Interaction SIOP Chapter 6

The SIOP Model of Sheltered Instruction Lesson Preparation THE SIOP MODEL Review and Assessment Building Background Lesson Delivery Compre-hensible Input Memorize: L B C / S I P/ LA nonsense sentence: little boys can sip (in) LA Practice and Application Strategies Interaction

Interaction F16: Frequent Opportunities for Interaction F17: Grouping Configurations F18: Wait Time F19: Clarify Concepts in L1

Content Objective: Language Objectives: I will identify the reasons for promoting student to student interactions. I will identify activities/grouping configurations that promote student to student interactions. Language Objectives: I will discuss with a partner the purposes of student to student interactions and grouping configurations I can use to promote student to student interactions. Write About: Write a group paragraph discussing the reasons and grouping configurations that promote student to student interactions.

Background Studies have indicated that, in most classrooms, teachers dominate the linguistic aspect of the lesson, leaving students severely limited in terms of opportunities to use language… “When students were given an opportunity to respond, it usually involved only simple information-recall statements…” Turn and Talk: Do you agree? Can you think of examples where this might be the case?

So… “For students learning English, teachers must create ample opportunities to practice using academic language, not simply social uses of language.”

Opportunities for Interaction “Effective teachers structure their lessons in ways that promote student discussion and they strive to provide a more balanced linguistic exchange between themselves and their students.”

Opportunities for Interaction “It can be particularly tempting to teachers to do most of the talking when students are not completely proficient in their use of English, but these students are precisely the ones who need opportunities to practice using English the most.”

Opportunities for Interaction Help students to extend and elaborate on their responses. Use techniques that will take students beyond simple yes or no answers and short phrases. For example:

Opportunities for Interaction “Tell me more about that.” “What do you mean by…” “What else…” “How do you know?” “Why is that important?” “What does that remind you of?” “In other words...is that accurate?” (Remember to pause long enough to give students a chance to process the language demands.)

Opportunities for Interaction First, encourage students to completely express their thoughts; do not accept partial and/or mumbled answers. Second, resist the temptation to answer for students and to complete their incomplete or mumbled answers.

Opportunities for Interaction Opportunities need not always be oral. Students can interact with teachers through dialogue journals, sharing ideas and learning from the teacher, who is able to model appropriate writing. Emails and other forms of electronic communication are great.

Grouping Configurations Effective sheltered classes are characterized by a variety of grouping structures, including individual work, partners, triads, small groups of four or five, cooperative learning groups, and whole-group. Using a variety of grouping structures helps to maintain student interest, and increases the chances that a student’s preferred mode of instruction will be matched. Try to use two structures with each lesson.

With your partner, turn and talk: Discuss the reasons for promoting student to student interaction Discuss ways to promote student to student interaction in the classroom.

Write About: Quickly get into a group of four As a group, you will write paragraphs describing the reasons for promoting student to student interaction. Each person will write a topic sentence, e.g. There are many reasons why a teacher should promote student to student interaction. Give your paper to the person on your left. Add a detail sentence. Give your paper to the person on your left. Add a second detail sentence. Give your paper to the person on your left. Add a concluding sentence. Choose one paragraph from the group to share with the class.

In Summary Remember, It is critical that students speak academic English regularly during instruction. Learn to teach so that every student is speaking or writing (using expressive language) the language of instruction—that is, using the academic words of the content you are studying—at least two times during each lesson.

Wait Time Wait time is the length of time teachers wait for students to respond before interrupting, answering a question themselves, or calling on someone else to participate.

Wait Time The amount of wait time that is appropriate can differ from culture to culture. However, it is clear that in most classrooms, teachers do not allow sufficient time for students to process their answer in a different language.

Wait Time There is professional decision-making necessary to balance appropriate wait time and the need to keep a nice steady pace of instruction.

Wait Time Try supporting students by doing things such as… “50-50” Give students two answers, let them choose which one is correct, then have them justify their answer in English. “Ask a Friend” Let students ask anyone in the class to help them with the answer, then make sure the first student asks gives the final answer in English.

Clarify Key concepts in L1 It is appropriate to clarify key concepts in Kiribati. However, be sure to have students restate the answers or issues in English. The use of students’ first language is a support strategy, not the first language of instruction.

Content Objective: Language Objectives: I will identify the reasons for promoting student to student interactions. I will identify activities/grouping configurations that promote student to student interactions. Language Objectives: I will discuss with a partner the purposes of student to student interactions and grouping configurations I can use to promote student to student interactions. Write About: Write a group paragraph discussing the reasons and grouping configurations that promote student to student interactions.

Interaction: Assignment Choose a lesson plan you will be teaching in the next week. Include two different grouping structures to provide students the opportunity to interact with each other. Teach the lesson. Write a one paragraph reflection stating How the students respond? Were the learning objectives met? How do you know? If you were to teach the lesson again, what would you do differently? Turn in a copy of the lesson plan and the reflection to Sister Rasmussen. Due Thurs. July 4, 2013