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 has the Seal of Biliteracy evolved from a California-based grassroots movement to a highly regarded program offered in 35 states and the District of Columbia? How might offering the seal of biliteracy help school districts strengthen their language programs for all learners? What pathways and checkpoints are built into the journey toward the Seal to help guide students toward the ultimate goal of biliteracy?
We discuss these topics and much more in Part 1 of our 2 part series on the Seal of Biliteracy with Martha Hernandez. Martha, the oldest of nine children, is a first-generation college graduate and a role model for her siblings who also earned university degrees and are now serving as physicians, teachers, a computer programmer, an organic chemist and a doctor of pharmacy. She attributes her family’s success to her mother who was an unwavering advocate for her children with a strong belief in the power of public education. Martha’s lifelong support of the United Farm Workers and bilingual education has fueled her commitment to causes of equity and excellence in education especially on behalf of English learners. Her 42 years of public school experience at the classroom, school, district and county levels as well as her involvement in numerous state committees serve her well to advance the vision of Californians Together.
As you’ll hear in our conversation, 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.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of this series, when Martha and I discuss how districts are assessing criteria to achieve the Seal of Biliteracy, supporting teachers with diverse groups of language learners, preventing home language loss, and much more.
How is interpretation different from translation? When is interpreting necessary and how is it mandated in schools and other community institutions? What are some of the challenges and pitfalls of “home grown” interpreting services? We discuss these topics and much more in our conversation with Michelle Gallagher.
Michelle is the Managing Director of Cross-Cultural Communications, the leading national training organization for educational, social services and medical interpreters with more than 300 licensed trainers in 37 US States, Washington DC, Guam and six other countries. Michelle has more than 15 years of experience in facilitation and management of professional training programs for international audiences. She has taught at the Universidad Europea de Madrid and managed training organizations in Madrid and Maryland. She is also a freelance Spanish interpreter. Michelle received her BA in International Relations from Tulane University and her MBA in Marketing and General Management from the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business. She spent nine years living in Madrid, where she received her MA in Conference Interpreting at the Universidad de Cluny. Michelle has volunteered for Youth For Understanding, an international student exchange program, since 2003 and has served as the Webmaster for the National Capital Area Translators Association, a local chapter of the American Translators Association.
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How might schools districts design programs that help teachers work with growing numbers of English Language Learners? What role does technology play in helping all students get the services they need? How is equity and advocacy work connected to school leadership? We discuss these topics and much more with Dr. Terri Bresnahan.
Dr. Bresnahan began her teaching career in San Bernardino, California where she taught middle school math and Kindergarten/1st grade while earning her master's degree in Educational Technology from Azusa Pacific University. After 4 years in California, she returned to the midwest as a K-5 Computer teacher and technology facilitator while earning her CAS CAS in Educational Leadership. In 2005 she took her first administrative position as Director of Technology in Addison School District 4. She worked there for 5 years while beginning her doctoral degree at National Louis University. In 2010 she accepted the role of Director of Educational Technology in Park Ridge School District 64. In 2014 she was selected as the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction in Berkeley School District 87 and was named Superintendent the following school year. She has served in that capacity for 4 years and is proud to call Berkeley District 87 her home.
How might we ensure that teachers are equipped with the empathy necessary to work with diverse groups of students? What kinds of professional development experiences are both practical and effective in supporting teachers who may not share the experiences of their students? What are simple steps anyone can take to learn more about cultural and linguistic diversity in their communities? We discuss these questions and much more with Laura Gardner. Laura has 16 years of experience working in public education, refugee resettlement, and social work. While in public education, she worked as a district level manager for immigrant family and community engagement as well as a school social worker. Laura also worked for Bridging Refugee Youth and Children’s Services (BRYCS) managing their national technical assistance initiative to federal Refugee School Impact Grantees. Laura has facilitated professional development on building the capacity of teachers and school systems to engage immigrant families in their children’s education, language access, cultural competency, equity, unaccompanied immigrant children, immigrant family reunification, and refugee resettlement. Laura holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from Columbia University and a Bachelor’s degree in Education.
How might we help our English Language Learners engage in quality academic conversations? What supports do teachers of ELLs need to promote these kinds of conversations? How do academic conversations tie into college and career readiness?
We kick off Season 2 of Highest Aspirations with these questions and much more in a conversation with Jeff Zwiers. Jeff is a senior researcher at the Stanford Graduate School of Education and the Director of Professional Development for Understanding Language, a research and professional learning effort focused on improving instruction and assessment of English learners and other diverse students. He consults for national and international teacher development projects that promote language, literacy, lesson design, and formative assessment practices. Jeff’s research focuses on developing classroom instruction that fosters high-quality oral language and constructive conversations across disciplines.
Many listeners will be familiar with his book Academic Conversations, which provides clear ways to support students in developing authentic, meaningful classroom conversation skills. Zwiers' research and work has impacted tens of thousands of classrooms across the country in providing equitable access to grade-level content for all learners, reflective of college-and-career readiness standards.
In this short episode, we recap Season 1 and preview what we have planned for Season 2 - coming in January, 2019. Thanks to all our listeners and guests for your contributions to our first season. On behalf of everyone at Ellevation, we wish you a happy holiday season! Check out all 30 Season 1 episodes wherever you listen to podcasts and discover more great content at https://ellevationeducation.com/ell-community.
How has Lincoln High School designed and implemented systems to foster a welcoming environment for students that collectively speak over 30 different languages? What might schools do to ensure that all students, including ELLs and newcomers, have access to a wide variety of courses? How can home grown “cultural liaisons" help promote family and community engagement while also enhancing the teacher candidate pipeline? We discuss these questions and much more with Maira Méndez Rodríguez of Lincoln High School in Lincoln, Nebraska. As an instructional coordinator, Maira is an appraiser for teachers, test coordinator, and also coordinates parent engagement events. Another important part of her role includes student discipline for ELL students. To meet the needs of this diverse population of students, she works closely with the ELL team made up of a counselor, advocate, bilingual liaisons, teachers and other district staff. As part of her parent engagement role, she and her colleagues have collaborated with liaisons to host informational family nights in the native languages of the parents and guardians of LHS students. Prior to becoming an instructional coordinator, Maira taught Spanish and ELL classes to middle and high school students. Maira decided to pursue administration in hopes of having a greater impact on students’ educational journey beyond her classroom. She believes a strong partnership with the parents of students and the community is an asset in ensuring student success.
What are some best practices to overcome challenges and ensure successful home visits for families of EL students? How might we set up activities outside of school (in neutral locations) so that families can come together? How can districts use creative funding approaches to pay for these programs? How can educators get started with this important work? We discuss these questions and much more with Jamie Combs. Jamie Combs is a National Board Certified ELL Teacher in her 14th year teaching ELL students at Northern Elementary in Lexington, KY. She also teaches future ELL teachers in ESL Methods courses online for Asbury University in Wilmore, KY. This is the second in a two part series featuring Katie Frances and Jamie Combs, who work collaboratively to maximize impact on ELLs and their families in Fayette County, Kentucky.
Where are our Take the Pledge Scholarship winners now? How did their high school experiences prepare them for college life? What have they learned that they can now share with others? In this bonus episode, we speak with Maria Perez, a recent high school graduate from Tulsa, Oklahoma. We discuss her experience as an English Language Learner, the importance of family and teacher support, future plans, and even the profound influence of Don Quijote. Maria was the recipient of one of five $2,000 scholarships that Ellevation awarded to deserving English Language Learners to help them pursue their dream of a higher education. The scholarship is a result of our Take the Pledge initiative. The idea is simple: for each person who takes the pledge to advocate for ELLs, Ellevation adds $1 to the scholarship fund. If you haven’t taken the pledge yet, please visit takethepledge.net and help support students like Maria, who is currently finishing her first semester at the University of Oklahoma.
How can EL teachers best learn about the sometimes complicated cultural backgrounds of their students? How might they confront the challenge of ensuring that other teachers and staff also have efficient access to this information? What cultural information is most important for content teachers (particularly those who do not have EL training) and how might EL teachers go about sharing it? We discuss these questions and much more with Katie Frances. Katie is a certified EL teacher in Fayette County, KY. She spent her first 8 years as a mainstream classroom teacher working with diverse groups of students. She currently teaches at Northern Elementary School, where she and her teammate Jamie Combs service over 150 English Language Learners. We’ll hear from Jamie in our next episode, which focuses on home visits for families of English Language Learners.
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