English Language Learners in the TecheBrarian Classroom

Today we're exploring teaching English Language Learners. Next year, I will be teaching a full load of information communication technology classes. For most of the classes we'll do a quick project using Thinglinks, as a way for students to introduce themselves to each other in the beginning of the school year. The assignment has several components. First students must identify at least 4 events they'd like to share with the class. Then they must write up brief annotations about each event. Next they must find images (preferably their own original work) that represent the images. They must then begin the work of creating their Thinglinks. First, they must upload a background image, and attach tags for each of the four events. Each event will  then have an image and their annotation attached to it.  In today's post I will explore ways that I can work with English Language Learners to enable them to accomplish this task, and improve their English.

Meet my students. Francis is n the early production stage of English language acquisition. He hardly speaks in class and when he does, he is only able to use the most basic English words and phrases. Lydia is in the Speech Emergent stage of English language acquisition. She has some experience with English, and is can hold her own, able to speak in sentences as long as the context is familiar. When the conversation takes an unexpected turn, she finds it a bit difficult to follow.

English Language Learners in the IT Classroon by Kim Piot

Xinrui is from China, and her primary language is Chinese. However she has lived in other countries and attended American schools in each case,  and she comes to us from Tunisia. Her experiences put her in the Beginning Fluency stage of English language acquisition. She is able to hold her own in social situations, and academically as well, but struggles with subject specific language and has gaps in her vocabulary that can make it hard for her to express herself at times.

Finally David is from Cote d'Ivoire, so his primary language is French. However he has lived in other countries, and attended American schools in each case, and he has spent time in the United States with his family. So although he is new to our school, he is fairly comfortable with the English language and is able to express his ideas and offer opinions in English.

All four students are in a class of 18 others. I'll begin with an open question to the class about an event that was important to them during the break. I'll share something that I enjoyed as a model. After a few comments have been shared, we'll open a discussion about ways we can share our experiences, accessing prior knowledge about scrap books, video, photo albums, and such. Once they are thinking about ways to share, I'll show them a sample Thinglink that highlights some adventures I had this summer. During this initial presentation, I will list key words on the board for those who are learning language, such as event names, feeling words, etc.  I will explain that each of them will be making a similar Thinglink for themselves. On the board and on a handout they will have complete instructions. 

However for Francis, we will adjust the assignment - he will need to identify 4 events with simple one word names for the events, and he can find images from home. He and Lydia will have a worksheets with fill in the blank statements and important vocabulary listed, that they can use to build their annotations.  Lydia will have a similar accommodation, but will be helped to write more complete sentences about her activities. Xinrui will be asked to explain her activities in more detail, using specific terminology related to her activities, while David will be asked to include opinions about his experiences.

 

The class will then break into small groups to discuss their summer activities and identify the four activities they would like to focus on. Francis will be paired with David and another English speaking student. David will be able to help Francis with some translation, while our English speaker can record each of their comments.  Lydia and Xinrui will be teamed with another English speaking student. The English speaking students will record their comments so that they can refer back to them as they work on their annotations. For homework, each student will have the four items they would like to write about in mind and the text provided from the worksheets and from the student summaries. They are to return with images and annotations for each, that meet their specific requirements.

The next class meeting will focus on working with the Thinglink technology. In this case We will watch a video, which will be made available to the students to watch again and again. I will model the process, highlighting on the board, the key terms related to the accomplishing each step in the task: Upload, Save, Tag, Edit, Create, Annotation, etc.  I will provide a slideshow with step by step screen shots of the process, once again highlighting the "survival" language needed to get the job done. Once we've reviewed the steps and the process, students may begin the work. 

Special Education Referral Process : What's it All About?

The Special Education Referral Process represents a critical interaction in a child’s life. From this point forward, the referred child may find the doors to understanding and opportunity opening to him or her. As an educator, I was curious to learn more about this process, so I interviewed several friends and colleagues about their experiences with the referral process.

I interviewed an assortment of teachers and special education professionals. Although I started with a set series of questions for each group (as listed below) the discussions sometimes took on an enthusiastic turn, and I ended up learning much more from their candid responses than I had imagined to ask. Following are their full responses when written, and the segments for the videotaped interview are identified. The link to the video will be provided here in as well.

The interviews were conducted by a variety of methods. Three were conducted via email, one was done via a Google Survey, and one was a videotaped interview. I am reporting on two special education professionals and two teachers.

SPECIAL EDUCATION  PROFESSIONALS

I am reporting on two of the individuals. Martha is a School Psychologist at a high tech high school in New Jersey. Charlotte is the Lower School Elementary student counselor at an international school in Cote d’Ivoire.  The following are the questions that were asked in the interview.

• How is a student identified for special education referral?
• Who takes responsibility for the progress of the child before and after the referral?
• What is the school administration's directive for special education?
• What provisions are made for students identified for special education?
• What is the level of parent involvement in referral process and special education?

TEACHERS WHO HAVE REFERRED STUDENTS

I am reporting on two of the individuals who responded. Meg is an Upper School High School Language Arts teacher and Janay is the Lower School Fourth Grade Elementary School Teacher. They both are currently working at the international Community School in Cote d’Ivoire, but have also had extensive experience working in the United States and other countries.

The following are the questions that were asked in the interview - 3 prescribed and one additional question that arose from the discussion at the time. .

• How do you identify a student for special education?
• What are the signs of a struggling student?
•      
  Are there alternate methods of instruction tried out before referring the student for special education? If yes, what are they?
• In your opinion, how would you compare US and international special ed programs?

There are common features to any Special Education Referral Process. It begins when there are indications that students are having difficulty with school work, often in terms of writing or comprehension, but also behavioral concerns. The referral can begin with a teacher or a parent, but it seems more often to begin with the teachers. Once the referral is made, a number of things begin to happen. There are efforts at relatively small scale efforts to differentiate, interventions from seat changes and such, to more involved interventions with specialists of all kinds - reading and math specialists, counselors, school psychologists. The entire school and parental community come together to share their experiences and expertise in order to try to identify where the cracks are that are preventing the child from succeeding. As time passes, the child’s progress and the teachers’ involvement are evaluated and re-evaluated until, in the best of scenarios, there is no longer a need for this support.

However, there is much more to this process than at first meets the eye. In the extended interview,many interesting observations were made, regarding the part that socioeconomic status has to play. In lower income areas, where the environmental stresses a child may be dealing with are high, the observed behaviors may be more a reflection of the child’s environment than actual ability. But in higher socioeconomic areas,children may actually have true disabilities, but they are more quickly masked or addressed outside the school system, through drugs such as Ritalin or other interventions from which they may benefit because their parents can afford to get them outside help. When it comes down to these issues of environment and socioeconomic status, it becomes quite complicated - because no matter how much money is thrown at a problem, it can’t fix the factors outside of school which have the greatest impact on their potential for success.