[Note: I would post this card as a bilingual visual on Padlet and share it with families using ClassDojo, TalkingPoints, or Wakelet.]

Content Objective: Students will compare the experiences and traits of two Cinderella characters.

Language Objective: Students will use the sentence starter, “Both characters______, but_______.” 

Beginning multilingual learners could sort pictures into the Venn diagram. Developing learners could complete sentence starters. More advanced learners could write complete comparison sentences with evidence.

TESOL/WIDA Alignment: TESOL Standards 1, 3, and 4. WIDA Can-Do Key Uses: Explain and Discuss. 

4. Community Outreach and Engagement: To connect families, I would use Google Classroom to post a weekly family update with vocabulary words, read-aloud links, and short home discussion questions. For example, families could ask their child, “Who do you admire and why?” and “Why do you admire this character?” Students could first discuss their answer in their home language with their parents and then practice sharing it in English at home or when they come back to the classroom.

5. Critical Evaluation: A major strength of Google Classroom is that it keeps learning materials organized and easy to revisit. The platform is simple for families and students to navigate, allowing them to view videos and easily submit student work. However, the platform also has limitations. Not every family has reliable internet access, a dedicated device, or familiarity with Google accounts. Additionally, automated parent summaries cannot replace direct communication with families. To bridge these gaps, teachers should provide printed alternatives and translated support when needed. 

6. Reflective Commentary:  I selected Google Classroom because it is widely used across New York City schools, including my own. Since my classroom already has access to this platform, implementing it would be easier for my students, their families, and myself. My students have the necessary internet access and active accounts. To support implementation, I conducted a workshop to help parents log in and assist their children with assignments. I also chose this platform because it creates a single, consistent location for families to access learning materials. It connects to my TESOL philosophy because it supports organization, home-school communication, and differentiated instruction. For beginning learners, I would use visuals and audio. For immediate learners, I would use sentence frames and short written responses. For advanced learners, I would include independent writing, peer feedback, and discussion prompts.

 Families could talk with students about someone they admire at home. Students could return to class and share their idea during partner talk or class discussion.

TESOL/WIDA alignment: TESOL Standards 2, 3, and 5. WIDA Can-Do Key Uses: Recount and Discuss.

4. Community Outreach and Engagement: ClassDojo can be used to share classroom photos, family surveys, send reminders about literacy events, and publish bilingual newsletters. For instance, I can post pictures and videos from our Cinderella-themed party. By sharing details about the event beforehand, families can help their children dress up as their favorite characters, allowing them to connect with the classroom and stay informed about their child's learning. Additionally, I can share QR codes for family reading activities or invite families to message me about a folktale from their culture. This approach transforms families into active educational partners rather than passive recipients of information. 

5. Critical Evaluation: ClassDojo makes communication faster and more welcoming for families by allowing teachers to post announcements at any time, which parents can then comment on and react to. To support diverse communities, teachers can schedule posts, add links or videos, and provide translated versions of announcements to ensure all parents can easily understand the updates. For critical announcements, the platform tracks who has viewed the post, enabling teachers to personally reach out to families who may have missed it. Additionally, parents can send direct messages and share pictures, while teachers can utilize the points system to share positive behavior updates. However, teachers should avoid using the platform solely for behavior tracking, as expectations can vary across cultures. Finally, to protect student privacy, educators must secure school approval and parental consent before sharing any photos or videos online. 

6. Reflective Commentary: I selected ClassDojo because strong relationships with families are important for multilingual learners. It is also user-friendly, and the majority of parents know how to use this platform, and they prefer this to communicate with teachers. For beginning learners. I would send visual messages and short translated directions. For developing learners, I would share home conversation questions. For advanced learners, I would invite students to help create a short class update or explain a project to families.

 TESOL/WIDA Alignment: TESOL Standards 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. WIDA Can-Do Key Uses: Recount, Explain, Argue, and Discuss.

4. Community Outreach and Engagement: I would share the Padlet link or QR code with families and invite them to add a photo, short message about a story from their culture, or folktale. This would connect home literacies to classroom learning and show students that their cultures are valued.

5. Critical Evaluation: Padlet is a very engaging platform because the students have many options to organize their work. They can read, share, and make comments on other people's responses. Students can also show their understanding through pictures, audio, video, and writing. However, teachers need to teach digital citizenship, monitor posts, and protect student privacy. Some families may not have access to devices or internet, so paper or oral alternatives should also be available.

6. Reflective Commentary: I selected Padlet because it supports student voice and cultural sharing. It also works well as the platform for this portfolio because it is visual, organized, and interactive. I would adapt Padlet by allowing beginning learners to post images and recorded responses, while students with stronger English skills could write detailed explanations and give peer feedback.

1. Description and Functionality: Raz-Kids is a digital reading platform that provides leveled eBooks, student progress reports, listening options, and comprehension quizzes. Through this platform, students can listen to books, practice reading at school or at home, and read independently. Teachers can assign specific texts and closely monitor progress. Specifically, the website tracks student reading speed, word count, and accuracy metrics. Based on this performance data, the platform automatically advances students to the next reading level. 

2. Instructional Integration: Raz-Kids supports reading and listening most strongly. It can also support speaking and writing when students discuss a book or write a response after reading. For multilingual learners, the audio option can help students hear fluent reading, connect spoken and written words, and build vocabulary. The platform can support differentiation because teachers can assign books based on students' reading needs.

3. Curriculum Alignment: I would assign a book connected to folktales, kindness, or cultural traditions.

 Content objective: Students will identify a character trait using details from a text.

Language objectives: Students will explain, “The character is____because____.”

Students could listen to the book first, reread it independently, and then record or write a response. I would use their reading activity and comprehension responses to determine who needs more vocabulary support or a small-group lesson.

 TESOL/WIDA alignment: TESOL Standards 1, 3, and 4. WIDA Can-Do Key Uses: Recount and Explain.

4. Community Outreach and Engagement: I would send families a simple bilingual guide explaining how students can log in and listen to books at home. Families could ask students to retell one part of the book in their home language or English. This would encourage reading practice without requiring families to teach the lesson themselves.

5. Critical Evaluation: Raz-Kids provides repeated reading practice, audio support, and useful progress information. However, reading levels should not limit multilingual learners’ access to grade-level conversations or texts. Teachers should use Raz-Kids for independent practice while still including students in grade-level read alouds, discussions, and writing activities.

6. Reflective Commentary: I selected Raz-Kids because I have used it before and have seen how it can support reading confidence. For beginning learners, I would start with listening and picture-supported books. For developing learners, I would add simple oral or written responses. For advanced learners, I would ask students to compare books, explain character traits, and write evidence-based responses. Students find the platform highly engaging, which is especially beneficial for beginning language learners. Ultimately, Raz-Kids serves as an excellent, versatile tool for both classroom instruction and independent practice at home.

Content objective: Students will identify evidence that shows a character trait.

Language objective: Students will say, “I know____is _____because______.”

Students who need support could work in a small group with picture cards, trait charts, and sentence frames before completing the opinion writing task and oral rehearsal.

 TESOL/WIDA Alignment: TESOL standards 1, 3, and 4. WIDA Can-Do Key Uses: Explain and Argue.

4. Community Outreach and Engagement: I would use strengths-based language when discussing i-Ready data with families. Instead of only sharing a score, I would explain one skill the student is working on and one activity families can do at home, such as reading together, retelling a story, or practicing vocabulary.

5. Critical Evaluation: i-Ready can help teachers make data-informed decisions and plan targeted instruction. However, one assessment score does not show everything a multilingual learner knows or can do. Teachers should avoid using data to lower expectations or place students into fixed groups. Data should guide support, not define the student.

6. Reflective Commentary: I selected i-Ready because it can help teachers notice learning patterns and adjust instruction. For beginning learners, I would rely more on observation, visuals, and oral responses. For developing learners, I would use data to plan vocabulary and combination groups. For advanced learners, I would use the results to provide enrichment while maintaining grade-level expectations.

 Content objective: Students will identify traits and evidence from a Cinderella story.

Language objective: Students will explain their answer using, “I chose____because_____.” 

Before answering each question, students would have 20-30 seconds to discuss with a partner. This would make Kahoot! a language-learning activity instead of only a fast -paced game.

 TESOL/WIDA Alignment: TESOL Standards 1, 3, and 4. WIDA Can-Do Key Uses: Discuss and Explain.

4. Community Outreach and Engagement: During a family literacy event, I would invite families to join a short Kahoot! activity about story vocabulary or reading strategies. Families could see the types of questions students are practicing and learn simple ways to support language development at home. I have used this platform before in my class to engage families during a family night event, and parents really enjoyed it.

5. Critical Evaluation: Kahoot! can increase engagement and quickly show misunderstandings. However, competition and speed can make some multilingual learners feel pressured. I would use team mode, include visuals, read questions aloud, give wait time, and focus on discussion rather than public rankings.

6. Reflective Commentary: I selected Kahoot! because it is engaging, and students really enjoyed it. It also makes practice more interactive and enjoyable. For beginning learners, I would use pictures, fewer answer choices, and partner support. For developing learners, I would add sentence frames. For advanced learners, I would ask students to create their own questions or explain why an answer is correct.

 Content Objective: Students will identify admirable traits in a character.

 Language Objective: Students will state an opinion using, “I admire____ because____.” I would ask families to discuss the question in any language: “Who do you admire and why?” “Why do you admire this character?” Students could bring their ideas back to class for speaking and writing activity.

 TESOL/WIDA Alignment: TESOL Standards 2, 3, and 5.  WIDA Can-Do Key Uses: Recount and Discuss.

4. Community Outreach and Engagement: TalkingPoints could be used for bilingual newsletters, literacy-night invitations, family workshops, surveys, and reminders. I would use it to ask families what languages they use at home and what types of learning resources would be most helpful.

5. Critical Evaluation: TalkingPoints can reduce language barriers and make family communication more equitable. However, translated messages may not always capture complicated meanings perfectly. Teachers should write clearly, avoid idioms, use professional interpreters for high-stakes conversations, and protect family privacy. Teachers must always ensure that their translated messages convey the exact intended meaning. Automated translation tools can sometimes alter intent, create awkward phrasing, or entirely mistranslate key information. Therefore, educators should verify the accuracy of translations before sending any communication home to families. 

6. Reflective Commentary: I selected this platform because families should be able to communicate with schools in their home language. For beginning learners. I would send visual and audio-supported family activities. For developing learners. I would share simple discussion prompts. For advanced learners, I would invite students to help create a bilingual message or video explaining a class project.

Content Objective: Students will compare the adventures and experiences of two Cinderella characters.

Language objective: Students will use,  “Both characters______, but________.”

Students would complete a visual Venn diagram, respond to a poll about admirable traits, and post an idea on a collaborative board. I would use their responses to decide whether students need more modeling, vocabulary support, or partner practice before writing.

TESOL/WIDA Alignment: TESOL Standards 1, 3, and 4. WIDA Can-Do Key Uses: Discuss, Explain, and Argue.

4. Community Outreach and Engagement: Nearpod could be used during a family literacy workshop. Families could experience a short interactive lesson, learn the vocabulary students are practicing, and see how visuals and sentence frames support multilingual learners.

5. Critical Evaluation: Nearpod makes lessons interactive and gives teachers immediate feedback. However, it requires devices, internet access, and preparation time. Technology should not become only clicking answers. Teachers need to include conversation, writing feedback, and meaningful language practice.

6. Reflective Commentary: I selected Nearpod because it allows teachers to see student understanding during the lesson and adjust support immediately. For beginning learners, I would use pictures, audio, drawing, and partner talk. For developing learners, I would add sentence frames and word banks. For advanced learners, I would require written explanations, evidence, and peer discussion.

2. Curriculum Associates. (n.d.). i-Ready learning. https://www.curriculumassociates.com/programs/i-ready-learning

3. Google for Education. (n.d.). Google Classroom. https://edu.google.com/workspace-for-education/products/classroom/

4. Great Minds PBC. (2023). Wit & Wisdom: Cinderella Stories (Grade 1, Module 4, Teacher ed.).

5. Kahoot! ASA. (n.d.). Kahoot!. https://kahoot.com/

6. Learning A-Z. (n.d.). Raz-Kids. https://www.learninga-z.com/site/products/raz-kids/overview

7. Nearpod. (n.d.). Nearpod. https://nearpod.com/

8. Padlet. (n.d.). Padlet. https://padlet.com/

9. TalkingPoints. (n.d.). TalkingPoints. https://talkingpts.org/

10. Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages International Association. (2018). Standards for initial TESOL Pre-K–12 teacher preparation programs. https://www.tesol.org/media/v33fewo0/2018-tesol-teacher-prep-standards-final.pdf

11. Wakelet. (n.d.). Wakelet: The all-in-one content platform. https://wakelet.com/

12. WIDA. (2020). WIDA English language development standards framework, 2020 edition: Kindergarten–grade 12. Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. https://wida.wisc.edu/sites/default/files/resource/WIDA-ELD-Standards-Framework-2020.pdf