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

Highest Aspirations

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 Castro.

Dr. Mariana Castro is the Director of the Multilingual Learning Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is also a lead curriculum designer and instructor for the Discussion Project. You can read Mariana’s full bio on our show notes and in the blog post featured on the EL Community.

This season, we’ll cover a variety of important topics, including fostering motivation among students, empowering teachers and students with agency, nurturing strong relationships with students and their families, and much more. But these conversations are just the entry point into a wide variety of free, high-quality multimedia content. As always, our team will transform each episode into digestible blog posts, useful graphics, and compelling posts on social media and post them on our EL Community page.

Speaking of social media and community, I am excited to announce the launch of our new Ellevation Educator Facebook Group. The group’s primary goal is to foster meaningful connections among educators who support English learners in their schools. In this inclusive space, we encourage members to engage in thoughtful discussions, exchange valuable insights, and share best practices that empower multilingual students on their language journey. This group warmly welcomes all levels of expertise - whether you're an experienced educator, seasoned advocate of English learners or just starting to explore the world of multilingual education. To join, just search for Ellevation Educator Community under the Groups tab on Facebook. Then go ahead and post on the group to let us know what you learned from this episode.

Subscribe to the show here: https://open.spotify.com/show/0W4CYdurgYRIwFGif3H6Qk

Visit our EL Community page for episode resources, related content and more. Download the episode transcript here.