Teaching & Mentoring

Mentoring

Along the lines of representation in academia, I have been actively involved in mentoring undergraduate students from Latin American countries. From 2020 to date, I have mentored six Latina women who desire to continue their education through graduate school. My mentoring focuses on highlighting their strengths and showing them how our Latin American background is an asset in academia. Apart from giving feedback to multiple application documents; I support their process as Latina aspiring women in research to recognize, leverage, and highlight their cultural capital. Two of them already applied to Ph.D. programs, and one will be starting graduate school in Fall 2022.

Ela with mentees Juanita, Daniela, and Gabriela (right to left).

Ela at UNIMINUTO

Ela at UNIMINUTO Zipaquira campus as guest speaker and lecturer. Guest lecturer Dr. Lorena Alzate on my right.

Ela with mentees Juanita, Daniela, and Gabriela (right to left).

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I enjoy sharing my experiences with others with similar backgrounds. In Fall 2022, I was invited to share my road to grad school with students from my high school. This was a quite moving opportunity as alumni of the public school Colegio República de Colombia.

Teaching Philosophy

I have a socio-constructivist approach in my teaching because effective learning occurs through collaboration in scenario-based experiences. However, I am aware that complex understanding cannot happen if learners do not solidify basic concepts through drill and practice approaches. Therefore, when teaching "Introduction to Quantitative Data Analysis Methods in Education I," I first provide learners with basic educational research scenarios to collaboratively solve through in-class discussion. After learners collaboratively discuss how to solve multiple scenarios, I asked them to transfer those scenarios to their research contexts. This collaborative scenario-based approach effectively gave learners confidence to adapt abstract statistical concepts to their research questions.

Teaching Evidence

Graduate Teaching Experience

2020: Introduction to Quantitative Data Analysis Methods in Education I. Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.
- Responsibilities: Served as teaching assistant addressing one-on-one questions. Met with students to refine quantitative research questions. Taught class when instructor was not able to attend.
- Blended learning experience
- Sample Slides (Paired sample t-test)

Workshops and Seminar

2021: Delivered a seminar to about the implementation of the Community of Inquiry framework in online learning in Spanish to doctoral students of the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, México.
- Slides (Spanish)
2019: Delivered a series of webinars to college working adults called “Evaluation a training program using the Kirkpatrick model” for the Interchange Program at UNIMUNTO University, Cundinamarca, Colombia.
- Slides (Spanish)
2019: "The Instructional Design Adventure"- Interchange Program at UNIMUNTO University, Cundinamarca, Colombia.
- Slides (Spanish)

Teaching Certificate

2019: Foundations in College Teaching. Center of Instructional Excellence. Purdue University.