I still can’t believe how fast a whole year has gone by in the ADL program, and graduation is almost less than week away! As I stand on the verge of graduation, with the whirlwind of the ADL program’s year behind me, I find myself reflecting on the very spark …
I’m Graduating! A Personal Journey of Learning & Innovation!! Read More »
Imagine a middle school Reading and Language Arts classroom where newcomer emergent bilingual students (NEBS) are actively engaged, using technology to explore diverse literary worlds that reflect not only their own experiences and cultures, but also the the new world they’re navigating in the United States. They collaborate on interactive …
Imagine starting school in a completely new world, where everything feels unfamiliar. This is the reality for many newcomer students, like Pedro Gomez, a fictional young boy from Venezuela who dreams of becoming a software engineer. His first day in American middle school is filled with excitement, fear, and the …
Bridging two worlds is a phrase that can describe both the challenge and the opportunity of learning in the twenty-first century. As the world becomes more complex, uncertain, and diverse, learners need to be able to navigate and integrate multiple sources of information and knowledge to solve problems, make informed decisions, and adapt to change.
I have a passion for helping newcomer emergent bilingual (EB) students learn English through high-quality instruction and authentic and meaningful projects, using technology as a tool and a resource. I believe that this approach can improve their educational outcomes and experiences, as well as contribute to the field of bilingual …
Imagine This… Picture yourself as a young student arriving in a new country, a new school, and a whole new world of uncertainty where everything seems unfamiliar and strange. You feel excited, scared, curious, and vulnerable all at the same time. School is daunting. You walk down the hallways, feeling …
The Why, How, and What of Our Curriculum Building Journey Read More »
The Technology-Enhanced Project-Based Learning for Newcomer Emergent Bilingual (EB) Students innovation plan was conceived in 2022 when my business partner and I noticed a critical shortcoming in the education of EB students in our school district. Specifically, EB students were using the same computer-based Reading/English Language Arts curriculum that general education students were using, but the EB students had not yet acquired enough English to successfully work in the platform. Additionally, the program did not offer adequate linguistic accommodations for newcomer EB students. Therefore, we offered to use resources we created when we previously worked as Reading teachers to build a Reading/Language Arts curriculum specifically designed with EB students’ unique needs in mind. Although this was outside of our regular job duties and an immense balancing act, we were compelled to take action because we wanted to ensure the newcomers were given a better chance at success in middle school with content and activities that is linguistically accessible and authentically engaging. We also believe that language should not be a barrier to education.
