DWM interview LL about Research Connections

DWM: What research have you conducted that contributed most effectively to your practice

?

LL: In my quest to determine what would best support high school ELs in my school district, I interviewed students in 2007. I asked students the following two main questions: If you could change something in the way you are supported in learning English, what would it be and why? What changes would you like to better support your learning of English? For this informal investigation, I visited nine EL classes at the high school level, noted students' responses and my observations, and then recorded short reflections. After all the responses, observations, and reflections were accumulated, I analyzed them.

Overwhelmingly, these older adolescent ELs reported that they wanted teachers to Audemar Piguet Replica Watches front-load their language development for a semester before they focused on academics. These students generally believed that if they could develop their English language proficiencies, then they could learn the subject matter that was being presented in English. And they worried that, at their current rates, they would spend inordinate time in high school trying to earn enough credits to graduate.

This informal research led me to emphasize instruction patterned after the SIOP model. Teaching only language before academics was impractical partly because of time constraints; moreover, research supports the integration of both. This means teaching language through content as well as content through language. So I concentrated on helping teachers provide sheltered, highly scaffolded instruction that gave ELs access to complex content. I increased my focus on helping teachers connect language, literacy, and content during subject matter instruction.

DWM: How do you promote teachers' research?

LL: In 2005 I participated in creating guidelines for our district's Professional Development Unit (PDU). The PDU enables teachers to continue their professional development by conducting their own research. Tear a PDU, teachers (a) select a focus for self-study, [b) conduct the self-study similar to an action research project, (c) present their results, and (d) reflect on their study with special emphases on their big takeaways.

Two authorities have been especially valuable as support teachers' PDU research. Mike Schmoker clarifies for me the value of designing research that focuses on meaningful, informed teamwork; clear measurable goals; and regular collections and analyses of performance data. And Peter Senge (2000) asserted that people benefit from organizations "where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where Cartier Santos Replica collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning how to learn together" (p. 13). In my view, this is best accomplished through self-exploration, self-reflection, and the freedom to make changes that have been shown to benefit students the most in one's classroom.

DWM: Do you have a closing word?

LL: I often say that education is similar to medicine. The medical field is continually evolving as researchers find new practices and treatments. The educational field is continually evolving, too. I believe that educators who continually question the effectiveness of what they are doing in classrooms are the ones who eventually become master teachers. They are the ones who continually look for answers to complex questions through investigation and evaluation. They are the educators who see teaching and learning as a lifelong commitment.

DWM interview LL about Research Connections

By: endeavor19

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