Introduction: Fran Toomey
My name is Fran Toomey. I am a “retired” professor from St. Michael’s Education Department. I taught there full time from 1981 to 2004 and since then have taught one course a year. During my full time work I taught courses in Language and Learning, as well as courses in Adolescent and Adult Development and Learning, and Development, Learning, and Individual Differences. More recently I have been teaching a course on reading comprehension for Middle and High School Teachers. This summer I was scheduled to teach a graduate course titled “Learning How to Learn.” My particular focus has always been on learners who struggle with learning in general and language/literacy learning in particular. Within those areas, I have focused on memory, metacognition, and discourse.
I am passionate about language, literacy, and learning! I think everyone has the capacity to be a successful learner!
I have degrees in Speech/Language Pathology and Developmental Psychology.
B.S. Elementary Education, Speech/Language Pathology, Carlow College, Pittsburgh, Pa.
M.A. Speech/Language Pathology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
M.A., Ph.D., (Developmental) Psychology, University of Vermont
I have worked in elementary, middle and high schools, hospital settings, private clinics, college/university settings. I have worked directly with students in one-on-one and small group instruction as well as whole class teaching. I have supervised and coached undergraduate and graduate students working with struggling learners. I have worked in school systems on professional development in the areas of language, literacy and development.
My husband, George, is also a speech/language pathologist. Recently we have worked on team teaching a course in reading comprehension for teachers at a local middle school. We are also working on revising a teacher’s manual on reading comprehension and the first draft of a manual on writing.
Update:
I am an advocate for children who struggle with learning to read through my work at Vermont Family Network and Decoding Dyslexia-Vermont.
I am scheduled to teach a Stern Center 2019 summer course: "Connecting Oral and Written Language."
Comments (1)
Donna said
at 10:25 pm on Jul 20, 2009
We learned SO much from you and George!!!
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