EL Summit 2017
Crossing Borders
Presenters
Interactive Notebook for the ESL Classroom
Braulio Santiago
Braulio Santiago is currently the Director of Turnaround Schools for CES in Trumbull, CT. He has been a Leadership Coach for the International Center for Leaders in Education in Albany, NY, Scholastic Partners, and Houghton Mifflin. In this role, he has worked in Puerto Rico, New York, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and California. He has conducted numerous School Reviews, Needs Assessments, Strategic School Planning and training in Rigor, Relevance and Relationships, and ELL. Additionally, he was the Executive Director of Tribal Education for Foxwoods in CT. Mr. Santiago also served as Principal for 16 years and Coordinator of Bilingual/ESL in the New Britain Schools.
Literacy Strategies for Primary English Learners
Sara Koch-Aquino
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Sara Koch-Aquino has been a bilingual first grade teacher for two years at Johnson School. She previously taught ESL grades k-12 for five years. Sara has a Bachelor’s Degree from Fordham University in Spanish Literature and a Master’s Degree in TESOL from Fairfield University.
Colleen Furtak
Colleen Furtak has been teaching kindergarten in Bridgeport for 12 years. She serves as a mentor and peer observer at Johnson School. Colleen has a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Boston University and a Master’s Degree in TESOL from Fairfield University.
Carla Goncavales
Carla Goncalves is currently a second grade bilingual teacher at Johnson School. She earned a Master’s Degree in teaching English and German as a Second Language in Portugal at the University of Vila Real. When she came to the US 13 years ago, she completed a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education.
Helping English Learners (ELs) Succeed in the Classroom: Implementing SIOP Strategies(Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol)
Diane DiStefano
Diane DiStefano’s comprehensive background knowledge of English Learners (ELS) has enabled her to have a long lasting educational career educating ELs, and a variety of students, in Bridgeport Public Schools. Her knowledge of ELs was enhanced by her formal education: BA in Elementary Education with a major in Spanish, MA in Bilingual/Multicultural Education, Certificate of Advance Studies (Sixth Year Degree) in Bilingual/TESOL Education, and an Intermediate Administrative Certification (092) Degree. Throughout her career, she has served as an educator in various capacities such as: A teacher in the Bilingual Pairing Model Program, The Multicultural Resource Coordinator at the Multicultural Magnet School, An ESL teacher at numerous district schools, the District’s ESL Curriculum Specialist, Assistant Principal at Cesar Batalla School, and currently a Bilingual/ESL consultant for Bridgeport’s Bilingual Department. In addition, Diane was a founding member of the planning and implementation teams of Multicultural Magnet School, the District’s Dual Language “Unidos” Program, and the Alternative Route to Certification for Teachers of English Language Learners (ARCTELL) Program.
Nancy Frederick
Nancy Frederick is a Bilingual/ESL consultant with Bridgeport’s Bilingual Education Department. Her career began in Bridgeport as an elementary teacher, an ESL teacher, an ESL curriculum Specialists, and eventually as the Assistant Director of Bilingual Education. Nancy was appointed the Liaison for the “Cornerstone Reading Improvement Grant.” She represented and facilitated this initiative in Bridgeport for a number of years. In addition, she became the External Literacy Facilitator for “Connecticut’s Reading First Grant.” She supervised this grant in Bridgeport, Hartford, Stamford, and Waterbury. Nancy also serves as the coordinator for the District’s “Immigrant Student Grant”, which emphasizes educational support for English Learners.
Language Acquisition vs. Language Learning
Ms. Doré is a second-grade Bilingual Teacher at Columbus Elementary in Bridgeport, CT. She started at the Bilingual realm in 2015 at Silvermine Elementary School as a Bilingual Student Teacher in the Dual Language Program. She taught first grade Spanish and worked as an English as a Second Language long-term substitute teacher. Ms. Doré’s philosophy as a Bilingual teacher is to employ bi-literacy consistently and to never over-simplify English. She currently has a Master's Degrees in Education with a certification in Elementary K-6 Teaching Certificate from the University of Bridgeport, and she is working towards her Bilingual/TESOL certification at Fairfield University. She is passionate about Bilingual education and has often said that "I not only have three children but twenty-four" when referring to her beloved students.
Second Language Acquisition Activities to Use in the Classroom
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Teaching is what Lizet Alvia dreamed of since the third grade. After graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics and a Master of Science with Certification in Education, she went on to further her education by obtaining a Bilingual Certification. She had no idea that her decision would have such an impact on many English Language Learners. She feels it is a privilege and an honor to teach English Language Learners at Columbus Elementary School for the past 5 years. Lizet is a passionate teacher who works tirelessly for her students. She incorporates various strategies, analyzes data to drive small group and whole group instruction, implements lessons which accommodate different learning styles, and incorporates differentiation to meet students' needs. Lizet’s goal is to make a difference in her students’ lives through building their self-confidence in their new language, and challenging them with high expectations for every one of her students.
Lizet Alvia
Using Technology in the Classroom: Reaching Students from All Backgrounds
Kiria Cruz
Kiria Cruz is a certified ESL teacher who currently teaches ESL and US History-Bilingual at Harding High School. She is a tech savvy and loves to integrate technology in the classroom. Cruz started her teaching career in 2006 in Puerto Rico as an English teacher and has offered workshops in technology integration in Puerto Rico and Connecticut. She had a Bachelor's Degree and 25 graduate credits in TESOL from the University of Puerto Rico and graduated from Saint Joseph University in May 2017, where she completed a Master's Degree in Educational Technology. Additionally, Cruz is also a certified BeGLAD (Guided Language Acquisition Design) trainer, a Seesaw Ambassador and a ClassDojo Mentor. It is her goal to provide a significant contribution to her school, to the Bilingual Department, and to the community in Bridgeport, CT.
What do I do With New Arrivals?
Mayra Medina
Mayra Medina received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Certification in Elementary Education from Sacred Heart University. She received a Master's Degree and 6th-year credits from Southern CT State University and Fairfield University. Mayra Medina has been teaching in the Bridgeport Public School System for 26 years where she has served as a classroom teacher for eight years and Mathematics Coach for thirteen years. She was an English Language Learner herself as an early elementary student in Bridgeport and knew she would one day pursue a career in TESOL. She received a cross-endorsement in TESOL and is currently a Kindergarten through eighth grade ESL teacher at Barnum Elementary School. Mayra is a committed teacher and an active community member
Administrators Guide to Navigating Your ELs
Layla Intellisano
Ms. Layla Intellisano is a K-8 ESOL Teacher for the Bridgeport Public Schools. She earned her Master’s degree in Teaching from Sacred Heart University and her cross-endorsement in TESOL from Fairfield University. She began her teaching career in Adult TESOL in 1998 and upon her endorsement completion began teaching K-8 TESOL. She served as the PBIS Coach and CommPACT Facilitator at the district and school level, in partnership with the University of Connecticut, Storrs and is a trained Teacher Mentor for the Bridgeport Public Schools. She provides professional development at the national, district, and school level in areas of ELL Policy & Procedure, ELL Advocacy, Standards Based Instruction, and Second Language Acquisition. Ms. Intellisano currently serves as ELL PD Trainer for the National Education Association, Washington, DC
Challenges of Identifying LD and Language Development Issues for ELLs
Dr. David Aloyzy Zera
Dr. David Aloyzy Zera earned a B.A. in special education from Southern CT State University, an MA and a Sixth Year Professional Certificate in special education from Fairfield University, and a Ph.D. in special education from the University of CT. He maintains certification as a special educator grades k-12 and in intermediate administration and supervision. Dr. Zera taught middle school level students with disabilities for 15 years in an urban public school district and has served as a professor of special education, and reading and language development, at Fairfield University for the past 19 years. Dr. Zera co-teaches classes with his colleague, Dr. Anne Campbell on reading and language development, identification of the similarities and differences between students with special learning needs and bilingual students, and how to meet the needs of these diverse student populations. During the 2014-2015 academic year, Dr. Zera and Dr. Campbell provided year-long, monthly, professional development to all faculty and staff at Cesar Batalla school in Bridgeport providing training on how to meet the literacy needs of all students, particularly those with special needs, bilingual students, and bilingual students with special needs. In collaboration with Dr. Campbell and two other colleagues, Dr. Zera designed a new Sixth Year Professional Certificate in reading and language development (RLD) program for Fairfield University that started this past September 2015. The RLD programs recently submitted a proposal to the state of CT to offer the 102 Developmental Reading and Developmental Language Arts endorsement and hope to begin enrolling students for the fall semester. More than $800,00 from foundational sources support this program. Since 2002, Dr. Zera has authored proposals for, and received more than 3 million dollars in, federal funding to offer teacher-training programs in special education, bilingual education, and as a teacher of English to speakers of other languages. Many of the program completers currently work in Bridgeport and assume various roles. He has presented his research findings and theoretical models of service delivery worldwide. And his publications in the field resulted in his being internationally recognized by the European Union as being one of three theoretical models to influence the field of dyslexia.
Dr. Anne Campbell is the Associate Dean of the Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions and Director and Associate Professor of TESOL, World Languages and Bilingual Programs at Fairfield University. She and Dr. David Zera co-direct the B.E.S.T. Education Project, a federally funded National Professional Development grant that has provided certification coursework in TESOL, bilingual and special education to more that 55 teachers in four partner districts. Dr. Campbell has more that 25 years experience in TESOL/bilingual teacher education. From 2000-2008, she coordinated the TESOL and bilingual programs at Washington State University Pullman and Tri-Cities campuses. Prior to 2000, she was a visiting professor of bilingual education at the University of Arizona and a TESOL and developmental reading faculty member at Pima Community College in Tucson, AZ. Dr. Campbell began her career as a Title VII Teacher Corps Fellow in Hartford, CT. She was a 4th-grade bilingual teacher at the Anne Street Bilingual Community School and earned her MA in Elementary Bilingual Urban Education from the University of Hartford. Her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a major in bilingual/multicultural education is from the University of Florida.
Dr. Anne Campbell
Cantando y Jugando: Building Cultural Sensitivity through Games
Elba Llantin-Cruz has been teaching in CT for over 20 years. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Southern CT State University. Elba was inspired to educate when she worked as a Project Excel Aide, serving English Language Learners in the bilingual program, at Brookside Elementary School in Norwalk. She then earned her Masters in Teaching from Sacred Heart University and worked in various grades (3rd, 4th, and 5th) at the elementary level for 12 years in Norwalk. During her time in Norwalk, Llantin-Cruz also worked at Columbus Magnet School, which focused on the H.O.T. School method, incorporating the Arts into teaching. She has been with the Fairfield Public Schools for the past ten years, where she has worked at various levels and positions: a Spanish teacher, an EL Literacy summer school teacher, a Math and Language Arts teacher, and now a middle school Social Studies teacher. She earned credits to complete an individualized 6th Year program in Literacy and Language with the Fairfield Schools. She has cross-endorsements in Elementary Education, TESOL, and Middle School Social Studies. She’s currently pursuing her Intermediate Administrator’s Certification at Sacred Heart University and is also seeking for Bilingual endorsements. Elba’s strengths and goals are to bring the arts into the classroom and to incorporate differentiated instruction through a variety of methods, including games. In addition to teaching, Elba is a singer/songwriter and producer. She currently has two children’s CDs, Cantando y Jugando (available now) and Cantando y Jugando Otra Vez (released soon!), a collection of Puerto Rican, traditional and original children’s music and games.
