Melissa Groenewold
Instructor, Spanish, Basic Spanish Program Coordinator and Supervisor, Spanish as a Heritage Language Program Coordinator, Spanish as a Heritage Language Program Placement Advisor
502-852-4748
My teaching load includes courses at the 100, 200 and 300 levels and includes hybrid, traditional face-to-face and fully online (distance ed) sections. My teaching philosophy is based on research insights that have consistently shown that the best way to acquire a foreign language is through repeated, meaningful exposure to the language as well as opportunities to interact with others. I strive to arrange for class time, including in synchronous and asynchronous interactive online environments, to be dedicated to communicating in Spanish. Thus, my class time is challenging, fun, and student-centered. I consider myself to be a “communication facilitator” who establishes and maintains an environment for active learning.
As coordinator, I work with an outstanding (and award winning) team of lecturers and graduate teaching assistants who are dedicated to best teaching practices that are rooted in current research insights. This team has consistently produced panel presentations and workshops at national conferences. Thus, the Basic Spanish Program is very engaged in current trends and discussions about the best approach to acquiring Spanish as a second language, as well as current trends in pedagogy.
Follow me on Twitter: @CelebremosUofL: https://twitter.com/celebremosuofl
Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010439597986
Recent Conference Presentations/Awards (2012-2017)
“<Reel> Guate: The Story of a University Film Festival and the Spanish Student’s
(Un)critical Attachment to Simple Poor Guatemalans.” University of Louisville. The Louisville Conference on Literature and Culture Since 1900. 2012.
- Faculty Diversity Champion Award, A& S International, Diversity, and Engagement Programs. 2013.
-“<Reel> Guate: The Story of a University Film Festival and the Spanish Student’s (Un)critical Attachment to Simple Poor Guatemalans.” Baton Rouge, Louisiana. NAAAS 15th Anual Conference. 2013.
2015-2016 Faculty Favorite http://louisville.edu/delphi/awards/facultyfavorites
-“Flipping Out and Loving It! Novice Curriculum Beyond the Basic and Boring.” University of Kentucky. KFLC: The Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Conference. 2016. Visit WIKI Space for materials and information:
-“Collaborative Instruction for Full Learner (centered) Engagement.” (Panel Moderator) University of Kentucky. KFLC: The Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Conference. 2016. https://celebremosuofl.wikispaces.com/
-“Resistance as Collaborative Instruction for Full Learner-Centered Engagement.” (Session Presentation) ACTFL. 2017.
Professional Organizations
-American Association of University Supervisors, Coordinators, and Directors of Language Programs
(Current Member)
-American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (Active member) (Special Interest Groups: Teaching & Learning of Culture; Spanish for Heritage Learners; Teacher Development; Distance Learning) (Member, 2017 Session Presenter : https://ww5.aievolution.com/tfl1701/index.cfm?do=abs.viewAbs&abs=1910 )
-Kentucky World Language Association (Current Member)
Publications
“Chicana Feminism: Self-Actualization through Border Conscience,” IAICS