Concentration Courses

In this section, I’ve included key artifacts from my concentration classes that highlight important assignments and projects connected to my growth as a teacher. Each one is paired with a short reflection explaining how it supported my development in areas like instruction, planning, and classroom management.

EDFU
EDPE
Upper-Level INGL Classes

TEED
EDES

EDFU

EDFU-3002– Gamification Workshop

Description:
This artifact is a written reflection based on a workshop led by Dr. Isaac Pérez from the University of Granada. The session focused on innovative and creative teaching strategies, especially the use of gamification to increase student motivation, participation, and engagement in the classroom.

Reflection:
This workshop opened my eyes to how powerful creativity can be in the classroom. Dr. Pérez challenged traditional teaching methods by encouraging us to use elements of play, emotion, and storytelling to turn learning into an adventure. I was especially inspired by his use of escape rooms, scavenger hunts, and fictional series to make content memorable and exciting.
One key takeaway was the importance of getting to know your students — not just their academic level, but who they are as people. Dr. Pérez emphasized that the first two weeks of class should be used to connect and build trust. I also learned how feedback can be framed positively to support students rather than discourage them.
This experience made me reflect on how I want to approach my own teaching: I want my classroom to feel like a space of discovery. I now understand that engaging students doesn't mean sacrificing structure — it means using structure creatively. This workshop helped shape my belief that learning should be both rigorous and joyful.

EDFU-4019 – Home Test: Latin American and Puerto Rican Educational Theory

Description:
This artifact is a take-home exam completed for EDFU 4019, focused on foundational concepts in education within Latin America and Puerto Rico. The exam covered critical topics such as Latin American pedagogical thought, Paulo Freire’s liberatory methods, historical context of education in Puerto Rico, and educational philosophy. It also analyzed laws, policies, and educational objectives specific to the island.

Reflection:
Completing this home test gave me a much deeper appreciation for the sociopolitical and historical roots of education in Latin America, particularly Puerto Rico. I was especially moved by Paulo Freire’s Pedagogía del Oprimido and its focus on empowering students as active participants in their learning. It helped me rethink traditional methods and reminded me that education can and should be a tool for social justice. This assignment also gave me clarity on how Puerto Rico’s educational system developed, including its unique blend of colonial, cultural, and political influences. Writing about the laws and objectives reinforced the idea that education must be equitable, accessible, and culturally responsive. More than just a test, this was an opportunity for me to connect with the values I want to uphold as a teacher. It solidified my belief that education is not neutral — it has the power to liberate or oppress, and it’s up to us, as educators, to choose which path we want to take.

EDPE

EDPE-4005 – Lesson Plan: Teaching Punctuation Marks

Description:
This was my first full lesson, focused on teaching punctuation marks including periods, commas, apostrophes, colons, and more. Students began with a reflection, followed by a PowerPoint explanation, group exercises, a worksheet, and a class discussion. The lesson also included accommodations for students with special needs.

Reflection:
This experience helped me understand how much thought goes into effective lesson planning. I learned to scaffold information using varied strategies, visual presentations, group activities, and hands-on practice. One of my biggest takeaways was the importance of flexibility: I had to make adjustments in the moment based on student engagement and classroom behavior. I also learned how meaningful it is to start a lesson with reflection, allowing students to make personal connections to the material. This class showed me how rewarding it is to see students actively participate and respond positively to what you prepared. It was a defining moment for me as a future teacher.

EDPE-4245 – Demonstrative Class: Adjectives and Adverbs

Description:
This was a demonstrative class I created for a 12th-grade English class, focused on comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs. It included a PowerPoint, worksheets, a group game ("Truth or False"), and various accommodations to support all learners.

Reflection:
Planning this class pushed me to apply everything I’ve learned about differentiation, pacing, and classroom management. The activity-based structure, especially the interactive game, kept students engaged. I realized the importance of giving clear instructions and using tech effectively to guide the lesson. Although it went well, I saw areas to improve: like expanding my range of activities and being quicker with real-time adjustments. Still, the experience gave me confidence and confirmed my ability to manage a classroom while delivering meaningful content.

EDPE-4246 – Community Service Project: Earthquake & Tsunami Preparedness

Description:
This community service project aimed to educate the school community on how to stay safe during earthquakes and tsunamis. Prompted by a recent tsunami alert in the area, the initiative was developed to increase awareness and ensure students understood what actions to take before, during, and after a natural disaster. The project included pre- and post-surveys through Google Forms to measure knowledge growth. A live outdoor presentation featuring a guest speaker with emergency preparedness expertise provided key safety information and allowed students to engage through questions and real-life reflection.

Reflection:
This experience helped me understand the power of education beyond the classroom. Organizing and presenting a project that could potentially save lives reminded me that teaching is also about preparing students for the real world. Seeing students listen closely, participate, and reflect made the effort deeply rewarding. I learned how to manage logistics, coordinate with guest speakers, and communicate clearly with both students and staff.
This project also taught me how to be responsive to current events, using a local tsunami alert as a catalyst for meaningful learning. It emphasized the importance of community engagement, student-centered learning, and collaboration. I feel proud to have helped provide students with tools to protect themselves and their families in case of emergency. It reminded me that even small-scale school initiatives can have a powerful and lasting impact.

INGL

INGL-3231 – Literacy Narrative: Lola’s Crazy Adventures

Description:
This personal narrative recounts my childhood experience writing my first story. It reflects on how a teacher’s encouragement sparked my love for writing and influenced my growth as a storyteller.

Reflection:
Writing this piece reminded me of how important creativity and feedback are in the classroom. At age eight, I was more focused on wild imagination than structure, but that freedom let me discover my voice. Mrs. Esparza’s kind suggestions taught me the value of organization, conflict, and clear goals in storytelling. That early experience helped shape the kind of supportive teacher I want to become: someone who encourages expression while guiding students to improve and grow.

INGL-4326 – Book Talk: The Pout-Pout Fish and the Worry-Worry Whale

Description:
This book talk presentation introduced the story’s themes, characters, and summary using vibrant images and interactive questions. It was designed to promote early literacy and classroom discussion.

Reflection:
I enjoyed building this fun and educational presentation. The visuals and interactive questions helped students connect with the book’s message about anxiety and friendship. Although I didn’t present it live, practicing revealed areas for improvement, such as adding audio elements and managing time better. This experience showed me the power of read-alouds and multimedia to create inclusive, emotionally rich lessons for young readers.

INGL 3221 – Multimedia Project: The Yellow Wallpaper

Description:
This artifact is an original drawing that visually interprets key themes from The Yellow Wallpaper. The artwork depicts a distressed 19th-century woman confined in a padded room, wearing a corset patterned with yellow wallpaper and bound by straitjacket straps. Her exposed knees challenge societal modesty norms, symbolizing resistance against oppression.

Reflection:
This project allowed me to creatively connect with literature in a deeply personal way. By drawing the protagonist of The Yellow Wallpaper, I was able to explore and represent the themes of psychological confinement, gender roles, and rebellion. Each visual element, from the corset to the wallpaper pattern, was intentional and symbolic of the story’s commentary on women’s mental health and societal expectations. Working on this assignment made me reflect on the power of visuals in education. For students who are visual learners or struggle to connect with text, an artistic interpretation like this one can open new paths to understanding. I realized that creativity isn’t separate from analysis; it enhances it.
As a future teacher, I want to incorporate projects like this that allow students to express their comprehension through multiple modes. This assignment helped me see how literature can inspire empathy, dialogue, and critical thinking through art. It also reminded me that my role as a teacher includes honoring creativity and making space for students to explore their emotions and identities through the texts we study.

INGL-3222 – A Dream Within a Dream by Edgar Allan Poe: Multimedia Analysis

Description:
This PowerPoint project analyzes Poe’s poem through its themes, rhyme scheme, emotional tone, and structure. It highlights literary techniques and meter while including visual and sound elements to enhance understanding.

Reflection:
This assignment allowed me to merge literary analysis with creativity. Poe’s reflection on time, grief, and the illusion of reality resonated with me, and I aimed to capture that with thoughtful visuals and meter analysis. This experience showed me how poetry can engage both emotion and intellect. As a teacher, I plan to use similar projects to help students connect deeper with texts and express their interpretations in creative ways.

TEED

TEED-4018 – Who Am I? How Do I Learn?

Description:
This self-exploratory essay uses the Multiple Intelligences assessment to reflect on how I learn best. I identified my strongest types (nature, self, and spatial) and how they align with my personal experiences in school and future teaching goals.

Reflection:
Taking time to understand how I learn was eye-opening. I realized I retain information best when I’m connected to nature, when I work independently, and when I can express ideas visually. This makes me more empathetic toward students with different learning styles and helped me reflect on how to create inclusive, varied instruction. I related strongly to Gardner’s theory and Bandura’s social learning theory, which validated my mix of independence and observation-based learning. This reflection also showed me how much I care about building connections with my students. I want them to feel seen, supported, and excited to discover how they learn too.

TEED-3008 – Butterfly Maze PowerPoint Game

Description:
This interactive game was designed for early elementary students to reinforce vocabulary and sentence building through a butterfly-themed maze. Created entirely in PowerPoint, the game required students to guide their cursor through a maze without touching the sides. If they did, they were redirected to a “Try Again” slide. Each level ended with a vocabulary challenge, where students selected the correct word to complete a sentence related to butterflies.

Reflection:
This project allowed me to creatively explore how technology and gamification can make learning more engaging, especially for young learners. Building the Butterfly Maze helped me strengthen my skills in PowerPoint design, hyperlinking slides, and creating a smooth user experience.
More importantly, it showed me how even simple tech tools can be used to support literacy and critical thinking in an interactive way. I saw how visuals, repetition, and movement can help maintain students’ focus and make learning feel fun rather than forced. While it was a challenge to get the slides and transitions to work exactly as I wanted, the process taught me a lot about digital instructional design. I plan to continue incorporating playful, tech-based activities like this in my future classroom, especially to support ESL students and keep them motivated.

TEED-4045: (Course Scheduled for Future Completion)

This course is included in my academic program and is scheduled for completion in the upcoming academic year. While I have not yet taken the course, it is part of my required curriculum and will be reflected in future updates to this portfolio.

EDES

EDES-4006 – Nature and Needs of the Exceptional Learner

Professor: Ivelice Cardona

Description:
This introductory course focused on the diverse needs of exceptional learners, including students with disabilities, gifted students, and those with learning differences. Topics included special education services, classification systems, inclusive teaching practices, legal frameworks, and support structures available in Puerto Rico.

Reflection:
Unfortunately, I lost all my original assignments from this course due to a laptop malfunction. However, the lessons and discussions from EDES-4006 had a lasting influence on how I view inclusive education. I gained valuable insight into the importance of individualized support, accommodations, and understanding the emotional, social, and academic needs of all learners.
This course taught me that inclusion goes beyond physical placement, it means actively creating an environment where all students can thrive. I learned about the legal and ethical responsibilities educators have, and how small adjustments in lesson planning can make a huge difference for exceptional learners.This class solidified my belief in equity-driven teaching. Even without a saved file, the impact of this course is reflected in my teaching philosophy and daily commitment to building safe, respectful, and supportive spaces for every student.

EDPE3205: (Course Scheduled for Future Completion)