Background Information
During the last few years, I have worked as a professor for Binghamton University. Currently, I coordinate and teach in the Global Studies Program. Through our minor, students capitalize on their curiosities by developing unique global research projects that highlight their skills and understandings. My role in these courses is to facilitate collaborative learning opportunities to help students to become critical thinkers and independent learners. I also procure the development of digital literacy, global citizenship and intercultural awareness.
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Along this, I have worked for the Romance Languages and Literatures Department teaching Spanish language and culture classes at all levels of proficiency both in-person and online. During my time there, I developed innovative courses to foster critical thinking and global awareness. Since the student population at Binghamton University includes an increasing number of Spanish Heritage speakers, I developed courses that address language learning from the HL perspective. In February of 2020, I presented at the National Symposium of Spanish as a Heritage Language on the topic of teaching Heritage Learners in the World Language Classroom.
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My responsibilities in the Romance Languages Department included advising and mentoring students, participating in curriculum development and other committees to strengthen our programs, and looking for opportunities for advancing our students’ language acquisition and cultural awareness.
I created and coordinated a collaboration program with Instituto Caro y Cuervo in Colombia that allows our students to have personalized conversation sessions with their students through videoconferencing. This has become an incredible asset to those language courses because it provides authentic practice. Despite the constraints of 2020, this program has allowed students to see immediate application to their learning.
I created and coordinated a collaboration program with Instituto Caro y Cuervo in Colombia that allows our students to have personalized conversation sessions with their students through videoconferencing. This has become an incredible asset to those language courses because it provides authentic practice. Despite the constraints of 2020, this program has allowed students to see immediate application to their learning.
I developed and taught a course in association with a professor in New Mexico on topics related to the Spanish of the United States. "Rethinking Spanglish" invited students to problematize the Spanish of the United States and and advance their critical language awareness through project based learning. Professor Wilson and I aligned our syllabi to offer students opportunities to look at the different perspectives that our locations can provide. Since the beginning of the semester, students at both universities interacted through multiple technologies to discuss language issues, analyze their social structures, compare perspectives and more. Throughout the semester, they shared their excitement about those meetings and all the collaboration and learning that happens in this kind of environment. Because their audience was not limited to me, they rose to the occasion and created high quality work that adds to the academic conversation regarding the Spanish of the United States. It is my goal to expose my students to global learning communities to advance their knowledge; it is my constant ambition to uncover the potential of technology in education.
Alongside this, I have worked as an adjunct professor in the College of Community and Public Affairs teaching courses for pre-service teachers and graduate students. My courses always focus on the development of real-life skills, and developing materials that can be used in the classroom and can be shared for the benefit of the World Language Teaching community. I have also taught for the Latin American and Caribbean Studies department on topics related to Caribbean literature. I collaborated with the program Languages Across the Curriculum (LxC) to develop language courses with focuses on literature, culture, global affairs and more.
Alongside this, I have worked as an adjunct professor in the College of Community and Public Affairs teaching courses for pre-service teachers and graduate students. My courses always focus on the development of real-life skills, and developing materials that can be used in the classroom and can be shared for the benefit of the World Language Teaching community. I have also taught for the Latin American and Caribbean Studies department on topics related to Caribbean literature. I collaborated with the program Languages Across the Curriculum (LxC) to develop language courses with focuses on literature, culture, global affairs and more.
I am also invested in social justice projects that promote a diverse community, encourage understanding, and bring awareness to current social issues. I am currently collaborating with colleagues across the university and in Spain to host the first LOCO festival at Binghamton University. ACNUR LOCO Festival is an educational project driven by the Spanish Committee of UNHCR to raise students’ awareness of refugees’ situations and the importance of getting actively involved in the defense of Human Rights.
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Before becoming a professor, I worked as a teacher of Spanish and English as a new language in elementary and secondary school for fourteen years. During this time, I explored multiple approaches to teaching and learning, and developed lessons for teaching Spanish language and culture through communicative and authentic practices. I also taught English to speakers of other languages. Here, I had the opportunity to hone in on differentiation and developed a solid understanding of contextualized language teaching and cultural awareness. These experiences also helped me generate learning practices that promote 21st century skills and support technology literacy.
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I completed an M.S. in Integrating Technology in the Classroom through Walden University. Participating in their online education program as a student provided me with first-hand experience in online learning. This translated into my professional life as an understanding of students’ needs in this type of learning environment as well as a vision of all the possibilities that become available through this medium.
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Since 2007, I have shared my research through workshops on topics related to teaching and learning, differentiation, and technology in education. In addition, as a past director of the Central Region of the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers (NYSAFLT), I worked with various committees to promote language education and to provide professional development opportunities for teachers in the area. I am currently in one of the committees tasked with the revision of the New York State standards for World Languages. I am passionate about education, I believe we need to transform the teaching profession to meet the demands of the current society, to advance learning opportunities of all students and ultimately to instill responsible global citizenship in our learning and professional communities.
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