ELLs in the Spotlight Collaborating with ESL Teachers to Support English Language Learners in the School Library

Presentation to NMLA Annual Conference November 3, 2017 Dianne Dragoo and Susan Langner Albuquerque High School https://ahslib.com/

APS Facts and Figures 15% of students in APS are English language learners. Of this number, Spanish is the home language for 95%+. Other home languages include Vietnamese, Arabic, Chinese, Swahili, and Russian.

English Model Sheltered instruction is an approach to teaching English language learners which integrates language and content instruction. The dual goals of sheltered instruction are to provide access to mainstream, grade-level content, and to promote the development of English language proficiency.

Bilingual Models Two-way Dual-Language Immersion: is designed to develop bilingualism and biliteracy in English and home language for both English-speaking and minority language students. Maintenance: is designed to develop and maintain proficiency and literacy in the home language and English. Transitional: is designed to transfer students from home language instruction to an all-English curriculum. Enrichment: is designed to further develop the home language of fully English proficient students and to teach the cultures of the state.

ELL Considerations English language learners are faced with the challenge of learning a new language and culture while also studying subjects like science, math, English language arts, etc. This can be an incredibly daunting task - even for the strongest of students who have consistent schooling and can demonstrate good literacy in their first language. Langer de Ramirez, Empowering English Language Learners with Tools from the Internet

ELL Considerations English language learners acquire social language (BICS) within the first two years of exposure to English. It takes five to seven years to develop cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP), also known as academic language.

ELL Considerations Success in strong oral language skills depends on immersion in an academic setting with: A focused environment visual aids use of vocabulary words in context use of meaningful sentences with multiple repetition of keywords and giving students opportunities to express themselves

Why Technology? Students are expected to know and be able to use basic technology in school, i.e. word processing, searching the Internet, etc. Many ELLs lack home computers and the opportunity to practice new skills outside of school. Technology uses a frozen language to which ELLs require consistent exposure.

Why Technology? Technology tools work best when students are active learners - when they are asked to develop, create, and share their work. According to the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, it is crucial that students become creators - not just passive consumers - of knowledge.

Why Technology? Especially in the early stages of learning English, technology tools provide a safer, more controlled, and anonymous space in which to practice the language. For example, when creating videos or audio files, they can practice, record, and re-record until they are satisfied. Technology is a great way to motivate, excite, and connect with our students!

Examples of Lessons Shelfies Rate-a-Book Comic Creator Pathfinders Podcasts

Shelfies Library Orientation Vocabulary Introduction Scavenger Hunt Shelfie-style

Visual of vocabulary matching quiz

Shelfie checklist

Rate-a-Book Books on tables or a cart - high-interest, low reading level (eg., books from Orca) Post-It note with student name, title, author, stars for rating After students read their books, they rate them with one, two, or three stars. Graphic with titles and numbers of stars (by period)

Photo of books on table

Comic Creator Students create comic strips as a literature response to the book they read in the rate-a-book lesson. Students create backgrounds, characters and props, and compose dialogue to describe the book’s characters, problem, and resolution.

Research Pathfinders Pathfinders organize resources from a variety of formats and sources in one location. Because the sources are carefully selected and evaluated by the librarian, pathfinders provide students with a simple mechanism for finding and using good quality, academic resources. The librarian may demonstrate special features of the sources, such as modifying the reading level, using a built-in dictionary, and using a text-to-speech option to listen to the article being read while silently reading along.

Podcasts When students create their own podcasts, not only are they developing and practicing their speaking and listening skills, they are learning important technology skills. As with all students, podcasts help ELL students to build community and provide an authentic audience for their learning. ELL students can especially feel the need to belong to a community.

Podcasts Especially in the early stages of learning English, technology tools provide a safer, more controlled, and anonymous space in which to practice the language. For example, when creating podcasts, students can practice, record, and re-record until they are satisfied.

This I Believe Podcast

Works Cited APS website- http://www.aps.edu/ Colorin Colorado - http://www.colorincolorado.org/ Ramirez, Lori Langer de. Empower English Language Learners with Tools from the Web. Corwin, 2010. Read Write Think - http://readwritethink.org/