Roots and Wings Consulting, LLC
45 hour self-paced, online, CDE-approved English Language Development pathway for pre-K through 12th grade educators
About Roots and Wings Consulting
What started out as a small idea to share favorite teaching strategies effective for both Multilingual Learners (MLs) and non-MLs, grew into a year of pouring my heart and mind into these courses. Reaching All Learners is a Colorado Department of Education-approved pathway for completing the 45 hour ELD requirement for license renewal. It is a great way to satisfy the entire requirement at one time without having to piece together many separate professional development courses to meet the 45 hours and eight English Learner Professional Learning Standards. Two options are available, a self-paced 100% online option that can be completed in one to four weeks, or a 100% online option to earn 3.0 semester hours of graduate level professional development credit through Adams State University. Course may also be taken individually to supplement prior ELD professional development hours.
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When choosing a name, I wanted something meaningful. My parents raised my two brothers and me to have roots and wings, roots so I always remember my family and faith as my foundation, and wings, having the confidence to pursue any of life's opportunities and adventures. I feel that this name is very meaningful for our MLs, as well. By valuing our students' "roots," their unique cultures and diverse languages, and viewing them as assets to the classroom, while simultaneously using ideas and strategies from these courses, we support them with growing their "wings" as they build confidence and know that they can fully participate in any opportunity they choose. I strongly believe that these ideas and strategies are not only applicable to Multilingual Learners; they benefit all learners.
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I earned an M.Ed. from UCLA with an emphasis in Spanish and Bilingual, Cross-Cultural, Language, and Academic Development, achieved National Board Certification in Literacy: Reading-Language Arts, and have been teaching since 2000. My background is in language acquisition, culturally responsive classrooms, and urban social justice education. I have been teaching in maintenance bilingual, dual language, and ESL teaching environments in Los Angeles, Albuquerque, and South Denver since 2000. I am currently a middle school reading teacher and ELD coordinator at a local charter school whose students speak 21 different languages. In addition to teaching middle school reading, one of my passions is working with culturally and linguistically diverse students in Title 1 urban schools, believing that their families and backgrounds are assets to classroom communities. I love what I do. My hope is that my enthusiasm and passion for teaching is contagious, and that you will love many of these strategies as much as I do.
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Courses
*All courses are self-paced, online, and CDE- approved for English Language Development professional development.
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Courses include prerecorded screencasts and activities using the Google Classroom platform that participants complete at their convenience during a session.
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Course 1
Reaching All Learners, Course 1A (2 credit hours): Topics of focus for this course are language acquisition theory, language learning, affective filters, deficit thinking, and comprehensible input as they relate to first and second language acquisition and literacy development. This course meets 5.10(2) and 5.11(1) for the ELL PD Standards Matrix (formerly known as Quality Standards 5.13(2) and 5.14(1)).​
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Reaching All Learners, Course 1B (13 credit hours): Topics of focus are culturally relevant classrooms, literacy development, BICS vs. CALP, context-embedded vs. context-reduced curriculum, language and identity, academic language building strategies, authentic assessment questions, interpreting ACCESS scores and Can Do Descriptors, and vocabulary tiers. This course meets Quality Standards 5.09(1), 5.10(2), 5.11(1), and 5.12(1) for the ELL PD Standards Matrix (formerly known as Quality Standards 5.12(1), 5.13(2), 5.14(1), and 5.15(1)).
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Course 2
Reaching All Learners, Course 2C: (2 credit hours) Topics of focus are using Bloom's Taxonomy to create critical thinking questions, creating and using concept boards to make academic information meaningful, differentiation, and scaffolding. This course meets Quality Standards 5.09(2) and 5.10(1) for the ELL PD Standards Matrix (formerly known as Quality Standards 5.12(2) and 5.13(1)).
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Reaching All Learners, Course 2D (13 credit hours): Topics of focus are language, equity, and culture, meaningful vocabulary building, language- rich learning environments, using Bloom's Taxonomy to differentiate instruction, word/ concept sorts, and literacy development. Educators will also examine the value of pre-teaching content and vocabulary, think alouds, modeling, and strategies to help students visually organize information, adding "tools to their tool belt" as they take ownership for learning. This course meets Quality Standards 5.09(1), 5.10(1), and 5.11(2) for the ELL PD Standards Matrix (formerly known as Quality Standards 5.12(1), 5.13(1), and 5.14(2)).
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Course 3
Reaching All Learners, Course 3E (2 credit hours): Topics of focus are classroom communities, funds of knowledge, building oracy and writing skills through a "language lens," and S.M.A.R.T. goal setting (pre-assessments, exemplars, creating rubrics, and self- assessment). This course meets Quality Standards 5.12(1) and 5.12(2) for the ELL PD Standards Matrix (formerly known as Quality Standards 5.15(1) and 5.15(2)).
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Reaching All Learners, Course 3F (13 credit hours): Topics of focus are backwards planning, creating scaffolds, developing language and critical thinking skills, color coding, shared writing, and the "I do, we do, you do" approach. This course meets Quality Standards 5.09(2), 5.12(1) and 5.12(2) for the ELL PD Standards Matrix (formerly known as Quality Standards 5.12(2), 5.15(1) and 5.15(2)).
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Adams State University
As an additional option, participants may choose to earn 3.0 semester hours of graduate level professional development credit, documented on a transcript through ASU. As per ASU, "These hours will not apply to a Master's degree program. These are strictly professional development credit courses which can potentially be used for relicensure or movement on district pay scales."
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The cost is the same individual/ group rate x 45 credit hours (equivalent to 3.0 semester hours) + ASU's fee of $55/ semester credit hour, or $165.
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A spring/summer session will be open March 1- July 31, 2025. Please email me at rootsandwingsconsulting@gmail.com if you would like more information and/or if you would like to sign up for this option.
Prices
Group Rate (Individuals from a school site)
​1-2 participants: $10/ person per credit hour
3-4 participants: $9/ person per credit hour
5+ participants: $8/ person per credit hour
*For school groups, please contact me.
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Individual Rate
$10/ person per credit hour (If you have an individual rate and additional educators sign up from your school site, qualifying for a group rate, either during the same session or a later session, you will receive a refund for the difference between the individual and the group rate.)
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Adams State University (3.0 hours of graduate level professional development credit): individual/ group rate x 45 credit hours (equivalent to 3.0 semester hours) + ASU's fee of $55 per each of three semester credit hours ($165)
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Participants will receive one of the following:
1. a CDE certificate of completion for finishing the full 45 hours through the Reaching All Learners pathway,
-or-
2. a certificate of completion from Roots and Wings per individual Reaching All Learners
course to submit to CDE when renewing license
-or-
3. a transcript listing the 3.0 semester hour (graduate level professional development credit)
Reaching All Learners course, sent directly from Adams State University
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