Sponsored by the Region 13 Comprehensive Center at WestEd in collaboration with the New Mexico Public Education Department, this webinar series addresses the ways educators can support multilingual and English learner students in distance learning. All webinars will take place on Tuesdays at 3:00 p.m. PT.
Starting the School Year in a Blended/Distance Learning Setting – Building Relationships with Students and Families
Date: August 25, 2020
Time: 3:00 p.m. PT
Presenter(s): Johnpaul Lapid
View the Recording and Presentation Slides
Learn how educators can build relationships with students and their families at the beginning of the school year in blended and distance learning environments in order to communicate regularly and improve student outcomes.
The following topics will be addressed:
- The need for home-school connections during distance learning
- Challenges for home-school communication and learning support
- Ideas and resources that aid in building relationships with students, families, and caregivers of English learners
Facilitating English Learners’ Oral Language Development While Engaging in Distance Learning
Date: September 1, 2020
Time: 3:00 p.m. PT
Presenter(s): Nicholas Catechis
View the Recording and Presentation Slides
Explore the unique challenges and tangible tools and processes for supporting oral interactions and language development in distance learning environments that promote literacy development.
The following topics will be addressed:
- Oral language development and its importance for English learners
- Modeling of ways to scaffold and support English learners’ oral language development in distance learning
Lesson Planning for English Learners in Distance Learning Environments: Elementary Educators
Date: September 15, 2020
Time: 3:00 p.m. PT
Presenter(s): Ruth Sebastian
View the Recording and Presentation Slides
Ensuring age-appropriate learning experiences that couple high challenge with high supports and promote language development requires teachers to shift how they design and plan instruction. This webinar will demonstrate how elementary educators can adapt and implement lessons in a distance learning environment to support English learners and language development.
The following topics will be addressed:
- Integrating activities that encourage students to discuss and interact with grade-level texts
- Grouping students to optimize instruction
- Providing options for synchronous and asynchronous learning
Lesson Planning for English Learners in Distance Learning Environments: Secondary Educators
Date: September 22, 2020
Time: 3:00 p.m. PT
Presenter(s): Nicholas Catechis
View the Recording and Presentation Slides
Discover how to adapt and implement lessons in a distance learning environment that promote rigor and high levels of support for students engaging with subject-matter content in synchronous, asynchronous, and no-tech environments.
The following topics will be addressed:
- Integrating activities that encourage students to discuss, argue, and analyze rigorous grade-level texts
- Grouping students to optimize instruction
- Providing options for synchronous and asynchronous learning
Supporting Elementary English Learners at the Entering and Emerging Levels of Proficiency through Designated ELD
Date: October 13, 2020
Time: 3:00 p.m. PT
Presenter(s): Johnpaul Lapid
View the Recording and Presentation Slides
Learn about effective instructional practices and targeted support for students with emerging levels of proficiency in elementary distance learning environments.
The following topics will be addressed:
- Designated ELD and its importance for English learners
- Strategically engaging in oral language development that allows elementary students to better access core subject-area content
- Increasing opportunities for designated ELD in distance learning
Supporting Secondary English Learners at the Entering and Emerging Levels of Proficiency through Designated ELD
Date: October 20, 2020
Time: 3:00 p.m. PT
Presenter(s): Lee Hartman
View the Recording and Presentation Slides
In this webinar, secondary teachers will learn effective designated ELD instructional practices for students with WIDA ACCESS scores of 1.0-2.9 that build upon their content knowledge and accelerate their movement along the proficiency continuum.
The following topics will be addressed:
- Designated ELD and its importance for English learners
- Strategically engaging in oral language development that allows secondary students to better access core subject-area content
- Increasing opportunities for designated ELD in distance learning
Supporting Elementary English Learners at the Developing and Expanding Levels of Proficiency through Designated ELD
Date: October 27, 2020
Time: 3:00 p.m. PT
Presenter(s): Johnpaul Lapid
View the Recording and Presentation Slides
Learn effective instructional practices for elementary students with WIDA ACCESS scores of 3.0-4.9 and explore targeted instruction that narrows the gap to reclassification.
The following topics will be addressed:
- Designated ELD and its importance for English learners
- Strategically engaging in oral language development that allows elementary students to better access core subject-area content
- Increasing opportunities for designated ELD in distance learning
Supporting Secondary English Learners at the Developing and Expanding Levels of Proficiency through Designated ELD
Date: November 3, 2020
Time: 3:00 p.m. PT
Presenter(s): Nicholas Catechis
View the Recording and Presentation Slides
Designated ELD is critical to support English learners to build oral language skills, develop confidence using English, and be prepared to engage with core content. In this webinar, teachers will learn effective instructional practices for students with WIDA ACCESS scores of 3.0-4.9 in secondary designated ELD distance learning.
The following topics will be addressed:
- Designated ELD and its importance for English learners
- Strategically engaging in oral language development that allows secondary students to better access core subject-area content
- Increasing opportunities for designated ELD in distance learning environments
Integrating ELD into Elementary Settings – ELA, Science, Social Studies
Date: November 10, 2020
Time: 3:00 p.m. PT
Presenter(s): Ruth Sebastian
View the Recording and Presentation Slides
Learn effective questioning techniques that can be used to design activities and oral interactions for young English learners that promote text-based discussions in ELA, science and social studies.
Topics addressed in this session:
- Oral language development and its importance for English learners
- Strategically designing questions to support language development using grade-level texts
- Increasing opportunities for student talk and language instruction integrated into content-area instruction in distance learning environments
Integrating ELD into Secondary ELA and Social Studies
Date: November 17, 2020
Time: 3:00 p.m. PT
Presenter(s): Nicholas Catechis
View the Recording and Presentation Slides
Based on the premise that learning takes place through social interaction, participants will learn how to structure opportunities for students in rigorous back-and-forth discussions in virtual learning environments. Participants will receive tangible tools and processes for supporting oral interactions and language development of secondary English language arts and social studies students in distance learning environments that promote literacy development.
Topics addressed in this session:
- Modeling of ways to scaffold and support English learners’ oral language development in distance learning
- Using multimodal texts to invite interactions and sustained participation
- Supporting quality interactions for English learners
Integrating ELD into Elementary Math Settings
Date: December 1, 2020
Time: 3:00 p.m. PT
Presenter(s): Melanie Packham
View the Recording and Presentation Slides
Success in math has become increasingly dependent on students’ abilities to communicate their thinking in English. Supporting the integration of ELD in math is critical for students to develop the conceptual and language skills needed to engage with grade-level content. In this webinar, teachers will learn about ideas and activities for developing English learners’ oral language by interacting with peers and engaging in the learning and doing of math.
Topics addressed in this session:
- Asking questions and defining problems
- Engaging in argument from evidence
- Supporting student engagement in mathematical practices
Integrating ELD into Secondary Mathematics
Date: January 12, 2021
Time: 3:00 p.m. PT
Presenter(s): Haiwen Chu
View the Recording and Presentation Slides
Language is at the center of students’ development of mathematical understanding and engagement in mathematical practices. In this webinar, secondary math teachers will learn how to design content-specific learning experiences that promote oral language development in distance learning environments.
Topics addressed in this session:
- Oral language development and its importance for English learners
- The importance of quality interactions in developing mathematical understanding
- Activities and tools supporting student engagement in mathematical practices
Integrating ELD into Secondary Science
Date: January 19, 2021
Time: 3:00 p.m. PT
Presenter(s): Haiwen Chu
View the Recording and Presentation Slides
Drawing upon recent recommendations regarding evidence-based instructional practices, this webinar will explore concepts and activities for developing English learner’s oral language by interacting with peers and engaging in the learning and doing of science.
The following topics will be addressed in this session:
- Asking questions and defining problems
- Analyzing and interpreting data
- Engaging in argument from evidence
Formative Assessment Practices for English Learners in Distance Learning Environments
Date: January 26, 2021
Time: 3:00 p.m. PT
Presenter(s): Ruth Sebastian
View the Recording and Presentation Slides
In this time of distance learning, formatively being able to assess English language development and progress has become more important than ever. This session will provide teachers with supports to navigate formative assessment practices in a distance learning environment that will provide them with timely and accurate information and allow them to address individual and group learning needs.
Topics addressed in this session:
- Theories and practices of formative assessment
- Using formative assessment practices to inform instructional design and lesson planning for English learners