How to Support English Language Learners in NON-ELD/ESL Classes:)

ELL Teacher Pros                                               September, 2016

Contributions of ELLs to Society                  Mawi Asgedom (T.E.D.)

Too often of late we hear that immigrants are a drain on society, a dangerous threat, predators, terrorists, etc.  As an educator who has spent her entire life working to support immigrants’ efforts to learn the language, graduate from high school, and go on to college, I can say that immigrants are one of America’s greatest strengths.  Mawi Asgedom is living proof of this.

Here is a man who came to the United States as a refugee from Ethopia with no English.  One can only imagine what went through his mind as all he heard, saw, and experienced was new and, in a way, alien.  The ELLs who come into our classes are often a bit overwhelmed.  Such students have so much to share, but are hampered by their lack of familiarity with this culture.  The one vehicle to ease the stress and assist such students in being fully integrated into our school culture (and society at large) is via the typical ESL/ELD classroom (or being with teachers trained in supporting such students in their mixed classrooms).  Dr. Asgedom was fortunate to have support from caring educators who never gave up on him and that led him to Harvard where he earned his doctorate.  With such experience, he has made it his mission to support immigrant youth through his travels around the states addressing educators at every level. 

So what can individual teachers do to support immigrant students in their classrooms?  Here is a short list (feel free to add to it):

1.     For mainstream teachers with ELLs in their classrooms, here are 12 ways to accommodate them.

2.     Build a family-like atmosphere in the classroom where are openly encouraged to help their classmates.  When small group work is called for, be sure that each small group allows the ELL to contribute with the help of the group.  Using this approach, not only does the student acquire English via content activities, but also the native speaker learns about different cultures in a personal way.

3.     Adjust assignments in ways that allow the ELL to show understanding of the content without getting bottled down in language.  Language will evolve over time through both direct (ESL/ELD teachers can assist here) and indirect instruction (content classes). 

4.     Build a classroom full of cultural contributions of all the groups (and then some) present in the classroom.  Be sensitive to cultural holidays that may not be part of their culture.  If a teacher wants to do Christmas, that teacher should also recognize the special holidays of other religious groups/cultures.  Such sensitivity teaches students to be culturally more receptive to different experiences and not fear them.

5.     Make an effort to learn to pronounce the names of ELLs correctly.  For some languages it may take some effort, but students will love and respect a teacher for trying.

6.     Keep ELLs relatively close to the front if the classroom is set up the traditional way.  This way it is easier to monitor them.  Place them next to students who love to socialize.  Socializers LOVE to talk so when small group work is called for, this group jumps at the opportunity to actively engage the quieter ones in the group’s discussion.  Sometimes, believe it or not, kids are better at getting a message across than teachersJ

7.     Discuss student’s progress with other teachers who have him/her in their classes.  It will offer insight into different ways to reach the student.

8.     Encourage parents to text/call you if they have concerns.

I have worked with immigrants for over 35 years and have truly enjoyed every moment of it. 

Hope September has gone well.  Only 8 more weeks until Thanksgiving (humor intended).

Denise (denise@ellteacherpros.com)

Marnie (marnie@ellteacherpros.com)

Cheryl (cheryl@ellteacherpros.com)

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Involving All Students in the Learning Process:)

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We are now halfway through the school year so how do we keep all of our students on track?  Though all benefit from being held accountable, not all do well here in this process.  What students struggle the most here-English language learners, those with special needs, and shy students.  Setting up a learning environment for all to succeed or fully participate is not a daunting a task.  It only takes a willingness to step out of one’s comfort zone and experiment a bit:). Here are some links with descriptions to start with and remember that these are only suggestions.  Explore to see what works for you and have fun! Ten Ways to Engage Students-   Many of these approaches are not new, but at this time of the year, a refresher is always good to have on hand.  Cooperative learning when the groups are carefully planned is an outstanding tool to use.  In such small settings, every student has a voice as well as peer support in completing a task.  When the teacher plans the composition of the groups, they build support within it so that the students with needs have peers who are more proficient in English or who stronger in grasping the academic content will experience success in accomplishing the assigned task for the group.  With this setup, the teacher can assess the progress of all students easily within the class period since the teacher is dialoguing with 9 groups of 4 as opposed to 36 individual students. Visuals, visuals, visuals!  There can never be enough of them to assist students in making connections between new content and prior knowledge.  Those supports can be teacher generated or student (group products) generated.  For ELLs especially, those visual links provide access for the ELLs to the content material. Identify KEY vocabulary and reinforce it consistently throughout the lesson.  Those key words should be key content vocabulary and not every interesting word in the lesson.  If every new word is addressed, it will be overwhelming. Engaging Students in Learning   Inclusive Teaching—All students must believe that they can succeed in the class.  All students must be held accountable for learning.  Teachers must identify student prior knowledge and build on it.  Teachers should share their experiences in learning the content when they were in school.  Students enjoy hearing about those stories since these stories show that even their teachers struggled in school from time to time and found the tools to eventually master the content. Teaching With Technology—Students love technology so it is a must to include it in lessons.  Google Drive allows students to collaborate online in writing or creating presentations.  Each student in the group (keep it manageable at 4 per group) has a different color so a teacher (as well as the group) can quickly see who was working and who wasn’t.  Power Points can also be easily created here through Google Slides.  Teachers can maintain folders for each class and within each class folder can monitor individual student submissions.  One feature I really like here is that a teacher can insert comments to guide a student in making corrections.  NO MORE PAPER! How to Keep Students Engaged in Class—   Let students all know that they should all be able to offer an answer to a question with multiple answers.  When students realize that they are more likely to be right than wrong, they are more likely to try.  If a teacher allows them to collaborate with a partner first, success is even greater.  Try a randomizer (or popsicle sticks) to randomly call on students.  This holds all students accountable. When giving instructions, students need to be quiet.  This may take some practice at first, but it is worth the effort so that the teacher does not have to repeat the instructions over and over.  Randomly calling on individuals to see how well the class understood the instructions.  Have a great February (leap year)! Denise, Marnie, Cheryl ELL TEACHER PROS Follow us on TWITTER @ell_teacherpros (3950 followers). Follow us on FACEBOOK as ELL Teacher Pros. Follow us on PINTEREST @dmcyberteacher (4590 followers—all academic content)

Fun Ways to Launch the Start of the School Year:)

Wow!  It is hard to believe that summer vacation is almost over:).  Hopefully your break was a restful one full of travel, play, and general recharging of batteries.  We have been so busy with moving, renovating our website, and preparing for conferences that we fell behind on our postings to the blog and for that we deeply apologize. 

So with school starting in the next few weeks, what can teachers do now to ensure a positive beginning of the year?  Those first weeks have the potential to decide the course of the other 9 months.  Now is the time to develop some strategies to build that crucial positive energy which will lead to a good year for both students and teachers.  This is a profession that will probably never lead to riches, but will offer multiple opportunities to inspire students to reach their potential.  Here is a video that in a humorous way validates what teachers do and why they should be valued over sports figures! 

Well, here are a few tips to ease into those first few days with zero stress:

1.  Stand at the door, ask for each for his/her name, and then greet each student with a hello, handshake, and smile upon entering the room.  Most students will be surprised by this approach.  It will also lower their stress levels as well. 

2.  After the bell rings and everyone is seated, share a corny clip on the excitement that permeates every classroom on day one.  Giggles will spring up around the room and that opens up the room to discussions on what they feel about the new year.  From this point, teachers might pair students up to discuss what they are looking forward to and why.  From this (5 minutes), students will share what their partners said remembering that there is no right or wrong. 

3.  Try to print out a roster with student pictures to speed up the process of learning every student’s name.  Assign seats early on (especially with middle school and high school where teachers see 130-180 students every day) to help with name recall.  Let students know that they will be able to test the teacher’s memory after a week.  If the teacher earns a “grade” of less than 90%, each student will receive 10 extra points in class participation (or whatever type of prize works for you).  Allowing students to test the teacher is always fun.

4.  With parental OK, set up a class FACEBOOK page, start a Twitter feed on the goings-on in the class, develop an Edmodo classroom.  Involve parents early on and they will love you for it. 

5.  Decide on a cellphone policy.  Many teachers allow their use (especially for students with very limited tech support at home), but with conditions.  If you are comfortable with cellphone use, develop rules for their use in your class, and consequences for breaking those rules (clear consequences for breaking the rules). 

6.  Have extra supplies on hand for students who don’t have them.  Discreetly provide them when appropriate.  Your school may have materials for this purpose as well.  A student who lacks the basics will start the year embarrassed and that could negatively impact his/her progress in class.

We hope the year will be a great one for all of you and your students.

denise@ellteacherpros.com

cheryl@ellteacherpros.com

marnie@ellteacherpros.com

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Liven Up the Review Process With GAMES!

This is the month of our well-deserved spring break!  It is because of this upcoming break that teachers will also be grappling with how to keep students on task as images of vacation dance in their heads:)

Break time might be a good time to check out a fun review site tool that will keep students fully engaged as they master the content of the lesson.  Once you feel comfortable with the site and can manage it like a pro, you will be ready to bring it the class in after spring break.  Since it will probably take the students a few days to settle in, it will be a great tool to motivate full class participation in a fun format.

What is this incredible tool?  JEOPARDY (but VERY easy to create)!  There are many formats that can be used in presenting this game.  I have selected 3 of my favorite approaches below:

1. Create the game yourself so you are thoroughly familiar all of the questions and answers.  Such an in-depth knowledge of the “game board” does not allow for students to argue over what they feel is correct or not.  Split the class into small groups of 4 or 5 who will compete as teams.  If you want to allot prizes, make them creative (not expensive) onesJ
2. Have students create their own game board in small groups.  For this, they would use Google Docs to create the questions and answers.  Students will check each other’s work BEFORE they go on the board.
3. Split the class into two teams.  The goal here is that each team creates the game.  The teacher then has each group deliver their game to the class on different days.  Further, the class taking part as the audience will follow a checklist to see if the game covered all the points that were assigned.

Another game similar to JEOPARDY, but slightly easier to set up is FLIPQUIZ. Think of this as a 21^st century version of JEOPARDY.  It is equipped with a built in timer.  Boards can be shared with fellow teachers or students.  For some students, this would be a highly effective study tool for them and they are having fun reviewing!  Click here for a quick explanation of some key features.

Care to use a non-quiz format for review?  Why not FAKEBOOK (like FACEBOOK but for students)?  Either alone or with partners, students could create detailed FACEBOOK pages on their assigned characters (or whatever subject you want).  Since all the students know FACEBOOK, you won’t have to spend too much time going over how to use it.

For non-tech scenarios, there is always academic bingo!  Teachers identify the key concepts or terms for students to place on their bingo cards and then the rest is chance.  Further, when a student wins, he or she must define each term (with support from peers of course) or use it correctly in a sentence.  Again, students are having fun while learning.  For teachers, they can quickly see what areas need a review and what ones don’t.

Hope you have a great restful spring break!

Denise

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How Will Common Core Based Instruction Change Classroom Practice?

At various times during the summer, the vast majority of teachers will start prepping for the start of the new school year.  This activity will more likely than not go on a few days a week for several hours at each sitting. Why do teachers do this?  Teachers (including me) want the new school year to start off on the right foot with no lost time preparing students to have a successful year under the common core framework.

So, though teachers will still be able to hold on to probably 90% of what they taught in the past, they will need to reflect on new ways to cover the material.  A "less is more" approach will probably be the most effective since teachers will be able to go into far more depth in instructional delivery than in the past.  THAT is a good thing for in the past most teachers were forced to take a mile-wide 1 inch deep approach to instruction due to the pressure of meeting state standardized mandates for student performance in their districts.  Start selecting material that really inspires you--the type of material that you wished you had had more time to spend on but pressures being what they were, you could not do so.

Here are some suggestions which might provide some support in planning for the fall.  Remember that these suggestions are only that--suggestions:)

1.  With the support of administration, create a group of willing colleagues to do collective planning across disciplines to develop lessons.  This way students see, for example, that key academic words are not limited to just one discipline, but instead, will surface in all content classes.

2.  Locate teachers seen as model educators who would be willing to have a open door policy so that teachers can see what model common core lesson delivery looks like in practice.  At my site, 22 of my fellow staff members will also be delivering professional development workshops throughout the year as well.  This approach has the potential to be far more effective than bringing in outsiders to do the same.

3.  Ask administration for time to meet monthly with teachers who share the same students.  Why?  With this approach, a team plan can be created to best meet the needs of struggling students (especially English language learners).  Such meetings often times present different viewpoints on student strengths and weaknesses.  With such knowledge, the team devises agreed upon strategies to tackle student academic needs and monitor progress as needed.

4.  Build into the school day, tutoring support for students who are having a difficult time in their academic classes.  Provide primary language tutors along with content teachers if possible.  University students who plan on becoming teachers would be an excellent resource to tap here.

Here are some additional thoughts on preparing for the major changes coming to classroom practice from Harvard's Graduate School of Education.  Check them out and see what works for you:)


Denise

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Check out our ELD For ALL writing text.  10 weak writing scenarios that students must improve upon collaboratively.  Remember that weak writers need time to play with language and our book does just that.  Order it on our website at $12.95 (ebook).

16 Creative Ways to Add PINTEREST to Teacher's Tool Kit:)

Here is a truly amazing social media tool that fits into any content area lesson at any grade level for any teacher both novice and veteran alike.  That tool is PINTEREST!  To date, I have 33 "boards" covering all academic content areas as well as topics of special interest to me (ex.  my hometown of New York City). 

How can pinterest further bring order into a teacher's daily routine and enjoy the process along the way?  This infographic offers 16 practical ways (divided into 4 categories) to achieve this.  Of course, teachers will find it easy to add to this-just consider this a starting point only.

The 4 starting group areas here are:

CURATE CONTENT-whatever the content, teachers can add all the resources they need to this section.  Within this format, teachers can add visuals, movies, photos, academic content based real world  problems, etc.  Teachers can create boards  within to share with other teachers, students, and parents.

ORGANIZE IDEAS-organize boards around content areas, collect specific links on subject related boards, etc.

COLLABORATE WITH OTHERS-invite both same subject teachers as well as those from other disciplines to add thoughts, sources, teaching techniques, project based learning ideas, etc.

ALLOW STUDENTS TO USE PINTEREST-post their work, share projects with parents, have them work collaboratively with fellow students in creating  "virtual posters" on assigned topics, etc.

This is an incredible tool which would fit in perfectly with the technology focus found in common core:)

Denise

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Discover PBS Over the Summer Break:)

Summer is here so what better time is there to recharge one's love of the topic s/he teachers than now:)  PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) offers over 250 free online movies on all areas of history accompanied by free teacher guides (downloads)

Browse the entire PBS American Experience series featuring over many free online films and some trailers. Teachers may download teacher guides, go behind the scenes, and learn more about her/his favorite films.  Explore fresh approaches to exploring historical topics (and more in the video section by grade level and content under PBS learning media).

Though it is possible to purchase videos, why not consider the free option of viewing online?  All that is needed is a connection to an LCD projector and speakers.  This type of support makes content more accessible to English language learners since it builds missing background knowledge.

Hope you enjoy the films and the site:)

Denise

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Classroom Time Management--A MUST for Common Core Lessons!

For teachers already actively engaged in common core lessons as well as those new to implementing them, they all must grapple with time management:)  How does a teacher release students to project based learning activities built on the lesson concepts without total mayhem setting in?  After all, no learning can take place if students are not trained on how to use their time wisely. 

Spending the first 3-4 weeks of a new school year familiarizing students with class rules and repercussions for breaking them is time well spent.  Once students know the limits, they learn to respect them. That in place, the class is ready to undertake the exciting tasks awaiting them in common core based lessons.

So, setting limits to speech noise levels, time to complete academic tasks, think-pair-share activities, cooperative learning projects, etc. can easily be accomplished by using a timer.  When students hear the timer go off, they know that they have 30 seconds to complete their conversation.  Once the timer has gone off and the class is quiet, the teacher can do random call-ons to see how well the groups tackled the task.

Holding every student accountable to produce work is crucial if they are to do well on final projects.  Calling on volunteers is not effective since those students already know the answers.  It is necessary to take the pulse of entire class learning by calling on those students who don't raise their hands.  If they understand, the lesson is effective.  However, if after calling on 4 or more students who don't know the answer, the teacher knows to re-present the material in a different way to make sure that every student grasps key concepts.

This video on classroom time management  does an excellent job in showing the before and after of a lesson by a new teacher.  Though the teacher being filmed is new, what she learns here with support from her department chair and instructional coach could help any teacher regardless of the number of years spent in the classroom. 

As teachers watch this clip, they can either congratulate themselves for already doing such activities, or contemplate adjusting instructional activities to create a more effective learning environment for students.

Denise

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What Does It Mean To TEACH in the 21st Century?

With common core lessons now showing up in 45 states, teachers are facing more choices in teaching their disciplines than ever.  Such freedom should be welcomed if not embraced:) 

With so many possibilities, the use of technology becomes a must.  To prepare students for the world awaiting them after high school and beyond, schools will need to employ tech tools,  search engines, social media, smartphones, etc. within the classroom.  These items will not be used to entertain, but rather to engage.  Students will need to become problem solvers adept at using such items to solve problems.

This power point (PREZI) addresses the wide range of resources available at one's fingertips today and suggestions on how best to guide students in their use.  Incredibly well done!

ENGAGE NOT ENTERTAIN STUDENTS

Denise

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COMMON CORE STANDARDS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO RADICALLY TRANSFORM 21ST CENTURY CLASSROOMS:)

A major shift is coming to the classroom with common core standards.  The teacher will take on more of a role of facilitator rather than lecturer.  This change will actively engage students in problem solving, thinking, challenging, justifying, debating, researching, and much more.  Project based learning will energize kids about exploring subjects that truly interest them while teachers guide student through the selection process of resources.  This way students will be able to distinguish reputable sources from disreputable ones.   This is the ideal way to attach world knowledge to the content classes.  Textbooks will still be around, but they will not control the delivery of curriculum as they sometimes do currently. 

TEACHING IN 21ST CENTURY 
This prez power point offers a new look at learning in the 21st century.  It offers a thorough overview of the changing roles of teachers, how instruction will occur, how students will excitedly take on responsibility for their own learning, how technology and social media will be accepted as legitimate research tools to problem solve, etc. 

PREZI  This is the tool used to do deliver TEACHING IN 21ST CENTURY.  It is free unless a teacher wishes to download the power points s/he created.  With just the right layout, teachers can release information to students by zooming in/out, spinning, enlarging dots over the letter i, etc.  In fact, many students are using PREZI and would probably be more than willing to support a teacher trying to use it.  Further, many educators have already shared their prezis so teachers should feel free to browse and use ones that fit their instructional needs.

ENGAGE ME  A "plea" from elementary school children in England to more fully engage them in learning using tools that they are already proficient in:  blogging, wikis, iPods, twitter, podcasts,  etc.

Take it one tool at a time.  Allow students to offer insight in how to use the selected tool.  Once you feel comfortable, bring in another tool.  Most importantly, have fun in doing it:)

Denise

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Earth Science--Make It Even More Fascinating for Your Students:)

Earth science is a fascinating subject for all grade levels.  It covers many aspects of life that affect us all in varying ways:  eruption of volcanoes, explanations of earthquakes, different forms of weather, etc.  If you live in an area of the world with earthquakes, you will see a natural fascination with students in not just how to prepare for such an event, but why they actually occur.  What about twisters or tornadoes?  Again, if these surface in one's neighborhood especially, the interest peaks as teachers explain the WHY behind them and the destruction they bring.

EARTH SCIENCE  addresses the above topics and much more at a level that is easily accessed by kids.  For ELLs, this site provides background information to support them in completing classwork assignments.  You will note that each link offers many sites on the subject at different grade levels as well as at different levels of English proficiency.  Imagine that all the accommodations you will ever need are within the same site!  A definite time saver in a teacher's otherwise very busy day:)

Denise

ELL TEACHER PROS

Get Students Excited About SPACE!!!!

NASA's SPACE PLACE will delight kids of all ages. Teachers will find information on all aspects of space presented in a variety of formats with each approach peaking the interest of any student.

Here is information on the sun, earth, the solar system, people and technology. The images here are breathtaking! The activities cover a fairly wide range from coloring pages for the young to building a moon habitat for older students---basically something for everyone:)

Of course, there are also lots of games and puzzles which are guaranteed to keep students occupied mastering academic/content language with ease. Many of the activities involve constructing objects related to science such as the physics machine! This machine requires very little in the way of resources, but careful attention to detail is needed if the machine is to work properly. NASA FOR KIDS

Share the site with parents as well. They will enjoy exploring the solar system with their children.

Denise

ELL TEACHER PROS

Come Visit The Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory!

If you teach world history, social studies, literature, or geography, you will want to take a long look at this incredible site dedicated to man who led the struggle against apartheid in South Africa. Even more a testament to his skills as a leader was the fact that no bloodshed was shed after that historical election where he was elected president of a united South Africa.

This site offers volumes of files, films, speeches, photos, etc. on the man and his time. Though now retired, he still serves as an inspiration to young people. He believes that they must be educated to preserve the hard fought freedom that he and others dedicated their lives to securing for their oppressed fellow countrymen.

Why not use this site as a jump off point to having students identify heroes in their own cultures? In a class with ELLs, this would be an empowering experience. They will be able to showcase national icons who improved the quality of life for fellow citizens. Since the reports will be in English, they will need the teacher's support, BUT the motivation will already be there so the final product should be a good one:)

NELSON MANDELA

Denise

ELL TEACHER PROS

FREE AND SIMPLE TO USE TEACHING TOOLS FOR ELLS AND EOS:)

Here are two more sites that should make your job a bit easier in creating materials to support your ELLs as well as your EOs:) Both are free as well.

TEACHER TOOLS covers all three levels of English proficiency: beginners, intermediates, and advanced. Here you can create not only the activities, but also the answer sheets. This definitely saves time for the teacher. All basic areas of grammar are covered as well as sentence word scrambles (practice for ELLs on word order within sentences) and paragraph organization (sentences need to be arranged in order to make a cohesive paragraph). All the teacher has to do is input the material to be learned. Another bonus here is that teachers can create assessments include multiple choice and true false tests! EOs who occasionally struggle with language would benefit from this as well.


CLOZE CREATOR is another favorite. This tool works with any grade level. Both ELLs and EOs can use it. Teachers can differentiate the assignment easily here by inputting reading passages of varying difficulty OR by using the same reading passage with a word bank for the ELLs but not for the EOs. Reading material from ANY CONTENT AREA can be used here. With this tool, teachers can boost academic vocabulary and strengthen reading skills. Reading academic textbooks might become a bit less overwhelming with time and the support of the teacher:)

I hope these two sites meet your needs:)

Denise

ELL TEACHER PROS

Explore All Forms of Art-From the Comfort of Your Classroom:)

If you are often looking for visual supports for your subject areas, you will enjoy this site. The images address many time periods and cover many subjects. I would not let students look on their own since there are some nudes in the collection (after all, it is art). Instead, I would select images that could be used as an inspiration for writing, or background on a historical periods (ex. roaring twenties in the US right before the Wall Street Crash).

The instructions for its use are fairly easy to follow. Basically, as you zoom in with your mouse or touch pad, the picture you are focusing on becomes larger. Information on the painting or photo appears on the right side of the screen. I would hook my computer or iPad to my LCD projector and then I would have total control over the images my students would see. If you wish your students to look on their own, you may want parental permission since a few do address the beauty of the human body (and you know how immature some teenagers can be).

If you are an art teacher, you will want to bookmark this site for use in your classes. This would augment your instruction and motivate students to possibly entertain earning a degree in art! You never know:)

SAN FRANCISCO MUSEUM OF MODERN ART

Denise

ELL TEACHER PROS

Care To Jazz Up Your Geography Classes a Bit? If Yes, Read On:)

Geography is taught at all grade levels. For most students, it is an eye-opener to the world around them. After all, students quickly learn that there is more to the subject than maps:) Here, students explore humanity's rich diversity in cultures, traditional costumes, languages, traditions, foods, histories, etc. Teachers always attempt to weave in realia whenever possible to make the lessons not only enriching, but also more memorable. After all, students in our classes nowadays will shortly become members of a vast global workforce where diversity will predominate. What better way to prepare them for this international community than by providing them with as much information as possible on cultures other than their own so that they will be able to fully blend into the international workforce as highly productive team members.

To further enhance your geography lessons or projects, take a look at SIGHTS MAP. With the heat map off, students will see a layout of all the continents. With it on, students will see how much energy is being used around the planet. Europe consumes quite a bit while other areas of the world only a small fraction. One of the major highlights is the photo feature. Click on any area of the world you are studying and then select the PHOTO option. Pictures of all the major sites will pop up. Students will see man made wonders as well as natural ones. You will also have the option of zeroing in on some of the world's major cities/countries quickly (20 in all).

How else can this site be used? If students have to do projects for class, why not have them select a specific site to do research on? With the option of photos, students would be able to have a bit more direction in what to select to report on. A picture is indeed worth a 1000 words:)

Denise
ELL TEACHER PROS

Civil Engineering Games? Yes! Tap Student Interest With This Site:)

To spark an interest in fields that students might not be that familiar with, teachers need to find creative ways to integrate information about those fields into the class curriculum. Engineering is one of those careers that many students don't think since they often times don't know much about that area of science. With climate change, natural disasters, man-made ones, world-wide water shortages, food shortages, and ever increasing numbers of city dwellers around the globe, the demand for engineers will grow as people struggle with finding solutions to these problems.

How will we find enough engineers to address these concerns? We will find them by tapping student interest in this area at an early age and then nurturing it so that they will pursue degrees in this area in the future. The site I have selected here addresses civil engineering.

DISCOVER ENGINEERING Here students will explore the exciting things civil engineers do and their services are crucial to our survival as a planet. Students will also have an opportunity to explore careers in this area to see what peaks their interest. CIVIL ENGINEERING is first defined ("Civil Engineering WHAT?"). Then there is a section entitled JUST FOR FUN where students have many venues to try out games where skills in civil engineering are needed, activities on different scenarios requiring math and science knowledge to problem solve, contests for classes to compete in, and free videos on what civil engineers actually do.

Your students will thoroughly enjoy themselves here, and hopefully, you will plant a few seeds of interest among your kids:)

Denise

ELL TEACHER PROS

"MY TEST BOOK"-The Answer to a Teacher's Dream!

How would you like to be able to create and store some of the exams you have developed for your students online? How would you like to be able to share your exams with other teachers (and they with you)? What would it be like to have a test ready to go with ease for a student who was absent? How do you feel about creating classes where you can not only assign tests (in ANY subject) but also issue report cards any time you wish so that students (and parents) can receive regular updates on student progress?

Such a site may sound too good to be true for a free site (donations encouraged, but not required), but it does exist and is available for student (teacher creates the student accounts along with virtual classrooms), parent, and teacher. The site is MY TEST BOOK . Register for FREE and start exploring. Some grades and subjects have exams that other teachers have submitted (and you are free to do so as well), but not every grade and subject area has assignments yet. When you start creating work for your classes there, think about sharing it with other teachers and start to build a valuable collections for fellow teachers around the world!

I studied the site for a bit by approaching it from student, parent, and teacher options. It was easy to navigate. Further I found that I could download already prepared worksheets and tests as well as set up my own. I noted that you may also share your work with other teachers if you chose to do so.

How does such a site assist ELLs (ESL students) and others?

1. They may have more than one opportunity to take a test on a given topic. Sometimes, students need to revisit a test due to language issues or limited knowledge of the content. Students could also take "practice" tests to build self-confidence.

2. They receive immediate feedback on their test results. With such feedback, students can discuss with the teacher the areas where they encounter some confusion BEFORE they take the major assessment.

3. Students can get regular progress reports. If the scores keep improving, self-esteem skyrockets. Of course, this will make parents beam with pride.

Take a tour of the site and see if it meets your needs:)

Denise

ELL TEACHER PROS

A Site That Will Solve Math Problems? Sounds Impossible, But It's True!

Math has a language of its own teachers correctly say. Like science, it is akin to learning to function in another language. This situation becomes a bit more complicated when you have ELLs trying to learn the language of math in a language that is not their own. Teachers are English speaking and often times are not able to fully explain complex topics in enough detail to make the content accessible to ELLs. Dictionaries come into play, but most kids (including many EOs) are not really familiar with how to use a dictionary effectively. A glossary might surface sometimes, but a glossary only works if the ELL is proficient in her/his home language. If the student is a limited bilingual (not proficient in either language), s/he will find the glossary difficult to navigate.

MATH PROBLEM SOLVER is a site that might be a good resource to support weaker students (ELLs especially) in math class (ANY math class--from basic arithmetic through calculus). Students find the area of math that the class is working on and then input a problem that they need help in solving. The program not only gives the answer, but also the steps followed to arrive at the correct answer. Though it is in English, it is not overly wordy so ELLs won't become lost in math language. That component will make more sense as the ELL feels more comfortable answering questions with minimal English. When the solving becomes clear, the language associated with it will make more sense.

I have some other sites to assist struggling students which I will bring in this month. Again, everything I share is FREE.

Denise

ELL TEACHER PROS

Commerating Martin Luther King's Achievements in the Classroom

Today is MLK's birthday. How can his message of peace, equality, elimination of hunger, and a living wage for all be part of the classroom? At what grade level can it be incorporated into the curriculum and to what extent? These are the questions teachers attempt to address on a daily basis in the typical classroom.

Discrimination in any form is unacceptable in this day and age and yet it is still around. So what are educators to do? Why not find avenues within lessons to highlight the achievements of ethnic groups?

If guest speakers visit the classroom, why not try to find speakers who represent the group (if the classroom has a high number of minorities)? If the classroom has very few to no minorities, why not bring in some minority guest speakers to break any stereotypes students may have of those groups (conscious or subconscious)? How about bringing in women guest speakers to address sexism in society (female astronaut, physicist, mathematician, etc.)?

If historical material is being covered, bring in the viewpoints of the minority leaders of the time to provide a bigger picture of historical events. For example, if you are working with the US Civil War, bring in Sojourner Truth. Have students explore not only how she fought to liberate slaves, but was also active in fighting for equal rights for women of the time.

Remember that internet is an incredible source of supplemental material for anything here. Use it:)

SITE: Putting the Movement Back into Civil Rights Teaching


Denise

ELL TEACHER PROS