interactive, multilingual welcome address

1. Welcome the 30th ELL, Bilingual, and Migrant Education Conference River Center, St. Paul, Minnesota April 14 & 15, 2011

2. In how many languages can you say the word welcome

3. In how many languages can you say how are you?

4. In how many languages can you say the word English

6. If I were a student in your school… by RuslanaWesterlund If I were a student in your school… What would I see in the hallways? What would I see on the walls? Faces of the great presidents? Turkeys, feathers, Indians, Hispanic heritage month posters That come up in November come down by the end of December?

7. What would I hear by my locker? What would I feel in the lunchroom? Would I feel welcomed? or Would I be treated like a Hispanic token? Would I hear laughter behind my back? Would I be seen as somebody intelligent or Just an ESL student?

8. If I were a student in your reading class… Would I read Cat Sat on a Mat in sixth grade? Would I have to write about my vacation? Again and again and the weekend’s fun? Will I ever reach my true potential If I write another sentence “My weekend was fun”?

9. If I were a student in your class, Would you see me as a 21st century learner? Would I be creating, blogging, networking? Will my voice reach the farthest corner? Will I be asked to participate in the digital world Or be an outsider who is utterly bored?

10. I am a student in your class! I speak three languages or half of the two The school took away my first one And my second language is still new. I’m already on the outskirts of the academic content I want to learn science, biology, and words like circumvent. Yes, I want to engage, because I can! To design, analyze is more than skim and scan.

11. Yes, I need the fundamentals, Yes, I need to read and write But if my words are stuck on paper Who cares if the grammar is right? Who cares if I can decode if the words are on worksheets only? Who cares about literacy If it’s for the world in which you are lonely?

12. Can my words fly across the ocean? Can they reach uncharted places? Can they change this world even a little bit? Can they put smiles on children's faces? If so, I am lining up at the door! If not, then I need this no more! ©RuslanaWesterlund

13. R U on Twitter? Tweet or Follow #MNELLConf11

14. R U on Tweet #MNELLConf11

15. Have a great day!