1. Who are we teaching? How do we differentiate instruction?
Modules 5 & 6
Who are we teaching?
How do we differentiate instruction?

2. Module 5: English Language Learners
“… students who are unable to communicate fluently or learn effectively in English, who often come from non-English-speaking homes and backgrounds, and who typically require specialized or modified instruction in both the English language and in their academic courses.” ELL = English Language Learner LEP = Limited English Proficiency

3. Module 5: English Language Learners
Some Facts about ELLs:
Fasted growing student population
Represented by MANY different ethnic groups
To to underperform on assessments
Higher dropout rate
Often face external challenges (poverty, instability, non-citizenship)

4. Module 5: English Language Learners
A hotly contested subject…
Immigration Reform
“Illegal” status
English as “official” language
Federal funding for non-citizens

5. Module 5: English Language Learners
Schools will give students an assessment that measures:
Reading
Writing
Listening
Speaking
Depending on the outcome, a student may be designated ELL.

6. Module 5: English Language Learners
ELLs will typically be tracked into either
Dual-language Program (Less common)
Transitional
Maintenance
Two-way Enrichment
English as a Second Language—ESL (More common)
Helps students to transition to English only instruction
Fed require additional monitoring of these students

7. Module 5: At Risk
“…describe students or groups of students who are considered to have a higher probability of failing academically or dropping out of school.”
Physical disabilities and learning disabilities
Prolonged or persistent health issues
Habitual truancy, incarceration history, or adjudicated delinquency
Family welfare or marital status
Parental educational attainment, income levels, employment status, or immigration status
Households in which the primary language spoken is not English
Most “at risk” circumstances are “situational” not innate!

8. Module 6: Student Engagement
“…refers to the degree of attention, curiosity, interest, optimism, and passion that students show when they are learning or being taught, which extends to the level of motivation they have to learn and progress in their education.” Important, why? ”… the concept of “student engagement” is predicated on the belief that learning improves when students are inquisitive, interested, or inspired, and that learning tends to suffer when students are bored, dispassionate, disaffected, or otherwise “disengaged.”

9. Module 6: Student Engagement
Student engagement can all refer to the extent that schools involve students in the decision making process. For example:
Program design
Civic Engagement
School policy/rule making
Student governance
This form of student engagement has been demonstrated to improve academic performance!

10. Module 6: Differentiation
“…refers to a wide variety of teaching techniques and lesson adaptations that educators use to instruct a diverse group of students, with diverse learning needs, in the same course, classroom, or learning environment.” Students have different interests, abilities, and needs.

11. Module 6: Differentiation
Features of Differentiation:
process (how the lesson is designed for students)
products (the kinds of work products students will be asked to complete)
content (the specific readings, research, or materials students will study)
assessment (how teachers measure what students have learned)
grouping (how students are arranged in the classroom or paired up with other students).
For a detailed look at how this works, take a look at this table.

12. Module 6: Scaffolding
“…refers to a variety of instructional techniques used to move students progressively toward stronger understanding and, ultimately, greater independence in the learning process.”
Teacher Responsibility
Focus Lesson
“I do it”
Guided Instruction
“We do it”
Collaborative
“You do it together"
Independent
“You do it alone”
Student Responsibility

13. Module 6: Response to Intervention (RTI)
“…emphasizes the importance of assessing learners’ successes and needs continually, then grouping those learners into performance-based tiers for instruction.” All Students: Tier 1 instruction involves efforts to teach an entire class in the most effective ways. Some Students: Tier 2 instruction involves additional time or materials for the relatively small number of students who do not learn from Tier 1 methods. A few Students: Tier 3 instruction is likely to involve special classes or individual tutoring outside of the classroom, using special education teachers or educational assistants hired for the purpose.