High-Leverage Teaching Practices: What Are They and Why are They Important?
Richard Donato

University of Pittsburgh

March 25th at 4:00 PM EST


About the Webinar

In this one-hour interactive presentation, participants will have an overview of what is meant by core professional knowledge and will be introduced to the concept of high-leverage teaching practices. A brief overview of specific high-leverage teaching practices will be given that encompass all grade levels and languages. Included in this presentation are, for example, practices that establish language learning in context, support the exploration of cultural products, practices, and perspectives, focus on language form in a dialogic context, use the target language in meaningful and comprehensible way, and provide guidance for feedback to students’ oral participation. Tools to help teachers monitor specific high-leverage practices will be provided. Teachers will also be provided with information on a two-volume series to consult for a deeper understanding of high leverage teaching practices, how they are enacted in classroom instruction, and how they may be adapted for particular teaching contexts.

About the Featured Presenter


Richard Donato
University of Pittsburgh
Richard Donato is professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Leading at the University of Pittsburgh and holds joint appointments in the Departments of French and Italian, Hispanic Languages and Literatures, and Linguistics. His research interests include early foreign language learning, sociocultural theory, classroom discourse analysis, and teacher education. His research on foreign language education earned him the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages/Modern Language Journal Paul Pimsleur award (1997 and 2006), the Northeast Conference Freeman Award (2004), and the French Institute of Washington Award (2003). In 2016, he won the University of Pittsburgh’s Provost award for doctoral student research mentoring. In 2019, he was awarded the Pennsylvania State Modern Language Association Frank Mulhern Award for Outstanding Leadership in World Languages and Cultures.