English Language Learners & Library Partnerships

1. English Language Learners & Library Partnerships Ruth Hall, ACL, Earl Haig SS Library, TDSB Sandy Katz, Instructional Leader, ESL/ELD, TDSB Session 1808 Ontario Library Association Superconference, Feb 27, 2010

2. Workshop Focus • Relationships with ESL students • ESL curriculum and research tasks • Connections to a Research Model • Building a skills continuum with research assignments • Modifications and accommodations for ESL learners • Other Issues & Differentiated End Products

3. What does it mean….. ELL, ELD, ESL

4. Building Relationships The Library is a safe place T-L connects with many classes, subjects, grades Support students: Help with assignments, resources, avoiding plagiarism Support teachers: Help with assignments, resources, avoiding plagiarism Library as ESL advocate

5. Curriculum Rationale • “In ESL and ELD courses, students will develop their ability to pose questions and to explore a variety of answers to those questions” p.52 ESL and ELD Ontario Curriculum grades 9 -12 (2007) • “Inquiry is at the heart of learning in all subject areas.” p.52

6. Locating Information ESLAO, ESLBO, ESLCO: • Locate key information relating to the school and community in a variety of simple texts • Locate information for a variety of purposes in simplified or adapted informational and graphic texts selected in collaboration with the teacher-librarian • Locate information on classroom topics from appropriate research materials selected in consultation with the teacher-librarian, and acknowledge their sources

7. Extract & Organize Information ESLAO, ESLBO, ESLCO: • Extract and organize key facts from information texts designed or adapted for beginning learners of English • Extract information from informational and graphic texts designed or adapted for English language learners, and organize it using a graphic organizer • Extract information from a variety of sources and organize it using appropriate outlines and graphic organizers

8. Critical Thinking ESLAO, ESLBO, ESLCO: • Identify the sources of information used • Compare information from a number of sources on a topic for a classroom research assignment • Identify sources of information used and evaluate them for reliability and point of view

9. Inquiry & ESL Friendly Assignments • Teacher-librarian offers help with: • Creating or modifying the assignment • Finding resources at the right level • Co-teaching • Assessment

10. Library Resources • Elementary resources which can be modified to “hide” the junior audience • Sources with headings and graphics • Online encyclopedias and reference books • Online news articles (different levels) • Reluctant reader materials • Knowledge Ontario databases • Elementary KO resources • Recommended websites (pathfinders) • Public Library

11. Considerations with English Language Learners (ELL) • Support literacy skills in first language • Expect use of first language • Silent period • Opportunities to demonstrate what they know • Different end products, not always language based • Teach reading strategies (features of text) • Projects should support broad language acquisition • Move beyond mere copying to critical thinking • Providing resources as a way to focus students

12. What is school like in other places? Learning environment Role of teacher Type of learning - K/U Challenges with critical thinking Plagiarism issues

13. Research Model: have kids had this kind of teaching? A MODEL FOR INQUIRY Together for Learning: school libraries and the emergence of the Learning Commons a vision for the 21st century. OSLA. (2010)

14. Why a research model works for ELLs • Provides a structure or map for students • consistency and common language • transferable to all subjects and grade • framework for: • designing projects • developing skills • assessing & evaluating

15. Stage 1: Exploring(Preparing for Research) • Starts in the classroom • Introduce content • Introduce skills • Engage interest

16. ESL A Stage 1: Preparing The Animals Project: • Start with classroom activities about riddles & answer question about wolves • Students learn how to answer questions on a nonfiction topic using a graphic organizer • Engage interest using visuals which allow students to engage prior knowledge and to choose topics • Quick write (from the picture & prior knowledge) • Next step - research in the library

17. ESL BStage 1: Preparing The Unexplained Mysteries Project • In classroom read “Marie Celeste” • Practice writing and answering 5 W research questions • Brainstorm - what other unexplained mysteries do you know? • View slideshow of mystery topics • Guess what it is • What it’s called • What makes this a mystery • Choose 1 mystery to research in the library • Write research questions

18. ESLC: Stage 1 - Preparing Inventors and their Inventions Project • In classroom teacher introduces the inventor, Alexander Graham Bell • Use the question matrix to create questions about Bell under the headings: • The inventor • The process • The invention • Read a simple info text on Bell to find answers • Formative activity • View CBC Website - choose an invention

19. The Greatest Canadian Invention

20. Using the Research Process – Putting it into Context • Ensures students understand the research project • Activates student’s prior knowledge and higher level thinking skills • Acknowledges the need for accessible resources • Diminishes “cut and paste” research assignments • Teaches students a transferable skill

21. Using the Research Process – Putting it into Context con’t • High Yield strategies: • Questions, Cues, and Advance Organizers - 22% (Marzano) • Note-taking & Summarizing - 34% (Marzano) • Other than attendance, the greatest impact on student achievement comes from non-fiction writing (Reeves)

22. After Stage 1: A through C • Take some time to notice how the projects fits into the steps of the research process • Use the graphic organizer to identify the scaffolding of skills from level A to C

23. Modifications & Accommodations Working with ELL students who are not in ESL classes: adaptation = accommodations &/or modifications OR Differentiated Instruction (DI)…

24. What is Differentiated Instruction (DI) (Based on Carol Tomlinson’s model of differentiated instruction) Differentiated Instruction Content Process Product

25. ELL Considerations: Research in first language (background) Building literacy skills in both languages KO - translation MP3 A note about Wikipedia

26. Knowledge Ontario Gale Cengage - Virtual Reference Collection Science of Everyday Things

27. Writing Questions: Putting it into Context • Taps into students prior knowledge • Clarifies/reinforces knowledge and understanding • Provides a low-risk environment where ELLs can share ideas and participate in consensus-building tasks

28. Writing-to-learn strategy: Graffiti • Put students in groups of 3 • Choose from 6 WH charts to stand beside • Write research questions for the topic The Bermuda Triangle under your ‘wh’ heading • Every 3 minutes move to the next chart. • Read the questions on the chart and add your own. • Go back to where you started. Label the questions ‘thick’ and thin’. • Choose the three best questions and present them to the group.

29. Other Issues: Plagiarism How to minimize copy & paste responses • Answering questions, not general topics • Being engaged in the topic • Use of visuals to activating prior knowledge • Formative activities in the classroom • Student generated questions, not teacher • Monitor the process in stages (e.g. notes by source, storyboard planner)

30. Other Issues: Presentations Using Storyboard organizers to plan effective presentations • Why breaking down tasks is essential • How storyboarding works • Understanding the difference between slide content and spoken content • Plan first - use computer after

31. Different End Products • The process remains the same but the outcome can be different • Provide a situation - zoo guide, invention convetion • create a podcast to listen to at each station • Use comic life to publish your mystery on the web • Forest of Reading - class book club in wiki

32. White Pine Wiki tabs make navigation simple

33. The goals of the White Pine Award program: • promote reading for enjoyment • make students aware of Canadian issues addressed in young adult books • provide opportunities for students to discuss the nominated titles in an authentic, academic manner

34. Student responses “When you don’t feel the school and class environment, I think you feel more comfortable so you can share ideas easier.” “ We need to use formal English… we can’t use MSN language or swearing words. And it can correct our bad habits.”

35. Benefits of ESL-Library Relationship • Build student trust • Ongoing support, all subjects • Safe haven • Skill building, all grades • Access to technology • Support new & experienced teachers http://balancingacts.wordpress.com/

36. Reflection Framework #1 3 important ideas that I want to remember 2 things I would like to know more about 1 idea/strategy that I will implement with my students #2 The Exit Slip Strategy: Final Reflections OR

37. Thank you very much! ESL & Library - partners in student success