Teaching ELL: Teaching Strategies April 15, 2010

Chapters 4, 5, and 6 in the Curtin book dealt with teaching strategies for ELL students.  An important aspect of the strategies covered is that the variety of strategies suggested are no different than those recommended in well run classrooms without ELL students.  Visual aids, demonstrations, graphic organizers, interactive and cooperative learning, are all strategies and tools that should be present in every successful classroom.  I have been trying to integrate as many of these strategies and tools into my classroom as possible.  In both science and math the students spend a majority of their time engaged in cooperative group work.  I feel like it has been successful for the most part.  With the exception of a couple of students, the levels of student discussion on topic has been good.  A recent activity had the students acting out the motions of the Earth-moon-Sun system with certain questions in mind.  It was great to hear students planning their demonstrations and to hear some “ohhhs”  when someone saw something they didn’t before.

The reading provided some useful resources that I think could help me in the future.  The planning chart on pages 74-75 (Curtin 2009) provides a good outline to think about.  Often time my plans are simply written out in a way that I think may work.  The book says I should expect to plan 2-3 times the amount of time the lesson will take. (Curtin 2009)  this is a daunting task.  In this case I am glad to be a middle school teacher with only 2 subjects to plan for.  I know I need to work on my planning.  I have learned that just understanding the content I am trying to teach doesn’t automatically allow me to make my students understand it.  I am really trying to work on guiding the students to understanding rather than simply telling them the information, which is not learning at all.

I think the concept of learning English by learning subject content is an excellent one.  For myself, and perhaps anyone who has tried to learn some of a language for a foreign trip, sitting at home and trying to memorize vocabulary and random sentences doesn’t really work.  The words and phrases that are learned without context have only so much use. ELL students learning the language in pull out classes don’t develop the scientific or mathematical vocabulary needed to be successful in normal classrooms.  So even when they reach a point where their language skills are good, they are starting for behind other students in scientific or mathematical knowledge and skills.

As for my teaching, I am luck to have an ELL co-teacher in my math class for support.  We try to use several of the strategies covered in the the Curtin book.  Lots of group work with think-pair-shares and mini jig-sawing.  We have gotten them up on several occasions to act out graphs or geometric shapes.  I try to read directions or introductions aloud as students follow along and I try to keep the word wall up to date.  Even with our efforts, some of the ELL students are having trouble keeping up.  We have to keep the pace of the class up because we have many high level students also.  This is an issue in many classes and not just with ELL students and one I have a lot more to learn about.

Curtin, Ellen M.  (2009) Practical Strategies for Teaching English Language Learners.  Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson.

EDU 6139 Teaching ELL April 7, 2010

The first three chapters of the Curtin book dealt with the history of ELL and stages of english language acquisition and initial teacher considerations when dealing with ELL students.  There are lots of topics included in these chapters.  The hot topic in chapter one is No Child Let Behind.  We’ve all have our own opinions and have heard the opinions of others about NCLB.  From what I have heard, I have few good thoughts about NCLB.  One of the few good things I have heard of is the disaggregation of student data making schools accountable for all students not just certain groups.  There seem to be more downsides than up.  The expectation of 100% success, while naively noble, is impossible, and to hold a teacher up to that standard is ridiculous.   Standards are left up to states and can vary from state to state.  My understanding of the Washington standards is that they are ceiling instead of minimum requirements.  Instead of expecting students to reach a minimum level of proficiency we are expecting students to reach nearly honors level in their grade to be deemed successful.  The last thing of NCLB is the tenets.  The consequences listed in Tenet one seem to have some problems.  Holding teachers accountable is good.  It doesn’t seem to hold the students or the parents accountable.  It seems that a great teacher at a poor performing school is at a distinct disadvantage.  The tenet states that teachers “contributing” to student failure are to be replaced.  (Curtin 2009)  What incentive do teachers have to take jobs at poor performing schools when they can be fired for not bringing students thatthey, or perhaps no one, could bring up to standard.

I have been experiencing ELL first hand.  The eighth grade math class I am teaching is an ELL inclusion class.  We have 6 ELL students (which I know isn’t a lot in some schools).  I have seen the challenge of trying to teach these students.  The greatest challenge to me seems to be the expectation that they be taught at grade level.  The students are placed based on their age but only one is within one year grade performance wise.  I know two of the students read at a 1st grade level.  On page 41 the Curtin text states that the reading level of classroom texts may need to be adjusted, but content must be similar.  (Curtin 2009)  Perhaps this is referring to language arts classes because I am curious where I am going to find an 8th grade level math book written for 1st, 4th, or even 6th grade readers.  I am lucky, in that the class is designated as an inclusion class so it is co taught with an ELL specialist teacher.  I think the curriculum we use is tougher for ELL students.  we are teaching the Connected Math curriculum which focuses a lot on student led activities, group work, and reflections.  A math teacher I know of has experienced success with her ELL students by going back to older text books and learning with numbers, formulas, equations, and repetition.  It may not be the “new way” of doing things but often ELL students can do 2x=10 but may not understand “Mark has 10 Widgets and wants to give them as presents to 2 buddies, how many widgets does Mark need to put in each gift box?”

I am grateful for the ELL teacher in the class.  I have a hard time seeing how we could get anything done with the ELL students without her.  We do a lot of group work and the groups are expected to help each other.  Many of the students do a good job with this but there is only so much they can be expected to do.  There are deadlines for assignments that they have to meet also and we can’t expect them to miss a deadline and a possible learning opportunity while trying to help another student.   One of us can spend the entire class helping a few of the ELL students while the other splits time with ELL and other groups questions.  A great concern is pacing of the class.  I know we are going too fast for the ELL students.  The ELL teacher even takes extra time with them during other periods of the day to work on their math, but they are often behind and missing work is a big problem.  I feel we have to be fair to the other students also.  We are already a couple of weeks behind other 8th grade classes.  Slowing the pace down to accommodate the ELL students penalizes the non-ELL students.  We make accommodations on exams and give them as much help as we can during class.  It is a topic that I feel I definitely struggle with.

Exceptional Learners February 21, 2010

I actually have 4 students with a form of autism.  They are all diagnosed with Asperger’s which is now just classified as autism to the dismay of those with Asperger’s.  It is interesting how different they all are.  Two of them are “high functioning” meaning they do very well in class and with school work.  Issues only arise with these two in some social interactions and some organizational problems.  Another student has some severe social interaction problems.  It is strange to see this student interact with her friends out in the hall but as soon as she gets into the classroom she shuts down completely.  The student, Ms. Anex, and the IA came to the agreement that she (the student) could be called upon for answers and if she didn’t want to respond she simply needed to shake her head no.  We haven’t had a lot of luck with that but she has done it a few times.  It is also difficult to get her to do any work and we will often get responses on classwork or quizzes of “I don’t know, I’m too stupid”.  The last student is more than just autism, his IEP lists ADD and bi-polar also.  He has an IA with him during class which makes things better.  His main goal is to make it through classes with out having “blow-outs” (storming out of class) and to participate as much as possible.  He does pretty well all things considered.  He has hard times in groups because he doesn’t always understand the concepts of sharing and playing of roles.  He often accuses others of being mean if they don’t let him do everything.  It has been interesting having these students in my classes.  I think I have a good relationship with 2 of them.  I am going to talk to the female students language arts teacher after break.  This teacher says she can get the student to participate in class.  I am curious how she does it.  I know the student likes to read so that is probably part of it.

For the most part our goals are to try to treat them as normal as possible.  They have 4 more years of school after I am through with them and then they are spit out into the real world which isn’t full of IEPs, IAs, and caring teachers and probably won’t be nearly as accommodating.  I worry about them.

Meta Reflection of Standard P January 1, 2010

Understanding teaching as a profession

Teacher candidates positively impact student learning that is:

1. Informed by professional responsibilities and policies. All students benefit from a collegial and professional school setting.

My mentor teacher was moved to new a classroom this year so I got to go in before school and help her move and set up the new room.  Ms. Anex let me decorate and set up the room.  The appearance of the room isn’t the only thing that can contribute to a professional and collegial school setting.  Our students often work in groups much like they may have to in life after school.  I myself must remember that even though my students are 13 and 14 years old I can still expect professional and respectful behavior from them.

2. Enhanced by a reflective, collaborative, professional growth-centered practice. All students benefit from the professional growth of their teachers.

As a student teacher I am learning every day.  My classes at SPU are helping me in my development as a teacher as are the weekly staff meetings at Eckstein Middle School.  At the moment we are working in grade/subject teams to develop common assessments which will help us compare students throughout the grade level. Hopefully this blog itself will help to document my growth

3. Informed by legal and ethical responsibilities. All students benefit from a safe and respectful learning environment.

In order for students to learn they need to feel comfortable and included.  Eckstein has, as I assume most schools do, strict no bullying and harassment policies.  During class changes teachers are supposed to stand outside their classrooms to monitor the halls.  In class we encourage and enforce respectful behavior between students.  Our students often work in groups and the ability to work with others will prove very important in their futures.  As a teacher I am responsible for not only students intellectual well being but also their physical well being.  This is an interview I did as an assignment for our Professional Issues class.   I did it with one of our assistant principles regarding a report he filed with  Child Protective Services.

Digital Narrative December 14, 2009

Here is my Digital technology narrative I created in EDTC 6535.

I actually enjoyed working on this.  I learned that it isn’t all that hard and I could see the potential for use as an educational tool for posting special lectures or even reflection prompts to the web for students to use as homework.  This could be great for those students with lower english proficiency to be able to go over a lecture at their own pace and hopefully get everything out of it they couldn’t get in class.  I would count this a definite positive learning experience.

Educational Technology Creed November 28, 2009

I believe as a teacher it is my responsibility to guide my students in proper and ethical online behavior in today’s digital world.  Unlike previous generations, current students have grown up with a world of information right at their fingertips.  It is important that I make my students aware that increased access to information requires increased awareness of the rules governing the use of that information and increased scrutiny on their parts about the validity of that information.  My job as a teacher is to educate my students on the concepts of copyright and fair use.   Students need to know they cannot simply take what they want without first assessing the merit of the information and giving due credit to the owner.

I believe students need to be aware that their online presence is a reflection of themselves both personally and professionally.  Pamela Medels at the New York Cyber Times makes the observation “With today’s kids, tech savvy often outstrips ethical smarts”. (Medels, 2000) Students must realize  that hurtful or derogatory comments typed on a computer screen are no less painful than those said in person.  In addition, students need to be aware of how they portray themselves in cyberspace.  Media, such as photos and videos, posted online could be seen by anyone and could potentially  affect them positively or negatively years down the road.

I believe technology can allow me as a teacher to help each and every student succeed.   Proper use of technology and best practices can allow me to add educational value to existing lessons. (Martin & Martin, 2006)  Online and computer based resources can be powerful tools to help bridge language gaps in the classroom or for personalizing the pace of lessons.  Students can also access class materials outside of school allowing them to work and study on their own time.

I believe as a teacher I can take advantage of new technologies to expand the classroom to a global scale.  Former US Secretary of Education Rod Paige said “For our nation to continue to engage other nations effectively, we need to give our students at all levels an international education of the highest standards.” (IIE Network, 2001)  Collaboration with students from other countries can allow my students to not only learn about other cultures and places but to see projects in my science classroom from different perspectives.

As we progress through the 21^st century, technology is going to play an ever larger part in our everyday lives.  My goal as a teacher is to help my students make the most of this technology in order to remain current and competitive in the future.

Works Cited

IIE Network. (2001, 10 17). Retrieved 11 26, 2009, from Institute of International Education: http://www.opendoors.iienetwork.org/?p=29408

Martin, E. G., & Martin, C. M. (2006). Best Practices in Technology Education. Retrieved 11 26, 2009, from Virginia Tech. Technology Education: http://www.teched.vt.edu:16080/CTTE/ImagesPDFs/BestPracticesInTE.pdf

Medels, P. (2000, 02 16). Technology Cybertimes. Retrieved 11 26, 2009, from New York Times on the Web: http://faculty.plattsburgh.edu/stewart.denenberg/csc372/articles/ethics%20education.html