The second annual MIDTESOL Iowa Winter Workshop is happening on Friday, February 9, 2018 in Iowa City at the Old Capitol Mall on the campus of University of Iowa. This is a free event for MIDTESOL members. What is the MIDTESOL Iowa Winter Workshop? This is a chance for MIDTESOL members who proposed a presentation…
by Stephen L. Wonbenyakeh, Jr. The Iowa Student Learning Institute (IowaSLI) is a student organization driven by the passion to change the conventional views of being a student. As students, we are often told to “Show up to class, do the work, and you better not fail the class.” We sit in desks eight hours…
by Adrienne Johnson James Rice shares his reflections on his visit to Iowa K-12 ELL programs In preparing to write this follow-up to Mr. Rice’s visit in October of 2016, MIDTESOL reached out to Mr. Rice to ask him to share what he learned and experienced on his visits to West Des Moines Community Schools…
by Adrienne Johnson If you are an ELL teacher, a good portion of your job is spent trying to explain the diverse needs of your students to others as well as trying to dispel the many misconceptions that surround the education of language learners. This educational process takes place daily as ELL teachers work to…
The Center for Educational Transformation (uni.edu/cet), a new University of Northern Iowa-based Regents center charged with supporting and promoting research on PreK-12 education in Iowa, invites educators, organizations and networks to the spring “Ed Perspectives” series. These events bring notable figures in PreK-12 education to Iowa to spur discussion and collaboration among stakeholders in Iowa…
The annual Technology for Second Language Learning (TSLL) conference brings together researchers, developers and practitioners who are interested in improvements and innovations in the uses of technology in language learning. This year, the conference will focus on phraseology and formulaic language. Phraseology and the study of formulaic language encompass any research and teaching practices that…
Iowa’s Department of Education English Language Learner (ELL) Task Force recently issued their final report documenting current demographics of ELLs in Iowa and issues related to program types, teacher preparation, funding, and ELL performance on state assessments. The report also details three phases of recommendations for improving the quality of Iowa’s K-12 ELL education. Click…
