English Learners Monthly Update
March 2020
Reminder: Monthly ESOL Webinar Dates!
March 24th
April 28th
All webinars will start at 9:00 am!
Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://ksde.zoom.us/j/5561856948
Women's History Book Considerations
Seeds of Change
Irena's Jar of Secrets
Hiromi's Hands
Little Melba and Her Big Trombone
The Storyteller's Candle / La velita de los cuentos
In Her Hands
KELPA Updates!
Important KELPA Resources Available Now on the KS Website:
** Submitting Student Writing Samples for K and 1st grades**
KELPA Secure materials are housed inside the Educator Portal (HELP tab) in Kite.
Professional Development Resources from KS ESOL Cohort!
ESOL Paras in the Classroom
by BJ Smith and Allysson Gagne
Description:
How to effectively use ESL support in your classroom to best assist ELs
by Ashley Zoglmann and Diana Mendoza
Description:
An overview of how utilizing culturally relevant text with English Learners (ELs) aligns to the Guiding Principles of English Language Acquisition and Performance in the 2018 Kansas ELP Standards. This presentation also provides highlights of an example lesson that uses a culturally relevant text and differentiated student products that are aligned to various ELP Standards Proficiency Levels.
Follow Up Resources:
List of Culturally Relevant Texts
Wh-Writing Template
Wh-Writing Sentence Template
Sentence Frames
Digital Supports for Teaching ESOL Standards at the Middle School Level
by Amber Boyington and Stephanie Dalrymple
Description:
In this video, Google applications, including TourBuilder, Drawings, Classroom, Slides and Expeditions, will be showcased in order to inspire viewers to use these to support the reading, writing, speaking, and listening ESOL standards within the classroom setting. The projects presented in this video have been developed and implemented in real classrooms by teachers in Kansas serving ESOL students and examples of each of the final projects are given throughout the video.
Relevant, Meaningful, Interactive: Vocabulary Strategies for ELs
by Mary Casey and Joanna Schindel
Description:
This presentation describes a research-based approach to vocabulary instruction for English Learners, along with specific examples of activities to make interaction with new vocabulary accessible and meaningful.
Resources: Calderón Margarita, & Slakk, S. (2018). Teaching reading to English language learners, grades 6-12: a framework for improving achievement in the content areas. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, A Sage Company.
We Need You: Standards Setting Event!
We are recruiting members for our upcoming Kansas English Language Proficiency Assessment (KELPA) standard setting event and we need you! If you work with English Learners, we need your expertise to help us set standards for the new KELPA assessment that is being administered during the 2019-2020 school year.
Event dates: May 19-22, 2020
Event Location: Lawrence, Kansas
Who we want: K-12 educators and/or administrators who work with English Learner students.
Event details: Hotel accommodations will be provided to participants who live beyond 60 miles from Lawrence, mileage will be paid to all participants outside of Lawrence, and breakfast and lunch will be provided to participants. Participants may also be eligible to receive reimbursement for per diem after the event for any meals not provided.
How to let us know you want to participate.
To indicate your interest in participation, you will be using Kite® Survey Solutions. Kite Survey Solutions handles teacher surveys, student observations, and classroom environment questionnaires all in one product and is available on both mobile and web apps. It is free to all Kansas schools and you can find out more about Kite Survey Solutions by visiting the Kansas Assessment Program website.
Completing the Event Interest Form
When completing the form, items marked with a line to the left of the question and an asterisk to the right of the item are required. In some cases, you will be asked to enter a response or to select a response using a drop-down list. For questions including a drop-down list of responses, select the downward pointing arrow to the right of the question to show the responses available to you for the item. In the screenshot below, arrow 1, on the left, is an example of an entered response question and arrow 2, on the right, shows the downward pointing arrow indicating a drop-down list. When you finish, select SUBMIT at the bottom of the form. Selecting the SUBMIT button will close the form and take you back to the Collector Tool home screen. After the Collector Tool home screen appears, you may close the tool.
You do not need a username and/or password to complete this form.
Deadline for completing the Event Interest Form – extended to March 15th
Once we have closed the Event Interest Form, our team, along with KSDE, will narrow the list of potential participants to make sure we have a representative group from Kansas to participate in this event. Follow-up emails will be sent to everyone who expressed an interest in the event.
Select the following link to complete the form.
Opportunities for ELs
Ellevation Education Scholarship Program
Deadline to apply: March 16, 2020 3:00 pm CT
Ellevation has established a scholarship program to assist students who plan to continue their education in college or vocational school programs.
This program is administered by Scholarship America®, the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarship, tuition assistance and other education support programs for corporations, foundations, associations, and individuals. Awards are granted without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, age, gender, disability, or national origin.
Applicants of the Ellevation Education Scholarship Program must:
- High school seniors who have been enrolled as an English Language Learner (ELL) at some point during their K-12 education.
- Plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two-year or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school for the entire upcoming academic year.
For more details, click here.
MIDTESOL Student Essay Contest Announcement
Topics reflect the 2020 conference theme, "Community at a Crossroads: The Right to Education."
For more details about topics, rules and format, and eligibility, Click Here.
To apply, submit the essay and cover page to Lindsey Simanowitz by Friday, March 20, 2020 at 5 pm. You will receive confirmation that your submission was received, and winning recipients will be notified by Friday, April 3 at 5 pm. Essay winners will be also be announced in the summer edition of MIDTESOL Matters as well as at the #MIDTESOL20 conference in Des Moines October 2-3, 2020.
Kansas 911 PSA Video Contest
The Kansas 911 Coordinating Council is updating their statewide public service announcement regarding Text-to-911. This PSA is shared across the state and posted on their website for Emergency Communication Centers to utilize or for the public to view and learn about this technology. The Council is inviting Kansas students to participate in creating the updated PSA. Here is a letter explaining the contest and a list of 911 call summaries from 911 centers across the state who have taken successful text-to-911 calls.
Videos must be submitted to the Council by March 20, 2020.
**How awesome would it be to have our English Learners participate in this and possibly even include multiple languages! **
Books to Consider
Shi-Shi-Etko by Nicola I. Campbell
She spends her last days at home treasuring the beauty of her world -- the dancing sunlight, the tall grass, each shiny rock, the tadpoles in the creek, her grandfather's paddle song. Her mother, father and grandmother, each in turn, share valuable teachings that they want her to remember. And so Shi-shi-etko carefully gathers her memories for safekeeping.
We're All Wonders by R.J. Palacio
Escape from Aleppo by N.H. Senzai
Spotlight: Using Technology with ELs
One of my favorite aspects of integrating technology into instruction is the availability of resources to support students with different learning needs. Students who are struggling can benefit from the excitement and engagement offered by a tool like the iPad or Chromebook. Teachers of English Learners (ELs) can use technology to promote growth in their students.
*Please note that these are merely suggestions and are not required or sponsored by KSDE.
Here are few for you to consider:
News in Levels - This website (although advertisement heavy) provides various news articles, tests, jokes, and videos for students. This site also includes multiple levels specifically for English Learners.
Puku from Merriam-Webster- Puku enables students and teachers to quickly and easily create their own lists, dynamically populated with age-appropriate definitions from Merriam-Webster — making Puku the ideal companion to study for weekly quizzes and learn vocabulary for books, content units, and other curriculum.
www.dogonews.com- Current events articles connected to Common Core ELA, science, and social studies topics. Intended for students in grades K-12.
What will be our next EL Book Club Books?
Our second EL Book Club book will be:
ELL Frontiers: Using Technology to Enhance Instruction for English Learners by Andrea M. Honigsfeld
Beginning:
April 6, 2020
Discussions will take place weekly (beginning April15th on Wednesdays), online, for one hour with one of the book authors, Heather Parris!
Here is the link to the registration, https://events.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=939.
*Space is limited*
Nominate an Ellevation Educator of the Month
Ellevation Educator of the Month is an award given to an educator that goes above and beyond in supporting the needs of their multilingual students. Whether it’s creating personalized lessons that inspire students, bridging gaps between school and families, or positively impacting the lives of multilingual learners in remarkable ways, we want to celebrate your achievements.
Spotlight YOUR school/district!
If your school or district is doing something awesome that you want to share with others in Kansas, please send your pictures (with descriptions) to nprimm@ksde.org and I will spotlight your happenings in the next month's newsletter.
*In addition, if you would like to see something added to the newsletter, please send your suggestions to nprimm@ksde.org as well!
Professional Development: Online for Free!
Teaching Hope and Resilience for Students Experiencing Trauma
Tuesday, March 3, 2020 @ 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm EST
Presented by Dr. Doug Fisher, Professor of Educational Leadership, San Diego State University
Strategies for Busy Administrators to Raise EL Achievement
Monday, Mar. 9 @ 2 pm ET
Hosted by Tonya Ward Singer and Margarita Espino Calderón
NAELPA Success for SLIFE Webinar
March 10, 2020; 1:00pm ET to 2:30pm ET
Presenter: Carol Salva, Education Consultant and Author of Boosting Achievement; Reaching Students with Interrupted or Minimal Education
Register: //NAELPA.org/webinars (register for free)
Structured Literacy: Applying the Science of Reading in the Classroom
Monday, March 16, 2020 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm EDT
Presented by Dr. Suzanne Carreker, CALT-QI, Principal Educational Content Lead, Lexia Learning; and Julie Bertram, Principal Educational Content Lead, Lexia Learning
High-Impact Literacy Instruction for ELL Students
Wednesday, March 18, 2020 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm EDT
Presented by Shaelynn Farnsworth, Coach, Consultant, and Educator, Web20Classroom; Astrid Emily Francis, ESL Teacher, Concord High School, NC; and Bret Gosselin, District Facilitator for Sheltered Instruction, Garland Independent School District, TX
Every Student Every Day: A No-Nonsense Nurturer Approach to Reaching All Learners
Monday, March 23, 2020 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm EDT
Presented by Dr. Kristyn Klei-Borrero, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, CT3
Hosted by Jim McVety, Senior Advisor, CT3
Speech to Print: Language Essentials for Teaching Reading
Tuesday, March 31, 2020 @ 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm EDT
Presented by Louisa Moats, Ed.D., President, Moats Associates Consulting, Inc.
Test Prep for Endorsement Opportunities!
Test Prep Strategies for ESOL Endorsement
April 8, 2020
Girard, KS
9- 3pm
Cost: $125 for non-members, free to Title III Consortium members
Register here!
2020 KCA/KSCA Kansas Counselors Conference
Please join us for the 2020 KCA/KSCA Kansas Counselors Conference:
Follow The Yellow Brick Road To Success
at the
Hilton Garden Inn
Manhattan, Kansas
March 25th, 2020
KACES Pre-Conference
"What is Professional Competence: Ethical Considerations of Gatekeeping Among MHPs"presented by Brittany Dennis & Hassan Reeder, Emporia State University
March 26th, 2020
Feature Keynote: Dr. Reagan North, School Counselor
March 27th, 2020
Feature Keynote: Matthew Gallagher, LCPC
Registration and call for programs are open. Check out our website for more information!
Wednesday, Mar 25, 2020, 08:00 AM
Manhattan, KS, USA
TESOL International Convention 2020
The TESOL Convention offers professional development opportunities to English language educators at all levels from around the world. With 6,000 attendees and nearly 1,000 sessions, the convention has something for everyone. It’s been more than 10 years since the convention has been in Denver. Join us in Denver to see how much the city had changed and grown since we were there last, all the while maintaining it's ease of getting around and friendly, welcoming downtown.
For more information, click here.
Tuesday, Mar 31, 2020, 08:00 AM
Denver, CO, USA
Kansans Can Summer Workshops: Ignite 2020!
The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) and the Kansas Association of Education Service Agencies (KAESA) are collaborating to bring the most innovative and updated information to our workshops.
The workshops will be two days of rigorous professional development for teachers and administrators of all levels.
Each breakout room will focus on content-specific standards and innovative instructional practices, including: personalized learning, real-world application, and leading change.
Breakout options will include:
- Admin/Leadership
- History, Gov’t, SS
- Career & Tech Ed
- Math
- Early Childhood
- Physical Education
- English Language Arts
- Science
- Elementary K-3
- Social Emotional
- English Learners
- World Languages
- Fine Arts
Locations include:
June 16-17, 2020
Garden City High School
Garden City, KS
June 22-24, 2020
Eisenhower High School
Goddard, KS
July 14-15, 2020
Manhattan High School
Manhattan, KS
Tuesday, Jun 16, 2020, 09:00 PM
Kansas, USA
Kansas MTSS and Alignment Institute
As you are aware, Kansas Multi-Tier System of Supports and Alignment, as part of TASN, has been working with school districts across Kansas for well over a decade. We have never wavered from our mantra “All Means All” when it comes to equality and equity in curriculum and instruction for ALL Kansas students. While constantly analyzing data produced by schools implementing our framework and processes, we have been able to uncover the need for the development of instructional and collaborative leaders at all levels of our education system. For the past several years, we have talked to leadership experts from across the world about the idea of developing instructional leaders at the district, building and classroom levels and what that would “look like”. We have arrived at a partnership with Professor John Hattie, Dr. Peter DeWitt, Dr. Jenni Donohoo, Dr. Olivia Amador-Valerio, Tommy Thompson and others.
On September 22, 2020, Professor John Hattie and the Visible Learning team below will be in Salina, KS! Professor John Hattie will deliver TWO presentations during the morning and the Visible Learning team members will take attendees through the Visible Learning research, and assist them in learning about the five strands of Visible Learning, and identify the difference between influences that impact student learning. Examples of influences and their impact to be included: Instructional/Collaborative Leadership, Collective Teacher Efficacy, Teacher Clarity and Student Engagement.
This incredible learning opportunity is FREE to Kansas educators! The event will be held at Tony’s Pizza Event Center, 800 The Midway, Salina, KS. It will be an all-day event in the arena (no breakouts) with lunch on your own. There will be some lunch options at the event center or attendees may leave for lunch and return for the afternoon session.
Click here to register.
Tuesday, Sep 22, 2020, 08:00 AM
Salina, KS, USA
Approved Kansas Colleges and Universities Offering ESOL Endorsement Courses
Kansas is ALWAYS looking for more ESOL Endorsed teachers! If you know of anyone interested in obtaining their ESOL Endorsement, here are a list of partnering universities and colleges:
Benedictine College
Bethany College
Emporia State University*
Friends University
Newman University*
Fort Hays State University*
Ottawa University*
Kansas State University*
Pittsburg State University*
McPherson College
University of Kansas*
Mid-America Nazarene University*
Washburn University
Wichita State University
*indicates online option available
Nicole Primm, EL Program Consultant
Email: nprimm@ksde.org
Website: ksde.org
Location: 900 Southwest Jackson Street, Topeka, KS, USA
Phone: (785) 296-5060
Twitter: @Kansas_ELs