I love teaching languages and cultures! I am a first generation American from immigrant parents (my father and my maternal grandparents were also all political refugees). I was born and raised in the U.S. where I got my B.A. in English (Spanish, International Business) from the University of Pennsylvania, M.A. in Spanish from Cleveland State University, and Ph.D. in Hispanic Languages & Literatures from UCLA. I have lived and worked in Mexico, Cuba, Brazil, Spain, France, and Croatia, and incorporate all these experiences into my classes. I personally understand the challenges and joys of learning languages and have developed a unique teaching style that emphasizes speaking and helps learners actualize their potential in an rewarding way. Hope to see you in an online class!
Online Courses Taught
- Spanish 101 Elementary Spanish I
- Spanish 102 Elementary Spanish II
- Spanish 108A Latin American & Hispanic Cultures Through Film
- French 108A French-Speaking Cultures Through Film
Tips for Success in my Online Classes
Core courses: Span 101, Span 102, Span 203, Span 204
- Since they are 4 units, expect to work approximately 8-12 hours a week.
- Get your online books as soon as you can at: https://vistahigherlearning.com/store/collegeofmarin.htm/ (click on the "Codes & Other Materials" tab for the least expensive offer). Make sure your account is linked ("enrolled") in our section. If you are unable to get the books right away for financial reasons, please contact me as soon as you can to see if you can get access for 2 weeks for free so you can stay on top of the assignments.
- Always go to the "home base" of the course where everything is organized and you can quickly see what is going on and what is due. For core courses, that would be in the online textbook (www.vhlcentral.com) and then the Calendar tab (top right).
- I highly encourage you to regularly attend the weekly 1-hour virtual practice sessions with me and a few of your classmates. This gives you an excellent opportunity to apply the grammar and vocabulary you've learned and practice speaking with individualized attention from me. Since we meet in small groups, it is more productive and comfortable for many students than in traditional meetings. I emphasize speaking in my core courses and the weekly practice sessions are some of the most effective ways to improve your speaking skills.
- Language is most effectively learned when you practice it as frequently as possible. For a 4 unit course, which requires 8-12 hours of work a week, ideally, those 8-12 hours would be spread out over as many days as possible or 1-2 hours a day. On the opposite end of the spectrum is doing all 8-12 hours in 1 day. This is not as effective for language learning but some students need to do it this way for other reasons (work etc.). It's similar to working out - it's better to work out multiple times a week rather than work out all-day 1 day a week and be inactive for the rest of the week. And there is everything in between. For example, one student I know picked a day towards the beginning of the week to do the first half of the week's work. Then they picked a 2nd day towards the end of the week to do the second half. They stuck to that schedule all semester and it worked well for them. Whether it is every day (ideal), 2-4x a week (good), or 1x a week (not recommended), decide on an arrangement that works best for you and sticks with it.
Culture Courses: Fren 108A, Span 108A, Span 230A, Span 230B, Span 230C
- Since they are 3 units, expect to work approximately 6-9 hours a week.
- Get your library card from your local library as soon as you can. Make sure you are able to access their online video streaming services called Kanopy and Hoopla (but save your monthly films for the course films). You can watch a quick video on this in Canvas.
- Always go to the "Modules” page of the Canvas course where everything is organized and you can quickly see what is going on and what it due.
All Courses
- No mandatory campus visits are required for my online courses.
- Login frequently. Ideally, you should log in every day or at least every other day or 3-4 times a week. Stay involved, active, and engaged. Participate in all the different ways online instruction has to offer.
- Stay in contact with me! You can send me a message anytime via email or send me a message in Canvas. You can always stop by my office hours. If it helps, we can meet online through a video conference meeting in Zoom, over the phone, or on campus.
- Whenever you reach your "saturation point" and you're hardly/not absorbing the material, just take a quick break and come back more refreshed and able to focus.
- Take advantage of tutoring online through NetTutor or in-person at the Tutoring Center in LC 160 (http://ss.marin.edu/tlc). Your classmates are also excellent resources! Reach out to them in Canvas.
Enjoy the dynamic format of online instruction! It's particularly effective and you'll be interacting with people from your class as well as from other countries. You will be part of an inspiring global community of learners. Enjoy the engaging and fun learning experience!
Additional Information
Please visit my faculty page for office hours and more contact information.
