GABRIELLA SOLANO
I am an experienced and passionate bilingual educator with a background in Photography and Latin American studies, a masters in education, and culminating a second masters in Children’s literature, media, and culture.
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
Research assistant New York University, Remote September 2021 — May 2023
Assistant on a project piloting a culturally responsive fourth grade reading curriculum in Yonkers, New York public schools. My role includes researching and presenting on the curriculum goals and theory as well as leading professional development sessions with teachers using the curriculum and gathering information on their impression and areas of need.
Teacher at NYC DOE, Brooklyn, New YorkAugust 2021 — June 2022
Headteacher for a combined first and second-grade dual language (English and Spanish) class. Responsibilities include:
- Translating instructional materials, correspondence with families, promotional materials, and website content.
- Planning and implementing literacy, emergent curriculum, math, Spanish, reading, and writing instruction while participating in professional development in these subject areas.
- Mentoring pre-service teachers by modeling planning and instruction as well as through observing lessons and providing feedback.
- Maintaining record of student observations and formative and summative assessment.
- Keep ongoing communication and engagement with parents in English and Spanish.
- Leading wellness committee that focuses on student and parent engagement with healthy living through online newsletter, student clubs and parent workshops.
Teacher at Duval County Public Schools, Jacksonville, FlAugust 2015 — June 2021
- Taught third grade ELA and science, third grade all subjects, fourth and fifth ELA and SLA (Spanish language arts), fourth and fifth SLA and science
- Used a variety of curriculum resources to modify and expand the curriculum to meet the needs of diverse learners in both English and Spanish.
- Translated instructional materials, correspondence with families, promotional materials, and website content.
- Maintained university connections by collaborating with former professors to build units.
- Created and fund raised for ten projects including environmentally conscious school supplies, trip to a Spanish restaurant to practice oral speaking skills and cultural awareness, multicultural books that better represent my students, trip to a farmers market, technology for a documentary film project, and subscription to periodicals to increase awareness of current events.
- Earned grant from Toshiba to conduct a stem unit
- Earned Teaching Tolerance grant for a year-long series of events focused on building stronger connections between families and schools.
- Coordinated multiple guest speaker visits such as biologist with St. Johns River Keeper, Mexican folk musician, and local civil rights activist Rodney Hurst.
- Started and led after school garden and environmental awareness club
- Sought out multiple and varied professional development opportunities.
Photography Teacher at Look at Me Photography Program, Richmond VirginiaFebruary 2013 — May 2013
The Look at Me Photography Program teaches literacy through photography by offering after-school darkroom photography to elementary students. As a co-teacher I:
· Introduced film photography to students and create opportunities for them to explore photography in various locations, print photographs, use them as writing prompts, and present and critique their work.
Substitute at Richmond Public Schools, Richmond, VaSeptember 2012 — June 2013
Worked as a substitute teacher implementing lessons for grades K-12 in the Richmond public school system.
EDUCATION
Latin American Studies and Visual Art(Photography concentration), Fordham University, New York, New YorkAugust 2009 — May 2012
Magna Cum Laude
Departmental Honors in Latin American Studies
Angelo Rodriguez Award from Latin American Studies Department
Masters childhood education, special education, and bilingual education, New York University, New York, New YorkAugust 2013 — May 2015
Magna Cum Laude
Erasmus Mundus Interantional masters September 2022-present
Masters program in children’s literature, media, and culture through University of Glasgow, Aarhus University, and Autonomous University of Barcelona
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING EXPERIENCES
Wolfberg Fellowship, Jacksonville, FlSeptember 2020 — June 2021
Inaugural recipient of The Wolfberg Fund for Social Justice in Education. I was awarded $7,000 to support my project that used photography to facilitate students' understanding of how they represent themselves versus how they are represented in the media. Through this fellowship I guided students through the process of representing themselves with photos, looking at media images, and analyzing the difference between the photographs they take and the ones they see in the media. The project culminated in a student-run art show.
Photovoice training, London, UK (conducted remotely)February 2021 — February 2021
Participated in three day comprehensive training course on theory of photovoice practices as well as implementation in schools and communities both local and international.
National Endowment for Humanities seminar, Asheville, NCJune 2016 — June 2016
I was accepted into the NEH summer seminar to study and build a unit on Appalachian culture and history which I then executed in my classroom the following year.
Dual Language Education Committee, Jacksonville, FlSeptember 2016 — June 2021
I participated and presented at quarterly meetings with fellow dual language teachers to share techniques and strategies as well as build the curriculum collaboratively. I have led workshops on improving Spanish language conversational skills, using culturally relevant texts, and representing Afro-Latinos in our texts and instruction.
Doctoral coursework, Gainesville, Fl (remote)June 2018 — May 2019
Six doctoral level courses in the curriculum, education, and teacher education department in which I studied qualitative research methods, action research, professional learning techniques, media literacy, and history of education and curriculum.
Art Education intern, Richmond, VaJanuary 2013 — May 2013
education internship at a community printmaking and photography studio in which I collaborated with other interns to plan and conduct community workshops, lessons, and events.
· Co-planned and spearheaded the after school printmaking project with eighth grade students from neighborhood middle school. Encouraged students to work together and create printed murals for their school. I taught students screen printing skills as well as facilitated the artistic process and development of concepts.
PUBLICATIONS AND CONFERENCES
Note Taker Purdue University reading forum, RemoteMarch 2021 — March 2021
Participated in a reading forum offered through Purdue university as a note taker on a panel focused on findings in early childhood literacy.
Literacy Research Association Conference, TampaDecember 2019 — December 2019
I submitted a proposal for a round table discussion on culturally responsive teaching that was chosen for the 2019 LRA conference. I led a discussion and q&a that followed a roundtable of academic researchers and practitioners.
New York State Bilingual associationNovember 2019 — November 2019
Published article on improving approach to ELL instruction in Idiom journal and ASCD newsletter
Presenter, RemoteAugust 2015 — Present
Present yearly on findings from conducting action research on implementing open ended discussion techniques into science curriculum to NYU graduate science teaching methods course.
Reviewer/editor, RemoteMarch 2021 — Present
Freelance reviewer and editor of submissions to The Reading Teacher publication.
REFERENCES
Anibal Pella-Woo from Fordham [email protected]
Warren Buck14046607394
Patrick Proctor from Boston [email protected]
Claudia Norez from Duval County Public [email protected]
CERTIFICATIONS
NYS professional teaching certificateMay 2021 — Present
Childhood Education grades 1-6
Students with disabilities grades 1-6
Bilingual education extension
Florida professional teaching certificateAugust 2015 — Present
General Education grades 1-6
ESOL k-12