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Teaching meaningful lessons invite the contribution of students into the construction of learning. Students are engage when their work is relevant to them, making it also adaptable to future students.

Creative writing is significant for ELL students because it is adaptable. This includes published works like editorials, articles, stories, student-made exhibits, dioramas, student markets, advertisements, etc.

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Students who are engaged have five goals in mind: SCORE. Success, Curiosity, Originality, Relationships, Energy.

Success: A student's success should be attainable with support and clearly identifiable. Success should be acknowledged and celebrated by teachers.

Curiosity: Meaningful teaching fosters the skills that empower curiosity, not encourage memorization and rote learning.

Originality: Students who adapt assignments to their personal subjectivity strive to produce original work. Teachers can provide options for originality.

Relationships: Students who are engaged use peer relationships as a base for collaboration and problem solving. Teachers can support positive peer relationships through project work.

Energy: Meaningful teaching charges students with positive energy. Students respond positively when they feel valued and included.

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Literacy engagement is, "a primary determinant of literacy achievement both for English learners and underachieving students generally."

However: Textbooks are not the best tool to foster engagement, therefore teachers need to supplement textbooks with other genres, choices, text variety in length, skill-level, eras of construction, with skills that assist students in comprehension of the texts.

Teachers can use thematic units with big ideas that tie various texts together to engage students. Teachers can also facilitate hands on activities, real-world interactions, providing opportunities for student choice, and providing scaffolding for different reading strategies.

Finally, extensive research shows that student specific learning goals are more effective than performance goals.

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Effectively Incorporating Technology with English Learners

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Effectively Incorporating Technology with English Learners

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Consider the instructional purpose.
Consider principles:

Does it fill in gaps in background knowledge, or help students link to prior knowledge and experiences?

Does it contain language scaffolds such as pictures or video that will help lower the linguistic demand while helping students to learn and understand important, grade-level content knowledge and skills?

Is it helpful in differentiating instruction based on students' language proficiency level?

https://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/effectively-incorporating-technology-with-english-learners/education

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As the school year comes to a close for students across the United States, some districts are planning and purchasing technology to incorporate into instruction. Purchases may include new devices for teachers such as interactive whiteboards, tablets or computers, as well as devices for students such as computer carts, tablets or other devices.

These additions range from one to several devices per classroom, to implementing a one-device-per-student ratio. Other districts are implementing a "bring your own device" (BYOD) program where students may bring their own electronic devices to use during instruction.

In each of these scenarios, there are certain considerations districts, schools and teachers should take into account when implementing technology and the multitude of educational websites and apps that are available today.

Instructional purpose

Perhaps the first consideration is the instructional purpose of the lesson, and how the technology will enhance that purpose or help students to achieve the goals and objectives of the lesson. Of course, technology can be used for a variety of purposes, including building background knowledge or activating prior knowledge, introducing, reinforcing, practicing or extending knowledge and skills, and engaging students with a tool they find interesting and useful.

When incorporating technology, teachers should consider carefully how the use of the technology will enhance the lesson and lead students to meeting the goals and objectives listed. Just as a worksheet can be used to help students practice specific skills in a lesson, or can be a task that has little relation to the lesson and is essentially "busy work," so too can technology be used to enhance a lesson or be a distraction that draws students away from the lesson's purpose.

If not carefully implemented, technology has the power to distract students from the instructional purpose. Many teachers have experienced this when asking students to design a PowerPoint presentation, for example. If not carefully structured, students may spend an inordinate amount of time deciding on the background of the slides, the font and the color of the font to be used for the presentation.

While these points can enhance a presentation, students will often fixate on the aesthetic qualities of the presentation rather than the content. In cases like this, the technology may become more of a toy than an instructional tool. When students spend too much time on color choices (with the exception of an art lesson, perhaps), get distracted by unrelated websites, social media or games that do not relate to the topic at hand, precious instructional minutes are lost.

Depending on the devices being used, and the programs or websites being used, another consideration teachers need to make is how the technology will be employed: whole group, in small groups or individually.

Interactive whiteboards are often used in whole-group instruction, and can add an engaging aspect to the lesson, getting students out of their seats as they come up to the board. Whole-group instruction that incorporates individual use of technology such as tablets and laptops can be challenging to manage as teachers need to be sure students are following the lesson and are not distracted by other uses of the technology.

Management may be easier when working with students in small groups, and can be a powerful differentiation tool. In small groups, teachers can help students practice skills they have not yet mastered or delve deeper into a specific topic of interest.

Students can also be assigned to individually use computers or other technology to practice skills, learn about topics and other purposes as part of a center or individual practice time. In any of these cases, the consideration should always be the purpose of the lesson and how we are meeting the students' needs with technology.

Whether we have students working in small groups or individually, another consideration is what the rest of the class is doing. If some students are working independently in a computer program, for example, we must analyze and determine what the other students in the class are doing.

Are the students utilizing the technology missing important instruction, or are the other students also working in small groups or individually? If the students working with the technology are English learners, students with special needs or other potentially marginalized groups, what instruction are they missing when working with the technology? Are they utilizing the technology and the time they have most effectively? These questions should in part drive our use of technology in the classroom.

Technology, as mentioned earlier, has the power to increase student knowledge and skills in various content areas. Yet another consideration that must be taken into account when working with English learners is how the technology is increasing academic language knowledge and skills.

It is critical, then, that teachers take into account not only the content goals and objectives for the lesson, but also the language goals and objectives as well as the linguistic demand of the tasks students will need to accomplish in the classroom.

Principles to consider with English learners

As we review technology tools to implement in a classroom with English learners, we should take into consideration a number of principles that are unique to their needs. Websites and applications (apps) that will be used with these students should be reviewed carefully.

A recent research report from Claude Goldenberg indicates that generally effective practices - such as clear instruction, effective modeling of skills and strategies, active engagement and frequent assessment - benefit all students, including English learners.

However, English learners need additional instructional supports or scaffolds, including providing students with necessary background knowledge that other students may possess, using graphic organizers, pictures/visuals, demonstrations and realia, and providing redundant information and differentiated instruction based on students' language proficiency level.

When researching various technology tools, it is critical that we investigate how the tool addresses these principles. Some sample questions to ask when reviewing websites and apps include:

Does the site help fill in potential gaps in background knowledge, or help students link to prior knowledge and experiences?

Does this app contain language scaffolds such as pictures or video that will help lower the linguistic demand while helping students to learn and understand important, grade-level content knowledge and skills?

Is the site or app helpful in differentiating instruction based on students' language proficiency level?

There are many useful tools that help students learn vocabulary in an engaging way, or share their ideas meaningfully through digital storytelling and other writing activities. Technology can also be used for comprehensibility purposes.

Videos can be a helpful and engaging tool for English learners to develop content knowledge and skills. It can also be used by the whole group to add sketches and drawings or visuals to add a level of concreteness to abstract concepts being taught. Students can also interact with other students through the use of technology resources, in the classroom and around the world.

Technology can also be used to harness the power of students' native languages. Because technology is used all over the world, students have the power to connect with others who speak the same language they do, and are learning the same concepts. Students can share ideas in their native language, view video clips, read native language texts or bilingual books, and more. Several websites and apps offer translation as well.

A word of caution here, though: beware of simply using technology to translate for you. Translation should be used judiciously in the classroom. It can be a useful tool at times, but if teachers or students rely too heavily on it, it partially eliminates the need to listen to directions or participate in activities in English.

The use of technology in the classroom is quickly becoming not only commonplace, but also essential for helping students gain the 21st-century skills they will need to be successful in the future.

English learners, like all students, have a wide variety of experience with using technology. Some may have high levels of expertise and experience using technology from an early age. For others there may be a significant digital divide. Some students may lack experience with technology and its use.

In any case, when implementing technology in the classroom, an important component of instruction is to teach students how to use technology effectively and responsibly. Students may need guidance and instruction on how to use technology appropriately given the task and learning at hand, how to avoid distractions with technology, and how to effectively navigate the digital world.

With a bit of thought and an analytical eye, teachers can build technology into their instruction with English learners in an effective and engaging way.

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MultiBrief: Effectively incorporating technology with English learners

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​As the school year comes to a close for students across the United States, some districts are planning and purchasing technology to incorporate into instruction. Purchases may include new devices for teachers such as interactive whiteboards, tablets or computers, as well as devices for students such as computer carts, tablets or other devices.

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When students read and are exposed to culturally relevant books they read better and more. Fortunately, an increasing number of culturally relevant books are being published.  Teachers are provided with a rubric used to evaluate and choose books that best meet their student's needs.  The rubric can also be used as a guide for a class discussion about a book. Emergent bilinguals benefit from culturally relevant books, which unfortunately not all classrooms have.  Even classrooms with diverse libraries often have few books with characteristics that a culturally relevant book contains, according to the rubric.

Cultural Relevance Rubric

Question 1: Are the characters in the story like you and your family?

Question 2: Have you ever had an experience like one described in this story?

Question 3: Have you ever lived in or visited places like those in the story?

Question 4: Could this story take place this year?

Question 5: How close do you think the main characters are to you in age?

Question 6: Are there main characters in the story who are: boys (for boys) or girls (for girls)?

Question 7: Do the characters talk like you and your family talk?

Question 8: How often do you read stories like these?

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Different people may be in different categories depending on the type of tool. 

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4 Stages of Teacher Confidence to Use Technology

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4 Stages of Teacher Confidence to Use Technology

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It is an acronym.  Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition
The model is used to assist instructors with determining the level of technology integration in the learning environment.

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Tech resources provided in this section were reviewed in the video sponsored by the Ontario Federation of Teachers.  For other webinars from OTF, visit https://www.otffeo.on.ca/en/learning/otf-connects/resources/?level=0&org_presenter=593&org=0&area_of_focus=

The resource above, EduGAINS, provides a bilingual, fully accessible digital space that provides parents, educators, and the public access to the curriculum and learning resources. NOTE: It is an archived website and no longer supported.

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Sites:
WordReference.com insert word, language, and then provides dictionary and multiple meanings for the word.

Rewordify.com takes text that is inserted and it will rewordify or simplify the text.

Lingro.com used to scaffold for students. Put in website, select dictionary, and it will show you the translation.

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Google Translate - great for words and sentences

Speak and Translate - can speak back and forth and translate for you.

Photo Translate - take a picture and choose which language it will translate into.

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Explain Everything - interactive whiteboard.  Can manipulate and share.

Glogster - there is a fee.  Interactive multimedia - images, audio and video.

Book Creator - can import images and create a book.  Can add video and audio.

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Book Creator - Love Learning - Book Creator app

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Teachers love it. Students love it. Book Creator is the simplest, most inclusive way to create content in the classroom.

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Some tools for leveled readers include:
Britannica School
Teaching Kids News
Newsela

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It's time to improve literacy skills during social studies instruction and ensure that readers of all abilities have what they need to access grade-level social studies concepts.

Join us on Thursday, December 7 for a look at scaffolded materials that provide extra literacy support while building key social studies concepts and skills.

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Newsela | Content and assessment platform

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Content Aligned To National & State Standard, Flexible To Support Relevant Curriculum. Find the Perfect Piece Of Content For Lessons. Go beyond the book.

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Google Docs
Google Slides
Google Drive

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International Children's Library - free- http://www.childrenslibrary.org/
Scribjab - writing tool. Can write, create, record, and publish book
Unite for Literacy - can pick story and the language it will be narrated in.

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Library News and Notes

June 2, 2021

Dear Readers,

Great news! I was able to rebuild a simple version of the in-browser book reader which has enabled me to add back all of the ICDL books. The interface is not what it used to be, and we no longer have translations of books (only the original language the book was published in) - but we have all ~4,000 books back. The site is fast and reliable and should be able to stay around for some time to come. Happy reading!

May 5, 2021

Dear Readers,

Good news! Thanks to the UMD Computer Science Department, which has agreed to host a static version of ICDL, we have been able to resuscitate the library a bit, and have brought back 1/4 of the books in PDF form (that we have "download" rights for). We had to create a vastly simpler site without many, many of the features - no search, no translations, etc. But about 1,000 of the books are back, and we will work on bringing back more books and at least some aspects of the original site. Please note that we do not have the right to allow you to redistribute these books further, and they are provided to you only for personal use.

Thank you for so many of your heart-warming and gracious emails which encouraged us to find a way to keep the ICDL alive.

April 19, 2021

Dear Readers,

It has been over 20 years since we launched the International Children's Digital Library. In that time, we have served about 15 million people reading over 1,000,000 hours of children's books. We launched at a time when the concept of reading books online was a bit odd, and almost unheard of for children's books. After all these years, as far we know, we are still the largest collection of freely available complete children's books from around the world. And we did that without ever exposing children to commercial activities or risking their privacy.

But for many years, we have served this mission without any funds. And now all of the founders have moved on to other things in their lives. The servers are very old and dusty and there is no one to maintain them. Our licenses for the books are for use only by the ICDL so while we have considered a number of alternatives, none of them really made sense.

And so now it is time to say goodbye and read with the innumerable other resources in the world. The ICDL has been our labor of love, and we will always remember these books, the volunteers, libraries, publishers, and readers around the world with great fondness.

Keep reading!

- Founders Ben Bederson, Allison Druin, Ann Weeks, Anne Rose and Tim Browne (in memoriam)
Email directors

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ICDL - International Children's Digital Library

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Seesaw - digital portfolio
Bitsboard - create flashcards, can record voice, can turn into game format
Tellagami - create an avatar, can add emotion, can speak and record voice, and avatar will speak
Mathies - (Money, Notepad) - app for understanding math - has virtual math manipulatives.

Others: Padlet, Linoit, Duolingo, Adobe Voice, Read and Write for Google, Google Hangout, Kahoot, Memrise

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Key Topics of Ed Week Video with Larry Ferlazzo and Katy Hull

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Key Topics of Ed Week Video with Larry Ferlazzo and Katy Hull

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Differentiation
Student Motivation
Affirming Error Correction

Guided by Assets, not deficits.

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For all.
Good teaching for ELs is good for all.

Use wait time.
Non-linguistic cues (gestures, pictures, graphic organizers)
Word Walls
Preview-View-Review
Brainpop - animated videos in English and Spanish
Same texts, different levels - Leveled readers
Collaborative learning
Jigsaw
Sentence starters
Writing Frames - expanded sentence starters
Writing Structures

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Consider circumstances and differentiated grading.

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Other differentiation ideas:
Talking slowly

Closed captioned videos

Written and verbal directions for students,

Checking for understanding

Exit ticket

Modeling
Pre-teaching academic vocabulary

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Self-Determination
Autonomy
Cognitive Choice
Competence - 3-5 positives for 1 critical interaction
Relevance - how does it connect to students' goals

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Mistakes as opportunities to learn.
Concept Attainment - Y/N,  Examples and non-examples of grammar rules

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What Works Dubai
French school in Dubai
Instruct in Academic and Social Language
Need to learn English to fit in versus benefits of learning the language.
Students come from French background

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Start with Screening Students
Diagnostic Testing
Grouping of Students
Differentiate Learning

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Modeling
Jigsaw
Visuals
Scaffolding
Charades

Guided Interaction
Differentiated Text
Metacognition and Assessment
Explicit Instruction

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Academic Level
Cultural Level - relating with different people
Use of Literature
Different types of learners/learning styles
Research - find answers independently
Building strong and caring teacher/student relationships and trustworthiness
Developing writing skills - students assess each others' writing
Literary Elements - start to analyze and create
Prepared for SAT and TOEFL and IB Tests

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Monitor progress
Progress can be shown in performance in English

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When learning a new language idioms can be confusing to come across. That is because words still hold a very literal meaning.

Therefore, it is important to address idioms and figurative language explicitly. Teaching idioms can be done in different ways/stages such as whole class discussions, teaching decoding strategies, partner work with stories including idioms, etc.

Idioms are a part of many other languages and it can be very impactful to uses a students first/home language to help leverage understanding of the concept

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There is no one textbook source to address teaching needs.

Guidelines for evaluating:
Evaluate whether the texts are written for readers who do not already speak the target language.
Monitor for proficiency levels.
Look for materials that are engaging and foster creativity.

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"text (i.e., discourse in any form) will be easier to reproduce, understand, and recall, to the extent that it is motivated and structured episodically" (Oller, 1983, p. 12).

The structure of discourse is consistent with our own experiences, which allows the reader to store and recall information more easily. The organization includes logical sequencing, ordinary settings, characters that would be familiar. The dialogue generates curiosity and a desire to continue reading through conflict or unknown outcomes.

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Stephen D. Krashen - Teachers Make a Difference -  Victoria Fromkin and John Oller

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Purpose and Motivation?
Appropriateness?
Format?
Authenticity?
Teacher Resources?

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Changed the way people communicate and learn.  It also increased opportunities for exposing students to intercultural communication.  It also offers multiple modes for learning (language, icons, graphics, videos, music, etc). It makes thinking visible.

Uses:
Drill and Test- discrete-point and focus, less interactive.

Interactive/Constructivist Programs - communication tool
Examples include simulation programs, interfacing programs (can add prerecorded messages), expository planning and writing programs, creative writing programs

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Not directly for language teaching.

Provides practice with inferences, decision-making, interactions

When selecting computer games, consider the following:

Educational Soundness (objectives)

Ease of Use (installation, operation)

Age Appropriateness (audience, age)

Cultural Sensitivity (stereotyping, character traits, language)

Visual Appeal

Cost Effectiveness

Other Considerations:
Computers should be intrinsically motivating, provide opportunities for independence and problem-solving (Canale & Barker, 1986).

Opportunities for students to author original and non-threatening (Amanti, 2001)

Kessler & Plankans (2001) added that it should offer students the opportunity to create instructional materials.

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While this topic is outdated in the book, which was published in 2010, there are some takeaways that still apply.

Suggestions to consider when using word processors:

Best for late beginners and beyond

When gradually introduced with support

Students tend to revise more when using a word processor than writing with paper and pen.

Reference Video 1 for more up-to-date word processing tools, including Google Docs.

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Again, here are some suggestions that stand the test of time.

The importance of evaluating the information and sources

Properly citing work

Cultural misunderstandings of plagiarism

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Cultural video exchange between peers are associated with a positive impact on performance and participation (Gersten & Tlusty, 1998).

The use of videos can be an engaging way to learn about other cultures and language teaching. They can also improve listening skills.

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Building units on a theme can help engage students and incorporate both language and content standards.

The text describes how a teacher was able to use the theme of the future to build a literacy unit. In this unit students read novels, short stories, news papers, and created their own versions as well. Units such as this are not only engaging but also meaningful and purposeful compared to traditional vocabulary and reading of adapted text.