Professional Development Credit Available at Annual ESL Symposium

Photo Submitted

Aida Walqui, left, and Shabina Kavimandan

Educators can receive 6 hours of professional development credit approved by the Arkansas Department of Education by attending the sixth annual English as a Second Language Symposium presented Feb. 28 by the University of Arkansas.

The symposium will focus this year on scaffolding for culturally and linguistically diverse students in the age of Common Core state standards.

Instructional scaffolding refers to support given during the learning process that is tailored to the particular needs of students. It is designed to promote a deeper level of learning.

Featured speakers for the daylong symposium will be Aida Walqui, director of teacher professional development at WestEd, and Shabina Kavimandan, a researcher and instructor at Kansas State University.

The symposium will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, at Guesthouse International, formerly the Clarion Inn, in Fayetteville. Registration may be done online through University of Arkansas Conference Services.

Project RISE (Realizing and Increasing Student Excellence) in the department of curriculum and instruction, College of Education and Health Professions, is sponsoring the symposium.