LeADERS
LeADERS stands for Learning through Active Discovery, Engagement, Reflection, and Showcase. It is a provost-sponsored initiative at Old Dominion University that connects undergraduate students to high-impact learning experiences in and out of the classroom. This program allows students to deepen their learning experiences to help lead students to greater overall academic and institutional success. This ePortfolio is a culmination of my experiences and reflects on how they have prepared me for life after graduation.
Leadership
For this aspect, I completed English 390: Teaching English as a Second Language Methods and Materials. This course was designed to provide students with the background and tools necessary for teaching ESL at any level. It focused on the major theories and current methods of language learning, designing a course including consideration of both program goals and students' needs, and addressed the practical application of teaching methods through a focus on designing activities, lesson plans, and developing assessment tools. For this course, I created an ePortfolio that coalesced all of my projects, assignments, and course materials into a chosen case study. Students were able to pick a population they wanted to create materials and a lesson plan for the semester. For my project, I chose a 4th-grade ESL textbook and created a lesson plan for mixed-fluency students.
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This course taught me invaluable skills that are necessary for being a successful teacher. Before this class, I had never created, prepared, or planned a lesson of any kind. Being able to slowly learn and create a specialized lesson plan is a skill that is not only necessary to be a successful educator but is also something that I can apply to my future career as an SLP. The course instructor provided the necessary scaffolding but still allowed students to be creative and apply theories in new ways. Because of this, it allowed students to take on a greater leadership role and grow our confidence in our abilities outside of designated lessons. This course also taught us how to implement assessment within a lesson which is a concept I have always been insecure in. Throughout the entire semester, this course raised my self-esteem in every aspect of my future career and provided me with tools that I have utilized in tutoring, volunteer opportunities, and other courses.
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The ePortfolio I created using Google Sites can be accessed by clicking the button below.
Academic Internship
For this internship, I worked with Professor Ann Kumm at the English Learning Center aiding in classes with international and refugee or immigrant students learning English. I helped the professor create lesson materials and acted as a teaching aid for the class. I had previously worked with conversation partners through Old Dominion's Conversation Partner program. I provided similar services and skills for both experiences by providing an open space for students to practice their English conversation skills both in and outside class. I also provided a speech-pathology lens for the professor and students by aiding in pronunciation and language acquisition through resources obtained in previous speech classes and research. Professor Kumm sought me out for this internship because of my fresh perspective and speech-pathology background as most teachers at the English Learning Center come from a linguistics and educational background, not specific techniques in pronunciation. However, this also offered me a linguistic perspective that is often left out of speech-pathology courses and teaching strategies that have now become second nature to me. ​
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This experience increased my confidence in working with multilingual populations. It also increased my leadership skills such as leading small groups, creating teaching materials, and providing notes for the professor on student achievement, improvement, and success with small group activities. What made this internship unique was my interaction with the students. No other courses provided the same level of interaction and independent tutoring that my experiences with Professor Kumm provided me. Learning from multilingual learners and understanding common errors they made and aiding them as best as I could was the most rewarding experience ever. This internship taught me how to appropriately conduct myself around people who may have been exposed to traumatic events and are currently going through tremendous hardships. Offering my support and having them trust and confide in me as a teacher and tutor was one of the first times I felt called to pursue this work in my future career.
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Examples of class materials I created including PowerPoint activities and grammar practice worksheets can be accessed by clicking the buttons below.
Diversity
For this aspect, I completed English 371W: Language and Culture, a class under the Teaching English as a Second Language Certificate courseload. This was a writing-intensive course that examined cross-cultural communication in all its forms through extensive readings that covered topics in linguistics, anthropology, sociology, and literature. More specific topics included various cultures' values and beliefs, verbal and nonverbal communication, and norms and folkways that reflect and construct culture, and how world cultures interpret and communicate experiences differently. This course explored non-US cultures compared to US culture requiring students to perform primary research by interviewing non-native Americans for a final ethnographic research project.
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This course provided an in-depth understanding of various cultures and aspects of cultures not covered in general education or speech pathology courses that are relevant to all professions. The concepts learned in this course are imperative for all individuals to know and understand to develop a deeper understanding and participate in appropriate and effective intercultural communication. I have applied the various topics covered in this course to clinical experiences I am currently participating in as well as when communicating with anyone in my daily life.
The final project for this required me to interview someone from a different culture of mine. Because of this, I interviewed my best friend's Philippine-born parents. Although I have known her parents my entire life and engage in deep conversations with them constantly as I consider them my family, the interview provided an even deeper understanding of their culture making me feel even closer to them. It opened my eyes to how people can get along so well yet be so different while still being extremely respectful of those differences. Learning more about their culture and why they do the things they do was invaluable and made me so grateful to be in such a perspective-changing class.
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Below is a comprehensive illustration of the cultural elements found in Filipino culture. This review provides detailed explanations of Filipino culture such as foundational values and beliefs, verbal communication standards, nonverbal communication behaviors, chronemics or time orientation, proxemics or personal space standards, gender differences, marriage and family ideals, importance of education, views on health and illness, and death rituals and perceptions on an individual’s relationships to the universe. Understanding various cultures is extremely important for intercultural communication, can prevent misunderstandings, and helps facilitate friendship across diverse communities.
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Service Learning
Beginning in February 2022, I became an Ignite Fellow with Teach for America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering educational equality and excellence. Ignite, a national virtual tutoring corps, aimed to accelerate learning and cultivate a sense of belonging among students from diverse backgrounds and grade levels. Despite my prior tutoring experience in settings like babysitting, peer tutoring in high school, and working at Kumon Learning Center,
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Throughout my time with Ignite, I had the privilege of working with three exceptional bilingual students in math whose presence and kindness made the experience both rewarding and fulfilling. I had never tutored students in middle school. Transitioning to tutoring older students was daunting for me. However, I saw an opportunity to help students and to learn more about teaching. As a future speech pathologist specializing in pediatrics, I saw the importance of developing authority and leadership skills in situations where I felt intimidated while still maintaining authenticity and rapport with students. We were able to collaborate and create a safe and encouraging environment together which was my favorite aspect of this entire experience. At the end of our time together, my students had significantly improved their math skills with all of them passing their state testing. Witnessing my students’ newfound confidence and their eagerness to share with me their successes not only in math but across different subjects put a smile on my face every day.
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My experience with Ignite not only broadened my understanding of effective teaching practice but also illuminated my aspirations as an educator and speech-language pathologist. I learned that building relationships with students is paramount. I created individualized lesson plans, created fun icebreaker activities, and allowed my students to feel supported and relaxed. As a student whose teachers did not make this a priority, it was important to me to ensure that this was the foundation of our meetings. Ignite provided a platform for meaningful student interactions, offering a glimpse into my future role and preparing me for one-on-one sessions with students. My journey with Ignite was transformative, offering invaluable lessons for myself and my students. I gained confidence in my ability to connect academic knowledge with practical application, adapt teaching methodologies across disciplines, and foster meaningful relationships with students.
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Below are links to a lesson plan provided by the student's teacher and a PowerPoint I adapted using one of the lesson plans.
Research and Writing
For this aspect, I completed another writing-intensive course called, CSD 449W: Clinical Observation and Writing in Communication Sciences and Disorders. This course focused on practical and foundational clinical skills necessary for deconstructing speech-language pathology treatment sessions, identifying important parts of speech, and completing disciplinary writing tasks. Course assignments included creating "SOAP notes", a type of note-taking many speech pathologists use in clinical settings, on specified observation videos. The professor would comment on treatment techniques and strategies that would scaffold students in creating professional, expert opinions to use in our notes while also preparing students to create observations independently later in the semester. This course also tested our basic grammar skills and provided grammar context to language developmental milestones for children and how to properly collect data according to those milestones when determining intervention strategies and where to take treatment in future sessions.
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This course provided insight and writing skills that are necessary for any future speech-language pathologist. The concept and completion of SOAP notes are vital in the speech pathology field as many insurances, supervisors, and disability paperwork require some form of note-taking in a comprehensive yet simple format. Taking this class provided the perfect amount of scaffolding with observation videos, but still required students to think critically and interpret the goals and purpose of the activities shown in the observation videos. This course has given me a leg up for my future classes in graduate school and my future career.
I joined LeADERS intending to recognize and hone the leadership and teaching skills I've developed during my time as an undergraduate at Old Dominion University. Despite my significant accomplishments in research, I've grappled with Imposter Syndrome, allowing anxiety, fear, and external influences to obscure my true capabilities. As a first-generation student, I've navigated this new territory on my own, and has been demanding and challenging.
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My aspiration to become a speech pathologist traces back to a defining moment during 8th-grade career day when my friend's mother explained the profession's blend of education, neurology, development, and medical intricacies. As I delved more into the profession, it quickly became my dream career and my pursuit of certification has only deepened my love and passion for it.
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While internships and tutoring experiences seldom receive formal recognition, their impact on individual's lives is immeasurable- their smiles are the true reward. Being distinguished by the LeADERS program not only signifies a prestigious honor but also serves as a testament to my achievements beyond the confines of academia.
The opportunity to wear the LeADERS medallion isn't merely about adornment or being ostentatious; it symbolizes the culmination of those meaningful experiences and validates the journey that has led me to my passion in life. It is a tangible reminder of the dedication, perseverance, and commitment to my growth and service as well as the impact these experiences have had on my life.