Comic Books in History Classes? Yes!

A fun way to grab the attention of all students is to bring in comic books to supplement a lesson.  Yes, comic books such as Superman, Wonder Woman, Captain America, Ironman etc. motivate even the most reluctant student to wake up and pay attention:) 

Some of the comics are tied to building patriotism in World War II.  America felt the need to rid the world of terrorism and restore peace world wide.  Superman helped nurture that belief that America was the world's defender.  He stood for "truth, justice, and the American way."  Granted some propaganda was involved here, but he helped America enter the war to stop evil dictators and correct the evils of the world.  Wonder Woman was more of the same.  She defended the downtrodden and improved the life of humanity.  Captain America still was another example.  He fought the Nazis and once again made Americans proud.  Students could research the authors of these comics and what their inspiration was in creating them.  They would then write a paper, do a presentation, create a group project, develop a "screen play," etc. 

Ironman also fights for justice, but what I find even more intriguing is his external super armor.  I think of him as a cyborg at times.  Students in robotics classes would probably find many tie-ins here.  In fact, some of this "super wear" is already being used in the military.  Students here could create on paper new features and then not only describe what they look like, but also go into detail on its purpose and use in the military.  Then, what about writing about WHY their adjustments would be needed. 

Using comic books in class has other benefits for ELLs also.  There are the visual layouts which provide context.  Though language is limited, there are still some very high level academic vocabulary words included (along with visual context).  Why not have students create comics as a class project in the content area you working in?  Your students will really appreciate it. 

Denise

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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

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Treasure Trove of Instructional Strategies to Deliver Content and Build Language for ELLs

As noted regularly in this blog, the implementation of common core based lessons will not mean ushering in new tools to accommodate student needs.  Instead, it will be a matter of tweaking the known to facilitate student access to the new.  Teachers will not have to re-invent the wheel here since probably 90% of the strategies which were used in the past will work just as well in delivering lessons aligned to common core lessons. 

Here is a PDF from the State Department of Education from Connecticut where a collection of some of the most common strategies have been compiled.  More likely than not, very few of these strategies are totally new to most educators.  They were effective in the past and will be even more so with the common core standards based lessons because they will be put to far more effective use than in the past.  Student accountability will move the forefront here.  Every student will be actively engaged in the lesson process.  Though this benefits students overall, it particularly scaffolds the attempts of English language learners to experience success in mastering the material. 

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES TO DELIVER CONTENT ACROSS CURRICULUM -- use this document as a starting point in reviewing favorite strategies.  See if there are any familiar strategies here.  See if there are any new ideas that look appealing and try them out. 

Denise

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How To Make Homework Relevant AND Why It Is Important To Do So!

With the start of the second semester coming in a few days, mainstream teachers may wish to reflect on ways to make homework assignments more accessible for those English language learners in their classes.  Though it may be easier to assign the same work for all, often times this is not the most effective approach to take with them.  It is true that they sound fluent, but typically their reading and writing skills are 1-3 years behind their English speaking peers so if teachers give out homework without any scaffolding or adjustments, ELLs will either do poorly or not do anything at all.

How can a teacher attach meaning to class homework assignments?  This site lays out some very thoughtful approaches to create academically meaningful work for students to do at home. 

KEY TO ADDING MEANING TO HOMEWORK
(recap of article below)

1.  Purpose--Why are students doing the work?  Whose work is it--the student's or the teacher's?  By involving students in creating the assignment, they experience a sense of ownership.  Further, they will accomplish the task based on their strengths since they designed it. 

For myself, after finishing a lesson, I offer options for students to demonstrate their grasp of the concepts.  They are also allowed to complete the tasks with partners.  I never take assignments from textbooks, but instead, tweak the assignments so that they are relevant and in a more student friendly layout.  I also have students start assignments in class to make sure that every students starts off on the right foot.  After all, many of the ELLs are not living in homes where parents speak English at the level of a native speaker of English.

2.  Efficiency--Creating dioramas may be fun, but where is language skill being developed?  How is mastery of lesson content being handled?  Teachers want to design activities that involve genuine interaction with the content.  If students are studying historical events, why not have them keep journals as one of the historical figures being studied?  If studying biology, why not have students label all the parts of a plant cell and note the function of each part in keeping the plant alive and healthy?  The list of meaningful activities is endless.

3.  Ownership--How about offering students options on what to read on a given topic?  This approach taps student interests since s/he has the opportunity to select reading material that s/he feels will help her/him relate to the material being studied. What reading options might the student have?  Graphic novels, blogs, websites, wiki posts, e-books,  skype, iPad apps, pod casts, illustrated books, free online courses, translated materials, email correspondence, etc. are all options.  If students have the power to navigate towards sources they feel comfortable with, they will be more likely to tap them in completing assignments.

4.  Competence--If students keep learning logs/journals, they are keeping records of everything they studied.  Such tools can be used in any subject.  They are instrumental in assisting the student in keeping track of his/her progress in following a teacher's lesson.  For example, if teaching a novel, have students keep a journal on key events and their reactions to them.  Students might also keep journals as a character in the book.  The list goes on.  The important thing is that when they have to write a composition, an essay, or take a test, they have pages of handwritten notes/reflections to refer to in accomplishing that task. 

5.  Aesthetic Appeal--Presentation of the assignment is everything.  As the article notes, word searches are not interesting and carry little academic value since all a student does is find a word in a puzzle.  Instead, bring in some original graphic organizers that will offer students different ways to organize key information to use in class (FREEOLOGY.COM--lots of free graphic organizers).  If studying a character in literature, why not have students design a WANTED POSTER with detailed information on the protagonist (here is where the detailed notes come in)?  If in a science class, why not have them write a news article on the ramifications of the great discovery they studied in class that day?  Why not ask students what they would like to do for homework? 

The article has much more in it than I have here.  The new year offers a new start for many students.  If some students had a poor academic performance last year, new approaches to homework might improve student grades next semester.

Denise

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Creative Ways to Fully Engage ALL Students in Learning Process!

How does a teacher infuse instruction with enough creative student engagement activities to hold and maintain student attention for the length of the lesson?  It is an issue most teachers grapple with every day since it is their goal to motivate students to want to learn and enjoy the experience every step of the way.  Productive student engagement with regular monitoring on the part of the teacher holds all students accountable to learn.  This approach leaves no student behind.  English language learners especially need this type of active instruction and monitoring.  It is the only way they will acquire both content and English proficiency.

In this video, a national board certified English language arts teacher leads his class through some lessons on  To Kill a Mockingbird.  Though the video is about 26 minutes, it is well worth the view.  Teacher evaluators and coaches are viewing David Preto's English language arts class to see if he has generated a lesson that is more active in its delivery--more directed student engagement.  In this video, evaluators observe the lesson on site as well as on video to see if he is following up on suggestions.  See his skills grow over the full length of the video.  Does he achieve the perfect lesson?  No, but through his willingness to keep honing his skills, it is evident that he will do it.

GREAT STUDENT INVOLVEMENT IN LEARNING PROCESS

As teachers, such self-reflection should be an on-going process for all.  Lesson delivery should be adjusted regularly.  Why?  This is a must because student populations change from year to year.  Also, with the number of English language learners growing from year to year, lessons that worked well 10 years ago with English speaking populations might not run as effectively with this new population. 

In less than 2 weeks, it will be the start of 2013.  A new semester will be here.  Why not shake things up a bit in class by reaching outside the comfort zone and try some new approaches:)

Enjoy your well deserved winter break!

Denise

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COMMON CORE WILL TOTALLY REFORM ASSESSMENTS FOR ALL STUDENTS

Common core standards will usher in an array of new assessment techniques for teachers and their students.  This new approach will offer a more accurate picture of a student's strengths and weaknesses.  With instructional programs such as EXPLICIT DIRECT INSTRUCTION, teachers will have multiple opportunities to assess for understanding throughout a lesson.  Such data will permit the teacher to create mini-lessons to address confusion on the part of struggling students (ELLs especially) while the rest of the class is free to continue other assignments.  Project based learning will be a major part of instructional component of every class.  Active student engagement through team collaborative activities like those found in the business world will prepare students to master those skills employers want in their employees.

So schools will move away from overuse of multiple choice questions and personal narratives to projects addressing real world problems where 21st century skills in math, science, engineering, etc. must be used to solve real world problems.   In such settings, students will not only have to employ a wide range of skills to solve problems, but also be able to the necessary research to develop an answer, work with a team to develop a solution, and then, with sharp presentation skills, offer their solutions to the problem.  School will be moving away from the humor in this video:  I CHOOSE C

Planning team building and class discussion activities to fully prepare students for this new look at learning are in this video of high school students following an challenging urban planning curriculum in a  fifteen-hour study unit. Teams of high school juniors and seniors were in a competition to offer the best plan for remodeling a poor neighborhood.  All academic skills are tweaked to apply to the business task of remodeling.  Quite impressive!  PROJECT BASED LEARNING ACTIVITY

Denise

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AMAZING TOOL TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO ACADEMIC LANGUAGE FOR ELLS AND EOS ALIKE

As content teachers see the number of English language learners increase in their classes, they will be faced with the double duty of delivering access to academically challenging vocabulary along with building English language proficiency.  For many, addressing such language demands may be relatively new and therefore a bit overwhelming.  However, thanks to the work of Kenji Hakuta and Greg Wientjes of Stanford, delivering comprehensible academic language to ELLs can be done with ease.

ABOUT WORDSIFT  -- here is a detailed overview of the many features the site offers for free.  Basically, a teacher (or student) either types a passage into the box or does a copy and paste.  To sift out academic words, click on SIFT.  A word cloud appears with varying sizes of words in the passage.  Large print indicates rare while small print equals common.  Other options for sifting are common to rare, rare to common, academic word language, English, science, math, social studies, and custom. 

There is far more to this site than sifting however.  Once the key words appear, the teacher can find google images in the site to clarify word meanings for students.  Since a picture says a thousand words, teachers will be able to supply comprehensible meaning for every word selected.  Further, there is visual thesaurus where teachers can expand vocabulary for students with just a few clicks.

WORD SIFT Click here to enter the site.  Teachers only need to find passages from their content areas to copy and paste here.  Click on SIFT and find those academic words with ease.  These are the words ELLs will find difficult to decipher if left to reading on their own.  If teachers display the results on their screens or whiteboard via LCD projects, they can engage the entire class in discussing unfamiliar vocabulary via the visuals.  Such activities engage all students with ease.

TOUR THROUGH WORD SIFT
For a complete tour of the many rich features of the site, click here.   Teachers should have no problem exploring the site and designing many ways to weave it into their classes. 

DEMO LESSON WITH WORD SIFT
How would the site be used as a teaching tool?  This link takes the visitor through all the features of a a complete lesson.  This is a wonderful starting point for any teacher considering using this site in a lesson.  If there is some free time over the winter break, teachers may like spending some time playing with it.

Denise

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Regular Formative Assessments Dramatically Improve Overall Performance

The regular use of informal assessments throughout a lesson is a must if students are to fully grasp the content of any lesson.  This type of checking goes far beyond the simple act of a teacher asking a general question of the class with the usual 2 or 3 answering.  For students to feel confident in their ability to complete homework tasks based on a lesson, the teacher must include regular and varied methods of assessing student understanding.  With the feedback from such activities, the teachers can identify and support those who are still struggling, provide the accelerated students with slightly more challenging work, and send those who have grasped the key points to other activities which provide deeper insight into the subject matter.

For English language learners, time spent here makes a world of difference in building their confidence to complete homework assignments.  Some formative assessments here can be ones completed as a group (structured cooperative learning groups where language support is built in so ELLs can learn the content as well as develop English language skills).  Peers have amazing communication skills when explaining concepts to each other.  Further, since this is an activity with peers, ELL anxiety levels are lowered.  Here there is no fear of embarrassment in front of the entire class.  Other formative assessments can be done on a individual basis.  One good one is the exit ticket.  I use 3 X 5 index cards for my students here.  I write 2 or 3 questions on the white board covering key ideas from the lesson.  If the student can answer them correctly, he has grasped the main idea of the lesson.  I also like the 3 X 5 card because the size is not intimidating and I have never encountered a student who couldn't write something in those 3 minutes.  If multiple classes are involved (ex. 5 English 10 classes), make the index cards different colors.  Formative assessments are also a must before major assessments are given.  In doing so, students are better prepared to take the summative assessment. 

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS  In this article, you will find more information on the importance of providing many informal assessments in class.  You will also find some additional forms of summative assessments.  Typically, these checks-for-understanding should be given every 3-7 minutes within a class period.  If students are lost based on poor results, teachers must go back and reteach.  If instruction is conducted this way, students will be fully prepared to tackle homework successfully.

Denise

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COMMON CORE and ACADEMIC VOCABULARY

Though every one of the 46 states who adopted the common core might weave a few state related adjustments here and there into their state education plans, they will leave the bulk of common core in place.  This will hopefully lead to national standards eventually.

One common thread found in every state's version of the CCSS is the need to build academic vocabulary of their students.  Two issues surface here.  One is WHICH words does a teacher focus on in a given lesson.  Here, teachers have to differentiate between words which will be used in different content areas and which ones are words that are so content specific (ex. mitosis) that they will rarely, if ever, be found outside of that content area.  Then teachers must devise ways to activate student prior knowledge to the new word.  Once that occurs, teachers can refer back to it as needed to ensure that the student can apply this new knowledge to the reading in which the word is found.  Second, as the teacher covers such key vocabulary, s/he needs to build on that word knowledge by showing different forms of the words, bringing in antonyms/synonyms/examples/non-examples, visuals, etc.  Further, students need time to strengthen that knowledge not just with reading, but also writing.

COMMON CORE AND ACADEMIC VOCABULARY is from New York.  In this 6 minute video, NYS Commissioner of Education John King, David Coleman (contributing author to the Common Core), and Kate Gerson (a Sr. Fellow with the Regents Research Fund) discuss the shift in academic vocabulary. 

How will this change the way a teacher addresses new vocabulary choices?  Here are some areas to think about in viewing the video. 

1.  They will need to decide on how many words in a given selection must be taught.
2.  Teachers will need to select words deemed useful across disciplines. 
3.  They will need to see which words are worth the time to fully explore and reinforce with students. 
4.  They will need to create writing activities  to provide practice in using the words. 

To support teachers in making these decisions, download the PDFs at the bottom of the page under the paragraph describing the video.


You may register for updates to their plans for implementation of the new standards.  You will also have access to many more resources including videos, lesson plans, lesson plan templates, common core exemplars covering K-12, etc.  It is one of many sites teachers will want to save:)

Denise

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Powerful Uses of Cooperative Learning in ANY Classroom With ANY Student

As Common Core standards begin to surface in classrooms across the country, students will be faced with more demanding assignments covering much more technical readings.  Project based learning (PBL) will be a focus in many classrooms at all grade levels.  

How will PBL be handled in the classroom?  PBL will employ many of the approaches of cooperative learning.  In PBL, cooperative learning groups will be very focused on accomplishing an assigned task.  ELLs will be in all mainstream classes so teachers will need to make sure that support is built into groups with these students. What face could this support take?  Visual notes, students with same personality types working as a team, some bilingual academically successful student team members, charts and posters in every corner of the room for the ELLs to reference as needed in completing their tasks within the group, regular monitoring/facilitating of the teacher to support as needed, video clips, graphic organizers, mind maps, etc. 

How long should PBL segments last?  Typically, no more that 10-12 minutes on average.  When students know that there is a time limit, they tend to stay focused longer.  This determination is evident in how the group, as a team, makes decisions based on feedback from each member of the group.  Further, since students know that each one is accountable for being able to share with the class what their group accomplished, every student works on being able to share their group's results.

UNC COOPERATIVE LEARNING  Here is an excellent description of cooperative learning activities.  With accessible language all around the ELL, s/he will be able to actively participate in an PBL activity successfully.

BEST PRACTICES  This site offers some suggestions to prepare ELLs to do well in cooperative group activities.  The videos are very effective.

Denise
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EASE ACADEMIC LANGUAGE DEMANDS OF COMMON CORE READING ASSIGNMENTS FOR ELLS AND OTHERS:)

As students start to interact with text, they will encounter many words that will be totally unfamiliar to them.  Dictionaries should not the first source for ELLs to run to when this happens.  Instead, teachers need to find "out-of-box" imaginative classroom activities to support students in acquiring new vocabulary.  These activities ideally should include something for each of the three learning styles (as the teacher in the video below does) since not all students learn the same way.  Remember that ELLs are individuals first and ELLs second. 

In this video, the kinesthetic, visual, and auditory learners are all actively engaged in finding the correct words to complete a list of analogies.  The teacher places one word on the backs of eachstudent with POST-IT notes.  Students have a sheet of incomplete analogies which they must complete by reading all the words on the backs of their classmates until they find the right match.  At that time, they fill in the correct space on their activity sheet.  In the process of doing this, they are discussing their choices with their fellow classmates. 

When all learning styles can relate to the assignment, all benefit.  Notice the amount of talking and reading that goes on in the activity.  This is what ELLs need especially to build their speaking and listening skills in academic settings.  As the listening and speaking skills grow so do the reading and writing skills. 

One more note.  This activity can be used for ANY content area and at almost any grade level.  ELLs will benefit greatly from non-traditional approaches to teaching or reviewing vocabulary because they have classmates all around them to ask questions of as they try to complete the task.  Anxiety is also low since the activity is also fun.

"KICK ME" -- FUN VOCABULARY ACTIVITY FOR ANY AGE OR CONTENT AREA

Denise

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Proven Successful Strategies to BUILD Academic Vocabulary Base for the Long-Term ELL

Long term ELLs (those students who are still identified as English language learners after more than 7 years in the country) are struggling at best in mainstream classes.  They come to class with conversational skills in place, but are 2-4 years behind in reading and writing skills.  Coming to school with such major gaps in academic language leads to failing grades.  Such low grades lead to high dropout rates from high school.  Dropping out of school drastically limits life choices.  No teacher wants a child to fail, but how can this special group not just survive in a mainstream class, but also thrive?  One approach is to start building their knowledge of more academic language so that they can not only recognize it when they see it, but also use it in their speech (class discussions) and their writing (making solid arguments on paper). 

So, how can the explicit teaching of vocabulary be addressed in class of 32? 

First, teachers need to preview readings to identify those academic vocabulary words that will surface in other content areas (ex.  compare, analyze, expect, decide, etc.).  Ideally, if teachers share the same students, they could select common academic words that surface in all of their classes and draw student attention to them whenever they present themselves in a lesson.  Also, such key academic vocabulary could be charted on butcher paper and placed in a very prominent place in class for ready reference.  Each word listed there would be accompanied by a visual, a sentence (specific to the individual teacher's content), and possibly word parts (affixes:  compare, comparatively, comparison---draw student attention to common word parts/affixes). Have students write those words, use them in academic discussions, understand them when used in lectures, etc. 

Second, with content classes, teachers must also identify key vocabulary specific to the course.  For example, if teaching biology, what are 10 key vocabulary words a student must know in a week long lesson?  Presenting that student with a list of 40+ words per week to master in order to pass the class (slight exaggeration here) is an overwhelming situation for the long-term ELL.  Teachers don't need to compromise on the concepts delivered in the lesson, but instead they must decide on what words are absolutes (i.e. "must be taught and memorized") vs. what words can just be explained quickly in the reading.  Concept maps on large sheets of butcher paper build mental links for ELLs.  Having students develop these maps (under teacher supervision to make sure that they are accurate) will stimulate academic conversation, involve the kinesthetic learner, the visual learner also artist, and the auditory learner as s/he listens and responds to the discussion on layout of the map.  Teachers can then draw student attention to the concept maps throughout the week to build academic key vocabulary background.  When the week is over, teachers should keep the sheets as a sort of "student-generated dictionary).

Third, teachers might wish to create tiered vocabulary lists.  Tier one are the common words that most ELLs bring to class.  It basically consists of the everyday language they use outside of school.  On the other hand, tier two words are those words that teachers need to weave into the class to move students away from tier one words.  Those are the words students need to use in academic settings.  The same words they will on college applications or in the business world.  If students don't learn these words in school, they will be at a distinct disadvantage in the real world.  As tier two words are addressed, teachers address key content vocabulary aka tier three words.  Tier three vocabulary consists of content specific vocabulary such as for biology:  mitosis, photosynthesis, DNA, rh factor, etc.

Below are two sites that address the teaching of academic vocabulary.  You may want to bookmark them for easy reference.

TEACHING VOCABULARY

ACADEMIC VOCABULARY

Denise

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COMMON CORE BILINGUAL SUBJECT SUPPORT FOR ELLS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH AND FREE.

As classrooms become more diverse with a wide range of academic abilities, teachers will need support above and beyond textbooks.  This is where the internet can bridge the gap.  With just the right sites, teachers can build vital background knowledge in a topic or supply additional details to a lesson for those who need more information.

POWER MY LEARNING  is a site that will support the content delivery and language needs of students in all content areas-math, social studies, language and literature, science, computer programming, and technology.  Each subject is broken down in sub-categories.  For example, science covers astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, and more.  Grades K-12 are included here. The activities tie the abstract to the real world in ways that will delight students of all ages.


FOR EDUCATORS - once teachers enroll for free, they may construct common core based lessons and store them directly on the site.  Using this feature, teachers may want to embed videos as well as other instructional gadgets which are all available directly from the site.

Last, but not least, there is one unique feature that every teacher with Spanish speaking students will enjoy--with a click of a button, everything on the site will be translated into Spanish!  These translations are true to the English versions.  They will not replace instruction, but will make any assignment for a beginning/early intermediate student a bit more comprehensible.

Denise

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Design Websites For Your Classes--Great Instructional Support Tools For ELLs:)

With more ELLs entering mainstream classrooms, teachers might want to think about creating class websites.  Websites here could hold the lesson materials used in class by the teacher.  Imagine how such a tool would boost an ELL's (or any other student who was experiencing difficulty with the classwork) self-confidence in tackling academic materials.

Here, the ELL would have that much needed additional time to review the day's work without the time pressures of the school bell schedule.  Using the website, the ELL would also be free to identify the areas of the lesson that were unclear.  Equipped with notes on issues which were unclear, the student would be able to share specific problems experienced in trying to fully grasp the content of the lesson.  Such details would give the teacher the information needed to offer mini in-class "tutorials" to bring the ELL up to speed with the lesson content. 

Another use of class created websites is through project based learning assignments.  Pick a subject, any subject, and offer students the opportunity to create a website.  Here language is a wonderful byproduct as kids work as a team using what they all enjoy--technology.  In the process of meeting their goal, the ELLs are becoming increasingly fluent in English.  Further, this is an opportunity for students to use their creativity to "think outside the box."  ELLs would be working with peers in designing the site.  When the ELL encounters a language issue, his/her peers would assist him/her.  After all, the entire group would earn one grade so it pays off to make sure that every member of the group stays on task. The new common core standards will expect to see more of project based learning activities in classes as well as active involvement on the part of all students including ELLs.

Here is a YOUTUBE video from Google on how to create a website through Google.  It is just under 3 minutes in length and easy to follow:  HOW TO CREATE A GOOGLE WEBSITE

This link takes you directly to the link where the creation process begins:)  GOOGLE SITES

 If any problems are encountered in creating your class website, just ask your students to help.  I bet that they already feel comfortable in working with them regardless of whether or not they speak English:)

Denise

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COOL TEACHER TOOL FOR COMMON CORE:)

If teachers are feeling a bit uneasy about how to implement common core standards in their classrooms, they need not be.  At the bottom of the post is a wonderful breakdown on how common core will energize students about learning and teachers on new instructional methodologies which will motivate all students to actively participate in the learning process.  It is worth the paper and ink to print it out and keep it within ready access to refer to as needed.

ELLs especially will benefit here since they will now be actively engaged in many academic discussion scenarios where they will be using academic language to discuss theme/lesson related topics.  How will they develop this skill?  There are many ways to achieve this goal:  word walls, academic discussion question starters, sentence frames, concept maps, think-pair-shares (here ELLs have a couple of minutes to share with a partner what they understand from a reading or task), random call-ons, project-based learning,  graphic organizers, structured cooperative learning groups, etc.  They need to use key academic vocabulary in discussions because as their speaking and listening skills improve, so do their reading and writing skills.  With ELLs being provided with many opportunities to actively use academic language in context--reading, writing, listening, and speaking, their English proficiency will grow.  As their English proficiency grows so will their opportunities to graduate from high school and go on to join the growing global work force or university.

What will common core lessons look like?  This link has some samples.  There is a heavy emphasis on teacher modeling ("I DO"),  students and teacher working together on lots of activities where the teacher can do frequent checks-for-understanding ("WE DO"), and students working independently ("YOU DO").  If there are any students who are struggling, teachers can step in at any time to provide "mini support" sessions which should clarify problems the students have.

I hope you like the link (PDF).  I did:)

Denise

ELL TEACHER PROS


LINK BELOW:

BE A PRO AT IMPLEMENTING COMMON CORE IN YOUR CLASSROOM!

FREE COMMON CORE STANDARDS LESSON PLANNING TOOL!

Here is a site where teachers can create common core lessons, track their results, and generate reports on student progress (what percentage of students did well as opposed to the percentage of students who didn't). 

As unbelievable as it sounds, this site supports a teacher in creating lessons based on the standards directly on the website.  Teachers select the standards they wish to base their lessons on and write those lessons.  Once done, a teacher can access them, delete them, revise them, share them, etc.  Ideally, sharing them with fellow teachers from the same discipline would be a great idea here.  Several teachers could collaboratively create lessons, try them out, and then agree on a final "copy" to archive for others to access over time.

Teachers can also track standards they need by grade level and subject with just a few clicks of the mouse.  This removes any possible frustration in trying to work with a system (common core) which might be totally new.  Here, the filtering is already done!  All teachers have to do is use the tool to guide them in creating their lessons.

Another wonderful feature of this site is that teachers can not only set goals for their lessons, but also track progress.  If the students did will, teachers can move on with confidence to a new goal.  If students just missed the mark, teachers can return to their prior lesson and adjust it to make it more effective.  They might also note problems they encountered with a weak lesson (how many students did well vs. how many did not).  No one will see their lessons unless they wish to share them.  Again, if lessons in these initial stages are done within a team, it becomes a learning experience for all.  A success here is due to a team effort:)

When did teachers ever have this much support in writing lesson plans? :)


COMMON CORE PLANNER AND TRACKER

FEATURES OF THE SITE

Denise


ELL TEACHER PROS

SOLID STRATEGIES TO DEVELOP ACADEMIC VOCABULARY FOR LONG-TERM ELLS AND STRUGGLING ENGLISH ONLY STUDENTS

Students will start back to school shortly and among them will be many academically struggling students.  With Common Core Standards being rolled out this year in many parts of the country, students will be undertaking tasks far more academically challenging than those in the past.  The need to do more independent work will be new to many of them.  Teamwork will also be a focus.  Here the group is confronted with a problem that they must solve as a team.  Each member of the group contributes possible solutions to the problem along with evidence to back up their ideas.  This is the goal of CCSS--- to prepare our students to succeed in life beyond high school be it in the global workforce or in college. 

In doing research or following academic lectures in content classes, students will encounter academic vocabulary that will be totally unfamiliar to them.  Of course, developing techniques to share with students to overcome this obstacle will fall on their teachers:)  There are specific strategies which address this issue with relative ease.  In fact, most teachers are familiar with some if not most of them. 

Based on the article STRATEGIES FOR VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT FOR ELLS AND STRUGGLING STUDENTS and my own experience in teaching such students, the following approaches DO NOT WORK:

1.  Use the dictionary to find the meaning.  Copying down the definition is pointless.  No connection is  being made between the word and the student's background knowledge.
2.  Write a sentence using the word in it.  If this is done before the meaning of the word (within context) is made clear, it is not effective.
3.  Take note of the context in which the word is found.  This approach only really works when a student brings background knowledge to the reading passage in which the word is found.  Since the context is totally unfamiliar, such an activity would serve little benefit to the student.
4.  Memorize the definitions.  Students are highly unlikely to remember word lists and definitions.  Think back to the vocabulary tests you took in school.  The isolated words had no connection to anything studied.  You memorized them for the test and that was all.

What DOES work?
1.  Tie new vocabulary to what students already know.  Activate prior knowledge and help students make connections to it.
2.  Use the new words repeatedly in different formats so that students can eventually internalize the definitions. 
3.  Provide many opportunities for the students to use the new words in reading, writing, and academic discussions.  By taking this approach, teachers are broadening their academic vocabulary bases.  As this base grows,  it leads to better writing and easier access to demanding reading assignments.
4.  Bring in word parts in context.  The more word parts (affixes) students know, the broader their vocabulary becomes.
5.  Use dictionaries aimed at second language learners.  Longman, Cengage Learning, and Oxford have excellent dictionaries for ELLs (beginning through advanced).  These dictionaries have clear examples, CDs, and workbooks.  Struggling native speakers would benefit from them also.
6.  Identify the MUST-KNOW words and teach those.  If teaching a science class, narrow down the vocabulary to 7-10 absolutes a week.  The other vocabulary can be talked through by the teacher when they are encountered.
7.  Point out antonyms, synonyms, examples and non-examples when teaching vocabulary.  In doing so, students will be able to establish more connections between known and new.

This article has even more on this topic.  The ones above I have used and with success:)

Denise


ELL TEACHER PROS

YOUTUBE CURRICULUM GREAT SUPPORT FOR COMMON CORE LESSON DELIVERY!

As the new common core standards are ushered into classrooms around the nation, teachers will need to bring in videos to provide access to content subjects for ELLs especially.  In the past, many districts did not allow access to YOUTUBE on campus.  That was a major inconvenience for educators since they had to devise elaborate workarounds so that they could show the films in class.

Well, this will change!  Check out YOUTUBE IN SCHOOLS OVERVIEW  With this new program, schools will now have access to hundreds of  thousands of free educational videos from YouTubeEDU.  Some of the video sources include PBS, TED, and the Khan Academy to name just a few.  Another definite plus for teachers in these financially difficult times is that all of these videos are free and cover all content areas and grade levels.  Teachers will no longer have to spend hours at home saving videos to flash drives:)

Can students use this new found treasure to explore videos on their own at school?  No.  Students will only be able to access YouTube EDU videos plus videos that their school has added.  Further, all comments and related video links are disabled.  Parents will take comfort in this:)

One feature I was most pleased with is that all those common core standards based activities will now be accessed with a click!  There is a wealth of information on common core on YouTube and this will enhance instructional practices.  Set up your own school channel and build up your own playlist of every video imaginable tied to your subject area.  You will need to create a google account first of course.

YOUTUBE CURRICULUM  Now, once students are home, they may find that they will want to do additional research using YouTube.  Teachers will need to address digital literacy skills in their students not just for using YouTube, but across the web in general.  YouTube has a few short lessons already prepared which cover this area with ease.

Hope you like it:)

Denise

ELL TEACHER PROS

Blended Learning--Re-Inventing the Traditional Classroom For ELLs and Others:)

Technology is slowly transforming the ways in which students learn and how teachers interact with them.  Though the whiteboard will still be in the classroom, it will take second place to the smart board, document camera, laptops, iPads, kindle fires, project-based learning, etc.  Students now come to school with far more experience in using technology than many of their teachers.  They are also quite skilled in using social media while many teachers are not.  So students enter their classrooms with 21st century knowledge, but use 20th century tools to learn.  There is a gap here which teachers are working hard to bridge.  Though there are opportunities for professional development in technology in many districts, many teachers tend to talk to colleagues who are quite comfortable with using the latest piece of technology available for ideas (I do this regularly).  After all, every school has a few teachers who seem to be tethered to the internet and all the wonders it holds so they should be the first contact when a teacher wants to try something different:)

So what are some changes that are coming your way? 

Imagine students putting their own math videos online for others to use?  How about the same math lesson being offered in different languages for newly arrived ELLs?  What about students studying top online lectures in content that the teacher will use in class as a basis for project-based learning activities?  Then there are the students who struggle.  With this approach, teachers would be able to spend time with students who still need additional support while the others go deeper into the topics with practical application to the real world.  When the weaker ones catch up with the other students, they would then join the various projects and approach them on an equal footing with the other students. 

How about adding educational games to class time?  ELLs are just like other kids.  They have preferred learning activities just as the mainstream kids do.  Bring in options for them to master academic content.  With the use of educational games either for the individual or for small groups, ELLs will not only become proficient at learning the content, but also grow in their English skills.  Another plus is that you may find some students who can develop their own educational games for others to use:)


BLENDED LEARNING  Here is another site you may wish to bookmark:)

Denise
ELL TEACHER PROS

Examples of Informational Text for Both Social Studies and English Language Arts

COMMON CORE will build a bridge between content areas.  As students (especially ELLs) build those vital connections, their language skills will improve.  For ELLs, this translates to improvements in identifying and using academic vocabulary in all 4 language skill areas (listening, speaking, reading, and writing).

For all students, the COMMON CORE will better prepare them for life beyond high school be it the world of business or higher education.  In fact, due to the new format of student team work in solving problems, students will hone their speaking skills in discussion, persuasion, analysis, etc.  If students can not clearly articulate their points of view in a credible professional fashion, they will be at a distinct disadvantage in the real world. 

A major feature of the English language arts and social studies standards is the use of informational/non-fiction text.  When students leave high school, they will be faced with this form of written work.  This will be a major shift since in the past the focus in class was on fiction which left many students unprepared for the demands of business or university work.  Seventy percent of all reading will now be informational/non-fiction reading material for high school.

With this in mind, one activity might be creating activities around historical documents such as the ones below:

MAGNA CARTA  1215 A.D.

US CONSTITUTION
Created September 17, 1787 and Ratified, June 21, 1788

US DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE UNMODIFIED
July 4, 1776

Students would be given a copy of the Magna Carta and copies of the US Constitution OR the Declaration of Independence.  With the double bubble thinking map, students would look for similarities and differences between the two assigned to them.  ELLs might be provided with an outline of the key elements,  but would still have to look for key contrasts / similarities on their own.  After 5-7 minutes, students could then be assigned to small groups to share their findings with the understanding that EACH ONE will be held accountable for sharing results.  Accountability is done through random calls on students (teachers might use popsicle sticks with student names on them OR a randomizer app for a smart phone for example).  One could almost say that they would be teaching each other in a way with the teacher providing oversight and guidance as needed.

In groups, students would have to provide evidence from the two documents to support their positions.  For this, students would need to respond in complete sentences using academic vocabulary.  Finding evidence is a skill also used in English (and science). 

Of course, this is just a rough draft or an end product.  As teachers, you would of course have many mini-steps along the way to ensure that no one is left behind. 

It is my hope that as the new standards kick in, teachers might be willing to add their insight here as well as lessons.

Denise


ELL TEACHER PROS

P.S.  I am at a S.E.T.I. (Search for Extra-terrestial Intelligence) convention tomorrow all day so I may not be blogging tomorrow evening.  I will definitely share the highlights of the conference and how they would add to classroom instruction on Sunday though:)