Reaching Our Multilevel, Multifaceted ESL Students

Rob Jenkins, Santa Ana College School of Continuing Education
Friday, April 13, 2012
Adult Level

Teaching in the multilevel classroom does not have to be a complicated, hectic battle where the instructor runs from one end of the classroom to the other trying to be three teachers in one.  Learn the principles that build common ground and cooperation so a cohesive community is uncovered in the midst of a range of levels. The presenter will suggest three types of learner-centered activities that foster community while reaching the needs of the individual. Participants will experience the classroom environment, taking away skills that they can incorporate into their multilevel ESL classrooms.

Deeply Rooted in Expertise: Practical, Professional Presentations
Lorrie Winter, California State University, Fullerton
Catherine Moore, California State University, Fullerton   
Friday, April 13, 2012
IEP Level

Excellent presentations are deeply rooted in the expertise of the presenters.  Additionally, they require a practical, professional partnership with the audience. This partnership creates an environment of growth and is requisite in order to create, share and absorb quality presentations.  In this session, we’ll build skills and awareness that are designed to help create an atmosphere of shared competence, improve future presentations, develop a sense of collaboration, and create a list of important tips used by successful, professional presenters.

Growing Emotional Intelligence for an Enhanced ELT Workplace
Denise Murray, Macquarie University, Australia; San José State University; Anaheim University
Friday, April 13, 2012 or Saturday, April 14, 2012    
College/University Level

Researchers and practitioners recognize the importance of the human element in the workplace, sometimes referred to as “soft skills,” in contrast to more technical “hard skills.” Pink (2005) claims we need more high touch rather than high tech in the workplace: “High touch involves the ability to empathize, to understand the subtleties of human interaction, to find joy in one's self and to elicit it in others.” Goleman (1998) found this high touch ability critical to effective performance. In this workshop, participants will explore his theory of emotional intelligence, which includes personal and social competence, and its importance in TESOL.

Redfining Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Learning for All Student

Sharroky Hollie, Center for Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning; California State University, Dominguez Hills
Saturday, April 14, 2012

 

This presentation seeks to build educators’ background knowledge in the languages of underserved students and moreover to concretely define what linguistically responsive teaching is and why it is necessary in our failing schools today.

After over 70 years, for many educators, culturally and linguistically responsive teaching (CLR) is a concept that is oft been misunderstood or misconstrued.   Through this session, participants will leave with a stronger understanding of what is CLR, why CLR is necessary to meet the linguistic needs of underserved student populations and its relation to persistent systemic failure

Chaos Under the Dome: Update from Sacramento and DC
John Segota, TESOL International Association & Jeff Frost, Frost Davis & Donnelly

Jeff Frost, CATESOL’s California legislative advocate, and John Segota from TESOL International

Friday, April 13, 2012

Jeff Frost, CATESOL’s California legislative advocate, and John Segota from TESOL International Association will provide an overview of the key legislation in California and nationally affecting EL students and their teachers. The presenters will look at issues affecting both K-12 and adult education, including the CA state budget status and the recently enacted budget “triggers” that could result in significant cuts to education spending at every level.

Catching the Wave with Refugees
Lydia Stack, ESL/EFL Consultant
Sue Pon, Oakland Unified School District

The changing demographics of the state have posed new challenges for ELD/ESL classroom teachers.  How do we help refugees with limited formal education resettle in urban areas? How do we help students meet the new common core standards and as they learn a second language?  Presenters will address these issues and more. 

Sneak Peek: A Getty Museum Beginning Level ELD Workshop
Veronica Alvarez, J. Paul Getty Museum, Education Specialist
Dan Fichtner, UCLA Education Extension, TESOL Program
Friday, April 13, 2012 or Saturday, April 14, 2012

Catch a sneak preview of the newest program at the Getty Museum. Indulge your passion for using Art to develop language in your beginning English Learners!  The Getty Museum is sponsoring a Featured Session on language development through fine art for elementary to adult students. Space is limited; only 50 attendees can be accommodated on a first-come basis. Participants will receive materials and reproductions of artworks.

Experience best practices of Second Language Acquisition using materials that will engage your students and get them communicating. Practice a novel way to help beginning English Learners develop language and also appreciate fine art!

Rules of Engagement: Gaining and Maintaining Learner Focus in English Language Classrooms
Mary Lou McCloskey, Director, Educo; Teacher Education and Curriculum Design

Friday, April 13, 2012

Elementary Level

Full engagement in learning works to transform classroom learning into “flow” -- an experience of deep enjoyment, creativity, and a total involvement with life (Csikzentmihalyi, 2008).  Ensuring engagement is a challenge in classrooms with English Learners (ELs) as the differences in language levels and content knowledge of learners are often wide.

Dr. McCloskey discusses the need for enjoyment and creativity in the classroom, making engagement a priority in classes with English learners. By modeling engagement practices through “interactive lecture” she describes and demonstrates motivating and efficient strategies to promote 100% engagement and to make every minute of class time learning time.

Programs and Practices to Address the Needs of Long-Term English Learners
Lori Olsen, Author, Reparable Harm, and Executive Board Member, California Together

This session will present an overview of the research on Long Term English Learners– students who enroll in primary grades as ELLs and arrive in secondary schools 7 or more years later without English skills for success, and having accumulated academic deficits along the way. Who are these students? What are their linguistic and academic needs? Effective approaches and experiences from districts and schools throughout California will be shared, as well as tools for meeting the needs of LTELs

Instructional Features that Enable Success in Reading and Language for Long-Term English Learners
Margarita Calderon, Professor Emerita/Senior Research Scientist, Johns Hopkins University

Long Term English Learners (LTEL) need special instruction if they are to succeed in middle and high school. Instructional features that enabled success in reading and language will be modeled and experienced by the participants. The school features will be presented, discussed and participants will develop a road map for: whole-school implementation & strong leadership; comprehensive language, literacy and content instruction; extensive professional development; teacher support through coaching and learning communities; parent/family support teams; tutoring; and, benchmark assessments and monitoring of implementation of all of these components.