Post 5 - Personal Reflection on ESL Journey

Coursework

When I reflect on my journey receiving my add-on endorsement, I think back to my first days learning about on-line classes last January.  I was completely overwhelmed and terrified.  I hadn't taken any form of class in over twenty years, my technological experience was  lacking, my writing abilities had digressed to sending home news bites to parents, I had a broken wrist and the processing speed of a turtle, and I truly didn't think that I would be able to complete the coursework.

Today, I feel like I have accomplished so much during the past year.  I didn't know what a wiki was last year: now I have helped younger teachers create their own wiki's and have even taught a wiki class during the summer.  I can blog and create much better presentations than I could before taking the coursework for licensure.

Last year, I was teaching ESL students using common sense and techniques I had learned over the years of teaching and being a principal.  Today I understand more about how second language learners do learn, understand techniques that will help them learn, and I feel that I am much more qualified to teach second language learners than I was last fall. The courses that I took last year have prepared me for the position that I hope to have for many years.  I also have the books and resources that I will refer to as I continue my journey of learning how to be a better ESL teacher.


Process of Obtaining Licensure

The process of obtaining licensure began for me last summer when I wanted to find a school that offered a program where I could take the appropriate courses.  I looked at several different schools, and I came across some information listing Dr. Craig as a contact person.  When I emailed her, I received an immediate response, and I decided then that I wanted to pursue certification through MTSU.  After getting accepting into the college and the program, I began taking classes in January.  I will be able to complete my coursework in December.  Due to a conflict with dates, I will not be able to take the Praxis until the winter of 2011.  I will then apply for licensure through MTSU and Tennessee.


Experience Working With ESL Students

I received a temporary license to work with ESL students this year, so I have had a classroom while I worked on my field experience.  I have enjoyed my experience working with these students more than I can ever express.  They are a complete joy to work with and while the work can be challenging, it is always fun and exciting.  I have been fortunate that I have been able to work with small groups, and I have also developed a close relationship to the students and their families.

Application of Wiki and Related Materials

I have loved having the wiki to use with the students, parent, and teachers.  The materials that were developed for the wiki have been so beneficial to everyone.  I use to refer back to information and to websites.   I think it was an extremely useful and meaningful way of making assignments that could be used in the ESL environment.


I have used all the materials that we created during the coursework with my students.  I particularly liked all the assignments that included activities that were centered around a book.


Advice To Others Who Intend To Pursue The Add-on Endorsement And Who Hope To Work With Second Language Learners In The Future

My advice would be to take the coursework even if you are able to receive certification without it.  The coursework is invaluable to learning the best strategies to use with second language learners and to develop a better understanding of second language acquisition.

I would also advise others to make sure and save much of the information and resources that are shared by others in the classes.  There have been times I wished I had saved some information that I no longer have access to.

Blog Entry 5 - Literature Circles

Overall Impressions of Literature Circles
I worked with two males and two females who are in the second and third grades.  The literature selection that was implemented first was One Green Apple by Eve Bunting.  This book was awarded the Volunteer State Book Award this year.  I was very impressed with how involved the students became with the activities and how much more they interacted with each other than they had done with previous guided reading activities.  Because the students are so young, some of the roles that were assigned were somewhat difficult for the students. I probably gave more direction than is intended in literature circles, but since this was the first experience for the second graders, I felt it was necessary.  We will definitely continue using this technique with other books.  I would like to select books with more examples of imagery and figurative language since this is so difficult for ESL students.


Students Reaction to the literature
The students loved the book and became very involved with composing questions, making predictions, engaging in discussions, and learning new vocabulary words.  They enjoyed using the organizers and they were very pleased that the main character, Farah, began to speak English at the end of the story.

Appropriateness of Literature Circle Techniques for second language learners
This technique was very effective for the ESL students.  It allowed them time to discuss the book, discuss vocabulary words that may not have been discussed in a big group, share information with one another, and take control of their learning.  There was much more interaction, discussion, and questioning with this technique than there had been in the past small group guided reading activities.  The students enjoyed the techniques that were used and were very enthusiastic.  An area they really enjoyed was writing down the vocabulary words they did not know on each page.  When they shared these words with each other, at least one other person in the group could explain the meaning of the word.  This interaction was extremely beneficial to all the children.

Changes
If I were to repeat this activity, I would engage in more modeling for the first book.  The students struggled with their roles and working together without my input.  I hope that the next literature circle will be completed more independently.

Suggestions for other ESL Professionals:
I would suggest planning thoroughly, but be flexible with the students because they may take a different direction than you had originally planned.  The direction they take can be interesting and beneficial to the students.  Also, if you find the first book to be difficult in implementing all the components, don't be discouraged.  Try another book.  Make sure the books have plenty of figurative language and are vocabulary rich in content.

Field Entry 4

My experiences with field work so far have included observing in my own classroom where I work with five students at different times and observing in the regular education classrooms where my ESL students work most of the day.  My experiences have been very positive, enjoyable, and informative in all settings.

In the regular classroom settings, I have been able to observe my students working with their peers and with teachers.  I have been able to see some of the language challenges they face in the classroom, and I have been able to discuss these challenges with them.  All the students I work with in grades K-3 are enthusiastic about learning and get along exceptionally well with their teachers and with their peers.

The fieldwork I have conducted in my own classroom has made me more aware of my own strengths and weaknesses as a teacher and has also enabled me to become more familiar with my students and their backgrounds. By observing in other classrooms, I have been able to identify strengths and areas to be addressed in order for the ELL's to be successful.  I have learned more about the curriculum and how I can help the students with their classroom work in our classroom.

The case study research was valuable in knowing more about how a particular student interacts and learns in the classroom.  It helped to see that the student I observed never volunteered to answer a question.  After the observation, I was able to discuss my findings with both the student and the teacher.  This will help both of them make some adjustments which should help learning.  The case study also helped me learn more about how this student learns best and what this student has difficulties with.

The ethnographic narrative gave me the opportunity to find out more about this students' background and interactions in the home.  She is very close to her mother and has a strong family unit.  American holidays are important to her and to her family.  The illustrations allowed me to see more of her perception of her home and allowed us to have opportunities to discuss her family and thingds that are important to her and to other family members.

The information I gathered through the observations, case study and ethnographic narrative will be shared with next year's teachers.  This should assist them in knowing more about the background of this student, her family interactions, and family values.  This will help the teacher engage in conversation with this student and know how to communicate effectively with the family.  The case study will also help the teacher know more about how this student learns and what strategies should be implemented  in order to maximize learning.

Field Entry 3 Action Plan Research

Focus of Action Plan Research:

My action plan research focused on alternative assessments for ESL students.  I chose this topic because the teachers in my school have had very little experience with ESL students and struggle with assigning appropriate grades for students. 

Questions:


  1.  What are the grade differences between the traditional classroom tests and alternative tests     administered to ESL students?


2.  What form of alternative testing is the most appropriate/fair for the ESL student according to the student, classroom teacher, and the ESL teacher's perspective?


Subject:
The subject for this study was a  third grade student who is at a low intermediate level with fluency.  This student was placed in a kindergarten reading group at the beginning of last year, then was placed in a first grade reading group and second grade intervention group during the latter part of last year.  This year the student is placed in the third grade reading group.  This study took place in the third grade science class and in the ESL classroom.


Fieldwork:


Field work involved included:

•  observing the student in the regular education classroom
•  interviewing the student and teacher
•  developing alternative assessments a
• administering alternative assessments
• reteaching in the ESL classroom
• administering surveys to teachers and students
• comparing and analyzing data

Data Analysis:

Comparison of scores on regular education tests and alternative assessments

Description of Assessment	Regular Classroom Tests Traditional multiple choice and fill in the blank with a word bank – no visuals	Alternative Assessment  1 Graphic organizer Labeling diagram Computer game assessment with visuals	Alternative Assessment  2 Retake original test but assist student with reading as needed. Explanations were given to imbedded vocabulary the student did not understand. Student also had word bank cards with vocabulary written ion them and was allowed to select the correct card for each answer.	Alternative Assessment  3 Oral discussion of material in ESL classroom after reteaching has taken place. Focus/rubric on getting the gist.
Test 1 Types of Plants and Parts of a Plant	30	100	80	90
Test 2 Interaction Between Plants and Animals	40	90	90	95
Test 3 AnimalTraits/Heredity	40	90	90	85

Response to Survey Questions

Which test was the most fair/effective assessment of the material?

	Test 1	Test 2	Test 3
Classroom teacher	X
ESL teacher	X
Student	X

Additional Comments on survey:

The classroom teacher stated she would feel comfortable using any of the alternative assessment scores when giving grades to the student.

The student enjoyed the first assessment because of the visuals involved, but was happy with the  the scores on the other tests.

The ESL teacher (me) liked the first assessment but would like to continue using the other assessment as practice in order to prepare for the TCAP.  Assessment 2 also helped me see what imbedded vocabulary needs to be reviewed.  Example:  The student did not know what support meant which was used in one of the questions.  When It was explained, she immediately knew the correct answer was stem.

Conclusions:

There was a significant difference between the scores of the regular classroom assessment and all of the alternative tests given to this student. The differnece in the scores would be F's as compared to A's and B's as given on a 9 weeks report card.  Tha assesment which included many visuals'graphic organizers was considered to be the best assessment by all parties surveyed.

The classroom teacher was surprised at the huge difference in scores between the test she administered and the alternative assessments given by the eSL teacher.  she was particularly surprised at how much better the scores were on alternative test 2 since this was closely aligned with the original test with the exception of explaining some of the vocabulary in the questions and of using cards with the word bank vocabuary.  The student was very pleased with the scores received on the alternative assessments.

With this particular student, I will continue administering alternative assessments in science this year. I will also go over the tests with the student to see what areas need to be re-taught.  My goal will be that the scores on the regular assessment will come closer in line with the alternative assessments this school year.

Additional Thoughts:

When I first examined the content and vocabulary which would be assessed, I thought that this would be an extremely difficult task because the content was so difficult.  After I developed alternative assessments and discussed the material with the student, I was surprised to learn how much of the material the student understood.  It became very clear that the original assessments were not an accurate measurement of the student's understanding of the material.  This experience made me  wonder how many of the native English students would also benefit from alternative assessments.


After completing this research, I would suggest that all ESL teachers work closely with the regular classroom teachers in understanding the importance of alternative assessments for ESL students. Since regular teachers are overwhelmed with the many responsibilities they have in the classroom, any assistance the Esl teacher can provide would be appreciaited.  In my situation, it is not difficult to develop the assessments, but for many ESL teachers this would be difficult due to the caseloads.  The willingness to accept alternative assessments varies from teacher to teacher and grade level.  In the case of the subject of this study, I explained to the teacher that if this student was a native English speaker, the student would be considered an exceptioanlly advanced student.  The scores on the alternative tests supported this statement.

This assignment/assessment was solely written by me.  In no way have I plagiarized or otherwise violated the copyright laws and academic conventions of fair use.  I know that violations of this policy may result in being dismissed from Middle Tennessee State University and/or appropriate legal action being taken against me.

Kathleen B. Jones

10/13/2010

First Field Entry

Although I do see ELL students, I decided to observe a third grade science class for my first blog entry.  The student I work with is very concerned about science and the teacher also wanted some suggestions, so I thought this would be a good first field entry.
There were 22 students in this classroom.  One student was an ELL student. She is a low intermediate student regarding fluency and can be very quiet in the regular classroom. She was sitting at a table with three other students during this lesson.

Teaching
The purpose of this lesson was for the students to learn about the  interaction between plants and animals and understand the role plants and animals have in the environment.  Vocabulary introduced during this lesson included interact, consumer, producer, carnivore, herbivore, omnivore, predator, prey, food web, and food pyramid.
The teacher introduced the vocabulary using the Smart Board.  She used visuals and hand gestures to assist the ELL student.  She did build the lesson on a previous lesson regarding living Tings and the two categories of plants and animals. 
After the direct vocabulary instruction, students read and discussed the text.  The teacher used questioning techniques to check for understanding.  The ELL student did respond to one of the questions.
Students then worked in groups to create a model of the food web using string and index cards.  The ELL student laughed and talked to her partners during this activity.  She also corrected another student and took a leadership role in assembling the web.  The ELL student seemed to enjoy this part of the lesson very much.  During the lecture, she listened but appeared to have a strained look on her face.


Community
Community was observed when the students were working on their models.  The design of the desks in groups of four also gave a good sense of community.   The visuals also assisted in promoting discussion.  The teacher moved around the room and praised students frequently.
The requirements for being part of this classroom included good listening skills, the ability to work and communicate in a small group.  Verbal communication assisted in being part of this classroom, but was not a necessity.  Using physical movements and gestures would have been sufficient in order to participate.  A person who was in the beginning stages would have had much difficulty with the vocabulary, but could have gotten the gist of the lesson.  The ELL student involved was able to get the gist and was definitely able to participate, but did master the specific vocabulary during this lesson.

Ethnographic Perspective
The events that ocurred during this oservation included formal instruction by the teacher which involved listening on the part of the learners, classroom discussions, and active participation and informal discussions when the students were creating their food webs.
An observer who comes into theis classroom will se the teacher moving amount clusters of desks, using a Samartboard with visuals and using gestures with her hands.  You will see stuents actively engaged in learning during much of the lesson and listening dutring parts of the lesson.

The second language learner would feel very accepted by the teacher and by the other students.  The visuals provided would also help the level of understanding and comfort.  The hands-on activities in small groups would also be positive.  The vocabulary introduced would be very diffficult and at times confusing.
Follow-Up
The formal written assessment taken by the ELL student was not good.  The teacher excused this assessment and I reviewed the material and provided an alternate assessment during our one-on one ELL time.  In my class as well as the regular classroom, some science sites were used which provided learning games related to the concepts taught. A site we used was Kid's Corner - Food Chain.

Introduction

Hi!  My name is Kathleen Jones and I am creating this blog for SPSE 6712 - Fieldwork and Applied Research in ESL.  I am taking this course through MTSU where I am working on my add-on endorsement for ESL.  I plan to post many of the adventures I plan to experience this semester as I work with my ESL students.

After 31 years as a social worker, teacher, and principal, I retired to spend more time with my family.  I did want to work part-time, so I started teaching ESL students.  I then decided to return to school to receive my certification.  This year I am having fun teaching five wonderful students English!  I am looking forward to sharing my experiences with you.