Supporting English Learners
September 2020
Monthly ESOL Webinar Dates!
September 22nd
October 27th
November 24th
January 26th
February 23rd
March 23rd
April 27th
All webinars will start at 9:00 am!
Equity: Let's Talk About It!
What is our responsibility as educators?
Here's Just the Webinar You Need!
This list of free on-demand webinars courtesy of Teaching Tolerance is unparalleled. Whether you want to learn about a particular group of people, or a particular subject area, get ideas for the age group you teach, or get resources for leading change & difficult conversations, or all of the above, you need look no further!
KELPA Updates!
Since KEPLA results will not be available until after September 20, we do not know which students passed the KELPA to be exited, so all students that were eligible for ESOL services at the end of last school year are still eligible for services this year. When KELPA scores become available, students scoring proficient will be moved to transitional status and will not take the KELPA in the spring. Guidance for coding students is on page 14 of the updated ESOL Program Guidance.
KSDE Presents: Virtual ESOL PD
Beth Skelton, will be providing a series of four, online 90 minute workshops geared towards taking language learning to new heights and empower educators by giving them the necessary tools to do so. Below, you will find the FREE sessions and registration links. I hope you will take the time to participate in the awesome upcoming professional development provided by KSDE!
Monday, September 28th
Building Academic Language K-12
4-5:30 pm
Register Here
Monday, November 9th
What's Different About Teaching Reading to ELLs PreK-3
4- 5:30 pm
Register Here
Monday, February 22, 2021
Making Complex Text Accessible for English Learners Grades 4-12
4-5:30 pm
Register Here
Monday, April 12, 2021
Teaching Language through STEAM Competencies
4-5:30 pm
Register Here
Join our October remote PD series designed specifically for Kansas English Learner educators! Sarah Ottow, Founder and Director, of Confianza (www.ELLstudents.com) will facilitate four remote workshops as a professional learning community around the four topics below, each Tuesday after school in October. Each session will move through connecting, learning, applying, and reflecting on action steps to infuse in your practice. Come to any or all of the sessions with your ideas, your questions, and your reflections where we will engage in hands-on, collaborative learning!
To register for the FREE sessions, please click the name of the workshop. After registration ends, the workshop link will be sent via email to registered attendees.
October 7, 2020
4:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.
Learn ways to execute different ways of co-teaching so that students' needs are in the center and that both the language specialist and content specialist are part of a co-equal partnership.
Pre-Work Reading: The Building Blocks of Strengthening an EL Co-Teaching Partnership
October 13, 2020
4:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.
Be more intentional about integrating diverse students’ identities in your classroom so that all students feel included and that all students have opportunities to learn about different cultures and perspectives.
Pre-Work Reading: Honoring Students' Identities
October 20, 2020
4:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.
Create language goals to accompany content goals and learn how to have corresponding appropriate language expectations for different proficiency levels in your classroom.
Pre-Work Reading: Teaching Language through Content
Formative Assessment with a Language Lens
October 27, 2020
4:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.
Integrate formative assessment “snapshots” to help students own their language development process and to have classroom-based data to guide your instruction.
Pre-Work Reading: Language Snapshot to Measure ELD
Books to Consider
Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto
This is the story of a treasure thought to be lost in a batch of tamales; of a desperate and funny attempt by Maria and her cousins to eat their way out of trouble; and the warm way a family pulls together to make it a perfect Christmas after all.
Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say
You Matter by Christian Robinson
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. I think now, more than ever, we all see the viable role that technology can play in education. 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 a few for you to consider:
Read & Write- is a helpful text-to-speech app for students with a variety of literacy needs, including English learners.A valuable tool to make classroom use of websites and digital documents more accessible to all students.
Setting up a Virtual Read Aloud Lesson Sequence- Kelly, from the English Learner Portal, shares how she created a Google Slide/PowerPoint show to facilitate a sequence of read aloud lessons. The lessons can be teacher led or done asynchronously by students.
For students without internet access, the videos can be embedded and sent to students on a thumb drive. Record a collection and fill that thumb drive with literacy! When students are all back in school, these lessons become great independent work/centers/listening activities!
Spotlight: Resources for ELs
Supporting ELs in 2020-21: Looking Back and Looking Ahead Padlet
Practical Strategies & Resources to Teach K-12 ELs Online from SupportEd
Eslathome is where you will find links to activities for students in grades K through 12. They require only paper and pencil, and some materials that can be found around the house.
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!
#VirtuEL2020
Theme: Distance learning and language learners
A non-profit, virtual conference that removes the physical, financial, and time barriers for teachers of language learners.
Remote or In Class ESOL Instruction – Elementary
Presenters: Ashley Zoglmann
Diana Mendoza
Allysson Gagne
Remote or In Class ESOL Instruction- Middle School
Presenters: Emily Brown
Stephanie Dalrymple
Amber Boyington
Remote or In Class ESOL Instruction- High School
Presenters: Joanna Schindel
Jiahong “Annie” Wang
Replay: Gamification in the Classroom for English Language Learners
Webinar Recording:
https://youtu.be/E2msMvCWNUg
Webinar Slides:
https://www.sdlback.com/content/7-23-2020-Webinar-Resources.zip
Replay: Teaching ELs from a Distance: Tips for Fall Planning
Webinar Recording:
https://youtu.be/vXFcg4z3PkA
Webinar Slides, Handouts, and Certificate of Attendance:
https://www.sdlback.com/content/7-23-20-Webinar-Handouts.zip
Replay: High-Impact Virtual Literacy Instruction for ELL Students
More Professional Development Opportunities!
NABE Slow Institute
Cost: $49
The first-ever NABE Slow Institute will be a virtual event offering sessions on topics
relevant to teaching in times of COVID-19. Slow events allow for deeper engagement
between the speaker and a smaller audience as well as encourage attendees to further their thoughts and ideas on the subject of the presentation.
Sept. 8- ELL: Equity, Language, Literacy
Sept. 10- Transformative Emotional Intelligence Part 1
Sept. 15- What Washington is Doing for Our Learners During the Crisis
Sept. 17- Transformative Emotional Intelligence Part 2
Sept. 22- Bilingual Education and Heritage Language Development in the Year 2020
Sept. 24- Engagement and Equity for Families and Communities
Sept. 29- Using our Current Situation to Shift from Institutionalized Curriculum Towards a CRI
More information, here.
#MIDTESOL20
Community at a Crossroads:
The Right to Education
October 3, 2020
Virtual Conference
More information, here
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