SPEAKERS

PROFESSORS

Dr. Callie L. Fortenberry earned her doctoral degree at Oklahoma State University in Curriculum and Instruction, specializing in Reading and Literacy. She is currently Associate Professor of Reading and Education and Center Director for A&M-Texarkana’s Mt. Pleasant Center. Dr. Fortenberry teaches undergraduate reading and education courses, coordinates field experiences for pre-service teachers, and supervises students during their student teaching semesters. Prior to her university appointment, Dr. Fortenberry spent much of her public school teaching experience working with struggling readers and English Language learners, serving as Reading Recovery interventionist, K-5 Reading Specialist, and K-12 English as a Second Language teacher.

Sara C. Lawrence, PhD. Dr. Lawrence is Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology at Texas A&M University-Texarkana. Dr. Lawrence has worked with a focus on arts education since 1990.  After graduating from the University in Virginia (UVA) in Art History, she worked in the education department at the University of Virginia Art Museum.  Her work at the museum led her to earn her Master’s in Teaching from UVA in Special and Elementary Education.  From 2001-2006, Dr. Lawrence was Director of the ArtsSmart Institute for Learning; the organization’s primary mission was to provide professional development to teachers to integrate the arts into all content areas. During her work at ArtsSmart she worked with numerous arts-centered schools around the country including Charleston, Houston and New York City. While at ArtsSmart, Dr. Lawrence authored and implemented a US Department of Education Arts Integration and Dissemination Grant. Throughout the years, Dr. Lawrence has participated in research projects supporting arts-integration teaching methods.

Dr. Luz Mary Rincon is Associate Professor of Bilingual/ESL Education and Spanish and is the Coordinator of A&M University – Texarkana’s Intensive English Program. She obtained a Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics and a MA Degree in Spanish and in TESOL from Ball State University (Indiana). She is a graduate from Universidad Industrial de Santander in the Teaching Program in Foreign Languages. She has been conducting research in the field of sociolinguistics, particularly, the influence of social factors on change in the Spanish variety spoken in Bucaramanga. She is now expanding her research to the area of bilingual education and is interested on discovering the impact on student biliteracy development resulting from the implementation of the new dual program models implemented in school districts in north-east Texas.

STUDENTS

Doc McGuire is an English Graduate Student at Texas A&M University-Texarkana. As a Graduate Assistant in the Student Success Center, he currently works as a certified tutor and supplemental instructor. Doc instructs Reading and Writing to visiting international students for the Intensive English Program. He also teaches a Developmental Writing Skills course in English for incoming freshmen. Doc has presented papers at the National Conference for the National Association for African American Studies and at the Seventh Regional Conference on Supplemental Instruction.  Doc won “Best in Show” for his artwork in an auction benefiting the Texarkana Homeless Coalition and received first and third place awards for the TRAHC Write on Art! poetry contest.

Shelby L. Elliott is a Senior at Texas A&M University – Texarkana. Biology major, currently seeking certification in 7-12 Life Sciences. Tentative graduation and teaching certification will be December 2015. Teaching experience includes Education 321/311 Field Based Observations Spring 2014, Block 1 Co-Teaching semester Spring 2015, and mentoring high school students September 2014-May 2015. International experience includes a 2012 trip to England and Wales, for two weeks to visit family, and a trip to Cusco, Peru for 10 days in 2014 to attend school for improvement of her Spanish language.

Mariana Herrera is a Texas A&M University - Texarkana, Senior in the bilingual education program. She has been assisting in a dual language two-way program in Kindergarten at Mount Vernon Elementary School. She has compiled over 72 hours of experience that includes observing, co-teaching, direct teaching, and planning. She has had the opportunity to go to Spain on a class trip where she enjoyed the culture and learned about Barcelona’s way of life.