Thomas Levine
Assistant Professor

Tom Levine is an Assistant Professor in the Curriculum & Instruction Department of the Neag School of Education. His research explores the influence of enhanced teacher community on teachers' work; he is also interested in how the strategies for high school conversion influence teachers and create opportunities for professional learning. He is beginning research studying the "patterns of practice and wisdom of practice" in social studies teacher education. Finally, he is interested in how social studies methods courses and teacher education programs prepare teachers to work with English language learners and to lead effective discussions. Tom was a high school history teacher for eight years, and has also taught undergraduate and graduate courses in the United States and China before coming to the University of Connecticut. From 1998-2000, he was the Associate Director of the New England China Network at Primary Source; he designed and led workshops on China for elementary and secondary teachers on groups, led teacher study tours to China, and supported teachers in designing lessons on peoples traditionally excluded from Social Studies curricula. Tom spent 2000-2005 at Stanford, where he earned a Ph.D. in Teacher Education and won Stanford Graduate Fellowship and a Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellowship. Tom's wife is Korean; Tom and Jihee hope to raise their twin daughters to be bi- or tri-lingual.

•Ph.D. (Curriculum and Teacher Education) Stanford, 2005

•Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (Chinese Language and Culture) Clark University, 2001

•M.A.T. (Social Studies Education), Tufts University, 1989

•B.A. with honors (History), Brown University

« Full C.V. »

Contact Information: 

Gentry - 242A

Phone: (860) 486-5449

Email: thomas.levine@uconn.edu

Mailing Address:
249 Glenbrook Road Unit 2033
Storrs, CT 06269-2033

Current Courses Taught:

Fall--EDCI 224 Elementary Social Studies Methods

Fall--EDCI 381 Masters Seminar

Spring--EDCI 370 Advanced Topics Social Studies Education

Spring--EDCI 381 Masters Seminar

Honors/Awards:

Spencer Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, 2004-05

Burt & Deedee McMurtry Stanford Graduate Fellowship, 2000-2004

Associations/Committees/Outreach:

American Educational Research Association

Northeast Educational Research Association

National Council of the Social Studies

Areas of Expertise:

Teacher Education

Professional Development

Social Studies Education

School Reform

Selected Publications/Presentations:

Levine, T. H. (accepted). A difficult but worthwhile path: Twelve questions for Professional Learning Communities. Journal of Staff Development.

Levine, T.H. (forthcoming). Socializing future social studies teachers and K-12 students: Whether, when, and why. The Social Studies.

Levine, T.H. & Marcus, A.S. (forthcoming). How the structure and focus of teachers’ collaborative activities facilitate and constrain teacher learning. Teaching and Teacher Education.

Levine, T. H. (forthcoming). “Preparing future teachers and citizens to address controversial issues: The four corner debate.” In E. Heilman, R. Fruja, & M. Missias (eds.) Social Studies and Diversity Education: What We Do and Why We Do It. New York: Routlege.

Levine, T. H. & Marcus, A. (2008). Closing the achievement gap through teacher collaboration: Facilitating multiple trajectories of teacher learning. Journal of Advanced Academics. 19(1) 116-138.

Levine, T. H., Irizarry, J., & Bunch, G. (2008). Beyond Open houses: School promotes cross-cultural understanding among teachers and language minority families. Journal of Staff Development. 29(1) 29-33.

Levine, T. H. (2008). Case 4.1: Structuring collaboration for student-oriented, progressive interaction. The Skillful Leader II: Confronting Conditions That Undermine Learning. (pp. 69-70). Acton, MA: Research for Better Teaching.

Levine, T. H. (2008). Are you open to changing practice, receiving influence, and taking teacher concerns seriously?” In The Skillful Leader II: Confronting Conditions That Undermine Learning. (pp. 63-64). Acton, MA: Research for Better Teaching.

Levine, T. H. & Bunch, G. (2007). “Community.” in G. Seitman & F. Pawan (eds.) Collaborative Partnerships between ESL and Classroom Teachers: Helping English Language Learners Succeed in Middle and High School. TESOL professional book series (Volume 3). (pp. 117-140). Alexandria, VA: TESOL.

Marcus, Alan S. & Levine, T. H. (2007). “Exploring the Past Through Feature Film” in Alan S. Marcus (Ed) Celluloid Blackboard: Teaching History with Film. (pp. 1-16). Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishers.