Newcomers in your school Stephanie Cobin and Julie Lucas Department of English Learners/World Languages

Working Agreements Ask Questions and Construct Answers Engage Fully and Embrace Discomfort Integrate and Construct New Information Open Your Mind to Diverse Views and Value Others’ Strengths Utilize What You Learn, Share it, and Feed it Back

Introductions and Connections

Goals Participants will... Determine who our Newcomers are Discuss welcoming practices for Newcomers Identify your own cultural perspectives Utilize WIDA’s Can-Do Philosophy Develop lessons that are multi-level and engaging

FOUr Strands that will Run Through this Training WIDA Welcoming Environments Programs and Planning for Newcomers Instruction and Resources

Determine Who Newcomers Are Goal #1 A welcoming school culture, classroom experiences, help newcomers find ways to express themselves and be engaged. View diversity as additive to your classroom Determine Who Newcomers Are

Walk About Newcomers in your classroom Take a colored pen Visit the six different charts in the room Write at least 2 comments on each chart #1: Who are my newcomers? #2: What type of assessments are we using for newcomers? #3: How are we involving newcomers in the classroom? #4: What is my classroom experience with newcomers? #5: How do our newcomers get practice speaking? #6: What scaffolds and supports do we use? Pre assessment

Walk About - continued Number off by 6’s Go to that chart Discuss with your group what you noticed about the comments. Select a spokesperson to share out what you noticed.

IDENTIFYING newcomers in WCSD The Home Language Survey Immigrant Status Report Newcomer’s Manual for Elementary ELs Insert graph from Megan How long are students considered newcomers? How do we place them in a classroom?

Language assessments and placement W-APT/WIDA Screener WIDA Rubrics SOPA QSI READING LEVEL (DRA, IRI, ETC.) Elementary Newcomer students in WCSD are mainstreamed to help students acquire English and guide their acculturation. Newcomer’s Centers are not available until Middle School. What other assessments do you use and why? Students are considered newcomers for their 1st academic year.

the diversity of newcomers Culturally and linguistically diverse Special populations such as: Unaccompanied minors Students with limited and interrupted formal education (SLIFE) Refugees See article in Manual

Welcoming practices for newcomers Goal #2 A welcoming school culture, classroom experiences, help newcomers find ways to express themselves and be engaged. View diversity as additive to your classroom Welcoming practices for newcomers

Snowball When you hear the signal Write one way to create a welcoming atmosphere for a newcomer on your ½ sheet of paper Without talking, create a circle with all your colleagues in the room When you hear the signal, make a snowball with your paper and throw it in the middle of the circle Step back into the circle When you hear the signal again, pick a snowball Be prepared to share

More ideas for a welcoming atmosphere A quick look at the Newcomer’s Manual First Day, First Week, First Month, Beyond Teacher Tip Sheet Parent Tip Sheet WIDA’s Can-Do Philosophy (Level One) Can –do look at WIDA Levels Can-Dos for activities and tasks that students Can-Do

Identify your own cultural perspectives Goal #3 Identify your own cultural perspectives

Intercultural development May not have time for the activity – Just take a look at intercultural development Align some scenarios with different aspects.

Step in – step out Identifying how our own perspectives influence our interactions What are some things that define who I am? Get up from your seat and silently make a circle on the floor. List of Questions: One or both of my parents spoke a second language other than english. I am the first person in my family to graduate from college. Boys and Girls were not treated the same in my family. What was comfortable? What wasn’t? What were the misunderstandings? See the similarities where there were perceived differences

Goal #4 The WIDA Framework

Review of Wida Framework Nevada ELD Standards Domains of Language Features of Academic Language Performance Definitions Can Do Descriptors Supports

WIDA Framework Summary Pitch Work within your groups to create a short elevator, slightly longer escalator, or even longer stairway pitch of your assigned WIDA framework piece.

Develop lessons that are multi-level and engaging Goal #5 Develop lessons that are multi-level and engaging

Diving In To Planning Dive in to your teachers manual and student materials and start planning a lesson you could use with your newcomers using the template provided.

“I Spy…….”

Sara Kay Spoken Word Poetry What story does your hand tell about you? http://justmywriting.com/2015/07/24/sarah-kay-hands/ Hands learn more than minds do. Hands learn how to hold other hands. …They are the maps and compasses with which we navigate our way through life. Some people read palms to tell you your future, but I read hands to tell your past. Each scar makes a story worth telling. What story does your hand tell about you? We all have stories about our lives. Our students come to us with their stories. Immigrant children have amazing stories to tell us. We know as language teachers to connect to the lives of our kids to make learning more meaningful. Reflect on your hand’s story and think about how we as language teachers help our students tell us their stories. Copy your hand on a piece of paper – write your story on it. When done – Tell your story and listen to anothers. What’s it like to connect the history of who you are to someone else. Share what you hear.

Goals Participants will... Determine who our Newcomers are Discuss welcoming practices for Newcomers Identify your own cultural perspectives Utilize WIDA’s Can-Do Philosophy Develop lessons that are multi-level and engaging

How do they count? “Diversity is sometimes about counting bodies but inclusion is about making sure every body counts.” ~John Krownapple How will you make sure your newcomers count?

Class Evaluations