Arts & Humanities » Teachers College

Educating Harlem, Histories of Learning and Schooling in an American Community

Gretchen — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 19:05:44 +0000

The Department of Arts & Humanities would like to invite you to a Public Lecture by Dr. Khalil Muhammad, the Director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

Grand Simplification: Historical Illiteracy in the Age of Mass Incarceration

Wednesday, April 24th
Lecture: 4-6pm in Room 179 Grace Dodge Hall
Reception immediately following in Room 177 Grace Dodge Hall until 7:30pm

The Reception is being co-sponsored by
Department of Arts & Humanities and by our A&H Student Senators

Cheng-Ling Alice Chen, Recipient of the Dean’s Grant for Student Research

marieweller — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 16:23:29 +0000

Alice Chen, 2012 recipient of the Dean’s Grant for Student Research, knew from an early age that she wanted to be a teacher. After living in Texas for four years while her father earned his PhD, Chen went back to her home in Taipei, Taiwan with a proficiency in English that set her apart.

The language skills she had developed in Texas during her elementary school years enabled Chen to later on help her fellow students with their study of English and to take on the role of TA or “little teacher” to help with grading and other classroom tasks. This experience sparked her interest in English language learning and teaching and confirmed that she had what it takes to fulfill her dream of becoming a teacher.

Years later, Chen chose to pursue her Master’s degree at Teachers College in Applied Linguistics and follow in the footsteps of an influential former professor from undergrad, Dr. Yun-Pi Yuan. She was drawn to the program by the scholarly interests of TC faculty member, Dr. ZhaoHong Han, who has since become her academic advisor as Chen pursues her doctorate degree in the TESOL program, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.

Chen’s current research focuses on achieving reading comprehension and vocabulary acquisition through reading-based instruction such as repeated reading. Chen describes acquisition as learning that happens naturally as opposed to that which is dictated in the classroom. She became interested in vocabulary when she realized that it is an area that she and many other second language learners of various proficiency levels struggle with.

“The learning of a second language (L2) is an ongoing process!” she says. “And vocabulary acquisition is so important as vocabulary is the meat of a language. At different proficiency levels there are always new words for L2 learners to acquire and aspects of a language that we can help students improve.” It was for her research on the efficacy of repeated reading for reading comprehension and vocabulary acquisition that Chen received the prestigious Dean’s Grant for Student Research.

Dr. Han says of Chen’s work: “The topic is significant yet under-researched in second language education. Whereas repeated reading has been amply established in first language reading research as effective for improving reading comprehension and fluency, and there recently has been increasing evidence from second language research confirming the same effects for second language readers, it remains to be explored whether repeated reading can lead, additionally, to vocabulary growth. Confirming (or otherwise) the latter holds a great deal of importance for second language learners, for whom reading is both a literacy skill to be developed and a source of language acquisition.”

Chen plans to return to Taiwan after completing her dissertation and use her research and her passion for teaching to impact English language education there.

“I enjoy teaching. After graduation, I look forward to teaching EFL (English as a Foreign Language) classes and content courses, which would be SLA (Second Language Acquisition), vocabulary, or reading related to college students and adult learners,” she says.

Chen also hopes to make a difference through an online language-learning program – entitled Ed-Wonderland – which she is developing with her boyfriend, a doctoral graduate of the Instructional Technology and Media program at Teachers College. It is a multi-player online educational game that allows younger students to take their avatar through a virtual world that simulates every day life and to soak up (English) language skills along the way. Although she finds it challenging to do curriculum design on an Internet-based platform, she says, “There’s a lot of potential because I could integrate what I have learned about foreign language education and implement all kinds of activities and content-based, theme-based, task-based teaching on there to make language learning fun and authentic!”

Cheng-Ling Alice Chen is currently a doctoral student in the TESOL program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research interests include instructed second language learning, reading instruction, as well as vocabulary acquisition in general, and the effect of the repeated reading approach on second language reading comprehension and vocabulary acquisition in specific. She is also interested in technology-assisted and online game-based foreign-language learning. In addition to academic pursuits, Alice had taught English to second and foreign language young and adult learners in Taiwan and in the U.S., and is currently program secretary for the TCSOL Certificate Program at Teachers College.

Graduate Spotlight: Janice Marciano Nimetz, History and Education

Lydia Kim — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 17:22:57 +0000

Janice Marciano Nimetz graduated this May with her PhD in History and Education. Nimetz has taught piano at the Emma Willard School for several years and plans to continue teaching there. Nimetz, who has also studied Musicology, hopes to find more places of intersection for her two passions: music and history.

Nimetz, who wrote her dissertation on music schools as examples of professional education, wanted to study the history of higher education and answer the question “What is an educated person and how does that- or does it- change when you go to a professional school, whether you come out of a liberal arts environment or a more vocational environment?” Nimetz wanted to explore the tension between “…developing talent and acquiring a firm academic foundation,” as she noted that both practicing music and academics are highly demanding fields of study, which often left her students struggling to find the balance between the two.

As for her time at Teachers College, Nimetz says, “The program [in History and Education] just broadened my horizons… I really have become very conscious of different points of views [and their] validity and how positions have different demands. ” Nimetz also spoke highly of her colleagues and the support they offered. “I worked in isolation for so long, but this past year I had more contact with my colleagues in History and Education and it meant a great deal to me… being with them was very supportive.”

With her many years of teaching experience, Nimetz had some words of wisdom for incoming teachers about the important qualities in an educator. “I think a broad vision and somehow the word compassion [comes to mind]… first of all a broad vision and that’s for many things. As an educator, for example, you have to understand different cultures and backgrounds that people are coming from. You have to understand different talents and how you can apply your teaching skills in a variety of ways… An educator needs to know [his or her] field well so it allows for flexibility… to recognize different learning styles, different backgrounds, [and] to try to take in as much understanding as you can.”

Graduate Spotlight: Marisa Gallin, English and English Education

Lydia Kim — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 14:00:50 +0000

Congratulations to Marisa Gallin, who graduated this May with her Master’s degree in English and English Education!

Gallin, who practiced law for three years before deciding to teach English, plans on teaching at middle school and high school levels. Most recently she student taught 9^th grade English at the Young Women’s Leadership School.

Gallin was drawn to the English and English Education program at Teachers College based on its student-centered approach to teaching, focus on literature and writing, and its progressive nature.

For Gallin, teaching is primarily about helping students make connections. “…for me teaching is about helping my students connect with literature and writing. That includes comprehending and appreciating the mechanics, of course, but also connecting on a deeper level with themselves and the world. It’s important that we use reading and writing to explore societal issues in a very human way–examining our common experiences and feelings, empathizing with others, and understanding different perspectives and interpretations… I want my students to not just be analyzing and approaching the text, but seeing themselves as communicators of their ideas, learning to express themselves artistically.”

Gallin also finds the personal connections she makes with her students extremely important. “I try to figure out how to connect to my students in the best way, communicating through a variety of manners [whether it’s] in writing, personal face to face time, or getting to know their families and their home life.”

Ultimately, Gallin says, “I want to help my students see themselves as part of a larger discourse.”

As for advice for incoming students, Gallin says “I would tell aspiring teachers to really figure out what you want to teach, what your primary goal is, and then take everything you learn here in stride. There are lots of great ideas out there, but they don’t always gel. Pick and choose what approach you’re going to adopt as your own based on your personal compass. Form your own ideological stance on teaching and measure everything against that.”

Graduate Spotlight: Gillian Esquivia-Cohen, Bilingual/Bicultural Education

Liz Hoelzle — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 14:26:54 +0000

For the past two years as a student in TC’s Bilingual/Bicultural Education program, Gillian Esquivia-Cohen has been working with child immigrants, new-arrivals to U.S. classrooms, and researching traumatic immigration (trauma that results from severe psychological stress either immediately before, during, or immediately after the immigration process.) Traumatic immigration is much more common than educators and administrators have previously recognized, though the issue is beginning to attract some attention.

This past year, Gillian Esquivia-Cohen has been busy student teaching, as well as preparing and presenting her Integrated Project, which is akin to a thesis in her program. The issue of traumatic immigration was also the focus of this project, which she presented in January. Specifically, she investigated bibliotherapy, the use of thoughtfully selected, developmentally-appropriate literature that is thematically and culturally relevant to a child’s current situation to help gain insight into and cope with problems they are experiencing.

Esquivia-Cohen has gained a lot in her experience here. “TC is such a rich environment, with so many resources, once you know where to look, who to talk to, etc. My time at TC was immensely rewarding. I only wish I had had more time to take more courses outside of our program.”

She looks forward to taking what she learned here out into the field. “Probably my biggest take away is that good teachers never stop learning. I had the opportunity to work alongside two fantastic, veteran teachers during my two semesters of student teaching and what I saw in their classrooms was that effective teaching requires doing your homework: really getting to know the students and their situations, trying to figure out how they learn best, and what they need from you as the teacher. Even though my time as a graduate student is coming to an end, I know I’ll remain a student in my own classrooms.”

Post-graduation, Esquivia-Cohen will be moving back to Colombia. Before coming to TC, she and her Colombian partner had lived and worked in the Northern Conflict Zone with internally displaced communities and other rural communities that had been particularly hard hit by violence and neglected by their government. This time they’ll be living in Bogotá, where Esquivia-Cohen will be working with internally displaced children and researching what methods Colombian professionals have found that classroom teachers can use to help these young people heal and adjust to their new lives in the capital.

“This work will be an extension of my Integrated Project, as traumatic migration, such as internal displacement, has many of the same psychological repercussions as traumatic immigration: one just involves crossing a border.”

After she finishes her research about a year from now, she plans to teach elementary school in Bogotá, hopefully with internally displaced and/or underprivileged children.

Graduate Spotlight: Tali Cherizli, Arts Administration

marieweller — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 14:28:39 +0000

Tali Cherizli graduated in May with a Masters in Arts Administration, and subsequently began an internship at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France. Prior to attending Teachers College, Tali was the Director of Film and Media at the Israeli Consulate.

You’re about to graduate, what’s next?

My immediate plan is to go work at UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) for two months. Born in Israel, I am very excited about the recent hype about the Middle East; everyone’s talking about the Louvre and the Guggenheim opening in Abu Dhabi, in general it is very interesting to see what the Guggenheim is doing in terms of its global initiatives. I believe it is key today for an art administrator to have a very wide international perspective.

That sounds amazing, what will you be working on?

I wrote my thesis about development models in visual arts museums in Israel. I’ve explored four museums and looked at what they are doing in terms of development, especially in Israel where there is no giving mentality. It’s a similar situation to many European countries where there was this tradition of government support for the arts and as a result, other mechanisms for fundraising from private sources were basically undeveloped because they didn’t need it. UNESCO offered me a two-month internship dealing with the implementation of development models, so it will be this natural process of continuing what I’ve researched thus far. I’m really looking forward to working there to see the situation in Europe and what the European Union and the UN are doing about it. How are they educating arts organizations, especially in developing countries, to self-sustain?

And after your internship, then what?

I’m going in many directions; I think that’s the same for every international student. There’s the option of going back to your home country and implementing everything you’ve studied. But, especially in our program, when you get exposed to all these cultural institutions, and especially to other people who will one day be your colleagues, I feel that unless I work here for a while in a cultural organization—in an American organization—I won’t be really fulfilling everything I think I’ve gained from the program.

Do you see yourself going back to Israel one day?

It’s funny because I was on this really clear path of graduating and then looking for a job and then working here for a few years. But I spent all of the winter break in Israel, and there is something really exciting going on there. it felt like there was so much going on—these new centers opening, talk of two museums that are now in the final stages of raising money, a new director for the Tel Aviv Museum, new foundations opening up. It does feel that there’s some new blood maybe. The prospect of going back to Israel really excites me now, being such a small country, with so much going on culture-wise is really inspiring. For me this program is really important because there aren’t such programs in Israel, in most cases it’s usually that a person comes from an arts background and through the years acquires managerial skills just from working in the field.I think it could be highly valuable for the next generation of arts administrators to have these managerial and business skills, especially in face of the recent shifts in development and funding for the arts.

What else have you gained from the program?

I think first and foremost it’s the camaraderie of the student body. We were a pretty tight unit—the Arts Admin community. It’s kind of like there’s no one else here that speaks our language. And also, being an international student, it’s great to see people—Americans, non-Americans and other international students—with that same basic passion that you’ve had all your life—people who’ve worked in the field that believe in the same ideas you believe in, in terms of what the arts can do and how programming can go an extra mile. I knew that a lot of these people are not just classmates but years later will be my future colleagues. You know that you can turn to these people at any stage of your career later on—for a job, for advice, for another view of things.

Graduate Spotlight: Michael Tillman, Teaching of Social Studies

Liz Hoelzle — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 18:00:25 +0000

Michael Tillman graduated with his Master’s degree in Teaching of Social Studies and “loved every last minute of it.”

That’s not to say it didn’t take some adjustments early on. “When I began the program, I felt completely overwhelmed and in over my head. I’ve never considered myself an intellectual, just a guy who likes to think about things. My classmates here at TC were extraordinarily intelligent, articulate, critical thinkers.” But with the encouragement and support of his peers, instructors, and professors, Tillman found his place philosophically in the realm of social education and gained confidence as both a student and a teacher. “I’m thrilled that I am finally at the end of my program, but I feel a bit sad about leaving a place that fostered a new phase in my personal and academic life.”

The biggest thing Tillman will take from his time here comes from his student teaching experience. “As much as we spend time talking about educational theory, classroom practice, curriculum development, and lesson content, this whole teaching thing really comes down to our students. If you teach with your students as the driving force behind your practice, you’re going to be okay. Teaching isn’t about me, it’s about the kids.”

Tillman has a long term substitute teaching job lined up for the rest of the school year, and after that he will join the job search. Long term, he hopes to move back south and bring some of the educational ideas he’s practiced here to the schools back home, as he will “always be a Louisiana boy…”

Graduate Spotlight: Daniel Mann, Applied Linguistics

Liz Hoelzle — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 14:15:57 +0000

Daniel Mann graduated this May with his Master’s degree in Applied Linguistics. Looking back at his time at TC, one of the biggest take-aways for him is the ability to relate to a variety of people on different levels. As a part-time administrative assistant in the TESOL/AL office, Mann has had the unique opportunity to work on the administrative side of the program. Being a student and working closely with faculty and administration, Mann had been able to catch a glimpse of what it takes to make a program run.

Mann believes that his coursework here will ground his future study of theoretical linguistics, providing the relevance to why that field exists. “I’m interested in theoretical linguistics, but I wanted the opportunity to see if I really like linguistics classes. So this has been a springboard to theoretical linguistics, which is what I really want to get into.”

Mann appreciates the diversity of classes he has had the opportunity to take here at TC. “A lot of time people get so involved in their field and don’t see much outside of that. That’s one thing I think the program here has allowed me to do. It’s allowed me to see very different perspectives on things and given me a very broad view of what linguistics is.”

In August, Mann will be starting a PhD program in theoretical linguistics at the CUNY Graduate Center. His hope is to do research and ultimately understand what it means to learn a language. He’s interested in “What makes humans special? We’re the only creatures that have the capacity for language. Why is that? How do we acquire language? What is the mechanism for doing that? For me, that’s interesting and can tell us a lot about the mind and what it means, simply, to be human.”

Having been awarded full funding for the program, Mann is most excited about the opportunity to fully immerse himself in his studies.

Graduate Spotlight: Erika Pekar, Art and Art Education

marieweller — Thu, 31 May 2012 19:45:49 +0000

Erika Pekar graduated from Teachers College in May with a Masters in Art and Art Education. Prior to earning her degree, Erika received a Masters in Elementary Education from Scranton University.

How has your program, Art and Art Education, impacted you?

I want to work in Museum Education and the program has offered me multiple opportunities to gain so much valuable experience in that area. For example, I applied for a fellowship with the Whitney Museum of American Art through Teachers College and I’m doing a one-year, in-depth ethnographic study on the museum’s Teacher Exchange. Because the fellowship has impacted me, I chose to focus on that research for my Master’s thesis, bringing in my outside experiences to my work at TC. I have also had the opportunity to translate classroom content into the community. For one of my classes, we were assigned to a museum partnership and presented a research proposal to them, suggesting a research evaluation tool. I am working with the Noguchi Museum and not only did I get to create the tool, I also have the chance to test it in one of their programs. Having both types of learning opportunities inside and outside the classroom enriches my experience here and has deeply impacted me, preparing me for what comes next.

What sparked your interest in museum education?

When I finished my first Master’s degree in Elementary Ed, I did teach for a little bit. I knew that I wanted to teach in a classroom, but then I started volunteering for a small museum in my hometown. That was my first real experience teaching in a museum setting, and I realized, this is what I want to do. I love teaching, and in that museum environment I was able to pair it with my undergrad degree in History of Art and Architecture; I was using everything, all of the knowledge that I had gained up until that point. From there, I really wanted to take my own education a step further and that’s why I came to TC.

What do you particularly like about teaching in the museum environment?

Museums are great resources for the community. People may have a stereotyped image of what a museum is; but once you’re there and looking at all the different things that a museum actually contains and the different events and programs that it offers to the community, it’s a whole other kind of learning environment. It’s not just for students K-12; it caters to families, teens and adults, as well as many other diverse audiences.

What will you carry with you?

I presented with two of my TC colleagues at the National Art Education Association Conference, which was in New York City this year. We created a video of student and professor interviews and talked about how our experiences at Teachers College foster collaboration and support different perspectives, both in and out of the classroom. Having our student body come from such diverse places creates a unique experience where we are all able to learn from one another and support each other throughout the learning process. The program is open to fostering one’s own personal interests. The faculty gives additional support to help students along with whatever aspect they focus on within the field and students are challenged to explore new and exciting concepts. I will definitely carry with me all of the memorable experiences that I have shared with my peers and colleagues. They have helped me to grow and develop both personally and professionally.

What do you like best about your program?

I’ve taken more studio classes here than required by my degree because I find them so enjoyable and easy to be immersed in. It’s a great balance to have a studio class paired with a theory-based class because you’re always thinking about the art. You can go into the studio and actually create something and then use it as a point of reference to discuss art and the art making process. So, it’s a great back and forth. Throughout the semester you’re creating art that’s reflective of the knowledge that you’re learning. Macy Gallery is part of our program and we are able to create things in our studio courses and then have a space to hang our work in the same space that artists from all over have exhibits in. It’s a great experience to be proud of your work and to have a space to display it and share it with others. I’m also on the Macy Gallery Committee Team and love being able to interact with and display other’s work.

What’s your dream job after graduation?

I like being here in NYC with all of the incredible museums. Being here for only two years, I’ve worked in the Noguchi Museum, the Brooklyn Museum and the Whitney Museum of American Art, and all three of them have been different experiences. So I don’t want to say, “Oh my dream job is to work at the Met or the Museum of Natural History or any of the larger, more popular institutions.” Just finding a museum where I know that I can offer something to them as well as to the community while continuing to learn would be a dream job. It’s something absolutely achievable.

Graduate Spotlight: Guillermo Marini, Philosophy and Education

Liz Hoelzle — Wed, 30 May 2012 15:58:29 +0000

Guillermo Marini, a PhD graduate in the Philosophy and Education program, has been busy teaching Multidisciplinary Analysis of Education and Philosophy and Education in Chile at the School of Education of the Universidad Catolica de Chile, where he plans to continue working post-graduation. His five years as a student at TC have become one of THE experiences of his life. “My married life started here, and my first two children were born here. My daughter still thinks of Bancroft’s and Grade Dodge’s hallways as ‘her’ playgrounds.”

At TC, Marini feels he was able to deepen the connection between academic and social education. “I had the privilege of participating in the Philosophy Outreach Program that brings philosophy to NYC high schools, and in the Student Press Initiative that allowed me to spend every Thursday morning during the past two years at Rikers Island reading and writing with incarcerated students.”

Marini also worked in many TC offices and met a wide variety of people. From the maintenance crew, to the staff at residential services, public safety, and the Arts & Humanities department, he leaves TC “with an empowered commitment to go on learning from every person I come across. That will keep me happy and educated.”

Marini describes these past five years in academia as a way of living in the world. “This is why my professors and classmates have become, if not friends, certainly companions in the challenges of education as we navigate into an increasingly uncertain XXI century. The advice, discussions, and conversations (and parties!) we shared within the Philosophy and Education program are forever with me as I step into my first classes.”

Upon a successful defense of his dissertation here, Marini hopes to obtain a position as Assistant Professor at the School of Education of the Universidad Catolica de Chile. Additionally, the Chilean Ministry of Culture has asked his university to develop a research proposal to investigate the impact of high school art education in the lives of graduates, a topic that he finds fascinating. While these job prospects will be taking Marini back to Chile, he will keep his experiences and memories of TC close. “On many levels, TC is already part of what I call home.”

Beyond these exciting professional opportunities, Marini looks forward to some post-graduation family time… and sleep. “Seriously, the PhD has been a family enterprise so we all need some vacations now!”

Arts & Humanities » Teachers College

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