Blacksburg, Virginia, January 20–21, 2016
Jane Hill, a language acquisition expert at McREL and lead author of the first and second editions of Classroom Instruction that Works with English Language Learners, will present the following conference sessions:
Plenary Session | Low Numbers—Highly Useful Strategies | Thursday, January 21, 8:00–9:15 a.m.
This keynote will reflect on the conference theme of “Reaching and Teaching EVERY English Language Learner” and present information on how teachers of English language learners can improve communication with regular education teachers using a tool called the Academic Language Framework which helps classroom teachers identify academic language that aligns with content.
Concurrent Session | Kids Say the Darndest Things…If We Let Them | 9:25–10:40 a.m. and repeated at 11:10 a.m.–12:25 p.m.
In the urgency to encourage students to read and write proficiently, the importance of discourse has often been overlooked. Realizing that rich oral language is the precursor to improved reading and writing for English language learners, Jane will introduce strategies for obtaining productive, accountable talk in classrooms. She will also talk about the importance of treating all students, ELL students and native English speakers alike, as academic language learners (ALL™) who should be taught to talk and write like authors, mathematicians, scientists, and historians.
For more information about the Virginia Title III Statewide Consortium, please visit the Virginia Department of Education’s website.