Language and Content in Social Practice: A Case Study

This paper argues that schools need to implement substantial, systemic changes in pedagogy, school organization, and professional development in order to adequately address the changing demographic realities of their communities and the educational imperatives of the 'new economy.' The paper reports on one district's response to this challenge as it sought to implement two action research projects for teachers and administrators to achieve school-wide emphasis on integrated language and content instruction. The analysis suggests that the approach taken (Mohan's Knowledge Framework in combination with principles of social constructivist learning) was successful in drawing teachers' attention to the role of language as a medium of learning, and identifies common elements, together with differences, in the ways in which two pairs of teachers worked to design learning experiences for their students. The paper concludes that the approach taken in this school district provides a good starting place for teachers' and students' analysis of classroom practices and encourages other districts to benefit from its example and understandings.