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Language Targets at the Heart of Y our Discipline. Using Sentence Stems to Foster Academic Understanding. Rita & John. ritaplatt@hotmail.com john.wolfe@mpls.k12.mn.us http://www.weteachwelearn.org/tag/rita-platt/ http://mplsesl.wikispaces.com/Home+Page @ ritaplatt @johnwolfe3rd .
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Language Targets at the Heart of Your Discipline Using Sentence Stems to Foster Academic Understanding
Rita & John • ritaplatt@hotmail.com • john.wolfe@mpls.k12.mn.us • http://www.weteachwelearn.org/tag/rita-platt/ • http://mplsesl.wikispaces.com/Home+Page • @ritaplatt • @johnwolfe3rd • Rita Platt is a Nationally Board Certified teacher. Her experience includes teaching learners of all levels from kindergarten to graduate student. She currently is a Library Media & Reading Specialist for the St. Croix Falls SD in Wisconsin, teaches graduate courses for the Professional Development Institute, and consults with local school districts. • John Wolfe is a teacher on special assignment for the Multilingual Department at the Minneapolis Public School District. He has worked with students at all levels as well as provided professional development to fellow teachers. His areas of expertise include English Language Learners, literacy, and integrated technology.
Relax … Everything (and more) is on The Wikihttp://www.mplsesl.wikispaces.com/ PD must be: Continuous, Collaborative, Communicative
An invitation to a conversation! Conversational Collaborative Continuing
Ike & Tina Turner (in reverse)First we’re going to it nice and hard – then we’re going to ease it up a little.
Always Be Closing for Teachers of ELs Everything you do … Everything you ask your student to do … … is designed to support the student in • achieving the key conceptual learning • in your “power standard” … and • demonstrating that learning • in level-appropriate, supported language
“How was this science?” “Science is a way of understanding the rules of nature. This time, we wanted to understand balance.” Our investigation was to make the mobile balance. For evidence, we had the drawings & measurements. We found out that to balance, when the distances are the same, the weights can be the same. When the weights are different, the distances have to be difference. Scientists communicate… and when we talked to another group, they agreed. Visual support to demonstrate conceptual understanding Gr 1, 3: Scientists work as individuals and in groups to investigate the natural world, emphasizing evidenceand communicating with others.
Science: • learn about nature • evidence • communicate • learn about nature is balance • evidence is this & ruler & pictures • if same, then samelong short, then little and bigthat’s balance • communicate = talked to next table. same answers. Is okay. Visual support to demonstrate conceptual understanding Gr 1, 3: Scientists work as individuals and in groups to investigate the natural world, emphasizing evidenceand communicating with others.
Heresy: You have to know what you want your students to say. And you have to know what it will sound like in “broken English” for each of your English Learners That’s what your expertise consists of … ABC = Always Be Closing … you have a laser focus on your goal … students demonstrate key conceptual learning set forth by the standard.
John Hattie Hattie’s 4 Keys (LICENse) Teacher must know 1. Learning Intention, 2. Criteria for success, 3. Each students’ towards the goal, 4. Where to GoNext
What about Constructivism & Discovery Learning? “The Case for Fully Guided Instruction” (2012)
Claude Goldenberg (2012) There is a vast literature on effective teaching practices. Educational research over more than a half-century has yielded a number of reasonably consistent findings about the features of teaching likely to result in improved student learning.2 These include
Novelty vs. Continuity Novelty – new content, new terms, new language … will tend to play to English Learners’ weaknesses Key Conceptual Learning … staircased through the curriculum … will focus both student and teacher on their strengtsh
Study Your Standards • Wisconsin K-4 Science Standards … • 8 Standards • 45 “performance standards” • Minnesota K-8 Science Standards … • 30 Standards • 100’s of “benchmarks” (roughly equal to your performance standards) • Wisconsin K-8 Science Standards … • 8 Standards • 109 “performance standards”
Knowing Standards means … Often at multiple grade levels! • Science • Social Studies • Reading (Informational Texts) • Writing (Information Texts) • Speaking, Listening • WIDA Standards (for modification & support)
And… • Learning targets supported by text book and other materials (probably CA, TX or some set of National Council Standards.) • Building or District version of curriculum • Learning targets assessed on state tests • Co-teachers & colleagues (the “taught” curriculum”) • District-level statements of learning targets
Visual support to demonstrate conceptual understanding “How was this science?” “Science is a way of understanding the rules of nature. This time, we wanted to understand balance.” Our investigation was to make the mobile balance. For evidence, we had the drawings & measurements. We found out that to balance, when the distances are the same, the weights can be the same. When the weights are different, the distances have to be difference. Scientists communicate… and when we talked to another group, they agreed. • Science: • learn about nature • evidence • communicate • learn about nature is balance • evidence is this & ruler & pictures • if same, then samelong short, then little and bigthat’s balance • communicate = talked to next table. same answers. Is okay. Gr 1, 3: Scientists work as individuals and in groups to investigate the natural world, emphasizing evidenceand communicating with others.
An invitation to a conversation! Conversational Collaborative Continuing