Renowned scholar, Dr. Carol Ann Tomlinson, visited Centenary University’s Literacy Conference via Zoom to share her knowledge and expertise. 

HACKETTSTOWN, NJ, April 10, 2025 — Participants, faculty, and staff attending Centenary University’s Annual Literacy Conference were excited to receive a virtual visit from the pioneer of differentiated instruction, Dr. Carol Ann Tomlinson. This year’s literacy conference was entitled, Differentiating Literacy Instruction to Meet the Needs of All Learners in Grades K-8. The conference was filled to capacity as over one hundred educators filed into the Sitnik Theater to learn from this icon in the field of education. Dr. Tomlinson shared her research and experience.  She urged educators to maintain a student-centered approach sharing that, “Differentiation places the student at the center of planning, implementation, and reflection” and “not to lose sight of what high-quality literacy instruction involves.”  She reinforced what a “responsive, kid-worthy learning environment” looks like and how to create a “community of learners.”

Dr. Tomlinson also encouraged participants not to confuse a list of skills or standards with a curriculum.  Standards are important ingredients for a curriculum but are not a curriculum, she noted—just as ingredients used to make a meal are not dinner.  A curriculum is much more expansive than a set of standards. It introduces learners to a wider world in which they can see themselves and see how what they are learning connects with their lives and experiences. It helps young people answer the question, “What is life and who am I in it?”  Educational leaders, educators and future educators left feeling invigorated as they continued into smaller workshop sessions to explore these topics more deeply.

A former PreK – 12^th grade public school teacher, Dr. Carol Ann Tomlinson is William Clay Parrish, Jr. Professor and Chair of Educational Leadership, Foundations, and Policy at the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education. In 2024, Dr. Tomlinson was ranked #12 in the Education Week Edu-Scholar Public Presence Rankings among “University-based academics who are contributing most substantially to public debates about schools and schooling,” and as the #4 voice in Curriculum & Instruction. In 2025, she was listed in Diverse Magazine’s Top Women in Higher Education: 40 Women Making a Difference in the World of Academia. She is the author of over 300 books, book chapters, articles, and other educational materials published in 15 languages.  

The annual conference is sponsored by the Centenary University Master of Education in Literacy Instruction Program and ESL Teacher Certification Program. Director of the program, Dr. Lexis McCoy said, “We were all humbled by Dr. Tomlinson’s visit and appreciative of her time. Her work has shaped education for decades and to learn firsthand from such a renowned scholar puts the educators who attended the conference at the forefront of this critical information. We are so proud that Centenary University can provide access to experiences such as this for educators to take back to their communities.” 

Centenary University’s School of Education and Humanities is a leader in bachelor’s degree programs in teacher preparation, as well as studies in English, History, and Mathematics. The graduate education programs feature master’s and doctoral level degrees.  The University’s Master of Education in Literacy Instruction Program is recognized by the International Literacy Association, not only for its commitment in supporting the ILA’s Standards for the Preparation of Literacy Professionals but also for ensuring that it offers the highest quality teacher preparation and ongoing professional development. Centenary University’s master’s degree program enables graduate students to meet state requirements for their New Jersey Reading Specialist Certification while completing a master’s degree. Candidates have the choice to pair a master’s degree with a supervisor licensure or ESL certification.