Podcasts about multilingual learners

This edWeb podcast is sponsored by Triple C Writing.The edLeader Panel recording can be accessed here.This dynamic edWeb podcast builds on part one of the Enhancing Writing and Communication Through Sentence Building series. Educators are empowered to transform grammar instruction from abstract rules into meaningful, practical writing skills. After a brief review of core concepts from part one, the panelists show how students can enhance their writing with more complex sentence structures and dialogue.Designed for immediate classroom use, this session provides clear models and practical strategies that build directly on part one, supporting students as they move from basic sentence construction to more structured, expressive, and precise writing.By the end of this edWeb podcast, educators are able to:Distinguish between traditional grammar instruction and applied grammar strategies that are presented in authentic context and scaffolded using a logical language-based approachImplement effective techniques that support students as they learn to vary sentencesEvaluate and apply instructional tools that support varied sentence construction across multiple age groups and grade levelsDesign inclusive writing lessons tailored to general education, special education, and ESL/ELL/ENL/ML learnersUtilize practical resources that encourage spiralized writing practice, reinforcement, and skill transferThis edWeb podcast is of interest to elementary through middle school teachers, ESL and special education teachers, school leaders, and district leaders.View part one: Enhancing Writing and Communication Through Sentence Building: A Pedagogical ApproachTriple C WritingA More Practical Approach to Teaching Grammar & Writing SkillsDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Learn more about viewing live edWeb presentations and on-demand recordings, earning CE certificates, and using accessibility features.

Help bridge the gap between your students' thinking and their ability to express their learning! CESA 2 Consultants Gretchen Lettau and Matt Hayden discuss the specifics of helping multilingual learners express themselves in complicated terms of areas such as mathematics. They also use a tool to help educators identify gaps in thinking and expression in student learning and how to address them in the very next class period.Resources:Check out the L3IFT blog and the "Next Day Fix Tool": ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.l3ift.org/blog/addressing-thinking-and-expression-gapsLearn more about the ML Network: https://cesa2.org/ml-summitCheck out all our episodes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cesa2.org/building-educator-capacity-podcast

Jana Dean & Heather Byington, Supporting Multilingual Learners During Number Talks ROUNDING UP: SEASON 4 | EPISODE 17 What might it be like to engage in a number talk as a multilingual learner? How would you communicate your ideas, and what scaffolds might support your participation?  Today, we're talking with Jana Dean and Heather Byington about ways educators can support multilingual learners' engagement and participation during number talks.  BIOGRAPHIES Heather Byington has taught all grade levels over the span of her 27-year career as a bilingual public educator. She currently teaches middle school mathematics and English language support classes in Lacey, Washington. She is also a student at Washington State University pursuing a PhD in Mathematics Education.  Jana Dean currently serves as CEO of the Mathematics Education Collaborative and supports a fantastic team of middle school math teachers in North Thurston Public Schools. Her research focuses on the intersection of content learning and language learning.  RESOURCES Judit Moschkovich research  Math Between Us blog "Number Talks: A Whole Class Routine for Learning Language for Learning Mathematics" article  Mathematics Education Collaborative website  jdean@mec-math.org Jana Dean email TRANSCRIPT Mike Wallus: Welcome to the podcast, Jana and Heather. I am so excited to be talking with you both today. Jana Dean: Good morning. Yeah, thanks for having us.  Heather Byington: Thanks so much for having us.  Mike: Absolutely.  Jana, before we begin talking about the ways that teachers can support multilingual learners during number talks, I wonder if you can offer a working definition that would help educators visualize what a number talk actually looks like. Jana: Yeah, I'd be happy to do that. A number talk in terms of how we worked with the routine in this project consisted of the teacher providing some sort of visual prompt, starting either with a visual pattern of dots or a computation problem. And then the students get wait time, time to think about how they might solve that problem. And then as they share their strategies, the teacher records and asks them questions about their reasoning for why they approached the problem in the way that they approached it. The teacher creates what I like to think of as a visual mediator of student ideas. So the students' ideas become visible as they share them. So children who are listening can listen to the dialog or conversation between the person sharing and the teacher, but the ideas actually become visible as they're being shared. And the teacher always verifies with the student whether or not they've been understood. And the goal is not for the student to be right, but for the teacher and student to understand each other.  Mike: That's really helpful. Heather, is there anything else you'd add to that?  Heather: In terms of the way that we worked with it with multilingual learners and increasing their opportunities for engagement in the routine, we always gave them an option of talking to a partner and rehearsing their answer before they volunteered to share with the whole group. We prioritized calling on multilingual learners if they volunteered. And we also did a final reflection at the end. So those were some enhancements that we added onto the routine.  Mike: I think that's really helpful and I'm excited to talk a little bit more about the details of those, Heather.  One of the things that really struck me as we were preparing for this conversation was reading about the ways that some of the multilingual learners you worked with, how they described their experience during number talks. And it helped me to see the experience from their perspective and rethink some of the ways that I'd facilitated number talks in the past. And I'm wondering if you could share a bit about some of the feelings students told you that they were experiencing.  Jana: Yeah. One of the things we suspected before we started was that as a language learner myself, talking about ideas that you're just forming in a language you're in the process of learning can be really intimidating. It's very challenging. So they were nervous. And when I interviewed fourth graders about their experience in number talks, even facilitated with language acquisition in mind, they talked about how much courage it took them to share their ideas.  They also talked about and could very keenly remember moments when they had made a contribution that their teacher made use of or a time when they made a contribution that another student made use of later. So there was a lot of pride they felt in having shared their ideas once they found ways to do that.  They also talked about how much easier it was to share our ideas than it was to share my idea. And so if, for instance, we had given them the opportunity—and like Heather said, we almost always gave them the opportunity to talk with a partner—they would often share using the pronoun "we." "This is how we thought of it." And we picked up on that and began to ask them if it was OK to attribute a group of students with a unique idea rather than an individual. And that was also consistent with many of their home cultures. It's not every culture in which individual contributions are elevated, but rather when you dare to speak, you're definitely speaking for the group, for a collective. So that collective understanding was really important.  There was one child, and I'm really curious about how representative he was of many. He always talked to the same friend, and every time he shared, he, I'm going to say, nailed it. He really had it figured out what it was that he was going to say. And there was one particular day when he did a beautiful job sharing, and I asked him about that day and he said, "To be honest, that day I really didn't want to share, but I knew my teacher wanted to hear my idea, so I did anyway." And so there's that element of love and respect for their teacher that I think was also really motivating for them.  Heather: Yeah. Can I add something quickly to that?  So one aspect of that, I think that idea of a student sharing because it meant a lot to the teacher, we also tried to utilize individual conferring with students as much as possible and gave them opportunities to confer with us, whether it was just checking in briefly before the number talk started, encouraging them or maybe telling them, "Hey, you can share the idea with me after the number talk if that feels more comfortable to you." So it's giving them multiple opportunities to do that and encouraging them to share their thoughts.  Mike: What I appreciate about what you all are doing is even in this initial part of the conversation, really getting specific about the practices and the way that those practices played out for kids. And I think as an educator, one of the things that I've come to over all my years teaching is the need to have humility and also continue to be a learner. And that sometimes really leads me to questions about intent versus impact.  Heather, I wonder if you could talk about the parts of the number talk routine or facilitation practices that may have unintentionally provoked some of the anxiety that kids were experiencing.  Heather: So for multilingual learners, when I think about what they will need, the supports that they may need to be able to engage in a routine like a number talk, I think about first the processing time that they might need to understand and think about different ways of solving that prompt. And then I think about their understanding of the prompt. And then the other thing I think about is their ability to communicate their thoughts and ideas with others. So naturally, if it seems like there's a lot of pressure because of time, if they don't have much time, if they feel that pressure to do that processing and think of those ideas and share them quickly, that may provoke anxiety because this, of course, is still a language that they're still developing. So that ability to share with a partner and rehearse those ideas and process that with a partner, that really becomes, as Jana mentioned, more of a team effort.  And then being able to rehearse the words that they're going to use and the way they're going to convey that message and communicate it to others, that again reduces the anxiety because it's a lot less pressure to share my thoughts and ideas with one person than with a whole group. And if I share those thoughts with one person and they seem to understand what I mean, then now I might feel confident enough to share with more people. So I just think that naturally when it's a time constrained activity, that that naturally can provoke anxiety.  Mike: Yeah. I mean, that absolutely makes sense. I will say as a child who was not quick, even in my first language, the impact of that was profound, let alone trying to both process in a language that I was learning and feel like I was under pressure to produce an idea and describe it. That absolutely makes sense.  Jana: I want to back up a bit and quote something that you said, Heather, partway through our working together, which was that Heather had some familiarity with number talks before we started working together, but had a healthy skepticism as well. And at one point she said that she wondered if we might not actually be hurting students when we are facilitating a routine that they cannot find entry into. And so it became really like a guiding light or principle of our work together to work hard to help them find entry into the routine. And something that I didn't realize until a year after we began working together and I was really closely tracking the experiences of the multilingual learners themselves—and this is kind of back to your question about intent and impact—when we listen to children's mathematical ideas with the intent of not correcting them, trying to figure out what's right and what makes sense to them, we have to ask them questions about what their ideas are. And for many of the multilingual learners, engaging in that process itself was a huge lift language-wise. So I'm not just going to be able to say the answer or tell my teacher my strategy; I'm going to have to stick with my teacher until my teacher actually gets it. And a few of the multilingual learners that I followed over the course of a year actually said to me, "I don't like it when my teacher doesn't understand me." So while we absolutely, 100%, our intention is golden. It is about understanding them. But putting them in that position of that negotiating meaning with us until we do understand takes a great deal of trust on the part of the student. And so it's on us to develop that trust so that they're willing to do that with us.  Mike: I think that's a good segue because Jana, going into this, you mentioned three big ideas as starting points for supporting multilingual learners. One was negotiated meaning, one was the notion of voluntary sharing, and the last was the idea of using ambiguity as a resource. And I wonder if we can start this next part of the podcast with having you describe each of these for the listeners.  Jana: Yeah, absolutely.  Voluntary sharing means I've made a commitment to not ever put you on the spot as a student. And so any one of us who has learned a second language—which I've learned a couple, none of them to a super high level—but most people can relate to, say, standing in line in a grocery store and rehearsing what you're going to say so that you ask for the bag you want rather than the receipt that you don't want. There's a process in coming to speak, and I think there's a process in coming to speak publicly for just about every learner, especially about ideas that you're in the process of forming, but that pressure—and I've had many, many students over the year thank me for being the kind of teacher in a kind of classroom where they knew that I wasn't going to call on them unless they had volunteered to share. So the level of distraction, I think that that, again, well-intentioned pressure causes, is absolutely not worth it, and especially not for our multilingual learners.  Negotiated meaning really is the process of coming to understand each other, and we do it all the time. Unfortunately, often in classrooms, we end up in discourse routines that are actually not about teachers understanding students. They're about teachers asking questions for which students are supposed to have answers, which then the teacher evaluates. So what I would argue that the number talk routine turns that discourse pattern, which is often called I.R.E.—initiate, respond, evaluate—absolutely on its head. The child volunteers their idea, the teacher responds by trying to understand it as best they can, and then the student is the evaluator of whether or not the teacher actually understood them.  Mike: Heather, I was hoping we could go granular on a couple pieces that I heard you talk about too. You talk a lot about something very practical, the value of predictability, and I wonder if you can talk about how predictability impacted students and what does that mean for the teacher?  Heather: Absolutely.  When facilitating these number talks with this goal of engaging multilingual learners or helping them find those entry points, I found it helpful as a facilitator to utilize similar types of approaches to statements I would make during the routine, and then similar ways of asking students if I was seeing things the way that they were seeing them. It seemed to help the students that we were really hoping to engage to feel more comfortable with what was happening in the routine and to lean in more to that engagement. So I think that that is one thing as a facilitator to be aware of.  Jana, can you think of anything else that we haven't talked about yet?  Jana: There's the whole knowing the rules of the game aspect of really any classroom routine or instructional routine. So if the student knows how this thing goes, whatever "this thing" is, then that lifts off some of the cognitive load in terms of participation because they don't have to be figuring out how to participate. Judit Moschkovich writes about this a lot in her research, and I think she calls it the "sociocultural aspect of learning mathematics," and she uses the word "ecological". So the environment itself really matters. And in community, our social environment is made up of all kinds of routines. So I think that part of it is important. My favorite metaphor for it is learning a new card game. The first time you play the game, it is no fun because all you're doing is trying to figure out how the cards move, how the turns go, what the rules are, and how you can play. You can't do any strategy at all. But then as you learn the game, then you can really engage in it in a thoughtful way and have fun with it. So I really think that classroom routines are like that and not only for multilingual learners, but I have the privilege of being an instructional coach now in a middle school and have seen teachers engage in routines that I can tell are 100% soothing of trauma that students have as they come into the classroom, just because they know what to expect. So not only are those kinds of regular routines really helpful for multilingual learners, but they're also trauma-informed teaching. And when I say "routine," it can be easy to misunderstand and think it's boring. It has to be an open-ended routine so that something inside it that is engaging and fun can happen.  Heather: There are a couple of other things that occurred to me in terms of the students participating in the routine. I know that they started to see that we were elevating the status of gestures in terms of the communication to be another way to visualize the thinking in terms of the processing for themselves, but also a way to help others see what they were seeing and to understand their ideas. So that was one aspect of the routine that they could count on, that they could utilize gestures if needed, and that we would reinforce that. If they didn't have a mathematics label for the terminology that would typically be used in that conversation about those mathematics ideas, they could rely on describing what they understood, and then either I, the teacher, the facilitator, or another student, providing those words and the opportunity to practice that specific mathematics language within that routine. So those were some other things that were predictable and happened across all of the different number talks that happened, no matter what the prompt was.  Mike: You're making me think that part of what a teacher might do in response to this conversation is really to think about some of the things that they want to make normal, right? Like this notion of using gestures is both normal and accepted and valued. The idea that you are going to use rough draft, informal language, and that's OK, and that's a way that we get to more technical language of mathematics, and that's normal. And so thinking about what are the things that I want to become normal and predictable for kids, maybe homework recommendation number one for an educator that might be listening in.  Heather: So another thing that was predictable was the utilization of color-coding. And this is something that many teachers probably do already. But we did, when we were recording the students' ideas, we used different colors for each student, and that made it more accessible. Again, it was a support for our students to be able to distinguish between different chunks of information on the board as they were looking at each other's responses and reflecting on those responses. So really reading that.  Mike: Can I ask for a clarification on that, Heather?  Heather: Absolutely.  Mike: I think what you mean is that you use different [colors] to represent different students' contributions. So if a student shared something, you might write it in red, and if it was a different student, it might be in green. And then you can distinguish what contribution each student made.  Heather: Yes. Yes, that was a predictable aspect of the routine, as well as Jana had mentioned earlier, attributing the ideas to students using their initials. And if multiple students contributed to that idea and the original person who was sharing said that, yes, they would like to attribute more people, then we included all the people's initials who contributed to that idea that was shared in that number talk for that idea, that communication.  Mike: Speaking of contribution, I want to name something that we talked about in our preparation for this that seems incredibly simple but felt like it was really significant. You all talked about the importance of the teacher consistently—not just once, not just a handful of times—but consistently, on the regular stating to kids that they wanted to hear from all students. And I wonder if you can just talk about what did this sound like to make that happen and what was the impact on kids? Jana, I think this is one I'd love for you to start with.  Jana: Yeah, absolutely. It is simple. All you say is, "I'm so glad to be with you today. And let's remember that while we may not hear from everyone today, it's our goal to hear from almost everyone over the course of the week." And if you as a teacher have made a commitment to voluntary sharing, it's essential to say that, to really tell them that you do want to hear their voices. You need to tell them that. Otherwise, they're not going to know that you want to hear their voice. And like I shared a little while ago, there was one student who actually said to me, "I didn't want to share that day, and I knew my teacher wanted to hear from me, and so I did." And then in reflecting back on that share, to get at students' perspectives on what number talks have been like for them—they were fourth graders, only 10 years old. I showed them video of themselves participating in the number talk, and you should have seen the smile on that kid's face. The pride he had in having taken that risk because his teacher wanted him to. People rise to the expectations that we have for them, 100%, maybe not 100% of the time, but if we don't have that expectation, they don't get to choose to rise to the expectation. And you can't make anyone talk when they're not ready to talk yet.  Mike: Heather?  Heather: I also think that part of that goes back to something that we were talking about a little while ago, and that is establishing the norms in the community of learners. And in addition to communicating that to the whole group, our goal is to hear everyone's ideas over the course of the week. Something also as simple as when they were getting ready to do a pair-share and rehearse their thoughts with each other before launching into the whole-group discussion, also reminding them, "Hey, make sure that we're taking turns when we're sharing in that pair." So again, just to reinforce that we value everybody's contribution, we value everybody's voice and everybody needs to have a turn.  Mike: Can you say more about why it's important to offer kids the option to talk with a classmate before they do any whole-group sharing? Why does that matter so much, particularly for multilingual learners? And either one of you, feel free to jump in and take this.  Heather: I'll start. My understanding is that when the originators of these number talks created this idea that they wanted, that idea of agency and giving students choice was really an important priority to them. And so I feel like part of the rationale for that is to give students choices as often as possible in this routine to elevate students to co-learners with the teacher. So I feel like that's kind of where it starts.  Mike: Jana, is there anything you want to add to that one?  Jana: Well, we've already mentioned the value of rehearsal before sharing with the whole group, but there's also another aspect of it that we may not have touched on yet, which is: As that person listens to us and we actually negotiate meeting and clear up ambiguity, we feel seen, heard, and understood. And if I feel seen, heard, and understood by Heather, it's going to be easier for me to share my idea with Mike, who I don't know quite as well as I know Heather. And so there's really a relational aspect of it that is about feeling understood.  Mike: I want to ask another question about something that feels eminently practical. You all talk about recommending that educators call on multilingual learners early in number talks. And I wonder if you could say more about the why behind that recommendation.  Heather: So as a learner of a new language, I may only have one way of explaining my thinking about that problem or the way that I'm seeing that. And if I have taken that risk and I've raised my hand, if somebody else answers first or maybe two other people answer first, maybe they've taken the only way that I knew to answer and share my thinking about this prompt. So for me, as a facilitator in that setting, that was really important for me to prioritize those volunteers if they raise their hand and call on them as one of the first contributors. I've also seen in some classes that I've been in, some math classes, if a student is not yet fluent in English, sometimes their classmates think that they don't know math, that they don't have ideas to share in math. So I also think that calling on those students first also, again, sets the norms in this community of learners that, again, we all have valid and valuable ideas to share.  And so Jana and I saw in particular with the pair-shares, we saw students starting to choose to work with students who still spoke primarily another language. And Jana captured on video where she had a student who didn't speak Spanish and a student who primarily spoke Spanish and they were sharing ideas with each other in that pair-share to get ready for the whole-group discussion. And honestly, I think that that worked more effectively because of that idea that everybody has valuable ideas to share. So I also think that that was another part of that idea of calling on those students first and making sure that they had a lot of opportunities to share their ideas.  Mike: Yeah. I'm really glad you mentioned that. You're making me think about this notion called positioning, meaning that the choices that we make—whether they're spoken or unspoken, like who we call on first or who gets called on more—they are sending a message to students. And often that message may not be the one we intended. So in this case, it really does show how the choices that you all were making in calling on multilingual learners early, it may have disrupted some narratives that people could have formed about how much those kids had to contribute to a mathematical conversation. I'm so glad you shared that.  Jana, I want to ask you this next question. It's something that, if I'm not mistaken, Heather brought up earlier, and I wanted to dig into it a little bit more if we could. You referenced the value of making gestures something that's a normal, accepted, valued practice, and I want to take a bit of time to clarify that. Perhaps for some folks who might not have a clear picture in their own mind of what we mean by that, can you say more about what we mean by gestures and maybe some examples of the ways that gestures either help students to communicate or even how they contributed to the conversation that was happening during the number talk where there might've been something that was lost if gestures weren't in play?  Jana: One thing I know for sure is that lately I've been learning from Heather about how some mathematical ideas are actually perhaps communicated better with gesture than verbally. And yet we have this traditional notion that there's some kind of language for expressing mathematics that's fancy and only occurs from the neck up, but that's not how we usually talk. So why would we tell people who are trying to explain their ideas that they can't use gesture as part of a person-to-person conversation? Gesture by no means keeps you from developing formal language. It actually helps you develop formal language. So one example of using gesture, it came up particularly during dot talks when we first started the routine, and the dot talks were a fabulous way to encourage and introduce that norm that gestures are welcome. But if a student is describing an array of dots and they say, "three on top," and then they use their hand to indicate it's horizontal, we would affirm, "Thank you so much for using your hands." I can tell that the three on top are in a horizontal line. And then, Heather is fabulous, and I've learned a lot about this from her at gesturing "horizontal" by bringing her hand across the space in front of her horizontally. And then everyone [says] "horizontal," and everyone gestures and says "horizontal" with them. And so we're pairing what's an academic word that is often very hard for students with any language background to remember with a physical gesture.  Mike: That's really helpful. As you all were talking about this, one of the things that I started thinking about is how there are ways that I use gestures to indicate a lot of mathematical ideas like partitioning into groups, indicating that I'm talking about a group and another group and another group, which is basically the seeds of multiplication or unitizing. How I'll gesture as a way to show that I'm combining or separating. How I gesture to show the way that I'm counting things. That all of those are ways that actually enhance what I might be saying and actually communicate that meaning more clearly both to my teacher and to the other students who are in the room.  Heather: Absolutely. Yeah. Another example of that, as you were talking about that, that I use all the time as a seventh grade mathematics teacher and we're working a lot with integers, is the idea of 0 in a horizontal hand as 0. And thinking about if that's 0 and I'm navigating between positive and negative numbers, what will that look [like] visually? And as you said, I just think that gestures are another tool for thinking and understanding and processing information and sometimes communicating that information.  Mike: Heather, I want to come back to you for something that, again, really struck me as important when we were preparing for this. You said that you recommend educators close their number talks with an opportunity for kids to make connections between strategies that emerged. And I wonder if you can just talk about: Why is it important to provide that opportunity for kids to make connections, particularly for our multilingual learners? Heather: So first of all, I have a firm belief that development of conceptual understanding is really valuable in mathematics. And as we are engaging in this routine, in this whole-group discussion, and we're considering all these different possible ways of solving a prompt or seeing a prompt, then when we get to the end, it feels like that we should reflect on the different ideas that have been shared and draw some conclusions about what we can say across all of these different ideas as part of that development of conceptual understanding of what is happening there mathematically. In addition to that, in terms of student engagement, some of our students are multilingual learners. That was the time in the routine that they actually felt the most confident to contribute their thoughts and ideas. So maybe they didn't often raise their hand to speak in that whole-group discussion, but they did raise their hand to share something they noticed from the artifact, some kind of commonality or something that stood out to them.  So again, that was another opportunity for them to feel like they had a valid contribution, that their contribution needed to be heard. So those are a couple of good reasons why I feel like that final reflection is really important in particular for multilingual learners.  Mike: Well, Jana, before we close this conversation, I'm wondering if there are any resources that you'd recommend to a listener who wants to keep learning about the ideas and the practices that we've been discussing today. Is there anything that you could point them in the direction of, or perhaps even something that you'd invite them to try out as a first step?  Jana: Yes, absolutely. I have a couple of ideas. One would be to go to a blog I write that's called mathbetweenus.org. And I've published a short article there ["Number Talks: A Whole Class Routine for Learning Language for Learning Mathematics"] that is specifically about the adjustments we've made to the routine.  Also, I am now CEO of the Mathematics Education Collaborative, and we recently developed a grassroots workshop in making number talks meaningful. It only takes 2 hours. It's an introduction to the routine, ensuring that it's more than just something fun, but actually results in building number sense for students. It's a low-cost way for an individual teacher to get started. And then you can also go to our website at the Mathematics Education Collaborative, which is [www.mec-math.org] and reach out to us and see if you're interested in having us come to your district or your region. Or you can email me at jdean@mec-math.org. So lots of ideas.  Mike: I think that's a great place to stop. I can't thank you both enough for joining me and being willing to have such an in-depth and detailed conversation. Jana and Heather, it's really been a pleasure talking with you both. Thank you.  Jana: You're welcome.  Heather: Thank you so much.  Jana: Thanks for your curiosity.  Mike: This podcast is brought to you by The Math Learning Center and the Maier Math Foundation, dedicated to inspiring and enabling all individuals to discover and develop their mathematical confidence and ability.  © 2026 The Math Learning Center | www.mathlearningcenter.org

This edWeb podcast is sponsored by Vista.The webinar recording can be accessed here.As multilingual learner populations grow and diversify, district leaders face the critical challenge of serving older students with interrupted formal education who are under-credited and over age. How can we create meaningful pathways that lead to credentials, career readiness, and college access rather than pushing these students toward aging out?Join Dr. Karen Woodson and Sonja Bloetner for this edWeb podcast as they share innovative, equity-focused strategies for supporting secondary multilingual learners through creative partnerships, flexible programming, and holistic support systems. Learn how Baltimore County Public Schools is pioneering a GED partnership model with community colleges, maximizing transfer credits, and building comprehensive support that addresses not just academics, but social-emotional needs, career pathways, and college access.This edWeb podcast addresses:Designing flexible pathways for diverse ML populations (from students with interrupted education to gifted learners)Building strategic partnerships with community colleges for dual enrollment and seamless transitionsLeveraging Title III and innovative funding models to sustain programmingAddressing trauma-informed support and bilingual counseling needsCreating on-ramps to CTE completion, GED options, and AP/college-ready courseworkMaximizing transfer credits and honoring previous learningMoving beyond the monolith: serving MLs across the full spectrum of needsWhether you're serving 100 or 3,000 secondary MLs, this session provides actionable strategies for building district-level systems that honor multilingual learners' assets, meet them where they are, and open doors to their futures.This edWeb podcast is of interest to district-level leaders, ESOL/ML directors, secondary principals, counselors, and instructional leaders working with multilingual populations in high school and above.VistaHighest-quality integrated print and digital solutions that meet the needs of all language learnersDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Learn more about viewing live edWeb presentations and on-demand recordings, earning CE certificates, and using accessibility features.

In this episode, we engage with Gillian Ober, the 2026 New Jersey Teacher of the Year, as she shares her inspiring journey from undecided college student to passionate educator. We delve into her experiences teaching abroad in Spain and Thailand, which ignited her commitment to education and shaped her teaching philosophy, particularly concerning multilingual learners. Jillian discusses the complexities of teaching English Language Learners (ELLs) and the importance of changing mindsets among educators to recognize the strengths ELL students bring. She highlights her advocacy work with the New Jersey Department of Education, focusing on supporting multilingual learners and the need for professional development across all teaching staff. The conversation blends serious educational insights with light-hearted anecdotes, culminating in Gillian's vision for a more inclusive educational landscape that honors the diversity within our classrooms. Season 3 is brought to you by our principal sponsor, Teachers' Insurance Plan. Check out their website below for more information and to get a quote. http://bit.ly/4mQC27G⁠ Teachers' Insurance Plan: auto insurance that brings exclusive educator savings and exceptional customer care to New Jersey and Pennsylvania educational employees. Select Episodes from Season 3 sponsored by: For more information about NJSchoolJobs.com check out their website for up-to-date job postings for teaching, admin, support staff and coaching opportunities. Interested in Giving Lesson Launchpad a try?  Don't forget to use our code “Balance” for $5 off a yearly subscription.  Lesson Launchpad - Plan. Present. Automate.  www.lessonlaunchpad.com We want to hear from you! Shoot over an email and say hi: podthebalancingact@gmail.com Don't forget to subscribe! Leave us a comment!    Follow  Facebook - podbalact JoeandJamie Instagram - @podthebalancingact TikTok - @thebalancingactpodcast Twitter - @podbalact Youtube Channel - The Balancing Act - YouTube Part of the Human Content Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Multilingual learners (MLLs) are an essential part of today's classrooms, not an exception. In this episode, Aurora Dreger speaks with Dr. Molly Faulkner-Bond of WestEd about why education systems must be designed with MLLs in mind from the start. They explore asset-based language, the connection between MLL and disability advocacy, and how centering students with the most complex learning profiles leads to better assessment and instruction for all students. Access the full podcast transcript at bit.ly/5MinsWithWestEd 

We continue our series of "Leaders as Changemakers", focusing this episode on the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District. Director of Multilingual Services, Mandi Sersch-Morstad, share the transformational journey of their ESL program to help all instructors at the district see themselves as teachers of language.ResourcesLearn more about CESA 2's Framework, L3IFT: https://www.l3ift.org/Subscribe to our CESA 2 podcast email list!: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/S091xli/podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out all our episodes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cesa2.org/building-educator-capacity-podcast

In this episode of Blue Glasses Math, Pam Brett welcomes Dr. Rosalyn Giallanza, a passionate educator and researcher focused on multilingual learners in mathematics. The conversation begins with a nostalgic reflection on their early professional relationship, highlighting the challenges and growth they experienced together in the classroom. Dr. Giallanza shares her journey as a multilingual learner herself, emphasizing the importance of understanding the intersection of language and mathematics. She discusses her research on mathematical discourse and teacher beliefs, revealing how misconceptions about multilingual learners can hinder their success in math education.As the discussion unfolds, Dr. Giallanza stresses the necessity of integrating intentional language objectives into math instruction, advocating for a more inclusive approach that recognizes the diverse abilities of all students. She highlights the importance of creating a supportive classroom environment where students can engage in meaningful mathematical discourse. The episode concludes with a call to action for educators to reflect on their biases and beliefs, ultimately fostering a more equitable learning experience for multilingual learners. This insightful conversation not only sheds light on the complexities of teaching math to diverse learners but also inspires educators to embrace their roles as facilitators of language and mathematics.

In this episode, Rick shares his interview with Dr. Julie Lara, Multilingual Programs Director at Ensemble Learning, former Director of the Emergent Bilingual Support Division at the Texas Education Agency, and a leading advocate for educational equity. She reflects on her journey from special education teacher to statewide policy leader serving 1.3 million emergent bilingual students. Julie opens up about her identity as a first-generation Latina, how her family's story shaped her purpose, and why embracing students' home languages is essential for academic success and generational change. Julie shares the pivotal moments that fueled her passion for dual-language education, including the creation of the Texas Effective Dual Language Immersion Framework and her work influencing national conversations on multilingual policy. She explains how bilingualism is a superpower, why culturally responsive education matters, and how community members can advocate for more equitable schools. This inspiring conversation reveals the heart behind Julie's leadership and her mission to ensure every child—regardless of background, identity, or zip code—has access to an empowering education that honors who they are.This episode is a MUST-LISTEN!

Struggling to meet the needs of every math learner in a single classroom?Many teachers feel overwhelmed when students show up with wildly different entry points—especially when they're trying to teach to grade-level standards with integrity. This episode dives into a familiar challenge: how to support diverse learners in Tier 1 math instruction without lowering expectations or relying on interventions alone. You'll hear how one school tackled this barrier head-on by equipping teachers, building systems, and redefining what support looks like in real classrooms.Listeners Will:Understand how the concrete–representational–abstract (CRA) model creates access for all math learnersSee how one coach removed barriers by aligning tools, time, and teacher collaborationLearn why committing to “some, not all” can lead to system-wide impact over timeHear practical coaching moves that build trust, buy-in, and shared ownershipReflect on the leadership structures that allow great teaching to spreadPress play to explore what real Tier 1 math access looks like—and how to start building it in your own school or district.Not sure what matters most when designing math improvement plans? Take this assessment and get a free customized report: https://makemathmoments.com/grow/ Math coordinators and leaders – Ready to design your math improvement plan with guidance, support and using structure? Learn how to follow our 4 stage process. https://growyourmathprogram.com Looking to supplement your curriculum with problem based lessons and units? Make Math Moments Problem Based Lessons & Units Show Notes PageLove the show? Text us your big takeaway!Are you wondering how to create K-12 math lesson plans that leave students so engaged they don't want to stop exploring your math curriculum when the bell rings? In their podcast, Kyle Pearce and Jon Orr—founders of MakeMathMoments.com—share over 19 years of experience inspiring K-12 math students, teachers, and district leaders with effective math activities, engaging resources, and innovative math leadership strategies. Through a 6-step framework, they guide K-12 classroom teachers and district math coordinators on building a strong, balanced math program that grows student and teacher impact. Each week, gain fresh ideas, feedback, and practical strategies to feel more confident and motivate students to see the beauty in math. Start making math moments today by listening to Episode #139: "Making Math Moments From Day 1 to 180.

In this episode, we're joined by Shaeley Santiago, our English Learner Coordinator, to talk about what effective coaching and support look like for multilingual learners. Shaeley shares how relationship-building, collaboration, and coaching create classrooms where every student, and every teacher, can thrive.

Episode Notes Alec Patton talks to Tammy Unck, Maria Smith, and Uchenna Lewis about Bernal Intermediate School's work with part Partners in School Innovation on improving outcomes for multilingual learners, using techniques such as "shadow a student" and elements of the AVID curriculum. The result was remarkable: During the 2022-2023 school year, Bernal achieved a 250% increase in the rate of multilingual learners reclassified to fluent English proficient status! Check out Ivannia Soto's Shadowing Multilingual Learners** Also Tan Huynh and Beth Skelton's Long-Term Success for Experienced Multilinguals* * What are you waiting for, register for the National Summit for Improvement in Education before you miss out! Check out this Blog Post from Partners in School Innovation with resources for student shadowing and so much more! Learn more about the High Tech High Graduate School of Education

How can we best apply the Science of Reading to support multilingual learners? This episode tackles that critical question with Dr. Steven Amendum from the University of Delaware. We explore how evidence-based literacy instruction must leverage a student's first language as a key asset, not a barrier. Dr. Amendum breaks down practical teaching strategies to […]

Tony Weaver, Jr. is a storyteller who creates diverse worlds where every reader can find their place. His debut graphic novel, Weirdo, sold out of its first printing in seven weeks of publication, received multiple starred reviews, and was named one of the best books of 2024 by School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, People Magazine, The New York Public Library, and the Children's Book Review. He was the first comic writer ever selected for the Forbes 30 Under 30, selected as a Flying Start by Publishers Weekly, and has attracted coverage from ABC, NBC, and The Huffington Post. Tony's writing prowess has not only garnered him institutional accolades, but has built him a loyal following of over 1 million followers across TikTok and Instagram.Tony is currently focusing on promoting his Nerds For Literacy initiative and as well as his award-winning graphic novel memoir, Weirdo, Valeriana Boadu is an educator, author, and storyteller. She was born on the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia to a family of ten children. She has been in education for over twenty-five years, teaching Geography, Language Arts, and Multilingual Learners. She is a television presenter and a published author. Her very first novel was a romance novel, which placed her in the top ten for romance writing and earned her a nomination by Foreword Reviews for excellence in writing. Since then, Val has published 11 more books—multicultural short stories and Language Arts textbooks to support writing in elementary and secondary schools.

Tony Weaver, Jr. is a storyteller who creates diverse worlds where every reader can find their place. His debut graphic novel, Weirdo, sold out of its first printing in seven weeks of publication, received multiple starred reviews, and was named one of the best books of 2024 by School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, People Magazine, The New York Public Library, and the Children's Book Review. He was the first comic writer ever selected for the Forbes 30 Under 30, selected as a Flying Start by Publishers Weekly, and has attracted coverage from ABC, NBC, and The Huffington Post. Tony's writing prowess has not only garnered him institutional accolades, but has built him a loyal following of over 1 million followers across TikTok and Instagram.Tony is currently focusing on promoting his Nerds For Literacy initiative and as well as his award-winning graphic novel memoir, Weirdo,Valeriana Boadu is an educator, author, and storyteller. She was born on the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia to a family of ten children. She has been in education for over twenty-five years, teaching Geography, Language Arts, and Multilingual Learners. She is a television presenter and a published author. Her very first novel was a romance novel, which placed her in the top ten for romance writing and earned her a nomination by Foreword Reviews for excellence in writing. Since then, Val has published 11 more books—multicultural short stories and Language Arts textbooks to support writing in elementary and secondary schools.

A practical and comprehensive resource, Supporting Multilingual Learners' Academic Language Development: A Language-Based Approach to Content Instruction introduces an accessible language-based approach to teaching academic language to multilingual learners across the content areas. Luciana C. de Oliveira provides elementary school teachers with everything they need to know to successfully teach grade-level content to multilingual learners. Chapters are organized by subject, addressing the specific language demands of teaching English language arts, social studies, mathematics, and science. Each chapter features examples of implementation in grades K-5, practical strategies, and a wealth of tables, figures, and other resources. The Language-Based Approach to Content Instruction (LACI) in this book provides teachers with a ready-to-use framework of six scaffolding elements that serves as a guide to enable multilingual learners to meet the grade-level standard of their peers without simplification. Aligned with WIDA and CCSS standards, this resource provides the tools and methods teachers need to support multilingual learners' academic language development in the content area classroom.   For those who purchase the book with this link, you are offsetting the cost of hosting the podcast. Thank you!!!! https://amzn.to/3L3x9ee

This edWeb podcast is sponsored by Really Great Reading.The edLeader Panel recording can be accessed here.In this edWeb podcast, literacy experts explore how orthographic mapping, the brain-based process that turns phonemic decoding into automatic word recognition, unlocks structured literacy for learners across grade levels. You gain insight into how this Science of Reading approach helps educators support English learners, students with dyslexia or other learning disabilities, and adolescents still building foundational skills.The presenters dive into:What orthographic mapping is—and why memorization falls flatReal talk about the secondary literacy crisis and untaught decoding gapsStrategies to accelerate mapping for older learners, ELs, and special education populationsHow Really Great Reading's “Lose the Rules” approach eliminates confusion around schwa, heart words, and irregular spellingsWhat leaders and coaches in all content areas can do to support word retentionThis edWeb podcast builds capacity for K-12 district leaders and literacy coaches seeking to close the literacy gap with actionable, research-aligned practices.Really Great ReadingWe Do Big Things for Districts. We Raise Reading Scores and Prevent and Remediate Reading Failure.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Learn more about viewing live edWeb presentations and on-demand recordings, earning CE certificates, and using accessibility features.

This episode begins a series on how districts are building systems for Multilingual Learner success. We'll discuss the Beaver Dam Unified School District's initiative to lift up their learners with two people deeply involved in the work: Stacy Linden, the former coordinator of Multilingual Education, and Senior Director at CESA 2, Gretchen Lettau.ResourcesLearn more about CESA 2's Framework, L3IFT: https://www.cesa2.org/events-learning/l3ift-framework.cfmSubscribe to our CESA 2 podcast email list!: ⁠⁠https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/S091xli/podcast⁠⁠Check out all our episodes at ⁠⁠cesa2.org/podcast

Season 15 of Highest Aspirations begins with Dr. Carol Salva, author of Boosting Achievement. In this episode, Dr. Salva shares updated strategies from the new edition of her book designed to support English learners, newcomer students, and students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE). She discusses practical tools educators can use to accelerate language development, build student confidence, and create welcoming classroom environments that foster belonging and success.Key questions we address:Why was a second edition of the book Boosting Achievement necessary?How can educators best support multilingual learners and maintain hope during challenging societal times?What does an "authentic learning experience" look like in practice, and how can teachers create one?For additional episode and community resources:Download the transcript here.Dr. Salva's website: https://salvac.edublogs.org/ Order Dr. Salva's second edition of Boosting AchievementThe Circuit and Breaking Through by Dr. Francisco JimenezDIY PD a Guide to Self-Directed Learning for Educators of Multilingual Learners by Katie Toppel, Tan Huynh, Carol SalvaML SummitSubscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Community BriefFor additional free resources geared toward supporting English learners, ⁠visit our blog.Carol Salva is an award-winning educator with proven success working with unschooled/under-schooled, multilingual learners classified as SLIFE (Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education) or ELD (English Language Development) students. She is a key Seidlitz Education consultant for training, coaching, modeling, and supporting program leaders. Dr. Carol Salva is a co-author of Boosting Achievement: Reaching Students with Interrupted Our Minimal Education and a co-author of DIY PD: A Guide to Self-Directed Learning for Educators of Multilingual Learners. She has taught elementary, middle, and high school.Carol holds a doctorate in education in the area of ethical leadership from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. She also has her Masters degree in Education Administration. Along with her ESL certification, she is a Certified Gomez & Gomez Dual Language Trainer and a Certified Abydos Writing Trainer. Dr. Salva is a Kahoot Ambassador and the co-chair of the NAELPA professional learning committee.

Zach is joined by Miguel Melchor to talk about his approach to working with multilingual learners and coaching teachers using the MCP model Show Notes Miguel's comprehensive resource "Personalized Learning for Multilingual Learners" (https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/15sonaTaKepOpGd9v1nOi9WDerLL9lq5VHKLeXIk7t-Y/edit?slide=id.g319913547dc_0_0#slide=id.g319913547dc_0_0) Screenpal (https://screenpal.com/) Screencastify (https://www.screencastify.com/) Mote (https://www.mote.com/?page=home) Universal Design for Learning (https://udlguidelines.cast.org) Contact us, follow us online, and learn more: Email us questions and feedback at: podcast@modernclassrooms.org (mailto:podcast@modernclassrooms.org) Listen to this podcast on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1SQEZ54ptj1ZQ3bV5tEcULSyPttnifZV) Modern Classrooms: @modernclassproj (https://twitter.com/modernclassproj) on Twitter and facebook.com/modernclassproj (https://www.facebook.com/modernclassproj) Kareem: @kareemfarah23 (https://twitter.com/kareemfarah23) on Twitter Toni Rose: @classroomflex (https://twitter.com/classroomflex) on Twitter and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/classroomflex/?hl=en) The Modern Classroom Project (https://www.modernclassrooms.org) Modern Classrooms Online Course (https://learn.modernclassrooms.org) Take our free online course, or sign up for our mentorship program to receive personalized guidance from a Modern Classrooms mentor as you implement your own modern classroom! The Modern Classrooms Podcast is edited by Zach Diamond: @zpdiamond (https://twitter.com/zpdiamond) on Twitter and Learning to Teach (https://www.learningtoteach.co/) Special Guest: Miguel Melchor.

School districts need to consider a wide range of unique student issues and comply with state and federal law when it comes to meeting the needs of students who are multilingual learners (MLs). In this episode, listeners will gain an understanding of legal requirements to provide MLs with sound, research-based educational programs, the requirement to effectively communicate with parents/guardians in their native language, the value and legal necessity to take an “assets based” approach to supporting, and the legal right to access a public education regardless of citizenship status. The episode also provides a clear explanation of the difference between Presidential Executive Orders, federal laws and Constitutional obligations. Host: David Nash, Esq., Director of Legal Education and National Outreach, Foundation for Educational AdministrationGuest: JoAnne Negrin, Ed.D., Chief Operating Officer, Language & Literacy Associates for Multilingual and Multicultural Education (LLAMAME), LLC.

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Send us a textHow can creating language-rich environments empower multilingual learners and elevate the educational experience for everyone in the classroom? Join us for a transformative discussion with Katherine Hamilton, former Vice President of Programs for Ensemble Learning, as she reveals powerful strategies to achieve just that.Summary:In this episode, Katherine Hamilton shares her inspiring journey from high school math teacher to a leading advocate for multilingual education and STEM. With a focus on creating inclusive and language-rich classrooms, Katherine reveals practical strategies that educators can use today to support multilingual learners with vocabulary, content areas, and engaged learning. She discusses the role of technology, the importance of professional development, and how fostering strong relationships can inspire joy and wonder in learning. Katherine's insights offer a roadmap for educators striving to unlock the potential of multilingual students and transform their classrooms for every learner.Chapters:2:03: Multilingual Learners and Language Development: We explore the strengths multilingual learners bring to the classroom and the importance of language-rich environments.14:24: Supporting Multilingual Learners in Education: Explore techniques like sentence stems and frames to support students with varying English proficiency. 23:14: Empowering Teachers to Connect Multilingual Education with Math, Science, and other Content Areas 28:33: Building Connections Through Play and RelationshipsResources and Links:Visit Ensemble Learning for more resources and insights on multilingual education. Contact Dr. Julia Lara for programming inquiries.Katherine Hamilton is now Executive Director of Friends of GALA (Girls Academic Leadership Academy)Join us as we explore innovative strategies to support multilingual learners and inspire educational success for all students.Support the showSubscribe & Follow: Stay updated with our latest episodes and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and the Adventures in Learning website. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts! *Disclosure: I am a Bookshop.org. affiliate.

In this final episode of the four-part series, I explore how the Station Rotation Model can nurture self-regulation, metacognition, and agency in multilingual learners. I share practical routines—like weekly goal setting, thinking routines, and strategy choice boards—that help students reflect, monitor progress, and advocate for their needs. These routines don't just support language acquisition; they cultivate confident, strategic learners ready to lead their own learning. If you're designing stations that prioritize learner agency and scaffold independence over time, this episode is for you. Related Blog Post with Resources: Cultivating Self-Regulated and Strategic Multilingual Learners with the Station Rotation Model (Part 4)

What questions do educators have right now about serving SLIFE and other new arrival Multilingual Learners?  Maybe you're feeling overwhelmed?  Or perhaps you want to know how to manage multiple student perspectives in this challenging climate. I received some very thoughtful questions from some outstanding educators who are using Boosting Achievement of SLIFE at Georgian Court University in their graduate program.  Thanks to Dr. Denise Furlong, we all get to reflect on the questions and our answers.   All episode notes with links are at BIT.LY/BAPODCAST

In this episode, I explore how intentional design can help multilingual learners thrive at the online and offline stations in a rotation model. I share seven practical strategies—from using visuals and sentence frames to building predictable routines and peer supports—that build student confidence and autonomy. You'll hear how we can move from co-regulated learning to true self-direction by gradually releasing responsibility and fostering a safe, inclusive environment. If you're striving to design station tasks that are both accessible and empowering, this episode is for you. Related Blog Post Designing for Independence: Supporting Multilingual Learners at the Online and Offline Stations (Part 3)

In this episode, Ixchell and Brent dive into #ISTELive 25 in San Antonio. From eye-opening sessions that revealed cutting-edge tools to the pervasive influence of AI in ESOL, we'll cover what truly stood out. Join us as Brent shares his insights on the most impactful trends for ESOL education, advice for teachers, and some memorable moments from the vendor hall. You won't want to miss this discussion on what's shaping the future of language teaching! Show notes: www.DIESOL.org/122 

In this episode, I explore how small group instruction can transform learning experiences for multilingual learners. You'll learn why the teacher-led station in a station rotation model is the ideal space to differentiate support, build confidence, and offer real-time feedback. I break down three high-impact strategies—I Do, We Do, Pairs Do, You Do, Concept Attainment, and Real-Time Formative Feedback—and explain why they work best in small groups. Whether you're working with early language learners or more advanced students, you'll walk away with ideas you can use. Related Blog & Resources Differentiating Instruction for Multilingual Learners at the Teacher-Led Station The Station Rotation Model and UDL: Elevate Tier 1 Instruction and Cultivate Learner Agency Discounted Bulk Book Order Form (10+ books to same location)

In this first episode of my new series, I explore how the station rotation model can be a game-changer for multilingual learners. I break down the barriers these students often face in whole-group instruction and explain how small-group, differentiated stations create more equitable learning experiences. You'll hear how this model can help build language skills, support self-direction, and shift the classroom from teacher-led to student-centered. Whether you're new to station rotation or looking to refine your practice, this episode lays the foundation for designing more accessible learning environments.   Related Blog https://catlintucker.com/2025/06/multilingual-learners-station-rotation-1/ The Station Rotation Model and UDL: Elevate Tier 1 Instruction and Cultivate Learner Agency Discounted Bulk Book Order Form (10+ books to same location)

In this conversation, Carl Hooker and Brent Warner explore the intersection of multilingual learning and technology, discussing the role of AI in language acquisition, ethical considerations for educators, and strategies for effectively navigating the plethora of EdTech tools available. They emphasize the importance of empowering teachers and students, fostering a mindset that embraces creativity and adaptability in the classroom. Brent Warner is an award-winning professor at Irvine Valley College in Southern California where he focuses on integrating technology into the language-learning process. He works with teachers and organizations across the globe to provide practical advice for helping English language learners take advantage of tech to help them communicate more clearly. For TESOL International, he blogs about technology integration in the English as a Second or Other Language (ESOL) classroom. He is also the co-host of “The DIESOL Podcast” that addresses innovation in ESOL, as well as “The HigherEdTech Podcast,” covering tech for teachers in college and university settings.

This episode of Highest Aspirations features Carly Spina, an author and passionate advocate for English learners, as she shares her inspiring journey and groundbreaking work.Join us to hear how Carly's upbringing profoundly shaped her deep commitment to ELs, tracing her path from early experiences on Chicago's North Side to becoming a leading voice in education. We'll delve into her impactful work at the Illinois Resource Center, where she dedicates herself to supporting educators in creating more equitable and effective learning environments for these students. Discover the core philosophy behind her first acclaimed book, Moving Beyond for Multilingual Learners, and get an exclusive sneak peek into her new book, Igniting Real Change for Multilingual Learners. This latest work aims to spark even more profound and urgent action within the field. This powerful episode offers a vital call to action for anyone committed to championing all students.Key questions we address:What is the deeper, systemic responsibility of educators beyond compliance when serving English learners, and how can we "do right" by them and their families? What instructional strategies and philosophical shifts are necessary for content-area teachers to effectively serve and include newcomer English learners in mainstream classrooms? How can school systems and educators move beyond inherited or problematic practices to genuinely "ignite real change" for English learners, fostering their growth and ensuring their equitable access to advanced opportunities? For additional episode and community resources:Download the transcript here.Learn more about the Illinois Resource Center.Purchase Carly Spina's first book Moving Beyond for Multilingual Learners.Pre-order Carly Spina's new book Igniting Real Change for Multilingual Learners.For additional free resources geared toward supporting English learners, ⁠visit our blog.Carly Spina has two decades of experience in Multilingual Education across various roles. She is currently a multilingual education specialist at the Illinois Resource Center, providing professional learning opportunities and technical assistance support to educators and leaders across the country. Her first book, Moving Beyond for Multilingual Learners, was a 2023 Equity in Excellence Award Winner. Her second book, Igniting Real Change: Equity and Advocacy In Action, will be published in June of 2025.

Jason Yeatman is an expert in the neurobiology of literacy whose lab is fostering a virtuous research cycle between academia and school communities, aligning scientific inquiry with real-world needs of students, parents, and educators. His lab has developed ROAR – the Rapid Online Assessment of Reading—a gamified, web-based dyslexia screening tool. ROAR provides fast, precise, and scalable assessments, helping educators identify and get support to struggling students. We're aligning cutting-edge reading science with the challenges teachers face every day, Yeatman tells host Russ Altman on this episode of Stanford Engineering's The Future of Everything podcast.Listen to the end to hear a question from one of our listeners for Professor Renee Zhao, as well as Professor Zhao's response. Have a question for Russ? Send it our way in writing or via voice memo, and it might be featured on an upcoming episode. Please introduce yourself, let us know where you're listening from, and share your question. You can send questions to thefutureofeverything@stanford.edu.Episode Reference Links:Stanford Profile: Jason YeatmanRapid Online Assessment of Reading (ROAR)Jason and his team just launched ROAR@Home BETA, a parent research portal. Any parent who listens can sign up for ROAR here - https://roar.stanford.edu/signup/Connect With Us:Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything WebsiteConnect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / MastodonConnect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / FacebookChapters:(00:00:00) IntroductionRuss Altman introduces Jason Yeatman, a professor of pediatrics education and psychology at Stanford University.(00:03:12) Why Reading?Why Jason dedicated his career to studying reading acquisition.(00:04:12) Are We Built to Read?How reading is a relatively new invention using older brain systems.(00:06:41) Reading as a ContinuumWhether reading ability is distributed like other genetic human traits.(00:07:53) Defining DyslexiaReframing dyslexia as a label for support, not a binary diagnosis.(00:10:19) Phonological AwarenessUnderstanding how speech sound recognition underpins reading.(00:13:37) Nature vs. NurtureThe influence of both genetics and environment in reading ability.(00:16:40) The Origin of ROARAn online reading assessment tool created during the pandemic.(00:19:06) ROAR's EffectivenessThe accuracy in which ROAR can assess reading capability.(00:22:45) Reading Interventions That WorkExpanding support with evidence-based interventions for all ages.(00:25:25) Personalized DiagnosesTailoring interventions based on detailed individual skill diagnostics.(00:26:36) Scaling ROARScaling ROAR via an academic research-practice partnership model.(00:29:34) Infrastructure Behind ROARThe team and technology required to scale ROAR in schools.(00:31:54) Future of Reading AssessmentExpanding ROAR to include other dimensions of reading development.(00:33:44) Reading Across LanguagesWhy English poses more reading difficulties than many languages.(00:35:34) Listener Q&ANew segment answering audience questions from past episodes.(00:37:46) Conclusion Connect With Us:Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything WebsiteConnect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / MastodonConnect with School of Engineering >>>Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook

Multilingual learners are a growing and vital part of today's classrooms—but many teachers feel like they're navigating this responsibility without enough support. In this episode, I'm joined by Maya Valencia Goodall and Kristie Shelley, two educators and advocates who are helping schools bridge the gap between structured literacy and language acquisition. Whether you're new to working with multilingual learners or looking to refine your approach, this episode is filled with tips, tools, and encouragement to help you create a truly inclusive classroom.We explore how teachers can better understand the process of language acquisition, why oral language is essential for reading success, and how teachers can build in meaningful support for multilingual learners without adding more to their to-do list. Maya and Kristie also share how small shifts—like increasing student talk time or using language frames—can lead to big gains for all learners.Whether you're new to supporting multilingual learners or looking to fine-tune your literacy instruction, this conversation will give you fresh ideas and renewed confidence. You'll walk away with a better understanding of how structured literacy and language acquisition go hand in hand—and how to make sure all students, especially multilingual ones, feel seen, supported, and empowered in your classroom.Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join!Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Sign up for my FREE Revision Made Easy email series here!Follow me on Instagram @thestellarteachercompany. To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode254.

In part one, we covered the why behind using AI in the classroom, how to craft effective prompts, and two smart ways to use it to differentiate instruction and generate speaking and writing prompts based on proficiency levels. And today, we're picking right up where we left off with tips three through five, where I will walk you through how to use AI to personalize learning experiences based on your students' needs, interests, and cultures, create engaging content and classroom activities that reinforce language in fun and low prep ways, and how to design quick and effective assessments and feedback that actually support growth. Plus, I will share important best practices and words of caution for using AI responsibly and how you can help your students become thoughtful, confident digital learners in this new AI powered world. Show Notes:Episode 155 - How to use AI to  Personalize Learning, Boost Engagement and Assess Multilingual Learners (Part 2)Simply Ieva Offers:EL Newcomer Teaching Compass for grades 6-12 - curriculum guide created using backward design PLUS a year-long scope and sequence!EL Newcomer Compass: Little Learners' Edition - a curriculum guide for grades k-2Essential Lesson Plan Bundle to help you feel organized and to keep your students engaged1:1 EL Teacher Clarity Power-Up SessionIf you find value in The ESL Teaching Podcast and want to support the time, effort, and costs that go into bringing you these episodes each week, consider making a small donation—whatever feels right for you. Your support helps keep this podcast going and means the world to me! You can find the donation link below. Thank you so much! https://www.paypal.biz/simplyieva Save time and build confidence in your EL teaching with these resources:Simply Ieva websiteEMBARK™ Newcomer CurriculumThe ESL Teaching Roadmap – EL curriculum and coaching membership for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers.My TpT storeAccommodate and Modify Your Lessons for ELs with Less than 1 Hour of Planning a Week - classroom teacher and admin checklist Related episodes: AI Prompting & Differentiation Made Easy for ELs (Part 1)5 Ways AI Can Help Save Teachers Time and Help Multilingual LearnersLet's connect!Follow me on InstagramFollow me on LinkedInJoin the Simply Ieva Facebook Group Record a comment for us - click Support the show

In this powerful and practical episode of the Equipping ELLs Podcast, host Beth Vaucher welcomes Sarah Knigge, an independent consultant and co-author focused on bilingual literacy, to unpack the essential role native language plays in developing English literacy for Spanish-speaking students. With years of experience as a bilingual teacher and program leader, Sarah shares actionable strategies for educators navigating the complex dynamics of supporting multilingual learners.Beth and Sarah begin by discussing the benefits of leveraging a student's home language in the classroom and how it can foster deeper family engagement, boost student confidence, and reinforce cultural identity. Sarah emphasizes the importance of intentional native language use and explains why simply translating materials isn't always the best support strategy. Instead, she encourages educators to adopt sheltered instruction practices and structured scaffolding techniques that promote true language development.Listeners will learn about the key differences between Spanish and English literacy—such as phoneme systems, syllabic decoding, and metalinguistic awareness—and how recognizing these contrasts helps educators better support literacy transfer. Sarah highlights the role of cognates and contrastive analysis as bridges between the two languages, offering practical examples educators can apply immediately in their classrooms.The conversation also dives into misconceptions about bilingual education, including the unintended consequences of concurrent translation. Sarah candidly shares her early missteps and how those experiences shaped her commitment to effective bilingual instruction and eventually led her to co-author a literacy curriculum designed specifically for emergent Spanish readers.From enhancing vocabulary through oral language strategies like QSSSA to making writing accessible with sentence pattern charts and graphic organizers, this episode is filled with proven tools that help ELLs build confidence and fluency. Beth and Sarah also address the realities of time constraints in classrooms, offering ways teachers can support literacy without overwhelming students with redundant phonics drills.For educators looking to strengthen their instruction and advocacy for bilingual learners, Sarah's insights offer a clear and compassionate roadmap. Whether you're in a dual-language setting, ESL classroom, or simply want to better support your Spanish-speaking students, this episode is a must-listen.Links and Resources:ReadInEspanol.comREAD en espanol, Inc. on Linked InPurchase the Primary Skills Book for Spanish ReadingConnect with Sarah on Linked InConnect with Sarah on InstagramConnect with Sarah on Facebook⁠⁠⁠Join the Equipping ELLs Membership Shop our TpT Store

William Zahner, Understanding the Role of Language in Math Classrooms ROUNDING UP: SEASON 3 | EPISODE 17 How can educators understand the relationship between language and the mathematical concepts and skills students engage with in their classrooms? And how might educators think about the mathematical demands and the language demands of tasks when planning their instruction?  In this episode, we discuss these questions with Bill Zahner, director of the Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Education at San Diego State University. BIOGRAPHY Bill Zahner is a professor in the mathematics department at San Diego State University and the director of the Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Education. Zahner's research is focused on improving mathematics learning for all students, especially multilingual students who are classified as English Learners and students from historically marginalized communities that are underrepresented in STEM fields. RESOURCES Teaching Math to Multilingual Learners, Grades K–8 by Kathryn B. Chval, Erin Smith, Lina Trigos-Carrillo, and Rachel J. Pinnow National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK– 12 English Learners Success Forum SDSU-ELSF Video Cases for Professional Development The Math Learning Center materials Bridges in Mathematics curriculum Bridges in Mathematics Teachers Guides [BES login required] TRANSCRIPT Mike Wallus: How can educators understand the way that language interacts with the mathematical concepts and skills their students are learning? And how can educators focus on the mathematics of a task without losing sight of its language demands as their planning for instruction? We'll examine these topics with our guest, Bill Zahner, director of the Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Education at San Diego State University.  Welcome to the podcast, Bill. Thank you for joining us today. Bill Zahner: Oh, thanks. I'm glad to be here. Mike: So, I'd like to start by asking you to address a few ideas that often surface in conversations around multilingual learners and mathematics. The first is the notion that math is universal, and it's detached from language. What, if anything, is wrong with this idea and what impact might an idea like that have on the ways that we try to support multilingual learners? Bill: Yeah, thanks for that. That's a great question because I think we have a common-sense and strongly held idea that math is math no matter where you are and who you are. And of course, the example that's always given is something like 2 plus 2 equals 4, no matter who you are or where you are. And that is true, I guess [in] the sense that 2 plus 2 is 4, unless you're in base 3 or something. But that is not necessarily what mathematics in its fullness is. And when we think about what mathematics broadly is, mathematics is a way of thinking and a way of reasoning and a way of using various tools to make sense of the world or to engage with those tools [in] their own right. And oftentimes, that is deeply embedded with language.  Probably the most straightforward example is anytime I ask someone to justify or explain what they're thinking in mathematics. I'm immediately bringing in language into that case. And we all know the old funny examples where a kid is asked to show their thinking and they draw a diagram of themselves with a thought bubble on a math problem. And that's a really good case where I think a teacher can say, “OK, clearly that was not what I had in mind when I said, ‘Show your thinking.'”  And instead, the demand or the request was for a student to show their reasoning or their thought process, typically in words or in a combination of words and pictures and equations. And so, there's where I see this idea that math is detached from language is something of a myth; that there's actually a lot of [language in] mathematics. And the interesting part of mathematics is often deeply entwined with language. So, that's my first response and thought about that.  And if you look at our Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, especially those standards for mathematical practice, you see all sorts of connections to communication and to language interspersed throughout those standards. So, “create viable arguments,” that's a language practice. And even “attend to precision,” which most of us tend to think of as, “round appropriately.” But when you actually read the standard itself, it's really about mathematical communication and definitions and using those definitions with precision. So again, that's an example, bringing it right back into the school mathematics domain where language and mathematics are somewhat inseparable from my perspective here. Mike: That's really helpful. So, the second idea that I often hear is, “The best way to support multilingual learners is by focusing on facts or procedures,” and that language comes later, for lack of a better way of saying it. And it seems like this is connected to that first notion, but I wanted to ask the question again: What, if anything, is wrong with this idea that a focus on facts or procedures with language coming after the fact? What impact do you suspect that that would have on the way that we support multilingual learners? Bill: So, that's a great question, too, because there's a grain of truth, right? Both of these questions have simultaneously a grain of truth and simultaneously a fundamental problem in them. So, the grain of truth—and an experience that I've heard from many folks who learned mathematics in a second language—was that they felt more competent in mathematics than they did in say, a literature class, where the only activity was engaging with texts or engaging with words because there was a connection to the numbers and to symbols that were familiar. So, on one level, I think that this idea of focusing on facts or procedures comes out of this observation that sometimes an emergent multilingual student feels most comfortable in that context, in that setting.  But then the second part of the answer goes back to this first idea that really what we're trying to teach students in school mathematics now is not simply, or only, how to apply procedures to really big numbers or to know your times tables fast. I think we have a much more ambitious goal when it comes to teaching and learning mathematics. That includes explaining, justifying, modeling, using mathematics to analyze the world and so on. And so, those practices are deeply tied with language and deeply tied with using communication. And so, if we want to develop those, well, the best way to do that is to develop them, to think about, “What are the scaffolds? What are the supports that we need to integrate into our lessons or into our designs to make that possible?”  And so, that might be the takeaway there, is that if you simply look at mathematics as calculations, then this could be true. But I think our vision of mathematics is much broader than that, and that's where I see this potential. Mike: That's really clarifying. I think the way that you unpack that is if you view mathematics as simply a set of procedures or calculations, maybe? But I would agree with you. What we want for students is actually so much more than that.  One of the things that I heard you say when we were preparing for this interview is that at the elementary level, learning mathematics is a deeply social endeavor. Tell us a little bit about what you mean by that, Bill. Bill: Sure. So, mathematics itself, maybe as a premise, is a social activity. It's created by humans as a way of engaging with the world and a way of reasoning. So, the learning of mathematics is also social in the sense that we're giving students an introduction to this way of engaging in the world. Using numbers and quantities and shapes in order to make sense of our environment.  And when I think about learning mathematics, I think that we are not simply downloading knowledge and sticking it into our heads. And in the modern day where artificial intelligence and computers can do almost every calculation that we can imagine—although your AI may do it incorrectly, just as a fair warning [laughs]—but in the modern day, the actual answer is not what we're so focused on. It's actually the process and the reasoning and the modeling and justification of those choices. And so, when I think about learning mathematics as learning to use these language tools, learning to use these ways of communication, how do we learn to communicate? We learn to communicate by engaging with other people, by engaging with the ideas and the minds and the feelings and so on of the folks around us, whether it's the teacher and the student, the student and the student, the whole class and the teacher. That's where I really see the power. And most of us who have learned, I think can attest to the fact that even when we're engaging with a text, really fundamentally we're engaging with something that was created by somebody else. So, fundamentally, even when you're sitting by yourself doing a math word problem or doing calculations, someone has given that to you and you think that that's important enough to do, right?  So, from that stance, I see all of teaching and learning mathematics is social. And maybe one of our goals in mathematics classrooms, beyond memorizing the times tables, is learning to communicate with other people, learning to be participants in this activity with other folks. Mike: One of the things that strikes me about what you were saying, Bill, is there's this kind of virtuous cycle, right? That by engaging with language and having the social aspect of it, you're actually also deepening the opportunity for students to make sense of the math. You're building the scaffolds that help kids communicate their ideas as opposed to removing or stripping out the language. That's the context in some ways that helps them filter and make sense. You could either be in a vicious cycle, which comes from removing the language, or a virtuous cycle. And it seems a little counterintuitive because I think people perceive language as the thing that is holding kids back as opposed to the thing that might actually help them move forward and make sense. Bill: Yeah. And actually that's one of the really interesting pieces that we've looked at in my research and the broader research is this question of, “What makes mathematics linguistically complex?” is a complicated question. And so sometimes we think of things like looking at the word count as a way to say, “If there are fewer words, it's less complex, and if there are more words, it's more complex.” But that's not totally true. And similarly, “If there's no context, it's easier or more accessible, and if there is a context, then it's less accessible.”  And I don't see these as binary choices. I see these as happening on a somewhat complicated terrain where we want to think about, “How do these words or these contexts add to student understanding or potentially impede [it]?” And that's where I think this social aspect of learning mathematics—as you described, it could be a virtuous cycle so that we can use language in order to engage in the process of learning language. Or, the vicious cycle is, you withhold all language and then get frustrated when students can't apply their mathematics. That's maybe the most stereotypical answer: “My kids can do this, but as soon as they get a word problem, they can't do it.” And it's like, “Well, did you give them opportunities to learn how to do this? [laughs] Or is this the first time?” Because that would explain a lot. Mike: Well, it's an interesting question, too, because I think what sits behind that in some ways is the idea that you're kind of going to reach a point, or students might reach a point, where they're “ready” for word problems.  Bill: Right. Mike: And I think what we're really saying is it's actually through engaging with word problems that you build your proficiency, your skillset that actually allows you to become a stronger mathematician. Bill: Mm-hmm. Right. Exactly. And it's a daily practice, right? It's not something that you just hold off to the end of the unit, and then you have the word problems, but it's part of the process of learning. And thinking about how you integrate and support that. That's the key question that I really wrestle with. Not trivial, but I think that's the key and the most important part of this. Mike: Well, I think that's actually a really good segue because I wanted to shift and talk about some of the concrete or productive ways that educators can support multilingual learners. And in preparing for this conversation, one of the things that I've heard you stress is this notion of a consistent context. So, can you just talk a little bit more about what you mean by that and how educators can use that when they're looking at their lessons or when they're writing lessons or looking at the curriculum that they're using? Bill: Absolutely. So, in our past work, we engaged in some cycles of design research with teachers looking at their mathematics curriculum and opportunities to engage multilingual learners in communication and reasoning in the classroom. And one of the surprising things that we found—just by looking at a couple of standard textbooks—was a surprising number of contexts were introduced that are all related to the same concept. So, the concept would be something like rate of change or ratio, and then the contexts, there would be a half dozen of them in the same section of the book. Now, this was, I should say, at a secondary level, so not quite where most of the Bridges work is happening. But I think it's an interesting lesson for us that we took away from this. Actually, at the elementary level, Kathryn Chval has made the same observation.  What we realized was that contexts are not good or bad by themselves. In fact, they can be highly supportive of student reasoning or they can get in the way. And it's how they are used and introduced. And so, the other way we thought about this was: When you introduce a context, you want to make sure that that context is one that you give sufficient time for the students to understand and to engage with; that is relatable, that everyone has access to it; not something that's just completely unrelated to students' experiences. And then you can really leverage that relatable, understandable context for multiple problems and iterations and opportunities to go deeper and deeper.  To give a concrete example of that, when we were looking at this ratio and rate of change, we went all the way back to one of the fundamental contexts that's been studied for a long time, which is motion and speed and distance and time. And that seemed like a really important topic because we know that that starts all the way back in elementary school and continues through college-level physics and beyond. So, it was a rich context. It was also something that was accessible in the sense that we could do things like act out story problems or reenact a race that's described in a story problem. And so, the students themselves had access to the context in a deep way.  And then, last, that context was one that we could come back to again and again, so we could do variations [of] that context on that story. And I think there's lots of examples of materials out there that start off with a core context and build it out. I'm thinking of some of the Bridges materials, even on the counting and the multiplication. I think there's stories of the insects and their legs and wings and counting and multiplying. And that's a really nice example of—it's accessible, you can go find insects almost anywhere you are. Kids like it. [Laughs] They enjoy thinking about insects and other icky, creepy-crawly things. And then you can take that and run with it in lots of different ways, right? Counting, multiplication, division ratio, and so on. Mike: This last bit of our conversation has me thinking about what it might look like to plan a lesson for a class or a group of multilingual learners. And I know that it's important that I think about mathematical demands as well as the language demands of a given task. Can you unpack why it's important to set math and language development learning goals for a task, or a set of tasks, and what are the opportunities that come along with that, if I'm thinking about both of those things during my planning? Bill: Yeah, that's a great question. And I want to mark the shift, right? We've gone from thinking about the demands to thinking about the goals, and where we're going to go next.  And so, when I think about integrating mathematical goals—mathematical learning goals and language learning goals—I often go back to these ideas that we call the practices, or these standards that are about how you engage in mathematics. And then I think about linking those back to the content itself. And so, there's kind of a two-piece element to that. And so, when we're setting our goals and lesson planning, at least here in the great state of California, sometimes we'll have these templates that have, “What standard are you addressing?,” [Laughs] “What language standard are you addressing?,” “What ELD standard are you addressing?,” “What SEL standard are you addressing?” And I've seen sometimes teachers approach that as a checkbox, right? Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick. But I see that as a missed opportunity—if you just look at this like you're plugging things in—because as we started with talking about how learning mathematics is deeply social and integrated with language, that we can integrate the mathematical goals and the language goals in a lesson. And I think really good materials should be suggesting that to the teacher. You shouldn't be doing this yourself every day from scratch. But I think really high-quality materials will say, “Here's the mathematical goal, and here's an associated language goal,” whether it's productive or receptive functions of language. “And here's how the language goal connects the mathematical goal.”  Now, just to get really concrete, if we're talking about an example of reasoning with ratios—so I was going back to that—then it might be generalized, the relationship between distance and time. And that the ratio of distance and time gives you this quantity called speed, and that different combinations of distance and time can lead to the same speed. And so, explain and justify and show using words, pictures, diagrams. So, that would be a language goal, but it's also very much a mathematical goal.  And I guess I see the mathematical content, the practices, and the language really braided together in these goals. And that I think is the ideal, and at least from our work, has been most powerful and productive for students. Mike: This is off script, but I'm going to ask it, and you can pass if you want to.  Bill: Mm-hmm. Mike: I wonder if you could just share a little bit about what the impact of those [kinds] of practices that you described [have been]—have you seen what that impact looks like? Either for an educator who has made the step and is doing that integration or for students who are in a classroom where an educator is purposely thinking about that level of integration? Bill: Yeah, I can talk a little bit about that. In our research, we have tried to measure the effects of some of these efforts. It is a difficult thing to measure because it's not just a simple true-false test question type of thing that you can give a multiple-choice test for.  But one of the ways that we've looked for the impact [of] these types of intentional designs is by looking at patterns of student participation in classroom discussions and seeing who is accessing the floor of the discussion and how. And then looking at other results, like giving an assessment, but deeper than looking at the outcome, the binary correct versus incorrect. Also looking at the quality of the explanation that's provided. So, how [do] you justify an answer? Does the student provide a deeper or a more mathematically complete explanation?  That is an area where I think more investigation is needed, and it's also very hard to vary systematically. So, from a research perspective—you may not want to put this into the final version [laughs]—but from a research perspective, it's very hard to fix and isolate these things because they are integrated. Mike: Yeah. Yeah. Bill: Because language and mathematics are so deeply integrated that trying to fix everything and do this—“What caused this water to taste like water? Was it the hydrogen or the oxygen?”—well, [laughs] you can't really pull those apart, right? The water molecule is hydrogen and oxygen together. Mike: I think that's a lovely analogy for what we were talking about with mathematical goals and language goals. That, I think, is really a helpful way to think about the extent to which they're intertwined with one another. Bill: Yeah, I need to give full credit to Vygotsky, I think, who said that. Mike: You're— Bill: Something. Might be Vygotsky. I'll need to check my notes. Mike: I think you're in good company if you're quoting Vygotsky.  Before we close, I'd love to just ask you a bit about resources. I say this often on the podcast. We have 20 to 25 minutes to dig deeply into an idea, and I know people who are listening often think about, “Where do I go from here?” Are there any particular resources that you would suggest for someone who wanted to continue learning about what it is to support multilingual learners in a math classroom? Bill: Sure. Happy to share that.  So, I think on the individual and collective level—so, say, a group of teachers—there's a beautiful book by Kathryn Chval and her colleagues [Teaching Math to Multilingual Learners, Grades K–8] about supporting multilingual learners and mathematics. And I really see that as a valuable resource. I've used that in reading groups with teachers and used that in book studies, and it's been very productive and powerful for us. Beyond that, of course, I think the NCTM [National Council of Teachers of Mathematics] provides a number of really useful resources. And there are articles, for example, in the [NCTM journal] Mathematics Teacher: Learning and Teaching PK– 12 that could make for a really wonderful study or opportunity to engage more deeply.  And then I would say on a broader perspective, I've worked with organizations like the English Learners Success Forum and others. We've done some case studies and little classroom studies that are accessible on my website [SDSU-ELSF Video Cases for Professional Development], so you can go to that. But there's also from that organization some really valuable insights, if you're looking at adopting new materials or evaluating things, that gives you a principled set of guidelines to follow. And I think that's really helpful for educators because we don't have to do this all on our own. This is not a “reinvent the wheel at every single site” kind of situation. And so, I always encourage people to look for those resources.  And of course, I will say that the MLC materials, the Bridges in Mathematics [curriculum], I think have been really beautifully designed with a lot of these principles right behind them. So, for example, if you look through the Teachers Guides on the Bridges in Mathematics [BES login required], those integrated math and language and practice goals are a part of the design. Mike: Well, I think that's a great place to stop. Thank you so much for joining us, Bill. This has been insightful, and it's really been a pleasure talking with you. Bill: Oh, well, thank you. I appreciate it. Mike: And that's a wrap for Season 3 of Rounding Up. I want to thank all of our guests and the MLC staff who make these podcasts possible, as well as all of our listeners for tuning in. Have a great summer, and we'll be back in September for Season 4.  This podcast is brought to you by The Math Learning Center and the Maier Math Foundation, dedicated to inspiring and enabling all individuals to discover and develop their mathematical confidence and ability. © 2025 The Math Learning Center | www.mathlearningcenter.org  

This episode of Highest Aspirations welcomes Alice Collins from the Colorado Department of Education and Dr. Esther De Jong from the University of Colorado Denver to explore the dynamic landscape of bilingual education in the state. Discover the innovative programs designed to support Colorado's growing number of multilingual learners and the crucial initiatives aimed at building a strong pipeline of qualified bilingual educators.Tune in to gain insights into the collaborative efforts between the state and universities to equip teachers with the specialized skills needed to serve multilingual students effectively. Learn about the various courses and programs available that empower educators to create inclusive and successful learning environments for all students, fostering academic growth and linguistic development.Key questions we address:What types of bilingual education programs are available for Colorado's multilingual learners?How does the University of Colorado Denver support the training and development of teachers for multilingual students?What are the key strategies discussed for supporting and retaining qualified teachers of multilingual learners in Colorado?For additional episode and community resources:Download the transcript here.Newcomer resources course - Free 1-hour webinarOnline, self-directed newcomer course with deep dives (ideal for Professional Learning Communities)Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your HumanityDiscover, Connect, RespondFinding Me: A MemoirT-PREP: The Partnership for Rural Educator Preparation at University of Colorado Denver Learn more about the Ellevation Scholarship and how to apply. For additional free resources geared toward supporting English learners, ⁠visit our blog.Alice Collins is an ELD Senior Consultant with the Colorado Department of Education serving the state of Colorado in the office of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education. She partners with districts across the state to ensure quality language programming for the Multilingual Learners. Alice has many years of experience serving MLs, some of those roles include, teacher, CLDE Specialist, Instructional Coach, Assistant Principal, and CLDE Director. She has received multiple Teacher of the Year awards as well as CLDE Director of the Year. Alice is dedicated to providing every opportunity possible for ML students to succeed in education.Dr. Ester de Jong is a Professor in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education and Interim Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Advanced programs at the University of Colorado Denver.  Her research interests include two-way bilingual education and other integrated models for language minority schooling, educational language policy, and teacher preparation for bilingual students.  Prior to UC Denver, she was the Director of the School of Teaching and Learning and Professor in ESOL/Bilingual Education at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. She has been in the field of ESL/bilingual education for over thirty years, as a practitioner and a researcher. Her research focuses on preparing teachers to work with bilingual learners in K-12 schools, and integrated approaches to the schooling of bilingual learners, including two-way bilingual education. Her book, “Foundations of Multilingualism in Education” lays out a principles-based approach to educational equity for bilingual learners.  Dr. de Jong was President of TESOL International Association (2017-2018). She is the co-editor of the Handbook of Research on Dual Language Bilingual Education (Routledge, 2023) and co-Editor of the Bilingual Research Journal.

Did you know over 60% of California families speak multiple languages at home? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Anya Hurwitz, Executive Director of SEAL, to unravel the complexities and triumphs of educational equity for multilingual learners. We explore Dr. Hurwitz's passionate dedication to redesigning education, balancing emotional support with systemic change, and empowering teachers to unlock the full potential of every child. Discover the power of language, the importance of cultural inclusion, and how to transform challenges into opportunities for collective impact. This week's episode 165 of How Women Inspire Podcast is about educational equity for multilingual learners! In this episode of How Women Inspire Podcast, Anya Hurwitz is sharing the importance of unlocking all of a child's potential and actionable steps you can take right now to build a team of mentors and supporters in our lives. Dr. Anya Hurwitz is the President and Executive Director of Sobrato Early Academic Language, a nonprofit in California that works with school districts, county offices of education, schools, preschool LEAs, teachers, families, California Department of Education, and many other education champions to advance educational outcomes of English Learners and Dual Language Learners. Dr. Anya has a longstanding commitment to creating the conditions for public schools to meet the diverse needs of their students' academic and socio-emotional development. She has worked as a teacher, school leader, district administrator, and within the educational nonprofit sector.Some of the talking points Julie and Anya go over in this episode include:SEAL's mission to help multilingual learners in California and beyond learn, thrive, and lead.Several barriers to multilingual education, including the historical context of language policies and the lack of bilingual teachers.The balance between fear and courage in leadership roles.The power of relationships across different ages and the importance of learning from younger people.Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me!  And don't forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!Learn more about How Women Inspire at https://www.howwomenlead.com/podcast CONNECT WITH ANYA HURWITZ:LinkedInX (formerly Twitter)SEAL websiteCONNECT WITH JULIE CASTRO ABRAMS:LinkedIn - JulieHow Women LeadHow Women InvestHow Women GiveInstagram - HWLLinkedIn - HWLFacebook - HWL

Episode 223 Antonio Fierro and Gabi Bell Jimenez break down the essentials of teaching English learners—covering the simple view of reading, oracy, and literacy instruction. English learners thrive when we amplify language, not simplify it. They explore how to build language like Legos—piece by piece—so students can truly master it. Key Takeaways: ✅ Embed language development into reading instruction ✅ Use images and real-world connections to deepen understanding ✅ Keep content rigorous while supporting language growth Listen in for practical strategies to help your English learners (and ALL learners) succeed!ResourcesStrategic Use of Visuals by Antonio Fierro and Gabi Bell JimenezNational Literacy Panel on Language-Minority Children and Youth  We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.Grab free resources and episode alerts! Sign up for our email list at literacypodcast.com.Join our community on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

Multilingual learners are the fastest-growing student group in the U.S., and their success depends on how well schools support language development alongside grade-level instruction. In this episode, Dr. Wendy Amato is joined by Katherine Hamilton, Vice President of Programs at Ensemble Learning, to share how educators can better support these students—whether they're new to the country or born in the U.S. but still developing academic English. Katherine draws from classroom experience and district-level partnerships to break down key instructional strategies, the power of student talk, and what meaningful walkthroughs look like. She also shares the importance of aligning classroom practices with school and district priorities to keep support focused and manageable.Resources for Continued LearningLearn More About Ensemble LearningEnsemble Learning is a nonprofit that partners with schools, districts, and state agencies to support equity for multilingual learners. Their work includes professional learning, coaching, and systems-level alignment to ensure that students learning English receive the instruction and support they need to thrive. Professional Learning with Teaching ChannelLooking to strengthen your support for multilingual learners? Teaching Channel's graduate-level courses offer practical strategies to help educators create welcoming, language-rich classrooms for newcomer students.5308: Empowering Multilingual Newcomers with Language and SEL SupportLearn how to create a Newcomer Kit, build a family resource guide, and plan meaningful opportunities for language development using multi-cue and comprehensible input approaches. The course also addresses ways to support newcomer students with learning disabilities.

Episode 222In this episode, teacher coach Margarita shares effective strategies for leveraging students' native languages to enhance their learning in the classroom. She discusses the importance of making cross-linguistic connections, structured routines like QSSSA for speaking, and vocabulary strategies that include cognates. She also explains writing techniques such as the APE method and reading comprehension strategies like STAR, all aimed at supporting emergent bilinguals in their academic journey. Margarita shares her insights on effective reading routines, the importance of language functions, and strategies for grouping students in intervention blocks. She emphasizes the role of teacher training and support in enhancing student learning, particularly for multilingual learners. The discussion also covers the structure of intervention blocks and the significance of familiar topics in language acquisition. Margarita concludes with practical tips for educators working with diverse language backgrounds. We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.Grab free resources and episode alerts! Sign up for our email list at literacypodcast.com.Join our community on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

Valentina Gonzalez, a passionate advocate for multilingual learners, joins Highest Aspirations to discuss her collaborative work on Welcome to Teaching Multilingual Learners and her solo project, Equitable Instruction for English Learners in the Content Area. With a focus on bridging content and language instruction, Valentina shares her experience working alongside renowned educators Drs. Fisher and Frey, highlighting the transformative power of co-authorship and her unique visual approach. This episode dives into the practical strategies and the foundational "why" behind her books, offering educators the tools to create more inclusive and equitable classrooms.Valentina explores key principles in her work, emphasizing culturally inclusive pedagogy, oracy development, and essential skills instruction. She underscores the importance of understanding and valuing the diverse backgrounds of students, going beyond surface-level vocabulary to address the deeper linguistic needs of multilingual learners. Through her insights, listeners discover how to foster collaborative learning environments and implement strategies that support both language acquisition and meaningful content engagement. This episode is an invaluable resource for educators seeking to transform their practices and create a welcoming classroom for all students.Key questions we address:How can educators apply the "Golden Circle" theory to design instruction that aligns with their core values and meaningfully supports multilingual learners?What are some practical strategies that content area teachers can use to create inclusive learning environments that address the linguistic and cultural needs of multilingual learners?In what ways can collaborative learning and book studies, such as co-authoring and book clubs, enhance professional development and improve teaching practices for educators working with multilingual learners?For additional episode and community resources:Download the transcript here.Valentina's book with Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey Welcome to Teaching Multilingual Learners!Valentina's second book mentioned Equitable Instruction for English Learners in the Content AreasSimon Sinek's book Start with WhySimon Sinek's TEDTalkFor additional free resources geared toward supporting English learners, ⁠visit our blog Valentina Gonzalez is known for her passionate advocacy and dedication to multilingual learners. As a sought-after speaker and keynote presenter, she travels nationwide to inspire educators with the message that bilingualism is a gift. Valentina has remained steadfast in her commitment to promoting literacy, celebrating cultural diversity, and nurturing language development. Her mission to ensure high-quality education for multilingual learners is deeply personal, fueled by her own experiences as an immigrant and English learner.

This conversation explores the transformative impact of AI in education and the legal profession. The speakers discuss how generative AI can assist teachers in lesson creation, enhance student confidence, and streamline legal research. They emphasize the importance of collaboration with AI, the need for educators and lawyers to adapt to new technologies, and the mindset shift required to embrace these changes. The discussion also highlights the potential for AI to improve productivity and foster a culture of sharing knowledge among professionals. Connect with Dr. Santamaria https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcasantamaria/ Chapters 00:00 The Excitement of AI in Education 07:02 Building Confidence in Multilingual Learners 11:47 AI's Impact on the Legal Profession 20:10 Embracing AI: A Mindset Shift 25:04 Connecting and Sharing Knowledge Thank you to our special sponsor: https://www.neulight.io/?utm_source=shiftingschool&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=fallsponsorship&utm_id=1  

Drs. Margo Gottlieb and Andrea Honigsfeld, authors of Collaborative Assessment for Multilingual Learners and Teachers, join Highest Aspirations to discuss how administrators can support educators in transforming assessment practices. Moving beyond traditional methods, they emphasize the role of school leaders in fostering a collaborative approach that centers multilingual learners and empowers teachers.This episode explores the essential role of administrators in the five phases of collaborative assessment and how they integrate into the instructional cycle. Drs. Gottlieb and Honigsfeld discuss strategies for creating a culture of shared assessment, supporting teacher collaboration, and ensuring multilingual learners' voices are honored throughout the process. Learn how school leaders can make assessment a meaningful and equitable part of the learning journey.Key questions we address:How can administrators support teachers in implementing collaborative assessment?What structures and supports help create a culture of shared assessment in schools?How do we collaboratively examine student learning within instructional and assessment cycles across grade levels and content areas?For additional episode and community resources:Download the transcript here.Dr. Andrea Honigsfeld and Dr. Margo Gottlieb book discussed: Collaborative Assessment for Multilingual Learners and Teachers: Pathways to PartnershipsCompanion site for book to access the resources included with your purchase.University of Chicago researchers, Bryk and Schneider's Trust in Schools: A Core Resource for ImprovementSteve Barkley Ponders Out Loud PodcastFor additional free resources geared toward supporting English learners, ⁠visit our blog Andrea Honigsfeld, EdD, is a professor at Molloy College, teaching graduate courses on cultural and linguistic diversity and TESOL methodology. Previously, she taught ESL/EFL in Hungary and New York City. She researches individualized instruction and has published extensively on multilingual learners and collaborative practices. A Fulbright Scholar, she has presented internationally and provides professional learning on content and language integration and collaborative practices. She has coauthored over 60 articles and chapters and over 30 books, including 11 national bestsellers.Dr. Margo Gottlieb, WIDA co-founder and lead developer, has a distinguished career as a language teacher, coordinator, facilitator, and consultant. A Fulbright Senior Scholar and TESOL 50@50 honoree, she has presented internationally and authored over 100 publications, including "Assessing Multilingual Learners: Bridges to Empowerment" (3rd ed., 2024), "Classroom Assessment in Multiple Languages" (2021/2022), and "Collaborative Assessment for Multilingual Learners and Teachers" (with Andrea Honigsfeld).

Drs. Margo Gottlieb and Andrea Honigsfeld, authors of "Collaborative Assessment for Multilingual Learners and Teachers," join Highest Aspirations to discuss transforming assessment practices. Moving beyond traditional methods, they advocate for a collaborative approach that centers multilingual learners and empowers educators.This episode explores the five phases of collaborative assessment and how they integrate into the instruction cycle. Drs. Gottlieb and Honigsfeld delve into student-led conferences, practical strategies for co-reflection, and building trust within collaborative teams. Learn how to make assessment an integral part of the learning journey, fostering student ownership and honoring the voices of multilingual learners.Key questions we address:What is collaborative assessment and how does it differ from traditional assessment practices?How do we collaboratively examine student learning within instructional and assessment cycles across grade levels and content areas?What are some specific strategies and tools that teachers can use to implement collaborative assessment and engage multilingual learners in the process?For additional episode and community resources:Download the transcript here.Dr. Andrea Honigsfeld and Dr. Margo Gottlieb book discussed: Collaborative Assessment for Multilingual Learners and Teachers: Pathways to PartnershipsCompanion site for book to access the resources included with your purchase.Language Magazine article mentioned: Collaborative Planning: Never Having to Go It AloneBrené Brown TED Talk: The power of vulnerabilityChimamanda Ngozi Adichie TED Talk: The danger of a single storyFor additional free resources geared toward supporting English learners, ⁠visit our blog Andrea Honigsfeld, EdD, is a professor at Molloy College, teaching graduate courses on cultural and linguistic diversity and TESOL methodology. Previously, she taught ESL/EFL in Hungary and New York City. She researches individualized instruction and has published extensively on multilingual learners and collaborative practices. A Fulbright Scholar, she has presented internationally and provides professional learning on content and language integration and collaborative practices. She has coauthored over 60 articles and chapters and over 30 books, including 11 national bestsellers.Dr. Margo Gottlieb, WIDA co-founder and lead developer, has a distinguished career as a language teacher, coordinator, facilitator, and consultant. A Fulbright Senior Scholar and TESOL 50@50 honoree, she has presented internationally and authored over 100 publications, including "Assessing Multilingual Learners: Bridges to Empowerment" (3rd ed., 2024), "Classroom Assessment in Multiple Languages" (2021/2022), and "Collaborative Assessment for Multilingual Learners and Teachers" (with Andrea Honigsfeld).

Did you know that supporting your students' growth goes far beyond bilingualism and language itself?In this episode of Equipping ELLs, host Beth Vaucher welcomes Gabby Montenegro Rivera, a bilingual and bicultural educator with a powerful personal story. Gabby, who grew up in Panama with Colombian and Panamanian roots, shares her journey of embracing both Latin and American cultures, highlighting the challenges and advantages of being bicultural.What You'll Learn in This Episode:How early exposure to English shaped Gabby's academic and personal growthThe difference between bilingualism and biculturalism, and why both matterThe cultural barriers multilingual learners face in educationHow to foster a sense of belonging for bicultural students in the classroomThe emotional impact of living between two cultures, and what “home” really meansAs an educator, understanding the cultural experiences of multilingual learners is key to helping them succeed. Gabby shares eye-opening insights on the importance of cultural fluency, her personal struggles with writing in English despite being fluent, and why teachers should actively create spaces where students can embrace both their linguistic and cultural identities.Plus, Gabby dives into how language influences personality and how educators can bridge cultural gaps in the classroom.Whether you're a teacher, student, or someone passionate about cultural identity, this episode is filled with practical strategies and inspiring takeaways.

Do you find yourself questioning whether the assessments you are giving are truly accomplishing what they are intended to accomplish?In this episode of Equipping ELLs, host Beth Vaucher welcomes two of the most influential voices in multilingual education and assessment: Dr. Andrea Honigsfeld and Dr. Margo Gottlieb. As part of the ongoing series, Dismantling Misconceptions About Multilingual Learners, this conversation focuses on rethinking assessment practices to better support English Language Learners (ELLs). Traditional testing methods often fail to capture the full potential of multilingual learners, limiting both students and educators in the process. Dr. Honigsfeld and Dr. Gottlieb challenge these outdated perspectives, advocating for a collaborative, asset-based approach that empowers both teachers and students.Drawing from their latest book, Collaborative Assessment for Multilingual Learners: Pathways to Partnerships, they explain how assessment can be integrated into daily instruction rather than treated as an isolated, high-stakes event. Instead of relying solely on standardized tests, which often fail to reflect students' true abilities, they introduce strategies that emphasize student voice, self-reflection, and peer collaboration. By shifting the focus away from rigid testing structures and toward ongoing, meaningful and collaborative assessment, educators can better understand their students' academic progress while fostering confidence and engagement. Dr. Honigsfeld and Dr. Gottlieb make the case that effective assessment should be an ongoing, collaborative process rather than a one-time event. Through real-world examples, they highlight how student voice, choice, and self-reflection can transform assessment into a tool for empowerment rather than a barrier to success. They also emphasize the importance of school leadership and systemic support in making meaningful change, while providing practical steps for educators who want to start small and build more inclusive assessment practices in their classrooms.ResourcesCollaborative Assessment for Multilingual Learners and TeachersCheck out Dr. Margo Gottlieb's WorkCheck out Dr. Andrea Honigsfeld's Work⁠⁠⁠Join the Equipping ELLs Membership Shop our TpT StoreCheck Out Dr. Honigsfeld's other episode on the Equipping ELL's Podcast!

In this transformative episode of the Equipping ELLs podcast, host Beth Vaucher is joined by the incredible Valentina Gonzalez, a former English Language Learner (ELL), educational consultant, and passionate advocate for multilingual students. Together, they tackle the widespread misconception that ELL students are starting from scratch in their educational journey. Valentina shares her personal experiences, professional insights, and actionable strategies to challenge this narrative and elevate the role of linguistic and cultural assets in education.Listeners will discover why labeling ESOL as an "intervention" undermines the potential of ELL students and how educators can shift their mindsets to foster inclusive, affirming learning environments. Valentina delves into practical, low-prep, high-impact strategies for supporting language development, such as leveraging cross-linguistic connections, integrating visuals, and providing meaningful wait time. She also shares her own journey as an ELL, the challenges of navigating an education system that often prioritizes assimilation, and her fight to ensure linguistic diversity is celebrated, not erased.Whether you're an educator, administrator, or advocate, this episode is packed with inspiration and tools to create classrooms that honor the unique strengths of multilingual learners. Plus, Valentina shares exciting updates about her upcoming illustrated guide, Welcome to Teaching Multilingual Learners, co-authored with Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey. Don't miss this enriching conversation that will leave you motivated to rethink how you support ELL students in your schools.Key Highlights:The importance of seeing ESOL as an asset, not an intervention.Strategies for designing culturally inclusive classrooms.Why embracing linguistic diversity benefits all learners.How administrators can lead change to support ELL students.Valentina's inspiring personal story and her advocacy for multilingual learners.ResourcesVisit Valentina's BlogPurchase one of Valentina's BooksConnect with Valentina on Instagram⁠⁠⁠Join the Equipping ELLs Membership Shop our TpT Store

This book is written for teachers with intellectual agility, compassionate hearts, and creative minds — those who want to support their students and appreciate specific strategies. This essential guide is compact, research-based, and includes the most basic supports. It's accessible with ideas that can be implemented in a teacher's established or current structure. This book will provide secondary teachers with essential tools to support Multilingual Learners (MLs) in your classes. After reading this book, teachers will have two main takeaways: one, you'll realize that your classroom is enhanced when you are fortunate enough to have Multilingual Learners in it; two, you'll have the tools to support MLs or English Learners or ESL learners in your classroom and see their growth without compromising the learning of primarily English speakers. https://amzn.to/4gR8Ond