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Welcoming New Directors!
At the Annual Meeting on May 7, the MATSOL members elected the following new and returning members to the Board of Directors:
- Jennifer Lancaster
- Melissa Latham Keh
- Allison Rainville
- Mary Clark (renewing term)
- Rhoda Webb (renewing term)
Congratulations to the directors and thank you for your leadership role in MATSOL!
MATSOL News
MATSOL 2015 Conference
Thank you to all our presenters and participants for a great conference!
MATSOL Calendar
View calendar and registration links...
- June 5: Cape & the Islands SIG Meeting
- June 22-27: MATSOL Coaching: Supporting Teachers of English Language Learners in the Math Classroom
- August 3-8: MATSOL Coaching: Integrating SEI into Literacy Coaching
Save the Date!
View MATSOL Professional Learning pages...
- December 3-4, 2015: SLIFE Institute (repeated due to popular demand)
- May 4, 2016: SLIFE Institute (Advanced)
- May 4-6, 2016: MATSOL 2016 Conference
- Summer 2016: SLIFE Training-of-Trainers
In Memoriam: Mary-Margaret Almonte
MATSOL is very saddened to share the news of the death of Mary-Margaret Almonte on May 12, 2015. Mary-Margaret worked in the Malden public schools, and was a long-time and active MATSOL member. In 2011, she received a Linda Schulman Innovation Grant for the project "Children Reading the World," which promoted literacy by having students take photographs of family and community and work in cooperative groups to develop literacy projects. In 2012, she was recognized for her work with ELLs by receiving the MATSOL Teacher of the Year award. She was a valued colleague, teacher, and friend, and contributed to MATSOL and our field in many ways. MATSOL extends our deepest condolences to Mary-Margaret's family, friends, students, and colleagues.
Mary-Margaret founded Healing Hope, a nonprofit organization that donates pharmacy and food-store gift cards to cancer patients. In lieu of flowers, per her wishes, tax-deductible donations will be gratefully accepted. Please write checks to Freedom Hill Community Church, write “Healing Hope donation” on the memo line and mail to 77 Kennedy Dr., Malden, MA 02148. View the obituary for Mary-Margaret Almonte...
Join a MATSOL E-List
Connect with your colleagues online about issues of common interest. E-Lists are open to all current MATSOL members. Join a MATSOL E-List -- See instructions and a video tutorial!
Community News
Language Opportunity Coalition
A hearing on the LOOK Bill and the Seal of Biliteracy bill was held before the Joint Committee on Education on May 12. Over 15 educators, parents, students and advocates testified in favor of the bills, including testimony by Helen Solorzano on behalf of MATSOL. See the MATSOL Advocacy pages and the Language Opportunity Coalition website for more information on the legislation.
Free ESL Materials
Retired teacher has ESL materials - ideal for a new/beginner teacher: posters, MCAS prep lessons, holiday units, professional articles, teacher developed units. Ruth Weinstein: [email protected]/617-484-5357, Belmont.
Links & Resources
NEWSLETTER
TESOL Connections
MATSOL members receive free access to TESOL Connections, TESOL's monthly online newsletter. The latest issue includes articles Gramatically Speaking, Less Is More for ELLs' Common Core Success, and 2015 TESOL Distinguished Researcher: Dr. Yasuko Kanno. Read the latest issue...
Call for Research Proposals
TESOL Research Award
The TESOL International Association Research Agenda seeks to promote spirited inquiry and systematic investigation that will contribute to the knowledge base of the TESOL field. Each award provides up to US$2500 for applicants who are currently working on or would like to start research projects that are aligned with the TESOL Research Agenda. Preference will be given to collaborative research that involves any combination of classroom practitioner, administrator, and/or an outside researcher. Award recipients will required to participate in the TESOL Research Agenda Fair at the Annual TESOL International Convention & English Language Expo in Baltimore, Maryland, 5-8 April 2016, where they will be expected to share preliminary research results. View Call for Proposals..
RESOURCE
English Learner Students with Disabilities
A Report and Video/Presentation is available from the March 2015 panel discussions on English Learner Students with Disabilities. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) and Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) sponsored this one-day program on English Learner Students with Disabilities (ELSWDs), on March 16, 2015, with the assistance of the American Institutes for Research (AIR) and AIR managing researcher Diane August. According to the recently released report on the program, "the purpose of the meeting was to provide an opportunity for experts in the assessment and instruction of ELs with disabilities to present recent research and development efforts in this area, and to discuss key questions related to these topics and needed areas of research.” The archived livestream (video and PowerPoint) of the presentation is now available online; a downloadable version of the PowerPoint will be made available soon.
RESOURCE
Dual Language Learners (DLLs) in U.S. Public Schools
The EdCentral blog from the New America Foundation is running a 10-week series on research, policies, and practices pertaining to the education of dual language learners (DLLs) in U.S. public schools. Posts published so far are: Introducing the Dual Language Learners Reader, Who are Dual Language Learners?, Identifying DLLs, and How Long Does it Take to Learn English?
RESOURCE
A Guide to Pseudo-Science in English Language Teaching
In his talk at the 2014 IATEFL conference, Russell Mayne debunks the "scientific" claims that support using practices based on learning styles, multiple intelligences, and Neuro-Linguisic Programming in language teaching. (Linked through David Harbison's blog) View video...
INFOGRAPHIC
A World of Languages
There are at least 7,102 known languages alive in the world today. Twenty-three of these languages are a mother tongue for more than 50 million people. The 23 languages make up the native tongue of 4.1 billion people. We represent each language within black borders and then provide the numbers of native speakers (in millions) by country. The color of these countries shows how languages have taken root in many different regions. From the South China Morning Post. View Infographic...
RESOURCE
WIDA Focus on Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE)
This bulletin focuses on the needs of students who have limited or interrupted formal education. Because the vast majority of students in this group are enrolled in Grades 6 through 12, we will focus on those grade levels. However, many of the tips and suggestions can be applied in lower grade levels as well. Throughout the bulletin we will explore academic and social-emotional factors that may affect this group of students, examine the benefits of building community partnerships, address how to assess student readiness levels, and offer a checklist of considerations for instructional planning. From WIDA (May 2015). View resource...
View past issues of the MATSOL E-Bulletin online!
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