Dr. Alcione Negrão Ostorga is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. She was born in Sao Palo, Brazil, and moved to New York City with her family at the age of 15 where she completed her high school and university studies. She began her teaching career as a Special Education teacher for learning disabled students and has been an educator for over twenty years. Her experiences include teaching fifth and sixth grade and over 15 years at the college level.

Dr. Ostorga holds a BA in Elementary Education from Queens College (CUNY) and an MS in Special Education from Adelphi University. Her doctoral degree is a PhD in Language and Literacy Education from Fordham University. She received the Phi Delta Kappa Dissertation Award. She was also a Holmes Scholar and Kappa Delta Pi inductee.

Her work at UTPA is directed toward the preparation of teachers in general but she has a special interest in early childhood and bilingual education. She is committed to bilingual education that fosters Biliteracy and high level of academic development in all children. She is also committed to the promotion of parent involvement in schools where parents share their knowledge of family, culture and community as partners in the educational process of their children. Her research interests include the development of teachers in three areas that are interrelated: critically reflective practice, professional identity and infusion of technology to promote learning. Currently she is exploring ways to develop the reflective stance in pre-service teachers through action research and the use of technology to foster critical dialogue.

Philosophy of Education:
My philosophy of education is grounded on humanistic and socio constructivist principles. As such, I believe that learning takes place through dialogue and exploration. Thus, the preparation of teachers requires the space for dialogue and exploration where they can examine issues of theory and practice against the background of their social and cultural selves. The dialogic process creates the crucial space for student teachers to forge their professional identities by integrating their knowledge with their personal and professional values. My assumption is that teachers who develop through this dialogic process will also find ways to create spaces for dialogue and exploration within their own classrooms so learning can be constructed and the meaning making process of each child valued.

What I like about teaching at UTPA
I enjoy working at UTPA because the values embedded in its mission and vision (excellence through research combined with excellence in teaching) are in harmony with my own professional values. This is a university in the process of transformation and growth and I enjoy being a part of this process. As such, I have become a part of a movement towards excellence through research along with other faculty in a collegial atmosphere. But most of all, I enjoy teaching here because students are warm, friendly and hungry for knowledge and because they are committed to becoming excellent teachers and making a difference in their communities.