Our Kids: English Language Learners in Your Classroom

Iowa Department of Education, 2005 1

Our Kids: English Language Learners in Your Classroom

Professional Development Guide


Introduction

English language learners (ELLs) spend most of the school day in content-area classrooms. All educators must be prepared to help students learn both English and content.

Welcoming students from diverse backgrounds to your district, school, and classroom can be a wonderful and enriching experience.


Introduction (cont.)

By providing a welcoming educational environment, you can help your new students achieve learning goals, become better English speakers, and adapt to a new culture.

This program will guide you through the requirements, expectations, and strategies for success with your English language learners.


Goal of the Our Kids Professional Development Materials

The Our Kids DVD is a collection of video segments to support teachers of English language learners. The DVD and associated resources are available directly to teachers and consultants but are most effectively used as part of professional development experiences.


Audience Classroom teachers Administrators ESL teachers Consultants Special education staff Counselors DOE and AEA staff University pre-service teachers Paraprofessionals Parents Teacher educators


Iowa Professional Development Model A collaborative effort of

the Iowa DOE, AEAs, professional organizations, LEAs, higher education, and other providers of professional development in the state of Iowa

An invaluable roadmap for staff development


How to Offer Professional Development Professional development is not a one-time event. Adapt the materials to offer your colleagues

information and application over time. We discourage a brief session at an after-school

staff meeting. We encourage you to collaborate with your

administrators and to include content teachers in your efforts.


Objectives for ParticipantsParticipants will be able to— Demonstrate a realistic and positive outlook

toward their work with ELLs. Exhibit, identify, and access support resources

available to teachers of ELLs. Identify and implement the essential first steps

to accommodating ELLs. Explain the basic steps of cultural adjustment.


Objectives for Participants (cont.)

Demonstrate empathy for the students and their various situations.

Explain the basic stages of language acquisition.

Identify and implement specific classroom strategies to support ELLs in the content areas.

Explain general State and Federal requirements related to ELLs.


How to Use This Guide For each section of the DVD, Before, During, and

After activities support the content. You might want to implement alternative activities

you have used with success in other trainings. The activities are offered as suggestions and may

be adapted as needed. Consider compiling the participants’ ideas and

responses for each section to keep a running record of their participation.


Project Rationale & Additional Considerations

In your print version of the Guide, review the lists on p. 7 on your own.

With your team, discuss how these points relate to your school or district.

Create a summary statement to share.


Before viewing the DVD—

Discuss the demographics of your school community.

How have changes affected your classroom? What are your questions about future changes? What are the benefits of having a more diverse

student population?

Section I: WelcomeYou can make a difference.


Section I: Welcome

After viewing the DVD— Write down one way you know you can make a

difference for ELLs. When most have finished writing, share your

statement with someone on the other side of the room.

When this step is complete, both of you find another pair and continue to share your thoughts.


Section II: Questions & Concerns


Using the left side of a Venn diagram (Appendix B), list the concerns and issues on your mind regarding the education of ELLs.

Many educators have encountered the issues you now face.


During this DVD section— Fill in the section on the right of the diagram by

listing the concerns and issues expressed by educators in the segment.

After viewing the DVD— Working independently, consider both circles of

information and write those issues in the overlapping section that you personally have in common with the educators in the DVD.

Share with your team.

Section II: Questions & Concerns


Section III: Legal Requirements

Before viewing of the DVD— Discuss at your tables what you

know about the legal guidelines concerning the education of ELLs.

Prepare to use the two-column notes page in Appendix C for writing down information as you view this section.

Consider the federal and state regulations for supporting English language learners.


During this DVD section— Take notes about the legal requirements in the

left column of the table (Appendix C).

After viewing the DVD— On your own, reflect on the notes you took.

Consider the implications for your school and classroom. Record in the right column.

Complete one of the stems at the bottom of the table.

Section III: Legal Requirements


Section IV: Getting to Know the Students

Find out how to identify English language learners and learn the steps to cultural adjustment. Then meet some of Iowa’s own English language learners.


Section IV: Getting to Know the StudentsBefore viewing the DVD— Choose a partner for this section. Using the Dialogue Journal (Appendix D) to

freewrite about two topics:(1) How would I know a student is an ELL?(2) What do I know about cultural adjustment?


Section IV: Getting to Know the StudentsDuring this DVD section— As you listen, take notes on the back of the

Dialogue Journal pertaining to the two topics.

After viewing the DVD— Reread your journal entries, adding and

revising as needed. Pass your journal to your partner.


Section IV: Getting to Know the StudentsAfter viewing the DVD (cont.)—

Without evaluating your partner’s entry, reflect on both the original writing and the changes.

Offer your partner a thought (I think…), an idea (Have you thought about…), or additional information from the DVD (What about…?).


Section V: How Do I Prepare?

Before viewing the DVD— Complete the Know section the of KWLQ

chart in Appendix E.

Identify the steps to welcoming English Language learners in your classroom.



During this DVD section— Complete the Learned and Questions sections

of the KWLQ chart.

After viewing the DVD— Complete the Learned section of the KWLQ

chart. Share your entries with a partner or small

group.



After viewing the DVD (cont.)— Develop a one-sentence summary using one of

the following stems:I never knew that ELLs…The most important point I learned in this section is…I now know that ELLs…, but I still need to know…


Section VI: Teaching Techniques

Discover the stages of language acquisition and the specific strategies you can use to help students succeed.


Before viewing the DVD— In pairs or small groups, imagine that you are

moving to France tomorrow. What would make you excited? What would concern you?

Imagine that you are going to be enrolled in school, too. What would make you excited? What would make you anxious?

Imagine that you will be enrolled in medical school. What would make you excited? Worried?



Before viewing the DVD (cont.)—

How does this compare with our newcomers?

• Moving someplace with new people, traditions,

language, foods, currency, etc.

• May not be moving by choice

• Will need to adjust quickly to a new school environment

• May not be accepted



(cont.)

• Academic language may be completely unfamiliar

• May not have had the content before in school,

or may have used different terms

• Has an immediate need to learn



During this DVD section—

Using two different colored sticky notes, write points regarding stages of language acquisition on one color and points regarding teaching strategies on the other.



After viewing the DVD—

Working in table groups of 3–4, review your sticky notes, remove duplication, and consolidate ideas pertaining to the two topics.

Use the remaining sticky notes to form a web connecting levels of language and teaching strategies.

The result should be a display of strategies that will support language content learning in each stage.




Review your notes so far. Prepare to work with your team. Carousel Brainstorm: At your team’s starting point,

write the key points you have learned about the specific topic named on the chart. Use your team’s colored marker. Remain at this chart until prompted.

Section VII: Make a DifferenceYou have the tools you need to help your students learn.


Before viewing the DVD (cont.)—

When you move to the next chart, continue to use your group’s colored marker to keep your responses recognizable.

When you get back to your starting chart, review what has been added. Quickly move around the room, skimming the final charts.

During this DVD section—

Use sticky notes to jot down ideas that might be added to one of the charts.

Section VII: Make a Difference


After viewing the DVD—

Place any new sticky notes on the charts. Discuss the following at your tables with one person

recording:What questions do I still have?How did this activity connect me to what I’ve learned?

Write a commitment statement on the page provided in Appendix F, and hand it in before your leave the session.

Section VII: Make a Difference


Bonus Feature: Preparing Your Class As you watch this

section, take notes on how you might use the techniques with different groups in your school district.

Talk with your team to compare ideas.


The measure of success is not whether you

have a tough problem to deal with, but

whether it’s the same problem you had last

year.

—John Foster Dulles


The contents of this brochure were developed under a grant from the Department of Education. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. One-hundred percent of the total costs of the program are financed with Federal money.

Documents

Our Kids: English Language Learners in Your Classroom