Dr. Angela López Pedrana
Dr. Angela López Pedrana
Associate Professor - Assistant Chair for the Undergraduate StudiesUrban EducationBiography
Dr. Angela López Pedrana is Associate Professor with the University of Houston-Downtown. Her personal and professional interests are varied, but her scholarship is centered on development of narrative authority of Latino teachers and how personal and professional experiences of language and learning influence teachers of English Language Learners. Her longitudinal study focuses on the tensions arising between the individual narrative authority in language and learning and the contexts in which bilingual and ESL teachers enact teaching. Dr. Pedrana attempts to enhance, grow, and strengthen the individual narrative authority of teachers as she continually advocates that the relationship between the student and the teacher should be the guiding force for decisions about sound teaching practices rather than passing the test.
Degrees Earned
| Doctor of Education | University of Houston | Curriculum & Instruction |
| Master in Education | University of St. Thomas | Bilingual/ESL Education |
| Bachelor of Arts | University of St. Thomas | Bilingual/ESL |
| Bachelor of Science | University of Wisconsin-Madison | Home Economics Education |
Courses Taught
BED 3301: Understanding the Second Language Learner
BED 3307 Academic Proficiencies for the Bilingual Classroom Teacher
BED 3311: Foundations of Bilingual Education and ESL
BED 4311: Integrating the Curriculum in a Bilingual/ESL Classroom
BED 4301 Teaching Language Arts and Reading in Spanish
ESL 3301: Teaching English Language Learners
ESL 5334: Foundations of ESL Education, Cultural Awareness, and Family/Community Involvement
PED 3314: Children's Literature in Spanish
READ 3317: Literacy Curriculum, Methods, and Assessment in Bilingual/ESL
READ 4306: Literacy Curriculum, Methods, and Assessment in Bilingual/ESL
SOSE 3306: Culture of the Urban School
SOSE 4303: Current Issues in Urban Teaching
SOSE 4304: Current Issues in Urgan Teaching (for Teacher Candidates Exempted from student teaching)
EED 4304: Block III Student Teaching supervision
MAT 6312: Foundations of Curriculum and Instruction for Culturally Diverse Settings
MAT 6390: Directed Study in Urban Teaching
More Information
Presentations and articles address the work undertaken with Teacher Candidates as well as students aspiring to enter the teacher education program. Topics such as: reflection on how theory and practice go hand in hand; how language is an enactment of one's culture; on being a "student" while conscientiously being a "future teacher" focuses on "process and product" of learning and teaching; and on awareness of how personal practical knowledge allows enhancement or development of one's narrative authority.
Publications:
Pedrana, A. L. (2013). Narrative Authority = Making Mathematics Personal with Hands- On Experiences. Curriculum and Teaching Dialogue, 15(1 and 2), 71-83.
Pedrana, A. L., Burnett, C. G., Mitchell, L., & Lara, A. (2011). Triangulating the Theory-Practice Connection: Explicit Linkage Between Personal Experiences,
Field Based Experiences, and Certification Requirements in a Satellite Program for Bilingual Education Teacher Candidates. Curriculum and Teaching Dialogue, 13(1 and 2), 109-125.
Pedrana, A. L. (2009). Modeling the Theory to Practice Connection Using Personal Practical Knowledge, Reflection and Narrative Authority. In L. Gómez Chova, D. Martí Belenguer, I. Candel Torres (Eds.), International Association of Technology, Education and Development: Vol. 3905-2009. International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation (pp. 001530-001539). Madrid, Spain.
Awards and Recognitions:
UHD Faculty Development Grant Recipient, 2015
UHD Faculty Development Grant Recipient, 2013
AERA Bilingual Research SIG First Place Winner of Dissertation Award, San Francisco, CA. 2006