@ Towson University
                    &
        EDTL Department

WORK RELATED LINKS...

ESOL STUDIES AND INFO:

ADOLESCENT STUDIES:

BOOK REVIEW ON AUTISM:

READING MOTIVATION TIPS:

DISSERTATION STUDY:

CURRENTLY: 
Dr. Martinez is a faculty member in the Department of Educational Technology and Literacy in the Graduate Reading Program at Towson University. 

Her work involves:

• researching pre-kindergarten English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students' literacy progress in south Florida,
• researching the successes of college students from urban areas throughout the United States that received a scholarship through the Ron Brown Scholar Program,
• serving on various university, state, and national organizations, and
• teaching graduate reading courses, including an ESOL course she developed for teachers working on their Master's in Education-Reading who wish to attain ESOL certification. 
• The ESOL course, Instruction and Assessment for English Language Learners, was offered last summer in Costa Rica and will be offered this summer abroad in PORTUGAL for both Undergraduate and Graduate students from all fields!  As part of the course, students will attend the International Reading Association European Conference.  Next summer it will be in        NEW ZEALAND along with the International Reading Association World Congress Conference.

PREVIOUS WORK EXPERIENCES:
As a reading specialist, she has taught several graduate level reading courses at the Johns Hopkins University, Loyola College in Maryland, and Towson University.  She created and advised for the ESOL graduate programs at JHU.  She also provided technical assistance (i.e.; assistance with curriculum development, program evaluation, grant writing, coaching) and professional development to administrators, teachers, childcare providers, parents, and librarians throughout the nation.

Dr. Martinez has presented at various state, national, and international conferences on topics such as best practices in early literacy instruction, ESOL reading and writing strategies, mentoring beginning teachers, team building, and creating home-school connections.  She has also published articles in the:  School Community Journal, Internet Teachers of English as a Second Language (TESL) Journal, Education Review, Reflections Journal, Children and Libraries, and co-authored the book What works? Promising Practices for Improving the School Readiness of English Language Learners.  She is fluent in Spanish, and enjoys providing workshops to parents in her native language.

EDUCATION:
She has an undergraduate degree in Elementary Education-Science from the University of Maryland, a M.S. in Education-Reading from the Johns Hopkins University, and an Ed.D. in Teacher Development and Leadership, also from the Johns Hopkins University.

Her dissertation was a multiple-case study of 26 Maryland public librarians from ten libraries in urban, suburban, and rural areas.  By interviewing and observing librarians, she investigated how they were implementing information from an emergent literacy training they attended (that she and Elaine Czarnecki provided) into their daily practices.  She also reviewed the librarians' outreach documents.  Her goal was to unveil how the training was being used, what librarians were doing during their story times to promote school reading readiness skills, and what types of outreach they provided.  The results were positive.

                                                  Costa Rica Study Abroad

 Dr. Martinez with a few of her students, her mother (sitting),                             An actual photo taken by Dr. Martinez of the

 and Dr. Laster (on the left) at the                                                                       "the Fruit Loops" toucan, formally called the

 International Reading Association World Congress.                                             Keel-billed Toucan.                       
 

 Dr. Martinez and the Minister of Education in Costa Rica.                                A local newscaster in San Jose, Costa Rica with Dr. Valdes.

 We went on a canopy tour, which included zip lining                                        We ate at Rosti Pollo, home of THE BEST tres leches (cake)!

 and repelling.                      

Dr. Valdes (yes another Dr. Valdes) at Zarcero Park.                                                  The study abroad group at Zarcero Park.