49.081 - Building Expertise for Teachers of English Language Learners in the 21st Century

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

In light of demographic shifts and accountability policies that have caused a dramatic surge in the number of English language learners (ELLs) in mainstream classrooms, all teachers must develop pedagogical language knowledge and the ability to translate it into equitable instruction for ELLs. In this session, authors first provide a conceptual framework for building the teacher expertise needed to develop the critical language skills students require to be successful in the 21st century. The following papers explore research regarding professional development initiatives for teachers of ELLs, with topics encompassing the role of metacognition in the learning processes of three teachers, inquiry cycles that provide guidance for translating teacher knowledge into action, and formative assessment for informing teaching practices for ELLs.

Sub Unit

• SIG-Second Language Research

Chair

• George C. Bunch, University of California - Santa Cruz

Papers

• A Vision for Building Expertise for Teachers of English Language Learners in the 21st Century - Aida Walqui, WestEd

• Building Teacher Expertise Through Metacognition - Robert Louis Thompson, The International Newcomer Academy; Leland Hartman, The International Newcomer Academy; Tanya Warren, The International Newcomer Academy

• Learning From Lessons: Collaborative Inquiry in Practice - Andrew Haiwen Chu, WestEd

• Formatively Assessing Students and Teachers to Drive Development - Kathryn Jill Strom, California State University - East Bay; Leslie Hamburger, WestEd

Discussant

• Kenji Hakuta, Stanford University