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Using geospatial technology to teach language and content to English learners
Author(s) -
Kangas Sara E. N.,
Hammond Thomas C.,
Bodzin Alec M.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
tesol journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.468
H-Index - 14
eISSN - 1949-3533
pISSN - 1056-7941
DOI - 10.1002/tesj.422
Subject(s) - curriculum , geospatial analysis , mathematics education , pedagogy , language acquisition , curriculum development , computer science , sociology , psychology , geography , remote sensing
It has been well documented that English learners ( EL s) in U.S. secondary schools have limited access to rigorous content area curriculum, in particular science. Yet watering down or forgoing content area instruction compromises the short‐ and long‐term academic trajectories of EL s. Thus, the need for science curricula that marries rich learning opportunities with language support continues to be a pressing need in EL education. This article draws on an innovative inquiry‐based science curriculum to demonstrate how geospatial technologies can be utilized to provide EL s with rigorous academic and second language learning opportunities. The featured curriculum includes tasks that engage students in locally relevant issues and draws on principles of second language acquisition and geospatial learning. The curriculum ultimately demonstrates how opportunities to learn can be cultivated for EL s as well as other language learners in a wide range of academic contexts.