Curricular Considerations: Introduction to Collaborating Around the 2020 Edition

You may click on the timeline spots in the video to skip to the questions listed below.

00:56 1 Presentation 

27:16 2 Is WIDA Español going to be updated to align with the 2020 Edition? 

28:02 3 Do the Can Do Name Charts remain the same in the new framework?    

29:40 4 How does the new framework effect determining ELs proficiency levels? 

30:58 5 Are the Language Expectations and Functions in the 2020 Edition an exhaustive list for each grade level, for each KLU, or are there more?    

33:56 6 Do you recommend this upcoming year be a learning year for the leadership team, first, as opposed to sharing with teachers right away?  

35:31 7 How is the new framework used in relation to different program models? 

37:22 8 If someone is wanting to slowly roll this out to their schools, what are one or two small but useful highlights that they could share with classroom teachers that they can begin implementing in classroom instruction right away? 

41:27 9 Is it an entire re-imagining? So, which structures and systems are already supported and which are we challenging? 

43:23 10 For all the self-paced workshops and the Virtual Institute, are teachers able to receive a certificate of completion? 

45:56 11 How long it will take to complete that new self-paced eWorkshop?    

48:47 12 How do foundational skills, things like teaching letter name sounds, phonics, et cetera, fit into the framework?

Video Transcript

Annemarie Banas: I love how that comes on just after I say that. So it is being recorded. We've also got a transcript of it. That will be shared with you on the WIDA website. Also, if you happened to miss any of the previous webinars, the recordings are there, as well as transcripts for those recordings. We hope to have those up by the beginning of next week. Also on that web page, you'll find lots of great resources in support of the 2020 Edition of the standards, and I'll put a link to the chat, in the chat, to everyone so you can easily find that page. And then with that, I'm going to turn it over to Dr. Fernanda Marinho Kray who's going to start us off with our webinar.

Fernanda Marinho Kray: Thank you Annemarie, so hello and welcome to everybody. This is the 3rd Q&A webinar in a series of 4, and we are exploring the recently released WIDA ELD Standards Framework, 2020 Edition. And the topics that we're doing the webinars around were selected by educators. So today's topic is Curricular Considerations: Introduction to Collaborating around the WIDA Standards Framework.

So, we hope you've had a chance to download and start exploring the book, even if just a little bit. Maybe you've had a chance to participate. We had the eSummit, and you know, perhaps the first two Q&As, so today the intent is not to go deeply into introducing and then going deeper into this material, but really to highlight the main concepts related to this topic and to allow the time for you to ask the questions. 

And we have several folks here, and you just heard from Annemarie Banas, our wonderful host and tech moderator. We also have Jon Nordmeyer as a presenter with us here today. Jon, would you like to introduce yourself? 

Jon Nordmeyer: Sure, Fernanda, happy to be here. I’m the International Program Director at WIDA working with our network of schools around the world. 

Fernanda Marinho Kray: And Annemarie introduced me, my role in the standards project is as content lead and you also have several team members here who you will hear from later. We have Elizabeth Warren, Lynn Shafer Willner, and Margo Gottlieb are all on the call to help us answer the many questions that you will send our way. 

So, as we go along the slides today, as your thinking is getting activated, as you are thinking about questions, feel free to start chatting them down and using the chat box or using them as a parking lot so that we can draw the questions from later for Q&A time.

And to start, I will invite you to go on Mentimeter. We have a question for you there. We want to know how familiar you are so far with the 2020 Edition. Some people may have just, like, opened or looked at the first page. Some people may know it really deeply. That will help us gauge our interaction here today. So that is also in the chat box. So, you can click on that link, enter that code and vote. You will see it on your phone, on your computer. And then, so the information is on the chat. So, let's see how familiar people are. That red column is very exciting right now. Look, a lot of people in the middle of deep reading. And initial browsing is catching up. And look, we have some people who have read deeply, who are ready for concrete, staff’s concrete planning with a team. 

Jon Nordmeyer: Getting ready for implementation and application of all the great ideas. 

Fernanda Marinho Kray: Yeah, and I am very much looking forward to learning from folks in their different context, what this looks like. I'm sure there will be lots of creative uses. Lots of co-construction there. Okay cool, so we're starting to get an impression. The votes will keep coming in. We'll start going through the slides. This is great to let, you know, to see where you are, okay. 

So, today we're going to focus on collaboration and the curricular planning, but we're going to start with the four ideas that anchor the 2020 Edition. And the first is equity of opportunity and access. That was on a timer, sorry. So, as you are going deeper into this unit and some of you are already thinking about concrete implementation, I am very curious to know what this looks like as concrete steps in classrooms and schools. So let's start to think about what new actions does this Edition prompt us to take to increase equity in our classrooms. 

So, the second big idea, integration of content and language, those are inextricably woven. We know that people learn content through language, and develop language through content. A big topic for today is forging partnerships among stakeholders. So, as people bring in different roles, different areas of expertise, but they're collectively responsible for our students. So, we're going to dig into that and a functional approach to language development. Right? That means that we are driven by the purpose for language use that we want students to expand their language toolboxes to be more strategic in their use of language in different contexts, with different communities, just with all of those linguistic resources. But, the slide deck wants to go to collaboration so I'm going to hand it over to collaboration and Jon. 

Jon Nordmeyer: Thanks Fernanda, and I'm excited to talk about collaboration with you today because I think that the new Standards Framework provides some powerful tools, and collaboration is one aspect that we know that is essential for serving multilingual learners and my research in particular focuses on how educators can cooperate.

So, when the Standards Framework was being designed, we gathered together this past year educators from around the world, international educators and educators from across the US, and we asked, “What sort of tools would you need and what support would you need to collaborate effectively in your context, integrate language and content learning, and how to bring different stakeholders together?” And we identified both macro systemwide structures across schoolwide, districtwide, statewide structures. We know that that macro level collaboration is important for policy makers and practitioners. 

And then also we thought about the micro level classroom practices, how can language specialists and content specialists collaborate to, in particular, plan and then teach and assess to support multilingual learners. So that's what we're going to focus on today, is some of those collaborative practices and how Standards Framework can support educators in doing that. 

Fernanda Marinho Kray: Yeah, great points, Jon and when we're talking about collaboration with you here today, we're definitely not just talking about two teachers collaborating, but also the administrative support, the state support for all of these things, so it happens at various levels. 

So, what is it that we are going to use for this collaboration into curricular planning? So, here's the heart of the WIDA ELD Standards Framework and its four components. So very briefly, so you see, these are framed as nested building blocks, that kind of make, they make a picture of language development, they go from broadest to more specific. So, the broadest components of the framework are those five WIDA ELD Standards Statements, language for social and instructional purposes, for language arts, for math.

And what these statements do is they give us this conceptual framing of language and content integration that we already started to talk about. Then we have the Key Language Uses. They highlight the most prominent language uses across disciplines. And they take this whole big world of language in school, and they say these are some high leverage areas. These will give you a lot of bang for your buck because they are recurring across grade levels, as well as disciplines.

Our language expectations, then those of you who have had a chance to look, they start to get even more specific. We'll see one later. And they give us goals for content driven language learning and they're the statements most similar to how people are used to seeing academic content standards. And finally, we have proficiency level descriptors, giving us this continuum of language development. And the book has many more resources and details to accompany this, but this is kind of like an overall overview of it. 

Jon Nordmeyer: Thanks, Fernanda. And you, and the Standards Team, know how excited I've been throughout the development of this process, because I think the framework provides tools that are really essential to help teachers do what they need to do in order to prepare for serving multilingual learners. And it provides really a linguistic x-ray to help highlight the language that already exists in the curriculum and helps to structure the conversation, the dialogue, the teachers are having. And if you think about at every school and district, there's a really complex, curricular jigsaw puzzle thinking about vertical alignment and horizontal alignment, and interdisciplinary connections.

And the WIDA Standards Framework is not like dumping out a lot of new puzzle pieces for that already complex jigsaw puzzle. It's more like turning the lights on so you can see how the pieces fit together. Because the language is what helps teachers to connect the learning to the curriculum for all students. to connect the learning to the curriculum for all students. 

Fernanda Marinho Kray: I think that's such a powerful analogy, right, highlighting the language that's already there. And I think that's a great way to start talking to content teachers, too. 

Jon Nordmeyer: So, we are going to build on a situated narrative introducing a couple teachers who are part of the Standards Framework book, Ms. Khoury and Mr. Renner. And they will be, if you've read the book, they’re your guides to an example, a sample collaborative planning process. Ms. Khoury is a 7th grade science teacher. Mr. Renner is an ESL/EAL specialist. And this process that they follow is probably familiar to teachers who engage with a backwards design or UBD process. And it starts off by asking what are the content, what are the disciplinary practices, concepts, tools are students expected to learn.

And then going a little bit deeper, how are students going to use language in that unit? What are the Key Language Uses? What's the purpose for language that students will need to interact in that unit? And then what are the language expectations that can be associated with that content area?

And then finally, we get to functions and features that you mentioned, Fernanda, that are the most granular aspect of the Standards Framework, to help identify what students need to be able to develop, to express their understanding, the content and the language goals, at the end of the unit assessment. So, we're going to unpack this process a little bit more building on an example of Ms. Khoury and Mr. Renner, and this comes directly from the Standards book, and it's a really helpful way, again, to help teachers engage in this level of planning and to help make the language an explicit part of the unit planning process.

So, the first step is to locate the relevant WIDA ELD Standards by examining the unit’s content standards. So, thinking about the, again, the disciplinary practices and then also what students are doing with language as they're engaging in the learning. So, we know that we're not learning language in a decontextualized way, but students are developing language skills and using language to make meaning in the course of this unit. 

Fernanda Marinho Kray: Yeah, and I can add a little bit of context about the unit. So, in this case, Ms. Khoury and Mr. Renner, they chose to use a grade 7 unit called, “Where does food come from and where does it go next?” It's part of the OpenSciEd curriculum. And so what students are doing with language here, they are focusing on matter cycling and photosynthesis. They have to use models to explain the cycling of matter, and the flow of energy of a whale fall system. So they have a very specific, concrete context from which they are going to start to make this language visible that's already there. And as you see here, so it relates directly to the academic content standard that will connect very precisely with the language expectations, and we're going to use that language expectation with an emphasis on tracing movement of matter, and flow of energy. 

Jon Nordmeyer: So, the next step is with that in mind, they've sort of located this unit within the content, within the grade level curriculum. They want to identify the most prominent Key Language Uses. And so, which Key Language Uses, which purpose for language use best reflects how students will interact with the language. We know that students are probably going to engage in all of these different purposes throughout the unit, but when you look at the end of unit assessment, which one stands out as the most prominent. different purposes throughout the unit, but when you look at the end of unit assessment, which one stands out as the most prominent. 

Fernanda Marinho Kray: And I think this goes without saying, the example is in science, but you can use this example with any other content areas. So as Ms. Khoury and Mr. Renner examine there, for example, one of the places, one of the great places to look at when you're trying to decide what is the driving Key Language Use here, because in reality, we know that Key Language Uses are present in every classroom.

Every day students are narrating, informing, explaining, and arguing, but we're trying to find out what is this driving key language use that helps us prioritize. We can't teach everything at once. We're always prioritizing. So you look at your content standards, your essential questions, but the end of unit assessment is a great place to help you find, narrow down. And it's a choice that you're going to make because language is so big, right? So, let's see here. Yes. narrow down. And it's a choice that you're going to make because language is so big, right? So, let's see here. Yes. 

Jon Nordmeyer: And so then the next step is to use the language expectations to create unit goals. And this is making the language, again, visible. And we know that if there's an interdependence, both students are developing language in order to engage with the, the content of the unit, but also the content of the unit provides an opportunity for students to develop their language skills. So, there's an interdependent relationship between the language and the content that students are engaging in to make meaning. 

Fernanda Marinho Kray: So the way that the language expectations appear here, you are going to be able to find them for the specific grade-level cluster that you teach. So, we are, pretend you’re a middle school teacher. So right now we're looking at 7th grade. We know we're talking about a science unit. I go to my grade level cluster. I've identified my Key Language Use. I find explain. And right now, I'm going to think about the expressive communication mode. So, we will use language to do what, to construct scientific explanations. Scientific explanations have common patterns. And they appear in your language expectations.

So, language expectations are built around these language functions that are making, highlighting for you, you know, in every scientific explanation. These are very important moves that we make with language. And in the book, okay, so that's right. And in the book, there are additional resources to help you unpack this. Okay, so that's right. And in the book, there are additional resources to help you unpack this. 

Jon Nordmeyer: And you can see that this process parallels the planning process. Again, the backward design process, or UBD, that teachers engage in. But it helps to make the language explicit, and this is one of the things that excites teachers about the Standards Framework is it provides tools for teachers to identify the language and think about what are the actual the patterns that you mentioned, Fernanda and what does that look like, what are the functions and features that students will need to develop, or that might be part of a teacher's instruction. And that helps both identify teaching focus and also a learning focus for students. 

Fernanda Marinho Kray: Yeah, and so whereas those language functions are highlighting those common patterns that, like, those stages through which I write an explanation. The language features bring in these we could call them language resources. So there are types of sentences. They're clauses they’re phrases, they’re words that help us to carry out that language function. So, if I'm developing the scientific explanation and I need to describe valid and reliable evidence, I'm going to see some features, like, I'm going to need to use abstract nouns, such as photosynthesis, to talk about this. I'm going to need to define the phenomenon in a different way. So using relative clauses, declarative statements.

So now we're getting, like, very language-y, right, into these distinctive grammatical structures, these pieces of language but it's all in the service of that explanation in the context of science. These are just a couple of examples in the book. You have more examples of language features. And in the book, you also have sample annotated language samples that show you what all of these pieces of the framework look like in an authentic grade level text. 

Jon Nordmeyer: So, the process is introduced in this way in a very deliberate way, in this stepwise fashion to help mirror the planning process that teachers often engage in and, again, to integrate the language in a very explicit way. And with this in mind, when this end of unit goal is identified and the language demands or language opportunities have been identified, then teachers are were in a much better position to then sequence, differentiate, and scaffold instruction, because it is a language destination for all students and we know that we don't water down the curriculum. We scaffold up the curriculum, but we have to have a really clear direction for the content understanding, and the accompanying language that students will engage with as they're making meaning throughout this unit.

So, this helps us differentiate and set that destination for all students and plan for how we're going to get there. And scaffolding that instruction means we need to, wherever students are, and we know students are coming from a variety of different backgrounds, linguistic, cultural assets that they bring with them, and experiential and academic backgrounds. So they bring, they don't bring baggage they bring luggage and the luggage is the assets that they bring to the classroom.

Teachers recognize where students are coming from, what assets they bring, and then design the instructional map with scaffolding to help all students achieve that unit goal by sequencing and scaffolding those daily lessons really deliberately. And that means attending to not only the standards 2 through 5, the language for the content areas, but also really deliberately attending to standard one, the social and instructional language students need to engage in the work of schooling and to achieve those lesson language targets as well as the overall unit goal. Fernanda, what else do you want to add to this idea of sequencing and scaffolding once you have this unit level destination in mind. 

Fernanda Marinho Kray: I love everything that you've presented here and I believe so strongly in this idea that we have to have our destination first. If I'm going somewhere, I want to know where I'm going before I decide to walk or take the bus or take my car. I'm not going to set foot out of my house before I know where I'm going. And in the standards-based systems in which we work now, I believe in that too.

And then, of course, we'll decide who's going to take a boat, who's going to take a plane, the multiple means of action, expression, and engagement that students will use to get to the destination. And just to make the point and tie-back to the big idea of equity, that if we want to have equity of access and opportunity, we are trying to help them all be able to open the same doors. We can't say the student only needs this door, that student only needs that door. We offer the equity of access to all and then where we scaffold and differentiate are in the different ways that we get there. So, I think, um, yeah, since we're just doing a brief overview, I think that's a, that's great. Those are some great ideas for today. 

I want to transition to tell you that our webpage has lots of resources to support you as you start to have conversations in your schools, in your districts. We have an introductory video you could open a staff meeting or department meeting with that video. It's about 3 minutes. We have a flyer that highlights the main aspects of 2020. We have a PowerPoint deck, so if you're creating a formal presentation, you can draw from there. We have the Guiding Principles of Language Development. They were updated in 2019. You can access them in 13 languages. And we have an illustrated version that is great for using with families. We have Focus Bulletins that are related to 2020 and the Big Ideas.

These Q&A webinar recordings are available also on this webpage, so people can go back later and see the recordings. Coming soon, we will have Frequently Asked Questions that we've been collecting from all of these interactions. And as well, as an at-a-glance, two-page quick reference guide to the whole 2020 edition. Keep tracking this page back, because we are adding new resources all the time. 

Also, very important to know, is that there are currently for US educators who are members of the Consortium, there are two workshops that are available. One is a self-paced eWorkshop, The WIDA ELD Standards Framework: A Collaborative Approach. And that is available to most members of the, who are US-based. And if you're in North Dakota or Pennsylvania, I don't think your state chose that. But for everybody else, they can access it. And then states will also be offering, choosing to offer this facilitated the eWorkshop, Planning with the WIDA ELD Standards Framework. So, check with the, your department of education if they're offering that in your location. 

Jon Nordmeyer: And internationally, WIDA has an international school consortium that serves 500 independent and international schools around the world, and many, including many schools in U. S. and Canada. And we have developed a Virtual Institute, which is a self-paced, online learning experience that is situated in a narrative. And so we invite educators to look at that on the WIDA website and enroll in the Virtual Institute to learn how the WIDA assessments and standards fit together, and how they can connect to collaboration, and standards fit together, and how they can connect to collaboration. 

Fernanda Marinho Kray: We want you to continue this, if you use social media, please continue this conversation with us after today in your preferred platform. We love to hear from you. We have two Facebook groups that are, there's a lot of educator, a lot of teacher conversation happening there. We have the WIDA Educator Exchange as well as another group that’s Supporting Success for Multilingual Learners with Disabilities. So, if you're into that social interaction, join us there, please. And now I'm going to invite our moderators to start sharing some of your questions.

Elizabeth Warren: Hi Fernanda, this is Elizabeth. So we had somebody ask if WIDA Español is going to be updated to align with the 2020 Edition? 

Fernanda Marinho Kray: Margo, do you want to speak to that one? 

Margo Gottlieb: I will. WIDA Español is currently developing dos Marcos ALEs which are frameworks for both Spanish language arts for policy makers and for teachers, and after those are completed within the year, we are then revisiting the SLD framework and the standards. So, yes, it is not a 100% a sure thing, but we are planning on it. sure thing, but we are planning on it. 

Elizabeth Warren: Great, thank you, Margo. So the second question that I see is, do the Can Do name charts remain the same in the new Framework?

Fernanda Marinho Kray: So, the Can Dos, the previous Can Dos, they remain available for people to use. So the, you know, they have been, the Key Language Uses of language, they have been updated in the 2020 Edition, right? To the Key Language Uses, so they're, they're a little bit differently, uh, different and we have not yet updated the, the Can Do statements. We're kind of monitoring some use and I hope we, we will soon.

But so, what's there, you can still use it in the ways that it serves you, understanding that as you begin to transition to the 2020 Edition over time, nobody needs to transition overnight, or very quickly. Use what's useful and then be aware that there's some differences and that hopefully, we'll have updated Can Dos. 

Elizabeth Warren: Great, thank you. So, I just encouraged everybody to enter some more questions into the chat. Mostly, I'm seeing comments about they love how this is going to help structure the planning conversation, that can definitely see how this will be useful in settings like with PLCs, things of that nature. They're excited that the functions and features help teachers model language for students, and learn how to scaffold for them.

they remain available for people to use. So the, you know, they have been, the Key Language Uses of language, they have been updated in the 2020 Edition, right? To the Key Language Uses, so they're, they're a little bit differently, uh, different and we have not yet updated the, the Can Do statements. We're kind of monitoring some use and I hope we, we will soon.

But so, what's there, you can still use it in the ways that it serves you, understanding that as you begin to transition to the 2020 Edition over time, nobody needs to transition overnight, or very quickly. Use what's useful and then be aware that there's some differences and that hopefully, we'll have updated Can Dos. 

Okay, so I see a new question. How do these new standards effect determining ELs proficiency levels? 

Fernanda Marinho Kray: So, we have Lynn Shafer Willner on the line with us, and she is our in-house PLD guru of all things. Lynn, do you want to tackle that one? like with PLCs, things of that nature. They're excited that the functions and features help teachers model language for students, and learn how to scaffold for them. 

Lynn Shafer Willner: Sure. Am I on? Here we go. So one of the interesting parts about this edition is that we have Language Expectations for all students, and those are at the unit level. And we also have Proficiency Level Descriptors, which are grade-level cluster versions of the Performance Definitions. So, the Performance Definitions are no longer K-12. We’ve gone and aligned a new, or an updated set, of Descriptors that are both consistent and equivalent with what's going on with this edition.

So the nice thing is yes, there are Descriptors that are available with this edition, and you'll find them in grade-level cluster Proficiency Level Descriptors. And I'll put more information on chatbox where you can find it in the document. 

Elizabeth Warren: Thank you Lynn. So we have a new question. The Language Expectations and Functions that are available in the Standards, are those an exhaustive list for each grade-level, for each KLU, or are there more? 

Fernanda Marinho Kray: So, language is not a static thing. It's dynamic and there are creative uses of language. So we can never say these functions are all the functions that will ever be used. As we become, you know, even artistic with our language use and super-creative and strategic, we may move them. However, those language functions and features, they're based on genre theory. They're based on... I'm just going back to that slide so we can look at that. They are based on, generally, explanations in science do all of these things. I don't think you will see any explanation in science that won't do all of these things. 

So these really represent the stages so that the functions are quite stable for what you need. Having said that, the features are just examples. So the functions, think of them are like, there are these parts, right? These organizational patterns and parts that we use to do an explanation. Now for the language features, remember they represent words, types of sentences, clauses that we can use. So, the language features are just examples because we can be so creative with how we make descriptions, how we establish an objective stance. But yet, so let's look at established neutral or objective stance, I could be super creative so no, those aren't finite.

However, creating an objective stance in science often uses the third person and removes the first person. It often speaks in the timeless present. So the ones that are, there are just, again, high-leverage, super-closely associated with a lot of scientific explanations. Which is the only reason why I say the functions aren't finite is, you know, because of our creativity with language. And anybody from the team feel free to add anything if you'd like, feel free to jump in. 

Elizabeth Warren: Thank you, Fernanda. Okay, so I do see a question. We have an educator from Illinois that's noting they don't see a real action plan on Illinois State page. I did want to notice, or note, that I'm the State Relations Specialist for Illinois. Like many states, they have opted to begin their rollout plan in fall of 2021. So, I would keep checking back with your SEA regarding their timeline and their specific rollout and implementation planning. But this educator also wanted to know, do you recommend this upcoming year be a learning year for the leadership team first, as opposed to sharing with teachers right away? 

Fernanda Marinho Kray: So, on one hand, teachers are going to... Jon, why don't you take this one? 

Jon Nordmeyer: Well, I, I don't want to step on any SEA toes, but I think there certainly needs to be a cascade in building capacity for schools to be able to understand and build the systems, and in some ways re-culture around how the systems will support collaboration, in particular to implement the standards before they can be implemented. So, I know that there is on the Standards page, there are some state and district tools for staging out the implementation. But I think it, because there are some pretty important shifts in the tools that we're providing, that it's really important to understand those tools before thinking about how to start using them. 

Fernanda Marinho Kray: In total agreement. And implementation science also tells us that unless we have this overall plan that's going to come from leadership first, implementation often happens in a way that's not desirable. And as a teacher, I would be so, when I was a teacher, I would be curious. I'd be learning about it simultaneously, but yeah, have a large, overarching plan first, for sure. 

Jon Nordmeyer: And this relates to the next question, there are a couple questions on using the new Standards Framework in relation to different program models. And I know Pam and Tamara have asked about, particularly, staffing ratios and the balance of co-planning and co-teaching. I dropped in the link for the Collaboration Focus Bulletin that WIDA recently published and it, it defines collaboration as a four-part cycle of co-planning, co-teaching, co-assessing and co-reflecting.

And Pam's question about not having enough teachers to be able to co-teach in every classroom, I think requires a reframing of collaboration to collaboration as a generative process of professional learning, which means that the co-planning is as important, if not more important, than the co-teaching. So, if the structures are built, and the capacity is built for ESL teachers to be able to support the integration of language into co-planning across all subjects and grade levels, then the units will be planned with language that is embedded in them in the way that we described in this webinar and that the Standards Framework supports.

So, the language embedded, scaffolded lessons will be in the classroom even if the ESL teacher isn't in the classroom. And so focusing on that co-planning, if you have limited capacity for co-teaching, means that you're able to build capacity for all teachers to scaffold learning in all classrooms even if you don't have a co-teacher in that classroom. 

Elizabeth Warren: Thank you Jon, we also have a question if someone is wanting to slowly roll this out to their schools, what are one or two small but useful highlights that they could share with classroom teachers that they can begin implementing in classroom instruction right away? 

Fernanda Marinho Kray: If you want to slowly roll this out, I mention that we have the WIDA PL, and I will just say, the self-paced workshop, it is structured as a book club. So you could definitely, this walks you through the main sections of the book. It has thinking prompts. So that's, so that's one thing that I would recommend in terms of thinking, and you can do this individually, you can do this in groups, you can create your own PLC. It's like it's structured for you to develop your own PLC.

Now, so, if I had to think about just one or two small, but useful highlights, I think Key Language Uses are definitely one. I mean, I want to start with a big idea and the whole framework, but what I think teachers can grab on to very immediately, are the Key Language Uses. So, as a way to help teachers begin to recognize these high-leverage ways of using language, these genre families, so began to look for Key Language Uses in your teaching, in your text, and in the ways that your students use language.

And then learn, later, start to learn more about the Key Language Uses. Another point that I might show are the Language Expectations themselves. And as Jon, so nicely described earlier, help teachers see, and hopefully they will see it themselves because it's really so closely aligned, how that's really just shining a light on the language that's already there. So it's making your job easier by highlighting these things. 

Jon Nordmeyer: And one thing I would, I would add to that, I totally agree, Fernanda, taking some of those, those small steps to both engage with the book as a, as a book club and a PLC, and then look at some high-leverage practices like the Key Language Uses. One way to do that is to look at the planning tools and the curriculum mapping tools that are available to you and if there is a particular template or curricular mapping software documentation tool that you use to ensure that you create some of those boxes that accompany the thought process for your planning process.

So when you're looking at previewing or reviewing curricular units, you have a space to identify the most prominent Key Language Use. So you’re asking teachers to literally think inside the box by saying, here's a box. You need to put something in there by identifying a Key Language Use and those Language Expectations. So that'll build the habit by providing a space for that thinking, as part of the planning and curriculum documentation process. 

Fernanda Marinho Kray: Yeah, that goes back to the idea of that initial plan that administrators will have to see how they're going to allocate the resources, how they will create the time. How, when they're planning next summer, when you're doing all this curriculum work to build that in from the plan, making sure that every is always on the same page.  

Elizabeth Warren: Okay, that's all that we have in the way of new questions for now. Okay, hang on we just had one come in. Okay, the person says they're convinced that co-planning is a good use of time, but they're not sure how their LIEP would have to change to accommodate that time, or how or whether that would still fit their federal obligations for EL services. So, they're asking, is it an entire re-imagining? So, which structures and systems already supported, and which are we challenging? So, I think they're just commenting that seeing those challenges, allow us to know when and where, and if we're going to battle or just reshape current approaches. People are noting they want to be able to hire more teachers to work with multilingual learners. 

Jon Nordmeyer: Yeah, and I think again, Tamara brought up the age-old challenge, the paradox of not having enough time or resources to engage in co-planning when we know how valuable it is. And we know that teachers can co-plan without co-teaching, but you can't co-teach without co-planning. And it's not a good use of a professional’s time to put a specialist in a co-taught classroom without adequate co-planning. It's not a good use of anyone's time so we need to make sure we find structures to, and protocol norms, to engage in that co-planning. 

Fernanda Marinho Kray: Yeah, and then the federal obligations get into a whole other area, right? The feds usually use Castañeda, there's lots of different language learning programs and there's too many specifics without knowing to be able to even give any suggestions about that. 

Elizabeth Warren: Okay, people are just agreeing with everything you all are sharing and sharing things that they think should be required reading for everyone. If anybody has any more questions, we do still have some time left this afternoon. 

Jon Nordmeyer: There was a question about the self-paced workshop. So all the self-paced workshops and the, and the Virtual Institute, teachers are able to receive a certificate of completion? 

Fernanda Marinho Kray: I think so. Elizabeth, can you confirm that? 

Elizabeth Warren: Yes, so educators are able to see when they have teachers that have completed those modules, and they can go in and download those certificates from the eLearning reporting center. 

Jon Nordmeyer: And there was a request to share the slide, I think it goes back to the Facebook groups, for the ALTELLA Facebook group, from Veronica. A couple really active Facebook exchanges and also, if you're on Twitter and Instagram, there's some really terrific support for implementation, how teachers are getting to know, and using, the new Standards Framework on all the social media channels. And WIDA is regularly announcing new research and resources via these channels as well, so follow WIDA and follow each other. 

Fernanda Marinho Kray: I am certainly trying to read Twitter more frequently. I've never been a big Twitter person, but that's the world. And it's great to get those little snippets, for sure. 

Elizabeth Warren: I'll share if I see any further questions come in, but right now we're just getting thanks and things like that. People are asking if the chat information is available if people miss the live version. We don't generally share the chat, although we do share a recording and a transcript of what was shared. If there is a specific resource that was shared in the chat, you could reach out to us and we'd be happy to pass that along to you since we do share the chat internally. 

Somebody is asking if we have an estimated time for how long it will take to complete that new self-paced eWorkshop? 

Fernanda Marinho Kray: So, Elizabeth, I think you've taken it too. I think they suggest around, is it around 6 weeks or am I making this up? 

Elizabeth Warren: I am not certain. I apologize. 

Fernanda Marinho Kray: Yeah and of course, it’s self-paced, but I don't know, I just went through two modules. I'd say, yeah, in two days, depends on the time. I'm sorry I can't tell you how long that is. But they do give you an estimate at the beginning. 

Jon Nordmeyer: And I can, for the Virtual Institute, and I know we have had educators from the US enroll in that, there's a two-month window when that course is open, and it takes about 12 to 15 hours to complete. And someone had asked about recording and so Fernando just wondering if you could go back to slide number 3 to show where the recordings will be located on the WIDA website. 

Fernanda Marinho Kray: And I can actually go to the website and show you. So most of the resources we mentioned today, you can access right through the website. So this is our landing page for Standards. As you scroll down, that's where you get, you can get the PDF of the 2020 edition. Or you can click on the WIDA Store if you'd like to purchase the beautiful, colorful, hard copy, the book form of it. And just scroll down, it says Supporting Resources.

So, here's a link to the video I mentioned, to the flyer, to the PowerPoint slides. The Guiding Principles are here, so many resources. And if you look on the right, I hope you can see this, here are the recordings of the first two Q&As that have already happened. You see, it's a link. And here's this Q&A, and in about a week's time that should, perhaps even before, that will also be a link to the recording. And you have your links to Professional Learning, to the Virtual Institute, the Focus Bulletins. So, there's really a lot on this page, a lot of resources here. 

Elizabeth Warren: Fernanda, we did have another question come in. Somebody is asking about how foundational skills, so things like teaching letter name sounds, phonics, et cetera, fit into the Framework. 

Fernanda Marinho Kray: So, the Framework was designed around what the content standards ask students to do. So, and this is an analysis of lots of different sets of content standards, so wherever those things appear in the content standards, you will have the Key Language Uses and the Language Expectations bringing out how that appears in the content standards. So the way you would see, so if you have like, a specific grade level in mind and your, let's see, you're here on your standards book.

So, for example, if you're thinking about grade 1, you will go straight to your grade level. You will go to so, perhaps you're talking about ELA, and so I'm just showing you one as an example. I don't know if it addresses that. But this one, we could have looked at kindergarten. So these, remember that these Language Functions, and this is drawn from a close analysis of content standards. So it'll be closely linked that way. 

Lynn Shafer Willner: Hi Fernanda, I can add as well and supplement what you said. So we did do this close analysis of the content standards and so if you're thinking about concepts, about concepts of print and looking at sound symbol relationships, so we're, we're attempting to go and pull in what students are doing with language and so sound similar relationships are part of the students meaning making system.

Whether it's needing some text or visual cues, and so how they're then applying that to make meaning goes and applies in the language functions and then we're really trying to look at these with the language features, kind of like the language elements itself. So, we're not, we don't specifically go into sound symbol relationships only because that's a subset that you'll find in other areas. Hope that makes sense, but we're trying to do English language development and there are some English language arts sub- skills that it would be unnecessarily repetitive for us to repeat. I hope that makes sense. 

Fernanda Marinho Kray: And if you, if you're interested, appendix B shows some correspondence tables for content and language standards. Um, so this is a place where you can go to see how the Language Expectations are connected to what is happening in the content area. So there's a sampling here that you can take a look at. 

Elizabeth Warren: Okay, and just as a time check, we are about 7 minutes till the hour. We don't have any additional questions at this time. 

Fernanda Marinho Kray: Great, well it's been a good conversation and I'm sure as people begin to dig in more, they begin to learn more, there will be new questions. And again, I can't wait to hear about all of the ways that you will apply this in your own contexts. I'm sure lots of creative things will come out of this. And there's a lot that we're going to co-construct from here on out. So I'm looking forward to those dialogs and those conversations. 

Jon Nordmeyer: Likewise, Fernanda and thanks for the chance to join you for this webinar today. I am really excited about what teachers are going to be able to do, and schools are going to be able to do, using the new Standards Framework, particularly in collaborating but in building on the assets of multilingual learners in a lot of different ways. Again, attending to that, that equity big idea, and providing access for all to integrate language and content learning. So thanks again, everyone, for your good questions and thank you, Fernanda. And thanks for the Standards Team, again, for producing such a really valuable and relevant resource for teachers around the world. 

Fernanda Marinho Kray: Very happy to have you with us today, Jon. 

Jon Nordmeyer: Thanks everyone.