This is a book that might be of interest to teachers and program administrators, from the folks at the Center for Applied Linguistics.

Based on a 21st century approach to academic literacy that is aligned with today’s rigorous standards, this resource provides research-based strategies and practical, hands-on tools to help educators develop effective classroom activities. Developing Academic Literacy and Language in the Content Areas focuses on helping English learners develop academic literacy and language skills while also developing content knowledge. The components are described below and include a comprehensive workbook supported by authentic classroom video and two complete unit plans on CD-ROM.  2014

More here.

Here’s another one. This is on Sheltered Instruction, which is how kids in immersion are taught material in the Mandarin.

Learning the SIOP Model

Jennifer Himmel and Julie Mazrum

Published by Center for Applied Linguistics

Learning the SIOP Model is a practical, hands-on tool for educators to learn more about the SIOP Model and how to use it with greater effectiveness. It can be used by those who are new to the SIOP Model and by those who are already familiar with it and are seeking to enhance the effectiveness of their implementation.

Learning the SIOP Model has two components: a DVD with authentic classroom video and a companion viewers guide with information for viewing the video and hands-on resources for use in professional development and in the classroom.

This is College Park Elementary School’s annual Friends of Mandarin Scholars Gala Fundraiser.

Pretty impressive. And I say that not because they invited me to be one of their “special guests” (I’m nowhere near glamorous enough, clearly.) But for a program that’s in a public school and launched only in 2007, they’ve done a tremendous job of raising money to support the program, which is school-wide.

(In answer to someone who posed a question on a previous blog post, I’m happy to come speak at schools that are within driving distance of San Francisco, but anything else would be hard to pull off unless parents wanted to pay for the travel. But  then I’d feel guilty as the money should probably go to your school instead.)

New York City Education Department to Add or Expand 40 Dual-Language Programs

The New York City Education Department plans to expand dual-language programs offered in public schools, using the orchestra of local languages to spread bilingual little symphonies across the five boroughs — and perhaps to attract more middle-class families to poorer schools in the process.

Carmen Fariña, the city’s schools chancellor, announced the plan on Wednesday, saying that citywide, 40 dual-language programs for elementary, middle and high school levels would be created or expanded for the 2015-16 school year.

In each of the programs, which aim to teach students to read, write and speak in two languages, half the students will be English speakers and half will already speak the other language of the classroom. A vast majority of the programs will be in Spanish, but there will also be some in Japanese, Hebrew, Chinese, French and Haitian-Creole.

Please read more here.

Wednesday hearing on Mandarin immersion charter school
by Barbara Wood / Almanac

The public will have another chance to comment about the Mandarin immersion charter school proposed for the Menlo Park City School District when the San Mateo County Board of Education holds a public hearing on Wednesday, Jan. 7. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the San Mateo County Office of Education at 101 Twin Dolphin Drive in Redwood City.

Backers of the proposed Menlo Mandarin Immersion Charter School appealed to the county board following the district’s November decision to deny their petition to start a new charter school within the district.

After a presentation by the board’s attorney, Claire Cunningham, the board will hear a 20-minute presentation from backers of the charter school and then a 20-minute presentation by the school district. After questions from the board, members of the public will be allowed to speak for a maximum of two minutes each.
Please read more here.

Source: Early-Childhood-Education-Degrees.com/