Webinar, Nov. 10 - Total Participation Techniques for Cognitive Engagement in the ESL Classroom

Mark your calendar for the upcoming exciting webinar to be held on Tuesday, November 10, 2015, from 2:00 to 3:00 PM Eastern. There will be a follow up discussion focused on Total Participation Techniques in the LINCS Assessment and Adult English Language Learner Communities in the days following the webinar, i.e., Wednesday through Friday, November 11-13. Details for registering for the webinar will be provided shortly.

During the webinar and follow up discussion, participants will learn simple classroom techniques that can be used to promote cognitive engagement and higher order thinking among all students.  The techniques outlined will help teachers to promote academic language and increase rigor in the classroom as well as prepare students for college and careers. The benefits of using these techniques with adult ELLs will be discussed and participants will leave with concrete ways they can implement these cognitively engaging techniques in their own context.

Becky Shiring and Sheryl Sherwin, from Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School in Washington DC, will draw upon the ideas presented in William and Persida Himmele's book Total Participation Techniques and share the many ways teachers at Carlos Rosario are using these techniques successfully with adult English learners.

Becky Shiring is an Instructional Coach and Professional Development Specialist at Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School in Washington, DC.  She is the 2015 recipient of the Association of Adult Literacy Professional Developers “David A. Baker Rising Star Award” which recognizes emerging talent and innovative contributions to Adult Education Professional Development.  Becky has taught a variety of ESOL and ABE classes since 2006. She also works with various organizations in the DC Metro area to provide professional development primarily focused on technology integration and student centered learning.

Sheryl Sherwin is an ESL teacher with a Masters in Linguistics and a Certificate in TESOL from George Mason University.  She has taught ESL at the Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School for 17 years.  She has presented internationally in TESOL Peru, and Beirut, Lebanon; nationally at TESOL and locally at WATESOL in Washington DC and MATESOL in Maryland.