999, Knoxville, Tn. (Judith Neff, co-presenter).
"Children's Books in Day Care." A Presentation to the Knoxville ChildCare Information and Referral Office. March 4, 1999, Knoxville, TN.
"Young Adult Services." Missouri State Library Summer Library Skills Institute, August 11-15, 1997, Columbia, MO.
Awards & Recognitions:
Selected as one of four faculty participants in federally funded PT3 Initiative [Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers for Technology], a UT College of Education Project ImPACT grant [Implementing Partnerships Across the Curriculum with Technology], 2001-2002.
The Tennessee Library Association Francis Neel Cheney Award for "significant contributions to the world of books and librarianship," 2000.
Grant awarded by the University of Tennessee Computational and Information Sciences Interdisciplinary Council Program to develop a feasibility plan for information studies minor, spring, 2001.
UT Graduate School Office and the Office of Research travel awards to present a paper at international conference, summer, 2000.
Peabody at Vanderbilt Department of Education Leadership travel award to present one of two "Most Promising Dissertations" to American Education Research Association Annual Conference, April 1994, New Orleans, LA.
Professional & Community Affiliations:
Associate Professor; Coordinator of Youth Services, School of Information Sciences, University of Tennessee, June 2002 to present
Assistant Professor; Coordinator of Youth Services, School of Information Sciences, University of Tennessee, February 1996 to June 2002.
Director of Teacher Center; Coordinator of Teacher Inservice Programs; Facilitator of Curriculum Development; Conference Planner, Oak Ridge Public Schools (TN), August 1979 to February 1996.
Director of Personnel [part-time], Oak Ridge Public Schools (TN), 1985-1990.
Assistant Principal [part-time], Woodland Elementary School, Oak Ridge, TN, 1981-1982.
Adjunct Lecturer, School of Information Sciences, University of Tennessee, 1984-1996.
Teaching Fellow, School of Education, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, September 1978 to May 1979.
Adjunct Lecturer, Department of Education, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, September 1977 - June 1979.
Classroom Teacher, Davis School, Newton, MA, 1973 - 1978.
Elementary Coordinator, Newton, MA. Public Schools, 1971-72.
Classroom Teacher, Horace Mann School, Newton, MA, 1966-1969.
Independent Consultant and Workshop Leader in Writing Across the Curriculum, Children's Literature, Holocaust Studies (Facing History and Ourselves), Strategic Planning for Schools and Meeting Facilitation Skills, June 1967 to present.
Conference Presentations:
“Facing History and Ourselves: One Approach to Understanding Diversity Issues.” American Library Association Inaugural Diversity Leadership Training Program, June 19-20, 2003.(Proposal accepted)
“The Imagination Library: Reporting the Interview Research.” Family and Child Education (FACE), Parents as Teachers (PAT) and Family Literacy for the Bureau of Indian Affairs Annual Meeting, February 27, 2003.
“Young Adult Fiction and Memoir.” Knox County Schools Language Arts Teacher In-Service. Academic Outreach Program of the College of Arts and Sciences, UT. February 21, 2003.
"Thinking about the Thinking in Using the Internet in K-12 Schools: A Pedagogical Perspective" in Kids' Trek: The Next Generation Panel. American Society for Information Science and Technology Annual Meeting. November 7, 2001.
"Knowing Through Experience: Finding and Annotating One’s Own Story." American Education Research Association Annual Meeting, April 13, 2001, Seattle, WA.
"Sharing Memoir of the Civil Rights Movement with Secondary Students." National Council for Teachers of English spring conference, March 29, 2001, Birmingham, AL.
"The Grace and Magic of Southern YA Fiction." National Council for Teachers of English spring conference, March 29, 2001, Birmingham, AL (Scot Smith, second presenter).
"Knowing Who Your Daddy is: Five Paradigms for Understanding Father-Son Relationships in YA Literature." National Council for Teachers of English spring conference, March 29, 2001, Birmingham, AL (Scot Smith, first presenter).
"Young Adult Literature and Curriculum Issues." Tennessee Association of School Librarians Annual Conference, November 9, 2000, Gatlinburg, TN.
"Reading Aloud to a Child is a Gift." Parent Participation: Infant and Toddler Stimulation-The Mother Goose Program. Healthy Families America National Conference, September 12, 2000, Atlanta, GA. (Charlene Ellis, first presenter).
"The Best of the Best of the 90s." Tennessee Library Association Annual Conference, May 3, 2000, Kingsport, TN.
"Memoirs of the Civil Rights History." American Association of School Librarians National Conference, November 13, 1999, Birmingham, AL.
"The Phenomenon of the Science Fair Project." American Association of School Librarians National Conference, November 12, 1999, Birmingham, AL.
"Students and the World Wide Web: Issues of Confidence and Competence." Third International Forum on Research in School Librarianship (IASL), "Unleash the Power! Knowledge, Technology, Diversity . . .," November 12, 1999. Birmingham, AL
"If Boys Don’t' Read Fiction, Then How Do We Hook Their Interests?" Tennessee Library Association Annual Conference, April 30, 1999, Nashville, TN (Scot Smith, second presenter).
"A Method of Self-Study: Reading and Annotating Teachers' Stories and Artifacts of Practice." 6th Annual International Conference on Teacher Research, April 23, 1999, Montreal, Canada (Susan Wilcox, second presenter).
"The UT Center for Children's and Young Adult Literature." The Tennessee College Association Annual Conference, April 6, 1999, Nashville, TN.
"Transforming 'Got a Minute' Stories into Reflective Narrative." Second International Conference of the Self-Study of Teacher Education Practices, August 17, 1999, East Sussex, England.
"Teacher Preparation for Inclusive Settings: New Approaches for Teaching and Evaluation." (Sharon Judge, Susan Benner, first presenters). American Education Research Association Annual Meeting, April 1998, San Diego, CA.
"Student Research: Bridging the Homework Help Gap." Tennessee Library Association Annual Meeting. April 17, 1998, Memphis, TN.
"The Importance of Reading for Pleasure: Implications for School Life." Tennessee Library Association Annual Meeting, March 7, 1997, Nashville, TN.
"Teachers Learning through Story: Reflections across Contexts." National Council for Teachers of English Annual conference, December 1996, Charlotte, NC. (Kathleen DeMarrais, Sally Oran, first presenters).
Academic Service:
Member of the School of Information Sciences Student Affairs Committee, Dania Bilal, chair, spring 2003.
Member of the IRB Committee, Kendra Albright, chair, spring 2003.
Member of strategic planning committee, College of Communication and Information. Sally McMillan, chair, fall 2002.
Member of search committee, UT College of Education. William Brozo, chair, fall, 2000-2001.
Member, Council for the Improvement of Professional Education (CIPE), UT College of Education. Lynn Cagle, chair, 2000-present Coordinator of NCATE and State Department of Education accreditation visits for the School of Information Sciences.
Elizabeth Aversa and Lynn Cagle, contacts, fall 2000.
Member, National Advisory Board for the Children's Defense Fund Langston Hughes Memorial Library. Marian Wright Edelman, chair, October 2000-present
Member, National Advisory Committee for the Dollywood Foundation "Imagination Library." David Dotson, chair, January 1999-present
Chair, School of Information Sciences Curriculum Committee, fall 1999-2002.
Internal Committee Member of College of Education Holistic Teaching & Learning Academic Program Review in the Department of Theory and Practice in Teacher Education. Joy DeSensi, chair, fall, 1999.
Founding member of the Center for Children's and Young Adult Literature, University of Tennessee. Ken Wise, contact, fall 1998-present.
Assessment of UT College of Education teacher interns in Maryville, TN schools, Susan Benner, contact, March 1997.
Member of UT College of Education Interview Boards for the following units: Inclusive Early Childhood Education, Holistic, Multicultural, and Individualized Study. Lynn Cagle, contact, fall 1996-spring 1999.
Reviewer for Journal of Staff Development, 1991-1997.
Head of Planning Team for Biannual Teacher Conferences in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution, National Geographic Society, Oak Ridge National Lab and others. Keynote speakers included Wilma Dykeman, Yetta Goodman, Jaime Escalante and others, Oak Ridge, TN., 1985-1993.
Member of Planning Team for Loughborough International Children's Literature Conference, University of Tennessee, 1983.