Module 1 - Know Your Students

​Virtual Professional Learning Experience 

English language learners (ELLs) make schools stronger because they incite educators to think strategically and thoughtfully about how to create inclusive learning environment in their schools.  Through our work together, you will have a more comprehensive understanding of how to authentically connect with your ELLs, how to better understand who they are and the strengths they bring to bear, and how to strategically differentiate your instruction to meet the needs of ALL of your students.

What makes this Virtual Professional Learning Experience unique is that it is designed as a wrap-around program that delivers personalized support before and after you view the asynchronous learning videos, which leads to greater buy-in because you are motivated to learn and grow from the experience.

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II.

Food for thought:  Given the wide array of factors that affect additional language acquisition, what is your role in supporting your students (i.e. leveraging factors that help and mitigating factors that hinder) and in promoting their multilingualism and multiculturalism?​

III.

Food for thought:  How do you encourage your students and their families to take pride in their bilingualism and biculturalism?  Do you encourage students to share with each other and with you?

IV.

Food for Thought:  What are the typologies of each of your ELLs?  What’s their story?  What accommodations do you make in order to support such a diversity of learners in your class?​

V.

Food for Thought:  At which level of English language acquisition are your students?  Check out the WIDA can-do descriptors to identify the plethora of tasks in which your students can engage.​

VI.

Food for Thought:  Where are your ELLs on the Culture Shock curve, and what can you do to help move them toward the Recovery phase?

VII.

Food for thought:  ​Have you had moments of cultural misunderstanding with your ELLs?  What are the cultural factors that impacted the interaction?

VIII.

Food for Thought:  Where are you along the cultural spectrum?  How does your perspective differ from the perspectives of your ELLs?​

IX.

Food for Thought:  What is your biggest takeaway from this video series and how has it informed you?  More importantly, how will it impact you as you proceed in educating your ELLs?​

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For your reading pleasure:

The 6-D model of national culture 
Geert Hofstede was a Dutch social psychologist renowned for his work on cross-cultural groups and organizations.  His website will allow you to take a deeper dive into the concept of the cultural iceberg, which will lead to greater insight into your equity work at your school.  Absolutely worth your time!

Article - Dispelling the Myth of “English Only”: Understanding the Importance of the First Language in Second Language Learning
File Size:	280 kb
File Type:	pdf

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