ell educators & classroom teachers: collaborating for success

Indispensable Tools for Today’s ELL Professionals

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Collaborating with Classroom Teachers

Diane Staehr Fenner: President, DSF ConsultingJordan Meranus: Ellevation CEO

Join the Conversation: #ellevate

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TODAY’S OBJECTIVE

Help all participants develop strategies and practical steps for working closely with classroom teachers to improve instruction for English Learners, in particular as Common Core State Standards and additional new standards are implemented.

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AGENDA

I. Introduction

II. Context

III. The Changing Role of the ELL Educator

IV. Strategies for Collaboration

V. Practice: 2 Case Studies

VI. Tool for Planning

ELLEVATION

Ellevation is the only software company exclusively focused on ELL educators and the English Learners they serve.

THE ELLEVATION PLATFORM

• Individualized Learning Plans aligned to state, Common Core, and WIDA standards

• Dashboard of student data helps group students for instruction

Instruction

Collaboration• Collaborative goal setting and progress monitoring• Communication tools for ELL and classroom teachers

Productivity• ELL Data Collection and Demographics• Required letters to families in 25+ languages

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NATIONAL REACH

200+ School Districts: 26 States

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DIANE STAEHR FENNER

• Former ESL teacher; now President of DSF Consulting

• PD and Technical assistance to districts, states, and others

• Deep focus on CCSS and ELLs• Popular blog on CCSS for Colorín

Colorado website

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QUICK POLL

1. I meet consistently with classroom teachers to co-plan lessons

and discuss strategies for ELLs.

Please “vote” for the statement below that best describes you and your role, in particular as CCSS are being rolled out.

3. I rarely meet with classroom teachers to co-plan lessons and

discuss strategies for ELLs.

2. I occasionally meet with classroom teachers to co-plan lessons

and discuss strategies for ELLs.

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AGENDA

I. Introduction

II. Context





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II. CONTEXT

Common Core

Standards

Implementation of New

Assessments

New ELD Standards

Today, there are multiple new initiatives at play that are too often treated as distinct and separate.

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II. CONTEXT

New Assessment

s

New ELD Standards

Common Core

Standards

To ensure the best possible instruction, the pieces need to fit together in a more coherent way.

This requires significant cooperation among educators in a school.

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AGENDA

I. Introduction

II. Context





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FRAMING QUESTIONS

I. What role are ELL educators/specialists playing at

the district or classroom level in the

implementation of CCSS?

II. How can districts better leverage the expertise and

experiences of ELL educators to plan and roll out

CCSS?

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III. THE CHANGING ROLE OF THE ELL EDUCATOR

Varying RolesGreater recognition for

expertise and use of skills.

Uneven role in leadership

Greater input on programmatic/instructional decisions with ELLs in mind

Language instruction in

isolation

Deliberate, focused collaboration with content

teachers

Current Preferred

Note: Adapted from TESOL International Association (2013). Implementing the Common Core State Standards for English Learners: The Changing Role of the ESL Teacher.

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III. CHANGING ROLE: A VISION

Varying RolesELL Educator as expert, consultant and advocate

Current Preferred

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III. CHANGING ROLES OF ELL EDUCATOR

Levels

District

Classroom

School

Needs

A comprehensive effort to ensure materials, PD, and more take the needs of ELLs into consideration.

Strategies to ensure that all educators understand best practices with ELLs.

Deliberate collaboration.

Strategies

Equity Audit

Evaluation of CCSS instructional strategies for ELLs

Talking Points; Modeling

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AGENDA

I. Introduction

II. Context





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IV. STRATEGIES

An Equity Audit enables educators to look holistically at a school and district and assess whether steps are being taken to prepare educators to meet the needs of ELLs during the transition to CCSS.

1. Equity Audit

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IV. STRATEGIES: EQUITY AUDIT

Consideration Questions to Ask: To What Degree…

Instructional materials

Are CCSS instructional materials/curricula appropriate for ELLs?

Professional development

Does PD prepare all teachers for shifts of the CCSS for ELLs?

CommunicationDo ELL educators and classroom teachers spend time communicating about the needs of ELLs?

PlanningDo ELL educators have input into how language instruction is delivered in classrooms with ELLs?

Tool created by DSF Consulting.

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IV. STRATEGIES

ELL educators and district leaders need to ensure that all teachers understand the needs of ELLs and how ELLs learn CCSS-based content best.

2. CCSS for ELLs: Lesson Planning Review

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IV. STRATEGIES: LESSON PLAN REVIEW FOR ELLS

Criterion/CCSS ELA Shift

Questions to Discuss

Alignment• Is there clear alignment between the lessons, tasks,

CCSS & effective ELD practice? • Is there an ELD focus integrated into instruction?

Regular practice with complex text and its academic language

• Is academic language instruction woven throughout the lessons?

• Are there clear strategies to support ELL engagement and participation?

Reading, writing and speaking grounded in

evidence from text

• Are text-dependent questions used that are scaffolded for ELLs?

• Are the four domains (speaking, listening, reading & writing) integrated throughout instruction?

Building knowledge through content-rich

nonfiction

• Is an appropriate amount of background knowledge concisely taught for ELLs?

• Is native language support provided for ELLs who need it?


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IV. STRATEGIES

A talking point is a succinct statement designed to persuade or inform and a good tool for preparing for conversations. A set of talking points will facilitate easier interaction and engagement with content teachers.

3. Talking Points

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IV. STRATEGIES: TALKING POINTS

CCSS ELA Shift How Can I Help You/I Can Help You:


…analyze the academic language of the text you’re using and provide scaffolding for ELLs at different levels of English proficiency so they can access it.


...integrate the four domains into instruction and write text-dependent questions that are scaffolded for ELLs.

Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction

…determine an appropriate amount of concise background knowledge to teach ELLs so they are better positioned to access informational text.


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IV. STRATEGIES

Modeling is a way to show or demonstrate instructional strategies for ELLs in the classroom setting instead of describing them.

4. Modeling

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IV. STRATEGIES: ELL EDUCATORS MODELING

Meet with the content teacher

prior to plan (review lesson

plan)

Choose one or two strategies to

model

Have content teacher note

what worked well and what did not

Observe ELLs as they take part in co-

taught lessons

Note which ELLs respond best to which strategies

Debrief

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5

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AGENDA

I. Introduction

II. Context





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IV. CASE STUDY #1: MARILYN

The Facts

1. 6th Grade Teacher; 10 years at the school; senior member of a 6 person ELL team

2. School and district leadership are requiring greater collaboration and less pull-out

3. Works most closely with 2nd students and 5th grade students

Marilyn’s MissionSignificantly increase collaboration with 4 different classroom teachers and take steps to begin planning lessons together.

Challenges

1. Has a close professional relationship with only 1 of the 4 classroom teachers

2. In 2 classrooms is asked to work separately with ELLs

3. In one classroom has had to play a central role as the teacher has been out

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IV. CASE STUDY #1: APPLYING STRATEGIES

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Conduct the Equity AuditConsideration Questions to Ask: To What Degree…

Instructional materials

Are CCSS instructional materials/curricula appropriate for ELLs?

Professional development

Does PD prepare all teachers for shifts of the CCSS for ELLs?

CommunicationDo ELL educators and classroom teachers spend time communicating about the needs of ELLs?

PlanningDo ELL educators have input into how language instruction is delivered in classrooms with ELLs?

Rating

?

?

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Conduct the Equity Audit (1-3 Rating)

Conclusion: Focus on communication and planning.

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2 Develop Talking Points: Some Examples

I. Communication. When can we sit down to review

strategies specific for ELLs? The implementation of new standards requires a much greater emphasis on academic language now than ever before, and I can help with language scaffolds.II. Planning. When can I join you for content planning

time? Meeting together will help me understand your plans and gain context for offering ideas for ELLs.

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IV. CASE STUDY #2: MARIA

The Facts

1. Jack is a 9th grade teacher with 5 yrs experience.

2. Jack teaches Social Studies in a mid-sized district and is preparing to teach a unit on the structure of government.

3. Maria is an ELL Specialist.

Maria’s MissionWork collaboratively with Jack to plan for the upcoming

lesson.

Challenges

1. Recently, many ELLs are having difficulty keeping up with instruction.

2. Jack and Maria look at data and see that many of his ELLs have had significant education interruptions.

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IV. JACK’S LESSON PLAN

Objective: SWBAT define government and describe the the basic powers the US government has.

Do now: Think about your daily life – list 5 things the government provides for you.

Vocabulary: Government, Democracy, State, Public Body

Recall: The US Government is broken up into three branches – describe what each branch does and who/what makes up the Branch: Executive/Legislative/Judicial

The Purpose of Government“We the People of the of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, ….” – Preamble to the Constitution.

According to the Preamble, name three things that the Government is responsible for (in your own words). 1.2.3.

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Criterion/CCSS ELA

ShiftQuestions to Discuss

Alignment• Is there clear alignment between the lessons, tasks,

CCSS & effective ELD practice? • Is there an ELD focus integrated into instruction?

Complex text and its

academic language

• Is academic language instruction woven into the lessons?

• Are there clear strategies to support ELL engagement and participation?

Reading, writing and speaking

grounded…

• Are text-dependent questions used &scaffolded for ELLs?

• Are the four domains (speaking, listening, reading & writing) integrated throughout instruction?

Building knowledge

• Is an appropriate amount of background knowledge concisely taught for ELLs?

• Is native language support provided for ELLs who need it?

✔

✔

✔

Where to Focus

1 Review Lesson Plan (Identify areas for Focus)

✔

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Objective Objective (with Language)

SWBAT describe the basic powers every government holds and define the purpose of government.

SWBAT describe the basic powers every government holds in writing and define the purpose of government orally and in writing with scaffolding.

Do Now Do Now (Supporting EL Engagement)

Think about your daily life – list at least 5 things the government provides for you.

For ELLs: Think about your daily life either in the US or in your home country. First discuss with a partner and then list at least 5 things the government provides for you. You may write in first language or in English.

Jack’s Lesson Maria’s Suggestion

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Recall with a graphic organizer & word bank

Name of Branch What each DoesWho/What Makes

up the Branch

Executive

Legislative

Judicial

Add concise background knowledge

The United States Constitution is a document that describes the supreme or top law of the United States.

The Preamble to the United States Constitution is an introduction of the Constitution’s purposes and principles. It describes what the writers of the Constitution hoped the Constitution would achieve or do.

Add’l Suggest

ions

from

Maria

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2 Modeling Plan

Maria and Jack meet to finalize the

additions to the lesson plan

Maria and Jack identify 2 strategies that Maria can model (bullet a short plan)

Jack notes what worked well and

what did not

Observe students as Maria models the Do Now and implements

Graphic Organizer

Jack notes which ELLs respond best to

which strategies

Debrief & plan for future collaboration

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AGENDA

I. Introduction

II. Context





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IV. STRATEGIES RECAP

Strategy Steps to Be Taken

Collaborators

Resources Needed

Equity Audit

Review Lesson Plan

Talking Points

Modeling

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CONTACT INFORMATION

www.DSFConsulting.net

Twitter: @DStaehrFennerFacebook: dsfconsultingfirm

Email [email protected]

www.ellevationeducation.com

Twitter: @EllevationEd

Email: [email protected]

Book: Advocating for English Learners.

mailto:[email protected]

ell educators & classroom teachers: collaborating for success

Education