Kelly Burlison B.S., M.S., Ed.D.

Kelly Burlison is an assistant professor and program coordinator for the Elementary Education K-6 undergraduate program at Lynn University. Born in upstate NY, she received both a B.S. degree in Health Education K-12, an M.S in Reading Education K-12 from SUNY Cortland, and an Ed.D. degree in Instructional Leadership at Nova Southeastern University. Burlison began her teaching career as a reading specialist working briefly in the elementary grades before becoming a high school reading teacher, mentor, and reading coach for the Palm Beach County School District. She has experience working extensively with diverse students, struggling and resistant readers, and novice reading teachers grades K-12. Burlison has attended various reading district and state conferences, conducted literacy workshops, and has experience assessing students' academic needs for all grade levels. She has been trained in several academic intervention programs, facilitated reading leadership teams, and implemented reading and writing tutorials.

Burlison was awarded the Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award for the 2013-2014 academic year at Lynn University. In March 2015, she attended the College of Education Summit for Apple in Cupertino, California where she published an iTunesU course for preservice teachers using the iPad called "Elementary Reading Methods K-6." In 2009, Burlison was nominated for the Reading Coach of the Year award from Just Read! Florida, and in 2006, she was nominated for the "My Teacher, My Hero: Consistency to Mission" award for Palm Beach County Schools. She is a member of the Reading Council of Palm Beach County, International Literacy Association, Florida Reading Association, Secondary Reading Council of Florida, Florida College Reading Council, and the Eta Sigma Gamma National Health Honor Society. She is peer editor for the Long Island Review Journal and serves on several dissertation committees. Burlison strives to be an outstanding instructional leader and role model to her students by utilizing her extensive knowledge of balanced literacy within her classroom experiences. Her goals are to educate and support students in reading, writing, listening, and speaking, preparing tomorrow's teachers for a successful future.

• B.S., SUNY Cortland
• M.S., SUNY Cortland
• Ed.D., Nova Southeastern University

As Lynn University continues to grow in cultural, linguistic, and socio-economic diversities, Burlison believes it is valuable to implement instructional teaching strategies that support both individual and collective growth within classroom settings. She feels that small class sizes at Lynn University help to solidify the gradual-release model of responsibility instruction that accommodates a wide range of strengths and weaknesses that is both manageable and effective. Lynn's iPad mini revolution has changed the way our preservice teachers are thinking and learning. The Ross College of Education students are learning the importance of 21st century skills while customizing their own skill set, which ultimately prepares them to become effective teachers and leaders. Everyone is unique and everyone learns differently, and that is why at Lynn University our style of learning is interactive- and we embrace it!

Burlison is very proud to be a part of the Lynn faculty and staff. She feels that it is a welcoming place where life-long learners are able to perform the necessary tasks that enable them to become innovative and learn with confidence. She therefore teaches based on who she is and what she believes. Her teaching philosophy is geared towards how her students learn and how they make her the kind of teacher she is and want to become.

Burlison believes that teachers of the 21st Century must strive to become leaders with a vision that permeates throughout their future workplaces, which is manifested through their actions, beliefs, values, and goals. Her students learn through a balanced literacy approach which allows them to think critically, collaborate, initiate creativity, and engage in relevant activities through real-life experiences. Burlison feels that in our educational climate, there is a correlation between reading proficiency and academic success. Therefore, she strives to provide students with the proper tools to meet their instructional needs and have the opportunity to learn hands-on. She feels that providing students with the individual attention they need, helps address their diverse and cultural backgrounds along with exposing them to avenues of how to learn through reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The goal of instruction - every child a reader - is her responsibility as an educator. To provide effective reading instruction and assessment, reaching the digital learner, and being capable of knowing all your students- those that are learning to read and those that are learning to teach.

• Active instructional teaching strategies
• Effective reading and ESOL strategies
• Reading diagnostic assessments K-12
• Literacy and multiculturalism

• Small group reading instruction and assessment
• Teaching diverse student populations
• Researched-based reading interventions K-12
• Reading education K-12
• ESOL endorsement K-12
• Instructional leadership in Education