McKeown Alum Receives Regional Honor for MAT in Spanish Research

Nicole Sherf, Lead Faculty for MAT in Spanish Program

The Massachusetts Foreign Language Association (MAFLA) is the state organization for teachers of all languages and levels.  Over the fall, at the Annual Conference, five current or recent graduates of the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Spanish Program presented on pedagogical research and application at the conference.  One of these student’s presentation was selected as the Best of MAFLA and was featured as such in the regional Northeast Conference for the Teaching of Foreign Languages (NECTFL)!  

Arely Fagan (MAT in Spanish, 2021) presented her Best of MAFLA session “Transforming Student Performance and Engagement in Middle School Through Storytelling” at NECTFL in New York City on Friday February 22 to acrowd of more than a hundred attendees. Her session, the results of her SPN 900 Research Monograph course, focused on teaching Spanish in context through the use of stories to engage students in a variety of ways in developing functional language use.  She illustrated her session with video clips of sixth grade Spanish students and sample student work.  Her session was selected from the more than 80 60-minute sessions presented over the three days of the MAFLA Conference.

2024 MAFLA President Vilma Nasuti Bibeau, also an alum of the MAT in Spanish (2014), says “the Best of MAFLA award represents the pinnacle ofexcellence in session presentations at the annual MAFLA conference. Reserved for MAFLA members who deliver outstanding 60-minute sessions, this accolade isbestowed upon a session that showcases expertise and garners significant recognition, with a minimum of four out of five "Best of" nominations by attendees in the session evaluations. The responsibilities bestowed upon the award include attending the Northeast Conference, presenting their winning session, and contributing a written report and article to MAFLA, underscoring the commitment to the ongoing enrichment of the language education community.The Best of MAFLA stands as a testament to the dedication and excellence of its recipient in advancing language education and fostering a vibrant learningenvironment.”  Each of the fourteen member states of NECTFL sends the “Best of” session of the annual state conference and they are a highlight of the regional conference.  

This is truly an honor for a teacher with only three and a half years of teaching experience and student teaching completed over zoom!  

Photo captions:

Arely Fagan (MAT in Spanish, 2021) and MAFLA President Vilma Nasuti Bibeau (MAT in Spanish, 2014)