Best Anna Castillo Podcasts (2024)

1
S12/E9: Addressing the social-emotional needs of migrant and EL students with Dr. Sonia Soltero 37:19

2M ago37:19

37:19

We made it to the last episode of Season 12 - and I couldn’t be happier with our guest and the topics we covered. Dr. Sonia Soltero has been a contributor and collaborator in our community since the very beginning. She is currently working with Chicago Public Schools to help support newcomers, so we are excited to bring her on again to share the ex…

1
S12/E8: Leveraging family advocacy to close learning gaps with Sofía Núñez 50:44

3M ago50:44

50:44

Welcome back to Highest Aspirations, an education podcast focused on providing educators with inspiration and strategies to help multilingual learners achieve their highest aspirations. In this episode, our interview is conducted by Sandra Medrano-Arroya, Ellevation’s National Director of Multilingual Learner Success, who speaks with Sofía Núñez of…

1
S12/E7: Improving outcomes and long-term trajectories for Multilingual Learners with David Nungaray 39:05

3M ago39:05

39:05

Welcome back to Highest Aspirations, an education podcast focused on providing educators with inspiration and strategies to help multilingual learners achieve their highest aspirations. In this episode, we zoom out some to talk about what happens after multilingual learners and other students from marginalized communities leave K-12 schools and wha…

1
S12/E6: Teaching academic language at the discourse level with Diane Staehr Fenner and Syndey Snyder 49:33

4M ago49:33

49:33

In this week's episode, we're looking closely at teaching and learning academic language with our friends Diane Staehr Fenner and Sydney Snyder. We discuss the need to bring in sociocultural context and background knowledge that our students bring with them. We also get into how we can avoid taking a one-size-fits-all approach and personalize learn…

1
S12/E5: Fostering leadership in EL families with Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch 43:55

4M ago43:55

43:55

What are the primary challenges EL families are facing in their communities and how can programs like FLI address them? How did COVID and other recent challenges in the education world impact absenteeism for students, and how can those issues be repaired? How can we support parents and families to address trauma they have experienced in order to im…

1
S12/E4: Harnessing the power of self-reflection to personalize professional growth with Shélynn Riel and Anna Ciriani-Dean 49:39

5M ago49:39

49:39

On this episode of Highest Aspirations, we explore the importance of building personalized professional learning opportunities that provide educators with opportunities to continuously reflect on their work. Our guests Shélynn (Shey) Riel and Anna Ciriani-Dean provide simple frameworks within an experiential learning cycle designed to improve instr…

1
S12/E3: Empowering every educator to be a teacher of language with Dr. Sarah Schmidt de Carranza 49:31

5M ago49:31

49:31

On this episode of Highest Aspirations, we take a deep dive into how professional learning can help create and nurture the skillsets and the mindsets educators need to best serve multilingual learners. We challenge the often idealized assumption that “every teacher is a teacher of language” and explore ways to make that a reality rather than a desi…

1
S12/E2: Fostering equity through Culturally Responsive Teaching with Dr. Sharroky Hollie 51:28

6M ago51:28

51:28

What is cultural linguistic responsiveness and what does this look like in action in the classroom? What are some of the biggest challenges facing the school system in becoming more culturally responsive, and what are some steps to take to address them? How can professional development be an effective lever in improving cultural responsiveness in a…

1
S12/E1: Making connections between languages to boost literacy with Dr. Sandra Mercuri 47:27

6M ago47:27

47:27

What are cross-linguistic connections, and how can they be used to develop metalinguistic awareness? How can pulling in both English and home languages during instruction actually accelerate learning, among other benefits? How can this holistic approach to language learning lead to biliteracy? We discuss these questions and much more with Dr. Sandr…

1
S11/E10: Season 11 Wrapped 6:17

7M ago6:17

6:17

In this shortened final episode before holiday break, we're sharing out a few highlights from the season and what's to come when we get back. As always, thanks for listening, we wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season and will be back with new episodes January 16th, 2024! Visit https://ellevationeducation.com/el-community for more free conten…

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S11/E9: Dual Language programs: Improve quality and ensure equity with Conor Williams 58:16

7M ago58:16

58:16

In this episode of Highest Aspirations, we're discussing dual language programs: what key features make them successful, how we make them more equitable, the steps we can take to further progress in the dual language movement, and much more. For this conversation, we're interviewing Conor Williams, a senior fellow at The Century Foundation, where h…

1
S11/E8: Student perspective for improving school experience for children of immigrants with Falmari Rojas-Barrios. 35:14

8M ago35:14

35:14

Welcome back to Highest Aspirations, an education podcast focused on providing educators with inspiration and strategies to help multilingual learners achieve their highest aspirations. In our last episode, we spoke with Dr. Joanna Dreby and Dr. Eric Macias about the work they are doing facilitate meaningful discussions among undergraduate students…

1
S11/E7: Independent study for gathering & sharing immigration stories with Dr. Joanna Dreby and Dr. Eric Macias 58:15

8M ago58:15

58:15

We have a repeat guest on Highest Aspirations today. I first talked with Dr. Joanna Dreby and some of her students back in March of 2022. We discussed the challenges that US-born children of immigrants face in school, family, and social environments. The two episodes we did were really eye-opening for me and many of our listeners. Joanna and one of…

1
S11/E6: Combating compassion fatigue: Self-care for educators with Dorina Sackman-Ebuwa 1:01:17

9M ago1:01:17

1:01:17

How has a misinterpretation of “self-care” led to burnout in the education field? How can heightened emotional intelligence improve our ability to understand and manage our emotions, particularly when advocating for our MLLs? What are some improvements or changes we can call for in the educational ecosystem to provide better, meaningful emotional s…

1
S11/E5: A real conversation about how implicit bias impacts student expectations & potential with Amy King and Yvonne Williams 50:44

9M ago50:44

50:44

How can we determine the difference between pushing our language learners to productive struggle vs. past their frustration point? What can educators do to intentionally address or decrease the impact that our own implicit bias may have on our expectations for our students? How can we support students, particularly multilingual learners, in un-lear…

1
S11/E4: School-wide systems of improvement for more equitable instruction with Sarah Ottow 50:48

10M ago50:48

50:48

What role do identity and ‘social location’ play for educators and how can we be more intentional about updating the education systems we work in? How can we implement a school wide system of support for educators and a culture that encourages collaboration and empathy? What is some advice or a good starting point for educators who feel overwhelmed…

1
S11/E3: Empowering bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural students with NABE TOY Sonia Águila 48:07

10M ago48:07

48:07

How can teachers use relationship building to improve learning outcomes for hesitant or disconnected students? How can we encourage our students to embrace and celebrate their bilingualism? We dive into these questions and more with Sonia Águila, a California dual language teacher who has been recognized in her district, her state, and nationally f…

1
S11/E2: Creating environments for intrinsic motivation to flourish with Larry Ferlazzo 50:40

11M ago50:40

50:40

How can we apply the four aspects of self-determination theory to increasing opportunities for intrinsic motivation to flourish? What can teachers do in their classrooms to make their students, particularly MLLs, feel more connected to their learning? Why is it important to find a healthy balance between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation for stude…

1
S11/E1: Learn to discuss, discuss to learn with Dr. Mariana Castro 50:51

11M ago50:51

50:51

What is the difference between all student talk and discussions? How can teachers plan for meaningful discussion opportunities for all students, particularly MLLs? What research-proven strategies are there for creating, maintaining and repairing community and relationships in the classroom? We discuss these questions and more with Dr. Mariana Castr…

1
S10/E10: Innovative Approaches to Newcomer Programs with Kimberly Mitchell 43:56

1y ago43:56

43:56

How can we support educators in the wake of a significant change, such as integrating newcomers into schools after dissolving all designated newcomer centers? What techniques can be used to best support teachers who are inexperienced with newcomers, including structuring PD and harnessing campus leadership? What is a good approach when preparing st…

1
S10/E9: An overview of the history of ELs in education policy with Ellevation co-founder Teddy Rice 52:21

1y ago52:21

52:21

What are some key rulings during the history of EL policy and their impact on education equity and access? What challenges are multilingual students currently facing in education and how have policies helped overcome or exacerbate them? How can we better advocate for ELs in policy and legislation? We discuss this question and more with Ellevation c…

1
S10/E8: The future of AI in K12 Education with Chris Mah 52:13

1y ago52:13

52:13

How is AI currently being used to support MLLs in K12 education? What challenges and concerns currently surround the increasing presence of AI in the classroom? How might this technology transform the work of educators moving forward? We get into these topics and more with our guest Chris Mah. Chris is a first-year doctoral student in the Stanford …

1
S10/E7: Embracing mathematical mindsets to improve instruction for MLLs with Adrian Mendoza 51:03

1+ y ago51:03

51:03

What are three mathematical mindsets that can guide instruction for MLs and help them thrive? How can teachers approach academic conversations and building in differentiation in a way that won’t feel overwhelming? What can teachers do to ensure they are building in time for high-quality interactions while delivering instruction? We discuss these qu…

1
S10/E6: Tasting history: How sharing a recipe can connect cultures featuring 3 students from Lowell High School 26:52

1+ y ago26:52

26:52

Welcome back to a special episode of Highest Aspirations. Our guests this week are 3 students from Lowell High School in Massachusetts. I was introduced to them through our friend Jessica Lander, who has appeared on the podcast and facilitated an inspiring session at our annual IMPACT conference last year. She also happens to be the teacher of our …

1
S10/E5: Supporting Long Term English Learners - Start by Changing the Label with Tan Huynh and Beth Skelton 55:26

1+ y ago55:26

55:26

Is the term “Long Term English Learners” limiting opportunities and academic achievement for this subgroup of students? How can we help these students by uncovering the “hidden curriculum” of language in lessons in order to scaffold support from input to output? What strategies can be used for a school-wide implementation of these practices that fo…

1
S10/E4: Collaborating with reluctant teachers in support of multilingual learners with Dr. Andrea Honigsfeld and Valentina Gonzalez 54:36

1+ y ago54:36

54:36

How can we support or encourage reluctant colleagues to increase collaboration in order to support MLLs? How can we help educators unlearn the often negative perceptions of dreaded observations by administrators and fellow teachers so they can collaborate more effectively? Do schools that have effective collaborative practices in place retain more …

1
S10/E3: Improving processes for giving and receiving feedback with Dr. Esteban Hernandez 48:45

1+ y ago48:45

48:45

How can we give colleagues feedback in a way that is timely and actionable, and what impact can we expect when this is done effectively? What foundational elements to a working relationship must be present before feedback can be given and received? What kinds of information do principals and school leaders need to have and to share prior to beginni…

1
S10/E2: How educators can self-direct their professional learning with Carol Salva, Tan Huynh, and Katie Toppel 1:04:46

1+ y ago1:04:46

1:04:46

What are some benefits we have seen from the rise of virtual professional development opportunities since the pandemic? How can educators drive self-directed professional learning that can lead to deeper knowledge and sustained results? How can school leaders best support high-quality PD opportunities? This week we bring back two familiar contribut…

1
S10/E1: Nebraska’s 2022 Teacher of the Year is an EL Teacher - We discuss what is working in EL education 49:04

1+ y ago49:04

49:04

What are some common misconceptions about EL/SLIFE students and ESL instruction? How can professional development be leveraged to help educators support multilingual learners? What are some particularly effective instructional strategies for multilingual learners in mainstream classrooms? We discuss these questions and more in an impassioned discus…

1
S9/E10: 2022 Learnings and 2023 Predictions with Sandra Medrano-Arroyo 51:37

1+ y ago51:37

51:37

How has family engagement evolved post-pandemic remote learning? Why has online professional learning had staying-power after schools reopened? What are some predictions for trends and changes in store for education in 2023? We’re concluding Season 9 of Highest Aspirations by reflecting on what has been a year full of learning how to best serve our…

1
S9/E9: Collaborative Support for Multilingual Learners with Disabilities with Dr. Sara Kangas 45:05

1+ y ago45:05

45:05

This interview is episode 9 from Season 9 of Highest Aspirations, a podcast from Ellevation where we engage in important conversations about the most rapidly growing student demographic in the United States - English Language Learners. What impacts have we seen on recent policy changes to reclassification or exiting of ELs with disabilities? How ca…

1
S9/E8: How to Cultivate a Sense of Belonging for Immigrant-origin Students with Jessica Lander 59:09

1+ y ago59:09

59:09

What are the essential elements of success for learning communities to support immigrant students? How can incorporating storytelling into the classroom be used to build empathy and understanding for both students and educators? What are examples of innovative programs or collaborative approaches that are successfully improving outcomes for newcome…

1
S9/E7: Giving Teachers What They Need to Support Multilingual Learners with Renae Skarin 49:48

1+ y ago49:48

49:48

What challenges are teachers facing with the curriculum often provided by their district regarding multilingual learner instruction? What role do stakeholders such as content creators, educational leaders, and community advocates play in improving curriculum? Where are we already seeing positive changes in inclusive curriculum and how can we replic…

1
S9/E6: Ensuring Refugees and Newcomers Receive the Education They Deserve with Jo Napolitano 46:32

1+ y ago46:32

46:32

What are some flawed perceptions of immigrant and refugee students and how can these impact the education they receive? What policies or district practices have been barriers to newcomer or immigrant students receiving the full extent of education promised to them by law? How is “moving students through” the education system without adequate suppor…

1
S9/E5: Using ESSER Funds to Support Multilingual Learners with Rosario Quiroz Villareal and Cici Matheny 38:51

2y ago38:51

38:51

What parameters do districts have for spending ARP ESSER funds, specifically relating to multilingual learners? How are some districts already using these funds to offer high impact supports for their language learners? What guidance can we offer educators who want to advocate for their district to include and even prioritize this population of stu…

1
S9/E4: Unpacking the Relationship Between Literacy and Math with Diane Kue 38:28

2y ago38:28

38:28

What does research show about the importance of literacy skills when solving math and specifically word problems? How can educators prioritize and build in academic conversations into their classroom routines? What can teachers do to marry math and language so that multilingual learners can engage with the content more deeply? We discuss these ques…

1
S9/E3: Implementing Sustainable Professional Development with Leticia Trower 46:03

2y ago46:03

46:03

What are some positive outcomes from the uptick in Virtual PD that came out of the pandemic? How can administrators roll out professional development in a way that is both sustainable and sustained? In what ways can educators take an asset-based approach in how they speak about their students, specifically multilingual learners? We discuss these qu…

1
S9/Bonus Episode: Meet Yerahm and Bryan, Two Recipients of the 2022 Ellevation Scholarship 23:40

2y ago23:40

23:40

This interview is a bonus episode from Season 9 of Highest Aspirations, a podcast from Ellevation where we engage in important conversations about the most rapidly growing student demographic in the United States - English Language Learners. We got a chance to speak with Bryan Fernandez and Yerahm Hong, two recipients of the 2022 Ellevation Scholar…

1
S9/E2: Embracing Spanglish as Translanguaging in the Classroom with Alexandra Medrano 39:41

2y ago39:41

39:41

How can educators shift their practice from tearing down students for translanguaging or using “Spanglish” to building this up? How can tactics like co-teaching and professional learning opportunities be leveraged to support multilingual students and create more equitable classrooms? What can educators do to incorporate their students’ entire lingu…

1
S9/E1: Crafting Content, Language, and Culture Learning Targets with Dr. José Medina 50:47

2y ago50:47

50:47

What are culture learning targets and why are they critical for creating non-oppressive learning environments? How can individual teachers lesson plan in a way that can disrupt the status quo of a monolingual centric approach to learning? How can educators support their multilingual learners in making cross-linguistic connections and fostering a pr…

1
S8/E13: Creating Intentional Opportunities to Improve Listening Comprehension with Paul Hernandez and Theresa Blanchard 51:33

2y ago51:33

51:33

Why is it necessary to explicitly teach and foster listening skills, specifically for language learners? What tools and activities can be used to practice listening in a culturally responsive and engaging way for all students? What do authentic conversations and listening comprehension activities sound like, and how can educators more effectively e…

1
S8/E12: Providing Equitable Assessments to Identify Gifted English Learners with Dr. Jack Naglieri 48:20

2y ago48:20

48:20

What are some of the biggest obstacles for multilingual learners in many widely used intelligence tests? How can assessments be altered to more accurately test thinking rather than language skills or content knowledge? As more students are identified as gifted and talented with more accurate testing, how can teachers begin to better support these s…

1
S8/E11: Helping Newcomers Cross the Finish Line: Graduation and Beyond with Pamela Broussard 52:22

2y ago52:22

52:22

What vital roles do social and cultural capital play in determining the opportunities available to new arrivals? How can peers be leveraged to help newcomers cross the we/them divide while growing academically? What does it mean for new arrivals to “cross the finish line” and what are a few key steps educators can take to help them get there? We di…

1
S8/E10: The Role of Teacher Identity in Culturally Responsive Instruction with Tanji Reed Marshall 53:42

2y ago53:42

53:42

How can concepts like “teacher identity” and “learning leader” transform how educators show up in the classroom? What is the difference between directive and generative scaffolding, and how can one be significantly more constructive for ELs? What roles can deep culture, identity, and instructional power play in crafting more equitable teaching styl…

1
S8/E9: An Inside Look into the 7 Steps to a Language Rich Classroom with Author John Seidlitz 56:08

2y ago56:08

56:08

How does the teaching outlined in his book 7 Steps to a Language Rich classroom help bridge the gap between research and practice? What outcomes or impact has John and his team seen on student performance in classrooms where the 7 steps methodology has been implemented? What would John say to educators who may be interested in trying the 7 Steps bu…

1
Bonus Episode: Meet 2021 Ellevation Scholarship Recipient Shreya Rohatgi 34:05

2y ago34:05

34:05

How can relationship building and interpersonal connection play a vital role in English learners developing a love of reading? What can educators do to encourage students to move outside of their comfort zone at school, especially when it comes to reading academic content? How can providing students with leadership opportunities enhance learning an…

1
S8/E8: Why Decoding Isn’t Enough for Literacy: The Path Toward Comprehension with Dr. Kathy Escamilla and Dr. Sue Hopewell 47:19

2+ y ago47:19

47:19

What is the relationship between decoding and comprehension when reading, and why is it important for educators to prioritize both? Why are key literacy resources like school librarians or educational media specialists and classroom libraries growing scarce and what are the consequences? How can listeners begin to take steps on a micro and macro le…

1
S8/E7: Student's Perspective: Challenges that US Born Children of Immigrants Face with Rachel Lim, Iliana Perez and Falmari Rojas (Part 2) 33:26

2+ y ago33:26

33:26

We are back with part two of our series exploring the challenges that US born children of immigrants. In part one of the series we spoke with sociologist, author and professor Dr. Joanna Dreby about the work she has done in this space. This week we hear from three undergraduate and graduate students who understand this experience firsthand and work…

1
S8/E6: Sociologist's Perspective: Challenges that US Born Children of Immigrants Face with Joanna Dreby (Part 1) 37:21

2+ y ago37:21

37:21

How are the challenges and experiences of English learners born in the US different than those who have recently arrived and why is so important for educators to understand them? In what ways does family members’ citizenship status and fear of deportation or separation affect these students? What kinds of social-emotional supports can educators lev…

1
S8/E5: Identifying and Supporting Gifted and Talented Multilingual Learners with Marcy Voss 40:43

2+ y ago40:43

40:43

Here are some questions we discuss in this episode with our guest Marcy Voss. Why are multilingual learners so often overlooked and underrepresented in gifted and talented programs in schools? How can educators better identify the many gifted English learners, and adopt an asset-based approach moving forward? What are some strategies teachers can u…

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