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Content Type: 1
Title: Article: Gifted English Language Learners Are Overlooked
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Gifted, But Still Learning English, Many Bright Students Get Overlooked
by Claudio Sanchez
April 11, 2016
Of the 3 million students identified as gifted in the U.S., English Language Learners are by far the most underrepresented.
…Parents are usually the first ones to figure out that their child is gifted, but that message often doesn't get to the educators in schools.
Many schools don't even test ELLs for giftedness, and most teachers aren't trained to identify those students.
Read or listen to the full article at http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/04/11/467653193/gifted-but-still-learning-english-overlooked-underserved
Source: NPR
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Title: Building Partnerships Outside the Classroom That Work
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Building Partnerships Outside the Classroom That Work
by Jennifer D. Klein
April 11, 2016
Teachers trying to globalize their practice often ask me how to develop a successful, socially responsible collaboration with a teacher, classroom, or sister school elsewhere in the world. There is no magic wand in this work. There is a lot of trial and error, a lot of struggling and risk, and a lot of work involved in building a successful partnership—and no guarantee of success.
But there is also no question that students are moved by real human connections more than anything else we do in our increasingly global classrooms, so it's worth trying to bring authentic partnerships into that mix. In this article, I'll explore a few strategies, which I hope might help educators build their own partnerships successfully.
Read the full article for useful strategies: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/global_learning/2016/04/building_partnerships_outside_the_classroom_that_work.html
Source: Education Week
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Title: Narrow Input
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Robert Sheppard writes, “Comprehensible input is valuable because it provides learners with repeated, contextualized, meaningful encounters with new language, leading to acquisition. Presumably, a greater number of encounters with new vocabulary and grammatical forms will hasten and strengthen that acquisition. This is where narrow input comes in. If students are reading multiple texts on a particular subject matter, they are going to encounter more of the language relevant thereto. If they are reading one particular author’s works, they will encounter her favorite words and turns of phrase, and the structures that mark their style. Thus, the theory goes, narrow input is a more efficient form of comprehensible input.”
Read more about narrow input at http://blog.tesol.org/narrowing-in-on-narrow-input/
Source: TESOL
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Title: Using Thinking Routines as Provocations to Inquiry in the Classroom
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Emily Munn is the Advanced Academics Lead Coach for Metro Nashville Public Schools in Nashville, Tennessee. She is experienced in providing concrete and researched-based support to K-12 teachers in International Baccalaureate, Cambridge, AVID, and Advanced Placement programs.
One of the most valuable tools in the inquiry cycle is the student’s desire to ask/pose questions. By using a well-designed thinking structure to enhance a student’s natural curiosity, the learning of all students can be enriched and developed. One example of a structured thinking routine is “I see, I think, I wonder.”
In this method, a carefully selected photograph or an art piece is presented to the learners. The picture is used as a provocation to stimulate curiosity and inquiry for a topic, a concept, or an idea that the teacher wants to the students to explore. Through this routine the teacher can observe students’ prior knowledge, beliefs, and even misconceptions. The use of this preassessment of the students’ observations can be a key factor in sparking student interest and finding relevance in a topic for the students.
Through three simple stages of exploration, the teacher facilitates a discussion drawing from the students’ statements and interpretations of the image. In the first round of discussion the teacher asks students to use the sentence stem, “I see” in order to list only what can be seen or touched in the photo. Students are asked not to make any assumptions or inferences but rather state only what is explicitly observed in the picture. Teachers may gently guide students back to the “I see” stage by redirecting with a question, “What did you see that made you think that?” It is very important for every student to have the opportunity to respond. Often students ‘see’ contrasting elements. It is not at this point that we add any value or level of correctness to what students are seeing. Students are free to take academic risks because they trust the community that has been built.
After careful attention to detail, acknowledgement of all students’ statements, and ample wait time, the teacher transitions to the next level of exploration- the “I think” stage. The teacher asks students to use “I think” as the beginnings of all statements. A teacher can follow up asking for evidence for what led the students to their belief. The juxtaposition of interpretations of the same image can help students appreciate different perspectives. The evidence based claims that the students present can lead to richer, more detailed writing as students learn to develop their ideas and justify their beliefs.
The next stage of exploration is questioning. Students have had time to observe and explore the image. They have analyzed the explicit and implied details. Now students get to ask, “I wonder,” based on what they saw, what they learned from other students’ statements and evidence, what might the student still want to know about this image. As with the other stages, the teacher acts as the facilitator and need not provide all, or any of, the answers. After engaging in this structure multiple times, students may be comfortable to help each other through the wonders that are presented. As students become accustomed to this strategy their questions become more developed higher-level inquiry statements built on concepts and beliefs.
A teacher may want to document all the stages or chose only the final stage of “I wonder” to record. These questions can guide further inquiry throughout the unit of study and can be referred to either by the student or by the teacher.
A structured thinking routine serves a variety of purposes. It benefits the needs of the individual learner, the needs of the community of learners, and the needs of the instructor. It’s a simple but powerful method to provoke inquiry and build a foundation of trust and confidence for students.
For more information, please see http://www.visiblethinkingpz.org/VisibleThinking_html_files/03_ThinkingRoutines/03c_Core_routines/SeeThinkWonder/SeeThinkWonder_Routine.html
Source: CASLS Topic of the Week
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Title: I See, I Think, I Wonder
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By Emily Munn, Advanced Academics Lead Coach for Metro Nashville Public Schools in Nashville, Tennessee
This activity is designed to guide students through an inquiry process that encourages reflection on their presuppositions and beliefs. This activity is apt for Intermediate High and Advanced Low learners.
Learning Objectives: Students will be able to:
- Follow a structured routine as a provocation to inquiry in the classroom.
- Make observations.
- Support claims with evidence.
- Create questions to further their study.
Mode: Interpersonal Communication
Materials Needed: Provoking photo or piece of artwork, chart paper
Procedure:
- The teacher will find a photograph or piece of art that will provoke inquiry into a concept, an idea, or a topic relevant to the unit of study. The image should be detailed enough to allow students an opportunity to explore multiple facets.
- Teachers provide structure as the facilitator. The teacher should establish common norms that the group will adhere to in order to facilitate a productive discussion. Students may help the teacher list acceptable and unacceptable practices. Students and the teacher may refer to the norms during the routine.
- Teachers may ask students to create a chart on a piece of paper to help the thinking process. The three columns would be labeled:
- I see
- I think
- I wonder
- The teacher projects the image large enough for the class to see together. If it is not possible, then all students are given access to the photo either in print or on an individual device.
- The teacher facilitates each round. The first round is “I see.” Students are asked to list or record their observations of what is explicitly seen in the image. The teacher may redirect if students transition into interpretative or implied observations using the phrase, “What did you see that made you think that?” During this stage the teacher may note the background knowledge of the students.
- The teacher transitions into the “I think” stage. In this stage students are encouraged to state claims and use evidence to support their claims. This allows multiple perspectives of the image to be interpreted.
- The final phase is the “I wonder”. This allows students to directly state what they would like to explore more about this image.
- The teacher may choose to document and post the examples that the students provide, this places value on the thinking and on the learning process.
Notes:
Teachers may use this provocation throughout the unit of study. The wonder questions that students provided may become formative assessments or checks for understanding. A teacher may select a claim and ask students to support that claim with evidence. Teachers may ask students to state a claim they had at the beginning of the unit and then discuss how they have changed their beliefs since acquiring more knowledge.
Source: CASLS Activity of the Week
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Title: April 2016 Issue of Reading in a Foreign Language
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The April 2016 issue (Volume 28, Number 1) of the electronic journal Reading in a Foreign Language (RFL) is now online and can be read at http://nflrc.hawaii.edu/rfl.
This special issue contains seven regular articles. Scott A. Crossley and Danielle S. McNamara utilize simplified and authentic texts to examine text-based recall and extra-textual generations with 48 native speakers of Spanish studying English. With 91 Turkish and Australian participants studying French, Meral Özkan Gürses and Eric Bouvet contend that cultural, linguistic, and contextual differences between the two groups may contribute to larger variability in reading comprehension than in strategy use or in learning styles. Shusaku Kida examines whether automatic word recognition is acquired over time and whether the development of orthographic representation is actually “achieved” over time. The study offers strong rationale for future research on sustained silent reading. Jeff McQuillan analyzed a set of popular fiction series books and concluded that such books can provide a sufficient amount of input, with 98%vocabulary coverage, and consequently could serve as a possible “bridge” to more challenging texts. With 27 reading textbooks for English as a Second Language, Lia Plakans and Zeynep Bilk use a computational tool called Coh-Metrix in order to investigate whether and how cohesion differs across textbooks written for beginning, intermediate, and advanced second language readers. Etsuo Taguchi, Greta Gorsuch, Kristin Lems, and Rory Rosszell examine how repetitions in reading a text and having learners read along with an audio model of the text may provide scaffolding for L2 learners’ reading comprehension. In the final article, Masayuki Tanabe operationalize temporal measures and show that vocabulary tests do classify lexical knowledge in greater detail.
In addition, this issue has a series of response articles that examine factors from prior publications. Stuart McLean talks about the importance of supporting inferences with evidence, and Jeffrey Huffman responds to a critique of the Huffman (2014) publication. Meredith Stephens discusses the influence of translation as a response to Sakurai, and Víctor R. Quiñones Guerra redefines translations in EFL classrooms through comments on Sakarai (2015). The discussion section ends with Sakurai providing a detailed and informed response to the critiques.
RFL is a scholarly, refereed journal published on the World Wide Web by the University of Hawai`i, with Richard R. Day and Cindy Brantmeier as the co-editors, Thom Hudson as associate editor, and Anne Burns, Macquarie University, as the reviews editor.
Access the current issue at http://nflrc.hawaii.edu/rfl/April2016/
Source: NFLRC
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Title: Book: CLIL experiences in Secondary and Tertiary Education
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CLIL experiences in Secondary and Tertiary Education
Edited by David Lasagabaster and Aintzane Doiz
Published by Peter Lang International Academic Publishers
This volume clearly documenting research into CLIL and EMI settings is welcome and timely. A range of researchers rise to the challenge of providing deeper understanding and interpretations of key issues in ways which enable readers to adapt the approaches and ideas to inform their own practices. The nature of integration underpins each chapter and each study in creative, relevant ways at different levels. Bringing together educationalists, linguists and subject specialists provides a shared context for surfacing deeply held beliefs and providing clearer pathways for closer understanding and adaptations to define, refine and support integrated learning. Moreover, integrating theoretical perspectives and research methods is also a feature of the volume which not only informs classroom practices but also goes further into the motivations which operationalize and underpin current drives towards internationalization in universities. The studies in each of the eight chapters in the volume are usefully built on an in-depth critical review of research in the field which enables the reader to carefully position the research and the challenging questions posed.
Visit the publisher’s website at www.peterlang.com/index.cfm?event=cmp.ccc.seitenstruktur.detailseiten&seitentyp=produkt&pk=92384&concordeid=432104
Source: Peter Lang International Academic Publishers
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Title: Book: Identity, Gender and Teaching English in Japan
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From http://www.multilingual-matters.com/display.asp?isb=9781783095209
Identity, Gender and Teaching English in Japan
By Diane Hawley Nagatomo
Published by Multilingual Matters
How do teachers who have chosen to settle down in one country manage the difficulties of living and teaching English in that country? How do they develop and sustain their careers, and what factors shape their identity? This book answers these questions by investigating the personal and professional identity development of ten Western women who teach English in various educational contexts in Japan, all of whom have Japanese spouses. The book covers issues of interracial relationships, expatriation, equality and employment practices as well as the broader topics of gender and identity. The book also provides a useful overview of English language teaching and learning in Japan.
Visit the publisher’s website at http://www.multilingual-matters.com/display.asp?isb=9781783095209
Source: LINGUIST List
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Title: Call for Papers: East Coast Organization of Language Testers Annual Conference
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From https://sites.google.com/site/ecoltaelrc/
The East Coast Organization of Language Testers (ECOLT) is pleased to announce its fifteenth annual conference, to take place October 28, 2016, in Washington, DC. The organizers invite proposals from colleagues in academia and education, government, and for-profit and not-for-profit organizations to present papers or posters related to language testing.
The submission deadline is June 3, 2016.
View the full call for proposals at https://sites.google.com/site/ecoltaelrc/call-for-papers
Source: ECOLT
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Title: Call for Papers: Tenth International Conference on Language Teacher Education
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From http://nhlrc.ucla.edu/nhlrc/events/lteconference/2017/call
Language Teacher Education for a World on the Move: Meeting the Needs of Diverse Student Populations
Tenth International Conference on Language Teacher Education
February 2 - 4, 2017
UCLA Covel Commons, California
The Tenth International Conference on Language Teacher Education welcomes proposals for papers, posters, panels, and discussion sessions on all aspects of the educational and professional development of language teachers. Proposals may report on data-based research, theoretical and conceptual analyses, or best practices in language teacher education. The 21st century, with its ongoing migration and globalization trends, requires new approaches to teacher training. The theme of LTE 2017 alerts us to the diverse nature of student populations in an increasingly multilingual world, and to the importance of language teacher trainers in addressing the challenges and potentials of this population.
The mission of this biennial conference is to address the education of teachers of all languages, at all instructional and institutional levels, and in all the many national and international contexts in which this takes place, including: world language teaching; bilingual education; heritage and community language education; immersion education; indigenous and minority language education; English as a Second or Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) instruction; and the teaching of less commonly taught languages. The conference aims to bring together teacher educators from these many contexts to discuss and share research, theory, and best practices and to initiate and sustain meaningful professional dialogue across languages, levels, and settings in an increasingly diverse and multilingual world.
Submission deadline: June 21, 2016
View the full call for papers at http://nhlrc.ucla.edu/nhlrc/events/lteconference/2017/call
Source: NHLRC
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