MATSOLMay 8, 2014

BEYOND RETELL: FOSTERING

COLLABORATION IN TEACHER EDUCATION

PROGRAMS

MELANIE GONZALEZJULIE WHITLOW

SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY

Attitudes and perspectives of teacher educators and contributing factors

Need for a collaborative instructional model approach to preparing teacher candidates to work with ELLs

Methods of providing continuing leadership and support for content-area faculty teacher educators in infusion techniques

Frameworks for generating professional development opportunities for teacher educators to learn more about building their candidates' ESOL knowledge base

Discuss how other institutions are implementing professional development.

DISCUSSION OUTLINE

WHAT DO TEACHERS NEED?

Positive attitudes

Knowledge of SLA

processes

Support from

admini-stration

“They are all gang-bangers.” (Markos,

2012)

“Many don't seem to value education as a way to make progress in this

society.”

“It’s just good

teaching.”

“programs mandated by the state and

federal government

often run afoul of

agreements with the teachers’ union.”

DESE Survey of ELL-Dedicated Courses in Massachusetts Educator Preparation Programs 2012

SSU SurveyOf 20 full-time faculty in the Education Unit who attended 2-day workshop on SEI:88% reported having had NO prior formal coursework in TESOL/ESL issues

55% have NEVER attended a session at a conference or workshop on working with ELLs

ARE WE PREPARED?

Tensions I have are…“Time to cover strategies in our current methods (in all courses) without adding more required courses. Training needed - we have unwieldy rubrics that we now have to add language objectives too.”

This is a problem for me because…“My students are already overwhelmed.”

One way to balance this tension…“Is to possibly through sharing and integrating SEI + ESL training across all EDU minor courses in sec. ed. minor programs. More training funded for all education faculty.”

RESPONSES FROM FACULTY SURVEY

A tension that I have is…“We are just beginners in learning about SEI.”

This is a problem for me because…“I want to know more than my students.”

One way to balance this tension…“Is to learn more and take small steps.”

RESPONSE FROM FACULTY SURVEY

Growing number of language-minority speakers

Lack of training for mainstream classroom teachers

Immigrant settlement in less populated areas overwhelming schools and teachers

Federal legislation holding schools and teachers accountable for the academic achievement of ELLs – possible backlash against the very students the legislation is supposed to help (Walker et. al., 2004).

FACTORS AFFECTING TEACHER ATTITUDES

Ongoing professional developmentOngoing discussionsOngoing infusion of ESOL content into other

coursesMaster SLA/linguistics contentStart paying attention to languageChange of attitudes from deficit to

opportunity

WHAT WE NEED

Develop an “infusion model”Reduces the number of required ESOL courses for

studentsIncorporates content from ESOL courses into other

classes and field experiences Make ESOL content an INTEGRAL part of ALL

curriculum and instruction (Nutta & Stoddard, 2004)Systemic functional linguistics approachFocuses on the language component (semantic,

lexicogrammar, phonological)Explain language variation across contentWork with ESL faculty to perform discourse analysisLanguage objectives (WIDA, CCSS, SIOP)

RECOMMENDED MODELS

1

Foundations

2Science, mathematics,

geography

3Language Arts, Elementary

INFUSION

The One Plus Model (Nutta, Mokhtari, & Strebel, 2012)

Focus on the learner/class

contexts1+

assignment Focus on curriculum/assessm

ent in content 2+ assignments

Focus on literacy development

3+ assignments

LANGUAGE

OBJECTIVE

Field (what)

Mode(how)

Tenor(who)

SFL

Will need:

TimeEnergyTrustFocusNegotiation

ConflictAttitude Administrative modelPD opportunitiesCollaboration

CAN WE DEVELOP A TRUE INFUSION/SFL MODEL IN COURSES?

Summer syllabus workshopsPresentations and workshops on SEI

strategiesDelivery of SEI course content through

Faculty Learning CommunityGuest speakers

PD INITIATIVES FOR FACULTY AT SSU

FUNDED BY PROJECT SAEL

Book Club Brown Bag LunchesInter-departmental presence of ESL facultySupport for adjunctsAdministrative support and oversightClassroom observationsPeer mentoring

NON-FUNDED/LOW-COST INITIATIVES

University faculty not trained in TESOL can be unprepared to infuse SEI/ESL content

Early childhood providers are not well-versed on the models

K – 12 content teachers are overwhelmedESOL Faculty/Teachers can’t do it all

CHALLENGES

How can we support each other?

Turn & Talk:

What are the successes you’ve experienced at your institutions in implementing the mandates of RETELL?

What are the challenges you face?How can we foster an attitude of shared

responsibility and collaboration in order to sustain RETELL initiatives?

DISCUSSION

17

CONTACT INFORMATION

Melanie Gonzalez, mgonzalez@salemstate.edu

Julie Whitlow, cwhitlow@salemstate.edu