James Cercone

Clinical Instructor

Learning and Instruction

 573 Baldy Hall
 (716) 645-4076
  (716) 645-3161
 jeb9@buffalo.edu


Digital video composing and New Literacy Studies
Participatory Culture
Teaching and learning in diverse first-ring schools
Professional social networks in English education
Learning and Instruction

Curriculum Vitae

EDUCATION

Ph.D., University at Buffalo, English Education, 2010, GPA: 4.0.
Dissertation: Learning English in new times: The participatory design spaces of the new literacies classroom
M.A., University at Buffalo, English Education, 2002, GPA: 4.0.
Thesis: How we get it: Teaching and learning in a first-ring suburban English classroom
B.S., Buffalo State College, English Education, 1994, GPA: 3.25.
New York State Certification: Secondary English

AWARDS

Best Teacher Educator Award, 2009.
University at Buffalo
James Moffett Memorial Award, 2007.
National Council of Teachers of English: Conference on English Education
Marie Dellis Award, 1994.
Buffalo State College

RESEARCH AREAS

Teaching and learning in urban and diverse English language arts classrooms

Multimodal composing and student meaning making in English language arts classrooms

Digital technologies as instructional tools in English language arts classrooms

Clinically rich models of English teacher preparation


PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Clinical Instructor, University at Buffalo, 2008 – present.
Teaching and Advising
• Taught several graduate level education courses including: LAI 689: Graduate Community of Learning; LAI 686: Collaborative Inquiry and Teaching; LAI 617/698: Methods of Teaching English; LAI 573, Language Diversity and Literacy; LAI 518: Advanced Composition; LAI 515: Research in Literature, LAI 513: Teaching Literature; LAI 517: Advanced Teaching of English: Popular Media in the English Classroom; LAI 512: Readings in Multicultural Literatures
• Assisted with student teacher placements, program development and administration
• Advised pre-service and in-service students
• Guided student research projects and independent studies
• Voted best teacher educator by graduate students in the department of Learning and Instruction (2009)

Coordinator, Undergraduate Education Minor, 2011 – present.
• Responsible for the administration of undergraduate minor for students interested in pursuing careers in education
• Served as liaison between undergraduate advisors, academic programs and the department of Learning and Instruction in the Graduate School of Education
• Responsible for recruitment of students to the teacher education certification and master’s programs
• Recruitment and mentoring of program instructors, including doctoral students and adjunct faculty
• Administration of degree conferrals, course substitutions and other programmatic procedures

Coordinator, First-Ring Suburban Initiative, 2008 – present.
• Developed a collaborative program between the University at Buffalo and first-ring school districts to enhance teaching and learning within diverse communities in order to support teaching and research in first-ring schools
• Supported participating teachers’ action research projects
• Created recruitment programs designed to attract highly qualified teachers and professional staff for employment in first-ring schools
• Created professional development programs to support teaching and learning in diverse first-ring schools

Adjunct Instructor, Buffalo State College, 2011 – present.
• Taught ENG 311: Methods of Language Instruction

English Teacher, Cheektowaga Central High School, Cheektowaga, NY, 1997-2007.
• Taught English, 9, 10, English 11: American Literature, English 12: British Literature, English 10 Honors, Cultural Perspectives (Multicultural Literature), Cultural and Media Studies, Mass Media and Video Productions, Creative Writing: Poetry, Creative Writing: Short Story
• Cooperating Teacher, University at Buffalo (5 years)
• Advisor for school yearbook "The Centorial,” received regional and national Awards (1999-2001)
• Developed and advised school literary magazine "reed" (1997 - 2007)
• Class of 2001 advisor (2 years)
• Volunteered to participate on numerous school-related committees (Student Support Team, Honor Society selection committee, Diversity committee, Comprehensive District Educational Plan, School to Work program, School Improvement Team)
• Created several upper-level electives
• Cultural and Media Studies featured on WBFO as a local story for Morning Edition and All Things Considered
• Incorporated multimodal activities involving digital literacies and media production including class web pages, NPR inspired student radio documentaries, and student digital video projects

English Department Chairperson, Cheektowaga Central High School, 2002- 2007.
• Served as liaison between district administration and high school English teachers
• Responsible for curriculum development, coordination of summer projects, interviewing of job applicants, textbook ordering, and other duties related to the management and facilitation of a 9 - member English department
• Actively recruited English teachers for employment in the district
• Created upper-level elective program

Diversity Coordinator, Cheektowaga Central School District, 2002 -2004.
• Responsible for development and implementation of high school and district diversity program for staff and students

Liaison Site Coordinator, University at Buffalo and Cheektowaga Central,
2005- 2007.
• Worked alongside university representatives, building principals and cooperating teachers to coordinate field experience and student teaching placements in the district

Instructor, Upward Bound Program, University at Buffalo, 2005.
• Taught two digital video composing summer courses for Buffalo public school students

Instructor, City Voices, City Visions, University at Buffalo, 2001- 2003.
• Assisted in the development and implementation of professional development program designed to instruct teachers in the uses of digital video composing within multiple content areas

Publications

Cercone, J. (2012) “Being great for something”: Composing Music Videos in a High School English Class. In S. Miller, & M. McVee (eds.), Multimodal Composing in Classrooms: Learning and Teaching for the Digital World. New York, NY: Taylor & Francis/Routledge.

Cercone, J. (2009). We’re smarter together: Building professional social networks in English Education. English Education, 41:3, 199-206.

Alsup, A., Myers, J., Cercone, J., Farrell, E., Jocson, K., Kinloch, V., Kynard, C., McGrail, E. O’Connor, J. (2009) Globalization and English Education, Conference on English Education. http://www.ncte.org/cee/2007summit/globalization.

Bruce, D.L. & Cercone, J. (under review) Media literacy in English language arts teacher preparation. Action in Teacher Education.

Miller, S.M., Cercone, J., Blondell, M., & Goss, S. (under review) Digital video composing in urban and first-ring suburban English language arts.

Cercone, J. (n.d.). Participatory design: English language arts in new times. Manuscript in preparation.

Miller, S.M., & Cercone, J., (n.d.) Digital video composing as test preparation tool in a high needs urban school. Manuscript in preparation.

National Refereed Presentations

Cercone, J (2011, November). Reading the Past, Writing the Future of English Teacher Education: ‘Clinically Rich Models’ As Communities Of Practice. Paper presented to the National Council of Teachers of English, Chicago, IL.

Cercone, J. (2011, November). I Wish they All Could Be California Girls: Pre-service English Teacher’s Explorations into representations of gender in popular culture and literature. Paper presented to Women in Literacy and Life Assembly of the National Council of Teachers of English, Chicago, IL.

Cercone, J., Knips, M., Miller, S.M., (2009, June). Multimodal literacy pedagogy: Teachers and students using digital composing as a learning tool. Paper presented to the Conference on English Education, Chicago, IL.

Cercone, J. (2009, April). Negotiating teacher growth: Adapting digital video composing in an urban classroom. Paper presented to the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA.

Cercone, J., Knips, M., Miller, S.M. (2009, April). Teacher video analysis of students’ multimodal composing: Paired conversations for seeing, puzzling, believing. Paper presented to the American Educational Research Council, San Diego, CA.

Cercone, J., Knips., M. Miller, S.M. (2009, November). Towards a multimodal literacy pedagogy: Urban teachers learning to use DV as a student learning tool.
Paper presented to the National Council of Teacher’s of English. Philadelphia, PA.

Cercone, J. (2008, November). How we get it: Transforming English curriculum for new times. Paper presented to the National Council of Teacher of English, San Antonio, TX.

Cercone, J. (2007, November). Waking life: Digital video in the high school English classroom. Paper presented to the National Council of Teachers of English, New York, NY.

Cercone, J. (2007, November). Finally, for real: Digital video in the English classroom. Paper presented to the National Council of Teachers of English, New York, NY.

Cercone, J. (2002, April). “I'm not teaching the test, I'm teaching kids!: The media, the message and this American life.” Presentation to the National Council of Teachers of English. Portland, OR.

Cercone, J. (2001, April). How we get it: Working class kids and critical literacy. Paper presented to the National Council of Teachers of English. Birmingham, AL.

Invited Presentations

Cercone, J., Burke, S., Parker, B., Tomic, C. (2010, July). New and pre-service teachers conducting research in the English language arts classroom. Presentation at the Women in Literacy and Life Assembly Summer Conference, Buffalo State College, Buffalo, NY.

Cercone, J., Malley, J., Pastore, K., Baker, A. (2010, May). Teaching in the first -ring: Reading between the lines of race, class, and gender: Lessons from the first-ring suburban initiative at the University at Buffalo. Presentation to faculty of Nazareth College, Rochester, NY.

Cercone, J. (2008, October). Making it meaningful: Multimodalities in the English classroom. Presentation to English education students, Buffalo State College, Buffalo, NY.

Cercone, J. (2008, November). Whatcha’ Gonna’ Do With All That Junk? Images of Gender and Race In Popular Media. Presentation at the BISSNET Independent School Network Conference, Buffalo, NY.

Research Experience

Multimodal instructional approaches, digital technologies, the writing workshop approach to writing instruction, teaching and learning in diverse classrooms. Dissertation, University at Buffalo, 2009- 2010.

Teaching and learning in diverse first-ring English classrooms, developing professional learning communities. First-Ring Suburban Institute, University at Buffalo. 2007-present.

Digital video composing, teacher education and urban education. City Voices, City Visions Digital Video Composing Project, Research Assistant. 2007- 2008.

Youth studies, New Literacy Studies and English education. Action Research, Cheektowaga Central High School. 2006- 2007.

Service

Professional Education Advisory Committee, Teacher Education Accreditation Council, 2010-2011. University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY.

Associate Chair, Woman in Literacy and Life Assembly, 2010 -2011. National Council of Teachers Of English.

Program Chair, National Council of Teachers of English, 2011. The Importance of pre-service English teacher research. Program Chair, National Council of Teachers of English, Chicago, IL.

Discussant, Graduate School of Education Research Symposium, 2011. Elements of English instruction: Today's classrooms and best practices. University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY.

Program Chair, National Council of Teachers of English, 2009. Teaching in the first-ring: Reading between the lines of race, class and gender in diverse English classrooms. Philadelphia, PA.

Evaluator, Leadership Initiative For Tomorrow’s Schools, Oral Examination Panel, 2008. University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY.