Enhancing Academic Success Through Technology for Limited-English-Proficient Students: Focusing Conversation for Professional Growth

Online Resources

National Resources

Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL)
www.cal.org
CAL is a private, nonprofit organization that focuses its work on the issues and concerns related to language learners. Areas that CAL focuses on include adult ESL, bilingual education, immigrant education, foreign language, and integrating language and content.

Center for Research on Education, Diversity, & Excellence (CREDE)
www.crede.ucsc.edu
A federally funded research and development organization, CREDE centers its work on improving the education of students who may not be able to succeed because of language or cultural barriers or other issues such as race, geography, or socioeconomic status. Currently, CREDE staff members are compiling various syntheses of work completed by their predecessors, the National Center for Research on Cultural Diversity and Second Language Learning and the Kamehameha Early Education Program. These efforts will result in various resources for educators to implement best practices in schools.

National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition & Language Instruction Educational Programs (NCELA)
www.ncela.gwu.edu
Formerly known as the National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education (NCBE), NCELA is funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The NCELA Web site provides educators with resources on a variety of educational topics that are both research based and practice oriented.

Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
www.tesol.org
TESOL is an international organization based in Alexandria, Virginia. Its focus is to further the knowledge base regarding the teaching of English to speakers of other languages. The TESOL Web site has information related to training programs, employment, research, practical applications, or ESL standards for PK-12 students (available online at www.tesol.org/assoc/k12standards/it/01.html).

Teaching Diverse Learners
www.lab.brown.edu/tdl/index.shtml
The Lab at Brown University has developed Teaching Diverse Learners, a Web site that provides educators with timely information about the education of English language learners. The site contains information on policy, assessment, and working with parents. In addition, it highlights key organizations and experts in the field of educating English language learners and grant opportunities.

North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL) Resources

Ahead of the Curve: An Overview of No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
www.ncrel.org/policy/curve/overview.htm
This Web site provides information on the NCLB Act for states and educators seeking to understand the implications of the legislation.

Understanding the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001: English Proficiency
www.ncrel.org/litweb/qkey5/index.html
The fifth document in the highly successful Quick Key series, this publication provides readers with quick access to Title III requirements as they pertain to LEP students.

Closing the Achievement Gaps
www.ncrel.org/gap/
This Web site is a Smart Library. Closing the Achievement Gaps centers around the topic of improving the academic achievement of historically underrepresented groups. Using a question-based format, this resource provides educators with current and relevant resources on closing achievement gaps.

Mastering the Mosaic—Framing Impact Factors to Aid Limited-English-Proficient Students in Mathematics and Science
www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/content/cntareas/math/ma700.htm
This Pathways to School Improvement Critical Issue focuses on the factors facing schools with increasing immigrant school populations. It reviews the various types of instructional programs and discusses the plethora of issues surrounding LEP students' successes in schools through the subjects of mathematics and science.

Using Technology to Support Limited-English-Proficient (LEP) Students' Learning Experiences
www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te900.htm
This document helps educators better understand how to use technology to address LEP students' learner needs across the curriculum.

Addressing Literacy Needs in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Classrooms
www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/content/cntareas/reading/li400.htm
This document helps educators address the literacy needs of LEP students within the context of the multicultural classroom.

Tecnología Para Todos: Using Technology to Break Through Language Barriers in Schools
www.ncrel.org/info/nlp/lpf02/todos.htm
This article, which was published in the Fall 2002 issue of NCREL's Learning Point magazine, focuses on the use of technology as a tool to breaking communication barriers for LEP students.

enGauge
www.ncrel.org/engauge/
The enGauge^® framework is a tool that helps schools and school districts use technology more effectively. The primary audience is schools and school districts. A number of other individuals and groups will also find enGauge a valuable resource. The enGauge Web site consists of three major components: (1) a framework for understanding the systemwide factors that influence the effective use of educational technology, (2) an online assessment tool that districts and schools can use to measure systemwide effectiveness, and (3) a menu of "high-impact," technology-based resources matched to a school's and/or individual's profile.

John Edward Porter Professional Development Center
www.portercenter.org
The Porter Professional Development Center is committed to improving student learning by helping educators meet state standards and federal requirements. The center's staff members and consultants customize services to address the specific needs of each client, such as building leadership, making well-integrated and aligned professional development plans, and using research-based products.

Date posted: December 17, 2003