معرفی
Jonell Pacyga serves as an Associate Professor of Education at the University of Northwestern – St. Paul, concurrently holding dual administrative roles as English as a Second Language (ESL) Licensure Program Coordinator and Spanish Education Licensure Program Coordinator. Her work centers on preparing future educators in multilingual pedagogy and literacy development across K–12 contexts.
Her academic background includes:
- Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Hamline University
- M.A. in English as a Second Language from Hamline University
- B.A. in English as a Second Language Education from the University of Northwestern – St. Paul
She maintains active state licenses in ESL K–12 and Reading Specialist K–12. Research interests emphasize innovative pedagogical approaches, particularly drama integration for oral skill development, motivational strategies in language acquisition, and tailored support for Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (S.L.I.F.E.). Her methodology bridges book arts with literacy instruction to address diverse learner needs.
Professional service includes certification as a MN WIDA Standards and Assessment Facilitator and membership in the MN Department of Education English Learner Stakeholder Input Group (2016–2019). She secured a MinneTESOL grant in 2011 for "Inspire to Write: Book Arts for Pre-Service ESL Educators" and mentored Eagle Scholar Honors Recipients in 2015 and 2018 on pedagogical book arts integration. Conference presentations at MinneTESOL and Arts for All events highlight her focus on drama-based motivation techniques and academic language differentiation.
