CreativeResouces Volume I, Issue I, Summer 2015
for ELL
Teaching Early English Learners
What’s the Latest- page 10
Active Teaching page 7
Time to Celebrate!
Welcome to our first issue! June is a time to celebrate many things– the end of school, children being home, Father’s Day, and lots of cookouts! It’s also a great time to start getting some ideas together regarding what worked this past school year, and what didn’t. You will find that there are lots of ideas of how to keep ELL students engaged and excited this upcoming school year (we’re talking about Pinterest here! on page 10). Look no further for tech-savy ideas and easy ways for you to incorporate them into your lessons. Our What’s the Latest?section on page 20 will help refresh ideas in your classroom. Or, if you need to a take a break and need some easy summer reading, this is your issue! In the theme of celebrating, our team has put together a new section, “You,” this month. “You” celebrates the amazing work that you are doing behind the scenes with ELL. We want to hear your ideas and your passion for this career shine through! We have come across many inspiring educators and school counselors. We look forward to introducing these stories to you on our pages.
Page 1
Jennifer Do jado@live.carlow.edu
Be an Advocate! ELL education today is in desperate need for individuals to teach, counsel and advocate. In Pittsburgh alone, there are almost 28,000 students enrolled in grades kindergarten thru twelfth grade (Uro & Barrio, 2013, p. 34). Of this number, 400 are placed in ELL classrooms. The reason that this number matters is that an even greater amount of students are placed not only in ELL courses but placed in special education. Students are being placed in special education because once students do not understand the English language, they are unable to keep up with the students in their class, and they quickly fall behind. Then, they are in need of additional academic support.
Image 1
Of the 400 students in Pittsburgh who are placed in ELL, the Pittsburgh public school system services them by factoring them into classifications. Based on the amount of English they know or rather their familiarity with the language, they are placed into categories. The students receive “one to three
classes” based on their familiarity with the language (Academics, 2015). The program is designed to provide “total English immersion” and students are “supported to adjust to the American culture.” (Academics, 2015). Therefore, I ask while we are placing students in these classes, how are we supporting them? In Padres (2010) doctoral dissertation regarding supporting English language learners from a counseling perspective, she addresses this very question. She cites Kinder (2002) data, “4.6 million public school students receive English Language Learner (ELL) services, representing 9.6% of the total public school population” (p. 14). The challenging aspect of these numbers, as they continue to grow, is that there is not legislation or a framework to support how to work with English Language Learners. Padres (2010) uses the term “culturally responsive” to describe our role as school counselors when working with English language learners (p. 50). She calls us to be an “advocate” for the children and to work to understand the English language, but also to sit with them, and spend time with them. Getting to know the children and their struggles, and advocating for them is what we can do best to serve them (p.51).
Page 2
She quotes Siwatu stating that “its more of salad bow‖ as opposed to a melting pot philosophy of education in which differences are celebrated and maintained…” “consider developing a cultural competency” and working with the children and their families, “engage in ongoing staff development and are not afraid to take risks or improvise when necessary” (p.50). Take risks, engage with your students, be present for them, and be an advocate.
Ideas to Advocate: o Meet your students! Encourage them to discuss what happening at school and at home and ask them how you can help them! o Take a walk in their shoes, literally! Meet them at the bus stop in the morning and walk with them to class, see what works and what doesn’t work. o Talk to their teacher, parents, and other school personnel. o Do an “intake” at the beginning of the year and at the end of the year to see how the year has gone for them. Ask them to rate you too! o KISS- Keep is short and simple. o Sit and Listen o Educate yourself- what language do your students speak? What are some things that are part of their culture?
Resources: Academics. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.pps.k12.pa.us/domain/292 Padres, M.(2010) Addressing the Professional Development Awareness Needs of School Counselors regarding English Language Learners (ELLs): Using the School Cultural Capital Game to Enhance Level of Self Efficacy with ELLs and Attitudes toward immigrants.Retrieved from http://libres.uncg.edu/ir/uncg/f/Paredes_uncg_0154D_10 478.pdf Uro, G., & Barrio, A. (2013). English Language Learners in America's Great City Schools: Demographics, Achievement, and Staffing. Prepared by the Council of the Great City Schools, Washington, D.C. Retrieved from http://www.cgcs.org/cms/lib/DC00001581/Centricity/Do main/87/ELL Survey Report 2013.pdf Images: Image 1https://www.flickr.com/photos/usembassyjakarta/810205 0259/ Image 2- bannerhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/diacimages/5475648506
Page 3
Let’s Do This! PA ELP standards DIY for counselors
The Role of School Counselors School counselors are part of interdisciplinary teams in school settings. In education settings across America, school counselors are addressing educational and behavioral concerns “within and outside the classroom (Barona & Barona, 2006, p. 1). Although Barona & Barona’s article is highlighting the needs to address special education students, we are looking at how school counselors can effectively work with English language learners. The school counselor’s role is to address “cultural and linguistic” students (p. 1).
Issue Date
Because of the unique role of school counselors, they can address concerns that teachers and administrators do not address. Students can speak to school counselors to discuss concerns by offering counseling services. School counselors take an active role with teachers, school personnel, and families to ensure that students are receiving the most support that is available to them. They can also make sure that appropriate services are being provided and accessed (p. 8). Barona and Barona cited that “half of the U.S. population will belong to an ethnic minority group by 2050.” We then come to understand the importance of the role of having an effective team to work with English language learners in the school setting (p. 4). Background information To take the next step, and then, we must look at how to connect English language learners, school counselors, and literacy. A school counselor’s role is to connect the areas of a student's life, including teachers, administrators, parents, and the community (Cook, n.d., p. 3). Supporting linguistic and academic needs of students can be challenging to those school counselors who feel ill-prepared working with English
Page 4
language learners. As Cook states, school counselors are not teaching literacy to students, but counselors are there supporting the teachers and the student (p. 6). Before we understand the extent of language needs, we must look at where a student is at the time of assessment. In Pennsylvania, for example, a student is assessed using an online testing format. An ELL student takes test provided by WIDA (WIDA, 2014, https://www.wida.us/assessment/AC CESS/). WIDA provides a standards matrix that references grade level and content standards. These standards also reference the common core standards also referred to as CCS. Below is an example of one of the standards- social and instructional language. There are five English standards and grade levels K-12 (WIDA, 2014, https://www.wida.us/assessment/AC CESS/).
Now, let’s take a closer look at this matrix and note the following: For school counselors, one of the areas that is encouraged when working with ELL students is social development or interaction with other children/students. In the first column, the matrix addresses an English standard of reading. A topic in school counseling could be recreation activities. We know that children hear words in their classroom setting, as the diagram says, and it includes this vocabulary. On this matrix, across the top, there are five levels of learning. As we discussed earlier, children are assessed and then they are placed in one of these levels of learning English. Based upon these levels, we will make recommendations as to what the curriculum or outline of a individual or group counseling session would appear. We see the difference between someone who is a level five learner and someone who is just entering into learning the English language. There are other pieces to this matrix to identify as well and consider when working with ELL- What core standards are we addressing? What is the student(s) cognitive functioning? (WIDA, 2014, https://www.wida.us/assessment/A CCESS/).
Page 5
Remember, when writing out your matrices, that the MPI are written as a progression for our ELL learners. “MPI are simply examples of assessable tasks which students can be expected to know and/or be able to do as they approach the transition to the next level of English language proficiency in any given content area� (ELP Standards, p. 9). When writing the areas, it is important to be aware of students cognitive functioning and where they are in learning the English language. School counselors can create successful matrices for the ELL students. The key is to be patient and learn the functions of each of the area of the matrix to write your goals. Consider your students first and foremost, and adapt what you have written as needed. Congratulations on completing your first matrix!
References: ACCESS for ELLs Summative Assessment. (n.d.). Retrieved June 19, 2015, from https://www.wida.us/assessment/ACCESS/ Barona, A., & Barona, M. (2006). School counseling and school psychologists: collaborating to ensure minority students receive appropriate consideration for special education programs. Retrieved June 18, 2015, from http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/26362/?theme=print Cook, n.d., Building connections to literacy learning among english language earners: exploring the role of school counselors. Retrieved June 18, 2015, from http://jsc.montana.edu/articles/v13n9.pdf ELP Standards. (n.d.). Retrieved June 20, 2015, from http://static.pdesas.org/content/documents/Pennsylvania_English_Language_Proficiency_Stan dards.pdf Teaching Wida. (n.d.). Retrieived June 20, 2015, from http://teachingwida.com/?page_id=22 WIDA Blog. (n.d.). Retrieved June 20, 2015, from http://widaatwcer.blogspot.com/
Page 6
ACTIVE TEACHING IN SCHOOL COUNSELING MOTIVATION! What keeps kids motivated? Find out their interstsanything from television shows to comic books characters Fidgits- we all need something to keep us occupied! Edibles- what foods do they love? Novelty- something might wear off in a day, or a week so be aware!
https://.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q =&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rj a&uact=8&v ed=0CAcQjRw&url=https %3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki %2FV ocabulary _dev elopment&ei=1 aa MV Y LeOoe5y QTEq6_AAw&bv m=bv .9 67 82255,d.aWw&psig=AFQjCNF6cHC OSRSG8wqXhV MP_AZid9sUOw&ust= 1 435367 47 2597 31 7
ACTIVE TEACHING Activ e teaching means engaging the student in methods thatengross them in learning. Activ e teaching uses creativ e methods to teach ELL in culturally appropriate way s.Teacher and counselors are aware of the culture of their students; language, cherished items, how adults and children interact with their culture.“ The teacher's role is one ofthe
guides, mediator, and knowledgeable consultant, as well asan instructor.” (Culturally Responsiv e Teaching, p.8)
Wlodkowski and Ginsberg proposed using a motivational framework to achieve this concept of culturally responsive teaching. If c hildren are motivated intrinsically they are more likely to complete tasks because, as part of their culture, they are motivated to do so. There are four conditions as part of this framework: 1. Establishing inclusion—creating a learning atmosphere in which students and teachers feel respected by and connected to one another. 2. Developing attitude—creating a favorable disposition toward the learning experience through personal relevance and choice. 3. Enhancing meaning—creating challenging, thoughtful learning experiences that include student perspectives and values. 4. Engendering competence—creating an understanding that students are effective in learning something they value. Taken from Wlodkowski and Ginsberg (1995) http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational leadership/sept95/vol53/num01/A -Framework - for-Culturally Responsive-Teaching.aspx Keeping individuals motivated, by being culturally responsible, is the role of a teacher and/or school counselor. From a school counselor's perspective, this element can be implemented in a counseling session. We must look at our culture, and what biases we have towards other cultures. What do we know about our
[Clic k h ere to add a c aption]
Page 7
THE BIG IDEA Projected Time Frame: 3 months Grade Level: Primary school grades (1st-3rd) Basic Description of Activity: The activity that we are going to choose is broad- social awareness. We will begin with basic steps such as personal space, common greetings used, and sitting next to other children.
HERE’S WHERE WE BEGIN:
How does our room appear? We need to be aware of our population- our students. The office should reflect their cultures. Think about changing the room once a month or having students bring in small items from home to keep in the office. Alternatively, another project could be incorporating some art into the room by having the students create something familiar from their culture! Connect with families outside of the counseling office. Integrate culture not only into the counseling office, but meet with families and incorporate in the school! Visuals, visuals, visuals! For our room, we will need visuals of children from other cultures. We will also need visuals for our lesson- make visuals about where we stand when we line up, and another visual incorporating type of common greetings we use. There should be print around the classroom labeling items and a word wall. Speaking of print- use some books! Consider using ABC I Like Me by Nancy Carlson. This book focuses on the positive qualities and characteristics of children. This book would be a nice introduction into getting to know students and supporting them to build self-confidence and self-esteem. The book can be found here: http://www.readingrockets.org/articles/books/c355 Even though we have chosen a social skills concept, think about relating the concept to their culture- how do other children speak to each other? How do adults greet each other in their language? Do people stand close to each other or further away? These are some things to think about during the lesson.
Page 8
ďƒź
ďƒź
Have fun! During the social skill activity portion, get the children active- play culturally relevant music. Use hula hoops to demonstrate personal space- have each child hold a hula hoop around themselves and stand in line to get an idea of where we stand. Incorporate art have them draw their friends who either live in the neighborhood or perhaps friends they have made at school(similar to a comic strip drawing). What do you say when you see each other? Play some games- ring around the Rosie, duck duck goose, games where we are sitting next to each other but we do not want to be too close! During the lesson, build in motivation by having the children complete tasks and earning glass beads. Once they have earned the beads, they can turn them in for a cultural treat! Culturally responsive instruction, http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/20746/
RESOURCES: Culturally responsive instruction. Retrieved from: http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/20746/on June 25, 2015. Culturally responsive teaching. Retrieved from: http://www.brown.edu/academics/educationalliance/sites/brown.edu.academics.educationalliance/files/uploads/KLOOM_crt_entire.pdf
Wlodkowski & Ginsberg, (1995). A framework for culturally responsive teaching. Retrieved from: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept95/vol53/num01/AFramework-for-Culturally-Responsive-Teaching.aspx on June 23, 2015.
Page 9
Creative Rooms for School Counselors Rationale School Counselors’ spaces are usually quite small. Not only is it challenging to try to get paperwork done in the office, it is also challenging to meet with students. For our ELL, here are some ideas in transforming a small space into something that makes students feel right at home. Also, think outside the box a bit- meeting with students does not have to take place inside those four walls. The concept of Natural Learning implores us to do just that- think outside of our natural setting and think about how students learn, naturally. It does not sound very enticing to students to sit across and meet with their counselor at a desk, does it? Take them outside, use nature learning spaces, as shown below. When children learn in outdoor spaces, there are components built in, including literacy. Other educational components include caring for the landscape, science, working with others, and social interaction when utilizing space (Moore). A natural learning space can be used right outside the office or in the office- all we need is some sand, rocks, and large tree stumps spread out for children to sit on. Add elements as the seasons change, or add elements based on the environments of where students have lived. Possibly something similar to this photo: Some other ideas for a school counselor’s office include, based on research provided: ďƒź Language lab- organize an area in the office with books, magazine, iPads, and possibly a SmartBoard. Use media to encourage language development and discussion with learners. Also, consider using headphones for students to listen to music or listen to books on the iPad (SchifferDanoff).
Page 10
When considering furniture, use bean bag chairs, small futons, comfy (fuzzy) rugs to invite a warm, welcoming environment to make children feel safe and comfortable. Display their work! Art making or having the opportunity to bring creativity to lessons has shown an increase in confidence in ELL students. When creating art with ELL students, history, language, creativity, discussion, socialization with peers, and lessons of acceptance, are incorporated (New York State Education Department, p.3-6). Consider creating something similar to this photo idea found on Pinterest. Include their families. ELL students are in a new environment which can be frightening. A wall of photos of family members or mementos from home may be helpful and lead to discussion. Have sensory items available to relax children- sensory items can include dyed rice in a jar to sift through, a calming water bottle (see below), or other fidget toys. Be flexible with the room- arrange furniture to encourage group discussion but perhaps a small space to have some privacy if needed. Include the children in the designconsider a day to allow the students “design the room” to enable them to have ownership over space for the remainder of the school year. Last but not least, have fun with your school counselor office set up!
Page 11
References: Moore, R. Nature play and learning places. Retrieved on July 2, 2015, from: http://natureplayandlearningplaces.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/NaturePlay-and-Learning-Places_Executive-Summary_v.01.pdf SchifferDanoff, V. Teaching ELL classroom setup strategies. Retrieved on July 2, 2015, from: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/teaching-ell-classroomsetup-strategies The New York State Education Department Office of Bilingual Education and Foreign Languages Studies (2010). Art as a tool for teachers of English language learners. Retrieved on July 2, 2015, from: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/biling/docs/Art_as_a_Tool-for_Teachers.pdf
Image Credit: Tree stump photo: http://tinkerlab.com/natural-playground-finding-tree-stumps/ Pinterest photo: http://lifeontheflycounselor.blogspot.com/2013/07/design-ondime.html?m=1 Calming bottle: http://www.messforless.net/2014/01/calming-bottles.html
Page 12
Project-Based Learning Research Invites New Ideas Project-based learning (PBL) is an approach that incorporates aspects of group dynamics, group learning styles to complete projects to educate students. Project-based learning is a research-based approach. In summary of research from the Buck Institute of Education, PBL encourages students to participate more actively in the classroom. Looking ahead for learners, using technology has also encouraged them to prepare for careers and college. Research also showed that students became “better problem solvers” when faced with project-based tasks and were able to work better in group situations (Research, 2013). Campbell’s literature review of project-based learning includes Call and Sotillo’s (1995) study. Their study found that students who were engaged in group learning acquired more language than learning from “drill based” instruction (p. 142). When students collaborated with other students, primarily those who English was their first language, they learned more quickly from their peer group than direct instruction. Another study published in this same article by Campbell (2012) found that direct instruction was an appropriate means to teach ELL students initially. Direct instruction was used for new students who needed to require initial parts of the language before they moved to group instruction (p. 142). Aside from Cambell’s (2012) literature review, her study of a group of students engaging in project-based learning showed some strengths of this model. She found that the students “enjoyed” the projects proposed in classes such as the history lesson. Students were able to work together in teams and seemed to participate more in a group setting, talking to their peers. She also noted that the instruction was “differentiated” within the group setting for some learners who could answer more challenging questions than other groups. The project could be varied to accommodate all of the levels of learners in each of the groups. She also found that the teachers were effective utilizing “time management strategies” because they would use visual timers in the classroom (p. 147-149). Page 13
In addition, and more importantly, Chun-Ming et al (2012) stated, “project-based learning is an instructional strategy that, via participating in a project, appeals to students due to learning by way of problem solving, data collection, and discussion, as well as the presentation of the results as reports..” (p. 369). His research highlighted using digital media as part of projectbased learning experiences. He found that as children grow, projects then need to adapt to the use of technology in society. Storytelling has been used throughout time to teach children about culture, lessons, and life experiences. He applied this idea in his experiment- he studied applying a scientific concept in a PBL experience and having students record their findings digitally. Then, the students edited the content to present (Chun-Ming et al, 2012, p. 370-374). Why is this research important? Why is PBL important in our classrooms? After ChunMing et al. (2012) experiment, they interviewed the group of students. Their answers were fascinating. Students commented on “enhancing achievement,” “improved learning attitude,” and “...make more of an effort to learn and search for data” (p. 375). Think about your students learning styles- are they all the same? Incorporating project based learning into your classroom experiences will enhance your students understanding of complex subject matter and encourage relationships within your classroom. Consider PBL for one of your upcoming lessons! References: Campbell, S. A. (2012). The Phenomenological Study of ESL Students in a Project-based Learning Environment. International Journal Of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, 6(11), 139-152. Chun-Ming, H., Gwo-Jen, H., & Iwen, H. (2012). A Project-based Digital Storytelling Approach for Improving Students' Learning Motivation, Problem-Solving Competence and Learning Achievement. Journal Of Educational Technology & Society, 15(4), 368-379. Research summary: PBL and 21st century competencies. Retrieved from http://bie.org/object/document/research_summary_on_the_benefits_of_pbl
Page 14
Part B-Group Task: by Khadija Grey and Jennifer Do Project Title: It’s Your City! Project Grade- 2nd-4th grade Intro to the Unit: Purpose of constructing cities is to encourage group participation and increase language acquisition skills in a small group format. Expected skill development includes media, participation, oral or presentation skills, group cohesion and problem-solving with team members. Entry Event- Our City Mayor will be at the school for a small assembly to talk about our town's resources and what the city has to offer us for the summer. At the conclusion of the program, the teachers will challenge the students to work in groups to create replicas of their cities. The replicas will include things they see in their cities, as well as the things they wish, were there Development of Students/ELLs & Problem Situation: We tend to live around people that speak our language. What would it look like to live around a student who spoke Spanish or Chinese as their home language? ELLs and the remaining teammates will enhance their language skills and writing skills through the process of this project. The nature of the teams will promote inclusion and participation that allows the students to listen to and learn from one another. They will be looking for the differences between each other and the makeup of their towns. Each student will need to communicate their input and make sure that it is shown in the final project. Writing skills will be enhanced through the journaling of the community walk. Students will create a city with a team of two additional students. The city will encompass things that are or they wish were present in all of their cities. Can we create a product where we can all live? Duration- 8 days or consider extension if required Timeline Day One: Let’s Get Together- Forming a group- Find two partners for this activity. Begin to develop a working outline of what you want to include in the area you are building. Here are some questions to consider: How big do we want it to be? Do we have time to build a city or are we building a neighborhood? What’s the difference? What do I like about where I live that I want to include? What’s important to me? Who will live there? Are friends and family nearby? Also, document your process by utilizing media, such as the iPad. Please turn in a rough copy of what you plan to build. Use Day One or Two to go on a short neighborhood walk. Take a journal and make notes on what you “notice”. Bring you journal to class. Page 15
Day Two: Roll Out- Now that we have our ideas together, look back through them and see if there is anything to add or change based on teacher feedback. Now, it is time to go to the art room! Get your materials, be creative and ask questions of the art teacher if you have them. Again, use the iPad for some video illustrating your process. If you have time, begin to assemble your pieces, if not, we will start tomorrow. Day Three: Let’s Build- With the pieces that you have found, start build! Make sure to ask your partner(s) the following questions as you are going and jot down the answers or record the answers: Is planning this easier or harder than what you thought? Is it hard to get along with others? Alternatively, would you have rather done this activity by yourself? How is your time management going? Have your chosen roles in your team? Is someone recording, someone building, and someone writing? Alternatively, are you all sharing the load? Day Four: We Decide- How is the project going so far? Do the students need more time to build? If so, allow another day to continue building and continue day three project building and/or questions. Make sure that the projects are complete before moving to the next step. Check in with the students- facilitate group discussions. Day Five: Collaboration- Today it is time to edit the video with the help of the computer teacher, and we have one more question to propose to the students. Have the students walk around to see each other’s work. Have them choose another group, because, they are going to visit the other group in their neighborhood! The question is, how are they going to get there? Have the groups collaborate and decide if they are going to visit by plane, train, or some other form of transportation. Make a quick plan (10-15 minutes) and write it down as a group. Day Six/Seven: Wrap-Up and Present- Students will present to the class what they created and the video that they made. The projects will then be on display during parent-teacher conferences in the hallway for others to view. There will be a question box with each project where others can submit questions to the creators, and the creators will respond. Day Eight: Continued- Discussion, questions, comments, feedback from the students about the project. Here are some questions to answer as a group or individually: How would you improve this project? What did you like? What didn’t you like? What did you learn about your partner in this process? What did you learn about yourself in this process? Objectives: Objectives directly taught or learned through Discovery: Participate in assigning group responsibilities Demonstrate respect and responsibility for self and others materials and belongings Express opinions and accept opinions of others
Page 16
Performance Objectives: Create a city with a team Maintain a Journal Responsible Use Technology Identified Learning Target: Understand and Identify differences in language among us Do you have different names for the corner store? the park?
References: Design wars. Retrieved from http://bie.org/object/document/design_wars PBL guide. Retrieved from http://naf.org/files/PBL_Guide.pdf Teach 21 project based learning. Retrieved from http://wveis.k12.wv.us/teach21/public/project/Guide.cfm?upid=3358&tsele1=4&tsele2=101
Image Reference: http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2013/11/09/15-reasons-im-thrilled-to-be-a-grade-4-5-stem-teacherin-yukon-oklahoma/
Page 17
Summarizing as a Direct Teaching Strategy BACKGROUND “1 out of every 7 individuals older than the age of 5 grows up speaking a language other than English” (Vacca-Rizopoulos & Nicoletti, p. 68). Considering this statistic, ESL teachers need proper training on using appropriate and research-based methods with ELL. Direct teaching strategies utilize methods that target specific skills to focus. When children are acquiring language, teaching in a direct way by teaching vocabulary can be a successful approach to using with ELL students. Integrative or incidental teaching occurs within the context of an activity. Sonbul and Schmitt (2010) cite research supports combining both approaches for optimum results. They contribute that teaching vocabulary directly, then using “reading plus exercise led to a larger quality of vocabulary knowledge (p. 254). The study also found that direct teaching strategies used to teach vocabulary words in a story was necessary for improved gains when the children were exposed to incidental learning (p. 258).
SUMMARIZING AS A DIRECT STRATEGY ELL educators have many options when it comes to choosing strategies for their students. One strategy we will explore today is summarization. Summarizing can be a challenging concept for ELL students. After reading a paragraph or story, students are then asked to follow a rubric to complete information about a story. Honnert and Bozan (2005) state that “Summarizing is considered one of the most beneficial skills students can develop to comprehend…” (p. 19). Summarizing is a framework used that asks several questions of the students. It looks similar to the provided model: When using this model, educators are to be mindful of the following (Honnert & Bozan, p. 20): 1. Teaching important vocabulary before the start of the lesson 2. Look at the visual supports 3. Read information as a group 4. Explain concepts in greater detail as a group
Page 18
References: Honnert, A. M., & Bozan, S. E. (2005). Summary Frames: Language Acquisition for Special Education and ELL Students. Science Activities, 42(2), 19-29. Sonbul, S., & Schmitt, N. (2010). Direct teaching of vocabulary after reading: is it worth the effort?. ELT Journal: English Language Teaching Journal, 64(3), 253-260. doi:10.1093/elt/ccp059 Vacca-Rizopoulos, L. A., & Nicoletti, A. (2009). Preservice Teachers' Reflections on Effective Strategies for Teaching Latino ESL Students. Journal Of Latinos & Education, 8(1), 67-76. doi:10.1080/15348430802466829
Image Credit: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTNaF3V_OY7-Covvi7xmHvMR7pclxGcNPmfaqKIdh1moGH61im2x-EHg https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRxqFQoTCIq_z 6bs78YCFQIYPgodaHULjA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FEducational_technology&ei=FSGwVcrgJIK w-AHo6q3gCA&bvm=bv.98197061,d.cWw&psig=AFQjCNFDMoalUmZILIKWTwnuMQFj9ObU-g&ust=1437692462654970
Page 19
What’s the Latest?
App Review- Memrise Dear Readers, You asked for technology- so here’s our best foot or app! forward to show you what works for our students and how to engage learners.
Memrise Before you use technology…
www.memrise.com
Do your research- what kind of technology are your students gravitating? Are the boys more interested in one application than the girls in the classroom? These are some valid questions to consider, as well as how comfortable are your learners with technology? Consider when using technology the goal of using the technologywhat academic standard are we attempting to meet? Sometimes with ELL students it is also best to keep things simple and start with vocabulary words initially (Robertson). Here are some basic guidelines (Robertson):
Introduce new vocabulary words to find a baseline Start “basic”- handouts, using desktop or laptop computers to see how comfortable students are with the devices Teach the technology- if you are introducing the iPad, have a lesson on basic use of the iPad When introducing the application, set up small group instruction to be effective in using the application. Provide the most support and then as the students are acquiring the skills, back away as necessary Check back in- some applications offer data within the application to check success rates Pair technology with familiar learning tools
Free! Description: Memrise is an aplicaiton that helps English Language learners learn and use vocabulary in a “creative” and “fun” way! Notes:
Page 20
Memrise keeps track of the words that you have learned so that you can return to review them. There are over 300,000 courses and over 200 languages to choose from The courses are interactive and not static, such as flipping through flashcards. This app is available on Apple devices at this time.
Create a Blog Why Blog? A blog is a posting on the internet that gives you glimpses into another person’s life. They are an excellent tool to use with ELL students because you can set up blogs as part of the classroom curriculum. Some ideas for Blogs (Markoulaki):
Homework Class photos Real-life photos around the school or students can Sample Blogs post photos from their lives outside of school Students can write about their experiences http://vasilisCreate a community- upload assignments or panagiotis.blogspot.com/ questions for students to answer and share their http://markakischool.blogspot.com/ opinions Include websites and apps for students to visit or other ELL sites Post projects, either for groups or individuals to learn more about other cultures around the world. The projects can become interactive utilizing various forms of media Send messages to the students and send them notes of the day- this will help with recall and vocabulary words used that day to review while they are outside of the classroom
References: Markoulaki (2009). International Teacher Development. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/cm24/using-web-logs-in-the-efl-class?type=powerpoint Memrise. Retrieved from http://www.fluentu.com/english/blog/best-apps-learning-english-eslstudents/ Robertson, K. (2008). Preparing ELLs to be 21st Century Learners. Retrieved from http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/21431/
Photo Credit: https://www.flickr.com/people/rootsandwingsinternational/
Page 21
YOU
“It is a myth that teaching a particular age is easier or learning a language at a particular age is easier.”
Below is a recent interview with Mary Sense. She accommodates ELL students in the districts that she serves. Although the model does not seem ideal, Mary provides on-point answers to the challenges faced in education. Mary and her team go the extra mile for the students and create supports that are necessary for the students in the districts. Below are some of her responses:
Interviewer: What is the ESL Curriculum at your place of employment… “The BVIU designed a curriculum to align with the state ESL standards. Each ESL student is working on four goals at a time: listening, speaking, reading and writing. We have written a K-12 curriculum that addresses all four of the aforementioned domains and across all five proficiency levels. We do not use set materials each student gets a personalized instruction, therefore, we choose materials based on student proficient level and age/grade sometimes their native culture impacts the materials we must choose. For example there is a ton of children¹s stories with pigs in them for some cultures, pigs are taboo, so we have to avoid those stories.”
Interviewer: What supports are prov ided to the students both inside and outside the classroom- both academically and emotionally? “This varies from district to district the emotional supports, truly, are most often handled by the ESL teacher. The ESL teacher is the one person the student usually feels most comfortable with. As for in-class supports that are different by the student. My ESL teachers share information about the student cultural do’s and don’ts as well as specific instructional modifications that should be made based on a student¹s particular areas of strength and weaknesses. For example, some students come to us able to read English, but not speak it. In those cases, we encourage teachers to provide written instruction for their assignments. Give students a copy of their notes when they lecture, etc. For a non-verbal student, we ask teachers to use TPR Total Physical Response lots of gestures, modeling, pictures, etc.”
Page 22
Interviewer: What strategies are used to enhance learners' abilities to improv e their language? “The strategies that work for ESL students to improve their language are the same strategies that are used to teach someone anything real life experiences, content that is relatable or of interest to the student, pictorial supports, journaling, word walls, photo journals (made by the student). Scaffolding the learning chunking material giving them authentic experiences to talk, listen, read and write. Because most instruction is one -on-one, or small group, making specific accommodations is easier.� It was wonderful to speak with Mary regarding strategies that are successful in the districts that she serves. It seems challenging to accommodate all of the needs of the students, but it is very clear that her compassion for the children shines through.
Image Courtesy of: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mboezi/galleries/72157650765353571/
Page 23
In loving Memory of Eleanor Yope, who wanted me to continue with school- “You can’t do anything unless you try.”
Published by: Jennifer Do July 30, 2015