Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: From the very real Scott Turow ("One L") to the absurdly fictional Elle Woods ("Legally Blonde"), law students have populated a number of American movies, books, and even a television series or two. Who are these iconic law students? Where do they come from? What are their motives for attending law school and their aspirations for life after law school? To what extent are they reasonably accurate portrayals of law students at the time they were made? To what extent are they reasonably accurate portrayals of law students today? Do they inspire others to pursue a legal education or do they repulse others who might otherwise have pursued a legal education? Do they inspire hope or instill despair about the future of the legal profession? With the aid of textual excerpts and film clips, I propose to explore how American popular culture depicts law students (and, to a lesser extent, law schools), whether that depiction has changed over time, and, if so, the nature of the change.

Publication Type: Roundtable Format
Abstract: Findings of a study which was carried out to examine the ways in which general education teachers interpret and draw on their own language-learning experiences as they teach linguistically-diverse learners.

Publication Type: Individual Paper
Abstract: All educators must be prepared to teach all students. Teacher beliefs impact behavior which, in turn, impacts student achievement. Pre-service general educators' attitudes toward linguistic minorities are far from optimal.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Mainstream teachers play a major role in helping English language learners (ELLs) in their classrooms. The responsibility for helping ELLs is often thought to lie with the English as a second language or bilingual teacher. On the contrary, the mainstream classroom is where the majority of learning takes place. A certain percentage of teachers may hold negative attitudes and beliefs about ELLs, stemming from societal attitudes toward them or from the politics of state legislation (e.g., California’s Proposition 227), media bias, or right-wing propaganda campaigns (e.g., the “English Only” and English for Children” movements). Consequently, this proportion of teachers may think that ELLs should not be provided with any special provisions to make learning easier for them. However, research shows that teachers’ expectations can make a major difference in the learning outcomes of their ELLs. Therefore, it is important that teacher training institutions help preservice teachers develop high expectations of their ELLs and the ELLs’ ability to succeed in the classroom.

Publication Type: Roundtable
Abstract: This session describes research of P-16 professional learning communities. Educational leaders developed understanding of issues relating to English language learners (ELLs), transformed educational practices, and developed action plans for advocacy.