Andrew Burke
California, USA
Contact: [email protected]
About Andrew Born in San Diego, California, Andrew Burke earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Hispanic Studies from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. With a minor in Latin American History, he completed his studies abroad in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic with a program focusing on Dominican-Haitian relations. Since graduating in 2009, Andrew has taught English in Spain, Chile, and most recently in Colombia with the Peace Corps. Andrew has been teaching Spanish at a public school district in San Diego since 2020.
Target Language Spanish
FLEx Conference Spring 2023 – Go to Session:
Yes We Can: Implementing ePortfolios with Young Novice Learners
Mike Nunley
Georgia, USA
Contact: [email protected]
About Mike Mike has been teaching high school Spanish for 6 years. He currently teaches in Decatur, Georgia, about 15 minutes outside of Atlanta. He enjoys cooking, going on runs and traveling during the summer time when he is not teaching.
Target Language Spanish
FLEx Conference Spring 2023 – Go to Session:
Using Integrated Performance Assessments to Track Student Proficiency
Izumi Olsen
Hawai’i, USA
Contact: [email protected]
About Izumi Izumi is from Ehime, Japan, and currently lives in Hawaii. She has extensive experience as a teacher of Japanese in the United States and English in Japan. Most recently, she has taught Japanese to heritage and foreign language learners at the secondary level through the Language and Culture Immersion Program in Hawaii. She is the creator and owner of Bilingual Beans on Instagram, where she shares educational content she has created to advocate for early bilingualism and empower parents and educators interested in raising multilingual children.
https://www.instagram.com/bilingual_beans/
Target Language Japanese
FLEx Conference Spring 2023 – Go to Session:
Sushi, Songs, & Shichifukujin: Instagram Inspiration for Bilingual Families
Melanie Vander Ploeg
Michigan, USA
Contact: [email protected]
About Melanie Melanie is a Second Grade Spanish Immersion Teacher in West Michigan. During her undergraduate years, she completed two semesters abroad: first, in Arequipa, Peru, where she absolutely loved the community and the Andes Mountains; and later, in Oviedo Spain, where she enjoyed volunteering in a second grade classroom. In her free time, Melanie enjoys running and windsurfing. She also likes to cook with her husband, Robert, who is the better cook.
Target Language Spanish
FLEx Conference Spring 2023 – Go to Session:
Find Your Voice: Genre-Based Writing Instruction
Makiko Yamamoto Border
North Carolina, USA
Contact: [email protected]
About Makiko Born and raised in Japan, Makiko moved to the U.S. as an adult. She went back to school wanting to contribute to her children’s education. While homeschooling, she majored in linguistics at UNC, where she found her passion of becoming a Japanese teacher. Having acquired English as an adult, Makiko understands how learning another language can profoundly enrich one’s life experiences. She wants to help others experience the joy of seeing a new world through language, and joined the MAFLT program in Spring 2021. She believes the program will equip her with the skills and qualities to realize her dream.
Target Language Japanese
FLEx Conference Spring 2023 – Go to Session:
Promoting ICC and Practical Life Skills through Genre-based Writing Instruction
Featured Guest
Grant Castner
Extempore App
Contact: [email protected]
About Grant Grant Castner is the Community Manager at Extempore, which means you may have seen him at any number of conferences for language educators! At Extempore, Grant travels and gives presentations that focus on how the app can be used to foster in-class connections and improve speaking assessments. The spring 2023 FLEx Conference is excited to host Grant for a workshop on how Extempore can be used to promote WL teacher collaboration.
FLEx Conference Spring 2023 – Go to Featured Session: Exploring the Extempore Commons: How an App Can Support Collaboration to Assess Proficiency