It’s not hard to see the wonderful metaphor that was embedded in New Year’s Day this year. Turning the page on a new decade, many of us look ahead to 2020 with resolutions, or return to school refreshed after the long holiday break. The particular acuity that is associated with 20/20 vision is apt: seeing things as they are.
This year, WIDA is revisiting and recommitting to our work with the refreshed English Language Development Standards, 2020 Edition. Educators from around the world have provided feedback and input on these powerful new tools to help teachers more clearly see the language that is part of every classroom, in every school. Our social justice lens at WIDA has informed the resources developed to ensure equity for multilingual learners as they navigate academic contexts and supporting families as they cross borders.
WIDA is also launching new professional learning in the coming year. We incorporate yoga metaphors such as flexibility and balance into the Stretching Your Co-teaching workshop, and look closely at the intersection between learning support and EAL as we offer another Silos to Systems workshop with Next Frontier Inclusion. We aspire to bring a lens of reflection to our work, recognizing Proust’s advice that “the true voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands but seeing with new eyes.”
As you look ahead to the coming year with 2020 vision, set your intention to see things clearly. We hope that WIDA will be there with you, providing resources, insights and opportunities to help you along the way.
With gratitude,
Jon Nordmeyer, Director
