Strategies to Accelerate Academic Learning for English Learners

1. Strategies to Accelerate Academic Learning for English Learners Based on presentation by:AnnaUhlChamot, The George Washington University Marisol Rexach Chapman University EDUC 504

2. “Humanity grows from thinking together about life, solving problems, building relationships, and constructing meaning with others. The world needs our students to become better thinkers and communicators than we are. They will become future parents, teachers, leaders, and problem solvers. Conversations are not the only solutions to the complex challenge of how to prepare students for future success in life. However, we believe that academic conversations can play a meaningful role in meeting this challenge.”

7. 21st Century Skills Session 1, Activity 2

8. Professionalism and Work Ethic Oral Communication Lifelong Learning/ Self Direction Teamwork/Collaboration Applied Skills in the 21st Century Workplace Ethics/Social Responsibility Critical Thinking/ Problem Solving Written Communication Creativity/ Innovation Diversity Leadership Information Technology Application “Are They Really Ready to Work?” What are the skills and qualities that employers are looking for? Session 1, Activity 2

9. The Workforce Readiness Report CardHigh School Session 1, Activity 2

10. 1997 Standards Common Core ELA Standards – Grades K-12 Reading Writing Communication (includes Speaking and Listening) Media & Tech Language

11. ELA/Literacy Instructional Shifts* • Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction • Reading, writing and speaking grounded in evidence from text, both literary and informational • Regular practice with complex text and its academic language *Achieve the Core

12. Content Literacy Standards(history/social studies, science, technical subjects) • Complement rather than replace content standards • Are the responsibility of teachers in those subjects • Align with college and career readiness expectations

16. How do the CCSS standards define text complexity?What are the three factors for “measuring” text complexity? On your own, read: Common Core State Standards, Appendix A(2010b pp. 2-4) Make notes as you read and highlight key areas on your paper

18. What are Academic Conversations? “Academic conversations are back and forth dialogues in which students focus on a topic and explore it by building, challenging, and negotiating relevant ideas. They push students to think and learn in lasting ways.” Jeff Zwiers and Marie Crawford Academic Conversations Session 1 Session 1, Activity 2

19. Oral Language Practice Different Purposes Academic Conversations Build knowledge Solve problems Communicate thoughts Deepen understanding Practice language structures Forms and functions Repetitive practice Carousel/Differentiated ELD Session 1, Activity 2

20. Five Advantages of Academic Conversations • Language and Literacy (LL) • Cognitive Thinking Skills (COG) • Content Learning (CON) • Social and Cultural (SC) • Psychological (PSY) Session 1, Activity 4

21. 1. Language and Literacy Advantages Conversation builds: • Academic language • Vocabulary • Literacy skills • Communication skills Session 1, Activity 4

22. 2. Cognitive Advantages Conversation: • Builds critical thinking skills • Promotes different perspectives and empathy • Fosters creativity • Fosters skills for negotiating meaning Session 1, Activity 4

23. 3. Content Learning Advantages Conversation: • Cultivates connections • Helps students co-construct understandings • Helps teachers assess learning Session 1, Activity 4

24. 4. Social and Cultural Advantages Conversation: • Builds relationships • Makes lessons more culturally relevant • Fosters equity Session 1, Activity 4

25. 5. Psychological Advantages Conversation: • Fosters engagement and motivation • Builds confidence and academic identity • Builds student voice and empowerment Session 1, Activity 4

26. Highly Focused Random Thoughts Students are Talking Evidence Based Personal Opinions Build on others ideas Popcorn out ideas Everyday Conversations Academic Conversations Sharing Ideas Build lasting knowledge Fleeting Knowledge Language Exchange Promotes CCSS skills Social Purposes Session 3

27. Model how to wonder by presenting real-world issues, dilemmas, and problems. Session 6, Activity 3

28. Base Prompts on a Thinking Skill Analyze Compare Classify Analyze Cause/Effect Problem Solve Persuade Empathize Synthesize Interpret Evaluate Communicate Apply Thinking Skills Session 6

29. Base Prompt on a Thinking Skill Thinking Skill: Empathize In collaborative groups, create a journal entry from the perspective of a child living at the time of the Dust Bowl. Session 6, Activity 3

30. Base Prompts on a Product or Task • Set the purpose of conversations by giving students a task to accomplish or a product to create. • When conversing about tasks, students are training to do two very important real-world things: to collaborate and to create. Session 6, Activity 3

31. Base Prompt on a Product or Task Science Create a museum exhibit of different types of biomes. Session 6, Activity 3

32. Base Prompts on Life Experiences • Enduring learning happens within the context of real life. • Contextualizing lessons help students understand concepts and ideas. Session 6, Activity 3

33. Thinking SkillsConversations-Based Tasks Session 6, Activity 3

34. CALLA Model How does CALLA support these objectives?

35. Objectives • Describe CALLA instructional model to accelerate academic learning; • Identify learning strategies that assist academic content and literacy development.

36. Secondary English Learners • Linguistically and culturally diverse. • Differing educational backgrounds. • Variety of approaches to learning. • Range of levels of family literacy.

37. Academic Needs of English Learners • Develop and practice academic vocabulary. • Read to learn. • Understand information presented orally. • Participate in classroom discussions. • Write to communicate their knowledge and ideas.

38. CALLA Instructional Model • RESEARCH-BASED LEARNING MODEL: Learning process is mentally active, strategic, based on prior knowledge. • CURRICULUM CONTENT: Contenttopics aligned with National and State Standards. • ACADEMIC LANGUAGE: Integrated language development across the curriculum. • LEARNING STRATEGIES:Metacognitive awareness, explicit instruction, scaffolding.

39. What is academic content? • Aligned to national/state standards • Cognitively appropriate • English Language Arts, history, social studies, mathematics, science.

40. What is academic language? • Language used during teaching and learning. • Language in content textbooks. • Language of literature. • Language of literacy.

41. Input: Academic Language and Content Texts • Literature genres: stories, novels, poetry, biography • Informational texts: articles, essays, textbooks • Oral texts: teacher, speakers, students, video, TV, film, live performance • Personal texts: journals, e-mails, instant messages, letters.

42. Output: Academic Products • Book reports, essays, stories, poetry, biographies • Science lab reports • Math problem explanations • Social Studies research reports, debates

43. The Teacher’s Role • Model academic language by using in context • Add language activities to academic content lessons, focus on literacy • Maintain high expectations • Teach students how to learn.

44. CALLA Model for Teaching Academic Content, Language, and Learning Strategies

45. PREPARATION • Teacher provides overview and objectives • Elicits students’ prior knowledge • Develops vocabulary • Uses students’ native language as a resource.

46. PRESENTATION • Teacher addresses different learning preferences • Models language processes explicitly • Explains learning strategies • Discusses connections to students’ prior knowledge.

47. PRACTICE • Students engage in interactive activities • Practice different cooperative learning structures • Use authentic content and language tasks • Use learning strategies.

48. SELF-EVALUATION • Students reflect on their own learning • Identify preferred strategies • Keep learning logs • Evaluate themselves.

49. EXPANSION • Students apply what they have learned to their own lives • Make connections between language and other content subjects • Relate new information to own culture • Parents contribute to learning

50. Think about: Do you see evidence of this in the Praxis setting?How will you apply this to lesson and unit planning?