ESL Department 2020-2021
OCTOBER 2020
ESL Department-- contacts & school assignments
ESL Newsletter
- Welcome Mr. Duque!
- VirtuEL ESL professional development offerings
"Inclusive Technology for ELLs" (session featuring Pear Deck)
- "Supporting Content Area Teachers with ESOL Strategies"
- ESL pointers from Mrs. Smith
- Communicating with EL families using technology
- TransACT- Parent Notices
- Language Link telephone interpretation
- YouTube- closed captioning
- Talking Points-- translation app
- Fast ForWord-- link to supporting research for ELs
For questions or needs related to English Learners, please contact Jessica Aguirre-Cantrell jcantrell@mcssk12.org for assistance!
Welcome our Spanish Interpreter!
Mr. Duque brings valuable experience to our district, as he has previously worked as an independent contractor serving families through local schools, DHR, and police departments. Mr. Duque is a Certified Interpreter for Alabama Courts and is a great resource to our team.
Should you need assistance with Spanish interpreting or translation, please contact him directly at cduque@mcssk12.org or dial extension 62243.
Need Professional Development for teaching ELs?
Theme: Distance learning and language learners
Click the image below for a variety of PD sessions geared toward teaching ELs virtually. There are many sessions to choose from!
"Inclusive Technology for ELLs" featuring PearDeck
The session below features ways to support ELs through virtual learning with supports that are inclusive. This session features PearDeck.
Our district has purchased PearDeck for all teachers. For those who want a more interactive experience with their students while teaching remotely, it is a game-changer.
To learn more about using Pear Deck with your English Learners, check out the video below.
"Supporting Content Area Teachers with ESOL Strategies"
Jody Nolf's VirtuEL2020 session aims to support content area teachers with ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) strategies in the traditional classroom and in virtual learning. Her tips are quick and and simple to use in any content area.
Jody impresses upon viewers that ESOL is not translation; ESOL is strategies.
View her presentation below.
ESL Resources
TransACT
The Alabama Department of Education is pleased to partner with TransACT to provide you with free access to a collection of legally-reviewed parent notices. The collections are professionally translated into multiple languages and are updated in accordance with changing laws mandated by the Office for Civil Rights and ESEA/ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act).
Your pre-paid, online access includes:
- TransACT® ESEA (ESSA) Parent Notifications in English and 5 Languages
- TransACT® GenEd Parent Notifications in English and 21 Languages
TransACT ParentNotices is your resource for parent engagement. Your subscription gives you access to parent engagement guidance, as well as expertly written forms. The notices are already translated into your priority languages by certified translators.
Technology- Communication & Engagement
Talking Points is a free app that will allow you to communicate with parents in any language. The translation is done for you instantly! Input contacts, select preferred language, and you are ready to go!
Please consider using this resource to inform and support your non-English speaking families throughout the year.
Talking Points can be used as a desktop website or as an app on your phone.
We are beyond excited to announce the upcoming release of TalkingPoints multimedia translation—video captioning that will take your family engagement to the next level! Teachers will soon be able to record videos of themselves which will then be captioned and translated into each contact's home language!
Telephone Interpretation Services
Language Link is available 24/7 and provides high quality interpreters with understanding of related cultures. Connect in seconds to access interpreters in more than 240 languages and dialects!
Some suggestions of when to use Language Link-
- Communicating teacher concerns directly to parents
- Contacting parents regarding assignments and homework
- Discipline and attendance issues
- During 504 and IEP meetings
- Providing assistance with classroom assignments
- Bragging on students! Our EL parents want to hear from YOU!
Fast ForWord for ELs
YouTube-- closed caption translation
One option to help make classroom content accessible is to upload your recorded lesson to YouTube. Students can play the video with closed captioning in their native language.
Another option is to record a screencastify video of your lesson playing while you include the translated captions. The possibilities are endless!