Episode description

We’re excited to share a special episode from our friends at the Science Connections podcast!

Literacy learning doesn’t end when a student leaves their English class; it continues to develop, grow and be challenged across all subject domains. In this episode, we’re excited to share a special episode from our friends at the Science Connections podcast. In this episode, host Eric Cross sits down with Susan Gomez Zwiep, former middle school science teacher and senior science educator at BSCS Science Learning. She shares research that shows the benefits of integrating science and literacy strategies, tips for applying these ideas in the classroom, and what she’s learned through her own experiences.

Show notes:

• Listen to more Science Connections episodes
• Dr. Susan Gomez Zwiep’s BSCS profile, link: bit.ly/SC-zwiep-profile 
•  Inquiry Science: The Gateway to English Language Proficiency, link: bit.ly/SC-zwiep-research
• Twitter: @SusanGomezZwiep 
• Study guide (episode 2)

Quotes:

"If we wait until students develop English proficiency to allow them access to quality learning, we've lost a tremendous number of students that could not only benefit from science, we could benefit from their entering this science conversation." —Susan Gomez Zwiep

"When kids were excited about this thing in a Ziploc bag, they didn't care. They communicated however they could—sometimes in their primary language or in their home language, sometimes in imperfect English ...but you and large, they just communicated." —Susan Gomez Zwiep

"This expansion of language including non standard dialects and even home language, is really important for letting students bring their whole selves into the classroom."

"...The kids were coming into the office and had transitioned to communicating in English, especially when they wanted to talk about science, and they really wanted to talk about science, 'cause they were super excited about the stuff that they were learning." —Susan Gomez Zwiep