On Monday October 5, 2015 over 100 educators came together at the Questar III conference center in Castleton, NY to listen and learn about implementing rigorous instruction with English Language Learners (ELLs) in an integrated classroom setting.
Noted experts in the field of ELL instruction, collaboration and co teaching, Andrea Honigsfeld and Maria Dove, offered a wide range of techniques and ideas for co-teaching in ELL settings.
“This just highlights the need and the interest in this topic” said Xrystya Szyjka, Coordinator of the Regional Bilingual Education Resource Network (RBERN). “It is really exciting to see so many educators and administrators in the same room, networking and making connections to their instruction to make the educational experience for our ELLs stronger”.
Participants included teachers and administrators from across the Capital District RBERN region, from the Adirondacks to the Catskills to the Mohawk River Valley. English as New Language (ENL) teachers, ELA teachers, Reading, High School content area, data coaches and other trainers/specialists represented a diverse audience all with the same goal: to learn how to provide common core aligned instruction in a collaborative environment for English Language Learners.
Drawing on their years of collaborating together, conducting research and training thousands of educators nationally and internationally, Dove and Honigsfeld shared information through video clips, stories, material and strategies. For more information or to access their materials or books, you can visit their website http://coteachingforells.weebly.com/index.html or contact the RBERN. Contact information is available on the RBERN website, www.rbern.org.
