Jessica Zacher Pandya, Ph.D.

EDUCATION

University of California, Berkeley

Ph.D.    Education, Language, Literacy, and Culture, 5/05

Dissertation title:  “It’s not the color of their skin”: Identity politics, literacy practices, and multicultural curricula in an urban fifth grade classroom”

Dissertation Committee: Glynda Hull (Chair), P. David Pearson, Ingrid Seyer-Ochi, Allan Pred (Geography Department)

University of California, Berkeley

M.A. Education, Language, Literacy, and Culture, 5/00

Thesis:  “The Multiple Selves of an Urban Principal”

Thesis committee:  Anne Haas Dyson (Chair), Jabari Mahiri

The New College of California, San Francisco

CLAD Multiple-subject teaching credential, 6/96

Trained in cross-cultural language and academic development

The University of Chicago

B.A.  Tutorial studies, independent and interdisciplinary humanities program, 6/94

Honors for thesis and general honors in the College

Thesis:  “Father-Daughter Relationships in European History & Literature”

Thesis advisor: Charles Gray, Department of History

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Primary Investigator, Critical Digital Literacies & English Language Learners

2/11 – present, California State University, Long Beach, College of Education

Work with 5 elementary teachers at a public school in the Los Angeles area to design and implement in-school critical digital literacy activities. Collect ethnographic and digital data with the help of CSULB volunteer research assistants. This project has been supported in large part by a Spring 2012 sabbatical.

Primary Investigator, Ethnographic Research Project, CSU Long Beach

8/05 - 6/10, California State University, Long Beach

Goal of project: To document and analyze fourth-grade children's participation in an Open Court curriculum in a Southern California elementary school.  Wrote weekly field notes, interviewed children and teachers, collected written artifacts, and collected and analyzed multiple test scores and measures of achievement.

Primary Investigator, Ethnographic Dissertation Project, Urban Elementary School

6/03-6/05, University of California, Berkeley, Graduate School of Education

Goal of project: To understand urban fifth-grade children's identity work in the context of a multicultural, social justice curriculum. Wrote biweekly written field notes, interviewed children and teachers, collected written artifacts, for an entire school year. 

Graduate Student Researcher: Nationwide reading professional development

6/04 – 6/05, University of California, Berkeley, Graduate School of Education

Goal of project: To examine the relationship between forms of reading comprehension instruction, teacher pedagogical uptake, and student learning. As part of a team of researchers, organized and analyzed data from pilot year study on professional development programs in three local schools (Vallejo, Ca.).  Prepared teaching materials, assessments tools, and professional development guidelines.

Graduate Student Researcher: Adult and multimedia literacy projects

8/00 – 6/02, 6 - 8/03, University of California, Berkeley, Graduate School of Education

Ethnographer and adult writing class teacher in Oakland, Ca. 8/00 – 7/01

Ethnographer in an after-school technology project linking urban high school students with UC, Berkeley, undergraduates, 8/01 – 6/02

Research team member: collected, analyzed, and wrote about data gathered through the undergraduate course on literacy, 6/03 - 8/03

Beginning Teacher Support Association

San Francisco U.S.D., Mentee, 8/96 –6/97

Participated in year-long first-year teacher support and training program, engaged in reflexive research into my classroom practices.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Associate Professor, Departments of Teacher Education and Liberal Studies, CSU Long Beach, 8/11-ongoing

Currently teach undergraduate students and multiple subject credential candidates, focusing on literacy acquisition and linguistic and cultural diversity in elementary schools.  Courses  include “Cultural and Linguistic Diversity” (EDEL 300), and “Literacy Assessment” (L/ST 400).

Assistant Professor, Departments of Teacher Education and Liberal Studies, CSU Long Beach, 8/05- 6/10

Taught undergraduate students and multiple subject credential candidates, focusing on literacy acquisition and linguistic and cultural diversity in elementary schools.  Developed syllabi for and taught “Cultural and Linguistic Diversity” (for undergraduates, EDEL 300; for Multiple Subject students, EDEL 431), and “Literacy Assessment” (L/ST 400).

Graduate Student Instructor of Record, University of California, Berkeley, Graduate School of Education, Language, Literacy, & Culture,8/04 – 6/05

Designed and taught semester-long class titled “Issues in Language Arts Instruction” (ED 195 D, 25 students) for Education Minor undergraduate students.  Was responsible for syllabus construction, all teaching, and all grading. 

Graduate Student Instructor, University of California, Berkeley, Graduate School of Education, Language, Literacy, & Culture, 8/02-6/03 

Taught ten classes, read and graded writing assignments and field notes for an undergraduate course titled “Literacy: Individual and Societal Development” (Education 140 AC, 60 students). 

Master Teacher, University of San Francisco Teacher Education Department, 8/98-12/98

Helped prepare credential candidates for teaching in their own classrooms (my classroom was used for student teacher placements).

Kindergarten Teacher, San Francisco Unified School District, San Francisco, 8/96-6/99

Taught full-day kindergarten for three years in a public elementary school. 

Language Arts Teacher, Pleasant Street Elementary School, Chicago, 8/94 – 12/94

Taught sixth, seventh, and eighth graders in a small, private k-8 school.