Here Are Some Great Tools To Use To Get To Know Your Students:)

Hopefully, the start of the school year has been a good one for all of youJ.  Students are still excited about being back in the classroom so teachers need to find activities to build on that enthusiasm!

Regardless of grade level or subject taught, there are many ways to kick off the year on a very positive note with the bottom line being that each and every student will feel fully confident, safe, and valued in the classroom.  This is especially important in classes with English language learners at all levels of English proficiency (beginning through advanced).  For ELLs, a new school year can be a bit intimidating at first so spending time on classroom procedures, rules, family atmosphere, etc. is time well spent. 

Here are a few highly effective approaches that work quite well.

1.     Have students create a fake FACEBOOK page.  Since FACEBOOK is international, everyone is already familiar with the format.  Print them out and post them around the room in elementary school.  Have students in high school (or middle) interview 3 other students on their FAKE FACEBOOK pages and share the results with the class.

2.     Have students take a short quiz on multiple intelligences.  The results can be charted as a class graph.  Students could also write a short paragraph on how they were surprised (or not) by their findings.  Most importantly, teachers will develop a deeper insight into what types of projects would best tap their skills.

3.     Have students interview each other (teacher designs the questions).  After a 10 minute or so interview, students must share the results with the class.  Since there is no grade involved, students will approach this stress free.

4.     Involve students in creating some class rules with consequences (there is much more buy in when they are involved in the process).

5.     Have students write a letter to their future selves.  This activity is one students really enjoy because they can actually see their growth by the end of the school year.  Students go to FUTURE SELF, write a letter about their hopes, concerns, worries, strengths, etc., include their email addresses and the date they wish the letter sent to them (make it some time during the last month of school).

6.     Ask teacher neighbors for any ideas they have as wellJ

Have great September and well-deserved Labor Day Weekend holiday.

Denise@ellteacherpros.com 

Marnie@ellteacherpros.com

Cheryl@ellteacherpros.com

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Cooperative Learning PLUS--A Path to Academic Success for ELLs and Other Struggling Students

Now that the school year has started, teachers are already grappling over what types of instructional strategies will most effectively reach their very diverse student population.  More often than not, teachers are also facing classes that are mixed with English language learners at all English language proficiency levels.  Therefore a question most frequently pondered by most educators is how to meet the needs of all 36 students successively including those few English language learners at several different proficiency levels.

Well, until those English language assessment results arrive, here are some approaches to use that will deliver content to all and some English language development to the ELLs. 

1.  Have a clear content standard on the board rewritten in student friendly language.  Common core standards are very easy to follow as opposed to the earlier content standards which were incredibly wordy and almost impossible for students to follow.
2.  Make sure that there is a clear, easy-to-understand learning objective on the board again in student friendly language.  Have the students listen to you read the objective.  Have them read it back to you.  Call on random kids to read it and so on.  Inform students that this is the focus of the lesson and they will be held accountable for learning it (with your help).
3.  Before a lesson is started, see what students already know.  Activate any prior knowledge so that students can explore past experiences to see if there are any connections.  Teachers may show visuals, video clips, games, etc.  Basically whatever works to get them excited about the lesson will work:)
4.  Model, model, model!  Before any work is assigned to students to do, teachers must model it while students follow along.  Then, before students are left to try a similar activity on their own, they should do it with a partner.  This is one type of teaching strategy which helps ELLs since they have time to try the assignment with a partner.  In this scenario, they are free to ask clarification questions of their partner and vice versa.
5.  LOTS of CFUs (checks for understanding) should be conducted throughout the class.  Such checks should not be more than a few minutes to keep them on track.  What are some sorts of checks?  Exit slips, whiteboards, appointments, give one/get one, wooden popsicle sticks with student names on them, structured cooperative learning groups, rally, carousel, numbered heads together, jigsaw, cornell notes, journaling, word walls, concept maps, mind maps, etc. (search within this blog for details on each)
6.  If 80%-90% are on task, students can proceed to independent work.  For those who are still not clear, teachers can provide mini-lessons.
7.  Now, homework may be issued and that homework will follow what the students did in class--no surprises.

There are still more ideas in the video below.  These approaches do work.  They will also lower classroom anxiety for your ELLs and other strugglers.

ENGAGING ALL STUDENTS IN LEARNING

Denise

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TOP 10 REASONS TO BRING TECHNOLOGY INTO YOUR CLASSROOM:)

How does the use of technology transform a classroom?  It pulls this off by tapping into natural student interest in tech and uses this to deliver instruction! 

This site shows the top 10 reasons to use the latest greatest gadget to excite kids about learning.  The top one is that kids love it.  This is an incentive to learn.  All learning styles benefit from it (visual, auditory, kinesthetic).  Differentiation is accomplished with ease and that means less stress for the teacher in trying to meet the needs of a diverse student population including special ed, ELLs, GATE, and others.  Mixed cooperative learning groups can tackle academic projects with ease as they take full advantage of Google, Wiki, YouTube, Twitter, news stations, government agencies such as NASA,  Google Earth, museums around the world, SKYPE, etc. using smart phones, iPads, tablets, laptops, and desktops. 

Students also should be encouraged to try out webinars on how to learn tech skills online.  Online professional development is quite common nowadays and many of the lessons are free.  So, for example, they might try a YOUTUBE video on using iMOVIE.  After all, teachers do this frequently when they want to explore learning a new tech skill. There is a lot to be said for "trial and error" so students should not be discouraged if they don't succeed on the first try.  In fact, that is where collaboration comes in as students with more experience in this area offer assistance to those for whom it is new.

Teachers can also assign video lectures for homework and then pick up the next day with addressing questions students had in viewing the lesson at home.  Parents can also see everything their child is learning as well.  This approach provides a more in depth look at what is expected of their child in class.

TOP REASONS TO USE TECHNOLOGY

Embrace technology!  It is fun and very effective in delivering instructional support for teachers.  In fact, at most teacher job interviews, some interview question topics that now pop up are "How comfortable are you with technology?  What have you used in your classes OR what would you like to use if  you have never taught before?" 

Denise

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Common Core and ELLs--Practical Suggestions for Mainstream Teachers To Offer Support For These Students

The common core standards will also be transforming the ELD standards (still in draft form).  These new standards will provide more direction for teachers in identifying their ELLs and their levels.  With this information, it will fall on teachers to address language and content in their classes. 

So what is a teacher to do?  Well, some of the strategies that have worked in the past will also transition here:  visuals, scaffolding, graphic organizers, lots of class interactions with their English peers, accommodations in assessments, structured cooperative learning activities, sentence frames, word walls, concept maps, etc.  All of those approaches and many more like them do work; however more is needed.

Teachers will need to be very focused in the delivery of their lessons.  Clear content standards written in student friendly language will especially clarify for ELLs what they will be expected to learn.  If there is no mystery behind the content standards, teachers can expect full class participation.  Next, the learning objective must be read by all and dissected by teacher into comprehensible chunks with a few random checks for understanding to ensure that everyone knows what s/he will eventually be held accountable for learning.  Then there is the need to identify academic vocabulary (words that are used in all content areas) and key content vocabulary for the immediate class.  How many words should a teacher bring in here?  Typically, no more than 7 per lesson for academic words and they are used repeatedly in all language areas thus allowing the ELL time to process and retain the words.  With key vocabulary, students need to be made aware of them and allowed time to work with them through highly supported venues.  Word walls, concept maps, frayer models are just some of the tools that can be used to provide the ELL with ways to remember those 5 or so words.  If there are more words, teachers will need to decide what words are crucial to their understanding of the concept and which words can just be talked through by the teacher in delivering the lesson.   In addition, teachers will need to do a variety of checks-for-understanding:  whiteboards, games, random call-ons, problem solving, structured cooperative groups with each student holding a role, jigsaw, numbered heads together, skits, posters, etc.

Once the lesson is done, teachers will want to try one more quick check-for-understanding called the exit ticket.  The students will be given a 3X5 index card on which they will respond to a few questions designed by the teacher based on the content the class studied that day.  Typically this tool only takes about 5 minutes for students to do and less than 5 for the teacher to assess the effectiveness of the lesson.  If 80-90% have the right answers, they will be fully capable of doing the homework assignment.  For the 10-20% who are still struggling, the teacher can pull them aside and provide some guidance while the rest of the class possibly starts on a more challenging assignment based on the day's work.

If time is spent effectively delivering solid content to every student and academic language in addition to the ELLs, 90% will be fully prepared to complete assigned homework.  That 10% who are still having difficulty can be given adjusted assignments with the understanding that the teacher may give them the more difficult assignment when the teacher feels that they have fully demonstrated their ability to now do the work that they found impossible only a couple of days ago.

COMMON CORE AND ELLS--SUGGESTIONS FOR MAINSTREAM TEACHERS TO SUPPORT ELLS  This site offers a more detailed layout on this area.  You may wish to bookmark it.  It is a good source to go to when you need some inspiration:)

Denise


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25 Quick Teaching Tips For ELLs To START the NEW YEAR With!!!

25 GREAT TEACHING TIPS FOR TEACHERS OF ELLS

As the pressure builds around the country to raise test scores, graduation rates, and overall academic performance of ELLs, teachers feel pressure.  To lower this anxiety, here are some solid teaching ideas which will definitely lower the pressure:). In fact, most of you are probably using many of these ideas in your classes already.

Now, to freshen your present, let me suggest the following site:  25 TEACHING TIPS FOR WORKING WITH ELLS.  Type this up as a checklist.  Why you ask?  If you convert this into a checklist for yourself, you have a record of how often you have used these ideas in class.  Further the weekly results will show you if you favored some ideas over others.  After all, it is natural for us to unknowingly favor some techniques over others since each of us has our own learning style.  If the list looks lopsided by the end of the week, see how you can bring in some new approaches the following week. Ask kids for feedback on new techniques and what they would change and why (students love it when teachers ask for their input).

Next, add to the list.  Take successful approaches of your own and include them.  The list will always be in edit mode and that is a good thing.  Chat with colleagues on effective strategies they use.  Ask to visit their rooms when they plan to use them.  If you like their ideas, add them to your list.  Tweak them to suit your own teaching style.  Share your list with new teachers who may have never worked with ELLs.  Remember your ELLs are students first and each one has his/her own unique approach to acquiring new knowledge.  A variety of teaching strategies will allow everyone a chance to demonstrate to your satisfaction how well they understood a lesson.

Denise

P.S.  I am at Disneyland presently on "vacation."  I might not be blogging until Sunday evening.  With the end of a very busy school year, I wanted to go to "the happiest place on earth."  It was expensive, but oh so much FUN!!!!

GREAT Study Tool for ALL Students-ELLs and EOs Alike!

As the school year draws to a close, students are looking for ways to do well on final examinations.  Many have created study cards which some teachers will let them bring to their exams.  Here students are given one 3 X 5 index cars on which they write all the notes they think they will need for the exam.  Only 1 card can be used however.   Another strategy some use is to make their own decks of study cards to prep for exams. These cards are used to help students memorize key concepts.  Some teachers allow kids to bring their organized binders in which students have been adding key notes all year long.  These binders teachers have been checking (and grading) every 3 or 4 weeks to assess for completeness.  Now, the big reward comes---if they have been keeping it current with all the course content,  they will be able to refer to it in doing their finals.

To add some variety to the review tools just mentioned, teachers may want to consider adding the following online site:  STUDY STACKS  Here, teachers can create flashcards on as many subjects as they wish for their students to use in a variety of ways.  Offer students options using formats that appeal to them and they will do well on their examinations.   Teachers may also use flashcards created by other teachers if they like.  Further, if teachers have really ambitious students, charge them with creating flashcards for the class!  This site will take the pain out of studying:)  Remember that the site is FREE to join.

Example GEOGRAPHY

Flashcards

StudyStack

Study Table

Matching

Crossword

Unscramble

Type In

Quiz

Test

Hangman

Chopped

Bug Match

Hungry Bug

Targets

Apps

Questions

Hmm...

Denise

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WORDLESS ESSAYS---Brings Out the Writer in Every Student:)

We all have pictures with unforgettable stories behind them. We recall not just the names of the persons in the photos, but also every small detail of the event along with extensive information on every object in the picture. Sometimes those photos are associated with happy memories. Sometimes, not. However, every picture tells a unique story to anyone who sees it.

Wordless essays have the same effect. A series of photos together convey a message equal to a paragraph or more but without words. The words would come as students discuss with peers what their pictures say. For ELLs, this type of approach with "writing" offers them an opportunity to verbally share their images through often times their strongest skills-speaking and listening. In analyzing photos, ELLs have time to build vocabulary to make their story one that every classmate will want to read. In their small groups, discussions, access to word walls, student writing samples, journals (where ideas are stored without any focus on mechanics), personal dictionaries, etc., ELLs have time and support to eventually elaborate on an otherwise simplistic description to create a piece of grade level quality writing. Here they use their strongest language skills to develop their weakest ones-reading and writing.

WORDLESS ESSAY 1 Here is a simple one on making a chocolate topping for ice cream. This should be a crowd pleaser for the younger ones.

WORDLESS ESSAY 2 This one might fascinate older students especially those from that section of the world. Imagine how much language could be generated when students have much to say:)

Why not have your students use their cell phones to take pictures of things that are important to them and then bring the shots to school for an activity like this? Your students will be impressed with their results and will be motivated to find "just the right words" to tell their story.

Denise
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A FREE Online "Encyclopedia" for Kids:)

If you teach history or even dabble in it from time to time in your other courses, you will appreciate this site. It is a student friendly site that not only elementary and middle school students will benefit from, but also ELLs from any grade level. KIDIPEDE-HISTORY FOR KIDS

Here students will be able to click on a variety of subject areas. If they are just interested in some topic of the "day", they would select any one of the boxes on the home page to find a photo and a brief description of that person or object's importance. On the left side of the page, students will have options to visit different time periods, continents, and subject areas. There is also a link for teachers which offers further insight into how to use the site to make the study of history more engaging for everyone.

Like everything else I include in my blog, it is a free site!

Hope your students find it entertaining as well:)

Denise

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Need Short Educational Videos for Your Classes? LOOK NO MORE:)

How many times do teachers try to find just the right educational videos for their classes only to have their choice blocked due to district policies on use of YOUTUBE? Nothing is more frustrating when after all the searching, a teacher has found just the right one to support instruction and then can't show it! ELLs need such supports to make those vital connections to content if they are to fully comprehend the lessons. Leaving that important component out sets them up for mediocre work at best in a classroom.

Well, here is a site with over 35,000 APPROVED videos (mostly from YOUTUBE) that have been cleared to run in any classroom even those with a YOUTUBE block (not all districts have this, but many do). All grades are here along with every subject area. Teaching about Anne Frank? There is a copy of the ONLY video in the world with her in it. Teaching TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD? One video provides through pictures background knowledge of the time leading up that of the book. Students follow the period from the happy 1920's to the hard times of the depression to the pain of Jim Crow laws. For ELLs with no background knowledge of US history, such a site sets them up to have an idea of why the book was written. This is an example of building that crucial background knowledge to truly appreciate the message behind the novel.

All subject areas are listed here as well as grade levels. Teachers should join just in case they have videos that they would like added. To date, over 15,000,000 videos have been watched! Here is the site: WATCH KNOW LEARN Bookmark it:)

Denise

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PRESENTING AT C.A.B.E. 3/8/12:)

This coming Thursday, I will be leading an institute on creating virtual dioramas at CABE (Thursday half-day institute 10:45-1:45). It is an honor to have been selected. When I finish the presentation, I will upload all documents to my website at ELL TEACHER PROS. The institute will have close to 100 people in it. I believe that they will truly enjoy the presentation. If possible, I will upload some video from the workshop so that you can see me in action doing what I love with a passion--helping ELLs to succeed in school:)

Denise