BONNIE KEILTY
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF EDUCATION
CURRICULUM & TEACHING

WHAT SHE'LL BE TEACHING: "Courses in the early childhood program that lead to certification in early childhood education, early childhood special education, or both."

LAST JOB: "I was the Director of Research at the University of Connecticut Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, and Assistant Professor in the Schools of Medicine and Education at the University of Connecticut. I coordinated research and training projects in the field of early intervention-supports for families of infants and toddlers with disabilities or developmental delays-and taught courses in early intervention and inclusion."

WHY SHE BECAME A TEACHER: "I became an early interventionist/early childhood special educator because I knew I wanted to make a difference in the lives of kids, and I felt that early childhood education was where I could contribute most. I became a professor because I wanted to impact the field broadly by promoting best practices and supporting learning, so that when my students become teachers they will also impact the field."

BOOK THAT MOST INFLUENCED HER: Between Generations: The Six Stages of Parenthood, by Ellen Galinsky. "It was the first book I read as a master's student and it greatly influenced my perspective on working with families."

MOST INFLUENTIAL TEACHER: "My 10th grade European history teacher, who motivated students to do their best by looking at each student individually."

MOST IMPORTANT PROBLEM IN EDUCATION: "The research-to-practice gap. Research needs to be made available to practitioners in a way that is meaningful and applicable to them. We also need to prepare practitioners to be ongoing consumers of new research throughout their careers, to enable them to continually advance the effectiveness of educational programs."

Published Monday, Oct. 11, 2004