INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF PORTLAND TEACHER PUBLISHES SPANISH TRANSLATION OF SEMINAL INQUIRY-BASED EDUCATION BOOK
The Spear Center for Excellence in Teaching will host the release party for Kimberly Mitchell’s Experience Inquiry, translated for the first time and available to Spanish-speaking educators around the world
PORTLAND, OR, May 31: Paola Gagliardo, a longtime elementary school teacher at the International School of Portland, has authored a Spanish translation of Kimberly Mitchell’s Experience Inquiry. Inquiry-based education is a quickly-growing learning and teaching method that inspires students by helping them take an active, critical, and investigative role in their own learning. Experience Inquiry is widely considered to be an essential resource for educators looking to bring inquiry-based teaching into the classroom. Gagliardo’s Spanish translation, La ede la indigación, will allow Spanish-speaking educators around the world to better understand and incorporate inquiry-based teaching methods into their classrooms.
La experienca de la indagación was a collaborative work between Gagliardo and Mitchell. The two educators connected via a virtual Inquiry conference hosted by the International School of Portland’s Deloris A. Spear Center for Excellence in Teaching in 2021.
“It was clear from my interactions with Paola that she had a deep grasp of inquiry-based methodology and a true dedication to educating her students,” says Kimberly Mitchell. “Paola, a native-Ecuadorean and language immersion teacher, asked if Experience Inquiry was available in Spanish. When I told her ‘Not yet,’ she replied, ‘Well, then I'll do it!’ And she did!”
“Four years ago, I came across Kimberly Mitchell’s book Experience Inquiry,” says Gagliardo. “I’ve been able to put hose tools into practice into my own classrooms and see significant growth and depth of my student’s learning. Translating this important book into Spanish has been a unique and fulfilling experience. I hope that this work contributes to a better future for Ecuadorian teachers and learners, as well those from across the Spanish-speaking world.”
Since completing the La experienca de la indagación, Paola has traveled to her home country of Ecuador to educate teachers about inquiry-based education and its methods. She has already worked with educators from over twenty schools who are dedicated to their professional development and to teaching the next generations of learners.
A book launch reception featuring both Kimberly Mitchell and Paola Gagliardo will be hosted on Thursday, June 8 by the Spear Center for Excellence in Teaching. 5:30-7pm. International School of Portland, Learners’ Hall, 75 S Caruthers Street, Portland OR. Light refreshments and appetizers will be served.
About Kimberly Mitchell
Kimberly is one of the most sought-after international speakers on inquiry-based teaching methods. Over her 30 years in education, she has inspired thousands of students, teachers, philanthropists, and education leaders across the globe with her accessible style and creative approaches to adult learning.
Recently, Kimberly has expanded into College Coaching and takes on a limited number of clients each year. She holds a BA in History and Philosophy from Skidmore College and an MA in Administration and Policy Analysis from Stanford University and is an associate member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association.
About Paola Gagliardo
Paola’s passion is to ignite curiosity in students through inquiry, language, and culture and has taught across all grades from kindergarten to high school. She currently teaches at the International School of Portland, a language immersion school in Portland, Oregon. In 2004, she co-founded one of the first language immersion schools in the region: The Language Academy. Paola also taught Spanish as a Second Language in several Catholic and private schools. In 2022, Paola translated Kimberly’s book Experience Inquiry into Spanish so that Spanish speaking teachers could have an easy-to-read manual and practical tools to bring inquiry into their classrooms. Last year, she presented “The Inquiry Five Strategies,” at the IB World Conference in San Diego and at the Crafting Inquiry Conference through the Spear Center in Portland, Oregon.
Paola was born and raised in Quito, Ecuador and graduated in 2000 with a B.S. in Chemical and Industrial Engineering and a Minor in Psychology from Universidad San Francisco de Quito. Paola completed her Masters in Neuropsychology and Education in 2020.
About Deloris A. Spear Center for Excellence in Teaching
The Deloris A. Spear Center for Excellence in Teaching aims to serve as the hub for educational innovation and professional learning in the Pacific Northwest. Located within the International School of Portland’s campus in beautiful downtown Portland, Oregon, the Spear Center hosts workshops and conferences with world-renowned educators to support not only its own school faculty but those from the Portland area and beyond. The Spear Center provides opportunities for educators around the world to come together and share best practices in multicultural teaching, as well as to develop a network of highly skilled professionals who are invested in international education. spearcenter.intlschool.org