The BIG “How-To”: Practical, Simple, Effective Tools for ESL

PART 1 WIDA Works! I WIDA

Rita & John Rita Platt is a Nationally Board Certified teacher. Her experience includes teaching learners of all levels from kindergarten to graduate student. She currently is a Library Media & Reading Specialist for the St. Croix Falls SD in Wisconsin, teaches graduate courses for the Professional Development Institute, and consults with local school districts. John Wolfe is a teacher on special assignment for the Multilingual Department at the Minneapolis Public School District. He has worked with students at all levels as well as provided professional development to fellow teachers. His areas of expertise include English Language Learners, literacy, and integrated technology.

Relax … Everything (and more) is on The Wiki

Questions to be Answered 1.What is WIDA? How do all those parts work? 2.How can teachers use CBM3D & WIDA as a tool for monitoring ELD progress? (And why would you want to?) 3.How can students use CBM3D & WIDA as a tool for monitoring their own ELD progress? (And why would you want them to?) 4. What resources are available to help us differentiate? PD must be : Continuous, Collaborative, Communicative

WIDA Philosophy in a Nutshell

WIDA: The Bigger Nutshell 1.Language is the tool for learning! 2.LEP’s are in mainstream classrooms. 3.LEP’s use their Limited English to learn in 5 basic contexts (Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Math, Social & Amplification.) 4.EL’s English -- no matter how limited – is an asset for learning. You work with what you’ve got! 5.WIDA is designed to help all teachers modify the language demands of instruction to provide LEP students with meaningful access to content.

WIDA Proficiency Levels (Nutshell Perspective) WIDA Levels describe the difficulty of the language we can reasonably expect a student to be able to use for grade-level content learning.

Remember! language serves content learning What students can do with language BROADLY The student’s LEVEL But what might that look like in a particular lesson in a particular unit? Differentiation But what does that look like at different grades? With different language domains? (Speak/Listen/ Read/Write) Standard 1 – Social & Instructional Language (SIL) English language learners communicate for social and instructional purposes in the school setting. Standard 2 – Language of Language Arts (LoLA) English language learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Language Arts. Standard 3 – Language of Mathematics (LoMA) English language learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Math. Standard 4 – Language of Science (LoSC) English language learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Science. Standard 5 – Language of Social Studies (LoSS) English language learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Social Studies. Up the Triangle = A More Specific View (“Yeah, but what does that look like?”)

Performance Definitions

Good … but still too hard …

Can-Do Descriptors

Look for Evidence of CVC

How is this the same and different from CVC?

Can-Do Descriptors Good … but still too hard …

The MPLS Student- Friendly Can-Do’s Go to the Wiki for the MPLS Student-Friendly’s & The MPLS Translated Can-Do’s in Spanish!

Student-Friendly’s do NOT Replace WIDA Can Do’s WIDA Can-Do DescriptorStudent-friendly version Match oral language to classroom and everyday objects Listen and match words to things Compare attributes of real objects (e.g., size, shape, color) Tells what is the same and what is different in things Indicate spatial relations of real-life objects using phrases or short sentences Tell where things are Apply content-based information to new contexts Write about [new situation] using information I learned in class Remember: These do NOT come from WIDA! They come from John & Rita

Think about the Tools Turn To Your Partner and discuss: – Do the descriptors seem accurate? – How could you use the Can-Do’s to inform your teaching? – How can you use the “Student-Friendly Can- Do’s? – How can you use the CVD?

Where from here? “What use is a newborn baby?“ (Benjamin Franklin) 1. Go to the WIKI, look around, and become a member. 2.Talk to colleagues about this session / share the Wiki site. 3.Enroll in the Strategies That Work Moodle Course 4.Use the WIDA tools with your students and let us know how it goes!

Part 2 CBM3D Progress-Monitoring English Language Development (ELD)

Rita & John Rita Platt is a Nationally Board Certified teacher. Her experience includes teaching learners of all levels from kindergarten to graduate student. She currently is a Library Media & Reading Specialist for the St. Croix Falls SD in Wisconsin, teaches graduate courses for the Professional Development Institute, and consults with local school districts. John Wolfe is a teacher on special assignment for the Multilingual Department at the Minneapolis Public School District. He has worked with students at all levels as well as provided professional development to fellow teachers. His areas of expertise include English Language Learners, literacy, and integrated technology.

Relax … Everything (and more) is on The Wiki

Questions to be Answered 1.What is WIDA? How do all those parts work? 2.How can teachers use CBM3D & WIDA as a tool for monitoring ELD progress? (And why would you want to?) 3.How can students use CBM3D & WIDA as a tool for monitoring their own ELD progress? (And why would you want them to?) 4. What resources are available to help us differentiate? PD must be : Continuous, Collaborative, Communicative

Basically … The WIDA Tools are designed to indicate what students should be able to do in the service of grade-level learning at their proficiency level But we recommend also using them tool to bridge from one level to the next (as a tool for ELD) Can-Do Descriptors (combined with the CVC Criteria) can be the heart of progress-monitoring.

Data-Based Decision Making 1.Assess 2.Analyze results 3.Set goals for student growth- plan interventions to meet goals 4.Teach for growth toward goals 5.Reassess 6.Tweak plans Repeat Repeat Repeat Continuous Improvement Model

What is Reasonable to Expect?

Data-Based Decision Making 1.Assess 2.Analyze results 3.Set goals for student growth- plan interventions to meet goals 4.Teach for growth toward goals 5.Reassess 6.Tweak plans Repeat Repeat Repeat Continuous Improvement Model

In ESL this Has Been Hard Access is not frequent enough There are few tools for PM with ELs The tools are expensive and/or take a LONG time to administer…. Until now! Introducing ……. CBM3D (made by practical teachers for practical teachers)

CBM3D (Curriculum-Based Measures, 3 Domains) A CBM with WIDA prompts and rubrics!

What is a CBM? Leveled timed-reading task AIMS Web, Easy CBM, DIBELS

Why Use a CBM It is free It is a “dipstick” It is “down & dirty”--EASY to use It focuses attention on growth It can help us learn to look at data productively Similar to mini-IRI’s and/or Running Records It’s easy to document It can be VERY motivating

Easy CBM Clear directions Grades K-8 9 free passages

How to Use CBM3D Choose a passage at the student’s actual reading level (NOT grade level) Follow the directions and administer the assessment Enjoy the chance to listen to your student!

At actual reading level One minute oral reading Student finishes passage (silently or orally) Teacher scores oral reading fluency (ORF) w/ correct words per minute (WPM)

Student orally retells the story Teacher scores comprehension rubric Teacher scores speaking level

Student orally retells the story Teacher scores comprehension rubric ANY comprehension rubric is okay…as long as it is consistent Reading A-Z has a fiction & nonfiction rubric

Student orally retells the story Teacher scores speaking level using the WIDA speaking rubric Can get 3 scores (CVC)

Student does a written retell Student uses visual support Teacher scores WIDA writing level using the adapted rubric Can get 3 scores (CVC)

What About Kinder? Read the passage to the student and do a retell Count number of words in retell Phonemic Awareness Assessments

Involving Students in Learning Students must be INVOLVED to be motivated!

Teaching Students to Analyze Data Where do I want/need to be? – Look at the Norms / Criteria Where am I now? – Look at Current Data How can I get there? – Students reflect on data What does the data tell me about my learning? How can I improve? – Students set goals for growth

Student- centered goals BIG thanks to the Sullivan Team: Kaitlin Lindsey, Laura Byard, James Kindle, Dierde Quinn

Were the Questions Answered? 1.What is WIDA? How do all those parts work? 2.How can teachers use CBM3D & WIDA as a tool for monitoring ELD progress? (And why would you want to?) 3.How can students use CBM3D & WIDA as a tool for monitoring their own ELD progress? (And why would you want them to?)

Where from here? “What use is a newborn baby?“ (Benjamin Franklin) 1. Go to the WIKI, look around, and become a member. 2.Talk to colleagues about this session / share the Wiki site. 3.Enroll in the Formative Assessment Moodle Course 4.Implement a version of this system with your students next fall. 5.Watch for/SHARE Exemplars.

PART 3 They need, what they need! Quick & Easy Tools for Differentiation

Rita & John Rita Platt is a Nationally Board Certified teacher. Her experience includes teaching learners of all levels from kindergarten to graduate student. She currently is a Library Media & Reading Specialist for the St. Croix Falls SD in Wisconsin, teaches graduate courses for the Professional Development Institute, and consults with local school districts. John Wolfe is a teacher on special assignment for the Multilingual Department at the Minneapolis Public School District. He has worked with students at all levels as well as provided professional development to fellow teachers. His areas of expertise include English Language Learners, literacy, and integrated technology.

Relax … Everything (and more) is on The Wiki

Questions to be Answered 1.What is WIDA? How do all those parts work? 2.How can teachers use CBM3D & WIDA as a tool for monitoring ELD progress? (And why would you want to?) 3.How can students use CBM3D & WIDA as a tool for monitoring their own ELD progress? (And why would you want them to?) 4. What resources are available to help us differentiate? PD must be : Continuous, Collaborative, Communicative

A Word About Self-Esteem and Transparency

word-a-parent-or-teacher-can-use/ A Word About Self-Esteem and Transparency

Questions to Ask: 1.What is the student's current language level? 2.What does this level tell me about what a student can-do (consult WIDA Can-Do Descriptors)? 3.What is the standards-based goal for student learning (what do we want her/him to be able to do at the end of a given period of time)? 4.What scaffolds, strategies, support, modifications are needed to move my student toward meeting the standard?

TuSSLE 1. T arget/ S tandards 1. What are the students supposed to be learning? Identify what key standards-based learning targets are being supported. 2. S upports 2. What WIDA-required supports can you find already in the teaching materials? In other words, in the textbook or handouts, what pictures or graphic organizer or timeline or outline can serve as a WIDA-style support for learning? 3. L anguage 3. What language do your ELs need to do this task? Do they have it? How do you support it? 4. E valuation 4. How will you evaluate their success with the language demands of this instruction?

Leveling Texts

Reading A to Z

Reading A to Z

Hi/Lo Texts Bluford High Series, Townsend PressWILBooks

WILBooks - PreK-2

Townsend Press Bluford

Databases

Where from here? “What use is a newborn baby?“ (Benjamin Franklin) 1. Go to the WIKI, look around, and become a member. 2.Talk to colleagues about this session / share the Wiki site. 3.Enroll in the Modifying Instruction Moodle Course 4.Practice using the tools and strategies with your students!

Ready, FIRE, Aim!!!

Rita Platt & John Wolfe