Dr. Amy Heineke is a professor in the School of Education at Loyola University Chicago, where she prepares teachers and leaders for work with multilingual learners in PK-12 schools. She holds a Ph.D. in Language and Literacy and M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from Arizona State University, as well as a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and International Studies from Northwestern University. Her 20+ years of experience in education has centered on designing rich and meaningful curriculum for all students to engage in deep and authentic learning that transfers outside the classroom.
Dr. Heineke has published over 60 peer-reviewed articles and chapters, focused on effectively mediating the teaching and learning of multilingual learners and the teachers who serve them. She has also published eight books, including books on designing curriculum for culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms, using culturally relevant and inclusive texts to mediate students’ learning, and nurturing students’ multilingualism in schools. Her 2018 text with Jay McTighe, entitled Using Understanding by Design in the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Classroom, has sold thousands of copies.
As an associate for McTighe and Associates, Dr. Heineke facilitates the professional learning of educators in both PK-12 and higher education settings. In PK-12 settings, her work often centers on applying UbD with a language lens, supporting educators in designing curriculum for multilingual learners in ESL/ELD, bilingual, dual-language, and general education settings. In higher education settings, Amy supports college and university professors in designing program and course curricula using the UbD framework. She works with each client to design responsive and aligned professional development to match their population, programs, and goals as a school or district. Areas of expertise:
• Multilingual learners (i.e., English learners)
• ESL, ELD, bilingual, & dual-language education
• Disciplinary learning and language development
• Collaborative curriculum design for co-teaching
• Culturally responsive curriculum design
• UbD curricular design in colleges and universities
