Yeah--The Year Is Slowly Coming to an End:)

 


Hello everyone!  There are only another 6 or so weeks left to the school year with probably just a handful of students who might need some support in ending the school year on a positive note.  This is especially important with English language learners who have spent the year not only tackling the course content but also the language.  The focus in this newsletter will therefore be dedicated to offering some last minute tips on helping your ELLs finish the year on a positive note.

Many teachers give final exams to their students.  May is often spent preparing students for the finals.  Here are some ideas that are popular and effective:

 

1. If teachers have had students keep notebooks throughout the year, they might consider letting them use their binders for their finals.Students who have religiously maintained their binders throughout the year will feel rewarded for their diligent work habits.
2. Teachers often have success with having students (in teacher organized groups) lead study sessions for the class.When the students are responsible for creating review lessons for their classmates, they become class experts on their assigned area in the process.The technique used to deliver the lesson is left up to the students (power point, video, games, visuals, etc.). This approach is a highly effective review process.As the class listens to peer review lessons, they take notes on student created study sheets.Again, teachers might consider allowing students to use these review sheets on their final exams.
3. Another popular review/final exam prep technique for teachers is to have students create a study card (index card).On it, students write everything they think that they will need for the final and then bring it to class on the day of the examination.
4. Final examinations may also be broken up in a couple of class periods.For example, students might take a multiple choice on one day and then on another day take the writing component.
5. Create a final exam game such as BINGO or JEOPARDY where, after participation rules are established, the entire class is actively involved in the review process.

Below are some websites with even more ideas to help students review and retain for finals:


12 Top Ways to Rev Up Classroom…


Making Review Time Fun and Worthwhile


Review Methods for Classroom Teachers

Have a great Memorial Day break!

Denise (denise@ellteacherpros.com)
Marnie (marnie@ellteacherpros.com)
Cheryl (cheryl@ellteacherpros.com)

Pinterest (dmcyberteacher) 5800 followers
Twitter (@ell_teacherpros) 4200
Facebook (ELL Teacher Pros) 161 followers

Academic Lifesavers For Struggling Students:)

Wow!  Is it November already?  The Halloween sugar rush is over finally so hopefully students are happily on task with their assignments in the classroom.  Students may also have started the countdown to winter break.

As the semester begins countdown to the winter break, some students may begin to stress out over grades.  They will beg the teacher for options to pass.  What is a teacher to do?  If students are truly motivated and parents are fully supportive, teachers can do several things.  This newsletter will offer some suggestions on motivating such students to pass with grades of C or higher.

First of all, teachers should not promise a student a passing grade immediately.  Sitting with the student privately before school, lunch, or after school is often the best way for the student to not risk embarrassment.  Often that one-to-one time will help the student open up about his/her difficulties in doing assignments or passing tests.  A teacher should listen carefully while mentally taking notes on the issues and how they might be dealt with in the most efficient way possible.  Then, a teacher might devise a plan with the student’s input on how to address the concerns raised and have parents sign off on it as well as the student (parents will be more than willing to support a teacher here).  By enlisting parents as partners here, students will have support on both ends to be successful.

Second, rewards don’t work.  They send the wrong message that immediate gratification will do wonders, but it doesn’t because students only work for the immediate reward and learn little from the experience.  Instead, a teacher may need to look at alternative intervention models.  A teacher may wish to consider small group tutoring within the class (the majority of students are on task so the teacher can pull the few who are lost to a corner of the classroom and support them with additional materials or instruction).  If small group setups don’t work, then one-on-one is the next option.  In this setting, a student will be more likely to discuss his confusion.  Again, keep parents informed throughout since with their support, a student is more likely to experience success in improving his/her grade.

Third, encourage peer support. Obviously, excellent students don’t need credit, but if they think that they can help a teacher they like and respect, they will gladly do it.  Sometimes they have a way of making course content more accessible to struggling students.  Provide them with a task and pair them up with students who are open to working with them (watch out for personality differences).  Once the struggler feels more confident, a teacher can provide him with an alternative assessment to see if he has mastered the content.  The grade he earns there would replace the failing one.

Last, here are some great openers for teachers to assist students who are failing and lost.  By staying with the non-judgmental openers, students are far more willing to try.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Denise

Marnie

Cheryl

ELL TEACHER PROS

Please follow us on the following:

Pinterest PINNER dmcyberteacher (4450 followers)

Twitter @ell_teacherpros (3800 followers)

Blog TEACHING SUCCESSES WITH ELLS

Post-Its---Great Tools to Involve Students Who Hate Writing:)

How can teachers motivate students to stay on task and enjoy the learning process along the way?  POST-IT NOTES! 

For students to process new information, they must take notes along the way of what they want to remember, what they don’t fully understand, what connections to prior learning, what they may wish to share with partners or small learning groups, etc. 

Binder paper is bulky to work with.  Further, students with limited English skills in both reading and writing (English language learners especially) may feel a bit intimidated by a sheet of paper.  So what is a realistic alternative that every student will warmly welcome?  POST-ITS!

How might teachers incorporate their use in the classroom?  Here are some approaches:

1.     Teachers give a pre-reading activity where students are expected to explore unfamiliar material (as a pre-curser to the lesson) in small groups.  As they analyze the text in teams, they note their reactions, questions, and thoughts to share with their partners on the post-it.  Such a small slip of paper is not intimidating since they can note anything from a complete sentence to a powerful vocabulary word.  Students are also free to draw images that tie into what they understood as well.  For some students a picture can be worth a thousand words.  Once the small groups have gathered their notes and reached a consensus on their take on the reading, they can defend their interpretation citing their notes.

2.     How about using post-its as EXIT TICKETS throughout the lesson?  Instead of a raise of hands (not often very effective since students who don’t understand are not likely to admit it in front of the entire class), teachers can assign 3 numbers with each indicating a level of understanding (no names):  3-I understand everything and be able to explain it to a classmate without help, and 3-I really don’t understand most of it.  The results would be posted on 1 wall.  Since there is no grade, students would not be afraid to be truthful.  The teacher could do a quick glance over and adjust delivery as needed.

3.     What about using post-its as quick notes of recognition for hard work?  These notes would not have grades.  Instead, they would be attempts to recognize hard work and staying on task.  This type of respect for student work boosts self-esteem and that leads to increased engagement in the lesson.

Edutopia video on using POST-ITS.

TEACHING CHANNEL ON USING POST-ITS

POST-IT IDEAS FROM POST-IT

There are also POST-IT apps that might be used if students have cell phones.  Sharing could be done with ease and students would enjoy it.  Here are 13 ways to bring in virtual post-its into a classroom and they are free!

POST-IT APPS

Enjoy the links and have fun with your students using post-itsJ

Denise, Marnie, and Cheryl

ELL TEACHER PROS

Please follow us on TWITTER @ell_teacherpros (3500 followers), on PINTEREST as dmcyberteacher (4,550 followers), and on FACEBOOK as ELL Teacher Pros (135 followers).

Balancing Truth and Fiction in Celebrating "Thanksgiving"

Well, Halloween is finally over!  November is here and with it, the start of major holidays through the end of the year.

So, with Thanksgiving around the corner, we are faced with how to teach the myth of the first Thanksgiving while acknowledging the living history and diverse cultures of Native Americans.  Can it be done?  In the New York Times LEARNING BLOGS, many suggestions along with supports are offered to help teachers walk that delicate line between fact and fiction in such a way that the message of the holiday remains while also weaving in some of the facts behind that “first Thanksgiving.”

For middle and high school students, there are several links (along with graphic organizers) to review several links with each offering a different political perspective (from Libertarians/Tea Party members to Native Americans).  Students must visit the sites on the post and carefully note the different viewpoints.  What makes this an exciting assignment is that the opinions of respected, well-known indigenous people are offering their valuable insight for a change. 

Use the holiday to address diversity in American culture.  Yes, we have definitely stumbled along the way, but America continues to evolve in the hope that one day all its members will be acknowledged and valued as truly equal.

On another happy note, it is only 6 weeks or so until we are on winter break!

Denise, Marnie, and Cheryl

ELL TEACHER PROS

P.S.  Follow us on PINTEREST (pinner name dmcyberteacher 3100 followers)

Facebook as ELL TEACHER PROS (hundreds of page views on everyday fun in the classroom)

         TWITTER as @ell_teacherpros (2840 followers and growing).

Fun Opening Day Activities for Both Teacher and Students!

It is so difficult to believe that our summer vacation will be history in a matter of days.  Hopefully everyone has truly had enough time to regenerate his/her batteries:) 

The first day of school, teachers will have lots of excited students who, for the most part, are tired of summer and anxious to see their school friends again.  So, with such an enthusiastic crowd, what can teachers do to capitalize on this energy so that they can begin to know their students as people.

Here are some suggestions:

1.  Give students a multiple intelligences assessment.  Though assessment here is for middle school, it can be used from upper elementary through high school (just white out the grade level).  Once student complete the assessment, have the follow the scoring routine.  Students are always shocked by this new knowledge about their talents.  Then, calm the class down and start taking totals for each group.  With this data, the class will generate a graph with labels and numbers.  Once that is complete and some discussion has ensued, have them write a paragraph on how this information could be used by a teacher in creating projects for students.

2.  Since the students don't know each other, have them interview each other and then report out to the class on what they learned about their new classmate.  Students should take notes on the answers their partners provide to use when they share with the class what they learned about their new classmate.

3.  Students love social media (especially Facebook) so why not try having them create Facebook pages on themselves?  Of course, it would great if the teacher (with document camera) created one for her/himself to address questions along the way.  Then have them work on their own either with a partner if it is new for them.  Once everyone has finished, teachers can use document cameras to share a few of the student work with the class and then post all of them at the end.  Parents will love it for Back-To-School night.

4.  Here are 19 other icebreakers for the first day.  There is something for every grade level and all are crowd pleasers.  My favorite is FOOD FOR THOUGHT.  Students introduce themselves by first name and then select a food that starts with the same letter of their first names.  Example:  Hello, my name is Marsha and I eat mangos.  The next student gives his name and favorite food item and then must repeat what the other student said and so forth.

Have fun with students in the first few days.  Get to know them and them you.

Denise
ELL TEACHER PROS
Twitter @ell_teacherpros (2588 followers)
Pinterest PINNER NAME dmcyberteacher (2435 followers and all academic boards)
Facebook ELL TEACHER PROS (humor in teaching)

School Is Fast Approaching-Here Are Some Ideas To Ease the Transition:)

We hope you are enjoying your last few weeks of vacation:).   This school year, all the content areas will be fully engaged in delivering common core lessons with rich ELD components woven throughout.  In effect, every teacher, regardless of subject matter taught, will also be a language teacher.  Though this may seem on the service to be extra work, it really isn't.  In fact, this "switching of the gears" so to speak will be the focus of this newsletter.  We will provide you with some quality websites to ease the transition and assist you in building academic language within content areas for your students.

English-New York Times THE LEARNING NETWORK BLOG    Not only does the NY Times offer a wide range of informational text in all content areas, but also provides lessons which deliver common core material, vocabulary development, literacy development, and language development for ELLs.  It is also FREE. All content areas are addressed here.

Science and Mathematics-CK12 offers free, standards-aligned STEM teaching resources, free online textbooks, simulations, flashcards, and much more.  All items are standards aligned and support in 80 languages!

Social Studies-New York University offers some excellent resources for teaching social studies/history to ELLs.  Building content and language are addressed.

Mathematics-In addition to the link in SCIENCE and MATHEMATICS above, try this teaching support from NYC public schools.  The site contains contributions from MIT, stock market, NCTM, and more.  Everything is free.

Additional supports for ELLs that are easy to implement are posting common academic vocabulary in highly prominent places in their classrooms.  These lists would contain words such as COMPARE, ANALYZE, SYNTHESIZE, DEMONSTRATE, CLARIFY, etc.  Models of what you expect them to write should also be provided for them to reference as needed.  Visuals of finished products placed around the room (or if you use technology, in classroom websites or teacher blogs). 

Last of all is to check for understanding regularly.  Engage them in activities that require them to use the new language in as many ways as possible so that their literacy skills will grow.

Enjoy your new school year!

Denise, Marnie, and Cheryl

ELL TEACHER PROS

Twitter @ell_teacherpros (2500 followers)

Pinterest PINNER dmcyberteacher (2400 followers-all academic boards)

Facebook ELL TEACHER PROS (humorous look at our profession)

California Association of Bilingual Educators--My Presentation on Social Media in the Classroom:)

Edmodo, Twitter, Pinterest

The Common Core will demand building higher literacy skills for English language learners if they are to academically survive in school and beyond.    For this to be realized, teachers should become familiar with the technology that students are already well versed in:  Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest (to name only 3).  Imagine how more engaged students could be if the "known" became part of class routines.

This workshop will demonstrate how EDMODO (FACEBOOK for classrooms), TWITTER, and PINTEREST (academic themes here) enhance instruction for all students.  We will explore options each offers in building literacy, conducting academic research, delivering academic arguments, and writing with conviction--goals of common core as well.

I.  Introduction: 

Social media is very popular with many students.  With such popularity, I decided to start making it work for me in the classroom--students (with strict rules) are allowed to use their cell phones in the classroom!

For TWITTER, I use it with my university students.  It provides a lively feed on what students wish to share on concepts taught in class.  Such feeds may help students who struggle or offer crucial information to me on what to reteach.  Also responses are no more than 140 characters which prevents wordiness on anyone's part (including me).

II.  Pinterest -- it is not just cooking and fashions:).  Think of this site as one of VIRTUAL bookmarks.  You find pictures (which lead you to links) tied to subject areas you created with your boards.

I have 32 boards covering social studies, science/space, English literature, mathematics, diversity, Spanish, French, etc.  To date, I have over 1,250 and climbing.

How do these boards help?  I use selected pictures to provide background information on topics that may be new for students.  Remember that a picture is still worth 1,000 words.

If teachers want students to have access to boards (just to see them), teachers can create private boards that only their students can see.

PINTEREST (English Language Learners' Support)

III. Twitter -- I use this link to stay on top on what fellow educators are doing in teaching ELLs, working with the latest technology, keeping up with science, etc.  It is very useful in my university classes.

Go to my favorites to explore anything and everything on teaching.  

To date, I have 2,225 followers (@ell_teacherpros).   To see my awesome retweets and favorites, you will need to create an account and then look for @ell_teacherpros:) 

I look for links to teaching resources or to colleagues around the world dealing with the same issues I am trying to address with my students.

Though I have tried TWITTER with high school students, I found EDMODO more effective since I have total control on what gets posted:)

IV. Edmodo -- think of this as an awesome virtual classroom which students can access from anywhere with an internet connection.  Since the cell phone is popular, I have students actively use their phones in class when we are not in the computer room (if in the computer room, we are using computers to access EDMODO).  You will need a school email address to access it.  Further, your students' parents can access the site to see what their children are doing.  They can only observe though.

What can teachers do with EDMODO?  Almost anything!

1.  Set up differentiated classrooms within the same class.

2.  Allow students to TWITTER (all safely within EDMODO only) in a safe environment.

3.  Set up assignments with lock out dates.

4.  Create quizzes (multiple choice, true/false, short answer, matching) that can be timed no less.

5.  Take in class polls (great exit ticket).

6.  Keep parents informed on what their child is doing (students must give parents an access code first).

7.  Network with teachers around the world on Edmodo.  International collaboration is possible with this tool.

Try out anyone of these tools and be prepared to be amazed:)

Denise

http://www.ellteacherpros.com

http://www.teachingsuccesseswithells.blogspot.com

Excited! ELL TEACHER PROS Is Listed in "Common Core Conversation"--Hope It Meets Your Needs As Well:)

                                                                                                        
Well Spring is springing and spring break is just around the corner:)

This post we want to discuss “Common Core Conversation” which is a free site that lists ELL Teacher Pros as one of only five sites for Teacher Resources for ESL.  We are excited and very proud.  Our hard work is paying off and your input has assisted us in becoming a nationally recognized source for knowledge and resources for ELLs.  Thank you so much for your ongoing support and assistance.

In addition to having the brilliance to recognize us as outstanding in providing Teacher Resources, the site is a place that has free resources, lesson plans and strategies related to the Common Core Standards.  It includes articles, guest blogs, interviews, weekly news, and student projects.

The permanent features are: 

·       The Standards - a review of the Math and ELA standards and more resources,

·       Free Common Core Resources that include General Resources for all Content, Math, ELA, Science Social Studies, World Languages, ESL, Library, Art & Music, and Business/Computer Technology.

·       Resources from State Departments of Education

·       A section for Parents

·       Using Tech Tools for Learning With Standards

·       An online community you can join

The ESL Resources section also has a group of sites that have information on working with ELLs including theory and practice.  So, for those who have limited experience and/or knowledge about working with ELLs, there are resources including ones from Colorin Colorado – one of our favorite sites.

The Laura Stevens button also has free online courses through Stanford, one for elementary teachers and one for secondary teachers.    In addition, Laura has videos on strategies such as scaffolding and PDF’s on topics like Co-Teaching.  It’s a virtual one-stop shopping place for working with ELLs!

The AFT link discusses language proficiency and how it’s seen through Common Core, which is very important for both teaching and evaluation.  The English Language Proficiency Standards (ELP) are two-fold.  There is a separate content area set of standards for ELLs and there are ELPs within other content areas.  This is a very new idea.  The concept of English Language Proficiency Standards and Levels are tough and this resource shows the linkage between Content Standards and the three new levels:  Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced.

There is a link to the Common Core in Spanish – a resource for parents.

Finally there is a link to Stanford’s Professional Development for Teachers.  Most importantly, there are videos and lessons available for free.  One section is introduced through:  “Our team is currently developing sets of teaching resources that exemplify high-quality instruction for ELLs across three content areas. The resources will correspond to the widely-adopted Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics and to the Next Generation Science Standards.”

Regardless of how we feel about the Common Core Classroom Standards, they are here to stay and will require sifts in our practice and thinking.  These resources will make it much easier for us to work with the learners sitting in front of us.  We hope this resource will become bookmarked and well used.

Marnie, Denise, and Cheryl

ELL TEACHER PROS website

Follow us on TWITTER @ell_teacherpros  (2160 followers and growing).

Join us on Pinterest-denise@ellteacherpros.com (1,320 followers for academic content only).

Spark Student Imagination Using Just Google Images:)

Spring break is just around the corner.  Students are a bit antsy as they think about their upcoming one week vacation:)  So, how can teachers bring them back to reality with some humor tied to an academic purpose?   Is it possible to address writing development in such a lighthearted setting?  Yes, it is thanks to an imaginative use of Google Images!

First, find a few images that might generate some active interest and then model the process behind writing to that image.  It can be humorous, serious, academic, etc.  The teacher can model through "think aloud" what s/he "sees" with students chiming in to enhance the story.  This story would be then transferred to chart paper to serve as a model for them. 

Second, now teacher pairs students up to create their own story on a different photo.  Students refer to model as needed while teacher circulates room to monitor/facilitate as needed.  Here, they should not worry about spelling since it is a timed activity.  In this scenario, laughing and creativity are heard throughout the room as students explore their topic with gusto:)  Students could then share their stories with the class.  There would be no grade for this since the purpose is to lower writing anxiety.

Finally, students split up in teams of 4 and as a group, create a story on their assigned photo.  Each member of the group has a role and teachers will monitor to make sure that each member is contributing to the story.  This activity might take two days.  After the story is finished, each group will present their story to the class who will rate the story through a rubric generated by the class.  Finally, a gallery walk occurs where each team's story with photo is posted around the room for peer review.  Students will use post-it notes to add comments (no grades and no grammar mistakes---just a focus on content issues).

Here are some photos I pulled for this blog:

Though there is an historical theme here, the photos can be on anything the students would benefit from exploring:)

Have fun!

Denise

ELL Teacher Pros
TWITTER @ell_teacherpros (2,141 followers)
Pinterest denise@ellteacherpros (1K3)

How to Build a Student's Self-Confidence and the Importance of Doing So

As the year moves into the last 3 months, students who struggle academically might be stressing out over what the last few months hold for them. These are the students who consistently come close to passing, but never quite achieve that goal of at least a C.  These are the students who many times end up with the pity grade of D-.  These are the students who have a difficult time schema building so permanent mental connections are rarely made.  Many of these students want to succeed, but are close to giving up.  So, what can teachers do to restore self confidence for these students?

Build in time within the class to have one-to-one conferences with each student.  The successful students won't take much time, but the weak ones, those who need that one-to-one the most, will greatly benefit from that quiet time with the teacher to discuss progress on assignments.  This precious time is time where the student has the teacher's undivided attention.  Students really enjoy this activity (I do it regularly--great way to also keep a "finger on the pulse" of effectiveness of classroom instruction).

When teachers walk around the room looking at students as they work, they should look for evidence of struggling students making progress.  When the evidence is presented that they have mastered a concept, teachers need to praise the effort, point it out to the student, and elaborate on what exactly they did that was good and why.  A simple "good job" does not tell the student what he/she should repeat with future assignments.  Also, this simple action boosts self-esteem greatly.

Differentiate assignments where ever possible.  EDMODO allows this with ease.  If technology is not available, teachers should try to create a bank of alternative assignments where the content is the same, but the measurement of mastery is slightly altered.  So if it is an ELL, the assessment may use less complex language thereby making the assessment less confusing.

Building student self-confidence can be done. Once weak students start to believe that they can succeed, they will:)

Denise

ELL TEACHER PROS
TWITTER @ell_teacherpros (2, 088 followers)

Top Suggestions to Keeping Sanity Through the Next Three Months:)

It is hard to believe that March is already here!  The end of the school year is just around the corner.  I guess when teachers enjoy what they do, they lose track of time--I know I do:)

So how can teachers make it to June without burning out?  Let me first share with you what continues to work for me with great success. 

1.  Find time to meet with colleagues.  Friendly chat lowers stress.  Also, a little laughter over the ups and downs of teaching this time of the year is good for the soul (it also lowers blood pressure I am told).  This could be a time to discuss issues which drive you crazy or praise colleagues for successful teaching strategies that they have tried in their classes.  Talk about plans for the spring or summer break.  Make lunch dates with other teachers to get you out of your room:)

2.  Start cleaning out your room.  Throw out the activities that didn't work (and that you found unsuccessful).  Brainstorm some new approaches to lessons that have become a bit too routine (i.e.  boring for you and students).  Challenge yourself to try something new with the next few months being the trial phase (I did that with EDMODO).  This way with the new year, you will be ready to go!

3.  Involve students a bit more in the decision process for a project or two to take them to May.  When students know that their voice has meaning and their decisions valued, they are more enthusiastic about the project!  I am starting such a project tomorrow for my ELLs.  They will pick the topic and have a variety of options to complete the task.  They will also create a scoring rubric with me by which their projects will be scored.

4.  Don't be hard on yourself for plans that fell awry.  It happens to EVERYONE at some time in one's teaching career.  Time to lick one's wounds and move one:)

Here some additional ideas with  3 more months to go:)

Denise
ELL TEACHER PROS
TWITTER @ell_teacherpros (2,085 followers to date)
Pinterest--dmcyberteacher - Denise Stewart - dmcyberteacher@gmail.com
FACEBOOK-ELL TEACHER PROS

Here Are Some Great Apps for Your Classes:)

If teachers are to maintain the interest of students from the digital age, they need to rethink how to deliver content in new ways.  Some of these tools may take some planning since often times teachers are not as proficient in the use of technology as their students:)  That being said this can become a learning opportunity for teachers since they have much to learn from their charges.  I am in that scenario often, but no matter what app I use, I always have at least 2 or 3 students who come to my rescue when I ask for assistance.  No matter how well I plan the use of technology within the lesson, there is always a glitch which surfaces.  Such glitches show students working as a team to solve problems also includes the teacher. Here are some great FREE tools to make your job a bit easier.

DOJO (classroom management app)-This is a fun app to deal with classroom management.  Students are represented by various avatars.  Their behavior is recognized by a series of checks and minuses, but presented in a format that motivates students to stay on task.  Teachers can monitor behavior with iPads, iPhones, smart phones, laptops, tablets, etc.  It is also free.  Elementary through high school students like it as well.

Remind 101-If you do not wish to risk calling a student's home using your own cell phone, you need to use REMIND101.  With this tool, you create your classes first. Students will be instructed to call a phone number created by the system.  This number can also be given to parents as well as students.  You may send out reminder notices to the entire class or to just one student or two who missed an assignment.  Your private number is never used.  Here is a short video on it (it is also free).

Teacher kit-This is a free electronic grading system.  Though it will not replace your district mandated one, it does make it easy to keep track of points or grades throughout the class period without running to your laptop or desktop.  I have used it for 3 years in keeping track of grades in my university adjunct position as well as during my regular ELD classes in my high school.  Once I record a week or two of grades, I email them to myself in an EXCEL format. 

Groovy grader-Tired of pulling out a calculator to figure out grades?  Worry no longer.  This app will convert ANY amount of points into letter grades for you with ease.  I use it regularly when administering test with odd configurations (ex.  73 is a perfect score--student has 59.5--What is the percentage?  Groovy Grader has the answer instantly.)

I hope these tools make you day a little easier for you--they did for me:)

Denise

ELL TEACHER PROS
Follow us on Twitter @ell_teacherpros (2, 055 followers and growing).
Pinterest dmcyberteacher OR denise@ellteacherpros.com

Design Graphic Organizers to Support ELLs in Your Classes---FOR FREE!

With English language learners in practically every classroom and at every grade level throughout the United States, teachers need to create scaffolding devices to support student efforts to derive meaning from content.  Though there are many ready to print graphic organizers available on the internet, not all fit equally in any given lesson.  So what is a teacher to do?  COOL TOOLS to the rescue:)

Within COOL TOOLS FOR SCHOOLS,  teachers are offered a wide variety of online tools to develop their own graphic organizers to meet the specific needs of the students in their classes.  Differentiation is done with ease and all designs created can be saved for later use. 

I see myself using DIAGRAMMR with my low intermediate students in class, but I also see it working with ELLs in more advanced English classes as they try to incorporate more complex sentence structure into their writing, dissect more complex sentences to better understand the content, and edit their written work before it is handed in for grading.

Denise

ELL TEACHER PROS
TWITTER @ell_teacherpros
PINTEREST username dmcyberteacher email denise@ellteacherpros.com

Great Ideas On Using PINTEREST In The Classroom:)

Pinterest is developing a major following nowadays and not for foods and party refreshments:)  It offers incredibly rich resources for teachers, students, and classrooms.  These resources on the surface seem to be just photos, but with a click on the photos, the reader is taken to websites that provide extensive information on the photo.  Further, teachers can find materials for every content area and grade level.

As an avid pinner (my username is dmcyberteacher and email denise@ellteacherpros.com), I have 33 virtual boards and 30 of them are all subject boards (1,035 followers to date):  social studies, mathematics, English literature, science, French, Spanish, educational technology, English language learners, space, instructional strategies, and more.  Here is my mathematics board to give you an idea of what subject boards look like. 

As an instructional coach part of the day, I make it a point to share such information with educators who have English language learners in their classes.  Using this site provides those absolutely key visuals which make content instruction accessible for them. 

Further, teachers can collaborate with like discipline instructors and share/exchange pins.  Many times, teachers put up their own original materials, worksheets, charts, etc.  Some teachers collect pins from all teachers invited to join a given board.  I belong to the Spanish and French language boards and submit pins regularly to them. 

This link on pinterest provides 37 ways for teachers to achieve maximum benefit from the site.  See what works for you.  I guarantee that you will seriously consider joining the thousands of us already pinning for our students:)

Denise
ELL TEACHER PROS
Follow us on TWITTER @ell_teacherpros.
Follow me on PINTEREST username dmcyberteacher/email denise@ellteacherpros.com

Edmodo----Like Facebook But For Teachers and Their Students:)

Wouldn't it be wonderful if teachers could incorporate social media tools directly into their classroom instruction with the approval of administration and parents?  Imagine students checking their cell phones throughout the day to see if either the teacher or fellow classmates have posted some wonderful bit of historical trivia or strategies to solve a difficult math problem or additional insight into group project.  Now, take this a step further and picture ELLs interacting with fellow students within this medium.  Here, embarrassment over limited English abilities is a non-issue since collaboration is the goal so no bell curve is present to intimidate.  In fact, though there is an academic focus behind it, students will see it as a fun "version" of FACEBOOK:)

 EDMODO has a layout very much like Facebook.  There are group post sections where teachers (or students if it is an assignment) post topics for students to respond to.  The post would of course have an academic focus since the teacher's goal is to assist students in developing a deeper knowledge of the topic.  There is a calendar where teachers can post due dates for tests, examinations, projects, papers, etc.  Parents will definitely appreciate this feature. 

There is also an option for the teacher to post quizzes either on the site directly or by uploading them.  I would only make such quizzes practice ones for the real test; however, for the ELL or struggling learner, this type of practice with in class feedback would greatly increase the odds of passing the real test.  After all, as such students become more confident in their knowledge of the topic, they greatly increase the odds of earning a good grade on the formal assessment.

Another tool is the poll taker.  Students may create their own as part of a class project or take ones that the teacher has created or both:)  I just created one for my students to take on their whether they prefer the new bell schedule (block scheduling) or the old one (traditional 55 minute periods).  Once they take the poll, we will discuss the results using sentence frames and academic vocabulary to make their point.

One other tool I am looking forward to using is the library which I will contribute to (weblinks) as well as students (I must approve potential submissions of course).  Now, when students have projects, they have a place to start.  This type of support is a must for ELLs.

Edmodo also contains a wide range of academic links ready for students to use with ease.  I joined several academic communities with the needs of my students in mind (math, science, history, English).  Now, if students need further clarification on content issues, they can do some research here and hopefully find their answers.

Try the site with your students.  Bring in fellow colleagues.  Your students will truly enjoy EDMODO:)

Denise

ELL TEACHER PROS
Twitter @ell_teacherpros (1965 followers).
Pinterest denise@ellteacherpros (985 followers -- all academic boards).

How Would Students in 2014 Handle This 1912 8th Grade Test?

If students today think exams are difficult, they should be glad they are not in the year 1912.  In that day and age, the internet was not around to fill in the learning gaps:)

This 8th grade test from 1912 covers EVERYTHING including, but not limited to, spelling, grammar, parts of speech, mathematics, civics, etc.  What stands out is how the mathematics section has so many real world applications unlike many of our tests nowadays.  In fact, I can almost picture students from 1912 actually using such math skills in solving everyday situations demanding practical solutions like figuring out profit and loss in the sale of land or applying math to compute solutions to various home improvement activities. 

The writing and reading sections are not here because they were left up to the teachers to select.  Based on the rest of this test, I expect that they were equally challenging.

Why not offer this test as an extra credit project for students?  For ELLs, the playing field will be leveled since some of the information will be totally new for the EOs as well so only through team work will they be able to solve the problems or answer the questions.  I am sure they would welcome the challenge to prove that they are just as smart as those 8th graders from 1912:)

Here are answers to the test.

Denise

ELL TEACHER PROS
Twitter @ell_teacherpros (1,962 followers).
PINTEREST dmcyberteacher/Denise Stewart/ELL TEACHER PROS (985 followers-all academic boards)>

FREE Online Audio Books for Elementary, Middle, and High School Students!

In every content class, students have assigned readings to meet common core demands as well as gain a more detailed insight into the subject matter at hand.  However, school budgets are not as rich as they were a few years back and many more children of poverty are in classes from kindergarten through high school.  So, how are teachers to nurture an interest in reading with limited funds?

Fortunately, many popular reading materials are online for free and many of those books have audio versions.  For ELLs, audio books provide meaning to text since most ELLs develop listening skills before reading.  Using such material would assist ELLs in keeping up with demands of content classes.  How would they access the books?  The vast majority of kids regardless of their socioeconomic status possess cell phones (think of them as mini-computers).  With these tools, they can follow the assigned readings at home via their phones. 

Of course, for students to gain maximum benefit from the books, teachers would need to guide them through the process, provide flow charts for students to take notes, identify the possible glitches readers face with online audiobooks along with suggestions to solve those issues when they arise, saving the page where they left off, and so on. 

For students to learn to enjoy reading, they need a vast library to pick from so that they can find just the right book:)

Denise

ELL TEACHER PROS
Twitter @ell_teacherpros (1960 followers).
Pinterest dmcyberteacher (denise@ellteacherpros.com) 980 followers (all educational subject boards).

6 Step Process to Build Self-Confidence for Students Who Failed the First Half of the School Year

Today, school resumed after the winter break.  Some students will be enthusiastic about the return due to doing well academically while others fear a repetition of a poor academic performance in the second half of the school year.  Since the successful ones will probably continue to be so in their classes, they will not need the teacher's attention as much as the strugglers.  It is this second group that this blog is dedicated to:)

How can teachers motivate students who may have given up on succeeding in school?  Though there are many resources out there to offer ideas on this topic, I have selected the one that seems to be the easiest to implement for any teacher.  The techniques addressed here are those that I have used for years and I can guarantee that they do work with some patience on the teacher's part.  After all, because the changing of instructional approaches is occurring in the middle of the school year, teachers must have students change old habits.  This may make the weaker ones a bit uncomfortable, but it IS for their own good.

To boost student self-confidence, they have to believe that changes will lead to a passing grade (or higher).   There are several avenues teachers may pursue to that end.  First, students have to receive specific feedback on what they are doing and how well they are doing it.  Simply saying "good job" does not tell the student what specifics s/he got right so that s/he will know what to repeat in the future.  Make the praise genuine.  This validation is very effective in improving student performance.

Differentiate the learning goals since not all students learn at the same speed.  Through slightly adjusting lessons based on student ability, teachers will see more active participation.  This leads to increased student engagement and that is a win-win for everyone.

Call on students randomly.  We sometimes tend to call on the students who have their hands in the air, but those are the students who already know the answers.  What about the silent "majority"?  Randomizer apps are available for all smart phones.  If technology is not available, use playing cards or sticks with names on them.  The results are the same--no one know who will be called on. This suspense leads to more student engagement in the class because they know that they will be held accountable for learning.

Be enthusiastic about teaching your subject.  Enthusiasm can be infectious:)  Try one-on-one conferences once a week with students.  The weaker ones may need two minutes.  All students truly seem to enjoy that special time to have all of the teacher's attention.  For teachers, it provides time to truly get to know the student.

Just some ideas to offer hope to students who are struggling:)

Have a great first day back with your students:) 

Denise
ELL TEACHER PROS
Pinterest as dmcyberteacher or Denise Stewart (950 followers--all academic content boards).
Twitter @ell_teacherpros (1950 followers).

Fully Engaging Final Exam Review Activities for Students:)

Yes, final examinations are only a few weeks away, and, of course, students may be exhibiting a little anxiety in the review process.  Well, why not make the process less stressful by using some highly engaging activities that will provide a low-stress review?  Further, it puts the onus on the students to do the review (within teacher facilitation).  After all, how much will students remember if the teacher does all the talking?

One of my favorite approaches here is to have students, in small structured teams (no friends sitting together), create test review questions for classmates.  The questions must be multiple choice in nature (faster to review that way).  More importantly, as students create the questions and find the answers, they are discussing, analyzing, studying content to make sure that their questions and responses are accurate.  Further, one bonus is that I tell them from the start that I will be taking 1 question from each group to include on their final examination.  For the vast majority, that is quite an incentive:)  Once the questions are created, I type all of them up and pass them out to mixed groups (I use a randomizer here to make sure that groups are mixed).  Here the team must work out the problems.  They must work as a team to arrive at answers and be able to explain how they arrived at their group's answer. 

What else can be done?  Teachers are quite creative so as you review this link, don't be surprised if you see some of your own approaches here.

Denise

ELL TEACHER PROS
Twitter @ell_teacherpros  (1900+ followers and growing)
Pinterest denise@ellteacherpros.com

English Is Truly a Crazy Language:)

English is a challenge for native speakers as well as English learners.  English speakers spend countless hours in class learning English spelling rules and then even more hours learning the many exceptions (ex. child becomes children and not childs:)  Add to spelling, the many inconsistencies in pronunciation depending on the function of the word in the sentence (ex. read present tense-read past tense---same pronunciation). 

Well, here is a fun look at English.  Students will definitely enjoy exploring the bizarre nature of English.  To share this with students, a less is more approach would be the best.  I offered it in small chunks usually at the end of class one day in the week (for me, it is Friday).  Such information generally opens up a lively conversation as to why those inconsistencies exist.  These conversations easily lead to how to use reading skills to decide which pronunciation is called for and why.  For example, THE STUDENTS WERE TOO CLOSE TO THE DOOR TO CLOSE IT.  The first CLOSE is an adjective while the second is a verb.  As these forms are discussed, grammar can be woven in with ease in studying the parts of speech and their functions in a sentence.

Studying English can be fun at times and this is one of them:)

Denise

ELL TEACHER PROS

Twitter @ell_teacherpros (1800+ followers and climbing).
Pinterest dmcyberteacher or Denise Stewart