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Once Upon a Time in My Future…

World Tales Short Story Competition logo

UNESCO and the Idries Shah Foundation have launched the World Tales short story competition and are inviting teenagers (12-18) from all over the globe to write about the challenges of today and tomorrow in the format of a short story in English or French. 

The theme is Once upon a time in my future and each story should be between 250 to 500 words in length and has to show the potential for future societies to be fair, inclusive, peaceful, resilient, sustainable, and/or tolerant.

The competition—devised prior to the current pandemic—has poignantly taken on additional relevance, as CEO of the Idries Shah Foundation, Tarquin Hall, explains; “When we conceived the World Tales short story competition with UNESCO, we never dreamt that the world would come to a grinding halt—that millions of us would be confined to our homes, that high [main] streets would be empty, that emergency wards would be packed with people fighting for their lives. Suddenly the future looks a lot more uncertain and surely there’s never been a better time to stop and reflect on what the future will bring. So, we’re calling on anyone from the age of 12 to 18 to try to imagine the world of tomorrow, to produce a story in an imaginary future—one that they might be considering a little more carefully in the middle of this ongoing crisis.”

The Idries Shah Foundation is a British charity dedicated to bridging cultures through the power of stories. Afghan thinker and writer Idries Shah was himself a proponent of Teaching Stories or narratives created as a vehicle for the transmission of wisdom. His illustrated children’s books can be read for free at www.idriesshahfoundation.org.

All stories must be original and can be written in French or English. The closing date is midnight on the 15th October 2020 and the seven Gold winning laureates will be announced in December—all of whom will receive an iPad and have their story published in a special edition hardcover book. All rules, details about 21 winners in total and eligibility information can be accessed here. 

The Yoga of Collaboration

Why Collaboration?

As schools around the world increase in neurodiversity as well as cultural and linguistic diversity, many educators are turning to professional collaboration as a powerful tool not only to improve student learning but also to fuel teacher growth. Evidence is clear that specialists and general education teachers working together provide access to learning for all students and become better teachers in the process. Although education has been a historically isolating profession, collaboration is fortunately emerging as a new norm in today’s schools. Both research and practical wisdom shared by teachers suggest that teacher collaboration has a positive impact on both student performance and teacher learning (Darling-Hammond et al., 2017; Greenberg Motamedi et al., 2019; Jackson, 2009; Theoharis and O’Toole, 2011). We know that when educators plan, teach, and inquire together, they improve instruction and model the 21st-century learning skills they hope to develop in students (Nordmeyer, 2015). And we know that effective collaboration involves a cycle of coplanning, coteaching, coassessing, and coreflecting to support students’ language development, well-being, and academic success (Dove and Honigsfeld, 2018). In short, we become better teachers when we collaborate: we add strategies to our toolbox, and we develop a collective self-efficacy, shared purpose, and strong sense of belonging in a community of practice.

Why Yoga?

What does teacher collaboration have to do with yoga? As a practice and a philosophy, yoga can teach us powerful lessons that make us more effective and productive collaborators and coteachers. As long-time yoga practitioners, the authors of this article have reflected on both our yoga and our collaboration in order to identify practices that help teachers to be more productive, joyful, and content—as professionals and as people. In this article, we share reflections and amplify teacher voices. Building on the global community of educators, we include contributions from a number of teachers who participated in a Twitter chat focused on the integration of yoga and coteaching. These honest insights shared by teachers help us to see collaboration with clarity.

Union

The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root word yuj, and the most commonly understood meaning of yoga is “union.” To develop a shared identity with a collaborative partner, we need to share classroom space, students, and responsibilities. We also have the opportunity to share goals, objectives, curricula, and research-informed, evidence-based best practices.

•Parity in #coteaching is essential to its success. Students need to see us both as THE teachers. Before I cotaught, the classroom belonged solely to me and my students. As coteachers we have to share physical and virtual space. (@ValentinaESL)

•I absolutely love that we BOTH have 170 students. All of our students look at both my coteacher and me as their ELA teachers. When they come to ELA, it is OUR classroom. (@MaestraSchmidt)

Collaboration starts with the pronouns we use. Consider how the statement “our class is struggling with this concept, and we might try this” reflects a shared identity. Whose name is on the door, handouts, homework, at parent conferences?

Intention

Whether sitting still before a morning yoga practice or sitting down to a coplanning meeting, setting a clear intention is key. As teachers, one thing that we never have enough of is time, so we need to be clear about our shared purpose for collaboration. Most yoga classes start with the instructor inviting students to set an intention, and likewise John Hattie (2012) has documented the significant effect of teacher clarity on student learning.

•Coteaching has helped me stay in the present because we need to make sure that we stay on the same page. Getting out of sync can lead to confusion, for ourselves and for our students. (@IanFerguson0803)

•Coteaching grounds you in the present with feedback from your coteacher. Something may seem second nature to you but once you bounce that idea off your coteacher you may find that it requires more explanation than you anticipated and save a lot of confusion. (@RyanWeltISS)

When we collaborate, we can set clear learning targets with success criteria for students and set learning goals for ourselves as teachers. We should focus on one thing at a time and not try to “fix” students or colleagues. When we establish norms for our coteaching partnerships, we establish how we want to coteach and how we want students to view us, together. Collaboration becomes both a lens to focus and a mirror for reflection.

Flexibility

This is perhaps the most obvious metaphor for the benefits of both yoga and coteaching; both activities make us more flexible as individuals and as professionals. Being able to bend, stretch, extend, or when necessary contract helps us develop a facility to use different coteaching moves.

•Collaboration makes us more flexible as professionals because it helps us to combine our thoughts and ideas with someone else. We are able to use multiple perspectives to create something that we might not be able to do alone. (@IanFerguson0803)

•Coteaching keeps me focused on what my students need to feel relevant in their classes when I’m not there. Just like yoga keeps me focused on the moment, but the effects provide me with what I need throughout the rest of my day, long after my stretch is done. (@lopescommack)

Bryk and Schneider (2003) reinforce the importance of flexible cohesion by recognizing that “relational trust is the connective tissue that binds individuals together to advance the education and welfare of students. Improving schools requires us to think harder about how best to organize the work of adults and students so that this connective tissue remains healthy and strong” (p. 45). Flexible joints allow us to move purposefully and even gracefully; flexibility in collaboration allows us to adjust and move together with a trusted colleague.

Awareness

How can collaborating ground us in the present moment? The practice of mindful seeing and listening involves being observant and curious. Patience and empathy are both the ingredients and the outcomes of active and compassionate listening. Staying in the moment while coteaching allows us to take advantage of having two educators in the room. Awareness allows us to notice what is happening with students and offer immediate support or intervention if necessary, another highly ranked variable from John Hattie (2012).

•Having a coteacher can help us realize when something needs to be explained better or discussed more with the students. Sometimes one person notices something that the other doesn’t. (@IanFerguson0803)

•Coteaching helps to ground me in the present moment because I have to be aware of what is going on to make sure I’m in synch with my coteacher. Just like how yoga helps to ground me by making me aware of what my body is doing, coteaching is the mind. (@MsNeumuller)

When we take a moment to step back and reflect with colleagues, we are able to witness our coteaching in a nonevaluative and nonjudgmental manner. We can collectively inquire into the impact of our collaboration. Being present also involves a heightened awareness of the self, which helps us to ask: What strengths do I bring to this professional relationship? What can I learn from my colleagues? How have I improved my craft? Deepening our professional awareness before, during, and after coteaching allows us to grow.

Letting Go

Collaboration helps us to unlearn and makes us better teachers. When we approach our work with an attitude of humility, it removes tension, lowers the affective filter, and creates intentional partnerships. This sense of humility is empowering because it’s what allows us to learn from each other. And we know that collaboration is one of the most powerful forms of professional learning.

•When we get to the point of asking for clarification, or help, we are able to build trust with our coteaching partners. And that relationship leads to reciprocal learning. (@misterjohncox)

•I had to let go of that need to be in control. It’s actually an amazing feeling to know that it’s not me who needs to be the time/behavior management person, it’s both of us! And that is a stress reliever. (@MaestraSchmidt)

•The hardest thing for me to unlearn is taking control of the class when things become complicated. If there is confusion it won’t help for me to give everyone my idea of the instructions without consulting with my coteacher to make sure we’re on the same page. (@RyanWeltISS)

Letting go is healthy for our egos. As teachers, we are creatures of habit and we recognize that routines can be important for our students. However, that doesn’t mean our classrooms or our teaching practices should look the same as they did ten years ago. One classic yoga message is to let go of what does not serve you anymore. Yoga and coteaching both invite us to deeply reflect on what does or does not work in our professional lives.

References

Bryk, A. S., and Schneider, B. (2003). “Trust in Schools: A core resource for school reform.” Educational Leadership, 60(6), 40–45.

Dove, M. G., and Honigsfeld, A. (2018). Coteaching for English Learners: A Guide to Collaborative Planning, Instruction, Assessment, and Reflection. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Hattie, J. (2012). Visible Learning for Teachers. New York, NY: Routledge.

Nordmeyer, J. (2015). “Collaboration: Scaffolding student learning and teacher learning.” EARCOS Tri-Annual Journal. East Asia Council of Overseas Schools.

Jon Nordmeyer is the international program director at WIDA, a nonprofit research center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; his research focuses on teacher collaboration and global learning networks. He has taught in international schools in the Netherlands, Taiwan, Turkey, China, and Thailand. Jon can be contacted at [email protected] or @nordmeyerj.

Andrea Honigsfeld is associate dean and professor in the School of Education and Human Services at Molloy College, NY. She is the coauthor of over 20 books, predominantly focusing on collaboration and coteaching for ELs. Andrea can be reached at [email protected] or @andreahonigsfel.

The authors are grateful to all participants of a Twitter #coteachat on November 26, 2019, who contributed to this article, both those who were directly quoted (John Cox: @misterjohncox; Ian Ferguson: @IanFerguson0803; Valentina Gonzalez: @ValentinaESL; Nancy Lopes: @lopescommack; Amelia Neumuller: @MsNeumuller; Brittany Schmidt: @MaestraSchmidt; Ryan Welt @RyanWeltISS) and all who helped catalyze our thinking.

California Federation of Teachers Takes on Billionaires; Aims to Reset Inequity in California

Pile of United States one hundred dollar ($100) bills with selective focus and blurred background

With little new revenue in the budget deal reached between Governor Newsom and the Legislature yesterday, today the California Federation of Teachers (CFT) released a new research brief, “Resetting Inequity in California,” that argues California needs progressive, substantial, and equitable new sources of revenue in place of potential school cuts that may make it all but impossible to safely reopen schools in the fall.

“California’s CEO’s and billionaires continue to amass staggering amounts of wealth as everyday Californians suffer through the pandemic and its economic fallout. This week’s budget agreement doesn’t ask for a penny more from the ultra-rich, yet asks our schools and students to do the miraculous — get back to ‘normal’ without the funding we need to keep students and school staff safe,” said CFT President Jeff Freitas. “Instead of accepting potential cuts that might devastate our schools and our communities, shouldn’t we instead ask those who are profiting the most during the COVID-19 pandemic to invest in our state’s recovery?” 

The report outlines criteria legislators should use to evaluate revenue options and identifies several that meet CFT’s threshold of progressive, substantial, and equitable revenues. The paper also clearly calls state leaders to action to ensure an equitable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic aftermath, saying, “We need Governor Newsom and our legislators to include the mega-profits and accumulated wealth in any budget plan to help our state weather this storm and repair decades of financial damage to our school system. Californians deserve a budget that uses the untapped resources of those who can afford to share their pandemic profits.” 

The working paper catalogues the growing wealth of the billionaire class in California, the state one in four of the nation’s billionaires call home. While ordinary Californians were sheltering in place and struggling to maintain their livelihoods, billionaires were getting richer by the day and accumulated another $141 billion in wealth from March to May of this year.  

Key Findings:

  • 1 in 4 of the country’s billionaires call California home.
  • School funding has not rebounded since the corporate property tax loophole was created in 1978; CA’s per-student spending on instruction ranked 7th in the nation in 1977 and 41st by 2016.
  • The pandemic has been a boon for billionaires around the world, and as ordinary Californians were sheltering in place and losing employment, California’s billionaires were getting wealthier by the day–obtaining $141 billion from March through May of 2020.
  • A net worth tax of 1% on individuals with net worth over $50 million and an additional 0.5% tax on worth over $1 billion would bring roughly $18.5 billion to the state each year.

Free Five-Day Virtual Teaching Academy For K-12 Educators

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Attendees will create a personalized Blueprint for virtual learning to guide plans for the next academic year, including equitable access

The Alliance for Virtual Learning – a coalition of online learning experts spearheaded by University of Phoenix and Blackboard – will host a free Virtual Teaching Academy, June 26 through July 1, 2020 to help educators prepare for success in the upcoming school year. K-12 teachers and school administrators will be given access to expert insights and resources to help build a customized Blueprint for virtual learning at their schools and districts this fall.

“COVID-19 forced K-12 teachers to pivot almost overnight to online learning, and in many cases without support or clear guidance to keep all students engaged and maintain learning continuity,” said University of Phoenix provost John Woods. “As the need for a longer-term approach in the K-12 space became apparent, we knew that we wanted to give back in a way that leverages our extensive expertise, and Blackboard’s, in online teaching and learning. Together we formed the Alliance for Virtual Learning and Virtual Teaching Academy to support K-12 teachers and administrators during this crucial summer planning period to ensure success for the fall.”

The Academy will consist of ten separate webinar sessions with topics ranging from best practices when teaching and learning move home, to providing equitable access to instruction and resources for all students, to serving the needs of special education, gifted and English language learners in a virtual environment, among others. The sessions will be led by education experts from various fields, including:

  • Chandre Sanchez Reyes, executive director, Indiana Connections Academy
  • Michele Eaton, director of Virtual and Blended Learning, MSD of Wayne Township, IN
  • Kelly Herman, VP of Accessibility Equity & Inclusion, University of Phoenix
  • Tracy Broccolino, director of Early Childhood Education at Community Action Council of Howard County

“We are thrilled to convene some of the most innovative education practitioners in partnership with University of Phoenix to support districts and schools as they move beyond a stop-gap approach to remote teaching and evolve their virtual and hybrid learning strategies for the fall and beyond,” said Kathy Vieira, chief strategy, portfolio & marketing officer at Blackboard. “Our hope is that the Virtual Teaching Academy will offer educators and administrators the tools they need to collectively redefine what effective teaching and learning looks like in the post-COVID era.”

Participants will walk away with the insights necessary to build a Blueprint to ensure their schools provide effective instruction as they navigate the inevitable challenges of virtual and hybrid learning in the fall. Additionally, teachers can earn free continuing education and professional development hours, granted by the University of Phoenix College of Education.

To attend, register at https://go.blackboard.com/virtual-teaching-academy

Arabic Literary Prize Submissions Open

The Sheikh Zayed Book Award is now open for submissions. The award has a reputation for highlighting the most exciting, and often the most challenging work from and about the Arab world.

Each winner receives prize money of 750,000 UAE dirhams ($204,000 USD) to both recognize and further enable their creative and cultural achievements.

Writers, translators, academics, and publishers from around the world are awarded for their exceptional contributions to advancing Arabic literature and culture.

Winning the award has enabled writers and organizations to expand and develop their projects, including 2020 winner Banipal magazine, who have put the prize money into funding their network of writers, translators, editors and printers and promoting the magazine to reach new audiences.

Authors, publishers, and translators of any nationality can make submissions, which are welcomed from all countries in Arabic and other languages. To register and submit online, visit the SZBA submissions website register.zayed award.ae.

Submissions are open across nine categories, representing the range and breadth of Arab culture:

  • Literature (including both fiction and poetry)
  • Young Author (for writers under the age of 40)
  • Children’s Literature
  • Cultural Personality of the Year
  • Publishing and Technology
  • Arabic Culture in Other Languages
  • Translation – either to or from Arabic
  • Literary and Art Criticism
  • Contribution to the Development of Nations

More information about individual categories is available on the Sheikh Zayed Book Award website.

Taking English Learning Online

Instructional strategies that have proven effective in improving English language learner (ELL) achievement include providing ELLs with intentionally planned vocabulary instruction; using gestures, visual cues, or realia; providing opportunities to practice using language; activating prior knowledge; and linking content to language instruction (Calderón et al., 2011; Facella et al., 2005; Gersten and Baker, 2000; Haynes and Zacarian, 2010; Lake and Pappamihiel, 2003). However, with the COVID-19 crisis, many educators are converting their face-to-face pedagogies into remote-learning pedagogies. Differentiating instruction to meet the diverse learning needs of ELLs can be difficult even in the best educational scenarios. In fact, several studies indicate that in spite of the growing numbers of ELLs across the country—and extensive research in effective strategies for their instruction—many teachers feel unprepared to teach them and indicate a need for effective and relevant professional development (Batt, 2008; Elfers and Stritikus, 2014; Molle, 2013). As the complexity and urgency of this task increase, how might we adapt our face-to-face instructional routines and strategies to work within remote-learning/online platforms to support the needs of ELLs? Extensive research has been dedicated to exploring this question (Hanson-Smith and Rillings, 2007; Li and Swanson, 2014). Below is a small sampling of research-based instructional strategies that are effective in promoting language acquisition for ELLs and can be operationalized into a remote-learning format. Not all the relevant research is represented in this article; however, the intent is to launch discourse and reflection around how we can support our ELLs in this time of transition to remote- or online-learning environments.

Vocabulary Instruction

Research on vocabulary instruction for ELLs consistently shows the need for intentionality within the pedagogical design. Further, research supports that implementation of evidence-based strategies within the language pedagogy of teachers of ELLs will promote language acquisition. Effective vocabulary instruction requires teachers to be explicit about teaching the structural analysis of words and morphemes—that is, parts of words (Calderón et al., 2011; Cardenas-Hagan, 2015; Short and Echevarria, 2005).

Along with dissecting words into parts, teachers should promote the use of the students’ native languages and encourage the use of cognates for students to identify and define the words they are using (Cardenas-Hagan, 2015). Further, ELLs should be exposed to words of varying complexities and from diverse lexicons—these can be words from what Beck, McKeown, and Kucan (2013) define as multiple tiers. Finally, vocabulary should be offered multiple times within the context of student learning (Beck, McKeown, and Kucan, 2013; Wessels, 2011) to build a vocabulary base.

Incorporating Technology

The accessibility of mobile phone technology and its associated applications have made technological learning resources more accessible for those who have access to them. For example, a study by Kohnke et al. (2019) illustrated that the use of mobile applications supported the knowledge and retention of business vocabulary—a specific lexicon. This is of particular interest for content-specific teachers who employ the unique lexicons of the subject matters that they teach. This knowledge provides us with an opportunity to explore mobile applications such as word games and flash-card builders to support vocabulary learning given as an asynchronous assignment. Additionally, if key vocabulary is presented to students asynchronously, they can use an online translator or application to help understanding using the support of their first languages.

Use of Visual Cues, Gestures, and Realia

To further promote contextualization of language, research points to the use of visual cues, gestures, and realia as effective in supporting language acquisition for ELLs. For example, this includes the use of visual cues such as pictures, gestures, and realia in pedagogy to help students contextualize words and facilitate language development and engagement (Facella et al., 2005; Gersten and Baker, 2000; Slavin and Cheung, 2005; Walqui, 2006).

Incorporating Technology

Li (2013) suggests using visual aids to assist students with meaning making. The research states that “the use of visual aids functions especially well when a piece of text cannot convey a concept” (Li, 2013). In a remote-learning environment, an instructor can embed digital images and pictures of realia within online lectures (via slides or links).

Further, synchronous online-learning classrooms provide an opportunity for the instructor to use physical gestures on screen—taking full advantage of the students’ focus and attention in this environment.

Opportunities to Practice Using Language

Engagement with the language includes the use of English in conversations about the new learning. Several studies support teachers providing intentionally planned opportunities for ELLs to practice new language in the classroom (Cardenas-Hagan, 2015; Facella et al., 2005; Gersten and Baker, 2000; Short and Echevarria, 2005). This includes structuring conversations for students to practice with peers and/or in small groups (i.e., reciprocal teaching or cooperative learning groups) to use the new language to make meaning of what is being taught (Cadeiro-Kaplan et al., 2011; Gersten and Baker, 2000; Walqui, 2006).

Incorporating Technology

One example in Wu et al. (2017) describes how students used mobile messaging applications to engage in oral-language practice activities. “Technology, with distinctive features such as mobility, reachability, personalization, spontaneity, and ubiquity, is widely used to facilitate language teaching and learning.” In particular, “incorporating mobile devices appropriately can ‘have the potential to revolutionize the way we work and learn’” (Peters, 2007 in Wu et al., 2017).

This could include asking students to use audio-recording applications, video-recording applications, or screen-cast technologies to narrate slide presentations(i.e., PowerPoint, Keynote, etc.). These files may then be uploaded to a learning management system or shared during online instruction by the student or instructor.Additionally, creating break-out sessions and opportunities for small groups to discuss and make meaning of the content being taught will support ELLs within the online-learning environment.

Activating Prior Knowledge

Literature on language acquisition encourages building on ELLs’ prior knowledge to promote language development. Specifically, research recommends that teachers ask questions or elicit discussion, use pictures or videos, act out or demonstrate concepts, or provide anticipatory guides to help students activate prior knowledge (Harper and de Jong, 2004; Haynes and Zacarian, 2010; Short and Echevarria, 2005; Walqui, 2006). Embedding these specific strategies into lessons will promote meaning making of concepts for ELLs as they approach deeper learning of content.

Incorporating Technology

Technology provides several media through which to activate prior knowledge and deepen understanding for ELLs. “Technology is a convenient tool to increase comprehensible input and helps incorporate the above-mentioned strategies to provide the demonstration of the concrete examples of concepts” (Dukes, 2005 as cited in Li, 2013).

For instance, providing advanced access to various forms of multimedia can help students to preview the content within a meaningful context (Dukes, 2005 as cited in Li, 2013).

Linking Language Learning to Content

Harper and de Jong (2004) argue that a reductive approach to the effective teaching of ELLs that defines it as “just good teaching” fails to address the specific language demands of the content areas. In the content-area classroom, ELLs are completing two tasks—the learning of the content and the learning of the language of that content. Research concedes that this is challenging but argues that this is possible for ELLs (Gersten and Baker, 2000). Further, research supports linking language with content to promote learning of content while building academic language (Short and Echevarria, 2005). This includes having content-area teachers surface the language demands of their content and embed language objectives into their daily content-area pedagogy.

Incorporating Technology

A study by Ustunel and Tokel (2017) examined student learning that was scaffolded with technology. Specifically, teachers provided students with sentence starters within an online environment. They reported that students “were more focused [in their writing] with sentence starters.” Further, students “benefited from the use of hints, sentence starters, and question prompts, which led the students to develop their ability to construct… more sophisticated arguments.”

One way to operationalize this is to provide key language demands of each lesson to students ahead of time. In a remote- or online-learning environment this may include intentionally embedding sentence frames or sentence starters into the lesson and surfacing the relationship between language use and content within the context of the learning. An instructor can provide the language that students need to know and use in the form of sentence starters or sentence frames via the chat box of the online-teaching platform to guide student oral-language practice. In a study of the use of discussion boards in an asynchronous learning environment by Ringler et al. (2015), qualitative data illustrated that “students and instructors felt the Discussion Boards were integral to the learning process in an online environment.”

To help student writing in the content area, an instructor can provide sentence starters or frames via a class discussion board. This will promote student participation with language and content asynchronously. The intent of this article is to stimulate discourse and reflection around how we can support our ELLs in this new learning environment. As educators move forward to meet this new opportunity head on in the face of this crisis, we have a responsibility to all of our students.

Visit www.languagemagazine.com/zuniga-references/ to view references and tables for this article.

Dr. Armando T. Zúñiga is the faculty director of English language learning, director of the Writing Center, and assistant professor at Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, California. He also consults with school districts to support ELD programs and instruction. He earned his doctorate from the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California (USC).

Reflections in the Water

Occasionally, I’ll wear a long red-and-black huipil that was made for me a few years ago while I was teaching in Mexico. Every time I put it on, its bold colors and unusual style attract attention and spark the curiosity of my students and colleagues. With every wear, I look forward to telling the stories behind my huipil and about the colorful community of people that it represents.

For the past few summers, I’ve had the opportunity to travel to the small mountainous town of Xochistlahuaca (soh-chees-tlah-WAH-kah), Mexico, where I’ve participated and presented in professional development workshops with local teachers.

Xochistlahuaca is a small town in the state of Guerrero in southern Mexico, where the majority of people are Amuzgo, an Indigenous group that has maintained many pre-Hispanic aspects of their culture, including language and dress. The native language is Amuzgo, or Ñomndaa, as the people call it. It means “water language” or “words of water.”

Water is a reemerging theme in Xochistlahuaca. There is a stream running through the town and waterfalls and natural swimming holes nearby where the local children wade in the summertime. When it rains in Xochistlahuaca, it pours, giving the tropical plants and rich soil the moisture they need to grow the juicy mangos and other fruits and vegetables that thrive there. Xochistlahuaca is a natural paradise.

Since 2010, the schools in Xochistlahuaca and in the surrounding towns have been developing a dual-language immersion program that is unique to Mexico. The project is called Proyecto Guerrero 50/50. Before implementation of the project, the local schools provided most academic instruction in Spanish and used Amuzgo, the majority mother-tongue language, solely in the primary grades or as an occasional tool to aid comprehension.

Seeking ways to boost student achievement in their schools and to revitalize the language and culture of the Amuzgo community, the teachers chose to model their bilingual program after the research-based models of dual immersion that are used in many schools in the U.S. Characteristic of dual-immersion programs, students in Xochistlahuaca now learn academic content in two languages and the goal for all students is bilingualism and biculturalism. Students spend half of their day learning in Spanish and the other half of the day fully immersed in the Amuzgo language. Each language is given the same amount of attention and value.

With the support of INALI (National Institute of Indigenous Languages) and other local resources, the coordinator of the project, Dr. Joan Feltes, has organized professional development workshops for the past eight summers to support the local teachers in their pursuit of a successful dual-immersion program.

I was among the group of experienced dual-immersion teachers to travel to Xochistlahuaca for the summer workshop. We spent two weeks in the town and at the local school, sharing our passion for language learning with over 100 teachers from the 21 participating elementary schools in the project.

Every year there is a different theme. One year, the theme for the workshop was “Caring for the Environment.” We prepared and taught science lessons to the local students in Spanish while modeling Be GLAD (Guided Language Acquisition Design) strategies and other best teaching practices. The local teachers sat around the classroom, “fishbowl” style, and observed the lessons. After each lesson, the local teachers had the opportunity to reflect on what they had seen, ask questions, and discuss implications for their own teaching practice. We provided different ways to build background at the beginning of a lesson or unit, strategies to encourage participation and interaction among all students, and tips for making academic content more comprehensible.

With limited access to the internet and school supplies, we prepared our science lessons using materials that could be found in nature or in the streets. My second-grade students conducted an evaporation experiment utilizing water from the nearby stream and empty plastic bottles that were left on the sidewalk. Another class created their own water filters and explored the positive impact that trees have on water quality.

At the end of the two weeks, we were showered with hugs and handmade gifts as we said our farewells to the community. Both teachers and students thanked us for taking the time to visit and reminding us that their casa would always be our casa, too. As we drove away from Xochistlahuaca, I flipped through the journal that I had kept while I was there. It was filled with excited scribbles of notes and thoughtful reflections about what I had observed and experienced both in and out of the classroom.

While the gifts are dear souvenirs that will always remind me of the warm and colorful Amuzgo people, it is the exchange of conversations about teaching and learning that are invaluable. We tell our students all of the time that the best way to learn something is to teach it to others. Sharing my favorite teaching strategies with other educators has given me more understanding and confidence in my own classroom. Having other teachers observe my teaching and being open to suggestions and modifications gives me a different perspective on my practice and provides opportunity to reflect and improve.

While I was in Xochistlahuaca, I learned a few words in Ñomndaa, the language of the water. One of the words that I will never forget is quialua’, which means “thank you.”

Christine D’Aquanni is a Be GLAD® certified key trainer and an international educator with over 15 years of experience and dedication to raising the quality of education for all students. She holds a Master of Arts in Education with a specialization in dual-language development.

Supreme Court Allows Dreaming to Continue

Serious young woman gazes out train car window while using public transportation to reach her destination.

The U.S. Supreme Court has blocked the federal administration’s attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which protects hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the U.S. as children from deportation, including as many as 20,000 teachers (many of whom are much needed bilingual educators) and the parents of more than a quarter of a million U.S.-born children.

The Court says that the program should be reset to its original 2012 mandate and must accept new applications.

When President Trump tried to end the program in 2017, a slew of litigants led by the University of California sued to protect it, winning several decisions in lower courts  which were appealed to the Supreme Court, where they were consolidated.

Written by Chief Justice John Roberts, joined by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elena Kagan, Stephen Breyer, and Sonia Sotomayor, the 5-4 ruling found that the decision to end DACA was “arbitrary and capricious,” explaining that the administration had failed to supply an adequate reason to justify ending the program. “We do not decide whether DACA or its rescission are sound policies,” wrote Roberts. “‘The wisdom’ of those decisions ‘is none of our concern.’ We address only whether the agency complied with the procedural requirement that it provide a reasoned explanation for its action.”

In response to the news, the Center for the Transformation of Schools UCLA (@ctschoolsucla) tweeted, “The Supreme Court votes to uphold #DACA, protecting hundreds of thousands from deportation. This is a monumental win-albeit a temporary one-for the estimated 83,000 #undocumented college students and 4,000 teachers across CA.”

In his first reaction, President Trump retweeted a tweet featuring Justice Clarence Thomas’ dissent, stating that the decision was “an effort to avoid a politically controversial but legally correct decision.”

According to the Center for American Progress analysis, nearly 256,000 U.S.-born, and thus U.S.-citizen, children have at least one parent who is a DACA recipient. Across the country, 1.5 million individuals live with a DACA recipient.

Neera Tanden, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement, “Every day for the past several months, 29,000 health care workers and more than 200,000 workers in critical infrastructure roles have relied upon the protections of DACA to continue going to work at great personal risk to support the country that is their home. The challenges have only become greater in recent weeks, as the country has confronted once more the painful reality that Black and brown lives are too easily disregarded by systems of oppression. Enough is enough. The Trump administration must immediately end its attacks on DACA and DACA recipients and reopen the initiative to accept new applications from qualifying immigrant youth. In finding the rescission of DACA to be arbitrary and capricious, the court confirmed what we’ve known for years: that the Trump administration put its policy aims above following the law.”

“Americans today demand change that produces equitable outcomes and lives up to the best ideals of this nation. It is now up to the Senate to provide a permanent solution for Dreamers and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders and pass the American Dream and Promise Act, or H.R. 6. This is a time for all Americans to come together, because it will take every single one of us to safely and successfully defeat the coronavirus pandemic; to help rebuild the American economy by creating small businesses, revitalizing our communities, and investing in the country’s future; and to finally realize the promise of America. The Senate must not abdicate its responsibility; they must act swiftly and put people first. Putting Dreamers and TPS holders on a path to citizenship.”

The administration may try again to end the program with a different explanation, but it seems unlikely to act soon against an increasingly popular policy with the presidential election looming.

ILA Hosts Virtual Town Hall on Anti-Racism

The International Literacy Association (ILA), in partnership with Kwame Alexander, award-winning children’s book author and founding editor of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt imprint Versify, announced today “How to Raise and Teach Anti-Racist Kids,” a Facebook Live event starting at 7:00 p.m. ET this Thursday, June 18.

The free event is a follow-up to June 4’s overwhelmingly successful KidLit Rally for Black Lives, hosted by advocacy group The Brown Bookshelf. Alexander, a frequent ILA conference keynoter, organized the rally with fellow authors Jacqueline Woodson and Jason Reynolds in less than 48 hours—a “roll of thunder” call to action in response to the killing of George Floyd in late May.

“Teachers and parents must educate and empower students to imagine a better world,” said Alexander. “For that to happen in the classroom and at home, they’ve got to be better prepared. The rally, this town hall, are all small efforts to get them ready for this paramount work.”  

“How to Raise and Teach Anti-Racist Kids” is a perfect example of “the work we [at ILA] should be doing,” said ILA Vice President of the Board Dr. Stephen G. Peters, who will deliver opening remarks.

“ILA is an anti-racist organization that stands for justice and equality,” Peters asserted in a joint statement issued by ILA leadership earlier this month.

The first half of the event will be a panel discussion hosted by Kwame Alexander.Featured guests are as follows:
• Cornelius Minor, author of We Got This: Equity, Access, and the Quest to Be Who Our Students Need Us to Be
• Tiffany M. Jewell, author of This Book Is Anti-Racist
• Pam Allyn, global literacy expert and coauthor (with Ernest Morrell) of Every Child a Super Reader
• Noni Thomas López, head of school at The Gordon School in Providence, RI
• Karyn Parsons, author and founder of Sweet BlackberryStephen G. Peters, vice president of the ILA Board of Directors, will deliver opening remarks.A live Q&A will follow the panel discussion.

WHAT: How to Raise and Teach Anti-Racist Kids
WHEN: Thursday, June 18, 7:00 p.m.–8:30 p.m. ET
WHERE:https://www.facebook.com/InternationalLiteracyAssociation/
HASHTAGS: #KidLit4BlackLives; #ILAequity

Parental Guidance Required

The unexpected transition to remote learning brought on by COVID-19 has led to a newfound respect amid both parents and teachers. Between teachers scurrying to prepare virtual lesson plans and curriculums and parents juggling multiple children, jobs, and housework, each party has their own set of challenges that they’ve had to overcome.

Parents are now stepping into a new, unfamiliar role of being more present in day-to-day education; technology has been a major factor in facilitating distance learning and keeping teachers, students, and parents connected during this unprecedented time. Some might even argue that this new normal has forged closer and stronger relationships between teachers and families, allowing them to connect more frequently than they normally would.

In the last few months, parents have had to lean on teachers to provide them with the tools and tips they need to succeed with learning at home. Digital communication platforms can be a huge help in streamlining communication and sharing announcements and instructions between teachers and parents. Through personalized tools, constant correspondence, and increased accessibility, teachers can help make this transition as seamless as possible for parents.

Set Easy-To-Follow Directions

Online learning can be flexible and enriching for students, but just like in a traditional classroom, both students and parents need a set of routines and procedures. Predictability is extremely important. Teachers should be creating weekly schedules to keep parents informed on what needs to be completed for the week ahead. Sharing this on a Monday via their preferred communication tool can ensure that they have something to reference daily throughout the week to stay ahead of the game.

It’s also important for teachers to easily link to all key resources that parents might need to help their children complete assignments. Having everything hyperlinked in one place can make it easier for parents to quickly access important information, videos, and worksheets and give them the tools to communicate instructions to their children effectively.

Utilize Resources to Support Parents

Parents are juggling multiple responsibilities on a day-to-day basis, which can make it difficult for them to stay as engaged as possible during this time. Utilizing the resources from digital communication tools and modern technology can make all the difference. Setting up weekly/monthly office hours is a great way to maintain regular communication with parents and students. Taking it a step further and allowing parents to select times that work with their schedules is even better. Tools like ClassTag allow parents to schedule conferences virtually within timeframes that work for them.

Virtual conferences are a wonderful opportunity for teachers to review their students’ transitions into distance learning. Teachers can use this time to address what concerns they may have and outline an action plan. This allows teachers and parents to collaborate on common goals and then outline the steps that each party should take to achieve these goals during this time.

Another helpful tip is to discuss with parents what their preferred point of communication is (i.e., email, text, app, etc.). Establishing which form of technology they use most can make it easier and more efficient to communicate important information and/or announcements. If teachers have the ability, they can even give each family a call to make it more personal. Taking the time to share what parents can expect their children’s learning to look like during this period can go a long way.

Build Relationships and Make It Fun

In practice, this new environment encourages the building of deeper relationships with students, because of the opportunity to interact one on one with students and their families. Beyond using respective learning tools traditionally, there are numerous exciting and fun opportunities that teachers can set up for parents and their children to learn. Virtual experiences, like field trips, truly bring the interactive learning experience of going to a museum or visiting with wildlife right to the virtual classroom. Teachers can share links to online tours and videos from national landmarks like the Smithsonian, the San Diego Zoo, the National Aquarium, and more.

Teachers can also take this a step further by designing a “family-created school museum.” This can be a great way to get parents involved by helping their children curate interesting objects, family heirlooms, etc. to present to their virtual classroom either through video presentations, vlogs, or even podcasts.

Another fun idea is to host monthly spirit days when both parents and students can take a break from the day-to-day monotony of sweatshirts and business-casual attire. Crazy hair day, sports team spirit, and mismatch days can all happen remotely. Teachers can help parents plan ahead by scheduling spirit days in advance so that parents get reminders ahead of time and on the day of the event.

Moving to the virtual classroom can seem overwhelming, but teachers can use this time as a golden opportunity to forge relationships outside of the traditional classroom by showing parents that they are available to help. Through simple and clear weekly instructions, virtual accessibility, and creative activities, parents can get through this transition with ease and develop more meaningful relationships with teachers in the process.

Vlada Lotkina is the co-founder and CEO of ClassTag, a free communication platform for schools that’s designed to fuel and inspire parent engagement, used by over 25 schools and two million parents and teachers across the U.S.

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