This Spring 2024 semester I had the privilege of learning from Ariel Lautiej, a Marshallese Native Descendent. For major project two, Ariel wrote a critical discourse analysis of Marshallese poet and activist, Kathy Jetnil- Kijiner's poem, Anointed. In Ariel's critical essay titled, "Nuclear Justice for The Marshall Islands" Ariel analyzes and synthesizes the meaning of the poem Anointed, shedding light on the nuclear bomb testing that was conducted on the Marshall Islands after World War 2, "which had dire effects on many Marshallese Peoples' lives to this day" (Lautiej, 2024). For our Solidarity: Preserving an Oral History-Story Research Unit, Ariel decided to interview her grandmother, a Native Marshallese Island Survivor. Ariel's interview gives voice to her grandmother, where she orates her lived experiences living on the Island during the U.S. Nuclear Bomb Testing on her peoples and discusses the dire environmental and health effects that resulted from the bombs' toxic exposure. Thank you for enriching our collective learning experiences this semester Ariel, and for giving your grandmother a voice and platform to share her, and her Native Peoples story, click the link above to engage with Ariel's work.

Nazar Adam was a student of mine during the spring 2024 semester. Nazar, on most days would come to class late, not intentionally. I could tell because every time he would enter class he would be panting, out of breath, and then with his eyes and facial expressions, he would apologize for his lack of punctuality.  Nazar made up for his tardiness by always being the first to contribute to class discussions, and not just saying something, to say something; his comments and ideas were always thought provoking, enriching our classroom, making it easier for his classmates to express their thoughts, too. 

Please click the link above, and consider engaging with Nazar's writings, valid criticisms and listen to him talk with his brother, as they delve "into the complex and often overlooked struggles faced by individuals living in America without citizenship. From navigating legal hurdles to grappling with identity and belonging, hear firsthand accounts of the challenges and triumphs experienced by Qais (Nazar's Brother) explore the multifaceted dimensions of the immigrant experience and the resilience of communities striving for recognition and inclusion in the land they also want to call home"--Nazar Adam

I will never forget Eymin's bravery, and courage to utter on paper and in a recording, her lived experience with sexual assault. Eymin's and her cousin's story has implications for how we talk about sexual abuse, mental health, and what it means to live with trauma. I hope Eymin's story normalizes talking about sexual assault, researching and writing about sexual assault, and organizing community and health resources for sexual assault survivors. To learn more about Eymin's story and the research she did in my class, click on the link above, and listen to her podcast recording, after you have carefully read her research and interview process, where she provides in-depth context for her readers and listeners.

For major project two, using the framework of Fairclough's Language and Power (1989), Edward analyzes and synthesizes Cillian Murphy’s performance in Peeky Blinders, to show how the act of silence and use of non-verbal language can affect discourse (Cervantes, 2024). For our final project, originally Edward was going to interview a classmate about their immigration journey, and what obstacles they face due to their immigration status; however, due to unforeseen circumstances, Edward had to change his topic last minute. Time was a constraint factor, so Edward decided to share how his personal lived experiences have shaped his perspective about what solidarity means to him. Edward frames his talk using Palestinian peacemaker Aziz Abu Sarah and Israeli peacemaker Maoz Inon's Ted Talk, fusing their talk with his perspective to discuss "the immeasurable tragedies they've experienced growing up in the region — and how they choose reconciliation over revenge, again and again". Edward also draws from his teachings of the bible, too--which he believes is an acronym for "Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth" (10:25). Thank you for sharing your perspective with us, Edward. To interact with Edward's intellectual works, please click on the link above. 

Rawand decided for her end of the term ESL 47 project, she wanted to share her Palestinian Oral History, sharing sources, significant memories and artifacts that have shaped her, and her family. Rawand supports the story of her native country's origin using open educational resources, as cited and hyperlinked in her Power Point Presentation Slides, and at the end of her google sites landing page, too. Students in my Novice-Intermediate ESL 47 Integrated Reading and Writing class worked very hard to develop their practices in formal citations and paraphrasing the works of others to support their personal ideas. Nevertheless, consider Rawand's work to be a curation of a combination of both outside sources and personal sources that make meaning to show aspects of Rawand's Oral History Story. Bear witness by clicking on the link above.

Mr. Zuri was always eager to contribute his perspective to our class discussions and was always eager to help translate my instruction to his fellow Afghani classmates. He was always gracious too, in providing me with feedback about my instructions, to ensure my instructions were clear to him and our ESL community of learners. I was amazed with his personal story, and journey too, coming here to America, I learned a lot of about Afghani resilience, and the different kinds of text and authors Mr. Zuri was well versed in. To engage with Mr. Zuri's intellectual works, click on the link above.

For Megumi's final ESL Project, she wanted to share the significance of a specific Chinese meal that represents her personal identity and cultural heritage. Megumi's professional power point presentation explores the following two questions: What is the story behind the creation of Chinese Dumplings? Why is it important? And how would you describe the process of the meal preparation, what are the ingredients, and when is it normally eaten? To learn more click on Megumi's ESL 47 Portfolio above.

To interact with the works of Aniket Anand, click the link above. While Aniket missed many class sessions for personal and professional development reasons, Aniket always contributed quality critical thinking and engaged thoughtfully and personally with every task before him, this is why I invited Aniket to share his works, hopefully to inspire other students who are juggling (learning how to master EMT health professional skills) while trying to stay committed to their class studies. Aniket proves it is possible.