Curriculum Vitae
Rebecca A. Peterson
230 Appleton Place
Nashville, TN 37203
rebecca.peterson@vanderbilt.edu
CURRENT APPOINTMENT
Lecturer in Education – Coordinator of Clinical Field Experience, Secondary Education
Department of Teaching and Learning
Lecturer in French
Department of French and Italian
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION
Secondary Education, Second Language Acquisition, World Language Education, Intercultural
Competence
EDUCATION
Indiana University, Bloomington, IN Department of Education, Literacy, Culture and Language
Education, Ed.D.
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
M.Ed. Education with French endorsement
Taylor University, Upland, IN Graduation
B.A. French Language and Literature/B.A. Communication Studies/Public Relations Minor
PROFESSIONAL AND TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Vanderbilt University – Nashville, TN
Peabody College
Department of Teaching and Learning – Lecturer in Education – appointment August 2011 – present
WLED 6370 – Advanced Teaching of World Languages in K-12 Classrooms
WLED 6371 – World Language Practicum Seminar
WLED 7973 – World Language Internship Seminar
EDUC 3310/6310 – The Ecology of the Classroom – Summer 2014-present
EDUC 3872 – Practicum II – Assessment in Secondary Education, Fall 2017
EDUC 3720 – Principles of Teaching English Language Learners, Fall 2016
EDUC 2340/3871 – Practicum I in Secondary Education – August 2011 – present
FLED 2960 Independent Study – Spring Semester 2013, Spring Semester 2014, Fall Semester 2015
Director of the World Language Education Program 2023-present
Design and update the curriculum for various language courses, ensuring that they meet academic standards and align with student needs, departmental goals and the current world language landscape.
Monitor the effectiveness of the program through evaluations, feedback, and assessments. Use data to make improvements and adapt to changes in the field.
Ensure that the program meets accreditation standards and adheres to university and state educational regulations.
Develop a strategic vision for the growth and direction of the program, considering trends in language education and student needs.
Foster an inclusive environment that welcomes students of diverse backgrounds and promotes multilingualism and multicultural understanding.
Coordinator of Clinical Field Experience – appointment August 2011 – 2023
Primary focus on partnership building and cultivation with schools, district offices and personnel
Responsible for securing and assigning all practicum and student teaching placements for Secondary Education undergraduate and graduate students
Oversee and coordinate Screening I and Screening II activities for pre-service teacher candidates
Coordinate and oversee university mentors for Secondary Education
College of Arts and Sciences
Department of French and Italian – Lecturer in French – appointment August 2011 – present
FREN 2203 – Contemporary France and Francophone Cultures – Fall 2014 – Present
FREN 1103 – French in the World (accelerated course)
FREN 1102 – Introduction to French in the World
FREN 103 – Intermediate French – Fall 2011 – Spring 2014
Peabody College – Adjunct Instructor – Fall Semester 2002 – Spring 2010
FLED 2380 Foreign Language Teaching: Theory and Practice
• Instructed undergraduate and graduate students preparing to enter the foreign language teaching
profession
• Discussed current foreign language learning theories and how these theories inform classroom practice
• Supervised graduate Capstone projects for Peabody College
Hillsboro High School, Nashville, TN, Department Chair of Foreign Languages, August 2003-July 2011
• Taught French I-French V/IB in an immersion type setting
• Integrated technology into daily classroom activities
• Developed and wrote French curriculum for the International Baccalaureate Program at Hillsboro High
School
• Supervised French Club, Knitting Club and sponsored National Eating Disorders Awareness Week
• Served as a PTSA faculty liaison and maintained regular parent contact with my students’ families
• Coordinated and led student trips to France, England and Spain
John Trotwood Moore Middle School, Nashville, TN, August 2003-August 2004
• Taught 7th and 8th grade French
• Implemented introductory French program
• Wrote the 8th grade for high school credit test for the district
• Coordinated and led student field trips related to the target culture
Hillwood High School, Nashville, TN, October 2002-May 2003
• Taught French I-French IV using a variety of instructional techniques
• Supervised French Club
• Worked with the Hillwood Girls Track Team
Nashville State Community College, Nashville, TN, Fall Semester 2002
Adjunct Instructor – FREN 1010
• Taught introductory French
CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
Annual Reading Forum (ARF) – Learning From and With Literature: Children’s Nonfiction Texts
Representing Disability – Moderator, Fall 2018
Annual Reading Forum (ARF) – Live-Actor Simulations to Unpack Assumptions and Enter Difficult
Conversations – Co-presenter, Fall 2018
ACTFL – 7 Billion Others and Me: Introspection for Global Tolerance – Co-presenter, Fall 2018
AACTE – Exploring Signature Pedagogies to Develop Critical Dispositions – Co-presenter, Spring 2018
AERA – Student Engagement and Activism – Co-presenter, Spring 2018
Tennessee Foreign Language Teachers Association Conference – Co-presenter, Fall 2014
“First Year Teachers in the World Language Classroom”
Tennessee Foreign Language Teachers Association Conference – Co-presenter, Fall 2013
“The Vanderwiki Project: A Social Pedagogies Approach to Cultural Issues in France.”
Southern Conference of Language Teachers (SCOLT) – Co-presenter, Spring 2014
“Innovations in technology use at Vanderbilt University’s Center for Second Language Studies: Wikis and
Skyping”
Tennessee Foreign Language Teachers Association Conference – Co-presenter with Virginia Scott,
Fall 2003
3
“ACTFL and the State Standards for Foreign Language Teaching”
INVITED PRESENTATIONS
Humanizing Pedagogies – Vanderbilt University – Dr. Lani Horn – Fall 2018
Response to Diverse Learners – Vanderbilt University – Dr. Ocheze Joseph – Fall 2018
Secondary Education Student Teaching Seminar – Vanderbilt Universtiy – School-Home-Community Connections – Spring 2018
Center for Second Language Studies – Creating your Teaching Portfolio – Vanderbilt – Spring
2018
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
SERVICE TO PROFESSION
President Elect – Tennessee Foreign Language Teacher Association – term begins 2018
State Literacy Initiative in World Languages – Consultant – 2018-2019
State Department of Education Standards for World Languages Writing Committee Consultations
– 2017
Tennessee Foreign Language Teachers Assoc. Board Member 2nd Term of Service
American Association of Teachers of French
Pi Delta Phi – National French Honor Society
American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language
Kappa Delta Pi – National Education Society
State Department of Education Textbook Adoption Committee – 2009-2010
State Department of Education Standards for World Languages Writing Committee – 2009-2010
SERVICE TO UNIVERSITY
University – School Liaison
Serve as faculty liaison between surrounding school districts, Secondary Education faculty,
University Mentors and professional year students.
Coordinate partnerships for all SED student placements across three counties and independent
schools.
Screening I
Coordinate undergraduate screening in the fall and spring annually as students make their
formal application to the SED program and teacher licensure track.
Recruit evaluators, schedule individual student sessions and interviews and gather data to
support admittance to the program.
Screening II
Coordinate undergraduate and M.Ed. screening in the fall and spring before students begin
their professional year student teaching or residency placements.
Recruit evaluators, schedule individual student sessions and presentations and gather data to
support admittance to student teaching.
Master’s Capstone for Secondary Education
Coordinate M.Ed. final Capstone projects by scheduling student presentations, recruiting
evaluators and gathering data to support continuation in the program.
Certificate in Second Language Studies – A&S Steering Committee
Planned, coordinated and implemented certificate of study with other language department
colleagues for master’s and doctoral students
SERVICE TO COMMUNITY
• MCTE – Metro Council of Teacher Educators – Peabody SED representative
• MNPS Parent Advisory Committee in Exceptional Education
• International Baccalaureate Inquiry Project Reviewer – JT Moore Middle School – 2017
• Montessori Center, Nashville, TN – Cultural and Language teaching to primary class – 2016-
present
• Tutoring
• Sister Cities of Nashville Member – 2011- present
Interview students and chaperones for summer exchange program to Caen, France
• Linden Waldorf School – Board Member 1st Term of Service 2013-2016
HONORS, AWARDS & EXCHANGES
Caen, France, 2014 & 2011 – Diplomatic Exchange with Sister Cities of Nashville
• Travelled with representatives from Mayor Karl Dean’s office to represent the city of Nashville and
our system of education during an international celebration of Sister Cities in Normandy, France.
Montpellier, France, 2004, Nina Walls Scholarship – Alliance Française de Nashville
• Awarded the opportunity to study and live in Montpellier while attending a language intensive
program
Strasbourg, France, 1999, Group Study Exchange Program – Rotary International
• Interfaced with international corporations to evaluate business and marketing in a global marketplace
• Refined my French speaking skills during this four week program
Geneva, Switzerland, 1995, Intern – Taylor University
• Planned and coordinated after school activities for youth in the international school system
• Increased French language skills and developed a deeper understanding of international relations
Brittany, France, 1990, Honors Exchange Program – Indiana University
• Participated in rigorous nine week language immersion program in St. Brieuc, France