Ph.D. Students

Research Interests

English Language Development; Second Language Acquisition; Language and Literacy Education; Bi-/Multi-/Translingual pedagogies; Bilingualism; Dual-Language education; Second language acquisition; International Comparative Education; Teacher preparation; K-6 classroom teaching 

Biography, Education and Training

M.A. Education:

Ball State University 

B.A. English:

Ball State University

Multiple-Subject CA Teaching Credential:

CSU Monterey Bay

Benjamin is a Ph.D. candidate in Education currently finishing his dissertation. His research interests center on preparing teachers to work with linguistically-minoritized students, video-embedded teacher learning, as well as international perspectives on bilingual education and pedagogies. His dissertation explores the use of collaborative video analysis to support preservice teacher learning towards equitable orientations to language in disciplinary learning. In addition, Benjamin has experience as a Teacher Supervisor for pre-service teachers pursuing Multiple Subject Credentials at California State University Monterey Bay and previously served on the Board of Directors for the California Council for the Social Studies.

Prior to starting a PhD, Benjamin worked as a K-5 classroom teacher domestically and internationally and served as Program Coordinator at a Dual-Language school in Kobe, Japan. 

Honors, Awards and Grants

2021-Present California Teacher Education Research and Improvement Network Educating Teacher Educators (CTERIN ETE) Doctoral Fellow

2019-Present  California State University Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program (CDIP) Scholar

2023 Quality in Nordic Teaching (QUINT) PhD Fellow, University of Oslo

2023 Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program Dissertation Fellowship, California State University

2023  Education Department/Social Sciences Division Summer Writing Fellowship, University of California Santa Cruz

2023   Blue & Gold Fellowship Award, University of California Santa Cruz

2023  Chancellor’s Doctoral Incentive Program Travel Grant, California State University

2022  Graduate Dean's Research Travel Grant, University of California Santa Cruz  

2022  Graduate Student Conference Registration Award, American Educational Research Association (AERA) Second Language Research Special Interest Group 

Selected Publications

James, B. M. (2021, November 24). Interview with Dr. Jun Ushiwata. California Teacher Education Research and Improvement Network International Scholars on Teacher Education Interview Series https://cterin.ucop.edu/resources/pages/interview-series/interview-series-intl/leading_scholars_intl_jun_ushiwata.html

James, B.M. (2019). Using virtual reality to prepare our students for global citizenship. Social Studies Review: Journal of the California Council for the Social Studies, 57.

Sulsberger, M., Slown, C., James, B.M., & Garcia, R. (in preparation). Re-envisioning elementary science methods: The STEM lab school project. 

Selected Presentations

James, B. M., (2023, May 30). Collaborative video analysis to support pre-service teacher noticing and learning toward action-based orientations to language: A “brief” interactional analysis. [Individual Paper] Quality in Nordic Teaching (QUINT) Conference 2023, Helsinki, Finland. 

James, B. M., (2023, April 14). Exploring Linguistic Capital and Social Reproduction in Elite Bilingual Schools Across the Globe. in Critical Perspectives: Leveraging the Influence of Languages in Multilingual Contexts. Poster session at the AERA 2023 Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL

Kenner, K., Raufman, J. Bunch, G. C., Edgecombe, N., James, B. M., (2023, April 14). Building Pathways for Latinx English Learners in Community College. In G. Bunch & N. Edgecombe (Chairs), Preparation for Postsecondary Education for Latinx Multilingual Learners in Chicago: Multiple Starting Points, Multiple Pathways. Symposium at the AERA 2023 Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL

James, B. M., Lang, N. W., Bunch, G.C., (2022, April 21). From prescriptivism to practices: Developing content-area teacher candidates’ language conceptions through sociocultural visions of scaffolding. [Individual Paper] AAAL 2023 Annual Meeting, Portland, OR

Bunch, G. C., James, B. M., Lang, N. W., (2022, April 21). From "Academic Language" to Scaffolding: Preservice Teachers' Shifting Conceptions of Language and Pedagogy. In E. Andrei (Chair), Dismantling Language Dichotomies in Teacher Education. Symposium conducted at the AERA 2022 Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA.

James, B. M., (2022, April 22). Investigating the Relationship Between Teachers' Reported Language Conceptions and Classroom Practice in Remote Instruction. In L. Seah (Chair), Teachers' Knowledge of the Role of Language in Content Pedagogy. Symposium conducted at the AERA 2022 Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA.

James, B. M., (2022, April 22). Investigating the Relationship Between One Teacher’s Reported Language Conceptions and Classroom Practice in Remote Instruction. [Roundtable presentation]. AERA 2022 Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA.

Bunch, G.C., Kenner, K.A., Raufman, J., Cantero, L.A., Lang, N.W., James, B.M., Roman, A., Brathwaite, J.R., Edgecombe, N. (2021, April 12). Defining and supporting English learners in community colleges: Perspectives from instructors, administrators, and student support professionals. In R. M. Callahan (Chair), Immigrant ever–English learner students in higher education: Policy levers in access, interventions, interactions, transfer, and understanding [Symposium]. American Educational Research Association 2021 Annual Meeting. 

Sulsberger, M., James, B.M., & Garcia, R. (2019, June). Re-envisioning elementary science methods: The STEM lab school project. Research presented at the 9th Annual Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics, & Education Conference, Honolulu, HI.

Elemen, J., James, B.M., Amador, K., & Lamont, R. (2019, March). EdTech ELD strategies for history-social science and C3 readiness. Research presented at the 58th Annual California Council for the Social Studies Conference, San Jose, CA.

James, B.M. & Blowers, L.K. (2016, May). Using technology to create collaborative language learning experiences. Research presented at the Japanese Association for Language Teachers PanSIG2016 conference, Nago, Japan.

James, B.M. & Blowers, L.K. (2016, May). Bilingual and translingual school models around the world. Poster session presented at the Japanese Association for Language Teachers PanSIG2016 conference, Nago, Japan.

Teaching Interests

Course Taught

• Teacher Supervisor (Multiple Subject), Department of Education and Leadership, California State University Monterey Bay
• Graduate Student Instructor: EDUC 141 Bilingualism and Schooling, University of California Santa Cruz
• Graduate Student Instructor: EDUC 60 Introduction to Education: Schooling, Democracy, and Justice University of California Santa Cruz
• Lecturer: ED 550 Health Methods, California State University Monterey Bay
• Teaching Assistant: EDUC 140 Language, Diversity, and Education, University of California Santa Cruz
• Teaching Assistant: EDUC 177  Teaching Linguistically Diverse Students, University of California Santa Cruz
• Teaching Assistant: EDUC 180 Introduction to Teaching, University of California Santa Cruz
• Teaching Assistant: EDUC 141 Bilingualism and Schooling, University of California Santa Cruz
• Teaching Assistant: EDUC 60 Intro to Education: Learning, Schooling, and Society, University Of California Santa Cruz
• Teaching Assistant: ED 611 Teaching and Learning, California State University Monterey Bay