Supporting ELLs in the Final Stretch of the School Year!

ELL Teacher Pros Newsletter                                              October 2016

It is hard to believe that it is late the year is fast coming to a close!  Soon, winter break will be here and all of you will have time to relax and, hopefully, have some fun!

With English language learners in classes, teachers may wish to modify assessments a bit to allow these students (as well as those with special needs) to demonstrate to a teacher’s satisfaction what they really know without being unduly penalized for occasional errors in their use of English.  So how can modifications be made to allow them to show what they know without watering down the content?  Employ a wide variety of highly engaging formative assessments BEFORE the summative is given.  Using these approaches build self-confidence for the ELL as well as for other students with special needs.

Here are a few ideas that I have used from Edutopia:

1.     Use a KWL chart with 2 modifications.  K (what I know), W (what I want to know), L (what I learned), H (how I learned it), and Q (Questions I still have).  The H and Q components provide the teacher with a better idea of how well the lesson was understood.  The Q component opens itself easily to small group discussions to help clarify murky issues.  Results would all be posted on chart paper around the room for students (ELLs especially) to access as needed in navigating new materials.

2.     Have small groups (ELLs, English Only, and special needs) teach a part of the lesson to the classroom.  This way each group becomes an expert in their assigned topic (with the understanding that EACH member of the group must be ready to share what s/he understood).  While each group discusses their grasp of the topic, the rest of the class is taking notes on a teacher-designed handout (this type of guidance ensures that everyone knows what to listen for). Once all groups have finished sharing, small groups can discuss what they understood and compare notes.

3.     Pass out chart paper and markers to each small group and have them create an illustration of what they understood of the lesson.  Post the results and then have students evaluate each chart (simple rating system—3 being the most detailed down to 1 having limited grasp of the topic).

4.     Design a pamphlet that will clearly cover all the main concepts of the lesson.  This will include diagrams, pictures, bullet points, short paragraphs, etc.  Each group will then share the results with the class by posting them around the room so that every student can review and rate them (again 3 being the best and 1 being needs work).

5.     Conduct teacher and student one to one conferences.  Students must have specific questions in mind when they approach the teacher.  From experience in this area, I can tell you that students really enjoy that one on one.  ELLs especially enjoy it since no one can hear the conversation but the teacher so the fears of stumbling in English fade away.

6.     Have students do a 1-minute reflection on what their big takeaway from the lesson.  This can be a written reflection, a sketch, bullets, cartoons, etc.  This type of freedom of expression will build student confidence in sharing what they know.

7.     Let students create a comic book or strip on what they understood.  Use Read, Write, Think comic strip creator for those who don’t feel comfortable drawing.

8.     Talk to colleagues to pull ideas from them.  Every teacher has a few fun ideas to reach their students.

We hope your students have a fun Halloween (and leave the candy home on November 1^st).

denise@ellteacherpros.com

marnie@ellteacherpros.com

cheryl@ellteacherpros.com

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Alternative Assessments and Why They Are Crucial to the Academic Success of ELLs in Mainstream Classes

Mainstream classrooms around the states now have ELLs in their classes.  For many, this is a new experience.  Some are unclear as to how to deliver grade level content to students who are not proficient in English.  The old approach was to send such students off to English Language Development (ELD) or Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE) classes.  This is now a rarity. 

In upper grades where students have 6 classes a day, this dilemma has surfaced as a major issue.  Long term ELLs make up the majority of students with D's and F's at the secondary level.  The long term effects of this is an ever increasing number of high school drop outs.  Students trapped in low paying jobs for the rest of their lives.

So what can be done to rectify this situation? Look to alternative forms of assessment.  This is crucial since many of these students, though they sound fluent when they speak, are far below grade level in reading and writing.  Further, many of these students come from homes where the parents/guardians have limited literacy skills in the home language.  Yet, these deficiencies do not equal below average I.Q.s.  They need a different approach to deliver content and build language.

Here are some approaches which I have recommended to educators. 

1.  Weight grades.  For example, set up several categories for points:  homework, groupwork, writing, presentations, quizzes/tests, active classroom participation, learning logs (my favorite), final exams, projects, etc.   Each group is assigned a percentage of the final grades. 

For me, homework was 15%,
cooperative group work 10%,
writing 10%,
presentations 15%,
quizzes/tests 15%,
projects 15%,
finals 10%
vocabulary 10%

With weighted grades, teachers get a much clearer picture of a student's strengths and weaknesses and that leads to a fairer grade.  When the grade is heavily weighted towards formal assessments and final examinations, the ELL suffers.  Weighted grades also provide the teacher with clear specifics to share with parents who are concerned about a student's grade.  Using this approach, teachers can zero in on areas where the student excels as well as where s/he struggles. 

2.  Use rubrics for all major assignments.  Rubrics lay out in detail how student work will be graded.  Further, be sure to share examples of former student work as examples of what the rubric score actually looks like.  Rubrics offer holistic scores where the "big picture" is the focus and not lots of little red marks indicating errors on mechanics more so than content.

3.  When giving formal assessments, allow students to use their learning logs.  For an ELL to remember every detail of key content material in a second language s/he is not that proficient in leads to failure.  If the student knows from the beginning that this will be an option in formal tests, s/he will keep good notes since s/he will be able to use them.

4.  Have regular conferences with ELLs on their grades.  Highlight strengths first and then collaborate on what can be done to improve the weaker grades.

5.  When teaching writing, model, model, model!  Have posters all around the room of examples of good writing (student generated preferably).  Encourage peer partner writing, group writing, and last individual writing (with all drafts).  Again, try to see the big picture of what the student had to say and how well s/he laid out her/his argument first and then in the editing process, provide guidance on addressing errors in mechanics.  Find topics that excite them.  Write as a class.  Make it enjoyable!

6.  If students are failing in a teacher's class, s/he should ask other teachers the student has to see how that same student is doing in their classes.  The insight gained here may lead to re-evaluating the grading process in the teacher's class with that student.

The following two sites offer some ideas on forms of alternative assessments.  Some are for elementary school, but can be adapted to higher grades.

40 ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENTS


COLORIN COLORADO ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENTS

Denise

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HOW TO EFFECTIVELY GUIDE STUDENTS IN THE USE OF PINTEREST FOR THE CLASSROOM

With students of varying levels of English proficiency in most classrooms of the US, teachers are regularly looking for alternate ways for students to demonstrate understanding of subject matter.  Often times, traditional routes are taken such as posters, projects, writing, etc. which don't always fully reveal what ELLs especially know and how well.  Since group work is the usual venue for such activities, teachers are not often completely sure on how much the ELL actually knows since he is working within a more proficient group in English.  In such class settings, group "leaders" assign a simpler task to the ELL such as "artist."  Though talking does occur, the ELL does not often get much practice in developing academic skills in  reading, writing, and conducting research.  So, what is another option available for such students to provide proof positive to the teacher that they do fully grasp the key concepts of the lesson?

PINTEREST IN EDUCATION is a very creative and thoughtful tool to meet the bill.  The home site-PINTEREST-provides hundreds of visuals in over 30 categories, but this full version might overwhelm students.  In addition, materials may be added to boards ("pinned" or "repinned" if taken from another's board).  In the first  link, Tina Wahlert (an educational consultant), has compiled some helpful hints on how to properly work within the site (including how to spot spam).   Teachers may wish to spend some time studying the site on their own first.  With this approach, they will be able to see the ease how BOARDS are created and how to sort images (pictures, text, charts, articles, etc.) according topic. With each of the boards Ma. Wahlert has posted  links to the subject matter of the visual.  As with anything being tried for the first time, teachers must spend some time exploring the site and going through the same process they might eventually put their students through.

Teachers could then try building a board as a class (modeling).  The next step would be to have ELLs work with partners to create another one on a topic of interest to them (sports, books, movies, etc.).  Once teacher confidence in student ability to create a board is established, a teacher could have students (ELLs and others) develop subject boards as formal assessments on assigned subject matter.  So if a student is studying the water cycle, s/he could demonstrate his knowledge of the topic through pictures in the correct sequence along with URLs that add additional insight.  Though this would not be a lengthy report,  it would nonetheless confirm for the teacher that the ELL understands key concepts and content vocabulary.   ELLs would then have the grades for their work based on content and not on knowledge of English grammar (though important, it should not be the sole basis of the grade).

This is just one of many non-traditional assessment ideas available for teachers.  Students will definitely enjoy it since it taps creativity in a fun way.

Denise

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Use Format of Social Media to Tap Student Creativity!

Students use social media sites all the time so why not tap that knowledge to use it as another instructional vehicle with which students can demonstrate their knowledge of key content in any discipline. Though English will be used as the example here of how to use the site, this tool can be used in ANY subject area.

Class Tools has a feature entitled FAKEBOOK (NO connection to FACEBOOK in any way).  If teaching a novel in English, students could create FAKEBOOK profiles for characters as an assessment.  With FAKEBOOK, they could include key comments on the character, video, photos, interesting links which add further insight into a character, etc.  Students might also chart the plot of a book using this tool.  For even more fun, how about having students create "debates" between two characters or more.  They might also study key relationships among characters by including key events in the story in comments section for example.  All subject areas could use this tool with ease.  Most importantly, ELLs would be able to demonstrate their understanding of the topic outside of the traditional essay/composition that is so often used in many subject areas.  Activities like this one would strengthen their knowledge of the content to the extent that they would be able to write quality essays/compositions on the subject matter.  Further, with the entire class working on the same subject through this format, students would have multiple interpretations or insights into the key event(s) being studied.  With multiple valid perspectives, ELLs and others gather a deeper understanding of subject matter and that leads to more English language development and deeper content knowledge.

I wish this had been available a few years ago.  In the past, I had students create FACEBOOK character pages on chart paper.  It took time and students enjoyed it, but this offers so many more possibilities for students to show what they know.

There is a 90 second tutorial at the start.  It is easy to follow and on the BEATLES.

Denise

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How Can Assessment Be Addressed Fairly in Today's Diverse Classroom?

With common core will come a new look at assessments.  The traditional bubble sheets may still play a part in creating grades, but it will have a smaller influence.  This is crucial when talking about ELLs (and other struggling students) who will not have the academic English proficiency that their English speaking classmates possess.  How can they demonstrate to a teacher's satisfaction that they DO understand the key concepts covered in the lesson?  If teachers take creative, out-of-the-box approaches to designing effective, targeted, content vs. language dependent assessments, they will receive a more accurate picture of how well their ELLs and others understood the lesson. 

ASSESSMENT  Teachers need to do regular checks-for-understanding often throughout a lesson.  This approach allows a teacher to see who understands the concepts and how well as well as who is struggling in the lesson and where.  For ELLs, it will often times be language issue--the language of the text as well as the English language needed to share their understanding of concepts with their peers in academic discourse.  If teachers can identify strugglers before homework or independent assignments are doled out, they will be able to supply crucial mini-lessons to those who need them the most while the others continue on with the final assignment.

MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES ARE SUPPORTED BY ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENTS Multiple intelligences should be welcomed as an important instructional tool to develop assessments or assignments which tap the gift or those gifts that all students possess including the ELLs.  Remember that ELLs are students or kids first and students second.  Not all students learn the same way.  Not all show their understanding in the same way. When teachers weave multiple intelligences into the mixture, they have the potential to set up each student to be successful with the assignment.  This approach boosts student confidence and that leads to good grades and good grades open the door to career choices.  (For more on multiple intelligences, search within this blog for earlier postings on it).

Denise

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TIMELINES OFFER POTENTIAL AS EXAMPLES OF ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENTS FOR ELLS

Mainstream content teachers may like this form of an alternative assessment--a timeline.  Students in teams or with partners could opt to generate a detailed timeline on a topic of their choice which is tied to the content lesson or theme.  This can be done on paper, in a power point, via a student designed website, etc. 

Once the timeline is created, teachers can proceed to having students do research on each of the elements included in the timeline.  With the use of a graphic organizer, ELLs (and others) can select the key points for each item that they will later have to develop into a sentence or two which will be added to the timeline.  Since ELLs with be working with partners or in small structured cooperative groups, writing such sentences should proceed along without many, if any, glitches.  After all, the teacher will be facilitating as needed.

After the timeline is complete, students could be required to complete an essay graphic organizer around a central theme in their timeline.  Once they decide on a theme, they would move on to generating a thesis statement on the importance of their event, invention, etc. selected.  Again, especially with ELLs, allow ELLs to create this essay as a member of team.  Eventually, they will need to produce their own, but initially, this type of support builds skills and self-confidence.

Below is a timeline I found fascinating:

THE EVOLUTION OF CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY
As a teacher, I could not resist this one:)  Technology has definitely improved over the last 362 years!  Imagine using this as a example of what students should be aiming for in creating their own.   Further, teachers can model the process of creating a timeline so students will know what is expected of them in designing their own.  If students select topics of importance to them, they are more likely to experience success:)

Denise

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