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Title: Flight Simulation in Spanish Class
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Do you ever do simulations in your class? Here are some great ideas for turning your classroom into an airplane and turning the class period into a simulated flight to a country where the target language is spoken: https://senorachase.com/2018/05/25/lets-fly-a-flight-simulation/
Source: Señora Chase
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Title: Emotional Scaffolds for English Learners
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From https://www.empoweringells.com/emotional-scaffolds/
Last week we noted Tan Huynh's recent article about language scaffolds for English learners (http://caslsintercom.uoregon.edu/content/25186). This week the series on scaffolds continues with a discussion of emotional scaffolds, with tips for reducing content-related and community-related stressors.
Read the full post at https://www.empoweringells.com/emotional-scaffolds/
Source: Empowering ELLs
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Title: Reports Examine States' Commitment to English Learners
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From https://www.languagemagazine.com/2018/06/01/states-commitment-to-english-learners-examined/
Two reports have been submitted to the U.S. Department of Education which examine the extent to which states’ education plans are in step with guidance established by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) with regard to English learners (ELs). Advocacy groups UnidosUS and Achieve produced the briefs, entitled “How Have States Set Goals for English Leaners in ESSA Plans?” and “How Are States Including English Language Proficiency in ESSA Plans?” to provide an analysis of the English Language Proficiency (ELP) indicators and academic achievement goals proposed in state ESSA plans. They examine whether states are taking meaningful steps to improve academic outcomes for EL students and provide recommendations to develop an accountability system that reflects that.
Read the full article about the reports at https://www.languagemagazine.com/2018/06/01/states-commitment-to-english-learners-examined/
The full reports are available at www.achieve.org/essa-goals-for-english-learners and www.achieve.org/english-language-proficiency-in-essa
Source: Language Magazine
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Title: Technology Integration to Support Language Development in the Primary Classroom
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Jamie Ponce writes, "One of the most challenging aspects for educators of English language learners (ELLs) is accurately assessing language development over time — oral language, in particular. Due to the conversational nature of language, it can be incredibly difficult to assess oral language while simultaneously engaging in conversation, not to mention recording the data as you go.
"While the speaking and listening domains can be the hardest to objectively assess over time, reading and writing shouldn’t be overlooked. ELL educators are always looking through two lenses — content knowledge and English language development (ELD).
"A few savvy strategies coupled with technology integration can enhance not only English language learning within the four domains (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) of ELD, but your assessment of language development over time as well."
Read the full article and see samples of in-flipped teaching, guided reading, formative assessment, and summative assessment aided by technology that customizes learning for each student: https://www.teachingchannel.org/blog/2018/05/23/technology-integration-to-support-language-development-in-the-primary-classroom/
Source: Teaching Channel
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Title: Using Small Groups to Enhance Instruction for English Learners
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From http://www.janaechevarria.com
Jana Echevarria writes, "A critical aspect of learning for English learners – and all students – is working productively in small groups. Whole group instruction has a place in classroom teaching but it is essential that teachers learn to manage small groups as well." Read her full blog post with strategies for making group work effective at http://www.janaechevarria.com/?p=1066
Source: Reflections on Teaching English Learners
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Title: How and Why to Self-Assess Your Language Skills
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Source: Transparent Language
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Title: Teaching Controversial Topics in the Classroom
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In this excellent short article, Kaitlin E. Thomas shares how to be neutral and objective when teaching controversial topics in a language classroom: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/global_learning/2018/05/teaching_controversial_topics_in_the_classroom.html
Here is an excerpt: "How to maintain neutrality and objectivity on a topic that inspires emotional reaction? I found two tools to be useful. First, I required a weekly dialogue journal in which students would write reflections or responses to the topics of the week. ...Additionally, I made extremely conscious student pairings that would change each week. This was to give everyone a chance to work with each other, but more importantly, to build partnerships in a way that would facilitate meaningful dialogue and reflection."
Source: Education Week
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Title: Podcast: L2 Writing Instruction and Corrective Feedback
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From https://weteachlang.com/2018/06/01/ep-55-with-heather-willis-allen/
In episode 55 of the We Teach Language podcast series, Dr. Heather Willis Allen, associate professor of French at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, talk about designing instruction that promotes L2 writing development. Dr. Allen brings a research-informed perspective to topics such as how to provide written corrective feedback and how to scaffold assignments to help students avoid common writing pitfalls.
Access the podcast at https://weteachlang.com/2018/06/01/ep-55-with-heather-willis-allen/
Source: We Teach Languages
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Title: Nine Teaching Ideas for Using Music to Inspire Student Writing
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Nine Teaching Ideas for Using Music to Inspire Student Writing
By Natalie Proulx
May 10, 2018
In this teaching resource, we suggest nine exercises to use music to inspire student writing — from creating annotated playlists and critical reviews to music-inspired poetry and personal narratives. Each idea pulls from Times reporting, Opinion pieces and multimedia on music to give students a place to start. The activities are categorized according to three genres: creative and narrative writing; informative and explanatory writing; and persuasive and argumentative writing.
Read the full article at https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/10/learning/lesson-plans/nine-teaching-ideas-for-using-music-to-inspire-student-writing.html
Source: New York Times
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Content Type: 4
Title: Community Exploration Technique
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This activity is designed to engage language learners in community-based learning of language. It is appropriate for all levels of language learners, though some steps may require scaffolding in the L1 for less proficient learners. Ideally, this activity would be repeated throughout a course of study.
Objectives: Students will be able to:
- Collect evidence of a targeted language function in a target language community
- Analyze evidence to understand a particular language function
- Practice the language function
Modes: Any (Depending on the language function at hand)
Materials: A tool (e.g., journal, digital file repository, or field notebook) for documenting observations
Procedure:
- Before teaching, establish an evidence collection repository for learners in which they can document their observations of target language functions with words, images, and any other media as appropriate. Ideally, they will choose their own tool(s) for documentation, but some educators may find it more appropriate for their classroom contexts to require a specific tool such as a composition notebook or a Google Drive folder.
- Provide explicit instructions to students in which you explain that their goal will be to gather evidence related to a target language function in a specific community, analyze that function, and then practice it. If appropriate for your context, explain that this process will be repeated throughout the school year.
- Identify the first language function that students will observe and/or the targeted community in which they will observe it. The language function might be greetings, leave takings, storytelling, or anything else that fits within your classroom curriculum. The targeted community could be a local community within a specific context, like restaurants where the target language is spoken, or an online community like a social media platform or gaming community in which the target language is used.
- Model evidence collection of a targeted language function for the class by searching online sources like YouTube videos, massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs), or simulating observation techniques in a local community and documenting what is observed with screen shots, videos, images, and notes regarding observations.
- Allow learners to conduct and document their own observations. This might require internet search time, gameplay, and/or a field trip to a local community.
- Model evidence analysis for learners by highlighting distinct analytical approaches. These might involve thinking routines (http://www.visiblethinkingpz.org/VisibleThinking_html_files/03_ThinkingRoutines/03c_CoreRoutines.html), comparative analysis techniques (like Venn Diagrams), or even color coding transcripts to find and highlight language patterns.
- Allow learners to practice evidence analysis with the artifacts they have collected. Use this time to have learners get into groups and analyze together and give one another feedback on their conclusions regarding the target language function in the target community.
- Model practice with learners. Engage in the target language yourself and document that engagement with recordings, photos, or screen shots.
- Help learners practice and document their engagement as well. This step might involve a field trip to the local community or could involve engagement in an online community or in a community via video conferencing or other communication platform.
- Protect time for reflection in which learners consider their ability to understand and engage in the target language function and set goals either further refinement and exploration or for acquiring additional language functions.
Notes:
- As this activity highlights, it is necessary to model the evidence collection, analysis, and practice of the language function practice for learners. As such, most teachers will likely want to specify both the language function and community/context in which the language is used. After modeling, however, it is recommended that learners be granted as much autonomy as is possible and allowable within the curriculum. For example, while learners may absolutely have to study how to describe one’s self and cannot choose the targeted function in that case, their choice of community and context could lead to an incredible depth of understanding for the class as a whole provided that individual learners explore the function in a breadth of contexts/communities (describing one’s self is very different in a social media profile than it is when someone meets a classmate for the first time, for example).
- As learners continue their explorations, remind them to engage in language functions in a variety of modes.
- Allow learners to explore the targeted language functions in the communities that they find most salient. Such autonomy will likely increase the relevance of language learning and promote retention in language coursework.
Source: CASLS Activity of the Week
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