Improving the Education of Multilingual Learners and Their Teachers Through Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Online Professional Development

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

Multilingual learners, commonly referred to as English language learners (ELs), are the fastest growing student subgroup in the United States and have been for some time (Goldenberg & Coleman, 2010). Supporting the academic and linguistic development of multilingual learners is no longer only the work of English as a Second Language specialists and bilingual educators. Rather, every classroom teacher needs to have the skills, dispositions, and knowledge to be culturally and linguistically responsive (Lucas, Villegas, & Freedson-Gonzales, 2008; Villegas & Lucas, 2002). This session presents empirical research on the work of content faculty, language acquisition specialists, and instructional technology experts who collaboratively designed and implemented online professional development for teachers to improve their practices working with multilingual learners.

Sub Unit

• Division K - Teaching and Teacher Education / Section 9: Teacher Education Program Design and Innovations

Chair

• Cindy Gutierrez, University of Colorado - Denver

Papers

• Collaborative Interdisciplinary Design for Pedagogical Language Knowledge - Kara Mitchell Viesca, University of Colorado - Denver; Honorine D. Nocon, University of Colorado - Denver

• Learning to Teach Fractions to Multilingual Learners: The Intersection of Online Learning and Professional Development - Jacqueline Leonard, University of Wyoming; Nicole Michelle Joseph, University of Denver

• Developing Linguistic Responsiveness in Science Teachers of Multilingual Learners - Geeta K. Verma, University of Colorado - Denver; Helen Douglass, University of Colorado - Denver; Boni Hamilton, University of Colorado Denver

• Lessons Learned: Reframing Teachers’ Perceptions of Bilingual Students - Sheila M. Shannon, University of Colorado - Denver; Elizabeth Mahon, University of Colorado; Nancy Commins, University of Colorado - Denver

Discussant

• Tamara F. Lucas, Montclair State University