معرفی
Efleda P. Tolentino is Associate Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Teaching and Learning at the College of Education, Information and Technology, Long Island University (LIU), Brookville Campus. She also serves as Director of the Early Childhood Program. Her academic credentials include a Ph.D. from New York University and B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of the Philippines. She is deeply committed to teacher education and creating inclusive, inquiry-based learning environments for young children.
Dr. Tolentino's research and teaching are centered on early childhood and elementary education, with a strong emphasis on the Reggio Emilia approach, developmental psychology, language and literacy development, bilingual education, and racial identity in early childhood. She is particularly interested in how teacher educators can act as agents of change by fostering critical thinking and equity literacy among pre-service and in-service teachers. Her pedagogy is grounded in a social constructivist framework, emphasizing the 'pedagogy of listening,' personal narrative, reflection-action, dialogic inquiry, and field practica to help teacher candidates develop professional dispositions sensitive to the needs of young children and their diverse cultural backgrounds.
Her most recent publications and presentations focus on emergent literacies, remote teaching during the pandemic, transliteracies, and racialized identities in education. These works reflect a consistent trend toward understanding how children make meaning through multiple modalities, especially in digital and hybrid learning environments, and how teachers can support this process equitably. Her scholarship bridges theory and practice, drawing inspiration from Paolo Freire and the Reggio Emilia philosophy.
Dr. Tolentino has been recognized with numerous honors, including being a multiple-time nominee and 2022 awardee of the Newton Award for Excellence in Teaching at LIU. She has also received awards from Brown University, the University of Vermont, and New York University for teaching, research, and service. Her affiliations include the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), International Reading Association, and National Council of Teachers of English.
She actively supervises doctoral students, having chaired and served on numerous dissertation committees focusing on leadership, equity in STEM, financial literacy, bilingual education, and literacy practices. Her work as a mentor reflects her commitment to developing future educational leaders and researchers. Dr. Tolentino has also participated in international study groups, including visits to Reggio Emilia, Italy, and has delivered invited presentations in China and the Philippines, underscoring her global impact on early childhood education.
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