Papers by Karla del Rosal
Urban Education, Dec 13, 2019
Schools are increasingly using technology to connect with families. Yet, we still know little abo... more Schools are increasingly using technology to connect with families. Yet, we still know little about how technology shapes parent engagement-particularly for low-income Latinx families. Garnering insights from the Ecologies of Parental Engagement framework and wide-ranging qualitative data, we explore Latinx engagement at an urban, high-tech elementary school. Findings suggest that technology and language independently and concurrently shaped engagement. Within school-based spaces (e.g., cafeteria, classroom), engagement also manifested differently depending on parents' resources and the particular space's rules and norms. In each space, parents overcame barriers to interact and invest-virtually or physically-in their children's schooling. Implications are discussed.
Investigating Science Teachers Informal Formative Assessment Practices Addressing Science Academic Language in Emergent Bilinguals
This exploratory study investigated issues that emerge from the use of informal formative assessm... more This exploratory study investigated issues that emerge from the use of informal formative assessment (IFA) to address science academic language (SAL) of emergent bilinguals (EBs) in science classrooms. It addressed for the first time IFA considering the needs of EBs in classrooms and their process of SAL development. This study highlighted the need for continuing investigating IFA under this perspective to obtain a better understanding of how to serve EBs in content classrooms. Participants were four teachers with different backgrounds and 12 of their EB students. Data sources were classroom videos and participants’ interviews. Data sources were segmented, organized, and codified to identify characteristics of IFA practices relevant to EBs’ SAL development. These characteristics included: IFA activities, sampling procedures, and SAL features addressed. Narratives of teachers’ practices were developed. Frequencies of codes were calculated. Patterns in practices were identified. Results showed that teachers engaged in IFA that could be beneficial for EB students’ SAL development. They also showed that they had opportunities to improve these practices. Teachers used IFA to address EBs’ SAL in most of the instructional events. Teachers clarified how SAL would be used, gathered information about SAL skills, and acted on this information. However, they mainly focused on linguistic skills and on making meaning through these skills. In most classrooms, EBs participated in IFA for SAL more frequently than the research expected
Teacher Education Quarterly, 2020
A considerable body of research has suggested that without appropriate supports and learning oppo... more A considerable body of research has suggested that without appropriate supports and learning opportunities on the job, beginning teachers are unlikely to develop effective instructional practices and find success. Informal supports, such as teachers' advice networks, have received less attention in research and policy yet can serve as substantial supports for teachers' development. In this study, we follow Baker-Doyle and define a teacher's intentional professional network (IPN) to be the set of people to whom the teacher chooses to go for advice or information about teaching. In this study, we investigated how first-year teachers participating in an alternative certification partnership were supported by different individuals over the course of their first year of teaching. In particular, we analyzed their IPNs, col
Appropriating formative assessment as a tool for assessing and promoting mathematical academic language among English language learners: A case study
Integrating Technology: Using Science and Technology to Protect Urban Water Sources
Science Scope, 2018
Urban Education, 2019
Schools are increasingly using technology to connect with families. Yet, we still know little abo... more Schools are increasingly using technology to connect with families. Yet, we still know little about how technology shapes parent engagement—particularly for low-income Latinx families. Garnering insights from the Ecologies of Parental Engagement framework and wide-ranging qualitative data, we explore Latinx engagement at an urban, high-tech elementary school. Findings suggest that technology and language independently and concurrently shaped engagement. Within school-based spaces (e.g., cafeteria, classroom), engagement also manifested differently depending on parents’ resources and the particular space’s rules and norms. In each space, parents overcame barriers to interact and invest—virtually or physically—in their children’s schooling. Implications are discussed.
Computer Assisted Language Learning, 2017
Due to demographic changes, there is a growing number of adolescent students who learn in classro... more Due to demographic changes, there is a growing number of adolescent students who learn in classrooms in which their teacher and peers come from cultural and linguistic backgrounds that are different from theirs. In these diverse classrooms, teachers need to be able to facilitate language learning spaces that are welcoming for all children, regardless of their backgrounds. Considering this need, the purpose of this study is to examine how 11 teachers, acting as language mentors of 11 high school English learners, demonstrated intercultural communication and cultural responsiveness during their participation in a 10-week telecollaboration project. To this end, online interactions and the teacher mentors' weekly reflection journals were analyzed. From these analyses, three highly productive relationships were selected and their interactions were analyzed to better understand teachers' approaches to intercultural communication and cultural responsiveness and the role that the identities of teachers and students displayed in both processes. The study findings show that teachers who displayed an online identity as friends or as joint learners offered student mentees the opportunity to lead the conversation, to be recognized as they wanted to be recognized online, and to participate in learning tasks that reflected and engaged them. This study highlights the different needs of adolescent English learners, the complexity of their identities, and the importance of English teachers' dispositions to be humble and open to learn about both.
Intercultural bilingual educational policies for transnational Indigenous communities: School experiences of the Wichí-Weenhayek people on the Argentinean-Bolivian border
Bilingual Research Journal, 2016
ABSTRACT Utilizing Ruiz’s (1984, 1995) language orientation and language policy work, this ethnog... more ABSTRACT Utilizing Ruiz’s (1984, 1995) language orientation and language policy work, this ethnographic study compared two intercultural bilingual education (IBE) schools located in two Wichí-Weenhayek communities on both sides of the Argentinean-Bolivian border. We examined Wichí-Weenhayek and non-Indigenous teachers’ profiles, teacher-student interactions, and school-community relations. Findings showed that Wichí-Weenhayek teachers in Argentina played only teacher-aid roles and were unable to promote the Wichí language as resource. Although the Wichí-Weenhayek teachers in Bolivia taught in both languages and were in charge of instruction, these teachers did not have enough pedagogical training or materials to meet the language-as-right and language-as-resource goals of their IBE program. Regarding teacher-students interactions, the non-Indigenous teachers in Argentina used a teacher-centered model of instruction, while in Bolivia, teachers commonly interacted with their students using Wichí and employed more student-centered strategies. Finally, the school-community relationship in Argentina only happened in school because the non-Indigenous principal and teachers did not live in the same town as their students. In Bolivia, on the other hand, children and families commonly interacted with their Wichí-Weenhayek teachers inside and outside the school because all of them lived in the same town. Implications for the development of IBE programs that serve transnational Indigenous communities are discussed here.
International journal of computer-assisted language learning and teaching, Jul 1, 2016
This study contributes to a growing research base investigating how teachers interact and learn f... more This study contributes to a growing research base investigating how teachers interact and learn from each other in online communities of practice. It specifically investigates the online mentoring conversations between five cohorts of in-service mentor teachers that participated in graduate-level courses about language pedagogy and their mentee pre-service teachers, while they discussed effective practices for English learner (EL) students. The authors used qualitative methods to ask what types of knowledge and skills related to ELs' instruction the participating mentor teachers displayed when they were situated in the role of online mentors of mentee pre-service teachers. Findings showed that mentor teachers demonstrated knowledge and skills in adjusting general learning strategies to support ELs, in applying language development strategies to teach academic language in English, and in using emotional strategies to offer ELs a welcoming environment. Findings also showed that mentor teachers found a favorable space in the online mentoring environment to position themselves as teacher leaders and ELs' advocates.
Affordances and Task Design
Routledge eBooks, Jun 14, 2018
Teachers Learning to Teach English Learners in an Online Community of Practice in an Urban District
Advances in educational technologies and instructional design book series, 2018
Teachers Learning to Teach English Learners in an Online Community of Practice in an Urban District
Research Anthology on Facilitating New Educational Practices Through Communities of Learning, 2021
This chapter reports on a study that investigated the knowledge and skills for teaching English l... more This chapter reports on a study that investigated the knowledge and skills for teaching English learners (ELs) that in-service teachers displayed during their participation in an online community of practice. Teachers' conversations were analyzed using a priory and inductive codes. Findings showed that teachers demonstrated an understanding of practices that support ELs in overcoming language demands that disciplinary content standards in the U.S. pose, including promoting ELs' participation, teaching language within content and in the four modes, assessing ELs' progress during instruction, and offering differentiated language scaffolds. The online community of practice offered in-service teachers an environment in which they engaged in learning tasks related to theories that they had learned and to their practice. Online communities of practice can facilitate information flow, peer collaboration, and content application in teacher preparation programs. However, tasks ne...
Affordances and Task Design
Screens and Scenes, 2018
International Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and Teaching, 2016
This study contributes to a growing research base investigating how teachers interact and learn f... more This study contributes to a growing research base investigating how teachers interact and learn from each other in online communities of practice. It specifically investigates the online mentoring conversations between five cohorts of in-service mentor teachers that participated in graduate-level courses about language pedagogy and their mentee pre-service teachers, while they discussed effective practices for English learner (EL) students. The authors used qualitative methods to ask what types of knowledge and skills related to ELs' instruction the participating mentor teachers displayed when they were situated in the role of online mentors of mentee pre-service teachers. Findings showed that mentor teachers demonstrated knowledge and skills in adjusting general learning strategies to support ELs, in applying language development strategies to teach academic language in English, and in using emotional strategies to offer ELs a welcoming environment. Findings also showed that me...
Contextualizing the Ecuadorian National Science Curriculum: Perspectives of Science Teachers in the Galapagos Islands
International Perspectives on the Contextualization of Science Education, 2020
The Galapagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, is a volcanic archipelago located off the west coas... more The Galapagos Islands, a province of Ecuador, is a volcanic archipelago located off the west coast of South America. Although the narratives around the Galapagos continue to emphasize its pristine nature and unique flora and fauna, the conservation of the archipelago has been a source of concern to the international community in the past few years. Among the actions to be taken to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Galapagos Islands, in past reports, UNESCO identified education as one of the strategic areas in need of improvement. Prior research, however, has not addressed whether local teachers contextualize the education provided in local schools to address social and environmental issues in the unique socio-ecosystem the Galapagos Islands present. To shed light on this topic, this chapter presents the voices of 17 elementary and secondary science teachers as they discussed whether they have contextualized the Ecuadorian national science curriculum to address issues relevant to their unique environmental context. Our findings indicate that most of our participant teachers perceived a tension between their role in preparing the students to succeed in college by using the Ecuadorian national science curriculum and adapting the national curriculum to reflect issues important to the Galapagos archipelago. This tension reported by most teachers could be the result of several factors including the limited training teachers in Galapagos had around the national curriculum due to the distance between the archipelago and the continent, delays in receiving teaching materials and other educational resources, and a lack of in-depth discussion in Galapagos society around the social and biological aspects that contribute to the environmental degradation of the islands. Implications for addressing the challenges of contextualizing science education curricula in protected areas are discussed here.
Research in Science Education, 2019
Informal formative assessments (IFAs) are classroom interactions teachers use to gather informati... more Informal formative assessments (IFAs) are classroom interactions teachers use to gather information about their students' learning, interpret it, and act on this information to achieve academic goals. One of the responses science teachers can enact as the result of IFA is constructing explanations to clarify science concepts to their students. Yet, there is scant research on the characteristics of IFA and the explanation practices that could support English Learners in their language and science knowledge development. In this study, we explored the IFA practices of one elementary and one secondary science teacher as they engaged with their students in constructing science explanations. Key findings indicate that teachers frequently co-constructed explanations with their English Learners as a response to IFA interactions. Yet, both teachers used explanations as a response to IFA unsystematically and not as a science development goal. In fact, both teachers used IFA mostly to assess students' language knowledge rather than their science understanding. Even when explanations were constructed to support English Learners' language, these explanations were only constructed orally and teachers' corrections mostly focused on language form (e.g., vocabulary, correct syntax) rather than on language function (i.e., how language is used to construct clear explanations). Finally, our study shows that for explanations to be effectively used with English Learners, teachers need to conduct adequate sampling of their students' science knowledge and language skills by creating structures that allow them to participate in classroom interactions. Implications for IFA and science explanations research and practice are discussed here.
Bilingual Research Journal
We investigated the experiences of 12 bilingual teacher candidates as they participated in a non-... more We investigated the experiences of 12 bilingual teacher candidates as they participated in a non-traditional teacher education program implemented in the context of a partnership between a university, a non-profit organization, and an urban school district. Using the lens of Cultural Historical Activity Theory and Latinx Critical Race Theory, we analyzed participating teachers' interviews, reflection logs, and partnership artifacts. Findings showed that teacher candidates identified positive and negative affordances from participating in the teacher education partnership. Bilingual teacher candidates reported that urban schools were challenging settings to develop their practice and that they had less access to instructional resources and mentors than general education (English-only) teachers. Additional negative affordances included inconsistent expectations between the partnership members with respect to high-quality bilingual education and a mismatch between candidates' educational backgrounds and the subjects they were assigned to teach. Positive affordances of the partnership were being part of a cohort of teachers, having access to specialized bilingual mentors, and getting training relevant to their practices. Bilingual teacher candidates reported that these positive affordances allowed them to discuss issues of equity in their schools and identify ways to advocate for their students. Factors regarding equity in the allocation of educational resources and ways to bridge the gap between research and practice in designing programs that prepare bilingual teachers in urban settings via non-traditional programs are discussed.
Utilizing Ruiz’s (1984, 1995) language orientation and language policy work, this ethnographic st... more Utilizing Ruiz’s (1984, 1995) language orientation and language policy work, this ethnographic study compared two intercultural bilingual education (IBE) schools located in two Wichí-Weenhayek communities on both sides of the Argentinean-Bolivian border. We examined Wichí-Weenhayek and non-Indigenous teachers’ profiles, teacher-student interactions, and school-community relations. Findings showed that Wichí-Weenhayek teachers in Argentina played only teacher-aid roles and were unable to promote the Wichí language as resource. Although the Wichí-Weenhayek teachers in Bolivia taught in both languages and were in charge of instruction, these teachers did not have enough pedagogical training or materials to meet the language-as-right and
language-as-resource goals of their IBE program. Regarding teacher-students interactions, the non-Indigenous teachers in Argentina used a teacher-centered model of instruction, while in Bolivia, teachers commonly interacted with their students using Wichí and employed more student-centered strategies. Finally, the school-community relationship in Argentina only happened in school because the non-Indigenous principal and teachers did not live in the same town as their students. In Bolivia, on the other hand, children and families commonly interacted with their Wichí-Weenhayek teachers inside and outside the school because all of them lived in the same town. Implications for the development of IBE programs that serve transnational Indigenous communities are discussed here.
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Papers by Karla del Rosal
language-as-resource goals of their IBE program. Regarding teacher-students interactions, the non-Indigenous teachers in Argentina used a teacher-centered model of instruction, while in Bolivia, teachers commonly interacted with their students using Wichí and employed more student-centered strategies. Finally, the school-community relationship in Argentina only happened in school because the non-Indigenous principal and teachers did not live in the same town as their students. In Bolivia, on the other hand, children and families commonly interacted with their Wichí-Weenhayek teachers inside and outside the school because all of them lived in the same town. Implications for the development of IBE programs that serve transnational Indigenous communities are discussed here.