Dr. J's Education Blog

Touro University TESOL Candidate Oralia Lainez-Tutka’s Instructional Material Critique & Redesign with Infographic

EDPN 673: Methods and Materials for Teaching English as a Second
Language: The Instructional Material Critique & Redesign with Infographic assignment prepares Touro University TESOL candidates to critically evaluate and adapt instructional materials for multilingual learners across diverse educational contexts. The assignment structure addresses specific TESOL and AAQEP standard requirements while developing essential professional competencies our graduates need in the field.
The dual-material analysis requirement ensures candidates develop expertise in material evaluation across developmental levels, addressing TESOL Standard 2 by requiring deep analysis of how language acquisition intersects with academic content delivery. Candidates must demonstrate understanding of developmental language trajectories and their implications for instructional material selection, a core competency for effective TESOL practice.
The WIDA PRIME protocol integration provides candidates with industry-standard evaluation tools currently used by school districts nationwide for material adoption decisions. This practical application directly aligns with AAQEP Standard 1’s emphasis on evidence-based practice while ensuring our graduates can contribute meaningfully to curriculum adoption processes in their professional contexts.
The non-negotiable criteria assessment develops candidates’ capacity to identify and address systemic barriers that multilingual learners face in accessing grade-level content. This component operationalizes TESOL Standard 3 by requiring examination of cultural representation and linguistic accessibility, while AAQEP Standard 2’s equity focus is addressed through critical analysis of how materials support or hinder multilingual learner success.
The redesign component transforms theoretical knowledge into practical application through differentiated material adaptation. Candidates must operationalize TESOL Standard 5 by creating instructionally sound modifications that maintain academic rigor while providing appropriate linguistic scaffolding across proficiency levels. This authentic assessment demonstrates candidate impact on multilingual learner outcomes, satisfying AAQEP Standard 3 requirements.
The infographic creation simultaneously addresses AAQEP’s technology integration competency requirements and develops visual literacy skills essential for multilingual learner instruction. Candidates must demonstrate proficiency with digital design tools while creating pedagogically sound visual supports that enhance comprehension for diverse learners. This component ensures graduates can effectively integrate educational technology to improve multilingual learner outcomes while building practical skills for immediate classroom application.
This assignment ensures our graduates possess both analytical expertise and practical competencies necessary for effective multilingual learner instruction.

Oralia Lainez-Tutka is a middle school Spanish teacher on Staten Island. Coming from a Spanish-speaking household, she is proud to be a first-generation college graduate now pursuing her master’s in TESOL at Touro College. She’s also a mom to a bilingual toddler, which makes this journey even more meaningful to her. She’s currently in her third semester.

I am already applying new scaffolding strategies and techniques in my teaching. I’ve learned a lot so far during my Touro journey and am truly enjoying the learning process. I feel well supported by my professors and the program as a whole.
Oralia Lainez-Tutka, TESOL Master’s Candidate, Touro University

Oralia Lainez-Tutka_Instructional Material Critique & Redesign with Infographic Download

Brussels Releases The European Union General-Purpose AI Code of Practice by Dr. Jasmin (Bey) Cowin

Lessons from observing the EU AI Act’s Code of Practice development by Dr. Jasmin Cowin, Richard P. Nathan Public Policy Fellow

The author wrote in prior exclusive Stankevicius articles on The European Union’s AI Act Goes Live: What Higher Education Institutions Need to Know, and The European AI Act 2024: A Threat to International Academic Collaboration for Higher Education Institutions? Much has happened since those articles. The finalized voluntary The General-Purpose AI (GPAI) Code of Practice for general-purpose AI models was released in Brussels on the 10 of July 2025 by the European Union, translating the AI Act’s broad obligations into specific standards.

The author had the privilege of observing GPAI development process but must adhere to the Chatham House rules, which are used around the world to encourage inclusive and open dialogue in meetings. The GPAI development launched in July 2024 with over 1,400 participants from industry, academia, civil society, and EU Member States. Group work started last year November 18, 2024, when the author joined Working Group 4: Internal risk management and governance of General-purpose AI providers meeting.

Citation and Stankevicius article link:

Cowin, J. (2025, July 13). Brussels releases the European Union general‑purpose AI code of practice. Stankevicius. https://stankevicius.co/artificial-intelligence/brussels-releases-the-european-union-general‑purpose‑ai‑code‑of‑practice/

Building the Future: J3D.AI Labs Zebracorn Deep Tech Castle Retreat by Dr. Jasmin (Bey) Cowin

Dr. Jasmin Cowin reporting from the Zebracorn Deep Tech Castle Retreat at Historic Castle Schloss Burgscheidungen, Germany

Photo of Schloss Burgscheidungen by Dr. Jasmin Cowin, taken June 30th, 2025

Read the full article here: https://stankevicius.co/tech/building-the-future-j3d-ai-labs-zebracorn-deep-tech-castle-retreat/

In the rolling hills of the Unstrut Valley, where history whispers through ancient stone walls, something extraordinary unfolded. The Zebracorn Deep Tech Castle Retreat, June 26-29, 2025, transformed Historic Castle Schloss Burgscheidungen (also known as “Crypto Castle”) into a collaborative Zebracorn, creating an arc between history past and the nexus of a future envisioned by Yip Thy Diep Ta’s quest “…to make peace more profitable than war…”

Impressions and photos

All photos are by Dr. Jasmin Cowin (C)

Cite: Cowin, J. (2025, June 29). Building the future: J3D.AI Labs Zebracorn Deep Tech Castle Retreat. Stankevicius. https://stankevicius.co/tech/building-the-future-j3d-ai-labs-zebracorn-deep-tech-castle-retreat/

Here my presentation!

Europe Accelerated_Navigating Education and Business Through Exponential Change FINAL PDF Download

The Veldt 2.0: Your Smart Home Wants Your Children by Dr. Jasmin (Bey) Cowin for Stankevicius

Read the full the article here: Cowin, J. (2025, June 19). The Veldt 2.0: Your smart home wants your children. Stankevicius. https://stankevicius.co/artificial-intelligence/the-veldt-2-0-your-smart-home-wants-your-children/

In my previous work for Stankevicius, The Moloch Trap: OpenAI’s Evolution and the Paradox of Progress, I explored how competitive dynamics in artificial intelligence development can lead rational actors toward collectively harmful outcomes, even when each individual choice appears reasonable. That analysis focused on the corporate battlefield where AI companies race toward ever-greater capabilities, often at the expense of safety and human welfare.

Now, as Mattel announces its radical partnership with OpenAI to embed artificial intelligence directly into children’s toys, we witness the Moloch trap’s most intimate invasion: our nurseries, childhood playrooms, and Sunday morning pillow fights. Ray Bradbury’s 1950 vision in “The Veldt,” once dismissed as science fiction fantasy, now reads like a blueprint for our current moment, where smart homes promise to think for us and AI companions offer to raise our children.

This article, written exclusively for Stankevicius, examines what might happen when the same competitive forces that drive corporate AI development turn their attention to childhood itself. While my previous work dissected the systemic pressures pushing AI companies toward potentially dangerous innovations, this exploration probes into the human cost of that race: how the pursuit of “smart” toys may be undermining the fundamental bonds between parents and children, and between children and their own developing humanity. Welcome to The Veldt 2.0, where your smart home doesn’t just want your data. It wants your children.

Core AI Competencies for Legal Education Curricula and Law Students, designed by Dr. Jasmin (Bey) Cowin

My infographic on Core AI Competencies for Legal Education Curricula and Law Students emphasizes the progression from foundational AI knowledge to advanced application and evaluation for students studying law. The integration of AI into legal education requires deliberate thoughts on students’ practical skill acquisition, which I aligned in this infographic with Bloom’s Taxonomy.
Law courses should reflect these competencies, offering law candidates opportunities to develop practical skills alongside theoretical understanding. By embedding specific, practical AI competencies into their curriculum, law schools can ensure their graduates are not only proficient in traditional legal skills but also adept at leveraging AI to enhance marketability. I believe that technology integration alongside traditional teaching methods in law is crucial for the future legal practice of aspiring lawyers. Law students should be able to navigate legal AI platforms with ease, operate multiple AI tools effectively, and combine different AI technologies to enhance their skill sets. Proficiency in these areas will prepare students not only with traditional legal skills but also to become adept at navigating the complexities of technology in their future practice. Today’s law students will be practicing until 2060!

I hope you enjoy my infographic.

AI Core competencies_Law_Students_infographic_Cowin Download

America First in AI: Protecting Jobs, Advancing Innovation by Dr. Jasmin Cowin

Great stories have always helped us understand complex truths about human behavior, and sometimes the simplest tales reveal the most profound insights about how incentives shape our choices. In this exclusive Stankevicius article, the author interleaves insights from Martine Murray’s “The Wanting Monster,” a children’s fable, with an exploration of how America might realign Silicon Valley incentives to serve American workers and communities first. The author explored previously in exclusive Stankevicius articles: Autonomous AI’s Spellbook and the Absent Necromancer, and Forging the Future: President Trump’s AI Vision and OpenAI’s Challenge to DeepSeek.

The challenge facing America’s technology sector today stems from a fundamental misalignment of incentives that has driven companies to outsource essential AI work overseas while promising domestic job creation and technological leadership. As economist Steven Landsburg observed, “People respond to incentives. The rest is commentary.”

Read the article here:

Cowin, J. (2025, June 1). America first in AI: Protecting jobs, advancing innovation. Stankevicius. https://stankevicius.co/artificial-intelligence/america-first-in-ai-protecting-jobs-advancing-innovation/

America First in AI: Protecting Jobs, Advancing Innovation

The Lexical Knowledge and Analysis for Teachers Infographic designed by Dr. Jasmin (Bey) Cowin

The Lexical Knowledge and Analysis for Teachers infographic serves as a resource specifically for teachers who might find it useful as a reference in their lesson preparation or even for students. This visual guide responds to educators’ need for practical, research-based strategies that bridge theoretical understanding with classroom application in vocabulary development.

The Critical Role of Lexical Knowledge in Second Language Learning

Vocabulary acquisition stands as one of the most fundamental yet complex challenges in second language learning.

The significance of lexical competence extends far beyond simple word recognition. As demonstrated through the multifaceted approach outlined in this infographic, vocabulary knowledge encompasses both breadth (the quantity of words learners recognize) and depth (the nuanced understanding of word meanings, contexts, and relationships). This dual dimension of vocabulary knowledge directly impacts students’ ability to comprehend complex texts, express sophisticated ideas, and navigate academic discourse across disciplines.

It is crucial to acknowledge that language learning fundamentally requires vocabulary memorization and lexical knowledge stored in human memory. Despite technological advances and the availability of AI tools, there is no substitute for internalized vocabulary knowledge. Real-time communication, whether in academic or social contexts, demands immediate access to lexical items without external assistance. No amount of AI offloading will change this fundamental requirement of language acquisition.

Moreover, the tiered vocabulary framework presented here (distinguishing between high-frequency words, academic vocabulary, and subject-specific terminology) offers teachers a systematic approach to prioritizing instruction. This strategic focus ensures that limited classroom time is invested in vocabulary that will yield maximum communicative and academic benefits for learners.

The emphasis on morphological awareness represents another crucial element, as it empowers students to independently decode unfamiliar words by understanding common prefixes, suffixes, and roots. This metacognitive strategy transforms learners from passive recipients of vocabulary instruction into active word learners who can continue expanding their lexical repertoire beyond the classroom.

Perhaps most importantly, the practical applications detailed in this framework bridge the often-cited gap between theory and practice. By providing concrete steps for lexical analysis, strategic vocabulary selection, and integrated instruction across language domains, this approach enables teachers to make informed, evidence-based decisions about vocabulary instruction that directly support their students’ linguistic and academic development.

Lexical Knowledge Download

Foundations or Facades? Duolingo, AI, and the Antaeus Paradox in EdTech by Dr. Jasmin Cowin

In my exclusive article for Stankevicius Foundations or Facades? Duolingo, AI, and the Antaeus Paradox in EdTech, I explore how the platform’s rapid shift toward AI optimization may be weakening the core elements that once defined its success. Like Antaeus losing his strength when lifted from the ground, Duolingo risks disconnecting from the educational and cultural foundations that gave it power. The article investigates whether the pursuit of growth is coming at the cost of pedagogical integrity and user trust.

Cowin, J. (2025, May 15). Foundations or facades? Duolingo, AI, and the Antaeus paradox in EdTech. Stankevicius. https://stankevicius.co/artificial-intelligence/foundations-or-facades-duolingo-ai-and-the-antaeus-paradox-in-edtech/

Touro University TESOL Candidate Maria Fernandez on Assessment and Professional Responsibilities

MS in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages: New York is a state that speaks many languages. We need teachers who can find the common ground.The MS in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Program helps NYS-certified PreK-12 teachers more effectively teach and communicate with a diverse student population.

Maria Fernandez is a former English Language Learner who enjoys exploring other cultures through travel whenever possible. Currently, she serves as a 12:1:1 special education teacher in District 75, where she brings enthusiasm and dedication to her teaching practice.

In EDDN 637 Second Language Learners and the Content Area students will become acquainted with and practice effective approaches, methods, and strategies for teaching and evaluating English language learners in the content areas (ELA, social studies, math and science). Throughout the course, students will explore the impact of culture and language on classroom learning. Special challenges in teaching and assessment in each content area will also be discussed. Includes 15 hours of field work.

One of the discussion boards asks:

What is your responsibility AS A TESOL PROFESSIONAL in terms of Initial Assessment of Language Proficiency?
Demonstrate by showing realia the difference between formal and informal assessment. You can take photos of anonymized assessment types from YOUR classroom. For example, if you used Kahoot, or a test or an exit ticket.
2.How do YOU assess student progress and learning for your ELLs? Take ONE of the realia student samples from telpas-annotated-examples-of-student-writing.pdf and assess the example using academic TESOL terms. Include a photo of your example in your presentation.
What are ways to provide specific constructive affirmations to students to keep them progressing and motivated? (Think about technology tools too, badges etc.) share at least one link, hand-out, exit ticket, or other realia to an assessment tool you use in your professional practice. (Take a photo!)

Maria Fernandez’s contribution shows her attention to detail and depth of contribution.

Chapter 9 Review & Assessment (3)Download

Touro University TESOL Candidate Madison Derwin’s Field Log

MS in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages: New York is a state that speaks many languages. We need teachers who can find the common ground.

EDPN 673: Methods and Materials for Teaching English as a Second
Language

This course provides an historical overview of second language acquisition theories and teaching methods. Students learn how to apply current approaches, methods and techniques, with attention to the effective use of materials, in teaching English as a second language. Students will engage in the planning and implementation of standards-based ENL instruction which includes differentiated learning experiences geared to students’ needs. Emphasis is placed on creating culturally responsive learning environments. The course also analyzes the applicability of applied linguistic studies to such teaching and the appropriateness of various methods and techniques to different developmental and skill levels. Special attention is given to curriculum development, planning and executing instructional activities. Additional emphasis is given to the selection of materials and the design of evaluation instruments for measuring cognitive development if the core subject areas.

This assignment focuses on exploring and analyzing K-12 pedagogical approaches, methods, and strategies relevant to teaching English to speakers of other languages (ESOL) in diverse classrooms. The objective is to develop a deep understanding of the strategies that effectively convey state and professional standards-based curricula to students from different age groups, ability levels, and cultural backgrounds. Additionally, the assignment aims to facilitate the development, adaptation, and evaluation of materials for lesson planning and assessment.

Originally from Long Island, New York, Madison Derwin holds a bachelor’s degree in Inclusive Childhood Education and is currently pursuing a graduate degree in TESOL. As an aspiring educator, Madison’s goal is to inspire students to reach their full potential through engaging lessons and hands-on learning experiences.

Ms. Derwin clearly connected her fieldwork to the course objective on second language teaching methods. Her interactions with the ENL-certified educator and attention to culturally responsive practices demonstrate strong professional engagement. Her descriptive focus on practical strategies such as scaffolding and visual aids, along with her recognition of the importance of inclusion and collaboration, reflects a thoughtful and intentional approach to her teaching observations.