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The Tenth Annual Language Series

Excellence in Language Instruction: Conversations with the Experts

Differentiated Instruction: Using Multiple Modalities forLanguage Development

The ultimate goals of the series are:

• To promote an in-depth discussion about language learning principles and methodology with a focus on classroom applications;
• To support the professional growth of all classroom educators: Dual Language, Bilingual, ESL, Special Ed, and Monolingual teachers in Pre-K to high school settings;
• To foster the exchange of ideas and to provide opportunities for networking among teachers and leaders across schools.

Speakers: Martha Eddy, Barbara Ellmann, Bernadette Anand, Betsy Blachy and Bank Street practitioners

Saturday, January 23: Martha Eddy

Language Development Through Movement, Dance, and Games

In this workshop, movement will be used to support speech, language acquisition, cognitive-kinesthetic memory, symbolic development, and translating between dialects, as well as how to pay attention to the significance of non-verbal communication -- the large and small, often unconscious, gestures that accompany speech. Dr. Eddy and educators trained in movement and dance will share multi-sensory approaches to explore movement in all its potential. We will learn by doing and will notice that as we are learning we are moving! Time will be provided for teachers to work in smaller groups to develop immediately usable lesson plans.

Martha Eddy, CMA, RSMT, Ed.D., is the Director of the Center for Kinesthetic Education. Her programs such as Conflict Resolution through Movement and Dance, Moving Dialogues, Moving Math, Dancing with the Brain in Mind, and Body Mind Dancing are known internationally. They all draw upon her expertise in Laban Movement Analysis and Body Mind Awareness. Martha has co-founded Moving-On Center for bridging bodily awareness with education, health, and/or the performing arts. She has published widely. Her articles are available at www.WellnessCKE.net with annotated citations of articles and book chapters.

Saturday, January 30: Bernadette Anand and Betsy Blachy

Enriching Students' Language Through the Power of Song

When experiencing music as a member of a learning community, fascinating connections can be made among language, rhymes, sound, melody, chant, listening, visual prompts, learning styles, and the imagination. We will provide concrete examples and explore possibilities for age-appropriate musical experiences in classrooms from early childhood through High School. Lesson planning will be part of the session.

Bernadette Anand is an instructor in the Graduate School of Education at Bank Street College, where she teaches Reading and Writing in the Content Areas, Foundations of Modern Education, and Qualitative Research for Educational Change. In addition to teaching, Bernadette is an advisor within the Leadership Program and has worked with the New York City Department of Education and other partners on a Teaching American History federal grant. She infuses multiple intelligences in her teaching and makes social studies come alive through music.

Betsy Blachy has been a music specialist at the Bank Street School for Children for over 30 years and the Family Center for 20 years. She is an instructor in the Graduate School and has participated in many Bank Street related projects such as The New Beginnings Program in Newark, The Infancy Institute, and The Lincoln Center Institute. She is very pleased to be a presenter at the Language Series this year!

Saturday, February 27: Barbara Ellmann

Pictures: Worth a Thousand Words!

Join us in an experiential workshop that will provide a window into the visual arts as a springboard for language development in the differentiated classroom. The selected works of art will engage us in multiple modalities to support a new way of learning at all age levels. Participants will be guided through the session in their writing of a differentiated lesson using various visual representations showcased by teachers already implementing these representations in their classrooms.

Barbara Ellmann, visual artist, has most recently been creating public artwork for the city of New York. As a teaching artist at Lincoln Center Institute since 1980, she has worked in partnership schools, focus schools, and the Teacher Education Collaborative. Barbara has also conducted National Educator Workshops and advanced workshops for visual arts specialists and consultancies. She has trained both artists and teachers and worked at many of the institutes that practice aesthetic education around the United States as well as in Hong Kong and Mexico City.