Digital Stories and Refugee Immigrants Winooski Middle School
Beginners English Language Learners Our Stories
Slide 2
Overview More than 5 million English language learners (ELLs)
attend school in the U.S. (Ballantyne, Sanderman, & Levy,
2008)
Slide 3
Some Facts Of 47 million throughout the U.S., 18% speak a
language other than English at home (U.S. Census Bureau, 2003c) In
the West (37%), Midwest (9%), and the South (15%) California, New
Mexico, Texas, New York, Hawaii, Arizona, and New Jersey
Slide 4
Vermont ELL Growth
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Who are our English Language learners? Some have had a rigorous
formal education in their native country Others, particularly
refugee children, may have had limited or interrupted formal
schooling before coming to the U.S. The largest and fastest-growing
populations of ELLs in the U.S. consist of students who immigrated
before kindergarten and U.S.-born children of immigrants (Center on
Instruction, 2007)
Slide 6
Cultural Views of Foreign-Born English Language Learners ELLs
generally have an idealized view of the U.S. Unless they have had
an opportunity to study U.S. history and culture before arriving,
most ELLs are not aware of history, customs, and traditions In
general, ELLs experience their own differences as positive
Slide 7
The Vermont Context 2007-2008 school year approximately 1, 650
ELLs in Vermont From 1998-99 to 2007-2008, the ELL enrollment in
Vermont increased by 81 percent Vermont ELL students speak over 90
languages and come from 97 countries on 6 continents
Slide 8
Student Digital Stories 16 students in the beginners English as
a Second Language classroom completed their digital stories
Language groups included Bhutanese, Nepali, Iraqi, Vietnamese,
Somali, and Thai
Slide 9
Student Digital Story Project This I Believe Short stories,
narratives, biographies, and poetry Lots and lots of writing!
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Lots of Group Work!
Slide 11
Summary of Findings Writing improvement Value of writing
revision Community & Collaboration