WestEd announces a three-day, 16-hour summer conference on July 13, 14, & 15 that will build educator capacity in meeting the needs of diverse learners by taking a deeper look into evidence-based instructional practices using a variety of supportive frameworks.
Participants will examine instructional practices that work best for their students and engage in an approach aimed at collaboratively improving teaching and learning for ELSWD.
Each day will include two 90-minute sessions, a lunchtime guest speaker, and networking opportunities with other ELSWD educators and professionals.
Dates and Times:
- Tuesday, July 13-Thursday, July 15
- 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Eastern (8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Pacific)
Audience:
English Learner teachers and specialists, special education teachers and administrators, general education teachers, curriculum coaches, related service providers, administrators, classroom support staff
Cost
$299 per person for six content sessions, three lunchtime guest speakers, access to Padlet Wall resources, and unrestricted access to all session recordings. For payment options, we are accepting ACH/EFT, PayPal, purchase orders, and checks. Once you are registered, you will receive an email with payment instructions.
Registration: https://tinyurl.com/ELSWD21Summer
Registration Deadline: July 7
Day 1, Session 1:
Overview of Needs of Dual Identified Students
To kick off the first session of the conference, participants will examine a few misconceptions and truths about English learners and students with disabilities and come to a common understanding of English learners’ academic and behavioral characteristics and students with high incidence disabilities. The session will cover:
- Misconceptions about ELs and SWD
- Who are our ELSWD students
- Federal policy guiding our work
- Academic and behavioral characteristics of ELs and students with high incidence disabilities
Day 1, Session 2:
Meeting the Needs of Dual Identified Students
Facilitators will guide participants in developing a class profile identifying the diverse learning needs in a typical classroom. Using an equity lens, participants will use the profile to align and reflect on their instruction and delivery models to meet the needs of ELSWD better. The session will cover:
- Identify the typical learning styles in your classroom
- Determine strengths, talents, and interests
- Identify barriers to equitable learning
- Consider learning preferences and learning needs for effective instructional planning and delivery
Day 2, Session 3:
Instructional Practices to Support Diverse Learners
Participants will investigate the Six Key Principals of ELL Instruction and High Leverage Practices in Special Education to identify standard instructional practices for students with disabilities and English Learners. The session will cover:
- Six Key Principles of ELL Instruction
- High Leverage Instructional Practices in Special Education
- Crosswalk of these strategies to identify common practices
Day 2, Session 4:
Instructional Practices to Support Diverse Learners
Using the crosswalk from Session 3, participants will connect evidence-based practices with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework (engagement, representation and action, and expression) to enhance the class profile with specific supports for each diverse learner within their classroom. The session will cover:
- Applying the six fundamental principles and the high leverage practices
- Considering the elements of Universal Design for Learning within student profile
- Utilizing and creating a student profile to support diverse learners
Day 3, Session 5:
Putting It All Together
During this portion of the conference, participants will examine best practices in standards-based instructional design, learning how to use both content and ELD standards to backward design a lesson. Participants will apply their knowledge of evidence-based practices (i.e., academic discourse) and accommodations and adaptions to support the diverse learning needs of the students within their class profile. The session will cover:
- Backwards Design
- Connections to instructional and English Language Development Standards
- Continuation of practices
- Deeper dive into academic discourse
- Evidence-based strategies
Day 3, Session 6:
Putting it all Together
Thinking about the students identified in their class profile, participants will use a lesson tuning protocol to work with colleagues in “tuning” a lesson that supports both language acquisition for English learners and adaptations for students with disabilities. The session will cover:
- Introduce Lesson Tuning for ELSWD
- Standards identified
- Language objectives aligned to standards
- Adaptations, scaffolds, and supports
- Protocols for collaborative professional practices