OPENING SESSION
Techniques and Tools to Create an Inclusive Forum for EL Contributions
Kate Kinsella
Orchestrating classroom interactions that significantly improve an EL’s second language and literacy skills is both a science and an art. Simply providing curriculum-aligned questions and opportunities to “turn and talk” with peers never yields impressive results. Reticent second-language speakers are more apt to contribute when a discussion task is set up conscientiously, with clear visual displays, response scaffolds, modeling and rehearsal. At every age and language proficiency level, ELs benefit from guidance in targeted language to achieve a range of communicative goals within lesson interactions, from justifying points of view to comparing and building upon others’ ideas. Through hands-on modeling and guided videos, discover evidence-based principles and practical resources to help all students become more agile and confident communicators.
9:40 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Double Play: Designing Lessons that Integrate Content and Language Learning
Rob Greenhaw, EducationPlus
When EL and Content Teachers collaborate to construct lessons that integrate language and content learning all students benefit, especially ELs. Explore how the 2020 WIDA ELD Standards Framework helps educators confidently choose a language focus for content units that are based on research. Discuss and share a variety of examples, best practices and resources that promote language-rich instruction.
ELL Family Media Center
Alla Gonzalez Del Castillo, St. Louis Public Schools
Access to technology and computer literacy skills are critical for EL family success. This session provides an overview of the ELL Family Media Center, a space for EL families to access, learn and engage with the school district through technology.
Meeting the Needs of Missouri's Refugee Students
Shawn Cockrum, Missouri Office of Refugee Administration
Schools across Missouri continue to welcome newcomer students, including children and youth from Afghanistan, Ukraine, Congo, Syria and South Sudan among others. Explore the background of educational systems refugee students have experienced, expand on cultural and migratory stressors and discuss strength-based strategies to use across school settings.
No Child Left Monolingual: The Why and How of Dual Language
Kim Potowski, University of Illinois Chicago
Mainstream education in the U.S. generally suffers from two problems: We don’t help speakers of other languages maintain proficiency in them while they learn English, and we don’t teach non-English languages early enough nor very robustly. Dual immersion is an outstanding solution to both challenges. Through research-based findings, discover how these programs can consistently result in higher levels of English Learning, academic achievement and Spanish proficiency for both English Learners and English speaking children.
10:40 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Tools for Bolstering English Learners’ Vocabulary Knowledge and Skills
Kate Kinsella
The 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Vocabulary Report highlighted the dire need for K-12 schools to provide ELs and youths from under-resourced families with informed, consistent vocabulary instruction aligned with academic competencies such as describing and arguing. Productive word knowledge, the ability to effectively use a word in spoken and written communication, is pivotal to reading comprehension, academic interaction and standards-aligned writing. Learn to prepare academic ELs for the vocabulary demands of text reading and response. Explore a schema for prioritizing cross-disciplinary and widely-used academic words (e.g., compare, comparison) for planned and robust teaching, and an explicit and interactive instructional routine demonstration. Observe lesson footage, review sample elementary and secondary lessons, note-taking guides and competency-aligned word lists to support implementation.
Lowering the Affective Filter with Circles
John Converse, EducationPlus
Student voice is top priority to help create a culture of inclusivity. Explore how Restorative Circles can create a safe learning space for ELs and give opportunity for all voices to be heard while still maintaining academic rigor and connection building.
Problems of Practice
Ted Huff, EducationPlus and EducationPlus staff members
Arrive with challenges faced in the classroom or your school building. EducationPlus staff will lead you and session members through a Problems of Practice protocol to help you derive solutions to your challenges with the knowledge of other conference attendees.
Talking and Doing Math with English Learners
Rhonda Hittenberger Ortiz and Stacey Maddeaux, Missouri State University
While many ELs can do math, they are often frustrated by language and cultural differences that hinder their ability to explain their thinking to others. Explore strategies for educators to build vocabulary, facilitate mathematical conversations and design interactive problem-solving activities.
12:30 p.m. - 1:20 p.m.
Proven Practices to Support ELs in Making Academic Writing Strides
Kate Kinsella
Upper-elementary and secondary ELs require informed and systematic instruction that addresses their advanced English language and composing needs. ELs need every teacher to serve as the over-the-shoulder academic writing coach their parents cannot be. Review research-informed writing instruction imperatives for educators including an accessible scoring guide for major assignments, targeted lessons on language, organizational devices for key writing types, analysis of an appropriate writing model and frequent doses of interactive, teacher-meditated writing practice to build critical competencies for longer assignments. Gain carefully sequenced instructional processes and practical classroom-tested resources to facilitate implementation.
Active Learning Leads to Active Science Journals
Julie Antill, Southeast RPDC
Roll up your sleeves and get ready to explore! Students of all language proficiency levels can benefit from these experiential learning activities that lead to science journaling experiences. Explore strategies for encouraging elementary and middle school students to communicate like a scientist.
SOR and UDL: A Beautiful Partnership
Stephanie Tuck, EducationPlus
Discover how the Science of Reading and best practices can support ALL learners in the general education classroom. Explore how decades old research can be a powerful entry point for learners to access literacy instruction. Spend some time reflecting on current practice and planning for the classroom.
Tech Tools to Support All Learners
Lindsay Schmidt and Stephanie Madlinger, EducationPlus
Learn about specific technology tools that help increase student participation and level the playing field for diverse learners. Explore a variety of new tools and brainstorm ways these might be incorporated into daily instruction. Please bring a laptop or a tablet so you can explore with us!
1:30 p.m. - 2:20 p.m.
Cultural Spirit Nurturing
Maritza Caldera, Pattonville School District
Our multilingual learners come with rich traditions, languages and customs that make each one of them unique and special. Explore strategies to nurture our students' cultural spirit inside our classrooms and inside our school buildings. Gain ideas that are ready to implement to create a more welcoming and nurturing learning space for our students' diverse cultural spirits.
“Grow Your Own” Latinx Educator Pathways: Traveling To and Through College and Home Again
Christina Andrade Melly, Ritenour School District and Uzziel Pecina and Susanna Elizarrarez, Latinx Education Collaborative
The Latinx Education Collaborative is a community-based organization focused on Latinx teacher advocacy, growth and support along with Latinx parental engagement, education and assistance in the Kansas City Metropolitan area. Participants will learn how to support Latinx students, families and colleagues with research-based community engagement techniques.
Help Your Parents Feel Seen, Heard and Valued
Ted Huff, EducationPlus
Brene Brown defines connection as, “The energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they can derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.” Learn how the ParentCamp® model transforms the way we can engage parents (and the community) within our school communities by making sure that all stakeholders feel seen, heard and valued.
The Power of YET: Evidence-based Literacy Instruction for Adolescent Learners
Emily Brown, Kansas City RPDC
Explore and deepen your knowledge around evidence-based literacy instruction to support multilingual learners. Come prepared to play! Engage in various activities to take back to your classroom to use with adolescent learners and help develop automaticity in reading and spelling multisyllabic words. Your multilingual learners may be struggling with reading and writing now, but by the end of this session, you will leave believing in the power of YET!
Untangling the Reading Rope for ELs
Daisy Skelly and Carla Willett, Wright City R-II School District
Teachers can become overwhelmed with all the information about the teaching of reading. What's best for multilingual learners? Gain strategies and ideas for using the Science of Reading with multilingual learners.
2:30 p.m. - 3:20 p.m.
Essential Early Literacy Practices for ELs
Cammy Goucher, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Literacy in English is essential to achievement in every academic subject. However, learning and developing as a reader are more complicated in a language the reader is simultaneously learning to speak and understand. Learn the essential practices for building an effective literacy program for ELs, along with resources for observing, coaching and reflecting.
Personalized Learning in the EL Classroom
Sarah Hollstrom, Pattonville School District
Looking for new ways to engage students in the EL classroom? Personalized learning empowers students to take charge of their education. Discover strategies for personalizing learning with secondary EL students. Explore low-prep strategies to implement quickly, as well as analyze a full math unit used in a sheltered EL class. Gain new ways to personalize pace, processing strategies and final product in upcoming classes.
Using Novels with ELs
Lonni Long, Lincoln County R-III School District
Novels have rich language and literacy elements that help to enrich student language development. Have you ever wondered how to incorporate novels into your EL classroom? For mid-level ELs, novels can be a source for developing a love of reading if you use the right strategies. Explore teaching literacy strategies using novels to help promote language development and comprehension.
Write a Grant Proposal to Grow Multiliteracy
Heather LeCureux and Jeff Loughary, Missouri State University
The Show Me Multiliteracy project is a National Professional Development grant that promotes the use of home languages for family literacy, supplemental instruction, enrichment activities and learning tasks in the classroom. The project staff collaborate with teachers to develop demonstration projects of exemplary practices with specific English Learner populations. This session will focus on helping attendees develop their ideas into a fundable grant proposal.
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