This is a conversation from Season 7, Episode 14 of Ellevation's podcast Highest Aspirations, where we engage in important conversations about the most rapidly growing student demographic in the United States: English Language Learners. We speak with educators and students, researchers and policy makers, and parents and community members about how we can help all students reach their highest aspirations. Subscribe to the show here: [ Ссылка ].
For additional episodes, blog posts and free resources to support those involved in multilingual education, visit our website at [ Ссылка ].
How might growing up as a multilingual learner shape the message that educators communicate to their EL students and families about home language and learning English?
What are some of the most important sources of research on dual language programs and how can they help school leaders and educators shape valuable learning experiences for all students?
What are the three pillars of dual language and what role does each of them play out in high-quality programs?
What challenges do we face in addressing the shortage of bilingual educators and what are some possible solutions?
We discuss these questions and more in part 1 of a 2 part series with Sandra Medrano-Arroyo.
Sandra Medrano-Arroyo presently works at Ellevation Education as the Dual Language Instructional Content Specialist, where she has spearheaded the creation of two new instructional practices specific to the needs of Dual Language programs. In over 23 years in education, she has served the needs of emergent bilinguals and various sub-groups in a number of roles: teacher, academic coordinator, school director, recruiter, instructional specialist, and program planner. Prior to Ellevation, Sandra served as the Manager of Multicultural Education for the 11th largest school district in the US, overseeing the ESOL program for over 34,000 students, including a two-way dual language program that served over 9,000 students. Since 2016, she has also served as a PD Consultant for the National Association for Bilingual Education.
As you’ll hear in our conversation, Sandra has a natural ability to bridge the gap between research and practice by breaking down concepts and findings into bite-sized pieces that educators can use right away, which is one of the many reasons I am happy to have her as colleague at Ellevation and an advocate in the field of multilingual education.
