This course examines equity in education through the lens of historical, systemic, institutional and individual practices. Students will analyze multiple levels of education policy in order to understand the context in which educational equity exists. This course will provide educators with the opportunity to create their own understanding of equity and identify ways that they can work to create a more equitable school and classroom environment for their students. Educators will reflect on ideas and concepts around policies, Social Emotional Learning, Culturally Responsive Practices, Unconscious Bias, Restorative Practices, Humanizing Pedagogy, qualitative data, and how they pertain to educational equity. Throughout this course, educators will gain valuable tools and apply ways of thinking that advance equity for all students, especially students and families from marginalized populations.

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

• Analyze and describe the current policies and practices that exist at the district, school, and classroom level that advance or hinder equity
• Understand the historical context in which inequities in the education system exist
• Explain practices and ways of thinking that positively contribute to creating a more equitable educational environment for  students
• Develop an action plan in which they re-envision a current policy or practice in school or classroom through a more equitable lens

This class is approved by the Colorado Department of Education to satisfy the 45 hours of ELL professional development required for license renewal.

Students who are English Language Learners have very diverse backgrounds, languages, culture, educational experiences, life histories, family contexts and socioeconomic realities.  Accordingly, effective instructional strategies for ELL students are varied and complex.  This course provides a relevant, practical and accessible toolbox of tips and strategies to support English acquisition, improve access to content,  and increase both engagement and achievement for ELL students.

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

• Analyze different types of English Language Learner (ELL) students and their varied learning profiles.
• Apply practical English Acquisition strategies to improve access to content and increase engagement for ELLs.
• Implement English Acquisition strategies to increase rigor, expectations and achievement for ELLs.
• Develop diverse instructional resources and strategies to enhance English Language Acquisition, encompassing areas such as: personal relationships, grouping, vocabulary, speaking, listening, reading, writing, and differentiated assessment.

This class is approved by the Colorado Department of Education to satisfy the 45 hours of ELL professional development required for license renewal.

Educational technology tools complement and enhance effective instructional models for diverse populations of English language learners through increased communication, improved access to content, interactive student-centered lessons and rich language development opportunities.  Technology tools also offer differentiation options, generate data to inform instruction, include systems for progress monitoring and provide multiple formats for students to demonstrate their understanding.  This course focuses on increasing engagement and achievement of ELL students through the exploration and application of educational technology tools for communication, content delivery, literacy development, academic language growth and assessments.  The course content is relevant and applicable to in person instruction, remote/online learning, and hybrid models.

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

• Analyze the varied learning profiles of English Language Learner (ELL) students and the fundamental concepts of language acquisition, along with related theories, policies, and legal decisions.
• Implement communication and instructional technology tools to enhance two-way communication with families, foster home-school partnerships, and facilitate English language acquisition while increasing engagement and achievement for ELLs.
• Design and deliver lessons using technology tools targeted at literacy development, content delivery, and academic vocabulary enhancement, each with detailed planning inclusive of student profiles, lesson objectives, and intended outcomes relevant for ELLs.
• Employ technology tools to monitor student progress, collect formative and summative data, and analyze outcomes to inform instructional decisions, including differentiation for diverse student populations.
• Collaborate within a professional learning community to evaluate technology tools for facilitating English language acquisition, engaging students, improving academic achievement, and creating multiple formats for demonstrating learning, supported by comprehensive tool comparisons and evaluations.