Professional Journal

Marcia Jones
UNE 1.8

The following slides are a collection of highlights,

thoughts and information from our readings with EDU
747 Literacy for English Language.

The Community Of
Winslow Junior High
Winslow Junior High is a small school that services over 300 students, all of whom
come from hugely diverse backgrounds with the majority of the population coming
from a lower socioeconomic environment that receives free and reduced lunch. The
Winslow School system commits itself to educating and supporting every family
from all backgrounds.
My district services children that attend the Vassalboro, Waterville and Winslow,
Maine communities. At this time, Winslow has identified 25 students as English
Language Learners with 4 out of the 25 receiving services at this time. Waterville
has 22 students identified with 7 receiving services and I was unable to confirm
accurate information pertaining to the Vassalboro School. ELL students are
identified through the Home Language Survey and information gathered through
academic and classroom assessments. Students who receive services are supported
through several different strategies. Based on their needs, some students are pulled
from their regular classroom by the ELL teacher to work on specific goal
determined by the student's IEP. Most students are pulled 1 to 2 times a week/
biweekly. Other students are supported within the classroom, meaning the ELL
teacher works with the student in the classroom. Most of the time this support is
also scheduled similar to the pull out students, but an additional schedule can be
made if a special activity might need added support. In addition, most ELLs are
encouraged to join our after school homework club. This support is not mandated
by state or IEP determinations. It is completely voluntary, but is well received with
many of the families and students. Homework club meets twice a week and is an
additional support for assisting students with completion of work, organization and
study habits.

Week One
It is important to establish a sense of community
for your students.
Build trust. Create a welcoming environment/
climate.
Provide a variety of ways to be an active
participant/contributor.

Get to know your studentsStart a dialogue

When students share

information about their
home countries, they grow
in self esteem while
broadening the horizons of
their peers.
Reference
Peregoy, F. & Boyle, F. (2013, p.10). Reading, writing, and
learning in ESL: A resource book for teaching K-12 English
learners (6th Ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

"When children know uniqueness is

respected, they are more likely to put it to
use..."
Dorothy Bigs

Week One Reflection

Building a sense of community is one of my biggest strengths.
Educational Philosophy
My philosophy of education is built on the belief that all students have the ability to learn. It is my job as an
educator to provide a structured and engaging environment that will not only foster students emotional, social and
academic needs, but will promote learners who strive to use their natural abilities in becoming active learners. I
firmly believe that is takes a collaborative effort from all administrators, teachers, parents and community members
to ensure that all students' are granted the opportunity to receive an unprejudiced education.
As an educator, I encourage students to begin their inquiry by using the foundation of what they know.
Students then learn to investigate, explore and develop a deeper meaning of the content through collaboration,
analysis and hands on activities. Throughout this process, I encourage and support students' participation and
efforts so learning is valued and has meaning to each individual.
Cultivating respect enriches an environment where students can concentrate on learning. Children are
more likely to take educational risks and use their abilities when they recognize that they are valued as well as
regarded as a significant element to the learning process. In addition, developing well defined expectations for
academic and behaviors will assist students in expanding their own principals for respect and learning.
Evolving as a teacher is as equally important, teaching makes it possible for me to grow and refine my own
skills. The quest for continuous personal development will only improve my connections within my classroom and
school community. It is my wish to influence students' lives in such a way that they become enthusiastic, well
educated and valuable community members.

Week Two
Winslow Elementary uses the Responsive Classroom Approach while The Junior High uses the Positive
Behavior Intervention System (PBIS). Both have a similar foundation , but after using both, I particularly
like the PBIS better. Focusing/ naming/ highlighting the positive seems to have an affect on the students.
Why dont we use the same program?Are these two programs geared for specific age levels?

Know the WIDA Standards .

https://www.wida.us/

Reference: https://www.wida.us/

Making Connections Between WIDA Standards,

Common Core Standards and Next Gen.
Standards.

https://www.wida.us/research/agenda/alignment/
http://assets.wceruw.org/theoryToPractice/commonCore.aspx
https://www.wida.us/standards/EarlyYears.aspx

Fact
ELLs are the fastest growing segment of the student population. The highest growth occurs in grades 712, where ELLs increased by approximately 70
percent between 1992 and 2002. ELLs now comprise 10.5 percent of the nations K12 enrollment, up from 5 percent in 1990.
By far, the largest proportion of ELL students are native speakers of Spanish (73 percent), followed by speakers of Vietnamese (3.9 percent), Hmong (1.8
percent), Cantonese (1.7 percent), Cambodian (1.6 percent), Korean (1.6 percent), Laotian (1.3 percent), Navajo (1.3 percent), Tagalog (1.3 percent), Russian,
French Creole, Arabic, Portuguese, Japanese, Armenian, Chinese, Mandarin, Farsi, Hindi, and Polish (unspecified).
A disturbingly large percentage of ELL students receive low grades, score below their classmates on standardized reading and mathematics tests, and drop
out of school. For example, the U.S. Department of Education's Prospects study reported that third-grade ELL students had a mean percentile score of 24.8
in reading and 35.2 in math on the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS) test, as compared to a mean percentile score of 56.4 and 56.8, respectively,
for all third-graders in public school.
Reference:
August, D. & Hakuta, K., eds. (1997). Improving Schooling for Language-Minority Children: A Research Agenda. Committee on Developing a Research
Agenda on the Education of Limited- English-Proficient and Bilingual Students; Board on Children, Youth, and Families; National Research Council.
Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.
Fleischman, H. & Hopstock, P. (1993). Descriptive Study of Services to Limited English Proficient Students, Volume 1. Summary of Findings and
Conclusions. Arlington, Va.: Development Associates.
http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/PolicyResearch/ELLResearchBrief.pdf

To have another language is to possess a

second soul.
Charlemagne

Week Two Reflection

Due to lack of experience working with English Language Learners, I now see a
weakness within my practice. It is vital that I become more familiar with the WIDA
Standards so that I can improve instruction and connections for my students,
Especially ELLs.

Week Three
It is important to know the differences between
oral and written Language Acquisition.
*Not every culture develops written or oral language.
*Explicit instruction must be present for children to learn written language but not oral
language.
*We need oral language to meet our basic needs, we do not need written language to meet
our basic needs

First language Acquisition Theories

Behaviorist Theory: Children imitate what they have heard
Innatist Theory: Weighs heavily on the child and biological mechanics
Interactionist Theory: Acknowledges both child and caregiver in
conjunction with social environment

Second language Acquisition Theories

Behaviorist Theory: Repetitive drills, structured by grammatical complexity
Innatist Theory: Most influential, heavily influenced by the Krashen
Theories. Unstructured natural language connected from interaction with
friends, books and teachers
Interactionist Theory: Unstructured and focuses on communication
between learner and others, target is centered around social interaction

Marjorie Norton
My grandmother was a huge
influence in my life and

understanding language.

Synthesis Paper
Topic: How To Effectively Partner Your ELLs
References:
Kim, S. (2015). Preparing English Learners for Effective Peer Review in the Writers' Workshop. Read Teach The Reading Teacher, 68(8), 599-603. doi:10.1002/trtr.1358
Hsu, C. (n.d.). Writing Partnerships. The Reading Teacher,63(2), 153-158. doi:10.1598/RT.63.2.6
Ogle, D., & Correa-Kovtun, A. (n.d.). Supporting English-Language Learners and Struggling Readers in Content Literacy With the Partner Reading and Content, Too
Routine. The Reading Teacher, 63(7), 532-542. doi:10.1598/RT.63.7.1

Highlights :
Establish a common language
Provide guided questions
Pre teaching!!! Modeling!!!
Dont pair based on friendship.Establish a sense of community and respect through pairing

If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to

his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his
heart.

Nelson Mandela

Week Three Reflection

An eye opener as to how many teachers do not have experience with a second
language. (Glad I am not the only one..:) ) Does this lack of experience affect our
ability to teach ELLs?
I enjoyed doing the synthesis paper..Through my research I gained a better
perspective on how to pair my students.
This weeks discussion allowed me to remember my grandmother..What a treat!
Its been a long time since her passing and the memory of her calling me to help
with learning French warmed my heart. She was a huge influence on my life,
inside and out of school. I truly believe I am the reader that I am because of her
She obviously had a great understanding of language and life. <3

Week Four
Games To Enhance English Language Development
Audio Recordings: Grants the opportunity for students to practice and edit work. Encourages volunteering
and increases participation
Songs:Promotes unity within the classroom and can be language based
Drama: Stimulates nonverbal, self expression and the ability to practice dialogue to language
Poetry: Provides access to dramatization.. Very effective with all learners
Show and Tell: Allows the student produce an accurate description and scaffold on students early
speaking language
One Looks, One Doesnt: Encourages working in pairs to increase communication skills. Highlights
listening and conversation abilities

Five Vital Aspects

Connected To Curriculum And

Instruction Of The Classroom:

1) Exposure to new words during academic instruction supported by cues

to meaning and opportunities for concept development
2) Experiences in reading a variety of material independently and under
your guidance
3) Opportunities to write frequently for an audience
4) Explicit instruction on words and word parts
5) Instruction on vocabulary strategies, including dictionary use, to help
students read and write new words independently
Reference:
Peregoy,S. & Boyle, O. (2013). Reading, Writing, and Learning in ESL: A Resource Book for Teaching K-12 English
Learners (6th Ed.). Boston, MA: Person Education Inc.

Making a connection with Vocabulary and

language
http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/selectingvocabulary-words-teach-english-languagelearners
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/english-languagelearners-academic-language-larry-ferlazzo
http://www.macmillanmh.com/connectED/mkt/
HTMLFiles/pdf/diane_august.pd

"only when a student works at a level of

difficulty that is both challenging and
attainable for the student, does learning
take place."
Tomlinson

Week Four reflection

The process of how students develop word consciousness is interesting to me.
Since I now teach Science at the junior high level, I dont get the
opportunities to conduct activities such as show and tell or poetry. However, I
do incorporate music into my classroom. I find the students enjoy learning
the material when the content is written to music. This process increases long
term memory. One technique I plan on adding is the audio recordingsWhat
a great way to grant students the opportunity to practice language and the art
of communication.
This weeks discussion was very engaging. I believe it was Megan that
highlighted the importance of explicit instruction and the use of word lists. I
too continue to use a strategy wall for my classroom. This tool helps keep the
connection between ideas/concepts/unit vocabulary and the students strong.

Week Five
Process Writing and Effective Instruction for ELLs
Second language writers develop similarly to first language writers
Process Writing: Pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing and publishing . Breaking writing
down into these steps allows second language writers to focus on communicating their idea
first, then make corrections later.
Elements of Good Writing: Lead, focus, voice, show not tell, and ending.

Mapping

A visual representation
to assist students in
organizing their writing

"Act as if what you do makes a difference,

it does!..."
William James

Week Five Reflection

I struggle with the editing phase of writing. Many of the students think this is only about
correcting grammar and punctuation. Trying to get them to see the fine tuning aspects of
enhancing the what, how and why of their piece sometimes is overwhelming to me. :(
I need to use mapping more in my practice.. Students can use this for the Science in the
news activity.
In our discussions,Rochelle mentions that certain languages not having plurals..
Important piece to remember how difficult it is for ELLs to learn and different aspects of
languages

Week Six
Reading and The Second Language Learner
Literature allows the reader to become aware of their own thoughts and feelings, acquire
clearer perspectives, develop goals and a sense of direction, and compare their values with
the values of the characters they meet in books.
Literature helps students both first and second language leaners become aware of words
Reference

Peregoy, F. & Boyle, F. (2013, p.10). Reading, writing, and learning in ESL: A resource book for teaching K-12 English learners (6th Ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson
Education Inc.

Create An Environment That

Allows The Reader To Select
And Respond To literature.
Pattern Books: Allows readers to become involved sooner in their reading, as well as grants

opportunities to use oral language with reading

Illustrating Stories and Poems: Encourages a deeper connection between the reader and
literature. Allows students to express their understanding or own interoperation of words
Shared Reading with Big Books: Provides an interesting, non threatening introduction to lap
reading helps introduce decoding and discussion practices
Guided Reading: Provides ongoing assessments of students progress while incorporating a
focused instructional practice
Directed Listening-Thinking Activity: Scaffolds, models how to make predictions as you read
Readers Theater: Assists students in responding to literature
Story Mapping: Uses story grammar to increase comprehension and construction of stories

Lesson Plan Summary

Topic: Forces and Motion
Newton's Three Laws of Motion: Buzz Meets Newton
Grade/Teacher: 6th Grade/Marcia Jones
Date: November 20, 2015
Standards:
Science:
MS-PS2-1. Apply Newtons Third Law to design a solution to a problem involving the motion of two colliding objects.*
MS-PS2-2. Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an objects motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.
MS-PS2-4. Construct and present arguments using evidence to support the claim that gravitational interactions are attractive and depend on the masses of interacting objects.
ELA:
WHST.6-8.1 Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content. (MS-PS2-4)
WHST.6-8.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused
questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration. (MS-PS2-1),(MS-PS2-2),(MS-PS2-5)
RST.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to the precise details of explanations or descriptions (MS-PS2-1),
(MSPS2-3)
SL.8.5 Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest. (MS-PS3-2)
WIDA:
1. ELLs communicate for social instruction purposes within the school setting.
2. English language learners communicate information, ideas, and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Science.
Differentiation Needs
* Teacher will circulate and conference with groups. Guided questions are asked/given to keep focus of work.
* Students are encouraged to use strategy board / anchor charts to assist with scientific language and connections
* Groups with ELLs are given guided questions associated with each concepts to assist engagement.
* Visual pictures are given for each concept to help deepen comprehension of concepts definition.
* Groups with ELLS may be assigned a specific concept so that all students can have input to the analysis summary.
* A scribe will be provided if needed
* Copies of written summaries are made for each student to fasten to their illustration.
* Guided feedback comments are reviewed and listed on anchor charts and strategy board
* I will conference will all groups to help practice for presentation
* Ells will meet with me individually to practice. A note card will be created for presentation..(all students are given the opportunity to write their portion of presentation on
note card)

Language is the dress of thought

Samuel Johnson

Week Six Reflection

I need to do a better job at incorporating WIDA Standards into my curriculum.
Focus on increasing this practice as I design my plans!
As a Science teacher..How can I get my students to respond to literature?
Use journaling more!!! Weekly articles to read!!!
Do ELLs respond better to fiction or non- fiction?

Week Seven
Linking Assessment and Instruction
Having the ability to analyze specific aspects of reading and writing to determine
a students strength and needs.

Different purposes of Reading assessments

Background Knowledge
Language Knowledge
Word Recognition
Vocabulary
Comprehension

The Three Tiers of RTI (Response To

Intervention)
Tier 1: Offers classroom instruction based on the general
education curriculum
Tier 2: Carried out in small groups, targets specific problem.
Tier 3: Provides one on one instruction tailored for individual
whose difficulties still continue after small group instruction
RTI can play an important role in identifying and teaching Els(Peregoy & Booyle 2013 p. 441).
Reference
Peregoy, F. & Boyle, F. (2013). Reading, writing, and learning in ESL: A resource book for teaching K-12 English
learners (6th Ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

Articles to read
Assessment and classroom learning
By Black, Paul, Wiliam, Dylan, Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy &
Practice
Mar1998, Vol. 5, Issue 1
Abedi, J., Hofstetter, C., and Lord, C. (2004). Assessment accommodations for
English language learners: Implications for policy-based empirical research.
Review of Educational Research, 74, (1), 1-28.
Brown, D. & Abeywickrama, P. (2010). Language assessment: Principles and
classroom practices. White Plains, NY: Pearson Education Inc.
Snow, C. (2007). Cross-cutting themes and future research directions.
Developing reading and writing in second-language learners: lessons from the
report of the National Literacy Panel on Language-Minority Children.

"Words, once they're printed, have a life

of their own."
Carol Burnett

Week Seven Reflection

Understanding the importance of effective instruction is critical to enhancing student performance.
"Genuine expertise in a subject area is not so much mastery of facts as it is the application of
insights and skills"(Tomlinson, 1999). I have come to understand the solid connection between
instruction and student achievement. Knowing that each student learns differently and requires a
differentiated program must be taken into account and employed into every day practice.
Be more aware of how I differentiate. Am I doing enough for my students?
Use my assessments to drive instruction.
Formative or Summative Which is best for ELLs?

Reference
Tomlinson, C. (1999). The differentiated classroom responding to the needs of all learners. Alexandria, Va.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development.

Week Eight
Reflection:
The readings and projects I had with EDU 747- Literacy for English Language, have shown
me the true value of being an effective teacher. Teachers should constantly be striving to improve
their practice, continue their education and establish a positive environment that recognizes
each student as an individual. As I end this course, I have to ask myself what am I doing to
improve my practice?
Does Winslow have a strong enough ELL program?
What can I do to improve my connection with ELLs?
Is my instruction effective for ELLs?
Helping ELLs is more than vocabulary
What quality programs are most effective for ELLs?
I need to use my ticket out the door activity daily!!! (One thing I learned, one question I still have) Add more time for students to reflect on
their learning!