OELAS LDA Series: Laying the Foundation with Arizona’s Language Development Approach

This is a series of five virtual and synchronous sessions. It is expected that participants will participate in all five sessions in the series.

April 22, 2021 |  SESSION 1

OVERVIEW: This interactive virtual professional learning series will build a strong foundation for practitioners as they navigate through Arizona's shifts in English Language Development, programming, and instruction. It is through the understanding of Arizona's Language Development Approach (LDA) and its 4 Principles, specifically Principle 1 and 4, that teachers will further develop the mindset and increased scope to be responsive and supportive to the needs of our English learners.

April 29, 2021 | SESSION 2

OVERVIEW: This interactive professional learning opportunity will provide educators with a closer look at Principle 1 of Arizona's Language Development Approach (LDA) - Asset-Based Behaviors and Expectations. Principle 1 brings to the forefront that English learner (EL) students bring rich linguistic resources and cultural knowledge with them to the school environment. Through participation in this session, educators will develop a sense of confidence to implement opportunities and supports that ensure culturally and linguistically sustaining practices for EL students.

May 6, 2021 | SESSION 3

OVERVIEW: This interactive professional learning opportunity will provide educators with a closer look at Principle 4 of Arizona’s Language Development Approach (LDA) - Assessment, Monitoring, and Feedback.  Principle 4 highlights the pathways in which educators are able to measure progress of English learner (EL) students’ language and content knowledge throughout the teaching and learning cycle. It also emphasizes the integral role of progress monitoring and feedback from both teacher and students.

May 13, 2021 | SESSION 4

OVERVIEW: This interactive professional learning opportunity will provide educators with a closer look at Principle 2 of Arizona's Language Development Approach (LDA), Integrated Instruction in Disciplinary Language and Content. Principle 2 defines the shared responsibility, of all educators, for designing instruction that integrates language and literacy development with content learning that ensures EL students will develop a sense of voice, confidence, and self-determination as they use content and language in tandem to meet their goals. Through participation in this session, educators will have an understanding how language form and function will ensure English learners have access to engage in grade-level content learning.

May 20, 2021 | SESSION 5

OVERVIEW: This interactive professional learning opportunity will provide educators with a closer look at Principle 3 of Arizona’s Language Development Approach, Targeted and Explicit Language Instruction. Principle 3 highlights the pathways in which educators will deepen their understanding of intentionally planning explicit language instruction driven by the English Language Proficiency Standards. Through participation in this session, educators will discuss the importance of using grade-level disciplinary and rigorous content material to meet the specific language needs of English learners. In doing so, it emphasizes the integral role of content and disciplinary discourse practices as they are woven into specific language instruction. As this is the fifth in in the series, this session will culminate five-session LDA Series of trainings offered by OELAS.