Stay ConnectedOn the Highest Aspirations Podcast, we engage in important conversations about the most rapidly growing student demographic in the United States – English Language Learners. We speak with educators and students, researchers and policy makers, and parents and community members about how we can help all students reach their highest aspirations.
Join us on this important journey as we bring the vibrant ELL Community together around the topics that matter most to the students we serve.
How might ELL and LOTE teachers provide low stress opportunities for output? How is the concept of productive struggle different in the ELL and LOTE classroom and what can these groups learn from each other? What is the role of motivation in language learning and how might cultural input and technology help boost it? We discuss these questions and more in part 2 of our conversation with Anna Matis.
Anna Matis is an educational consultant and the product development manager for Seidlitz Education. Her love of language learning stems from childhood experiences as an immigrant and ESL student herself from Budapest, Hungary. Being proficient in multiple languages, she is passionate about second language acquisition for all ages, sheltered instruction strategies, and research pertaining to heritage language learning and long-term ELLs.
She has led professional development, coached teachers, and created educational products for both teachers and administrators working with ESL students. She has presented locally and nationally on best practices for quality ESL instruction, as well as effective training strategies when working with English language learners.
Anna recently published the book 7 Steps to a Language-Rich, Interactive Foreign Language Classroom for LOTE teachers with John Seidlitz, and also co-authored Boosting Achievement: Reaching Students with Interrupted or Minimal Education.
She began her foreign language teaching career as a high school French teacher at Aldine ISD in Houston, TX, and has worked as an ESL Instructional Coach in Round Rock ISD. Anna has an M.A. in Foreign Language Education from the University of Texas at Austin, and a B.A. in Communication Studies and Art History from Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX. She joined Seidlitz Education from Region 13 ESC, where she served a dual role of Bilingual/ESL Specialist and Program Manager for the Bilingual/ESL team.
Be sure to subscribe to Highest Aspirations wherever you listen to podcasts so you don’t miss this episode or any of the others we have coming up!
Do teachers of languages other than English (or LOTE teachers) collaborate enough? What are some ways these educators could learn from one another to help build better language programs for all students? What are some common misconceptions about what it means to be a “good language teacher” and how might understanding them help our students achieve greater language competency? We discuss these questions and much more in Part 1 of a 2 Part conversation with Anna Matis.
Anna Matis is an educational consultant and the product development manager for Seidlitz Education. Her love of language learning stems from childhood experiences as an immigrant and ESL student herself from Budapest, Hungary. Being proficient in multiple languages, she is passionate about second language acquisition for all ages, sheltered instruction strategies, and research pertaining to heritage language learning and long-term ELLs.
She has led professional development, coached teachers, and created educational products for both teachers and administrators working with ESL students. She has presented locally and nationally on best practices for quality ESL instruction, as well as effective training strategies when working with English language learners.
Anna recently published the book 7 Steps to a Language-Rich, Interactive Foreign Language Classroomfor LOTE teachers with John Seidlitz, and also co-authored Boosting Achievement: Reaching Students with Interrupted or Minimal Education.
She began her foreign language teaching career as a high school French teacher at Aldine ISD in Houston, TX, and has worked as an ESL Instructional Coach in Round Rock ISD. Anna has an M.A. in Foreign Language Education from the University of Texas at Austin, and a B.A. in Communication Studies and Art History from Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX. She joined Seidlitz Education from Region 13 ESC, where she served a dual role of Bilingual/ESL Specialist and Program Manager for the Bilingual/ESL team.
In Part 2 of our conversation, we’ll talk more with Anna about creating low stress opportunities for language output, the role of motivation in language learning, and the importance of infusing cultural connections into instruction. Be sure to subscribe to Highest Aspirations wherever you listen to podcasts so you don’t miss this episode or any of the others we have coming up!
In the second of a 2 part series, we continue our conversation with Eddie Williams, the teacher featured in Helen Thorpe’s book The Newcomers.
How might teachers handle the draw of smartphones, texting, social media in their classes, particularly when working with English learners and newcomers? What is the appropriate balance between structure and agency when working with English learners? How do effective coaches encourage new teachers to increase their impact without becoming overwhelmed? All that and what Eddie hopes readers will take away from the book.
We pick up right where we left off with a discussion about one of the most common challenges that all teachers face.
For more information about the episode and the resources Eddie recommends, please visit Ellevation's ELL Community.
How might an EL teacher and his dynamic newcomers class react to having a journalist embed herself in their classroom for an entire school year? What partnerships might they form to learn more about students and what does this tell us about the resources schools have and do not have at their disposal? What are some of the best things about working with students who come with such a wide array of backgrounds, experiences, and skills? We discuss these questions and much more in our conversation with Eddie Williams.
Eddie’s newcomers class at Denver’s South High School was profiled as part of Helen Thorpe’s latest book entitled The Newcomers. In her book, Thorpe describes Eddie by stating,
“He was like a gardener, excited by seedlings. Where others might see students with limitations, or students who were lagging behind their peers, Mr. Williams saw a room filled with kids who had lived through titanic experiences, teenagers who could do anything at all, once they accepted whatever sort of history they had brought with them and grasped the full extent of the opportunity lying ahead. He often told me that he felt lucky to work in a room like this one - a room that spoke of just how big the world was, and how mysterious.”
After speaking with him as a long awaited follow up to last season’s episode with Helen Thorpe, I think this description is far superior to any bio I could provide. Humble, passionate, and thoughtful, Eddie embodies the kind of educator who helps makes a difference in students’ lives by seeing all the assets they bring to our schools and communities.
Eddie and I had a lot to discuss, so this is part 1 of a 2 part series. If you haven’t heard our conversation with Helen Thorpe, you can find it on Highest Aspirations Season 1 / Episode 19 anywhere you listen to podcasts.
What are some effective and practical ways to differentiate reading comprehension strategies for English learners? How does motivation, relationship building, and autonomy impact student growth? How might family engagement strategies like home visits help provide actionable insight leading to better reading comprehension and perhaps more importantly, a joy in reading? We discuss these topics and much more with Larry Ferlazzo.
Larry teaches English, Social Studies and International Baccalaureate classes to English Language Learners and mainstream students at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento, California.
He has written nine books, the latest of which is titled The ELL Teacher’s Toolbox (with co-author Katie Hull Sypnieski). He and Katie are presently, editing a series of practical classroom books for Social Studies, Science and Math teachers. They are also preparing a second edition of our The ESL/ELL Teacher’s Survival Guide. In addition, he is writing a fourth book on student motivation, Building Intrinsic Motivation in the Classroom: A Practical Guide.
Larry has won several awards, including the Leadership For A Changing World Award from the Ford Foundation, and was the Grand Prize Winner of the International Reading Association Award for Technology and Reading.
In the past, he has taught courses in the teacher credential program at California State University, Sacramento and the University of California – Davis.
Larry also writes a popular education blog, a weekly teacher advice column for Education Week Teacher and semi-regular posts for The New York Times and The British Council. His articles on education policy appear in the Washington Post and in publications such as ASCD Educational Leadership, Social Policy, and Language Magazine. In addition, he hosts a weekly radio show on BAM! Education Radio.
Larry was a community organizer for nineteen years prior to becoming a public school teacher - which is where we begin our conversation in this episode.
What are some essential strategies that district leaders should put into place to make sure all students have the ability to engage in deeper learning? How can school leaders and teachers collaborate more effectively to maximize impact on diverse groups of students? What are some ways to strike the appropriate balance between structure and agency when implementing project-based learning practices?
We discuss these questions and much more with Dr. Carmen Coleman, Chief Academic Officer of Jefferson County Public Schools in Kentucky. In 2018, Dr. Coleman launched the “What’s in Your Backpack?” video series, with each episode focusing on a specific aspect of the Backpack of Student Success Skills development. The program focuses on providing students with a backpack full of universal essential skills, such as critical thinking, collaboration, creativity and communication. Students fill their virtual backpacks with examples of their work and defend that work during the school year.
Dr. Coleman previously served as an associate clinical professor at the University of Kentucky (UK) in the Department of Educational Leadership Studies. She was the program coordinator for the Principal Preparation Program and the director of the Next Generation Leadership Academy.
Before joining UK, Dr. Coleman served as superintendent of Danville Independent Schools. Previously, she was director of elementary schools in Fayette County. She began her career in Scott County, where she worked as a teacher and principal.
This episode is a follow up to S1/E10, when we spoke with Jefferson County's Donna Neary about "Accelerate to Graduate", her team's project-based learning initiative that helped newcomers graduate before aging out of high school. We were curious to learn more about the role school leadership plays in implementing this kind of program. As you will hear, Dr. Coleman provided us with that and much more!
What is the Workshop approach and how might it help English learners improve their reading and writing skills? What is the appropriate balance between direct instruction and independent student work? How might we implement workshop style activities in classes with diverse groups of learners?
We discuss these questions and much more with Valentina Gonzalez. Valentina is an educational consultant working with educators across the nation to support English learners. She works with schools and districts to provide professional learning experiences that are tailored to meet the needs of the participants. She specializes in creating presentations that are engaging and interactive.
Valentina started her journey as an educator in 1997 as a third grade language arts teacher in Katy, Texas. She has served as an educator in many capacities since then, including teaching second and fourth grade. After leaving the classroom, she worked as an ESL Instructional Support Specialty Teacher on her campus serving and co-teaching in first-fifth grade classrooms. As a district leader, she has served as a facilitator for campuses and as a professional development specialist. Currently, Valentina shares her time as an independent contractor traveling to deliver professional development and working for a school district.
For more information and resources about Valentina and this topic, check out our blog post on Ellevation's ELL Community.
What does the research show about how dual language programs are impacting social and academic gains for students - particularly English learners? How might we promote buy-in to these programs from those who may still be uncertain about them? What role does language learning play in ensuring educational equity and how can dual language programs help?
We discuss these topics and much more with Conor P. Williams. You may recognize the name as this is Conor’s second appearance on Highest Aspirations, and given his expertise and passion for this topic, we were happy to have him back. If you missed his previous episode, I encourage you to check it out - it is the first episode of Highest Aspirations. Conor is a fellow at The Century Foundation, where he writes about education, immigration, early education, school choice, and work-life balance challenges for American families. He is an expert on American educational inequity, English learner students, dual immersion programs, urban education reform, and the history of progressivism.
Williams was previously a senior researcher in New America’s Education Policy Program, a senior researcher in its Early Education Initiative, and the founding director of its Dual Language Learners National Work Group. He has taught postsecondary courses at Georgetown University, George Washington University, and American University. He is a member of the National Conference of State Legislatures’ State Policy and Research for Early Education (SPREE) Working Group.
Williams is a regular columnist at the 74 Million. His work has also been published by the New York Times, Atlantic Monthly, Washington Post, The New Republic, Dissent, Commonwealth, The Daily Beast, Talking Points Memo, and elsewhere.
How might school districts form teams of educators with different skill sets to design and implement effective family engagement strategies? Why is it so important to create a solid action plan for family engagement and how might districts approach this work? How do family and community engagement practices positively affect EL student success in school and beyond?
We discuss these questions and much more in our conversation with a great team from Cabarrus County Schools in North Carolina. In our first episode with three guests, we bring in ESL Counselor Stacey Diaz, High School ESL Teacher Emily Francis, and School Social Worker Doug Carr. As you’ll hear in our conversation, each person bring a unique skillset to best support EL students and their families in the district and community. This team based approach one of the key elements of success in Cabarrus and is replicable in other districts.
As always, you can find more information on this episode and other important topics by visiting Ellevation's ELL Community.
How are districts assessing criteria to achieve the Seal of Biliteracy? What supports are available for teachers with diverse groups of language learners? How can the Seal of Biliteracy help mitigate larger issues, like home language loss and equity in education? We discuss these topics and much more in part 2 of our 2 part series on the Seal of Biliteracy with Martha Hernandez of Californians Together.
If you listened to Part 1, you know that Martha is both well versed and passionate about the history, current state, and future of the Seal of Biliteracy and its impact on language learners of all types.
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
