Teaching English Language Learners: Content and Language in Middle and Secondary Mainstream Classrooms

Michaela Colombo has been involved in the field of educating English language learners for nearly 20 years. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Leadership in Schooling program at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, where she teaches courses in methods of sheltered content instruction. Prior to accepting a full-time position at the University of Massachusetts, Dr. Colombo worked for five years as Supervisor of the English Language Acquisition Program for the Methuen, Massachusetts Public Schools. Here, she drew upon her background as a bilingual education and ESL teacher to plan and implement professional development for mainstream teachers and supervise teachers of English language learners. Dr. Colombo is an active member of the Massachusetts Department of Education’s English Language Learners/Bilingual Education Advisory Council. Her dissertation, which was recognized as semi-finalist for best dissertation by the National Association of Bilingual Education, investigated the effectiveness of professional development for mainstream teachers of Latino students. Dr. Colombo has presented professional development for mainstream teachers of English language learners at national and state conferences. Dana Furbush has been a teacher of English Language Learners since 2002. During this time she has focused on curriculum and instruction for middle school English Language Learners and mainstream content-area teachers. Ms Furbush draws upon her experience with English Language Learners in mainstream classrooms to plan and implement professional development for mainstream teachers throughout the Methuen Public Schools. She is also adjunct instructor for Cambridge College, where she teaches Enhancing English Language Learning in Elementary Classrooms, a course designed to prepare mainstream content-area teachers with an understanding of language acquisition, cultural diversity, and inclusion- model education. Ms Furbush has authored and co-authored several professional development guides for mainstream teachers in the Methuen Public Schools, including The English Language Learner Rubric and Professional Guide and How Do You Say.., a Spanish-English guide to quick notes home to parents. In addition to her experience and training in the field of second language acquisition and professional development for mainstream teachers of English Language Learners, Dana Furbush brings to this publication her day-to-day experiences working in the schools with content-area middle-school teachers