Dr. Ruslana Westerlund

I am an educational consultant and researcher specializing in making equity visible through language, namely Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) a pedagogically useful theory of language rooted in equity (Halliday & Hasan, 2003). I train educators and educational leaders on how to use the WIDA Standards (2020 ed) as a tool for achieving equity. I draw on the 40+ of research by the global SFL community to rethink the "remediation and intervention" approach of Multilingual learners and offer a pedagogy of scaffolding up through an apprenticeship model the Teaching and Learning Cycle for Disciplinary Genres.
As a former researcher at WIDA, I contributed a theoretical framework to the new edition of the WIDA 2020 ELD Standards, namely Systemic Functional Linguistics to define the standards' key constructs and components, as well as professional development offerings related to making language visible. Much of that work was based on my research using genre-based pedagogy in K-12 schools to support the writing of English learners in the disciplines such as science and social studies. I also studied and published about the unintended consequences of scripted curricula such as Calkins Units of Study for Writing. My doctorate was in educational leadership, change theory, and supporting teachers in the sense-making of educational policies.
My publications appear in various educational journals (ASCD, Journal of English Learner Education, Colorin Colorado, Language Magazine). My mission is to write for teachers to transform their instruction. I take pride in mentoring teachers and co-authoring articles and presenting at conferences with them to empower them to shine and to share their hard work with others.