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Adam Deyo

Educational Leadership:Supporting English Language Learners:From the Ballot Box to the ... - 0 views

  • Opponents of the anti-bilingual-education measures see bilingualism as a social, economic, cultural, and academic advantage for first- and second-generation immigrants. They do not see bilingualism as an obstacle to societal integration of new immigrant populations; on the contrary, they believe that students who study and learn in two languages and become fully proficient and literate in their home language and in English can enjoy the richness and values of two linguistic systems and two cultural traditions that complement and enhance each other.
  • In fact, sociological and educational research supports the notion that immigrant students who retain their bilingual skills and their ties to their parents' culture of origin are more academically successful and socially well-adapted in the long term than their peers who become English monolinguals (Portes & Rumbaut, 2001). These researchers concluded that "forced march assimilation" policies for educating immigrant youth are counterproductive.
  • It is left up to educators to sort out myth from reality.
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  • School administrators and teachers grappling with the often confusing and contradictory premises of these popular initiatives can draw on three useful sources of information: (1) meta-analyses of research studies regarding program effectiveness and instructional practices that support and enhance achievement, (2) studies of the initiatives' effect on English language learners' English language acquisition and academic achievement, and (3) databases that compile language assessments administered to large populations of English language learners over time and across grade levels. Several myths about the instruction of English language learners do not stand up to scrutiny when examined through the lens of this research base.
  • The "One-Size-Fits-All" Myth
  • Schools throughout the United States use a variety and range of theoretically sound programs to meet the needs of their specific populations of English language learners, who vary in demographic and linguistic characteristics.
  • For instance, bilingual programs are appropriate and effective in schools that serve concentrations of students who use a common native language
  • In many schools, however, English language learners speak a number of different native languages; such schools often use English as the common language of content-area instruction. Therefore, some state agencies and language-minority educators advocate a mix of services and program types in response to each school district's demographic mix—an approach that contradicts the state laws requiring a default model of sheltered English immersion
  • The "Language of Instruction" Myth
  • But according to Education Week, cumulative and comparative studies based on National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) scores suggest that statewide mandates limiting bilingual education in California, Arizona, and Massachusetts have produced "less-than-stellar" results (Zehr, 2008, p. 10).
  • Proponents of the ballot initiatives mandating sheltered English immersion argue that bilingual education is the reason for low levels of English proficiency among immigrant students—especially Latinos, the group served by the vast majority of the bilingual programs.
  • (Parrish, Pérez, Merickel, & Linquanti, 2006). The study found that students participating in English-only education programs had no statistically significant advantage in terms of academic achievement over those in bilingual education programs that parents chose through the waiver process under the law.
  • Thus, ballot initiatives have not realized their goal of improving English language learners' academic achievement.
  • In denying the injunction against the implementation of Proposition 227, the U.S. District Court in Valeria G. v. Wilson (1998) ruled that structured English immersion was based on delivery of English language and content instruction that was "sequential" rather than "simultaneous."
  • This focus is based on the belief that the "problem" facing these students is essentially a "language problem.
  • K-12 Program Continuity and Coherence Programs for English language learners must be proven models with a demonstrated track record. Programs must have long-term goals and continuity in the curriculum as students move up through the grade levels. As students' listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in English grow, the focus of instruction should shift, and instruction should be differentiated according to students' language levels (Mora, 2006). Differentiating the curriculum in this way requires monitoring students' progress toward performance benchmarks in English language proficiency, literacy, and content-area learning (Gottlieb & Nguyen, 2007)
  • Targeted Professional Development Educators must view the education of language-minority students as a shared responsibility. Teachers must have ample professional preparation in how to use appropriate curricular materials and teaching strategies to promote English language learners' achievement. Both new and experienced teachers need intensive professional development above and beyond the teacher education coursework required by the state credential and certificate programs. For example, teachers should be knowledgeable about second-language acquisition and cross-linguistic transfer so that students learning in their second language can capitalize on the commonalities in literacy with their native language, regardless of whether their instruction is in dual languages.
  • Local school districts must have the freedom and support to establish sheltered English immersion programs and/or bilingual education programs depending on community values, parental choice, and available resources. Policies must allow flexibility in use of students' native languages—especially for development of literacy skills. In states with anti-bilingual mandates, local jurisdictions should apply liberal and open interpretation of petition and waiver requirements to support parent empowerment and involvement in program selection.
  • Research-Based Policies to Replace Politically Based Policies
Nathan Gingras

Educational Leadership:Supporting English Language Learners:Best Practices for Adolesce... - 0 views

  • Heck. As specialists in English language learning, we don't even agree on what to call ourselves, our students, or our programs. ELLs, ELs, LEP, ESL, ELD, ESOL, bilingual. With chaos in terminology, our communication with content-area teachers, school administrators, and student services staff is often garbled and filled with off-putting labels.
  • However, in many high schools across the United States, 16- to 20-year-old immigrants who seek to attend school are discouraged from enrolling and referred to adult literacy programs offering far fewer hours of schooling.
  • The lack of enthusiasm for serving these students is unfortunate, but understandable. Public schools may feel they have little to gain and much to lose by enrolling older adolescents who have little or no English.
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  • No Child Left Behind demands that after one year of enrollment, ELLs must take statewide assessments, and the results must be integrated into the school's accountability measures. Enrolling large numbers of adolescent ELLs can put the school at risk of failing to make adequate yearly progress.
  • In these times of increasingly meager resources in which schools are paring down to essential programs and making contingency plans to deal with statewide budget cuts and federal program funding reductions, adolescent ELLs are often viewed as an unwelcome presence in schools, a drain on the limited resources available. Increasing the challenge is the reality that many immigrant adolescents enter secondary schools with a triple whammy—little or no English, interrupted or limited formal schooling, and limited literacy in any language.
  • There is no more diverse learning cohort than that grouped under the term adolescent English language learner. Although many of these students are newcomers (immigrants who arrived within the past five years), others have always called the United States home.
  • now, for example, that 57 percent of adolescent learners classified as limited English proficient were born within U.S. borders and thus are second- or third-generation residents (Batalova, Fix, & Murray, 2007). These students have often achieved oral proficiency but lag behind in their ability to use English for literacy and content learning for reasons that may be only partly related to second-language status—for example, mobility and switching between language programs (Short & Fitzsimmons, 2007).
  • The particular life circumstances of any adolescent ELL will predict the individual needs that his or her school must address. Immigration status, quality of education background, native language, cultural distance from U.S. culture, expectation of remaining in the United States or reentering the country of origin, and economic resources are just a few of the variables (Lucas, 1997).
  • Some immigrant students arrive in the United States with fully developed academic literacy in their native language and a strong record of academic achievement in their home countries. Filip, for example, entered U.S. schools in 9th grade after having attended a high-level academic school in the Czech Republic. Within two years, he had gained a command of academic English and was performing above grade level. Contrast Filip with Ben, who emigrated from the Sudan at age 16 after experiencing the trauma of civil unrest and a severe interruption in formal schooling, which resulted in a limited foundation in literacy in any language. Rosaria, unlike either Filip or Ben, is a U.S.-born English language learner. Although her home language is Spanish, at 17, her social language outside the home is English. However, her writing exhibits many of the linguistic differences of an immigrant English learner, and she reads at the 5th grade level.
  • Such reforms must also take into account the particular context of each school—its demographic profile, existing program models, community culture, and so on. With this caveat in mind, a number of principles and practices support improved achievement for adolescent ELLs as well as for their native-English-speaking peers.
  • there is surprising agreement in what constitutes best practice for adolescent English language learners. It is up to school leaders to implement the school reforms that work and to think outside the traditional boxes that have restricted the achievement of these students.
stephanie karabaic

Award-Winning Educator Taps Technology to Layer Instruction - Education Week Teacher - 0 views

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    English teacher Diana Neebe helped create her school's 1-to-1 iPad curriculum. Along the way, she reconceptualized English class.
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    English teacher Diana Neebe helped create her school's 1-to-1 iPad curriculum. Along the way, she reconceptualized English class.
Nathan Gingras

Supporting ESL Students: 10 Tips For Mainstream Teachers - 0 views

  • 1.  Cultural Awareness: All teachers should take a moment to self-reflect about their own understandings and questions in regard to cultural differences. Take the time to learn about different cultures, gestures, and traditions and celebrate these differences with all of the students in the classroom. Encourage all students to share their culture with classmates.
  • 2.  Empathize: Try to imagine how overwhelming it must feel to leave your home country and family members while trying to assimilate, learn and socialize in a foreign language. Be aware that ESL students will be in culture shock and feel highly alienated for some time. Garner patience and understand that it will take time for ESL students to talk, as a silent period is highly expected. Smile and show support to your best ability. 
  • 3.  Provide A Comfort Zone: Assess where the ESL student’s abilities are in relation to basic survival skills and needs.  Assign a friendly and welcoming buddy to assist with common school locations, requirements and routines. If possible, keep an extra eye out during busy transition times to assure the student gets to the correct location. If possible, find someone in the school, another classmate, parent or volunteer that may speak the student’s language. Connecting the student with someone who speaks his/her native language will provide a great deal of comfort. 
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  • 4.  Spotlight Respect For All Cultures: Reaffirm the message about being supportive of one another, kind, understanding and patient. Encourage everyone to openly talk about their personal cultures, traditions and languages. Have parties celebrating the different cultures in the class, sharing music, historical family photos, dances, games, food and traditions.  Hold discussions about the history of America, immigration, and the value of diversity and differences. Encourage students to share their own stories of immigration, passed down from generation to generation.
  • 5.  Community: If the parents and/or guardians do not speak English, request an interpreter if possible for all school communication, including parties, conferences and special events. Invite parents to all school community functions to encourage and foster a sense of belonging. If possible, introduce other students and/or families who speak the same language as the ESL student. Sharing cultural commonalities will provide strong bonds for students, parents and teachers.
  • 6.  Assess Students Informally: Assess ESL students on an informal basis when they first arrive to class, and ongoing during the school year. It is imperative to primarily check for understanding in regard to basic and social needs. Pay attention from the sideline to see if they know numbers, letters and/or short English phrases. Continuously check for comprehension and growth informally, make notes and never be afraid to raise the bar and challenge a bit.
  • 7.  Don’t Discourage Native Language Use:  With all good intentions, this is a common mistake teachers can make. ESL students who have a stronger foundation of their native language will have a shorter route to acquiring English. Don’t discourage native language use, as this will result in negative feelings about the student’s language and culture, and may cause delay in English language acquisition. Provide free time for the ESL student to read and write in their native language
  • 8.  Use Manipulatives, Visuals, Games, Music and Hands-On Activities in the Classroom: According to William Glaser, we learn 80% of what we experience, and 95% of what we teach others. ESL students do exceptionally well when this theory is followed. Involve them in projects that will encourage them to talk as much as possible with their classmates.   Some ideas for projects are the following:  cooking (following easy directions), art (drawing, painting, sculpture), musical activities (music provides an amazing platform for learning), and acting (for example, charades).
  • 9.  Provide Various Opportunities For Talking and Consider Seat Placement: It is very important to consider seat placement in the classroom for the ESL student. All too often, ESL students are seated in the back of the classroom, which leads to a great lack of contribution, listening, and  participation. Try and seat the ESL student close to the front, especially with other students who are inviting and enjoy conversation. Provide the most opportunities as possible for talking and listening to others in the class via group work. You will be surprised how much shorter the silent period will end. 
  • 10. Communicate with the ESL teacher: Maintain communication with the ESL teacher as much as possible. The sooner both teachers are working together, the quicker the student will learn English. Be open to the ESL teacher’s suggestions, let him/her share in the modification of classwork, and invite the ESL teacher into your classroom. 
drdudleyvt

ChatGPT Can't Kill Anything Worth Preserving - 1 views

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    If we are worried about AI killing high school English class, then maybe we need to change how we assess high school English class and how we teach writing.
Kate Frisbie

Baker's B.Y.O.D.-- Bring Your Own Device, Dog, & Deconstruction of Literature - 0 views

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    I chose to follow this Ed Tech Leader because she is a HS English teacher and tech innovator. She has some great posts about flipped classroom, The Odyssey, and tech tools.
Nathan Gingras

10 Tips for Teaching English-Language Learners | Edutopia - 0 views

  • 1. Know your students
  • 2. Be aware of their social and emotional needs
  • 3. Increase your understanding of first and second language acquisition
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  • 4. Student need to SWRL every day in every class
  • 5. Increase your understanding of English language proficiency
  • 6. Know the language of your content
  • 7. Understand language assessments
  • 8. Use authentic visuals and manipulatives
  • 9. Strategies that match language proficiency
  • 10. Collaborate to celebrate
Eric Telfer

Radical Curriculum Sharing at the Open High School of Utah | Edutopia - 0 views

  • integrating Web 2.0 technologies, like those that follow, would help her students succeed in the 21st centur
    • Eric Telfer
       
      I think we have to do this and PLPs will reinforce the necessity for teachers to be equipped with the skills and dispositions to teach them to all students.
    • Eric Telfer
       
      Color-coded lesson plans are "the best"- peer reviewed?
    • Eric Telfer
       
      Virtual Library of Instruction- access to curricular plans that align with CCSS and you can quickly create a scope and sequence with the essential questions and broad, overarching themes for the academic year- paperless.
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  • The age of comprehensive drag-and-drop curriculum planning is here
    • Eric Telfer
       
      More than one department from one school? Curriculum sharing between different schools in different districts? This is the true target of authentic collaboration and PLNs.
  • The Virtual Library of Instruction (11) hosts many excellent unit plans designed at the University of Georgia's by Dr. Peter Smagorinsky's secondary English majors. Scroll down to see units listed by grade. Titles listed in pink are the best.
  • At Teaching That Makes Sense (TTMS.org) (12), Steve Peha has created a ridiculous amount of materials useful for writing instructors
    • Eric Telfer
       
      Personal interest in improving strategies surrounding writing instruction (CLAs, expository writing, SBAC constructed responses).
  • Some of the sites I discovered were created by college professors and might be too difficult for students who are not academically gifted. Nonetheless, there are treasures here
  • Technology still hasn't solved the biggest time crunch: reading, responding, and grading essays. "And let me tell you," she laughs, "My grading inbox is frightening." Nor does technology alleviate the need for her presence "They want me there, commenting. But I can't always be there as much as I want to be."
    • Eric Telfer
       
      WriteToLearn and similar grading software (Intelligent Essay Assessor, Criterion) will become an option for teachers to grade elements of an essay that can be "counted".
Hannah Fjeld

How Swedish children learn English through gaming - 0 views

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    Example of positive effects of gaming
Jill Abair

Educators Need to be 21st Century Learners Too... - 1 views

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    Amy Heavin is the principal at Ryan Park Elementary School, MSD of Steuben County in Angola, IN. She has been a school administrator since 2010, and taught middle school English for 8 years prior. Passionate about curriculum and instruction, she pursues learning opportunities to blend 21st century essential skills instruction with best practices.
Emily Wood

What does research really say about iPads in the classroom? | eSchool News - 0 views

  • would like to use iPads meaningfully in their classrooms, they can’t because of time, access, and training
  • very few of her school’s teachers were using iPads in the classroom beyond the usual Friday afternoon fun time and as a reward for being “good.”
    • Emily Wood
       
      This is the current use of our limited number of iPads.
  • time to “play” on the iPads
    • Emily Wood
       
      Free Space like the Heath's proposed in their book.
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  • Working with mentor teachers, we found that they had an assumption that young student teachers would naturally know the latest and greatest. The truth is that some do but many don’t, so training is essential!
  • They became models for the classroom teachers
  • All classes in our research site were inclusive with a diverse community of learners at every grade level including students with IEPs, 504 plans, autism spectrum disorders, and English language learners.
  • made the mistake of assuming the kids would immediately know how to use the technology in an appropriate way.
  • Success was more attributable to the fact that teachers who integrated iPads into their lessons tended to do more Project Based Learning (PBL), which has been found to improve student learning across grade levels (Cheu-Jay, 2015)
    • Emily Wood
       
      This fits one of my change visions from my destination postcard: more PBL!
  • the hard-to-reach, reluctant, oppositional Edwards all became engaged when introduced to opportunities that the iPad gave them.
  • students enjoy learning and stay more focused when using iPads
  • with a little hands-on support, created technology-rich lessons with a minimum of training or professional development. The bottom line was that when we mixed training with support we created a successful and innovative learning experience for teachers and their students.
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