This article talks about the difficulty teaching ELL students, when there is not proper teacher training. Government plans to reform education will have to make sure there is specific ELL teacher training included. DP
By Anne Swigard, president of Educational Training Specialists
Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) December 7, 2008 -- As President-Elect Obama transitions into the White House, one major area of focus is the state of education in the United States. While many changes are planned with respect to the No Child Left Behind Act, a key focus area is the graduation rates of English Language Learners. In his comprehensive plan to reform education, Obama believes that schools should be held accountable for the success of their ELLs.
Proper teacher training is vital to the success of this program for the Obama administration. However, there has historically been a disconnect between teacher preparation programs and what it really takes to teach students who are learning a second language.
"When teachers are initially trained in their undergraduate degree program, there is often little, if any, emphasis on teaching English Language Learners," stated Anne Swigard, president of Educational Training Specialists (www.elltraining.com), a teacher training company that has instructed thousands of educators nationwide in the techniques to successfully work with English Language Learners. "Teaching English Learners is different from teaching students in the mainstream, and requires a different skill set."
Swigard stated that if teachers, through no fault of their own, are ill-equipped to engage and teach these students, the United States will continue to see high dropout levels among ELLs. She believes this will translate into a further drain on already-strained social programs, in addition to producing an under-prepared future work force.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.
No comments:
Post a Comment