Language & Cultural Services
LCS Bulletin - May 1, 2017
Step by Step: Scaffolding Writing Instruction for English Learners
by Hannah Hudson
In recent years, many schools have raised the bar on writing instruction. We now expect middle and high school students to do the kind of written analysis and critique that was once limited to the college classroom.
When you teach English-language learners (ELLs), the concern is that this kind of increased expectation can lead to an even wider achievement gap. That’s why we recently asked educators in our WeAreTeachers Helpline group to share their best tips for scaffolding writing instruction for ELLs at the secondary level. Here’s what they had to say:
- Consider writing in their native languages: If your students are at “entering” or “beginning” WIDA levels, you might consider allowing them to write in their native languages and then to use a translator app or tool to interpret their work. Be sure to spend some time comparing the two versions side by side so that students can begin to see what their ideas and thought processes look like in English.
- Use dictation: “I have students use Dragon Dictation to dictate their responses out loud,” says teacher Erin M. “Then I work with the students to teach them to group topics together into paragraphs and to use a dictionary and thesaurus to add detail words.”
- Review writing prompts: “I give ELL students the same writing assignments as the rest of the kids, but I make sure to define any unfamiliar words in the prompt itself,” says Emily B. Do a verbal check for understanding before students start writing to avoid confusion and frustration down the road.
Read about more writing scaffolds to support English Learners in your classroom.
The GO TO Strategies: Scaffolding Options for Teachers of English Language Learners, K-12
From the Center for Applied Linguistics
The GO TO Strategies is an outcome of the Project EXCELL professional development delivered to the NKCS teachers and was written by the team of Dr. Linda New Levine, Ms. Laura Lukens, and Dr. Betty Ansin Smallwood.
The 78 strategies selected were modeled and discussed with the teachers during the practitioner-oriented courses. The GO TO Strategies was designed to be used as a resource by K-12 general education and content-area teachers with English language learners (ELLs) in their classrooms, ELL teachers, special education teachers, principals and other supervisors overseeing the instruction of diverse groups of students in North Kansas City Schools and for professional development of these educators.
Strategies were chosen as the focus of this project because of their usefulness in helping teachers to scaffold content and language input to children in the process of learning English as a new language. The strategies also scaffold rigorous instruction for ELLs as Missouri, and most other states, transition to the Common Core State Standards. The term instructional strategy refers to a generalized learning or teaching technique that is applicable across content areas. Effective teachers have knowledge of a wide array of instructional strategies, and they choose the most effective ones for specific teaching and learning environments. Most strategies are content neutral and can be used flexibly in a variety of teaching environments.
Call for Proposals: TESOL 2018
TESOL 2018
Chicago, Illinois
27–30 March 2018
Sustaining Dialogues Across the TESOL Community
Deadline: Wednesday, 1 June 2017, 5:00 pm, U.S. eastern time. Find the deadline in your time zone.
2018 Convention Theme: Sustaining Dialogues Across the TESOL Community
Join the international TESOL community in Chicago, Illinois, USA, and experience what makes this association unique: Engage in dialogue with present and future practitioners, administrators, researchers, and advocacy leaders about language education and policy as you enrich your knowledge, networks, and professional experience.
Language and Cultural Services will provide funds for registration and travel for any Tulsa PS team member who is accepted to present at TESOL 2018.
Call for Proposals: La Cosecha 2017
La Cosecha 2017
Albuquerque, New Mexico
November 1-4, 2017
Deadline for submissions: May 12, 2017
!Seguimos con la cosecha! The Planning Committee for La Cosecha 2017 invites you to share your teaching strategies and dual language expertise with your colleagues by presenting at this year’s conference. The planning committee is particularly interested in having classroom teachers to share instructional best practices with conference attendees. Selected proposals will receive notification of proposal status via e-mail by Friday, June 16, 2017.
Workshop Proposal Submission Guidelines
La Cosecha 2017 Conference Presentations will align with the seven strands of the Guiding Principles for Dual Language Education document. To assist you in aligning your proposal with the Guiding Principles for Dual Language Education, please see the list of document strands and guiding principles.
Proposal submissions should:
Specifically, address dual language education,
Align with the Guiding Principles for Dual Language Education,
Respond to a need or interest of classroom teachers, and
Consist of hands-on activities, lecture, demonstration, and/or discussion.
Language and Cultural Services will provide funds for travel and registration for any TPS team member who is accepted to present at La Cosecha 2017.
Voices of Freedom: Author Visit
I am very pleased to announce that Bill Bliss, the author of the citizenship education textbook, Voices of Freedom, will be at our East location, 8145 E. 17th St, Tulsa, to speak with our instructors and anyone else who is interested in attending on Friday, May 5th at 3:30 pm. We will be in the LULAC computer room in the west wing. We would like to have as many people as possible join us as Mr. Bliss shares his insights on how to make the citizenship and naturalization curriculum more interactive and accessible to English Learners. Please RSVP to Diana by noon on Thursday, May 4th, if you would like to attend. Light refreshments will be provided by Pearson Education.
**Please note, this is NOT a training on the legal or immigration services aspects of naturalization. It is for those who are teaching or are interested in the educational aspects of making the curriculum in citizenship education classes more interactive and accessible for adult EL students.
English Learner Feedback Survey
We want your input on the master plan for English learner success in Tulsa Public Schools. We are beginning a process to review and examine the service, instruction, and supports for English learners across the district. An initial step is to collect survey data from school leaders, teachers, parents, students, and community stakeholders regarding the education and service of English learner students in our schools and in our district. Future steps in the plan development will include training opportunities, feedback sessions, student shadowing, and focus groups for plan development.
Please complete the survey appropriate to your role to provide feedback on improving our district services for English Learners by May 2, 2017.
English learner survey for school leaders
English learner survey for teachers
Please share the information below with community and parents of English learners to provide feedback on improving our district services for English Learners.
LCS Summer Summit 2017: Call for Proposals
Call for Proposals – LCS Summer Summit 2017
From: Rachel Pogue, coordinator of English language development
Owner: All staff
Attachments: Language & Cultural Services Summer Summit 2017 Proposal Form
Tulsa Public Schools is hosting its annual Language & Cultural Services (LCS) Summer Summit, formerly known as the ELD Summer Summit, on Wednesday and Thursday, August 2-3, 2017. The LCS Summer Summit celebrates the linguistic and cultural diversity that exists not only within our district, but also across the state of Oklahoma. Proposals may focus on cultural competence, language development, effectively engaging community resources, best classroom practices for English Learners (ELs), or any variety of topics that support the educational achievement of ELs. Submit your proposal(s) here.
Proposal Guidelines:
- Proposals must be submitted no later than Friday, June 2, 2017.
- These 75-minute sessions will take place on Wednesday, August 2 and Thursday, August 3, 2017.
- Presenters will be notified by Friday, June 23rd via email whether or not their presentation has been accepted.
- TPS teachers presenting at the Summit will be compensated at the rate of $26 per presentation hour.
For questions, please email eldsummersummit@gmail.com
Tulsa Public Schools Immigration Frequently Asked Questions
Missed a Department Meeting?
Elementary ELD Department Meetings
Language & Cultural Services Events
Week of May 1:
May 3, 4:00pm - Spanish for Educators (Edivate)
May 4, 3:30pm - SIOP Seminar: How to Build a Summer Research Project (Elementary)
May 4, 4;30pm - SIOP Seminar: How to Build a Summer Research Project (Secondary)
Week of May 8:
May 8, 9:00am - Skill building for Interpreters (Edivate)
May 9, 3:45pm - ESL Certification Study Group (Elementary)
May 9, 4:45pm - ESL Certification Study Group (Secondary)
May 11, 3:45pm - ELD Department Meeting (Elementary)
May 11, 4:45pm - ELD Department Meeting (Secondary)
All events are listed in MyLearningPlan unless otherwise noted. Please pre-register and verify session location in MLP.
Check out the Language & Cultural Services events calendar for future events.
LCS Bulletins for SY 2016-2017
April 24, 2017 April 17, 2017 April 10, 2017 April 3, 2017 March 27, 2017 March 20, 2017 March 6, 2017 February 27, 2017 February 13, 2017 February 6, 2017 January 30, 2017 January 23, 2017 January 16, 2017 January 9, 2017 December 12, 2016 November 28, 2016 November 21, 2016 November 14, 2016 November 7, 2016 October 31, 2016 October 24, 2016 October 17, 2016 October 10, 2016 October 3, 2016 September 27, 2016 September 19, 2016 September 12, 2016 September 4, 2016