series with UpRiver Education. Dana Gastich French will be our lead facilitator. There will be 8 modules. Modules will be released on the 15th of each month (September 2023-April 2024). Once you register one time, you are in the system for all modules.
The invitation will come from Dana Gastich French.
Note: Professional Development Certificates of Completion will be issued after the series on May 31, 2024. The certificates will reflect the number of module hours you completed.
Series Description: Join us for an immersive and self-paced professional development journey designed exclusively for PreK-12 educators working with multilingual learners. This comprehensive series offers 8 workshops, combining highly sought-after sessions from last year's acclaimed live series, "Advancing English Learner Education," with new and requested topics that address the most current themes rising up in the field. Led by Dana Gastich French, founder of UpRiver Education, each workshop will delve into crucial subjects such as "Unpacking the WIDA 2020 Standards," "Fostering Multilingual Family Partnerships," "Understanding Language vs Disability," and "Strategies for Working with Newcomers." Dana's engaging style and expertise in multilingual learner education promise to inspire and equip educators with invaluable tools to enhance their teaching practices and better support their diverse students' academic success.
Below, you will see the titles of the modules in this series:
September 15: Journey through WIDA 2020:
Charting Paths to Success
October 15: Bridge to Success: Empowering
Multilingual Family Partnerships
November 15: Language or Disability
December 15: Newcomers 101:
Nurturing a Smooth Transition
January 15: Language Functions Across
Content Areas
February 15: Adapting Assessments for Multilingual Learners:
Getting Clear on What They Know
March 15: Culturally Responsive Teaching:
A Brain-Based Approach
April 15: Collaboration Among Educators
of Multilingual Learners
Dana Gastich French's Biography: Dana Gastich French has over two decades of experience in education during which time she has served as an ESL and bilingual teacher, instructional coach and school and district-level administrator. During all seasons of her career, one constant has been her engagement in the design and facilitation of engaging and meaningful professional development and coursework around effective practices for multilingual learners. Inclusive and asset-based approaches to differences in language, socioeconomics, culture and learning are at the heart of her work. Ms. Gastich French (FKA Furbush) co-authored the text Teaching English Language Learners: Content and Language in Secondary Classrooms. She is currently CEO and lead consultant for UpRiver Education, an education consulting firm that partners with schools, districts and state agencies in their mission to maximize outcomes for one million multilingual learners.
This opportunity is free and open to Merrimack College students, alumni, and the external community. Register today!
