In her exploration of educational strategies featured in the third vlog of her 4-part series, Professor Carol Ann Tomlinson delves into the capacities of every student in a classroom. She challenges the notion of labelling students as ‘gifted’, emphasising instead the unique neurodiversity and potential in each individual. Prof. Tomlinson advocates for a personalised approach in education, where the focus is on identifying and nurturing the next step in each student’s learning journey. She also critiques the conventional use of summative assessments, arguing that they often fail to capture the true depth of a student’s understanding. Prof. Tomlinson proposes a shift towards assessments that allow students to demonstrate comprehensive knowledge and apply their learning to new situations, thereby fostering their development as meaning-makers in an ever-evolving world. Her perspective underscores the need for a more holistic and nuanced view of student abilities and learning processes.
Carol Ann Tomlinson is the William Clay Parrish, Jr. Professor Emeritus. During her career at UVA, Tomlinson served as chair of the Educational Leadership, Foundations, and Policy Department, and co-director of the University’s Institutes on Academic Diversity. Prior to joining the faculty at UVA, she was a teacher in public schools for 21 years, where she taught students in high school, preschool, and middle school, and administered district programs for struggling and advanced learners. She was Virginia’s Teacher of the Year in 1974.
Prof. Tomlinson’s teaching and research at UVA centered on curriculum, differentiated instruction, and formative assessment. Her goal has always been to do work that supports classroom teachers in extending the quality and impact of their work with academically, culturally, and linguistically diverse learners. Toward that end, in addition to her scholarly publications, she has authored or co-authored over 300 books, book chapters, articles, and other educational materials for K-12 teachers and school leaders including How to Differentiate Instruction in Academically Diverse Classrooms (3rd Ed.), The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners (2nd Ed), So Each May Soar: The Principles & Practices of Learner-Centered Classrooms, and Everybody’s Classroom: Differentiating for the Shared and Unique Needs of Diverse Learners. Her books are available in 14 languages.
Prof. Tomlinson was named Outstanding Professor at UVA’s School of Education in 2004 and received an All-University Teaching Award in 2008. In 2023, she was ranked #12 in the Education Week Edu-Scholar Public Presence Rankings of the 200 “University-based academics who are contributing most substantially to public debates about schools and schooling,” and as the #4 voice in curriculum. She works throughout the United States and internationally with educators who seek to create classrooms that are effective in reaching diverse student populations.
