Diné Program participants

NAU’s program for Diné language speakers

The Diné Dual Language Teachers Professional Development Project works with teachers with proficiency in the Diné language and high academic achievement to meet licensing requirements for teachers who work in dual language immersion programs.

Consortia partners

• The Navajo Nation
• Chinle Unified School District
• Ganado Unified School District
• Tuba City Unified School District
• Kayenta Unified School District
• Window Rock Unified School District
• Rock Point Community School
• Flagstaff Unified School District
• Little Singer Community School

Project description

The project provides coursework leading to a Masters’ degree in Bilingual Multicultural Education with a content emphasis in Bilingual Education, and endorsements in Bilingual Education and English as a Second Language. In-service teachers participate in courses online during the academic year. This course delivery mode allows participants to continue to live and work in their communities. In-service teachers also participate in courses and in a workshop on the Flagstaff campus for 12 days during Summer Session II.

Science and Mathematics Workshops provided at the participating schools each fall and spring and on the mountain campus each summer support the improvement of the ability of the teachers to support academic language acquisition skills in LEP students. Classroom teachers create culturally relevant science and mathematics lessons which will improve achievement, creativity and motivation among talented bilingual students in participating districts. (Babco 2003), (Nelson-Barber, & Lipka, 2008)

Current research (Moir &Hanson, 2008) in professional learning communities demonstrates that social interactions, interpersonal relations, classroom communications and technology support the success of classroom teachers. Research (see e.g. Carnegie, 1986, Holmes, 1990, Wise & Darling Hammond, 1987) documents that effective preparation of good teachers includes practical experience under carefully supervised conditions in collaboration with experienced teachers. These studies show that an effective way to prepare teachers is through site-based partnerships between colleges of education and K-12 schools that allow students to immediately apply what they are learning in their college classes by working with K-12 students.