Touro University TESOL Candidate Alexandria Galvez’s Differentiated Instructional Activity

As a Professor for TESOL, I am immensely proud to feature outstanding student work from our MS in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Program. New York’s linguistic diversity demands teachers who can find common ground and effectively communicate with students from different language backgrounds. Academically rigorous and practice-intensive, the 33-credit program includes 50 hours of fieldwork and supervised student teaching experiences. Candidates that complete all coursework, fieldwork, and student teaching requirements are eligible for recommendation for ESL certification.

Alexandria Galvez is a first-year teacher leading a bilingual 1st-grade classroom. She is glad to have the opportunity to work with English Language Learners and finds herself learning from them every day. Her time at Touro has been marked by the acquisition of valuable knowledge regarding effective strategies for classroom use. Her favorite quote: “The capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn is a skill; the willingness to learn is choice.” -Brian Herbert

Differentiated Instructional Activity Assignment

In this assignment, teachers of English Language Learners (ELL) or Multilingual Learners (ML) will explore and implement differentiated instructional activities to maximize the learning of every student in their class. Using the provided Tools for High-Quality Differentiated Instruction: An ASCD Action Tool, teachers will modify an existing content lesson plan to incorporate differentiation strategies in various aspects of instruction. The assignment requires the submission of a paper including the original and differentiated lesson plans, along with all materials, and a 2-4 minute video showcasing one specific aspect of a differentiated instructional activity. The assignment aims to facilitate professional growth and reflection on implementing differentiated instruction.

As I reflect on my completion of the Differentiated Instructional Activity, I am now more aware of my own strengths in terms of recognizing what works for me as the educator and strategies that work for English Language Learners in order to differentiate. For example, using whiteboards as a way to quickly assess student understanding is an engaging hands-on strategy that students enjoy using because it is considered “fun” instead of using regular pencil and paper.

Alexandria Galvez, Touro University TESOL Candidate
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Author: drcowinj

Dr. Jasmin (Bey) Cowin, Associate Professor at Touro University, Fulbright Scholar, SIT Graduate, past Education Policy Fellow (EPFP™) at Columbia University, Teachers College. At the heart of my professional journey is a commitment to transformative education, grounded in integrating concepts like Lynda Miller's philosophy of abundance, which counters Ruby Payne’s notion of a Culture of Poverty (2005). This philosophy emphasizes viewing experiences as assets filled with positivity and optimism, particularly valuable in an often dystopian-seeming world. My endeavors align closely with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education, a goal deeply intertwined with both my personal and organizational objectives. This is evident in my work with initiatives such as Computers for Schools Burundi (CfSB), TESOL “Train the Trainer” programs in Yemen and Morocco, and my scholarly contributions including an article in the Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice (JHETP) and various workshops focused on supporting displaced learners. As an educator in the Fourth Industrial Revolution era, I recognize our crucial role in preparing the future workforce. To equip students with necessary digital literacy and technological skills, we educators must first master these areas. The technologies defining the 21st-century workforce could lead to new forms of exploitation if access is not globally democratized. By incorporating 4IR innovations in education, we shape students’ worldviews from an early age, preparing them for VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) environments and ensuring they become a skilled, adaptable workforce. In conclusion, my commitment extends beyond transactional interactions, focusing instead on utilizing my skills and privileges to make a positive, enduring impact on the world.