English Learners Monthly Update
February 2019
Valentine's Day with ELs
FluentU offers some pretty easy and neat ways to engage your ELs in this holiday! It can be as simple as doing a vocabulary lesson, using poetry or even having your more advanced
student(s) present on this holiday. The possibilities are endless!
*These are simply suggestions and are not required by KSDE
Spotlight: Using Technology with ELs
Our first priority when teaching ELs is not to develop their English, but to develop their confidence. Technology simply aids with confidence building!
Teachers of English Learners (ELs) can use technology to promote growth in their students. Please know that these are merely suggestions and are not required or sponsored by KSDE.
Here are few for you to consider:
Talking Points
Talking Points allows teachers to enter a message in English in their dashboard. The message is sent and translated into a language you have selected for the family as a text message. They respond in their language, and it is sent back to your dashboard in English. There are over 20 + languages that families can choose from! EL teachers or lead teachers can be point of contact and share information about multiple subjects if needed
Some benefits:
YouTube Read Aloud Book Videos for Kids
- Provides them with a model of fluent reading.
- Allows them to consume content above their reading level (since they can listen at a higher level than they can read).
- Shows them the connection between the written word and its meaning.
- Teaches them the narrative structure of a story or book.
- Helps develop a love of stories, books, and reading that can carry on into the rest of their lives.
Although there is no substitute for reading in person to a child, there are still many benefits from using technology to show videos of people reading stories.
On this site, there are many suggestions of YouTube channels and playlists that provide videos of books being read aloud for children. Click here for more resources.
Buncee
Spotlight: Strategies for ELs
Scrabble- One way to work on English Language proficiency skills is by playing a good ol' fashion game of Scrabble! Provide students with a dictionary, one in English and one in their native language (if possible) and watch them thrive! You could also extend by having them use the word in a complete sentence.
Hedbanz- My former students loved this game and they didn't even realize that I was assessing their speaking skills while having fun! This game is great for answering and asking questions. Students ask things like, "Am I a mammal?" or "Can I swim?" Other students answer in a complete sentence: "No, you are not a mammal." Students can use a picture dictionary to help narrow their guessing, if needed.
Word Sorts- A hands on way to help ELs learn new vocabulary is through sorts. This allows ELs to show their knowledge even if they are not yet able to produce the vocabulary on their own. It is relatively simple to scaffold for students at different language proficiency levels. Students can sort pictures, words, phrases, or sentences. There are open sorts, closed sorts, spelling sorts and concept sorts.
*Sentence Stems (from The Teacher Toolkit)-This technique gives students the opportunity to respond in the form of a complete sentence to effectively communicate. Sentence stems provide scaffolding to help students get started in speaking or writing without the added pressure of thinking about how to correctly formulate a response. This strategy can be used in math, ELA, science, social studies, etc.
*Repeated from last month
Professional Development: EL Book Club
I invite you to join our first, statewide, English Learners Book Club! In March, we will begin reading Tonya Ward Singer's book, EL Excellence Every Day. This book has received remarkable reviews and I think you will enjoy it too! With this book, there are tons of teaching strategies right at your fingertips! This reading opportunity is extended to everyone who is in education. This book is much more than a resource for EL specialists, EL Excellence Every Day is written for every teacher, with a singular focus on improving the ways we all differentiate literacy instruction.
*Materials will have to be purchased at participant's expense, but this will be a resource I am sure you will use over and over again!
*Title III funds may used for books geared toward professional development.
If you will be joining us in reading EL Excellence, please introduce yourself on our Flipgrid below!
Professional Development at Service Centers
EL Simulation: A Day in the Life of an English Language Learner
with Maria Ortiz-Smith
February 21, 2019
8:30 am - 2:30 pm
at the Southwest Plains Conference Center
810 W. Lark Avenue, Sublette Click here to register
LETRS Module 2: Speech Sounds English: Phonics Phonology & Phoneme Awareness
Tue, Feb 12, 2019
9:00 AM — 3:30 PM
in Hays, Kansas at 2707 Vine St, Ste #17
For more information or to register, click here
The Science of Reading Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, and the Reading Foundational State Standards
Presented by Cynthia Hadicke, KSDE
February 28th
9am- 2pm
1104 E. 1000 Road Lawrence, KS at Lawrence Gym
Click here to register
Professional Development: Online for Free!
5 Practical Steps to Scaffold Lessons for English Learners
Wednesday, February 13, 2019 @ 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm EST
Presented by Diane Staehr Fenner and Heather Anderson Register here
Accelerate Learning for the Unique Needs of Your ELLs!
Wednesday, February 20, 2019 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm EST
Presented by Aida Allen-Rotell, Adjunct Professor of Teacher Education, San Diego State University, CA Register Here
English Learners in STEM Subjects: Large-Scale and Classroom-Level Assessment
by the National Academies of Sciences, Medicine and Engineering
Feb 22, 2019 11:00 AM
Click here to register
Worth Repeating: All Things KELPA2
** Update from the Kite Service Desk:
After continued feedback from the field regarding the drag and drop item issue on the KELPA2 assessment using the iPad, ATS recommends that, if possible, one of the other three supported devices (Chromebook, Windows, or Mac) be used to complete KELPA2 testing while we research this matter further. We will provide an update to the field should this recommendation change. We are sorry for any inconvenience this has caused. **
Here are some things for you to keep in mind as we approach the KELPA2 testing window:
KELPA2 Materials and Documents Items posted on www.ksassessments.org
• KELPA2 Examiner’s Manual
• KELPA2 Scoring at A Glance Document
• KELPA2 Kite Scoring Manual – how to Assign Scorers, Monitor Scoring completions, Scoring Responses, Uploading Scoring Results
• Kansas Assessment Program Educator Portal Manual for District Test Coordinators
Items posted inside the Kite Educator Portal on the HELP tab
• KELPA2 training PowerPoint
• Grade specific Administration and Scoring Materials
• Interactive demo logins
Monitored/Transitional ESOL students:
Students on monitored and transitional status will NOT be allowed to take the KELPA2. If you are having trouble uploading test records to KIDS it is because KSDE will not allow those students to be signed up for the KELPA.
Who can do the scoring?
KSDE recommends that it should be a licensed person for both administration and scoring
Current Happenings/ Upcoming Events
Strangers in Town, tells the story of how global migration unexpectedly transformed and enriched Garden City, Kansas. It brought great challenges to the community, including demands for housing, social services, education, and infrastructure.
http://strangersintownthefilm.com/
There are several screenings taking place this month around Kansas. I think we all could benefit from seeing this film, especially since it’s happening right here in this great state of Kansas!
*New dates and locations have been added!! This filmmaker is willing to show his film in other locations, if you were unable to attend the dates provided. Email Steve Lerner at stevelerner@strangersintownthefilm.com
EL Family Toolkit just released!
The English Learner Family Toolkit was created to help families choose education services that meet their child’s needs. U.S. educators, elementary and secondary school teachers, principals, and other school staff can also share the toolkit as a resource for English learners and their families.
The English Learner Family Toolkit consists of 6 chapters, and each chapter contains 5 sections - an overview, family and student rights, questions to ask schools, tips, and resources. Download the complete toolkit by using the quick links for the information needed most.
Interesting Fact
February 5th, is the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar, a major holiday celebrated throughout most of Asia. Also referred to as the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year. In Vietnam, the holiday is named Tết. This holiday celebrates ancient traditions and ancestors as well as good times ahead. Different nations will mark the transition from the Year of the Dog to the Year of the Pig in their own unique way. Pigs are considered a sign of prosperity in Asian culture, and those born in the year of the Pig are said to be sincere, good-natured, and honest.The color red can be seen everywhere. A symbol of good luck, red is believed to ward off bad luck and beasts. Families come together to share special meals and exchange gifts. Children often receive “lucky money,” usually in red envelopes given by their elders.
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!
Upcoming Conferences
TESOL Convention
The TESOL Convention offers professional development opportunities to English language educators at all levels from around the world. With 6,500 attendees and nearly 1,000 sessions, the convention has something for everyone.
For more information, click here.
Tuesday, Mar 12, 2019, 12:00 AM
Atlanta, GA, USA
The SIOP® National Conference
The SIOP® National Conference focuses on best practices and research-proven strategies to further your SIOP® implementation results.
For more information, click here.
Tuesday, Jul 16, 2019, 12:00 AM
Portland, OR, USA
MidTESOL Conference
Mid-America Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages is an organization that aims to strengthen the effective teaching of English in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska to people whose native language is a language other than English while respecting their individual language rights. This is a regional affiliate of TESOL and a professional organization.
Theme: “Bridges to Success”
*Pre-conference workshops begin, July 15.
For more information, click here.
Friday, Sep 27, 2019, 12:00 AM
Omaha, NE, 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:
Emporia State University
Newman University
Fort Hays State University
Ottawa University
Kansas State University
Pittsburg State University
McPherson College
University of Kansas
Mid-America Nazarene University
Wichita State University
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