ESL 443N Discussion Questions
Topic 1 DQ 2 |
What are some of the greatest barriers preventing our schools from meeting the educational goals for ELL students today? Consider efforts that promote and/or suppress dual language or two-way bilingual initiatives and programs. What recommendations are offered in your readings that address those barriers? Who do you see as potential change agents for implementing those recommendations?
Resources
Review the Key Terms, Historical Events, and Strategies & Methods in the “ESL Database.”
URL:http://lc.gcumedia.com/zwebassets/courseMaterialPages/esl5000_eslDatabase.php
Review Arizona’s K-12 Academic Standards: English Language Arts, located on the Arizona Department of Education website.
URL:http://www.azed.gov/standards-practices/k-12standards/english-language-arts-standards/
Read the “How to Read the Standards,” located on the Common Core State Standards Initiative website.
URL:http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/introduction/how-to-read-the-standards
Review the Common Core State Standards for your state (if applicable).
URL:http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards
Review the “English Language Proficiency Standards Guidance Document,” located on the Arizona Department of Education website.
URL:https://cms.azed.gov/home/GetDocumentFile?id=54de1d88aadebe14a87070f0
Familiarize yourself with the English Language Proficiency (ELP) Standards, located on the Arizona Department of Education website.
URL:http://www.azed.gov/oelas/elps/
“Research Summary and Bibliography for Structured English Immersion Program Models,” located on the Arizona Department of Education website.
URL:https://cms.azed.gov/home/GetDocumentFile?id=55257a851130c008a0c55c0b
Read “Writing and Using Content and Language Objectives,” located on the Shoreline Public Schools website.
Read “Understanding the Difference Between BICS And CALP In English Language Acquisition,” by Shulman, located on the EdNews Daily website (2018).
Read “BICS and CALP: Clarifying the Distinction,” by Cummins, located on the ERIC Digest website (1999).
URL:http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED438551.pdf
Read Chapter 50.
Read Chapters 1 and 2.
Topic 2 DQ 1 |
What are some individual and sociocultural factors that may affect ELL students? How might these factors affect their success in meeting learning goals in the classroom setting?
Topic 2 DQ 2 |
What are some of the potential effects of bilingualism and home language use for a student attending classes that are delivered in English? How might these effects differ based on the age of the student?
Resources
Read Chapter 5.
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Read Chapters 24 and 36.
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Read “Encouraging Spanish-Speaking Families’ Involvement Through Dichos,” by Sanchez, Plata, Grosso, and Leird, from the Journal of Latinos & Education (2010).
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Read “Building School Partnerships with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Families,” by Colombo, from Phi Delta Kappan (2006).
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Walking the Walk: Portraits in Leadership for Family Engagement in Urban Schools,” by Auerbach, from the School Community Journal (2009).
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Read “Parent Participation,” located on the Colorín Colorado website.
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View the “Immersion: A Short Fiction Film” video in preparation for the ELL Parent Involvement assignment in this topic.
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View the “ELL Parent Involvement” video in preparation for the ELL Parent Involvement assignment in this topic.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_-aLWOk9Og
Topic 3 DQ 1 |
How is standardized assessment beneficial for ELLs in terms of placement, progress, and exiting ELL programs? How should teachers use this data to plan their instruction?
Topic 3 DQ 2 |
What are some reasons why ELL instructors would differentiate instruction in their classrooms? List and explain at least four reasons.
Resources
Read Chapter 4.
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Read Chapter 25.
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Topic 4 DQ 1 |
After reading Chapter 17 in 50 Strategies for Teaching English Language Learners, choose a curriculum area and a grade level you hope to teach. Using the steps listed in the text regarding the implementation of sorting activities, explain how you would use these sorting activities to teach language.
Topic 4 DQ 2 |
In Sheltered Content Instruction: Teaching English Learners with Diverse Abilities, cognitive, metacognitive, and language learning strategies are reviewed. Choose one strategy from each you would utilize to teach vocabulary. Explain why each strategy would be effective for an English language learner.
Resources
Read Chapter 3.
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Read Chapter 17.
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Read “Perspectives on the ‘Silent Period’ for Emergent Bilinguals in England,” by Bligh and Drury, from Journal of Research in Childhood Education (2015).
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Read “English Language Learning and Leadership: Putting It All Together,” by Lundquist and Hill, from Phi Delta Kappan (2009).
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Read “Promoting Vocabulary Learning for English Learners,” by Wessels, from Reading Teacher (2011).
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Review the professional resources for instructors located on the Teachers First website.
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http://www.teachersfirst.com/content/esl/adaptstrat.cfm
Topic 5 DQ 1 |
If you were teaching a learning strategy to students with intermediate English proficiency, what specific guidelines would be critical for you to consider when planning the lesson?
Topic 5 DQ 2 |
A teacher starts the beginning of the school year with 25 sixth graders, all of whom are proficient in the English language. By the fourth month of school, Josefina joins the classroom. She has just entered the United States and does not speak a word of English. How does this teacher modify her lessons for this student? How does the teacher make Josefina feel comfortable in the established classroom culture? How can the teacher make other students feel comfortable within the classroom?
Resources
Read Chapter 6.
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Read Chapters 34 and 37.
Watch “Teaching Vocabulary using Word Wall,” located on YouTube.
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tEjDdFoB2k
Utilize the resources on the New K-8 Reading Passages to complete the Vocabulary Strategies assignment in this topic.
URL:
http://www.readworks.org/new-passages-fall-2013
Topic 6 DQ 1 |
Provide an example of a project, assignment, or in-class activity that could be used as a means of employing multiple assessments of ELLs. Why are multiple assessments important?
Topic 6 DQ 2 |
How will you implement formative assessment in your classroom to support the Common Core State Standards and the ongoing, formative assessment of ELL students?
Resources
Read Chapter 21 and review Chapter 25.
Read “Principles and Practices of Sociocultural Assessment: Foundations for Effective Strategies for Linguistically Diverse Classrooms,” by Smith, Teemant, and Pinnegar, from Multicultural Perspectives (2004).
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Read “Using Informal Assessments for English Language Learners,” located on the Colorin Colorado website.
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http://www.colorincolorado.org/educators/assessment/informal/
Topic 7 DQ 1 |
Identify two examples of instructional differentiation for students with emerging, expanding, or advanced English skills. How can differentiation promote individual student success?
Topic 7 DQ 2 |
What can a teacher do if the textbook is not comprehensible to the students in his or her classroom? List and describe at least two strategies.
Resources
Read Chapter 7.
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Read “What Does Research Say about Effective Practices for English Learners?: Introduction and Part I: Oral Language Proficiency” by Coleman and Goldenberg from Kappa Delta Pi Record (2010).
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Read “What Does Research Say about Effective Practices for English Learners?: Introduction and Part I: Oral Language Proficiency” by Coleman and Goldenberg from Kappa Delta Pi Record (2010).
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Read “What Does Research Say about Effective Practices for English Learners?: Part III: Promoting Literacy Development” by Coleman and Goldenberg from Kappa Delta Pi Record (2010).
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Review the resources in “SIOP Lesson Plans and Activities,” from the Center for Applied Linguistics as a reference for the creation of SIOP lesson plans.
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http://www.cal.org/siop/lesson-plans/index.html
Topic 8 DQ 1 |
From your required reading, regarding the steps and factors to consider for self-assessment and goal setting within the professional learning community, identify three factors that you would like to refine and describe how you would accomplish this.
Topic 8 DQ 2 |
From your readings or observations, provide an example of an SEI strategy used for academic vocabulary development within a content area. Why is this strategy particularly effective?
Resources
Read Chapter 8.
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Read “Building English Language Learners’ Academic Vocabulary: Strategies and Tips,” by Sibold, from Multicultural Education (2011).
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