Thank you for your support of this campaign. We collected a lot of useful items. If you still have items to donate, please contact Pangjua Xiong at 767-8320.
You
may also contact Morrison (651) 332-4895 or Wilfred (651) 214-4460 at
KaRen Community of Minnesota to set up a time to pick up
items.
LCD Family Night Celebration
Dear LCD bilingual educational assistants and LCD contact teachers,
Thank you all who were able to attend the LCD Family Night Celebration last Friday at Bridge View School. Special thanks to William Burington, Principal at Bridge View, LCD bilingual educational assistants, LCD contact teachers, and ELL district staff who helped us in promoting this event.
Once again, we are very happy over the huge response from our Latino families. The final attendance was 253 people.
Dyscalculia?
Often referred to as dyscalculia, math-related learning disabilities
are complex and require intervention by skillful teachers to help
students achieve success. LD Online has gathered informative resources here for
both parents and educators regarding learning disabilities in the area
of mathematics.
Where can your school, library, or community group find free or low-cost books for kids? There are a number of national organizations and programs that can help!
The Reading Rockets websites suggests the following options and more. We didn't include all of the information - so be sure to check out the website to seel all the ideas.
Following up on the suggestions above on sources for books, here are two of several examples from the MN Humanities Council "Grants" Website. One focuses on books, the other on language.
Book
Grants are grants that provide quality children's literature
books for use in educational and literacy settings. Currently book
grants are available from books produced as part of the Humanities
Center's Somali Book Project and Hmong Translation Initiative. Read
the guidelines,
or contact Kathleen
Moriarty for more information about these grants.
NEW!
Indigenous Language and Culture Grants
support the efforts of indigenous language programs in Minnesota.
Read the guidelines,
or contact Kathleen
Moriarty for more information about these grants.
Storyline Online
The Screen Actors Guild Foundation is proud to bring you Storyline Online, an on-line streaming video program featuring SAG members reading children's books aloud! Each book includes accompanying activities and lesson ideas to download. http://www.storylineonline.net/
MCA II Math Training (Grades 7-12)
There will be a training for ELL and Math teachers regarding the MCA II Math Test. Please register on pdexpress for the session scheduled for January 15, 2008 from 7:30 to 3:00 p.m.
Los Pollitos Dicen...
An example of a resource you might consider on Youtube....
Immersion Education for the Millenium: What we have learned from 30 Years of Research on Second Language Acquistion by Jim Cummins
The term "immersion education" came to prominence in Canada during
the 1960s to describe innovative programs in which the French language was used
as a medium of instruction for elementary school students whose home language
was English. However, as Johnson and Swain (1997) point out, there is nothing
new in the phenomenon of "immersing" students in a second language
(L2) instructional environment. In fact, throughout the history of formal
education the use of an L2 as a medium of instruction has been the rule rather
than the exception. The Canadian French immersion programs, however, were the
first to be subjected to intensive long-term research evaluation, although some
large-scale research had been undertaken in other contexts prior to the Canadian
experience (e.g. Macnamara, 1966; Malherbe, 1946).
The Rethinking Schools Bilingual Resources page provides a variety of resources on Bilingual Education from authors such as James Crawford and Stephen Krashen.
ESL and Bilingual Program
Models - Factors in
Selection
Children from families in which English is not the
language of the home represent a rapidly increasing percentage of
students enrolled in U.S. schools. Language minority students can be
found in schools across the country, not just those in large cities or
in areas near the U.S.-Mexican border. All schools must be prepared to
meet the challenge of an increasingly diverse student population,
including many students who are not proficient in
English.
Characteristics of an Effective
Program
Researchers have identified a number of
attributes that are characteristic of effective programs for language
minority students.
High expectations for language minority
students, as evidenced by active learning environments that are
academically challenging (Collier, 1992; Lucas, Henze, &
Donato, 1990; Pease-Alvarez, Garcia, & Espinosa,
1991).
Intensive staff development programs
designed to assist ALL teachers (not just ESL or bilingual education
teachers) in providing effective instruction to language minority
students (Lucas, Henze, & Donato, 1990; Tikunoff et al.,
1991).
Expert instructional leaders and teachers
(Lucas, Henze, and Donato, 1990; Pease-Alvarez, Garcia, &
Espinosa, 1991; Tikunoff et al., 1991).
Emphasis on
functional communication between teacher and students and among fellow
students (Garcia, 1991).
Organization of the
instruction of basic skills and academic content around thematic units
(Garcia, 1991).
Frequent student interaction
through the use of collaborative learning techniques (Garcia,
1991).
Teachers with a high commitment to the
educational success of all their students (Garcia,
1991).
Principals supportive of their instructional
staff and of teacher autonomy while maintaining an awareness of
district policies on curriculum and academic accountability (Garcia,
1991).
Involvement of majority and minority parents
in formal parent support activities (Garcia,
1991).
StoryLine
is a phone system that children can call at any time (24/7) and listen
to a story for free*. The stories are planned with an over-riding
monthly theme (i.e. the theme for December is "Creation Myths")—a new
story starts every Sunday by noon and runs for one week. All of the
stories are read by local performing artists. Each month we publish a
flyer with the stories to be read aloud and a list of 20 or so
additional titles for that theme. To receive the monthly flyer by
e-mail, e-mail us at flyer@StoryLineMN.org
The
goal is to increase literacy by making stories always accessible and
making literature enjoyable. The U.S. Commission on Reading report
“Becoming a Nation of Readers” states that “…reading aloud to children
is the single most important activity for building the knowledge
required for eventual success in reading,” which is linked to success
in school. StoryLine is another way for children to get that
all-important 20 minutes a day of reading. And it is simple enough
for a child to access independently.
StoryLine is really very simple--just three easy steps:
Pick-up the phone
Dial 952-352-1350
Listen to a local Minnesota actor reading a wonderful children's book.
Give it a try! Call now - 952.352.1350
*The
program itself is free. Long distance charges may apply depending on
your carrier. The program runs out of the St. Paul/Minneapolis metro
area.
Minnesota Humanities Council Website
The MN Humanities offers a variety of professional development opportunities that are very highly rated. Check out these ideas and talk to your school professional development teams for consideration.
Reading Aloud Workshop
Saturday, Jan. 12, 2008, 10:00 a.m. - noon OR
Tuesday, April 22, 2008, 6:00-8:00 p.m. Minnesota
Humanities Center, St. Paul
This short,
interactive workshop provides a broad, general overview of reading
aloud to children. Suggested participants in this program include
child care providers, paraprofessional staff, bilingual staff, parents,
volunteers and any other individuals interested in gaining basic
knowledge about reading aloud to groups of children.
Workshop topics
include:
Benefits
of reading aloud
Reading and
early brain development
Language
and vocabulary development
Components
of holistic literacy
Different
types of books for reading aloud
Tips for
reading aloud
Book/story
related activities
Discussion
questions with reading aloud
Tom Fitzpatrick,
who directs the Humanities Center's Community Programs, will conduct
this workshop. Attendees will receive a variety of materials related
to reading aloud, and will also have opportunities to view a diverse
assortment of children's picture books and other resources.
The
Geography of the Neighborhood: Canada and the U.S.
Monday-Tuesday,
Jan. 14-15, 2008
Monday, 10:00 a.m -5:00 p.m.; Tuesday, 8:30 a.m -3:30 p.m. Minnesota Humanities Center,
St. Paul
Help
your students dispel misconceptions about Canada, our northern neighbor,
while enhancing lessons in geography, history, and economics. Teachers
will learn how a study of Canada can help students better understand
global issues such as climate change, environmental conservation
and sustainability, and multiculturalism, including a comparison
of Canada-U.S. policies regarding indigenous people and immigration.
A land border
of 3,145 miles, 547 of which are in Minnesota, links Canada and
the United States through physical geography; however, the countries
are also linked by centuries of history and trade. Geared toward
elementary and middle school teachers (grades 3-8), this seminar
will focus on the geography and culture of Canada in addition to
Canada’s many and varied relationships with the U.S. and Minnesota.
To frame the seminar, participants will explore the concept of drawing
borders as well as current border issues between the two countries.
The seminar will continue with an examination of the impact and
importance of trade between the U.S. and Canada, which includes
everything from agricultural products to energy, and the issues
in the bilateral relationship.
This seminar
is made possible by the generous support of the Consulate General
of Canada and is co-sponsored by the Minnesota Alliance for Geographic
Education. Presenters will include representatives from the Consulate
General of Canada, area educators with ideas for incorporating information
about Canada into the classroom, and guest presenter Dr. Nadine
Fabbi, Assistant Director of the University of Washington’s
Canadian Studies Center.
Fee:
$145. Includes materials, continental breakfasts, lunches, and overnight
accommodations, with preference given to those traveling from Greater
Minnesota. Register
now!
Sheeko
Wadaag/Sharing Stories: From Home Language to School Literacy with
Somali Families
Tuesday, February
5, 2008
8:30 a.m.-4:30
p.m. Minnesota
Humanities Center, St. Paul
This
workshop has been designed especially for professionals who are
working with Somali parents who are not yet literate in Somali and/or
English to will improve their support of preliterate Somali families.
Participants will learn about the Somali oral storytelling tradition;
examine techniques for working with preliterate and low-literate
adult students; discover research- and practice-based suggestions
about how to work together with preliterate parents to support the
emergent literacy skills of their children; and will explore resources
for building language, story, and book skills with families. The
workshop connects educators to existing language development resources
and enhances educators' knowledge of oral traditions and the connections
between language and culture.
Presenters include:
Said Salah Ahmed, Minneapolis Public Schools; Marian Hassan, Kathy
Klumb, and Patsy Vinogradov, educational consultants; and Kathleen
Moriarty, Minnesota Humanities Center.
Fee:
$85. Includes materials, continental breakfast and lunch. Register
now!
Teaching About the Geography and Cultures of Asia in the Middle
Grades
Thursday and
Friday, Feb. 21-22, 2008
Thursday, 10:00 a.m -5:00 p.m.; Friday, 8:30 a.m -3:30 p.m. Minnesota Humanities Center,
St. Paul
Asia
is home to a wide array of cultures, languages, and traditions
as well as modern-day challenges. This multi-disciplinary and
interactive seminar will provide an overview of Asia's geographic
regions and highlight some of the many themes that will allow
educators to explore a wide variety of countries and regions
of Asia with their students. Using a comparative approach,
participants will examine such geographic concepts as urbanization and
its affects on cities such as Singapore and Hong Kong;
rural vs. urban life, contrasting communities within China; globalization
and the world economy, particularly the impact of white-collar
industries in India and South Korean trade with the rest of the
world; the issues of high population density in Japan as compared
to the issues of low population density in Turkmenistan; and environmental
issues in a rainforest-covered country like Indonesia compared to
environmental issues in industrial nations like China. There
will also be a special session about Thailand, Laos, Vietnam,
and Cambodia to learn more about how to integrate Hmong culture
into the classroom. Participants will explore literature, picture
books, maps, music, reading strategies, resources, and classroom
ideas specifically for teaching about Asia in the middle grades,
4th-8th. Lesson plans and interactive web activities from National
Geographic's Geography Action! program, which is focusing on Asia
this year, will help teachers integrate Asian themes into math,
science, reading, as well as social studies lessons throughout the
school year.
Co-sponsored
by the Minnesota Alliance for Geographic Education (MAGE). Presenters
include Dr. David Lanegran, Macalester College, Michelle Leba, Washington
Technology Magnet in St. Paul and Minnesota's Geography Action!
coordinator, and other members of MAGE.
Fee:
$145. Includes materials, continental breakfasts, lunches, and overnight
accommodations, with preference given to those traveling from Greater
Minnesota.Register
now!
Learn another language....
MCA II Math Training (Grades 7-12)
Los Pollitos Dicen...
Storyline
Help
your students dispel misconceptions about Canada, our northern neighbor,
while enhancing lessons in geography, history, and economics. Teachers
will learn how a study of Canada can help students better understand
global issues such as climate change, environmental conservation
and sustainability, and multiculturalism, including a comparison
of Canada-U.S. policies regarding indigenous people and immigration.
This
workshop has been designed especially for professionals who are
working with Somali parents who are not yet literate in Somali and/or
English to will improve their support of preliterate Somali families.
Participants will learn about the Somali oral storytelling tradition;
examine techniques for working with preliterate and low-literate
adult students; discover research- and practice-based suggestions
about how to work together with preliterate parents to support the
emergent literacy skills of their children; and will explore resources
for building language, story, and book skills with families. The
workshop connects educators to existing language development resources
and enhances educators' knowledge of oral traditions and the connections
between language and culture.
Asia
is home to a wide array of cultures, languages, and traditions
as well as modern-day challenges. This multi-disciplinary and
interactive seminar will provide an overview of Asia's geographic
regions and highlight some of the many themes that will allow
educators to explore a wide variety of countries and regions
of Asia with their students. Using a comparative approach,
participants will examine such geographic concepts as urbanization and
its affects on cities such as Singapore and Hong Kong;
rural vs. urban life, contrasting communities within China; globalization
and the world economy, particularly the impact of white-collar
industries in India and South Korean trade with the rest of the
world; the issues of high population density in Japan as compared
to the issues of low population density in Turkmenistan; and environmental
issues in a rainforest-covered country like Indonesia compared to
environmental issues in industrial nations like China. There
will also be a special session about Thailand, Laos, Vietnam,
and Cambodia to learn more about how to integrate Hmong culture
into the classroom. Participants will explore literature, picture
books, maps, music, reading strategies, resources, and classroom
ideas specifically for teaching about Asia in the middle grades,
4th-8th. Lesson plans and interactive web activities from National
Geographic's Geography Action! program, which is focusing on Asia
this year, will help teachers integrate Asian themes into math,
science, reading, as well as social studies lessons throughout the
school year.
