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-/
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