What I've learned...

Overall, the experience of following other professionals and organizations on Twitter and blogger has been very helpful, yet overwhelming. There are so many great ideas and sites out there, that it becomes difficult to sort what to use and what not to use. In terms of following other teachers and their blogs, I have found that there are so many great ideas out there and it's somewhat refreshing to see what people outside of the district you're working in are doing. I've already adopted several ideas from one of the blogs for this coming Fall.

With the Twitter pages, I have found the sites that post current trends and news stories in the field of education to be helpful as well. I think it's very easy to get in deep with you own district or state that it becomes easy to neglect what other states are doing. It's nice to take a few minutes each week just to check out what's going on around the country in education news. I've particularly enjoyed reading what's going on in the world of RTI from the Twitter page. Because this is becoming such a huge national trend, I feel that it's also my responsibility to educate myself so that I can be better prepared for what's to come in the future.

Digital Jumpstarts to support English Language Learners

In the past, English Language Learners were actually given time to acclimate themselves to their new school environment and fully participate in the classroom as they felt ready. Unfortunately, those days are gone and from day one, both teachers and ELLs are expected to be engaged in challenging academic content and language from day one. This article offers great ways in which teachers can better prepare students for their acquisition of academic language and vocabulary. Because this learning needs to be so rapid, the author suggests that "it is critical that we seek innovative and effective skill improvement approaches that increase the rapidity of content literacy development while simultaneously developing the four language skills of writing, reading, listening and speaking."

One of the ways to do this is by customizing digital story documentaries to scaffold reading in the content or academic areas. Because the teachers are the ones creating these documentaries, they have complete control of the images and other multimodal resources, these digital stories can be tailored not only to the content but to the needs of the student as well. The difference between "JumpStart" Digital Stories and a traditional Digital Story is that JumpStart activities activate prior knowledge, builds schema and background, introduces vocabulary and previews the content material that will appear in assigned readings for the student. Therefore, instead of using a Digital Story as a culminating feature or assignment, JumpStart activities support pre-reading strategies and knowledge for students and better prepare them for the readings/content that lieas ahead.

Who do I follow and why?

As a new teacher, following experienced teachers on sites such as Twitter and their own personal blogs is a great way to get ideas for the classroom, instructional practices and see what other professionals are doing in the field outside of my own district. Joining Twitter became overwhelming as I kept stumbling across familiar names and organizations in the field. Because I teach first grade bilingual education, I tried to follow others on Twitter that provided information on language acquisition, bilingual materials, reading instruction, etc. Here are a few of the Twitter sites I have chosen to follow:

• Reading Rockets - I chose to follow this site because of the information it offers on teaching reading and writing. In particular, I came across an article that would be very useful for parents, titled "Raising a Reader." This article talks about the importance of reading to your child as soon as possible and offers tips for parents. I think this would be a great article to discuss with or give to parents and help them support their young readers at home.
• Florida Literacy Coalition - I chose this Twitter user because I have used materials in the past from their website. I came across the link to their Literacy Resource Page which provides links to reviewed wesites relating to all different topics in education (ESOL, Math, Reading, etc.)
• National Center on Response to Intervention - With RTI being the new push in school to support students with meeting academic standards, I thought it would be a good idea to educate myself on what's going on in the world of RTI. I came across several documents and links which proved helpful in determining which interventions would best support certain students.
  
• Colorin Colordao - This user is great for parents, teachers and administrators. It offers bilingual resources for anyone and everyone working with ELLs. I found the link "Tips for Teachers Working with ELLs" to be especially helpful and would be a great document for all teachers, whether trained or not, in working with ELLs.
• Scholastic Teach - I love all of the polls and open questions that are posted on this site. For example, Scholastic Teach poses the questions - "Educators, what are you doing this summer to prepare?" I think it's insightful to hear from educators all over the nation to see what else is going on.
• Bilingal Planet - A great source for bilingual teachers or Spanish teachers of any age students. This site offers pdfs of songs, stories and other resources in Spanish and English that are ready to be used in the classroom.
  

I have also come across some great blogs during my searches that have given me some great ideas that I've already started preparing for use this fall. Here are the people/bloggers I'm currently subscribed to:

1. TESOL - In the News Blog - follows current issues and stories related to bilingual education and TESOL. This site is the blog site from tesol.org and has a lot of up to date information related to what is going on all over the nation in relation to ELLs, TESOL and bilingual education.
2. First Grader...At Last! - Awesome blog! I can't say enough about the ideas and resources that this first grade teacher has posted on her blog. She has helpful links, center ideas just to name a few. Check her out :)
3. Mrs. Kilbourn's Kiddos - if you need an idea for something in your classroom, this website most likely has it. This teacher has blogged about bulletin boards, thematic units, lesson plans, etc. Very, very helpful!
4. Education Week - Learning the Language - up to date news stories from the world of teaching ELLs. This site is easy to follow and breaks the information down into categories for easy navigating.
   
5. Beginning Reading Help - This blog is great for teachers looking for ideas with their struggling readers and young writers. The blog has great ideas for all sorts of topics related to early literacy.
   

English Language Learners generally come to school nervous and apprehensive about not only having to learn a new language, but being in a new, unknown environment. The author of this article, Jan Lacina, suggests that technology is a great way to bridge the gap for English Language Learners in any environment and any classroom. Lacina, a former ESOL teacher from inner-city Dallas states that while working as an ESOL teacher, she needed software that met the students' diverse cultural and linguistic needs. Because so many of her students came from different backgrounds, she found that technology created a common teaching technique in which students felt motivated and comfortable to learn. Lacina also believes that using the computer is one way that teachers can support Vygotsky's communicative theory of learning and can provide an environment in which learning is authentic and activities are interesting for the students.

Lacina suggests some easy ways to integrate technology into the ESOL or General Education classroom:

• Discussion Boards - encourage students to collaborate with others and participate in experiential learning experiences.
• Internet Chat Sessions - provides an authentic means of communication especially for shy or introverted students
• Web Quests
  

iPods & English Language Learners

Who would have thought that using an iPod in the classroom would have research that supports its benefits for use with English Language Learners. This article, titled "iPods and English Langauge Learners: A Great Combination," highlights both the uses and benefits of using current technologies such as iPods in the classroom to support English Language Learners while improving their familiarity with the culture and school system they're entering.

Current research on using such technology in the classroom suggests that students would be able to record and listen to lectures at their own pace with the ability to replay a particular section to improve comprehension. Studies also suggest that the use of iPods and such recording devices can allow for teachers to listen to themselves and in turn, evaluate their own delivery of material. I found this to be particularly important because in order to be the most effective teacher possible, time needs to be spent on reflecting on current practices.

What I found to be especially interesting about this reading, is the section on students' opinions towards technology and what types of activities they would like to engage in. Some responses included:

- watching and listening to the news on the iPod
- using the computer to sound out words and listen/review them on the iPod
- record stories read aloud and listen to them on the iPod to practice fluency and accuracy with reading
- listen to music to learn idioms, slang, expressions, etc.


Link to full text article

Using Technology to Develop a Home/School Connection for ELLS

For most English Language Learners, the students' native language is almost always the dominant language used for communication purposes in the household. Depending on the program structure of the student, this poses a challenge for the student when he or she is asked to complete an assignment completely in English. More specifically, if the student needs assistance with the task, both the student and the parent may struggle with the language or text of the assignment. This article from the Journal of Multicultural Education suggests ways in which technology or Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) can help both student and parent to complete assignments and collaboratively practice English skills without the frustration of looking up every other word in the dictionary.

Computers can provide students with a wide range of supports ranging from the development of writing skills to vocabulary instruction. When used correctly, CAI can support and supplement the curriculum being used, while offering ELLs alternative approaches to content instruction.

What I found to be most effective about this article is the "Activities to Encourage Parent Involvement with School Activities" section which offers bulleted activities or suggestions for supporting parental involvement in your classroom or school. The authors of the article suggest that through the use of computers, whether it be using e-mail, websites, webquests, programs, etc., students, parents and teachers have more opportunities for open communication and collaboration, which in turn, supports students' language development and overall academic achievement.

Link to full text article by Green (2005)

Colorin Colorado - Bilingual Website for teachers and parents

WebQuests for English Language Learners

Providing any learner with the opportunity to explore a WebQuest provides a unique experience that builds upon background knowledge and offers students a way to work collaboratively with their peers. This article suggests that current WebQuests available on the internet, for example, can benefit English Language Learners if modified and customized to meet the specific needs of the students.

What is a WebQuest, you may be asking yourself? A WebQuest are internet-based learning units which foster collaborative problem solving and interactions in which students may work on a task with their peers. At the completion of most WebQuests, students are asked to create a culminating project or outcome.

WebQuests support students in synthesizing knowledge and working collaboratively with peers. With English Language Learners, this experience offers many opportunities for oral language development and provides them with the visual and aural stimulation, which results in more comprehensible input. Students learning English experience the greatest success when language skills and competencies are combined and taught through academic content. As a result, students are not being withheld content simply based on their language level. Because the use of WebQuests incorporate documentaries, realia, films and other realistic content, students are building content knowledge as well as English skills. The authors suggest following a rubric to evaluate whether or not a current WebQuest is suitable for use with English Language Learners. This rubric, attached in the article, suggests that in order to be highly effective, WebQuests should include appropriate Linguistic features, Multimedia, and an organizational format that is easy for student to navigate. Most importantly, the web sites included in the WebQuest would be most effective (depending in the student's level of proficiency) if native-language information was available.

Link to full article by Sox & Rubinstein-Avila (2009)

Helpful WebQuests available for use