Digital Leadership reflection

As I completed the digital-age leadership proficiencies survey I realized I need to improve on my use and encouragement of technology.  I feel that I get so caught up in the content that I forget how useful the use of technology can be.  I need to be more mindful of the power of technology and how important it is to be a better digital model.

Turn and Talk

First of all I would like to wish you all a Happy New Year!

As we begin the new year, I would like to blog about something near and dear to my heart, TALKING! Anyone who knows me, knows I love to talk. Conversation is something we all do so naturally. I will explore oral language development and the specific strategy of “turn and talk.” I chose this topic after the last set of Elementary Instructional Rounds. I would like to begin by congratulating our elementary schools for their hard work and growth in the area of student verbal discourse. YAY!!! Although progress has been made, every school expressed a desire to continue to move students from one level of verbal discourse to the next, so we know our work continues. To help facilitate this I found a good resource (a website) to help guide teachers and establish procedures for developing oral language (specifically turn and talk) in their students.  The website discusses what it should like and why.  It also details a plan for establishing routines and procedures. The site has videos to help teachers understand the process for developing the turn and talk strategy. 

Here is a brief description:

• Establish expectations (norms)
• Establish a signal for getting students to return to the large group
• Strategically partner students (students should be grouped within one level of each other, ex: high with a medium-high)
• Plan where turn and talk fits into the lesson (like with everything else, planning is key) 
• Conversations need to be productive (students need to have the tools to be successful and engaged- academic vocabulary, background knowledge, and/or sentence stems (if needed))

Please visit the website for the detailed plan and great ideas. (I will also add this link on my digital portfolio)

http://old.newteachercenter.org/collaborative-discussions/turn-and-talk/plan

Remember to add variety to the turn and talk strategy. Some ideas for varying are: changing partners, creating triads or groups of 4, asking students to share what their partner(s) said, or adding to another student’s response. 

We must remember that “language is a child’s most powerful learning tool,” so we should capitalize on this by explicitly teaching our students how to have meaningful conversations, how to reflect/monitor their learning, and how to formulate ideas and share their thinking.  Many of us are conversational learners and make meaning about content and our world through conversation. But students don’t necessarily come to school knowing the intricacies of conversation. It is critical for students to learn what listening and speaking "look like" and "sound like" in order to be able to engage with the content. This type of classroom participation structure fosters oral language development.  It’s important to remember this strategy must be explicitly taught.  Teachers need to model their thinking, questioning, conversations and metacognition for students so they can truly understand the thought and effort that should go into the turn and talk conversations.  Like anything thing else, it’s only as good as the effort put into it.  It may seem tedious at first, but the results will be well worth it!

Good Luck! 

Reflection - Celebrations

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed “teachers” can change the world: indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”
-- original quote by Margaret Mead, Anthropologist, slight “variation” made by Linda Aguillón. J

 

Well it’s difficult to believe 2014 has nearly come to an end.  It seems as though it was just yesterday when I wrote my first blog.  As we wrap up the year I’d like to take a moment to reflect on the past few months.  I would like to begin by celebrating the great things we’ve done in our district this school year. 

I will begin with a piece near and dear to my heart, Esperanza!  Esperanza is definitely off and running in a great direction.  Our dual language teachers and students have embraced the program.  I can honestly say I’m already seeing the results of all of their hard work and effort. It is my hope that we will continue to implement the program with fidelity and provide a solid Spanish foundation for our dual language students.        

Next celebration is the success (thus far) of our Instructional Rounds.  In the beginning, I could sense the tension when the conversations about rounds began to swirl around the district.  The first set of rounds definitely created great topics for conversation and a plethora of questions for teachers.  But our administrators and teachers embraced the data and faced the challenges presented to them with a positive attitude, determination, and great leadership.  I can honestly say I was amazed at the professionalism and eagerness of our teachers and administrators in the district to embrace change.  Each campus took the data and ran with it.  The results have been beyond expectations.  As a coach, I have seen an increase in the level of questions and the amount/level of student verbal discourse in elementary classrooms across the district.  I feel as though the Instructional rounds caused paradigm shifts in thinking and instruction in a very non-threatening manner.  I have been very proud and excited to be part of the rounds process.  The rounds have not only changed instruction and practices, but they have caused a change in thinking and have encouraged reflection amongst us all. 

As we wrap up the year, I feel privileged to part of the great things going on in our district.  I hope you will take a moment during your time off to reflect and celebrate YOU!  There are many great things going on in our district and you are part of that. 

I want to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

See you in 2015!

 Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.
-- William Butler Yeats

Helping our ELLs find success in what they know…

Helping our ELLs find success in what they know…

First of all, I would like to begin with a “Thanksgiving.” During this time of giving “thanks,” I would like to give a huge “Thank you” to our Dual Language Kinder, First, and Second grade teachers for all your support, enthusiasm and hard work with Esperanza. I am so thankful to you for your hard with launching Esperanza. It is off and running thanks successfully to you… YAY you!

With that said, I would like to share some useful information with all of you. We have such a large population of ELL (English Language Learners) in our district, and it’s time to capitalize on what they know. With that in mind, here are a few tools to help you “use” your students’ first language knowledge to help make the transition to English. One of the things many of our students struggle with is vocabulary; so, remember to use their first language (if it’s Spanish) as a springboard when you can. Spanish is a Latin-based language, and much of our academic language is also Latin based. The use of cognates to help students make connections between languages would be advantageous for all parties involved. Here is a website of cognates that are categorized by subject. http://spanishcognates.org/cognate-subject?page=1&tid=27

 For those of you that aren’t bilingual, as you plan, look at your academic vocabulary and find cognates you can draw attention to in class. This would be a great way to engage students and to “piggyback” on what they already know.

Another resource I will share with you is a list of Spanish prefixes and suffixes and their English correlations. The list of prefixes and suffixes lists the prefix and suffix and their meaning. Defining the prefix and suffix helps students understand the word meaning and how the prefix or suffix changes the word. I strongly encourage you to create an anchor chart as you encounter prefixes and suffixes in context. (Esperanza teachers should create a “growing” anchor chart of prefixes and suffixes as they are introduced in the lessons). 

(I will also be uploading these charts to my digital portfolio under the Teaching, Learning and Assessments Tabs)

These are just a couple of resources to help our ELLs acquire a second language. Remember, always start with what students know to help “grow” our students. Our Spanish speaking students have lots of language; we just need to find means by which to capitalize on what they know. We have to explicitly teach them to use their first language in an effort to build their second language. Spanish speaking students are truly at an advantage; we just need to help them understand how to transfer what they know.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

 

Academic discourse

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/sammamish-6-academic-discourse-PBL-danielle-lynch

I read the above article on academic discourse.  As I read the article, I thought about the many conversations I've had with teachers about student retention and how their learning seems to dissipate from year to year...even month to month..., or day to day... and I was also reminded of the student discourse component of our problem of practice for instructional rounds. 

I feel that this article offered a few key pieces that may help us with these two issues.  

The article defines academic discourse as "encompassing the idea of dialogue, the language used, and a format that facilitates a high level of communication in the classroom."  It also states "the discourse can range from peer-to-peer discussion to whole-class discussion and can take on many forms: metacognition, presentations, debate, listening, writing, and critiquing others' work."  Not only are students communicating, but they must also be given opportunities to process and interact using academic vocabulary (which reinforces the importance of anchor charts).

If you know me at all, you know that I am BIG on modeling for students.  so the next part of the article was key for me.  It stated, "academic discourse is not something that comes easily to most students; rather, it is something that needs to be taught, modeled and recognized by both teachers and students. With strategic instruction around what academic discourse sounds, looks and feels like, it can be a useful tool that enriches all classroom interactions and facilitates deeper learning and retention." 

The following were the most important components of academic discourse within a math classroom (identified by this group of people) and they developed an approach to implementing the components.

1. They set the expectation that students will present problems and explain how they reached their answer.
2. They emphasized the importance of using correct vocabulary. For example, math students often confuse an expression and an equation. Making that distinction is important for students. To retain the difference between the two words, they must practice using those words.
3. They made writing in math a norm. Students will be expected to write about the process of how they reached an answer. This serves as another way of seeing how students are processing the material and how they are applying vocabulary words.

As I read this article I thought of how this could be applied in our district to help with our student verbal discourse, while using the academic vocabulary.  I feel this would help increase classroom engagement, increase their understanding of skills and concepts (and help them fossilize that learning in their brain-retention), encourage collaboration, and create a learning community where students take ownership of their learning and truly grow and develop into life-long learners. 

Until next time...

Anchor Charts

Anchor Charts

I will begin by asking a rhetorical question...  Do you use anchor charts across contents in your classroom?

If your answer is "yes” or “no," then you should keep reading.  J

According to Merriam-Webster an anchor is defined as a person or thing that provides strength and support, or an object used to hold something firmly in place.  .   

With this definition in mind, let’s move toward its application in our classrooms.  Anchor charts are the artifacts of classroom learning communities.  Anchor charts make your classroom and the teaching and learning occurring very transparent. They facilitate the learning because they leave little doubt about what a student is expected to learn and provide a print rich classroom for students to reference and utilize.  Anchor charts displayed in the classroom facilitate the anchoring of student thinking and provide a visual reference for continued support as students learn. They also provide an opportunity to shift the responsibility of learning back to the learner.  Instead of the teacher being the only source of knowledge, they have learning artifacts to help them if they need support or a reminder. 

Things to remember as you are creating anchor charts in your classroom. (Cornerstone’s information about Anchor Charts, written by Wendy Seger)

1.      The anchor chart should have a single and clear focus.

 

2.    The anchor chart is co-constructed with students. The brain based research of Marcia Tate and other support the use of visuals to incorporate new learning into memory. When the visual represents a learning event that includes the students, it becomes an artifact of the learning experience. It has meaning for the students because they participated in its construction.

 

3.    The anchor chart has an organized appearance.  The information must be presented in a clear and comprehensible manner.  If the student can’t read the chart or find the statement of explicit instruction, then the students will not be able to use the chart when they return to it as a scaffold. 

 

4.    The anchor charts matches the learners’ developmental levels.  The language, amount of information, size of letters, the length of the sentences and amount of writing should all match the cognitive level of the students that will be using it. The complexity of the anchor chart should increase as the students get older. 

 

5.     The anchor chart supports ongoing learning.  The chart should be used by students and/or provide a scaffold for learning. 

 

Anchor charts displayed in the classrooms throughout our district provide foundational artifacts making transparent the teaching and learning occurring at Castleberry I.S.D. Please remember the anchor charts should be used across contents to provide that consistent resource for our students. 

Happy Anchor Charting!

 

 

Oral Language Development Strategies

I began this week super excited about the Esperanza training and the beginning of a new chapter of “hope” for CISD dual language primary students.  I felt as though the training went well and teachers were excited about starting Esperanza. I truly can’t wait to see the results of this program after our implementation.  Way to go Kinder and 2nd grade Dual Language teachers! :) 1st grade is training this week...

As the week progressed, I discovered yet another challenge for our dual language students.  I had the privilege of testing a Dual Language 5^th grade student in English.  She struggled with the decoding aspect of the English text, but had fantastic comprehension.  She brought to light the need for some teaching strategies to help the transitioning DL 5^th grade students achieve success in the all English classroom. The following approaches detailed in the article below will help ELLs, at every grade level, develop their oral language skills.

 

I found the article on the Colorín Colorado website:

Oral Language Development and ELLs: 5 Challenges and Solutions

By: Lindsey Moses Guccione (2012)

 

“In this article written for Colorín Colorado, Dr. Lindsey Moses Guccione shares five key challenges related to the oral language development of ELLs, as well as tips for addressing each of the challenges.

Currently, I am fortunate to work with many teachers who have the opportunity to impact the lives of children and families who speak more than one language. As I work with these teachers and families, I have found five common and reoccurring challenges that they seem to face in the area of oral language development that parallel my own experiences. I detail these challenges and questions below, as well as suggestions for addressing each challenges based on strategies I used in my classroom.

Questions and Classroom Scenarios

1. What do I do if they don't know ANY English?

Understanding the characteristics of language learners at different proficiency levels helps to think about how we can best support students in their oral language and reading development. Below is a chart that gives a description of the first two levels of language proficiency as well as implications for using oral reading. This is a nice place to start when thinking about how to interact with and support our Starting and Emerging English speakers.

Levels of Language Proficiency	Description	Implications For Using Oral Reading
Level 1: Starting	Students are in a silent period in which they listen, but do not speak in English. They may respond using nonverbal cues in attempt to communicate basic needs.	The teacher and other more advanced students should model oral reading. Students in the silent period should not be forced to speak, but should be given the opportunity to participate in a group activity where they won't be singled out.
Level 2: Emerging	Students are beginning to understand more oral language. They respond using one- or two-word phrases and start to produce simple sentences for basic social interactions and to meet basic needs.	Teacher and students should continue to model oral reading. Students should be encouraged to begin taking risks with simple, rehearsed oral reading in non-threatening situations.

 

2. How do I provide instruction and support for the ELLs without holding back the students who are fluent in English?

Differentiation is the key to effective instruction for all students. Students of varying proficiency levels can learn the same content when the teacher provides a wide range of learning opportunities for students with different academic and linguistic needs. Three key strategies for this approach include differentiating or modifying the texts, creating grouping structures, and targeting the amount and nature of support based on students' needs (Opitz & Ford, 2008).

• Modifying the text: Teachers can differentiate the text by selecting various levels of text difficulty on similar content, or they can also divide the text up into smaller portions appropriate for certain groups/individuals for a jigsaw activity. Another idea is to summarize text that might be too difficult and provide ways to make the text more accessible (such as vocabulary support, visual support, connecting to background knowledge, etc.).
• Creating grouping structures that set students up for success: While some grouping structures can be established according to language or literacy skill levels and needs, it is also important to think about providing students exposure to interact with peers who demonstrate a wide range of different language and literacy skills. Additionally, teachers can improve engagement and motivation by creating choice/interest groups where students gather, read, discuss and work together on topics of common interest.
• Targeting the amount and nature of student support: It is important to think about scaffolding the experience and using comprehensible input to make it accessible for all students. Comprehensible input means that students should be able to understand the gist of what is being said or presented. There are many ways to do this, such as selecting key vocabulary, using context or visual cues, building background knowledge, building on experiences the students have had, using consistent language, and providing images or visual representations to support vocabulary and content. Teachers can support their students by embedding comprehensible input into their whole-group instruction, but this also becomes particularly effective when used in the different grouping structures. Teachers can also modify the amount of support and interaction between teachers and students depending on their individual and group needs.

 

3. This student knows English — I hear him talking to his friends and on the playground. He just doesn't want to try in class.

·         I have heard many teachers discussing variations of this same idea. However, I would caution teachers and parents about jumping to this conclusion. Academic language (or the language specifically related to school and/or academic content) can be complicated to acquire. Students often first develop social language and demonstrate near proficiency or proficiency in English in social settings. A student may be demonstrating sophisticated use of social language, but they may have difficulty using language in more formal settings such as school.

·         Much of the academic language required to be successful in school — everything from instructions to expectations to content-specific vocabulary — requires assistance in acquiring. Students hear and use their social language in various settings from home, community, and school, but academic language is often only used in the school setting. These students need specific instruction and support surrounding their language development in this area.

·         The same children who appear to be functioning at a high level of English proficiency in social settings may actually be functioning at a beginning stage in other settings, depending on how they are called on to use language. The students need to feel safe and in a low-anxiety environment in order to begin to feel comfortable taking risks with their oral language. When they have less exposure and instruction related to academic language, this can often cause students to feel intimidated and less likely to be willing to share in class.

·         One idea for reducing anxiety and encouraging students to experiment with language might include allowing students to read, practice, and discuss their responses in partners and small groups before sharing out to the entire group. This allows students an opportunity to hear language modeled by peers, practice what they want to say, and possibly revise their original thought and/or language before sharing it in a public way. As students find more success with their language production and classroom participation, they will be more likely to share and take risks, and in turn continue building their confidence.

 

4. How is the child ever going to learn English if they don't speak it at home?

It is important to celebrate being bilingual and biliterate. Research has shown that development of a students' first language can facilitate development in the second language (Genessee, Geva, Dressler, and Kamil, 2007). Understanding this helps parents, teachers, and children to encourage the use and development of the students' home language while they are at home. All of the home literacy activities that we recommend for English speakers, such as reading aloud, making lists, discussing books, reading environmental print, etc., should also be encouraged for the English language learners in their home language. Students can begin to use more English as they feel comfortable in different settings, but it is important to note that speaking two languages will not hinder their English development.

Another important idea to remember is that we want to invite parents to feel confident in their interactions with their children regardless of their English proficiency level. As they begin to read or retell stories and discuss them at home, they are developing vital oral language and comprehension skills, and these skills will transfer over into their school language.

 

5. What kinds of activities should I be doing to help the student develop their oral language and oral reading?

McCauley and McCauley (1992) report four factors as necessary for acquiring a second language: a low-anxiety environment, repeated practice, comprehensible input, and drama. These are all important components of setting children up for success and language development.

• A low-anxiety environment includes a setting where students feel nurtured and supported by their teacher and peers, and in turn, they feel safe to take risks without the fear of being laughed at or made fun of.
• Repeated practice is just like what it sounds! Students need repeated practice hearing and using a new language. They need multiple opportunities to comprehend and express their ideas in a new language. Like with anything new that we learn, practice helps us get better.
• Comprehensible input, as explained above, means finding different ways to make what is being said comprehensible and easier to understand. Things to consider with comprehensible input might include using speech that is appropriate for students' language proficiency, providing a clear, step-by-step explanation of tasks, and using a variety of techniques to support their understanding.
• Drama, or a sense of excitement and engagement, can be found in activities like Reader's Theatre, dramatic play, puppetry, narrating wordless picture books, etc. All of these activities also have the other three factors embedded within them. These activities assist in the development of oral language in addition to introducing students to oral reading and rich literacy experiences and responses in a classroom setting.

 

Closing Thoughts

As you can see from these questions and examples, there are a lot of different approaches to helping ELLs build their oral language development skills, and you may have to try different activities until you find what works for your students. The most important thing, however, is to build your students' confidence while giving them new words and phrases to practice. Don't be afraid to try something new — and most of all, don't be afraid to have fun doing it!” (Colorin Colorado online article, http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/50910/)