ELLs Need to Do, Not Watch! A broader approach to literacy for English Language Learners By Andrew Oaklund

Do you recognize these classrooms Do you recognize these classrooms? They represent two very different visions of learning

What gives? According to Sluys and Rao, the main difference: a more teacher-centered approach (traditional) versus a more student-centered approach (modern) One approach sees teachers as agents of the classroom, with their job being to elicit correct answers from students The other sees students as agents of the classroom, able to mold their identities, environment and learning

What does this have to do with literacy? As we've talked about in class, literacy is more than decoding The traditional, teacher-centered approach is more about decoding – getting the right answer to surface questions about a text The more student-centered approach looks deeper into issues of reader identity, background knowledge, and strategies and resources

What does this have to do with ELLs? ELLs have a special challenge in that English is not their first language It is much easier to teach them to decode than to truly become literate Yet today, true literacy is more important than ever Students must be able to go beyond the surface and get a deeper understanding of texts

What can teachers do? “Students need rich, rigorous, and real opportunities for learning.” Good scaffolding, as we've covered in class Peer groupings, especially writing workshops Inquiry learning Go beyond answers and have students elaborate using complex explanations (these can be visual!)

Conclusion Remember, that as teachers we teach more than content We model what adults are like for the students as well as what the adult world is like, and literacy is a massive part of being a person in that world How many classrooms have you been in which modeled the adult world well?

Questions or comments?