This course is meant for classroom teachers, arts specialists, counselors, librarians, nurses, paraeducators, speech/language therapists, and anyone else who works directly with students in Pre-K – 12th grade. The course will include a 3 hour final project. Educators who meet all requirements will earn 15 PDPs in ESL.
The emphasis of the course is on helping all school staff to learn about resources such as picture books, videos, and websites that reflect the cultures and build on the background knowledge of the English Learners (ELs) they serve (or may serve in the future). Participants will learn about a variety of strategies that can be used to engage your ELs (and all your students) so that they can build on what they already know, as they develop their language skills and participate in both academic and social/emotional learning. We will also discuss how these resources and strategies can be used to help your US-born students to learn about the cultures and lives of their EL classmates so that your school and classroom communities will be safe and stimulating environments for all your students.
"Your insight and suggestions give me a lot to think about and share with my colleagues. I had a lot of fun researching and thinking of ways to bring my students' culture into my practice. Thank you for expanding my understanding and thinking around literacy and bringing experiences into my teaching." –Course participant