Kirsten Musetti Tivaringe

Kirsten Musetti is a second year Doctoral student at the University of Colorado-Boulder in Literacy Curriculum and Instruction. While working as an elementary school teacher in Chicago Public Schools, Kirsten designed and implemented literacy curriculum integrating science and social studies for social justice. Kirsten notices a need for an inclusion of more informational text within the elementary curriculum, and is passionate about preparing preservice teachers and supporting in-service teachers in doing so. As the former instructor for EDUC 4311- Children's Literature and Literary Engagement in Schools, and current instructor for EDUC 4320-Reading in the Elementary Classroom, Kirsten sees curriculum and teacher preparation as a route for encouraging agency and activism. 

Kirsten's work is interdisciplinary, integrating her certificate (in progress) in Ethnic Studies, and her undergraduate degrees in psychology and sociology. Kirsten draws upon critical frameworks, including Critical Race Theory, Critical Literacy, and Critical Multiculturalism, while interrogating how literacy, race, class and socio-structural inequalities affect educational equity. Kirsten aims to produce research that is impactful on policy and accessible to elementary educators, lessening the research-to-practice gap.

Kirsten also serves as an advisor to and co-founder of University of Colorado- Boulder's Buffs Teach Abroad, the Registered Student Organization, where pre-service teachers extend their training internationally, beyond the four walls of the classroom, with international partner schools, through experiential learning and mutually beneficial service- learning programs. Research: Research Assistant on the Tactile Picture Book Project, (PI T. Yeh; Co-PI B. Dalton) NSF Funded Project to engage adolescents in the design of tactile picture books for children with visual impairments, Summer 2017 - present)

Instructor of Record

EDUC 4320 Reading in the Elementary Schools, Spring 2018

EDUC 4311 Children's Literature and Engagement in Elementary Schools, Sp 2017, Fall 2017

Graduate Teaching Assistant

EDUC 4112/PSYC 4114 Educational Psychology and Adolescent Development (Dr. L. Ortega, E. Van Steenis), Sp. 2017

EDUC 4320, Teaching Reading in Elementary School (Dr. S. Nogueron Liu) and EDUC 4321,Teaching Writing in Elementary School (E. Haberl), F 2016

University of Colorado Boulder, Buffs Teach Abroad Founder, Advisor, 2017-present

University of Colorado-Boulder, School of Education Library Committee, Committee Member, 2017

Book Chapter

(Dalton & Musetti, 2017) TACTILE PICTURE BOOK MAKING AND MULTIMODAL COMPOSITION: STUDENTS DESIGN FOR EQUITY IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS (In-press)

Curriculum Development

Thinking Core Blueprints, a series of curriculum modules and assessments for English Language Arts, including the integration of Social Studies and Science disciplines for upper elementary classrooms, authored by K. Musetti, edited by D. Carry. Chicago, IL. 2nd grade (January, 2015), 3rd grade (January, 2015), 2nd grade (March, 2015), 3rd grade (July, 2015) 3rd grade (April, 2016) 

Trimester Resource Guide, Lead writer on curriculum development project for Illinois Oak Park School District. a series of curriculum modules and assessments for English Language Arts, for upper elementary classrooms, authored by K. Musetti and co-designed with teacher leaders of Oak Park School District: Oak Park, IL. Thinking Core. (July 2015)

Trimester Resource Guide, Editor on curriculum development project for Illinois Oak Park School District. a series of curriculum modules and assessments for English Language Arts, for upper elementary classrooms, authored by K. Musetti and co-designed with teacher leaders of Oak Park School District: Oak Park, IL. Thinking Core. 3rd grade (March, 2016) 5th grade (March, 2016)  August Institute Road Map, a curriculum calendar and guiding questions script, authored by K. Musetti and edited by R. Daly. (August, 2014)