English Language Arts

Welcome to the ELA section of this toolkit. Here you will find various resources to help with implementing digital tools, best practices, and strategies for engaging students with reading and writing in the middle and secondary school levels.

ELA Team Biographies

Aisha Haggard: I am currently a high school, creative writing teacher in a school district located in Charlotte, North Carolina. I am a third year teacher at a school that participates in a 1:1 initiative and I am always eager to seek out new ways to incorporate technology for the 21st century learner.

Jennifer Saldo: I currently teach at a middle school, grades 6-8, in the Iredell-Statesville School district located in North Carolina. I am an EC teacher co-teaching in a 7th grade and 8th grade ELA class. In addition, I teach two small ELA classes. This is my 11th year teaching, all as an EC teacher. I am always looking to improve my role as an educator, and being able to implement digital tools is a current interest of mine.

Dare York: I am an English Language Arts teacher, and I am in my 13th year of teaching. I taught high school English (Inclusion, academic, and Honors) for 7 years, and I am currently teaching 8th grade ELA in a middle school in Statesville, North Carolina. Both of the districts that I have taught in have the 1:1 student laptop initiative, so technology has been a big driving force in my classroom instruction.

Britney Held: I am a high school English teacher at a school in the Cabarrus County School district. I currently teach 9th and 11th grade English, but I taught 10th grade English the past two years. This is my second full year teaching, and my teaching style involves a lot of technology! My school allows for 1:1 student laptop in the classroom, so I love learning new ways to teach 21st century skills and continuously challenge my students.

Catherine C. Stanford: I am a high school English teacher at North Wilkes High School in Hays, NC. This year, I teach 10th and 12th grade. This is my twenty-first year of teaching. We have a 1:1 student laptop situation, and I use technology every day in my classroom.

Natosha Newton: I am currently teaching Elementary at a Primary Years Programme school in Mooresville, NC. My school is 2:1 student to device ratio. This is my second year working with AIG identified students in a Reading cluster classroom. My experience is with teaching secondary students in English-Language Arts in grade 6. I have nine total years of classroom teaching experience and have taught over 1200 students in Iredell County, NC.

Kate Brown: I am currently in the middle of my third year of teaching English at North Wilkes High School! I am currently teaching 9th and 10th grade English but I also teach 11th grade as well. I consider myself to be really well-versed in technology and I use it multiple times every class period with my students and I'm able to do so because of the 1:1 ratio at my school.