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Teacher Educators as Students: A University Shares its Faculty ESOL Professional Development Model
Author(s) -
Verkler Karen W.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
foreign language annals
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.258
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1944-9720
pISSN - 0015-718X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1944-9720.2003.tb01471.x
Subject(s) - professional development , faculty development , flexibility (engineering) , metropolitan area , teacher education , pedagogy , legislation , psychology , medical education , higher education , mathematics education , sociology , political science , management , medicine , pathology , law , economics
In 1990, the Florida Department of Education was sued by several minority organizations for neglecting the needs of students of ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages). Subsequently, legislation mandated that teachers of ESOL students must complete extensive training. Thus, beginning in 1991, school districts were required to provide staff development to most of their teachers. In 1996, this responsibility was transferred to Florida colleges of education. Unfortunately, most teacher educators lacked expertise in ESOL strategies. To address this issue, the colleges of education created various professional development models, one of which was implemented at a large, metropolitan university in Central Florida. The model, eclectic in nature, provided the flexibility in delivery that the faculty required and serves as a model for faculty professional development at all levels of instruction.