Carla P. Cota
ABOUT ME
Experienced Educator, Researcher, Scholar, and Educational Consultant with a demonstrated history of working in elementary, secondary, and high school education. By providing service, teaching, and scholarship in the areas, STEM education, and socio-cultural studies. Strong education professional with MA (2008) MA (2011), Ph.D. (2018) with a focus on Vygotskian social cultural theory and the funds of knowledge from The University of Arizona.
Childhood Educator– With over 20 years of experience and commitment providing a learning environment with progressive pedagogy. Project-based learning, curriculum development in the natural sciences, biology, and social-cultural studies.
Teacher Educator- With 3 years of experience in higher education, training and supervising pre-service and in-service STEM educators.
Researcher and Scholar- With over 20 years working with and for children, as well as studying them to understand how to better meet their needs and help those caring for them to provide high-quality education and care. I have worked on curriculum and program design and implementation, program evaluation, and educational research with a wide field focus. Other areas of specialty include transforming education in the 21st century by engaging with how learning takes place in the natural world, the broader social contexts of household and community life, social justice, and immigration issues.
Educational Consultant- Working in educational consultant projects since 2010, I have collected and analyzed data, developed curriculum and trained pre-service teachers in areas of using the natural world and creating a whole child perspective by using the funds of knowledge.
Education
Ph.D. 2018, The University of Arizona. Major: Socio-Cultural Studies, Immigration and Education Minor: Middle Eastern Studies
M.A. 2010, The City University of New York. Major: Science Education Minor: Urban Anthropology
B.A. 1999, Lehman College. Major: Cultural Anthropology Minor: Biology
SKILLS & ABILITIES
Professional Development in Education 2020-2009
The Center for Orchestrated Teacher Ascent- COTA, Current
Founder and Director
The mission of the Center for Orchestrated Teacher Ascent-COTA is to bring to every classroom a distinct pedagogy, the EcoFunds of Knowledge. This design relies on the fundamental idea that children intuitively have a deep sense, a strong connection and an inherent fascination with the manifestations of the natural world.
Substitute Teacher, Current, Triangle, NC
Substitute for Duke School, Woods Charter
Taught Pre-School, third grade, and assigned for high school science at Woods Charter
The Center for Education Imagination and the Natural World, June 2017- October 2019, Greensboro, NC
Educational Consultant, Earth Guide, Co-Researcher & Fellow
I leveraged my body of knowledge using the Funds of Knowledge to best serve the center and I am also a graduate of the Inner Life of the Child in Nature program, which birthed the idea of EcoFunds and the Center COTA.
University of Arizona, January 2013-May 2013, Tucson, Arizona
Proctor Higher Education
Assisted, taught, and prepared materials for the course Learning, Reading and Culture. The course is fundamental for students interested in pursuing the degree in language, literacy, bi-literacy, and multicultural education.
Sonoran Science Academy, August 2011-2012, Tucson, Arizona
High School Biology Instructor for 9th & 10th grade
Taught biology and developed hands-on STEM activities to augment the school's curriculum.
Fenster School, August 2009-August 2011. Instructor, Tucson, Arizona
High School Biology Instructor Biology & Anatomy for 9th, 10th & 12th grade
As part of a team of educators tasked in restructuring the academic programs at Fenster School specifically, the areas in STEM and outdoors educational programs for 9-12 grades.
Columbia Secondary School, August 2007-August 2009, New York, NY
Middle School Biology Instructor, 6th grade
Opened in the fall of 2007 as part of a partnership with the NYC Department of Education, the community, and Columbia University. Formed part of a team of educators to create a selective secondary school that would provide science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education to students.
WORK AND RESEARCH EXPERIENCE from 2011-2017
University of Arizona, Ethnographic Field Work 2016-2017, Various Locations
Using qualitative research analyzes with second generation immigrants in order describe the interplay between the process of building links and relationships at the material and cultural levels from the sending and receiving countries. To reveal these connections, the funds of knowledge and funds of identity approach demonstrated how families reach self-understanding and communicate that understanding to others.
University of Arizona, Master-IP Program, August 2011-July 2013, Tucson, AZ.
Research Assistant
Joining a team of educators who helped the specially designed cohorts at the University of Arizona College of Education’s Master of Arts degree program in science and math education. Math and Science Teacher Education & Retention Industry Partners (MASTER-IP) A program that provided an opportunity for classroom math and science teachers to become involved in industry while obtaining a new master's degree.
Administrative Management Experience
Colloquy Committee Member, 2012-2013, Tucson, AZ.
Administrative Management
Organize the event, keynote speakers, registration, hosting, and general logistics.
NOAA-CREST, The City College of New York, NY, 2004-2007
Administrative assistant
Under the NOAA-CREST program I worked in tandem with faculty and staff to ensure the mission of NOAA-CREST to educate and train a diverse group of students, early career scientists, and engineers to become competent professionals in NOAA.
Additional Information
Dissertation Title
Representation of Iranian-American Identity and Finding the Funds of Knowledge in the Resilience of Cultural Heritage: *Dr. Richard Ruiz, Dr. Luis Moll
Research Areas
My main research interest is the connection among culture, identity and education, especially as it relates to the education of second generation children in the US. Other areas of interests include how learning takes place in the broader social contexts of household and community life, social justice and immigration issues, out door education, ecology and life science.
Honors
1997-1999 Minority biomedical Research Fellow
1999 United Stated National Collegiate Award in Anthropology
2007-2010 New York City Teaching Fellows
2010-2011 AmeriCorps Scholarship
2010-2017 Ora Bretall Endowed Scholarship
2011-2017 Education College Fellowship
2011-2017 Education Tuition Scholarship
2017-2019 Inner Life of Child Fellow
Professional Development in Education from 1998-2002
Lower East Side Tenement Museum, September 2002-2003
Developed and augmented the museum curriculum for the needs of the public, private and school age students.
Juan Pablo Duarte PS 132, September 1999 to 2002
As a fifth grade teacher, I served as an educational guide to my students, as they build their academic skills in preparation to attend middle school. School subjects introduce more complex topics, such as fraction multiplication, geometry, probability, formal writing, and the use of figurative language.
Wave Hill School, Summer 1999
The summer program included outdoor exploration, data collection, and hands-on fieldwork. Developed an understanding of some of the pressing issues facing urban woodlands. Participation in real work projects allowed students to contribute to ongoing efforts to help restore ecological balance to Wave Hill’s woodlands.
New York Botanical Garden, September 1997-1998
The Green School is a classroom and a laboratory for school groups from New York City. The use inquiry-based education, allow students to explore the scientific wonders of botany, gardening, and ecology
Research Experience 1997-1999
Lehman College Molecular Biology Laboratory September 1997-1999 with Dr. Paul Matthews & Dr. Eleanor Wurtzel
Awarded the Minority Biomedical Research Scholarship (MBRS) a minority research grant I worked in the Wurtzel laboratory helping to understand, at the molecular and biochemical level, how plants regulate the biosynthesis and accumulation of provitamin A carotenoids.
Field Expeditions Study aboard Programs
School for Field Studies Kenya, Africa Wild life management.
Archeological field sites, New York.
Research and Reports
Cota, P. C., Yalda Kaveh (2017) Immigration, Identity, Heritage Language Maintenance- Two Case Studies of Iranian-Americans in the Diaspora. Ethnography & Qualitative Research Conference (EQRC). University of Las Vegas. (Presentation).
Cota, P. C. (2016) A Preliminary study of the Funds of Knowledge & Identity of second-generation Iranian-Americans. Ethnography in Education Research Forum, University of Pennsylvania. (Presentation).
Cota, P. C. (2016, Submitted) The Field of Cultural Production & Media production: Shahs of Sunset and Iranian Americans. Media Culture & Society.
Cota, P.C. (2012) I am Wizard! Finding the Funds of knowledge & Identity with potions and magic: One Iranian-American story. Department of Education Colloquia series, University of Arizona. (Presentation)
Cota, P. C. (2011) Transnational Dual Identity of the Iranian-American Diaspora. Department of Education Colloquia series, University of Arizona. (Presentation)
Olsen, K. L., Canipe, M. M., Cota, P. C, Johnson, J. (2011, submitted) Master-IP Program, A Business/Academic Partnership for Educational Success. Educational Leadership.
Cota, P. C., (2009) Outdoor Inquiry in New York City Morning Side Park as an Extension of Classroom Learning. Masters Thesis, Department of Science Education, The City College of The City University of New York
Cota, P.C., (2007) Ethnographic study of the Perspectives of School Children in a 4th grade classroom in Washington Heights New York . Masters Thesis, Department of Anthropology, The City College of The City University of New York.
Cota, P. C,. Matthews, P.D. and Wurtzel, E. T. (1999) Development of rice transformation for analysis of maize transgenes. Maize Genetics Conference, March 11-14, 1999, Lake Geneva, WI. (poster)
Mattews, P.D., Cota, P.C. and Wurtzel, E. T. (1999) On Golden Pollen. Maize Genetics Conference, March 11-14, 1999, Lake Geneva, WI. (poster)
Cota, C., Matthews, P.D., and Wurtzel, E. T. (1998) Remediating vitamin A deficiency through biotechnology. National Minority Research Symposium, November 21-24, 1998, New York, NY (poster)
Matthews, P.D., W. Ronelus, C. Cota, M. Cervantes, V. Upasani, and E. T. Wurtzel. (1998) Comparison of maize and rice PSY. 40th Annual Maize Genetics Conference, Lake Geneva, WI. (poster)
Professional Affiliations
American Educational Research Association
American Anthropological Association
Anthropological Education Association
Middle East Studies Association
National Science Teachers Association
National Wildlife Federation
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