Beyond Fronteras
A Celebration of our ESC1 Bilingual Community: January 2021
On the Spotlight
¡Feliz Año Nuevo! We hope you had a relaxing time at home during your well-deserved winter break. Our Bilingual/ESL team at Region One ESC wants to wish you the best of the best this new year. We hope that all your 2021 wishes come true and that we are able to provide you with the support and guidance that can help you reach your professional goals!
We have so many things to highlight and celebrate in our beautiful border region! Please remember to send them our way so we can highlight them on our next newsletter. For now, we would like to highlight our amazing local student-musicians from McAllen High School: McHi Mariachi Oro, who didn't stop working during the break to bring to the community, and the whole world, beautiful musical videos!
Every single day that we interact with teachers, administrators, parents, and students in our region we are in awe of the wonderful opportunities all our schools offer our children. Let's keep the good work in 2021 and continue to be the leaders in education in the state and the nation!
¡Mil gracias y esperamos que disfruten este boletín!
KChapa :)
Creating Digital Anchor Charts in Flipgrid, by Claudia Coronado
As teachers deliver a lesson, they create a chart together with students, that captures the most important content and relevant strategies. Anchor charts build a culture of literacy in the classroom by making thinking visible. Teachers can use Flipgrid to create a virtual anchor chart.
To create a virtual lesson on Flipgrid with an “anchor chart” start by heading to the top bar in the educator dashboard and click on the Shorts tab.
Once in the Shorts recording window, begin by clicking on the photo sticker tool icon. This is the icon on the far right of the tool bar—the one that looks like a framed photo.
It will ask you to drop in or upload a photo from your device in either PNG or JPG format. Once your photo has been uploaded, it will become a free floating image on top of the recording screen.
While recording your lesson with your anchor chart, try using some of the other Flipgrid tools simultaneously:
Pause feature: Once recording has begun, the record button turns into a pause button. Use this to switch between various anchor charts in the same lesson. You can also use the pause feature to add multiple images at once.
Draw tool: Use the draw tool to live ink on an anchor chart to highlight a specific part of the chart or you can draw attention by circling text evidence. You can even use it to match two things together on the “page” or to take notes off to the side.
Text tool: Try using the text tool to “write” directly on top of your anchor chart. This is a great way for teachers to model their thinking for students and to work through problems “together”.
Multicultural Book Spotlight, by Dr. Lileana Ríos-Ledezma
“And that was the real truth of it, wasn't it? Whether you were visible or invisible, it was all about how other people reacted to you. Good and bad things happened either way. If you were invisible, bad people couldn't hurt you, that was true. But the good people couldn't help you, either. If you stayed invisible here, did everything you were supposed to and never made waves, you would disappear from the eyes and minds of all the good people out there who could help you get your life back. It was better to be visible. To stand up. To stand out.”
― Alan Gratz, Refugee
~ ESL CORNER ~
Give One Take One, by Claudia Coronado
Give One Take One is a routine to encourage students to listen closely to one another, contribute to others' ideas, and tune in to a variety of perspectives. The essential structure of this instructional strategy is to create a process of group brainstorming and sharing ideas, engaging students with one another. The process of sharing ideas and then explaining, justifying, or connecting those shared ideas helps students to deepen their understanding. Moreover, the processing of ideas at the close of this routine helps students to form connections, look for similarities and differences, and form a larger conceptual framework.
Teacher poses a question or offers a topic for exploration and students individually generate several responses.
Teacher describes what students will explain or discuss when they share ideas with each other.
Students stand up, connect with a peer, and listen to one another's initial responses. Each student then “gives” a new idea for their partner's initial list, elaborating the importance of this addition.
Students find a new partner and repeat the process for the preset number of times or the predetermined length of time.
Ritchhart, Ron,Church, Mark. The Power of Making Thinking Visible (Kindle Locations 1316-1317). Wiley. Kindle Edition.
~ LA ESQUINA BILINGÜE ~
ALMOST TELPAS TIME! Tips for Bilingual Teachers, by Niranda Flores
It’s almost that time of year when English learners demonstrate their English proficiency in each of the four language domains by participating in the TELPAS assessment. In an effort to help you continue supporting your English learners, below are two simple routines addressing Speaking and Writing that you can easily incorporate into your classroom. Keep in mind that Speaking and Writing are both expressive language and require some type of input or stimulus in order to generate a response.
Speaking: Comparing and Contrasting Images
As a bell ringer, display two images and ask your students to find two similarities and two differences. Have the students write down their response using complete sentences. If needed, incorporate a framework to support beginners and intermediates. Once finished, call on a few students to share their responses out loud. In addition, at least one time a week, allow your students an opportunity to practice recording and listening to their responses by using a platform such as Flipgrid. *Challenge: ask your students to try to find similarities and differences that go beyond what their eyes can see.
Writing: Diagramming Writing
Every time your students engage in a writing assignment allow them an opportunity to reflect over their writing by asking them to diagram it. The more they practice this activity, the more they will become conscious writers. When you ask them to diagram writing samples, depending on their current writing level, students can be asked to identify and highlight one or more of the following: complete sentences, adjectives, compound sentences, transitional words, past tense verbs, complex sentences, academic vocabulary, idioms, etc. This activity will also serve as an informal assessment for writing skills. *Connection: the written responses generated in the speaking activity above can also be diagrammed.
~ SELF-CARE CORNER ~
Because CARING begins with YOU! Establishing a Morning Ritual By Niranda Flores
Happy New Year 2021! After a year like 2020, you are probably looking forward to better days ahead. With this in mind, remember that IT BEGINS WITH YOU! You can not give light from a place of darkness. So no matter what your new year’s resolution is, continuing to practice self-care will allow you to embark in a healthier journey.
¿Sabías que...?
English vs Spanish, por Lileana Ríos-Ledezma, PhD
It is a matter of common knowledge that the Spanish and English language have distinctive linguistic rules. Some of the differences, when we explore the levels of language, including phonology, syntax and grammar, are apparent and highly visible. For example, “b” and “v” are two distinct letters and basic units of sound in English; in Spanish; however, “b” and “v” are typically both pronounced as /b/. In the Spanish language, dialogue is identified by utilizing “a dash” instead of quotation marks as is customary in the English language. Still, when we move beyond comparing the two at the discourse level and into a contrastive analysis of cross-cultural differences in the norms of social interaction, we begin to understand why English speakers and Spanish speakers may find themselves at odds with each other or lost in translation.
Communication in English is often described as more direct, linear, and because of established social expectations, English speakers tend to “get to the point faster” and use fewer words (Beeman & Urow, 2013). Communication in Spanish is described as circular, descriptive, and as if one is “echándole mucha crema a los tacos.” While neither language is better than the other; teachers should employ the use of The Bridge to draw students’ attention to cross-cultural differences as they engage in variety texts, environment, and in the world.
Understanding the differences in cultural norms helps clarify social interactions, critical academic contexts, and attitudes towards knowledge. The American academic context focuses on learner independence, analytical skills, the ability to question, and critique knowledge, whereas Spanish-speaking countries place less emphasis on these skills. Strong story-telling practices, the ability to recite poetry with intonation and emotion at family gatherings and events is highly valued by Spanish-speaking countries, where this is not normally practiced in American culture.
When educators skillfully use The Bridge and authentically discuss these cross-cultural differences in the classroom, our students will be able to successfully navigate the two languages in a variety of contexts and engage with Spanish and English speakers alike without feeling “lost in translation.”
~ BILINGUAL DIRECTORS CORNER ~
New Year! New Challenges!
New TEA EL Support Website
Upcoming TELPAS Webinars
Four webinar training opportunities will be available to provide an overview of the STAAR Alternate 2, TELPAS, and TELPAS Alternate Assessment Management System and to help districts prepare for the spring 2021 administrations. The webinars include information about key changes and dates.
Each webinar will be offered at two different times, with the same information offered each time. Each registrant will receive a link for the live presentation. The webinars only support data-based audio (VOIP) and do not support dialing in by phone. It is recommended that the webinar be presented from a conference room where others may view it. A recorded version of the webinar trainings will be posted for districts to share with other staff, as needed.
Select a date below and follow the instructions in the link to register.
STAAR Alternate 2 and TELPAS Alternate
10:00–11:30 a.m. (CT)
10:00–11:30 a.m. (CT)
TELPAS and TELPAS Online Training Center
2:00–3:30 p.m. (CT)
2:00–3:30 p.m. (CT)
Call for English Learner Methods
Title III Courses Now Available at ESC1
Bilingual/ESL Preparation Certification Sessions Now Available
Attend one of our upcoming ESL Supplemental, Bilingual Supplemental, and/or BTLPT
Preparation Sessions! If teachers attend the session with a Special Ed teacher, or if they are a Special Ed teacher themselves, they can use code "SpEd" when asked for a PO and attend for free!
EL Program Implementation Institutes
Come join us for a FREE series of sessions on how to utilize the EL Program Implementation Resources created by the Texas Education Agency to improve your transitional bilingual, dual language, and ESL program models! Just choose your program model and register today!
WS# 172063 Transitional Bilingual
WS# 171962 Dual Language
WS# 172169 ESL
~ UPCOMING EVENTS ~
- WS# 164931 Title III ESL TExES Preparation Session: January 12, 2021
- WS#169333 ESL TExES Test Preparation for SpEd Teachers: January 13, 2021
- WS# 169334 Bilingual TExES Preparation for SpEd Teachers: January 13, 2021
- TEA EL Support Division Zoom Meeting: January 15, 2021 9-11AM
- WS# 154102 January Bilingual Directors Meeting with TEA: January 21, 2021
- RGV-TABE Conference: January 22-23, 2021
- WS# 167707 New Teacher Academy: Spring 2020 (see attached flyer for more information)
- WS# 167758 Mentoring and Coaching Academy: Spring 2020 (see attached flyer for more information)
Contact Us
Karina E. Zuno-Chapa, M.Ed.
Director of Language Proficiency, Biliteracy, and Cultural Diversity
956-984-6246
Claudia Coronado, M.Ed.
Bilingual/ESL Specialist
956-984-6246
Niranda Flores, M.Ed.
Bilingual/ESL Specialist
956-984-6158
Lileana Ríos-Ledezma, PhD
Bilingual/ESL Specialist
956-984-6153
Diana Gonzalez
Program Assistant
956-984-6238
Email: kchapa@esc1.net
Website: www.esc1.net/bilingual
Location: 1900 West Schunior Street, Edinburg, TX, USA
Phone: 956-984-6246
Facebook: facebook.com/ESC1Bilingual
Twitter: @esc1bilingual