Week Seven: Useful Podcasts

            My blog post this week focuses some useful podcasts geared toward teaching English language learners.  I am new to using podcasts and I actually had to download iTunes in order to subscribe and critique these podcasts.  After I figured out how to use the program, I was able to search for podcasts that focused on teaching English language learners. I narrowed my search to only include podcasts that were created for teachers and professional development.  I wanted to find some podcasts that I could use as a reference for other teachers.  I was pleased to find several podcasts that I was able to subscribe to that gave some very useful information for teachers. 

The first podcast that I subscribed to was the TEFLshow.com.  This podcast is designed to provide teachers with new and useful information to help stay up to date on the latest teaching and instructional methods for ELLs.  The most recent podcast on the site was about ESL blogs for teachers.  The blogs that were discussed in this podcast were: Evidence Based EFL, ELT Researchbites, Film English, Teacher Training Videos, Tekhnologic, A-Z of ELT, ELF Pron, and Adrian Underhill. All of these give practical advice and strategies for ESL teachers.  I found this podcast to be useful because it didn’t just provide the name of the blog, but instead the podcaster’s critiqued each blog and gave advice on how each blog could be best utilized by the teacher. 

            Another podcast that I subscribed to was ESLteachertalk.com.  This podcast was useful because each podcast focused on a different aspect about teaching English Language Learners.  The most recent podcast discusses a video blog that one of the hosts, Matt has put together on DreamEnglish.com called the Teach Kids English Show.  Each video blog is three to four minutes long and provides tips for teaching English to young students (preschool-3^rd grade).  The video blogs are geared toward new teachers or teachers that are new to teaching ELLs.  The show that I listened to this week focused on Dolch Sight Words and how to use them in the classroom.  The show discussed how to integrate reading into all aspects of the classroom and how to integrate the memorization of the Dolch Sight Words.  The show also gave advice to teachers on when to start using sight words, the importance on knowing the word before memorizing the spelling of the word, using a book to create a list of sight words and then immediately applying knowledge to context, and they also provided the listeners with five different games and activities they could use in their classes to practice sight words. 

            The podcasts were both informative and interesting to listen to.  The speakers made the information easy to follow and understand.  These podcasts would be useful to any teacher with English language learners in their classroom. 

Cox, M. (2010, May 31). Dolch sight words – using them in ESL classes [Audio blog post].   Retrieved July 19, 2017, from https://www.eslteachertalk.com/

Kiczkowiak, M. (2017, May 2). Our favourite ELT blogs (Part 1) [Audio blog post]. Retrieved July 19, 2017, from https://theteflshow.com/2017/05/02/our-favourite-elt-blogs-part-1/

Week Six: Reinforcing English over the Summer Vacation

          My Google Alerts this week focused on the most effective ways that technology can be integrated into the ESL summer programs.  My first alert focused on an elementary school that hosted an ESL summer camp.  Knollwood Elementary School ran a summer camp for English as Second Language students from across the county.  The ESL program at Knollwood Elementary is designed to meet the needs of students who are learning English at the same time they are studying the standard mainstream curriculum. Sixty-four ESL students in second and third grade came to the Knollwood summer-camp to reinforce and grow the English skills they had gained throughout the school year in a relaxed and fun environment. 

            At the camp, the students completed worked in small groups to complete centers that reinforced English reading, writing, speaking and listening.  Many of the centers involved technology.  Technology was used to make the activities individualized to each student’s specific learning needs.  For example, one of the camp’s centers involved having the students scan a photo using an app on an iPad. After scanning the photo, a video would pop up on the screen. The video would then show a fairy-tale character that would read the students a sentence.  The students were then required to write down the sentence. Each sentence integrated vocabulary words from the lesson.  Ms. Gardner, a teacher in the program stated “The app uses augmented reality.  It helps them learn sight words, but in a fun way.” 

            My second alert focused on another summer program geared toward ESL students.  At Kipps Elementary School, thirty-seven ESL students participated in the English as a Second Language Summer Experience.  Tacey Apisa, an ESL teacher at the school, said that the program was effective because “They (the students) tend to not have a lot of exposure during the summer to academics or English. So, it kind of keeps them going”.  The program was originally developed in response to an influx of children from refugee families at Kipps Elementary School this year. The program was then expanded to include ESL students in kindergarten through fifth grade.  The students in the summer program took part in art projects, differentiated reading groups, and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities intended to increase their exposure to English and encourage English discussions among the students themselves. 

Students from Spanish, Arabic, Aramaic and Persian-speaking backgrounds were represented in the program.  All of the students’ home cultures and languages were valued and respected, but the students were encouraged to rely on English when participating in whole group activities and discussions.  Apisa even noticed that after continued exposure to the language, the students were beginning to converse with each other in English, even in non-formal settings. The summer program was effective because it provided a safe and supportive environment for the students to practice speaking English, while at the same time reinforcing content of the mainstream classroom though the use of technology. 

Both of these camps are great examples of how English can be reinforced and expanded over the summer vacation.  These programs are effective because they do not approach English instruction in isolation, but instead integrate English and vocabulary in content instruction.  I would like to see more school districts develop summer programs that allow their ESL students to practice their English skills in a program other than traditional summer school.   

Morgan, S. (2017, July 4). Knollwood Elementary School hosts ESL Summer Camp. Retrieved    July 12, 2017, from http://www.salisburypost.com/2017/07/04/knollwood-hosts-eslsummer-camp/

Williams, T. (2017, June 30). Learning English growing summer trend in Montgomery County.     Retrieved July 12, 2017, from http://www.roanoke.com/news/education/learning-english         growing-summer-trend-in-montgomery-county/article_4a6a69f3-bbbc-5981-ad4c      4e7c248da757.html

Week Five: Incorporating ESL Concepts into the STEM Curriculum

My Google Alerts this week focused on how ESL instruction fits into the STEM curriculum.  I found two different articles that focused how schools are working to blend the ESL and the STEM curriculum in order to better serve their students.  The article: “What do robots, eggs, and laws of motion have in common? Ask these 100 students”, discusses how more than 100 students participated in the Summer Engineering Academy at Loachapoka Elementary School.  This program was taught by several teachers including an ESL certified teacher over the summer break. The students who participated in the program ranged from pre- first grade to seventh grade.  The students spent the month of June problem-solving with their peers exploring the scientific method and mathematical reasoning. The work in the camp was differentiated with each grade level being given a different challenge to solve. Then within each grade, the students were then broken down into into groups of three or four students to design a project.  This design allows for lot of collaborative learning and discussions using academic vocabulary, which is especially important to ELLs.   

The program used curriculum from Project Lead the Way, a nonprofit organization that introduces STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) concepts to classrooms in schools around the country. Ms. Blanco, the ESL teacher at the district stated “Even though it doesn’t seem like it would, it (STEM) goes hand in hand with language development, because students are working together collaboratively to talk and solve problems. You’ve got to be able to read the problem, read the directions, follow procedures, write about it as you go through the engineering design process, to log and evaluate the results that you got and make adjustments to your design.”  It is important for both ELLs and mainstream students to be exposed to academic vocabulary, which is an area that many of our students are lacking in. 

The second article: “Programs aim to improve Merrill School Performance” concentrated on how Merrill Elementary School in the Beloit district will focus on promoting parental environment, curriculum development and school climate.  In Merrill Elementary School, 95 percent of the students are economically disadvantaged, and 27 percent are English Language Learners. The school's first area of focus is centered on improving curriculum and better exposing the students to STEM curriculum and programs.  The school district is currently researching how to make its curriculum more rigorous and engaging for all students including its growing ELL population. Some possible options that were discussed in the article include offering more science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) classes or foreign language.  I think that it is great that a school district is keeping its ELL population in mind when it is looking to improve its curriculum and the overall achievement level of its students.  More school districts need to follow a similar plan when looking to improve the curriculum for its students.  An effective ELL program is not a supplement to the mainstream curriculum and it should be considered in all subjects taught in the school.  There shouldn’t be a separate ELL curriculum taught in isolation, instead the ELL program should be integrated into all aspects of the curriculum.  Both of these articles do a great job presenting how the ESL curriculum can be integrated into the STEM curriculum and into the science and math classrooms. 

Coleman, K. (2017, June 28). What do robots, eggs, and laws of motion have in common? Ask these 100 students. Retrieved June 28, 2017, from http://www.oanow.com/news/local/what-do-robots-eggs-and-laws-of-motion-have-in/article_90fde828-162d-5f79-b5b2-e1ab43f98e4f.html

Gavan, H. (2017, June 27). Programs aim to improve Merrill School performance. Retrieved June 28, 2017, from http://www.beloitdailynews.com/article/20170627/ARTICLE/170629780

Week Four: Success with Technology in the ESL classroom

            My Google Alerts this week highlighted the positive academic achievements that can be made by English Language Learners when they are given the appropriate tools and when teachers are given the proper training.  I found two different articles that focused on the academic achievements by English language Learners when using technology.  The first article discussed how the Socorro Independent School District won the 2017 School of TechXcellence Award by District Administration magazine, HP and Intel, for an innovative, effective and replicable technology program in math instruction that is contributing to student success.  The second article focused on providing teachers with professional development that focused on enhancing communicative skills through the use of art and technology in the classroom and how teachers can use technology to better reach their ELLs. 

            In the article: "Socorro ISD wins 2017 School of TechXcellence Award", the author discussed the achievements in math that were made by English Language Learners.  The Socorro Independent School District (ISD) is one of only 19 schools from 14 states that were selected for this award. The Socorro ISD received the award for the success of its Math as a Second Language 4 English Language Learners Academy.  This program promotes math literacy and builds comprehension of math among English Language Learners.  Most teachers think of Reading and Language Arts when they are planning lessons for ELLs, but ELLs also need vocabulary supports and in Math, Science, and Social Studies.  It was refreshing to see how schools were using technology to not only assist their English Language Learners in Reading, but also in math and in other subjects.

            The Second Article: "Enhancing Communicative Skills through Art and Technology", focused on professional development and providing teachers with the training needed to best incorporate technology into the English as a Second Language classroom.  This article was from the Educational Research Center from the School of Education in Puerto Rico.  I found the perspective of the article to be very interesting because if was being written from a Spanish speaker’s perspective, which is totally different from the other articles that I have found through my Google Alerts.  The article discusses the professional development for English teachers of 21st century learner.  This program was funded by a grant from the Puerto Rico Higher Education Council, No Child Left Behind, and Title II Funds (NCLB – 15-01).  The program highlights the need for learning English and discusses how English is now the language most widely taught as a foreign language in countries around the world including: China, Russia, Germany, Spain, Egypt, and Brazil.  The article stated how in these countries, learning English as a foreign language is becoming a requirement in most schools.  Both of these articles reinforce the need for ELL teachers to be utilizing the technology that is available to them in order to best prepare their students for the world outside of the classroom. 

Enhancing communicative skills through art and technology. (n.d.). Retrieved June 22, 2017, from http://cie.uprrp.edu/esl/enhancing-communicative-skills-art-technology/

Report, S. (2017, June 13). Socorro ISD wins 2017 School of TechXcellence Award. Retrieved June 20, 2017, from http://elpasoheraldpost.com/socorro-isd-wins-2017-school-techxcellence-award/

Week Three: Best Practices for the ESL Classroom

           My Google Alerts this week focused on best practices to use with English Language Learners in the classroom.  My first Alert focused on effective teaching strategies to use with ELLs in the classroom. I also received an alert about a school district cutting funding to its English as a Second Language Program and how the cuts would affect the English Language learners in the district.  My last alert for this week was a news article that was describing a new software program that is available to help English Language Learners acquire English.  These alerts all fit together because they all impact the educational quality of the ESL classroom.  Budget cuts are a sad reality that have strong impacts the education that our students receive.   The new software program Mirrors & Windows for Passport, helps to engage students and can help in language acquisition, which is ultimately following along with the best teaching practices. 

            When I was reading over the Seven Teaching Strategies for Classroom Teachers of ELLs, my immediate thought was that they were things that should be taking place in all classrooms and not limited to just the ESL resource room.  Judie Haynes describes seven teaching strategies that should be used in all classrooms with English Language Learners.  These strategies are: provide comprehensible input for ELLs, make lessons visual, link new information to prior knowledge, determine key concepts for the unit and define language and content objects for each lesson, modify vocabulary instruction for ELLs, use cooperative learning strategies, and Modify testing and homework for ELLs.  These strategies fit easily into best practices for teaching.  These are strategies that all teachers should be familiar with and comfortable with using them in their classroom.  The number of English Language Learners in our country continues to grow and having a classroom with an English Language Learner is becoming the norm.  Teachers need to be best equipped to meet the needs of all of their students in their classroom.  I think if more classroom teachers read about the best teaching strategies for ELLs it would alleviate some of the fear and apprehension facing some classroom teachers when it comes to having ELLs in their classroom. 

            I also came across a current news article focusing on the Boston Public School District and how it was cutting its budget for Special Education and English Language Learners.  This article was very surprising for me.  In the past, many other school districts in my area reduced staff and chose to cut funding to some of their programs.  However, they quickly realized that this only hurt the students.  Since then, the districts have begun to hire back teachers and increase funds to their educational programs.   It is surprising to me that in 2017 a school district would be continuing to cut important programs at the risk of lowering test scores and not making AYP.  The parents were voicing their concerns about the budget cuts and how they would only widen equity gaps. I am glad to see that the parents are speaking up for their children and I am interested to see what the final budget outcome will be. 

            My final alert was about a new program called Mirrors & Windows for Passport.  This program is designed to be used in the language Arts classroom; however it can also be utilized in the ESL classroom.  Mirrors & Windows for Passport allows students to access a variety of relevant and topical information about assignments, produce videos, submit and receive feedback on their work, and communicate with their teacher.  One of the best aspects of the Mirrors & Windows for Passport program is how it can be used to differentiate instruction.  The program features a gradual release of responsibility to the student. In the reading portion of program, there are three different levels of reading support, from guided reading to directed reading to independent reading, included with every unit.  This use of technology helps to ensure that students being challenged at their individual levels. 

            This week focused on three different alerts that focused on the best teaching strategies.  The article on the seven teaching strategies showed how teachers can easily follow the best teaching strategies in their classrooms.  The second article highlighted how budget cuts can have an impact on best teaching strategies and language acquisition, and the third article provided a glimpse at software that is available to differentiate instruction and help teachers meet the needs of all the students in their classroom. 

Haynes, J. (2010). Seven teaching strategies for classroom teachers of ELLs. Retrieved June 15, 2017, from http://www.everythingesl.net/inservices/seven_teaching_strategies_clas_06140.php

Leckstrom, J. (2017, June 8). EMC school introduces online learning environment for English       language arts curriculum. Retrieved June 15, 2017, from    http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/emc-school-introduces-online-learning environment-english-language-arts-curriculum-2221004.htm

Pattison-Gordon, J. (2017, May 31). BPS criticized on special education, English language           learners budget. Retrieved June 15, 2017, from http://baystatebanner.com/news/2017/may/31/bps-criticized-special-education-english language-/

Week Two: The Benefits of Using Technology in the ESL Classroom

Last week I focused on some of the resources available to ESL teachers to use in their classrooms. This week I am focusing on what effective technology integration looks like in an ESL classroom and why technology is important.  English language learners benefit from technology because it provides both audio and visual support for text, which helps in English language development.  Technology helps English language learners find a voice, which eases the transition to a new language (Brozeck & Duckworth, 2011).  I was surprised to find that in 2017, there are still some misconceptions involving the technology integration in the ESL classroom.  Technology integration is best defined as the practice of integrating technology into teaching and learning.  There is a significant difference between implementing technologies on a surface level and actually intertwining it in a way that produces maximum results for teachers and students (Woodson, 2017).  This means is that just telling students to complete a separate internet activity or sending them to the computer center alone may not be the best use of educational technology, which is a common practice in most classrooms (Woodson, 2017). Technology can and should be deliberately used throughout the process of teaching and learning, so that it plays an active role rather than being a supplemental piece that is added to the lesson as an afterthought.

Integrating technology into the ESL classroom is crucial to student learning and language acquisition.  There are numerous benefits to integrating technology into the ESL classroom.  Some of these benefits include: increased student engagement and motivation, mobility, the teaching of valuable tools for the future, time saving for teachers, the promotion learner independence, and access to target culture (Woodson, 2017). In order for the students to acquire language, they need to be invested and motivated and technology makes this possible.  The mobility component is also an important aspect because for most ESL students.   The most authentic experiences with the target language often happen outside of the classroom setting.  Teachers can also include tools into their lessons that allow materials to be accessed on smartphones, laptops and tablets, which helps to keep students thinking about the material long after class if over.  One of the main goals of ESL teaching is to help prepare students to be successful globally, and technology helps to better prepare students for interaction in the real world.  The best way prepare students for the advancements in technology is to give them continual experiences with the tools and programs available today, and continue to update the tools and technology whenever possible. 

Teachers definitely know the importance of managing time, and technology helps both teachers and students get the most out of the time available to them.  Another advantage of technology is that it helps to promote independence.  This is important because it also helps to increase the students’ self-esteem and sense of worth.  Technology can also provide supports to the students and parents outside of the classroom, when the teacher is not available to offer assistance.  The last benefit to technology that I read about this week involved the students’ exposure to the target culture.  This exposure to the target culture can help make the content understandable and help the students to develop context.  The exposure to the target culture though the use of technology is often current and meaningful to the student (Woodson, 2017). 

Last week’s readings post provided ways in which technology can be integrated into almost any classroom and this week’s readings gave some very important benefits to using technology in the English language classroom.  The benefits highlight the need for teachers to be current and up-to-date on their teaching methods and strategies in order to best prepare students to function in a global environment. 

Brozek, E., & Duckworth, D. (2011). Supporting English language learners through technology. Retrieved June 7, 2017, from      https://www.nysut.org/~/media/Files/NYSUT/Resources/2011/March/Educators%20Voi   e%204%20Technology/edvoiceIV_ch2.pdf

Woodson, K. (2017). How to use technology effectively to transform Your ESL classroom. Retrieved June 07, 2017, from http://www.fluentu.com/english/educator/blog/esl-technology-resources-for students/

Week One: Integrating Technology in the ESL Classroom.

This week I was lucky enough to come across some very interesting websites that highlighted the importance of using technology in the ESL classroom.  Technology is all around us and is part of our student’s daily lives and unfortunately for some students it stops at the classroom door.  This could be for a variety of reasons that include budgetary limitations, facility bandwidth limitations, and teacher comfort level with technology.  Smart (2008) discusses the growing number of software programs that are available to ESL teachers.  Software programs can be utilized easily in classrooms where there are limited computers or tablets.  In most cases these programs can be used with little more than a computer and internet access.  This makes at least some level of technology attainable in almost every classroom.  Even if the district is not able to provide laptops or tablets for each student, most schools have a computer lab or a laptop cart for the school to share.

Some of the most useful programs that Smart (2008) provided were Read Naturally, which is  a multimedia reading program that helps students develop English fluency and the Rosetta Stone language-learning software, which helps them associate images with English words and sentence structures to build their vocabularies. Software, online tools, and other technologies help students hone basic language skills they can later apply in authentic social settings (Smart, 2008).  Ms. Wegener-Taganashi, an ESL teacher states that "The kids spend most of their day listening and not interacting with the language as much.  Technology mixes things up, captures students' attention, and engages them in a way traditional classroom instruction doesn't” (Wegener-Taganashi 2008, as cited in Smart, 2008).  This statement really resonated with me because I realized that in most traditional ESL classrooms the students spend the majority of their time listening to language but not actually using and experimenting with the language.  The software involves the students in the learning process and makes them active participants in the lessons.  The use of English Language software allows districts with limited resources to use one program to differentiate instruction to meet many different English language proficiency levels. 

Technology does not have to be limited to independent practice on computers.  It can also be blended seamlessly into the lesson delivery.  Computers allow teachers to use visual supports (clip art and other graphic images), which allows the students to see an object and associate it with the words they see and hear. Another ESL teacher Miss Milan, uses PowerPoint presentations in her lectures to introduce colors, geography concepts, and grammar concepts (Stutzki, 2017). Miss Milan states that the use of visual representations are especially important for her visual learners and those students with low literacy levels. This article shows how teachers with limited technological resources can use technology to make their lessons meaningful to their students.  This week’s findings prove that technology can be integrated into most classrooms and that it doesn’t have to be in the form of an expensive program, it can simply be using clipart to provide a visual representation for new vocabulary. 

Smart, M. P. (2008, December 10). The Word and the World: Technology Aids English    Language Learners. Retrieved May 31, 2017, from https://www.edutopia.org/technologysoftware-english-language-learners

Stutzki, H. (2017). Using technology to create a visual learning environment. Retrieved May 30,  2017, from http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/using-technology-create-visuallearning-environment