Last updated September 2012 Janine Lynn Certo, Ph.D.
Janine Lynn Certo, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
PI, LiteracyAchievementResearchCenter (LARC)
MichiganStateUniversity
College of Education
Department of Teacher Education
309 Erickson Hall
East Lansing, MI48824United States
Phone: 517-432-4841
Email:
Webpage:
Statement of Research Interests
My interests include poetry in schools and society, aesthetic education, literature response and discussion, and teacher education and development. Drawing on multiple methods, my scholarship recognizes a number of broad areas including literacy and language, creative writing, sociolinguistics, aesthetic philosophy, teaching and learning, and childhood education. My recent research productivity marks four related areas of foci including: 1) teachers’ poetry experiences, knowledge and dispositions, 2) children’s poetry writing practices, 3) the history of poetry in schools and society, and4) the academic and socio-emotional affordances of multi-genre literature response and discussion. Underpinning this work is a conception of genre acknowledging that different types of text are constructed relative to social and institutional practices and personal histories. My recent scholarship investigates the learning and experiences of readers/writers as they experience/create texts that combine resources of different modes (e.g. poems, performances, images, art).Currently, I am investigating preservice teachers' knowledge, experiences, and dispositions with regard to reading, writing, and teaching poetry and children's poetry writing practices and poetry performances in classroom cultures.
- Professional Preparation and Experience
- Education
VirginiaCommonwealthUniversity, Richmond, VA, United StatesMay 2002
Ph. D in Education, Instructional Leadership
School of Education
Cognate in Creative Writing/College of Humanities and Sciences/Department of English
University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United StatesMay 1996
M.Ed. in Educational Supervision and Policy Studies
The CurrySchool of Education
Educational Supervision and Policy Studies, Curriculum and Instruction
Grove CityCollege, Grove City, PA, United StatesMay 1990
B.A. in Elementary Education (K-8 certification)
B.A. in Secondary Education, French (K-12 certification)
B.Professional Work History
1.Academic Appointments
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 8/06 to present
Assistant Professor of Education in the Department of Teacher Education in the College of Education and PI for the LiteracyAchievementResearchCenter (LARC). Major responsibilities include maintaining a research agenda, teaching undergraduate and graduate elementary education courses in writing, language arts and poetry; supervising elementary interns in the field; advising graduate students; and providing national, regional, community, and university service.
DuquesneUniversity, Pittsburgh, PA7/03 to 6/06
Assistant Professor of Education in the Department of Instruction and Leadership in the School of Education. Major responsibilities include teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in writing and literacy; consulting and supervising in a local urban professional development school, maintaining a research agenda; advising graduate elementary students; and providing national, regional, community, and university service.
DuquesneUniversity, Pittsburgh, PA1/03 to 7/03
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Education in the Department of Instruction and Leadership in Education. Major responsibilities included teaching courses in writing and literacy.
University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA1/03 to 7/03
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Education in the Department of Teaching and Learning. Major responsibilities included teaching action research courses as well as supervising elementary interns in the field.
VirginiaCommonwealthUniversity, Richmond, VA6/00 to 12/02
Research Associate/Doctoral Fellow for James H. McMillan, professor and director of the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) in the Department of Educational Studies. Major areas of responsibility included the design and development of instruments for data collection, data collection, analysis of data, writing reports, and giving presentations to the MERC Policy & Planning Committee. Other areas of responsibility included teaching the courses Instructional Models and Learning Theories in Education.
VirginiaCommonwealthUniversity, Richmond, VA 8/99 to 5/00
Educational Research/Doctoral Fellow for James H. McMillan, professor and director of the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) in the Department of Educational Studies. Major responsibilities included writing reviews of literature and presenting proposals for study to the MERC Policy and Planning Committee. Other areas of responsibility included teaching the courses Instructional Models and Learning Theories in Education.
2.K-12 Teaching and Administrative Experience
Coordinator of Gifted Programs,Buckingham, VA8/96 to 7/99
Full-time district coordinator of gifted programs and Governor’s Schools for Buckingham County Public Schools. Major responsibilities included working with the local Gifted Advisory Committee to develop a state plan for gifted education and instruments of evaluation, administering assessments to students, providing instruction to students, providing staff development for teachers on differentiation of instruction, coordinating and coaching county-wide Odyssey of the Mindacademic/creative teams, and coordinating applicant selection to the Governor’s School of Southside Virginia.
Coordinator of Talented and Gifted Program, Trevilians, VA8/95 to 7/96
Science and Math Resource Teacher
Full-time coordinator of the Talented and Gifted Program for TreviliansElementary School and Science and Math Resource Teacher. Major responsibilities included administering assessments and providing instruction to students, providing staff development for teachers on differentiation of instruction, co-teaching and coordinating science lab lessons, providing staff development for teachers in the area of math and science, and coordinating and coaching school-wide Odyssey of the Mind teams.
Teacher, Grade One, Trevilians, VA8/94 to 7/95
Full-time first-grade integrated language arts teacher at TreviliansElementary School for a pilot program/research study on parallel block scheduling in first grade funded by the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education. Supervised two instructional assistants and developed and implemented integrated unit plans to serve 80 first graders on a rotation basis.
Teacher, Grade Two, Trevilians, VA8/93 to 7/94
Full-time second-grade teacher at TreviliansElementary School.
Teacher, Grade Five, Trevilians, VA8/90 to 7/93
Full-time fifth-grade teacher at TreviliansElementary School.
Student Teacher, Grade Two, Grove City, PA 8/89 to 12/89
15-week student teaching experience in a self-contained classroom at Grove City Elementary
School
Student Teacher, French, Grades 7-9, Butler, PA 1/90 to 5/ 90 Student teaching experience at Butler Intermediate Unit teaching Intermediate and Advanced
French.
II.Scholarship
A. Scholarly Awards, Honors, Fellowships or Affiliations
October 2010-present, The Creativity Initiative, MichiganStateUniversity
August, 2006- present, Principal Investigator, Literacy Achievement Research Center, Michigan State University College of Education, East Lansing, MI
April, 2004 Presidential Scholarship Writing Award, Duquesne Office of Research, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA
October, 2002 Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award, National Association for Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NAECTE)
April, 1999 Research Fellow, Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium and Department of Educational Studies at the School of Education, Virginia Commonwealth University (Ph.D. fully funded), Richmond, VA
May, 1990 EleanorM. Caruthers French Writing Award, Grove CityCollege, Grove City, PA
B. Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
Certo, J.L., Apol, L., Wibbens, E., & Hawkins, L. (2012). Living the Poet’s Life: Using an Aesthetic Approach to Enhance Preservice Teachers’ Poetry Experiences and Dispositions. English Education, 44(2), 102-146.
Certo, J.L., & Brinda, W. (2011). Bringing literature to life for urban adolescents: Artistic, dramatic instruction and live theatre. Journal of Aesthetic Education, 45(3), 22-37.
Sportsman, E.L., Certo, J.L., Bolt, S.E., & Miller, J.A. (2011). Literature circles: Social and leadership development among at-risk students. School Psychology Forum: Research in Practice 5(1),13-28.
Certo, J.L. (2011). Social skills and leadership roles among children in small-group literature discussions. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 25(1), 62-81.
Certo, J.L., Moxley, K., Reffitt, K., & Miller, J.A. (2010).I learned how to talk about a book: Children’s perceptions of literature circles across grade and ability levels. Literacy Research and Instruction, 49(3), 243-263.
Certo, J.L., Cauley, K., Moxley, K., & Chafin, C. (2008). An argument for authenticity: Adolescents’ perspectives of standards-based reform. The High School Journal, 91(4), 26-39.
Kovalcik, B.,Certo, J.L. (2007). The poetry café is open: Teaching literary devices of sound in poetry writing. The Reading Teacher, 61(1), 89-93.
Certo, J.L. (2006). Beginning teacher concerns in an accountability-based testing environment: Perspectives of elementary beginning teachers and their mentors. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 20(4),331-349.
Kanyongo, G., Certo, J.L., & Brown, L. (2006). Using regression analysis to establish the relationship between home environment and reading achievement: A case of Zimbabwe. International Education Journal, 7(5).
Certo, J.L. (2005). Support and challenge in mentoring: A case study of beginning elementary teachers and their mentors. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 26(4), 395-421.
Certo, J.L. (2005). Support, challenge, and the two-way street: Perceptions of a beginning second grade teacher and her quality mentor. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 26(1), 3-21.
Certo, J.L. (2004). Cold plums and the old men in the water: Let children read and write great poetry. The Reading Teacher,58(3), 266-271.
Certo, J.L., Cauley, K., & Chafin, C. (2003). Students’ perspectives on their high school experience. Adolescence, 38(152), 705-724.
Certo, J.L., & Fox, J. (2002). Retaining quality teachers. The High School Journal, 86(1), 57-75.
Handbook and Book Chapters
Certo, J.L. (in press). Poetic voices: Preadolescents, poets, the page, and an open mic. In S. Dymoke, A. Lambert & A. Wilson(Eds), Making Poetry Matter: International Research on Poetry Pedagogy. London: Continuum Press.
Certo, J.L., Apol, L., Wibbens, E., & Yoon, S. (2010). Poetry writing PK-12: Current research and implications for practice and future research.In G. Troia, R. Shankland & A. Heintz (Eds.), PuttingWriting Research into Practice: Applications for Teacher Professional Development. New York: Guilford Press.
Apol, L., &Certo, J.L. (2010). “A burgeoning field” or “a sorry state: U.S. Poetry for Children, 1800-present. In S. Wolf, K. Coats, P. Enciso, & C. Jenkins (Eds.), The Handbook of Research on Children’s and Young Adult Literature.Mahway, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Books
Troia, G., Certo, J.L., & Olinghouse, N.(under contract). Growing writers (Grades 3-5): Cultivating genre in contemporary classrooms. New York: Scholastic.
Certo, J. L. (2002). Support and challenge in mentoring: A case study of beginning elementary teachers and their mentors. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, VirginiaCommonwealthUniversity, Richmond.
Poetry
Certo, J.L. Eating pork ribs with my husband; First kiss; An allergy attack at the VaticanMuseum (submitted)
Certo, J.L.The Endicott Review: The hamster; Poem for those who don’t teach. (27, 1, Spring 2010)
Certo, J.L.Muddy River Poetry Review: September 16, College poetry class; 30,000 Feet (Fall, 2010)
Certo, J.L.New Educator: Poem for those who don’t teach. (Fall, 2008/Winter, 2009).
Research and Evaluation Reports
Certo, J. L. (2010). Genre Knowledge and Development: Preadolescents Writing and Performing Contemporary, Hip Hop and Slam Style Poetry Final Report for The Spencer Foundation. Chicago, IL.
Certo, J.L., Covert, R. & Kanyongo, G. (2005). Prime Stage Youth Theatre Adopt-a-School Evaluation Report for Prime Stage Theater and Equitable Resources. Pittsburgh, PA.
Certo, J.L. & Kristak, S. (2005). Prime Stage Youth Theatre Literacy Project Workshop Report for Prime Stage Theater and The Pittsburgh Foundation. Pittsburgh, PA.
Certo, J.L. (2002). Research Brief: Retaining Quality Teachers for the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium.
Certo, J.L. (2001). Final Evaluation Report for the National Science Foundation, Gateway to the 21st Century Grant for Richmond City Public Schools, VA.
Certo, J.L. & Fox, J. (2001). Retaining Quality Teachers for the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium.
Cauley, K., Chafin, C. & Certo, J.L. (2001). Students’ Perspectives on Their High School Experience for the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium.
Cauley, K., Chafin, C. & Certo, J.L. (2001). Research Brief: Students’Perspectives on Their High School Experience for the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium.
Fox, J. & Certo, J.L. (2001). Teacher Induction and Mentoring for the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium.
Fox, J. & Certo, J.L. (2001). Research Brief: Retaining Teachers Across the Professional Continuum for the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium.
Certo, J.L. (2001). Evaluating Admissions Procedures and Criteria: An Audit for the RichmondCommunityHigh School Advisory Board.
Fox, J. & Certo, J.L. (2000). Retaining Quality Teachers in Virginia: A Review of the Literature for the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium.
C. Funded Grants
Certo, J.L. (2008). Genre Knowledge and Development: Preadolescents Reading, Writing and Performing Contemporary, Hip Hop and Slam Style Poetry. Submitted to the Spencer Foundation. Budget: $39,750. Status: Funded.
Certo, J.L. (2007). Using an Aesthetic Reading and Writing Workshop to Prepare Teacher Poet Fellows. Submitted to the MSU Lilly Teaching Fellowship Program. Budget: $14,000. Status: Funded.
Certo, J.L. (2006). Literature Circles in Elementary Classrooms: An Exploratory Study of Children’s Perceptions of the Approach, Social and Leadership Abilities, and Executive Functioning. Submitted to the MSU/COE In-House Seed Grant Committee. Budget: $3,000 Status: Funded at $2,600.
Certo, J.L., Li, G., Wibbens, E. & Martin, N. (2006). Learning to Teach Writing
to Preadolescents: A Collaborative Action Research Study in Three Urban Elementary Classrooms. Submitted to the MSU/COE Professional Development Network Grant Committee. Budget: $5,870 Status: Funded.
Levitt, K., Certo, J.L., Miller, J. & Flam, E. (2006). Executive Functionsthat Mediate or Moderate Reading Outcomes for Students Participating in Literature Circles. (Pennsylvania Department of Education Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant). Budget: $20,000. Status: Funded.
Levitt, K., Certo, J.L., Miller, J. & Flam, E. (2005). An Exploratory Study of Elementary Students’ Perceptions of Their Experiences in Literature Circles. (Pennsylvania Department of Education Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant). Budget: $25,000. Status: Funded.
Levitt, K, & Certo, J.L. (2004). The Novice Language Arts Teacher Digital Video Pilot Project(Pennsylvania Department of Education Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant). Budget: $5,000. Status: Funded.
Balach, C, & Certo, J.L. (2003). The Teacher Leader Cohort Project (Pennsylvania Department of Education Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant). Budget: $2,200. Status: Funded.
Certo, J.L. (2004). DuquesneUniversity Office of Research Pre-Award Assistance. Submitted to the Duquesne Presidential Writing Award Committee. Budget: $5,000. Status: Funded.
D. External Evaluations
External Evaluator, Equitable Resources Foundation, Reading is Seeing ($15,000 grant w. R. Mautino)Pittsburgh, PA (2005).
External Evaluator, Equitable Resources, Just Read the Book Campaign of Prime Stage Youth Theatre ($8,000 grant w. W. Brinda)Pittsburgh, PA (2004-2007).
External Evaluator, Dominion, Just Read the Book Literacy Workshop Project ($8,000 grant w. W. Brinda)Pittsburgh, PA (2004- 2007).
External Evaluator, Virginia Department of Education, Evaluation of the Virginia Standards of Learning Training Initiative($300,000 grant w. J. McMillan)Richmond, VA (2001).
External Evaluator, National Science Foundation, Evaluation of the Richmond City Schools NSF Excellence in Science and Mathematics($51,000 grant w. J. McMillan)Richmond, VA (2000-2002).
External Evaluator, National Science Foundation, The Elementary Teacher Cadet Program in Physics($5,000 grant w. Math and Science Faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University) Richmond, VA (2002).
External Evaluator, National Science Foundation, The National Science Foundations Teaching Fellows Project ($10,000 grant w. Math and Science faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA and The University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA) (2002).
External Evaluator, RichmondCommunityHigh School, Evaluating Admission Procedures, Criteria, and Instruments of Evaluation ($3,000 audit)Richmond, VA (2000).
E. Other Projects Funded
Certo, J.L., Moxley, K. & Reffitt, K. (2006). Student Enjoyment, Social Outcomes & Learning in Literature Circles: Elementary Students’ Perspectives Across Grades and Ability Levels. (partially funded by MSU Literacy Achievement Research Center (LARC)).
Certo, J.L., & Yoon, S. J. (2006). A Research Review of Elementary Students’ and Teachers’ Poetry Genre Knowledge and Experiences. (partially funded by MSU/COE Department of Teacher Education).
F. Scholarly Presentations
International and National, Invited
Certo, J. L. (Invited Paper, January, 2011). Poetic voices: Preadolescents, poets, the page, and an open mic. ESRC Poetry Matters Seminar Series, University of Exeter, U.K.
Certo, J.L., Apol, L., Wibbens, E., & Hawkins, L. (2009, April). The case for poetry in teacher education: Preservice teachers’ genre knowledge and development in a university-based course. Invited panel session (for Division K, Section 7) on creativity as a form of pedagogy in teacher education to the Annual Conference of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), San Diego, CA.
Certo, J.L. (2005, May). Spotlight on Writing: Highlighting recent research and ideas for practice. Publications panel presentation to the Annual Conference of the International Reading Association, San Antonio, TX (Invited)
International and National, Peer-Reviewed
Certo, J. L., & Hawkins, L. (November, 2011). Poetry is expressing feelings: Misreading masculinity in boys’ poems and their discourse about poetry. Presentation to the Annual Conference of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), Chicago, IL (International, Peer-Reviewed)
Certo, J.L.(September, 2010).Genre knowledge and development: Preadolescents writing and performing poetry.International Conference of the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI) Special Interest Group Writing, Heidelberg, Germany.
Certo, J.L., Apol, L., Wibbens, E., & Hawkins, L. (2009, April). The case for poetry in teacher education: Preservice teachers’ genre knowledge and development in a university-based course. Paper presented to the Annual Conference of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), San Diego, CA.
Certo, J.L., Miller, J., Moxley, K., Reffit, K. & Sportsman, E. (2008, March).Social skills & leadership abilities among children in literature circles: A mixed methods study.Presentation to the Annual Conference of the American Educational Research Association (AERA),New York, NY.
Martin, N. & Certo. (2008, February). Truth or tale?: The efficacy of teacher-student writing conferences. Presentation to Writing Research Across Borders, Santa Barbara, CA (International).
Sportsman, E., Certo, J.L., Miller, J. (2008, February). Literature circles: Social and leadership development among at-risk students. Presentation to the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), New Orleans, LA (National, Peer-Reviewed)
Certo, J.L., Moxley, K. & Reffit, K. (2007, December). Enjoyment, social outcomes and learning in literature circles. Presentation to the National Reading Conference (NRC), Austin, TX (National, Peer-Reviewed)
Miller, J., Schmitt, A., Certo, J.L., & Greene, T. (2007, August). Inattention and executive functioning in the general education classroom. Presentation to the Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association (APA), San Francisco, CA (International, Peer-Reviewed)
Certo, J, Vernon, L., Moxley, K., Reffitt, K.& Flam, E. (2007, May). Negotiating authentic instruction with literature circle book discussions: The perspectives of elementary teachers. Presentation to the Annual Conference of the International Reading Association (IRA), Toronto, CA (International, Peer-Reviewed)
Certo, J.L., Moxley, K., Reffitt, K., Miller, J. & Flam, E. (2007, April). Enjoyment, social outcomes and learning in literature circles: Children’s perspectives across grades and abilities. Presentation to the Annual Conference of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), Chicago, IL (International, Peer-Reviewed)