Home > Events > MRC Brown Bag with Dr. Rodrigo Gutíerrez and Halla Jmourko
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MRC Brown Bag with Dr. Rodrigo Gutíerrez and Halla Jmourko

Time: 
Tuesday, March 28, 2017 - 11:45 AM to 12:45 PM
Location: 
Benjamin Building 1107

Title: The Best of Both Worlds: A University-District Partnership to Enhance Mathematics Instruction for English Language Learners

 

Abstract: This talk will focus on a unique partnership between UMD and Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) to provide intensive professional development to improve mathematics instruction for English Language Leaners (ELLs). The collaboratively developed professional development opportunities for elementary teachers (both mainstream and ESOL) include Focus Groups, on-site coaching support, grant-funded graduate coursework, and Professional Learning Communities. These initiatives offer a comprehensive approach to teacher development aligned with the CCSS Mathematical Practices, NCTM Teacher Practices, and WIDA English Language Development Standards, while also addressing PGCPS’s focus on developing literacy across the content areas. Specific teacher training materials and language-based instructional tools will be shared that have proven powerful for developing both mathematical discourse and the language of mathematics for ELLs.

 

Bio: Rodrigo Gutiérrez is a Clinical Assistant Professor for the Center for Mathematics Education at University of Maryland. His research and instructional interests lie at the intersection of teacher development, mathematics education, and teaching for social justice, paying particular attention to Latin@s and English Language Learners (ELLs). Through partnerships with local school districts, he has implemented grant-funded professional development opportunities aimed at improving mathematics instruction for ELLs. Previously, Rodrigo was a fellow with the Center for the Mathematics Education of Latinas/os (CEMELA) at the University of Arizona, where his dissertation study examined the implementation of Critical Mathematics in an urban high school’s precalculus course.

 

Halla Jmourko is an ESOL instructional coach in Prince George’s County Public Schools, MD. Her professional interests stem from the role of language in mathematics and advocacy for equitable access to mathematics for children of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. She has created, designed, and facilitated numerous professional development opportunities and coaching structures to support teachers of English learners in the mathematics classroom. Previously, Halla taught English as a Second Language in PGCPS, MD but she had started her teaching career in Ukraine as a teacher of English as a Foreign Language.