Contact Information

C.V.

Biography

A former classroom teacher, Dr. Karen Levitt, is an associate professor and the Director of Teaching & Certification in the Department of Instruction and Leadership in the School of Education. Dr. Levitt has been on faculty at Duquesne since 1995. She has served as the Director of the Leading Teacher Program (LTP), the undergraduate and graduate teacher education programs at Duquesne, since 2004.

Dr. Levitt's primary area of expertise is elementary science education. She has become known within the state for a course titled, Teaching Science with Toys, for which she was awarded the Duquesne University Creative Teaching Award. Previously, she was selected as a Teaching Fellow for the Exploratorium's Institute for Inquiry in San Francisco. Dr. Levitt consults with area school districts on issues of science education, strategic planning, student assessment, and curriculum development. She has made scholarly and clinical presentations at state, national, and international conferences. She has had several articles published in professional journals, and serves her profession in a variety of capacities. Dr. Levitt participates on several professional committees within her field, and serves on a number of community boards.

Education

  • Ed.D, Science Education, University of Pittsburgh, 1996
  • M.Ed., Science Education, University of Pittsburgh, 1992
  • B.A., Elementary Education, Miami University (Oxford, OH), 1987

School

  • Teaching Science in the Elementary (K-6) School
  • Teaching Science in the Middle (4-8) Grades
  • Teaching Science with Toys
  • Orientation to the Teaching Profession
  • Intro to Teaching
  • Program Design

American Association for Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE) - Topics: Infused Special Education in the Leading Teacher Program; Inquiry Science Endorsement; Assessment of Candidate Dispositions

American Education Research Association (AERA) - Topics: Teacher Inquiry; Professional Development; Portfolio Assessment

Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE) - Topics: Formative Assessment; Teacher Inquiry; Inquiry Science Endorsement; Teacher in Residence

National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) - Topics: Teachers' Beliefs; Teacher Inquiry

National Science Teachers' Association (NSTA) - Topics: Teaching Science with Toys; The ABCs of Teaching Science through Children's Literature; Kinderscience; Science for Your Favorite 5 Year Old

Professional Development Schools Conference - Topics: Multiple Models of Professional Development Schools within One Collaborative; Inquiry as a Means for Developing Professional Development School Relationships

Invited Presenter

ASSET: Science: It's Elementary (Keynote). Making the Case for Professional Development.

ASSET: Teacher's Inquiry Conference (Keynote). Why do teacher research?

Association for Materials Support Centers (ASMC) Topics: Continuous Improvement; Building a Community of Learners

Pittcon: Teaching Science with Toys

  • Stark Young Leadership Award, United Jewish Federation, 2007
  • Sonia and Aaron Levinson Award (for Pursuit of Social Justice), Community and Public Affairs Council, 2002
  • Teaching Fellow, The Exploratorium, San Francisco, 2001
  • Nominee for the Omicron Delta Kappa Teacher of the Year Award, Duquesne University, 2000
  • Creative Teaching Award, Duquesne University, 1996