Epic is a resource that the parent, student, or educator can access. It provides eBooks for students that can be tailored to their language, reading level, or content area.  Use it as a way to improve literacy in and out of the classroom.

2) Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino:  

https://latino.si.edu/learn/teaching-and-learning-resources/bilingual-materials 

This resource provides activities, vocabulary, and learning experiences for the classroom that connect to the Latino culture. Activities can also be found in both English and Spanish and provides guides to help educators navigate the experience.  Use it as a way to build lessons and activities that incorporate the Latino culture.

3) Multilingual Learning Toolkit: 

https://www.multilinguallearningtoolkit.org/strategies-resources/bilingual-classrooms/ 

The multilingual toolkit offers lesson plans, resources, and strategies to help educators navigate a multilingual setting. Strategies are very assessable as they are separated by grade level. Use it when you need new ideas and strategies for working in a multilingual setting.

4) Nearpod: 

https://nearpod.com/t/market/init/ 

Nearpod is a learning library that allows educators to access lesson plans and videos based on grade level and content. The activities provided with this resource teach students about different cultures, holidays, traditions, and inclusion. Use this as a guide when teaching about different cultures.

5) Language Lizard: 

https://blog.languagelizard.com/2018/08/06/preparing-your-classroom-for-bilingual-students/ 

Language Lizard is a support tool for educators that helps guide them in preparing a classroom with bilingual students. It helps to ensure that the educator has prepared an inclusive environment, knows how and where to go for support, and helps educators communicate with parents. It also provides resources for lesson plans and books in the student’s home language.  Use this website as a guide to creating inclusivity in the classroom.

6) Raz-Kids 

https://www.raz-kids.com/ 

Raz-Kids is an interactive program that provides eBooks based on reading levels and has both English and Spanish content. It also provides quizzes to test comprehension and reports so educators can track progress. Use this resource as a way to assess students and build literacy skills.

7) NYU/Steinhardt: 

https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/metrocenter/language-rbern/resources/bilingual-glossaries-and-cognates 

This resource provides a glossary and cognates that educators, families, and students can use to make connections to vocabulary. There are multiple different languages accessible through this resource. Use this resource to build language skills by making connections to the student's home language.

8) Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab: 

https://www.esl-lab.com/ 

The listening lab allows the student to build listening skills. Both the speed and level of proficiency of the activity can be adjusted. The student can also listen to the voices of children, teenagers, or adults. Educators can then assess the student’s skills by having them complete the quizzes. Use this resource to help students build listening skills.

9) TalkingPoints: 

https://talkingpts.org/ 

This technology tool was created to provide translation in real time for parents and educators. While it was created to improve communication between families and educators, it seems like it would be a valuable resource in the classroom as well. Use this when a student needs communication translated in real-time.

10) Read&Write for Chrome: 

https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/readwrite-for-google-chro/inoeonmfapjbbkmdafoankkfajkcphgd?hl=en-US 

This resource is an extension of Google Chrome. It helps improve instruction by making learning accessible for ELLs. It offers text-to-speech, voice text, summarized text, and picture dictionaries. Use this tool to help communicate.

• Bruner's Interaction Theory

  • Allow students to interact and collaborate regularly. While they can acquire a new language, they need opportunities that allow them to interact with one another to build language fluency.

• Krashen's Theory

  • Krashen believed that a student has to make a conscious effort to learn. Allow students to make choices in instruction, represent their culture, and find ways to engage them. This will help them make a conscious effort to learn.

• Skinner's Behaviorist Theory

  • Skinner believed that an educator could get the response they want from a student by the way they respond to a student's behavior. Demonstrating what the expectations are and then reinforcing the student's response.

Using language acquisition theories to write a personal teaching philosophy...

When writing a personal teaching philosophy it is important to consider what is important to you as an educator and what you want your classroom to look like. Consider these theories and decide what is important. It may be demonstrating to students the expectations and rewarding their efforts. It may be making learning fun and engaging so they make a conscious effort to learn or it may be a classroom that allows multiple means for interaction. It could be a mixture of all of these theories. It is important to consider what is valuable to you as an educator and how you will meet the needs of your students.

1) Determine what goals your students need to meet and what support you need to make that happen.

2) Determine how you will indicate success. What does it look like if the goal was achieved? What needs to be done if it wasn't achieved?

3) Make sure your professional learning plan is not a one-size-fits-all. Not all students are the same and this means that students need to be given a choice.

4) Incorporate Social-Emotional Learning. This includes both the teacher and the student. Make learning meaningful and incorporate social-emotional learning throughout instruction.

5) Make a continuous effort in working with your professional learning plan. Once the plan is made it needs to be followed up on regularly, progress needs to be measured, and goals need to be supported. Don't be afraid to re-evaluate your professional learning plan as needed.

Here are some tips to help with self-reflection...

• Set a specific time to complete self-reflection. Determining a specific time will help you stay on track and help you be more intentional.

• Use Journaling and different tools to write down thoughts at the moment. We can often get busy and not be able to capture what we were feeling at that moment if we chose to wait to document our observation.

• Try to take a moment at the end of the day to reflect on what went well and what could be improved upon.

• Collaborate with others to share experiences and get new ideas with the assistance of others.

• Take the time to reflect on who your student is. What makes them respond the way they do, what aspects of their culture do you need to know, and are you representing their culture in the classroom?

Look at this infographic to learn about how to best be a culturally responsive teacher...

https://infograph.venngage.com/pl/vttzlaTwqfI

• Pre-teaching Vocabulary can help an ELL better understand the content if they are already familiar with the vocabulary.

• Giving additional time to complete the assessment can help ELLs who take longer to read and write when they are still developing this skill. This allows them more time to process the information.

• Changing the setting for the student like assessing in a quiet room away from other students can help ELLs focus more when they are working on additional skills that their peers may already possess.

• Providing visual aids can help an ELL better understand the content when they are still developing their reading skills.

• Allowing translation when allowed can help the ELL better understand the content when there is a language barrier but will depend on what is being assessed.

• Using dictionaries/glossaries, etc. when allowed can also help bridge the language gap for students and help them better understand the content.

• Reach out to the Curriculum Instructor or ELL Director to learn about available training opportunities.

  
  

• Follow the Illinois State Board of Education website for upcoming professional development training.

  
  

• Follow organizations like ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) and Elevate that provide conferences and sessions that focus on many topics including working with ELLs.