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Faculty
Twila Liggett
Assistant Professor of Education
email
212-774-4852
Degrees
B.S., Union College, Lincoln, NE
M.A., University of Nebraska
Ph.D., University of Nebraska
Dr. Twila C. Liggett is the Founder of the outstanding PBS Children's TV series, Reading Rainbow which premiered on PBS in 1983. She also served as Executive Producer of the Emmy award winning series, Reading Rainbow, from its inception through the Fall of 2006. Her knowledge and experience continue to provide the vital links between the parallel worlds of education and television that have made Reading Rainbow successful. Under her leadership, the series has won over 160 awards including the Prix Juenesse (1992) a prestigious international award, the Peabody (1993), and 26 national Emmys, ten of which are in the Outstanding Children's Series category.
As an educator and author, Dr. Liggett has published widely on issues ranging from literacy to human potential. In 1979 she received an American Educational Research Association award for a work she co-authored, The Whole Person Book. Toward Self-Discovery and Life Options. She also co-authored the Reading Rainbow Guide To Children's Books: The 101 Best Titles, (Citadel Press, Revised 1996). Author of a chapter, The Family Literacy Alliance: Using Public Television Book-based Series to Motivate At-Risk Populations in Family Literacy: Connections In Schools and Communities published by the International Reading Association (1995), Dr. Liggett also wrote entries for A Handbook for Literacy Educators: Research on Teaching the Communicative and Visual Arts "Voices from the Field," (Macmillan, 1998) and The Continuum Encyclopedia of Children’s Literature (K.S. Giniger Company, Inc., 2001). From 1997-2000, Dr. Liggett held a secondary role as a Senior Vice President at JuniorNet, an online service for kids. She has also held appointments as an adjunct professor at Marymount Manhattan College (1999-2000) and New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts (2001-2002).
Dr. Liggett holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum, Instruction and Administration, a MA in Elementary Education (both from the University of Nebraska) and a BS in Secondary and Music Education (Union College, Nebraska). Dr. Liggett was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Marymount Manhattan College (New York City) in 2001.
Dr. Liggett joined the faculty of Marymount (Fall 2006) as an Assistant Professor of Teacher Education with a specialty of Literacy. In addition to her classes, she is hard at work on new book for parents, tentatively titled "Just Read Anything – How to Raise Intelligent, Literate Kids."
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2009-2010
Achievements in Scholarship and Service
Presentations
Organized and hosted special presentation by Sesame Street’s executive producer, Carol-Lynn Parente – including a surprise guest appearance by “Elmo” (Kevin Clash) to Learning Communities 32 & 33 as part of the Learning Community – Theater Department’s goal to create artistic options and opportunities for MMC students, October 23, 2009.
Presenter, The Chilling Impact of “No Child Left Behind” on Learning, One Voice International Conference and Forum for educators, Tarrytown, NY,November 7, 2009.
Collaborator with Dr. David Linton, “Disability, Aesthetics and the Arts,” A Special Event Panel (at MMC) which included Lawrence Carter-Long, Executive Director of the Disabilities Network of NYC and Simi Linton, author My Body Politic, Co-Director and Producer of the documentary Invitation to Dance, November 11, 2009.
Workshop leader with co-presenter, Harriet Reisin, Using Children’s Literature to Teach Elements of Fiction, “Our Mutual Estate – Bridging the Gap between High School and What’s Next,” co-sponsored by the NYC Association of Assistant Principals Supervision–English and MMC, May 25, 2010.
Exhibitions
Co-curator (with Millie Burns), A Celebration of Children’s Book Illustration, Hewitt Gallery of Art at MMC, February 1-March 2, 2010. Exhibition capped by a special presentation, “The Picture Book Made New: Margaret Wise Brown (Good Night Moon), Her Illustrators, and Her World”by author and children’s book expert, Leonard Marcus, February 25, 2010.
Other Professional Activities
Member, Faculty Research Panel for Barnes and Noble’s investigation of a new generation of learning tools, digital texts and guides, February – May, 2010.
Inaugural member, Advisory Committee for the Brooke Jackman Foundation (which advances literacy among disadvantaged youths in the NYC area) and since its founding in 2001 (in honor of a 9/11 victim) has opened several libraries and given out thousands of books and school supplies, March 2010 – ongoing.
Attendee, “Reading Strategies: Forming a Basis for Life-long Learning,” speaker Dr. Perri Klass, sponsored by “Children of Bellevue,” Bellevue Hospital Center, NYC, March 31, 2010.
Volunteer, Community-Word Project, a NYC-based organization dedicated to helping at-risk young people to become critical and creative thinkers by learning through the arts, April 2010 – ongoing.
Host/Advisor to Wharton/University of Pennsylvania’s Global Consulting Practicum seminar regarding the literacy content of a new, international children’s television series, held at MMC on May 12, 2010.
Advisor to Bella The Great ( www.bellathegreat.com) website under construction and a line of books in development, May 2010.
College Service
“An Educator’s View of the Liberal Arts: There is no ‘dumb’ question.” What Is The Meaning Of Liberal Arts? Marymount Manhattan Reflections: six faculty responses. 2009: 8-9. Print.
“The Chilling Impact of ‘No Child Left Behind’ and Its Successor, ‘Race to the Top’ on Learning.” One Voice International Collection of Scholarly Works, One Voice Institute of Elemental Ethics & Education Journal. 2010-2011. Forthcoming.
Member, Education Department Search Committee for Chairperson, January – March, 2010.
Attendee, presentation by Howard Gardner, MMC, May 13, 2010.
Member, Ad Hoc Committee on Public Speaking, 2009-2010.
Member, Education Committee, 2009-2010.
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2008-2009 Achievements in Scholarships and Service
2009-2010 Achievements in Scholarships and Service
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