In the news business, we sometimes joke that if we can find three examples of something, it’s a trend. I’ve found three examples of organizations or companies offering short on-line seminars on the education of English-language learners, so I believe I’ve stumbled on a trend for how short-term professional development is being delivered in the field.
On Oct. 10, LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc., is offering a “webinar” for strategies and practical tips for teaching English-language learners. Mary Lou McClosky, a former president of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc., and Maria Enrique, a teacher at Alvin Dunn Elementary School in San Diego, Calif., are the instructors. The webinar is free, but expect a pitch for LeapFrog’s products.
Also on Oct. 10, several members of TESOL are giving a “virtual seminar,” “Is the Emperor Wearing Any Clothes? .... Is ESL Just Good Teaching?” This one costs $25 for members of TESOL and $60 for nonmembers. You have to sign up by 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time this Friday. (For more on TESOL’s virtual seminars, click here.)
Lastly, on Nov. 8, the Center for Research on the Educational Achievement and Teaching of English Language Learners, or CREATE, is providing a “webcast” on making standards-based lessons understandable for ELLs. Jana Echevarria, a professor of education at California State University, Long Beach, will provide the instruction. It’s free.
Whether it was called a webinar, virtual seminar, or webcast, if you’ve signed on to one of these on-line presentations, tell us whether you think the method of delivery worked well.