I have been a homeroom teacher, a Humanities teacher, an MLL/EAL specialist, a curriculum coordinator, and instructional coach. I love to engage in the deep thinking work of unit and instructional design for equity for multilingual students. 

I'm super excited to return to ISNS. I really love to get nerdy about language. My 5 year old daughter started kindergarten this year. My family has recently adopted two black cats.

Share the story of your learning and help other educators around the world! We love to see what's transferring to the classroom!

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Don't forget to use the #EKCLiteracy 🤓

• How Bilingual Brains Switch Between Languages (3 min)  🔗

• How Languages Shape the Brain (5 min) 🔗

• What’s Going On in the Brain of a Bilingual Child (7 min)  🔗

• The Languages We Speak Changes the Colors We See (3 min)  🔗

• From Monolingual Mindsets to the Multilingual Turn: Paradigm Shifts for EAL 🔗
  

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• A Bilingual Brain Solves Problems Faster (2 min)  🔗

• How Bilingual Brains Perceive Time (3 min)  🔗

• How the Languages We Speak Shape the Way We Think  (11 min)  🔗

• Language Acquisition: An Overview  (9min) 🔗

• Second Language Acquisition Theories and What It Means for Teacher Instruction 🔗

• Key Concepts for Language Development (4min) 🔗

• Simultaneous and Sequential Bilingualism 🔗

View

• Krashen’s Theory of Second Language Acquisition (7 min) 🔗

• Second Language Acquisition 🔗
  

Listen

• Growing Language and Literacy (15min)  🔗

• Forgetting My First Language (11 min) 🔗

• Honoring Students Stories: Identity Texts to Write and Diverse Texts to Read 🔗

• Affirming Identity in Multilingual Classrooms 🔗

  
  

View:

• Sustaining a Critical Stance on Language and Identity with Bilingual and Multilingual Students 6-12 (1 hour) 🔗

• Jim Cummins and Language Identity 🔗

• Funds of Knowledge 🔗 (2min)

  
  

• WIDA Guiding Language Principles 🔗

• Questions about Immersion 🔗

• 6 Principles for Effective ELL Instruction 🔗

• Two Way Immersion Glossary 🔗

• What is Content Integrated Learning? 🔗

• Key Principles for ELL Instruction 🔗

• The Costs of English  Only Education 🔗

• Why UDL for ELL Learners 🔗

• UDL Guidelines 🔗

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• Language Immersion 🔗

• Universal Design for Learning 🔗

• Visual Scaffolding Tips for ELLs

• Three Types of Scaffolding: There’s a Scaffold for That

• Why Are Visual Tools Important for Helping ELL Students Learn English?

• Offer ways of customizing the display of information

  
  

• Using Realia to Build Background Knowledge

Reading:

• Realia and Manipulatives

• The British Council: Using Realia

• Oracy in the Classroom: Strategies for Effective Talk

• Rotating Review with Inquiry Science

• 60 Second Strategy: Traverse Talk

• Inside/Outside Circles

• Building Background Knowledge

• How to Connect ELLs Background Knowledge to Content

When you try it out with students, come back and reflect! How did it go? How might you iterate?

• Vocabulary Strategies in Math

• Visual Dictionary 

• Teaching Academic Vocabulary to English Learners

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• Word Splash

• Translanguaging During Word Inquiry

• Tier 2 Vocabulary Strategy Instruction

• Beth's Favorites

• Hexagonal Thinking: A Colorful Tool for Discussion

• Socratic Seminar: Read, Write, Think

• Socratic Seminar: Facing History

• Discourse Strategies with Jeff Zwiers

• Cultivating Discourse

  
  

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• 60 Second Traverse Strategy

• Scientist Circle

• Discussion Mapping Strategy

• Building Perspective Through Meaningful Discussion

• Implementing Socratic Seminars

• Discourse Strategies for Inquiry Science

• What is translanguaging really? (2min)🔗

• A Pedagogy of Translanguaging (15min)🔗

• Bringing Translanguaging Into Dual Language Education Programs (3min)🔗

• Translanguaging: What is it and how do you plan for it? (5min)🔗

• Fostering a Translanguaging Pedagogy with a Blended Environment 🔗

• Not a First Language but One Repertoire: Translanguaging as a Decolonizing Project 🔗

View 💻

• What is translanguaging (6min) 🔗

• Multilingualism and Translanguaging in the Classroom 🔗

• Translanguaging in Curriculum and Instruction 🔗

• Multilingualism at school is better than monolingualism. #1 Strategies at school: Translanguaging (3min) 🔗

• Translanguaging as a Theory of Language (48min) 🔗

• Developing Translanguaging Pedagogy (57min) 🔗

• Translanguaging: A Multilingual Environment (3min) 🔗

• Sustaining a Critical Stance on Language and Identity with Bilingual and Multilingual Students 6-12 (1 hour) 🔗

Listening 🎧

• The Transformative Power of Translanguaging in Literature (31 min)🔗

• Listening To MLs Differently Through Translanguaging (55min)🔗

• The What, Why, When, and How of Translanguaging (66 min)🔗

• Rooted in Strength (65 min) 🔗

Now:A=A,B,C,D……

Translanguaging allows students to share and be included in the learning. It is also a reflection of who they are, and most importantly, it is a superpower that can be harnessed throughout life.

Thank you so much, Rita, I learned so many tools and strategies.  I loved relearning some of the concepts that I had a different understanding of.  You are an amazing instructor!! -Monica