Supporting Proficiency through Outstanding Teaching - Online (Sample)
A 35-plus professional development video series created for new and veteran instructors to help unify program instruction.
ProficiencyBuilder Model (Sample)
This project yielded a 150-plus page website to help onboard ELA instructors at Kirkwood or world language educators at other institutions of higher learning to this new competency-based model.
Perhaps best viewed as a “course”, the website is a professional development resource, filled with step-by-step guides, tutorial videos, interactive electronic documents (namely the Competency Tracker
Form, a competency-based gradebook that isolates and monitors proficiency, course content, and homework/participation), qualitative and quantitative data from studies done specifically for this project,
a community forum, and other tools. A professional development credit incentive, upon submission of required documentation, is available if an educator wishes to receive a certificate of completion.
Academic Cultural Exchanges
The idea is simple: an ESL class and a non-ESL class get together to meet once or twice during the semester to engage in a meaningful, structured learning activity centered on cross-cultural understanding. Students love it, and it is really a simple, impactful way to connect them to new cultures, perspectives, and experiences they might not otherwise have, and all without having to leave campus.
Cultural Video (Sample)
Designed as an online resource for college instructors who are curious about their English language learners' cultural backgrounds, each video, in a collection of over 30, highlights a particular country or region, and narrows in on views toward education and writing.
Medical Spanish Website
A subscription-based, interactive website built from scratch using Joomla, this context- and multimedia-rich resource was designed for health care professionals looking to improve their knowledge of the Spanish language and culture.
Writing Exchange
An ELA and an Art Appreciation class write letters to each other throughout the spring semester sharing different ideas, traditions, and knowledge culminating in an exchange day where they meet for the first time, sharing gifts and creating new friendships.