Session Descriptions

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MontTELLs 2021 Inaugural Virtual Professional Development Conference

Friday, March 19th

4:00 pm - 4:15 pm

Welcome Session

4:15 pm - 5:30 pm

Introduce Essential Understandings of Family Engagement, Tribal Student Retention, and Cultural Resilience

Dr. Iris PrettyPaint

“We should encourage all to learn about the distinct and unique heritage of American Indians/Alaska Natives” and “all educators should have an understanding and awareness of the different tribes and regions.”

Description: This session will provide an overview of the educational context of family engagement, student retention, and resilience factors for Native students. Cultural resilience is a relatively new term, but it is a concept that has been taught for centuries. The word is new; the meaning is ancient.

Saturday, March 20th

9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Miracle Survivors: Promoting Student Resilience using the Family Education Model

Dr. Iris PrettyPaint

Description: This session will provide an overview of the history, theoretical development, structure, and implementation of the Family Engagement Model (FEM). The session will illustrate the importance of family engagement and cultural resilience. This model is grounded in the educational context of students' stories and provides a clear understanding of the complex memberships and responsibilities we learn to navigate higher education. This model provides variation and is abstract enough to be applicable to a wide variety of Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) and school in the K-12 system.

1:15 pm - 2:45 pm

English Langauge Learner Instructional Strategies and Indian Education for All

Audra Waite and Jacie Jeffers

Description: In this session, participants will be given an overview of Federal, State, and local guidance on identification and service of English Language Learners.  Special attention will be given to Montana populations, needs, and services; including an emphasis on teaching academic language.

Participants will also explore Essential Understandings 3 and 5 within the context of the disappearance and revitalization of Indigenous Language.  Documents for review will include a close read of the participants choice from Boarding Schools, Indian Self-Determination or Indigenous Language.

3:15 pm - 4:45 pm      

Improving American Indian and Alaskan Native Identification and Supports

Sarah Pierce

Description:Federal, state and district reporting of American Indians and Alaskan Natives (AIAN) are often underreporting the number of students who identify as AIAN or are eligible for educational support services.  We will share the research and evidence-based strategies and tools to better identify and support AIAN language learning and migratory students and families in school systems.

5:00 pm - 5:30 pm

Wrap Up/ Renewal Units/ Next Steps/ Prize drawings

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Content on this archived page is no longer maintained.
This page is made available by the Center for Bilingual and Multicultural Education.