Cultural and Linguistic Diversity Institute

Amy Heineke

About the Institute

The Teaching CLD Students Institute is designed to connect teachers and leaders with timely, relevant resources aimed at supporting the increasingly diversified student body in classrooms and schools across our nation. Through this Institute you can access five CLD Learning Paths, take part in collaborative discussions, and explore multimedia resources to help strengthen your professional practice.

About Amy Heineke

Dr. Amy Heineke is a Professor of Bilingual Education at Loyola University Chicago and an Educational Consultant. Dr. Heineke guides districts and school leaders in designing learning environments and creating appropriate supports and structures to support the social, emotional, cultural, linguistic, and academic development and achievement of emerging bilinguals.

Learning Paths in the Teaching CLD Students Institute

Building Awareness on Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in School

Build an awareness of the rich cultural and linguistic diversity in schools in this introductory course by Dr. Amy Heineke. Participants will investigate the increasing cultural and linguistic diversity in US schools, compare approaches to teaching culturally and linguistically diverse students, describe the policies that influence practice with CLD students in schools, deconstruct the various labels used to define CLD students in schools, and explain the importance of discerning students’ diverse backgrounds and abilities.

3.5 hours

Designing Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Classrooms

This course prioritizes the classroom environment, recognizing that a classroom’s culture, physical layout, and print-rich environment can serve to welcome diverse learners and positively foster their social, emotional, cultural, linguistic, and academic development. Participants will describe ways to foster relationships and build rapport among students and teachers, analyze how classroom structures and procedures influence students’ participation, summarize how student interaction fosters learning and language development, explore how the physical layout of classrooms influences student interaction, explain environmental print scaffolds for learning and language development and analyze the role and inclusion of native language in print-rich classroom environment.

3.5 hours

Planning Instruction to Promote Disciplinary Language Development

Planning Instruction to Promote Disciplinary Language Development focuses on how to plan instruction to provide culturally and linguistically diverse students access to rigorous academic content teaching and learning, as well as prioritize learners’ development of discipline-specific language functions and features. Participants will consider the role of language in disciplinary instruction and design instruction to foster disciplinary language development.

3.5 hours

Integrating Culturally Relevant Materials into Classroom Instruction

This course considers the texts and materials utilized to mediate learning in classrooms, emphasizing the need to select and integrate high-quality resources that have direct relevance to students’ unique and diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Participants will learn how to find, select, and integrate high-quality culturally relevant texts and materials into classroom instruction as a means to promote culturally and linguistically diverse students’ learning, language development, and academic achievement.

3.5 hours

Advocating for Diverse Students across Schools

This Learning Path focuses on probing educational equity and advocacy including the topics of institutional racism, ideological and structural barriers, and equity via educational advocacy.

3.5 hours

Strategic Planning Session

Your leaders can meet with Amy Heineke for a one-hour virtual session to help kick-start your engagement in the CLD Institute! Get tips on how to best implement and engage in this professional learning experience.

Teacher Webinar

Your teachers and leaders can meet with Amy Heineke for a one-hour virtual webinar prior to or during your engagement in the Institute. Amy will help make the content come alive for participants and get them excited to dive into the learning!

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