“Through dialogue, reflecting together on what we know and do not know, we can then act critically to transform reality.” Paolo Freire
Education
Doctor of Philosophy Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA
Curriculum and Instruction: Language, Learning & Literacy.
Master of Science in Education
State University of New York at Binghamton
Reading and Literacy.
California CLAD Teaching Credential California State University, Los Angeles
Bachelor of Arts Political Science and Communications
Boston College, Boston, MA.
Biography
Margarita Gómez, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Literacy Education at Loyola University Maryland. Her research aims to better understand how classroom contexts play a critical role for multilinguals’ writing development, equity and assessment of multilingual students’ linguistic practices, and multilingual policy and practice. A former bilingual elementary teacher, she currently teaches courses in processes and acquisition of literacy, assessment and instruction of literacy, second language theory and assessment, and language, literacy, and culture. Her scholarship has been published in premier academic journals such as Reading Research Quarterly, the Bilingual Research Journal, Elementary School Journal, the International Journal of Bilingualism and Bilingual Education, as well as in the Reading Teacher, and the Journal of Adult and Adolescent Literacy. She has co-authored book chapters in The Handbook of Research on Writing Instruction Practices for Equitable and Effective Teaching and Bilingualism for All? Raciolinguistic Perspectives on Dual Language Education. She has served as a reviewer for Bilingual Research Journal, Language and Education, Language Arts, and Multicultural Perspectives.
Research Interest
Gomez's research interests have centered on: 1) understanding the writing development of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) learners and 2) improving the literacy achievement of CLD students in urban settings. I am particularly interested in developing assessment tools that measure the cultural and linguistic competencies that multilingual and multicultural students bring to schooling. Margarita serves as the mentor at Archbishop Borders K-8 Dual Language Community School in Baltimore, as well as several national editorial review boards for language and literacy journals.
Honors and Awards
2018 Translanguaging Writing Club Grant, supporting the implementation of an after-school translanguaging writing club and the research around efficacy of bilingual writing. Knott Foundation Grant ($2,500)
2018 Faculty Excellence in Engaged Scholarship Award, Loyola University Maryland ($500)
2013 American Education Research Association Language and Social Processes Special Interest Group Emerging Scholar Award ($500)
Recent Publications
Gómez, M. & Collins, K. (2022). Reimagining writing assessment for socio-and racio-linguistic
justice: Acknowledging the use of linguistic repertoires for Black and Latinx students.
In T. Hodges (Ed.) Handbook of Research on Writing Instruction Practices for Equitable
and Effective Teaching (pp. 1-22). DOI: 10.4018/978-1-6684-3745-2.ch001
Gómez, M. & Lewis, M. (2022). Identifying the Assets of Emergent Bilingual Middle School Students'
Writing: Opportunities to Validate Students’ Linguistic Repertoires and Identities.
International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, DOI: 10.1080/13670050.2022.2079371
Gómez, M. & Collins, K. (2021). Who Constitutes as Emerging Bilinguals?: Adapting a Holistic
Writing Rubric for All. In N. Flores, A. Tseng, N. Subtirelu. (Eds.), Bilingualism
for all? Raciolinguistic Perspectives on Dual Language Education. Multilingual Matters
(pp. 220-243).
Saal, L. K. & Gómez, M. (2019). Photovoice as multimodal curriculum and method for community change. Journal
of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 63(4),467-471.
Gómez Zisselsberger, M. & Ramos González, G. (2019). Building teacher capacity around assessing emergent
bilinguals writing in elementary dual language programs. In M. Scanlan, C. Hunter
& L. Howard (Eds.), Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Education: Designing
Networks that Transform Schools. Harvard University Press.
Lewis, M. A. & Gómez Zisselsberger, M. (2018). Scaffolding and inequitable participation in linguistically diverse book
clubs. Reading Research Quarterly, doi: 10.1002/rrq234, 1-20.
Avalos, M., Gómez Zisselsberger, M. & Gort, M. (2017). "Hey! Today I will tell you about the water cycle!": Variations
of Language Features in Third Grade Science Explanation Writing. Elementary School
Journal, 118, 149-176.
Recent Presentations
Gómez, M. & Collins, K. (2022, April). Reimagining Writing Assessment for Sociolinguistic Justice:
Acknowledging the Use of Linguistic Repertoires. Paper presented virtually at the
American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA.
Gómez, M. & Collins, K. (2022, March). Expanding the View of Emerging Bilinguals’ Use of Repertoires:
Adapting Writing Assessments for Sociolinguistic Justice. Paper presented at the American
Association of Applied Linguistics, Pittsburgh, PA.
Gómez, M. & Ramos-González, G. (2021, April). Building teacher capacity around assessing emergent
bilinguals writing in elementary dual language programs. Paper presented as part of
Bilingual Research SIG symposium at American Educational Association, Virtual Conference.
Gómez, M. & Collins, K. (2020). Bilingualism for All?: Raciolinguistic Perspectives on Dual
Language Education. Session planned and prepared for American Educational Research
Association, San Francisco, CA.
Gómez, M. (2019, April). Translanguaging With Elementary Students in a Dual Language Setting:
Toward Understanding Dynamic Bilingual Writing, Poster Session presented at the American
Educational Research Association, Toronto, Canada.
Professional Activities/Society Memberships
Cultivating New Voices (2010-2012) 2010-2012 Cohort
Literacy Research Association Member since 2008
National Council for the Teachers of English Member since 2007
American Educational Research Association Member since 2004
American Association of Applied Linguistics Member since 2006
Mass. Assoc. of Teachers of Speakers of Other Languages Member since 2008