Caitlin Cornell is a doctoral student in the Second Language Studies Program in the College of Arts and Letters. She also serves as the graduate representative on the planning committee of the MSU Accessible Learning Conference.
This summer I am gaining valuable insight into the State of Michigan’s Department of Education. As a shadow for an English language and accessibility assessment specialist with the MDE, I get a first-hand look at state educational assessments and have the opportunity to contribute to current projects.
I am most grateful for the insider, concrete perspective I receive and the trust that my MDE counterparts have put in my own expertise. I regularly attend meetings to discuss new approaches to MDE assessments, participate in conference calls that cross state lines and engage in discussions regarding policy beyond local interests.
My growing institutional knowledge of MDE enables me to bridge gaps between departments and institutions who ought to be working together but perhaps haven’t yet seen opportunities to build new relationships.
This experience with the MDE has created a unique relationship with the SLS program and opens the door for other collaborative efforts. Recently, I was able to bring on board both the MDE and my grant-writing team for an accessible art exhibit on campus.
After I earned my B.A., I moved to France to teach French as a second language for two years. Then, I returned to the United States to pursue an M.A. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.
I then taught in several English programs in Chicago and moved to Lebanon where I spent two years working for the U.S. Department of State as an English Language Fellow.
During this time, I became increasingly frustrated by the lack of support for language learners with disabilities and the fact that many teacher training programs offered no training related to special populations, accessibility, accommodations or the role of universal design in curriculum development.
I decided it was time for me to return to research where I might be able to shed some light on the language learning experiences of students with disabilities, an underexplored population within second language acquisition research.
When I learned that one of the leading programs for second language acquisition programs was in my home state of Michigan, MSU’s SLS program jumped to the top of my list.
The SLS faculty are dedicated to providing their students with not only depth and focus, but also breadth and the opportunity for exploration. My professors have encouraged and trusted me to explore my research interests.
