Description:

Description: Calling all language educators! Do you want to see your practice grow? Do you want to see your language department flourish? In this session, we will explore how we can work together to “plant the seeds” for professional and departmental growth.  We will learn about different World Language departments’ journeys in shifting to proficiency-based curricula, instructional methods and assessment techniques, and we will examine both what facilitated their success and what challenged their work.  Attendees will discuss goals for their own language departments, and consider what they can do to plant seeds of growth, nourish their departments and grow together in the right direction

Presented by:

Noemi Rodriguez

Supervisor of ESL, FCS, Music, WL

Pascack Valley Regional HS SD

Noemi Rodriguez-Grimshaw (@sranrodriguez) is the Supervisor of World Languages, ESL, Music, and Family & Consumer Sciences for the Pascack Valley Regional High School District in northern Bergen County, N.J. She attended Rutgers University, where she earned her B.A. in Spanish and Ed.M. in Language Education & completed her Reading Specialist certification. Prior to supervising, she taught Spanish in the Freehold Township and Marlboro Township school districts in Monmouth County. She has also served as an adjunct professor for The Graduate School of Education of Rutgers University teaching graduate courses related to teaching methodology & assessment design. Noemi has presented at various conferences including AATSP, ACTFL, FLENJ, ISTE, NECTFL, and NJEA. As an avid user of technology, Noemi enjoys collaborating and sharing with other world language educators through her blog: http://sranrodriguez.wordpress.com/ She also founded and organized EdCampWL & WL Tech Institute. For FLENJ, she has been involved in the mentor fellowship program since it started and has enjoyed getting to know many new World Language educators.

Ashley Warren, Ed.D.

2020 FLENJ Teacher of the Year

2021 NECTFL Teacher of the Year

FLENJ Vice President of Membership

Supervisor of Dual Language Instruction

West Windsor-Plainsboro SD

Ashley Warren is also a supervisor in the West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District. Ashley attended The College of New Jersey, where she earned her B.A. in Spanish & Secondary Education and her M.Ed. in ESL & Bilingual Studies. She received her doctorate from Rutgers University, where her research focused on teacher leadership and teacher education. In West Windsor-Plainsboro (WW-P), Ashley has taught courses from Kindergarten to 12th grade. She began her career teaching 4th and 5th grade Spanish before moving to the high school, where she taught a range of courses from Spanish 1 to Advanced Placement Spanish Literature & Culture. She currently supervises World Languages and the Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program, where math, science, social studies, and language arts are taught in Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. Beyond WW-P, Ashley has taught ESL as an adjunct instructor for Middlesex County College and has led professional development experiences for educators across the tri-state area. She has also conducted international research through the Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad grant and FLENJ’s Education Program Abroad grant. Ashley loves collaborating with other educators and is exceptionally grateful to be named the 2020 FLENJ Teacher of the Year and the 2021 NECTFL Teacher of the Year.