Students with a diverse array of challenges have achieved substantial academic progress under the tutelage of third-grade teacher Marissa Ochoa at Valley Elementary School in Poway, California. Applying her expertise in multiple intelligences to differentiate instruction and reach every student's needs, Ochoa engages her students in active, hands-on learning experiences, from dissecting squids to participating in a simulation of the Underground Railroad. An expert in using technology to enhance curriculum and motivate learning, Ochoa has helped her students create a DVD about their ancestors, participate in online author chats and deliver PowerPoint presentations. A national teacher advisor for Scholastic, Inc. on classroom technology, Ochoa has shared her innovative lessons on a Scholastic blog and evaluated the use of Web-based applications in the classroom at the Scholastic Forum in New York City. Her students have shown excellent academic growth on state and district tests, with the majority scoring advanced on the 2008 California Standards Test (CST). Through the Latino Family Literacy program, Ochoa has trained parents on helping improve their children's comprehension by reading books with them in Spanish. A member of Valley's Leadership Team, Ochoa has worked closely with district-level administrators to support districtwide implementation of a new math program. She recently toured the country giving presentations on enhancing student achievement through the TurnAround Schools program, and contributed a chapter in a reading textbook called Spotlight on Comprehension: Building a Literacy of Thoughtfulness.
2000 University of California - Los Angeles, B.A.
