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Nicole

Teran

1. How would you respond to a teacher who says, Well, if I follow the SIOP Model and make sure my English learners are able to access content using these activities, techniques, and approaches, my on-level kids and native English speakers will be bored. a. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not? What supports your position? b. How can teachers with only a few English learners in their classrooms organize instruction so that all students needs are met? A. I do not agree with this teachers response. By using SIOP you are not teaching to just the ELL students, you are teaching to all levels of students. Every student in your class will benefit from the teacher using SIOP practices. SIOP is hands-on interaction, oral interaction, visually stimulating, etc. SIOP is teaching to the whole child, on their level, and for their specific needs. A higher level student, will be given materials and asked questions based on what he/she needs to learn a topic at a deeper level, as opposed to basics a lower leveled student would need to learn to grasp the topic. By teaching using the SIOP Model, students are given the facts they need to learn, but then by talking with other students in their class (verbalizing), they are able to see different ways of thinking, taking the other students knowledge and adding to what they have learned. This makes learning easier and happen more naturally. Students then have a classroom full of teachers, not just one. SIOP can be likened to Vygotskys Sociocultural Theory. As the teacher teachers scaffolding is taking place. Next, as the students interact i+1 is happening. Last, when the student reflects on their learning and formulates their own thoughts, Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) learning is happening B. SIOP is teaching to all levels of students. By asking questions to your lower students, you are teaching to your lower students, at a level they can understand. Then building on what your lower students need to learn you would ask questions to your average students, making sure they understand what is being taught. Building onto your average students you would ask questions to you higher leveled student. Making sure they are adding to their previous knowledge as well. By asking different questions to each group of students, your lower students also hear the higher level questions, in turn expanding their knowledge more than you would by just teaching to one level. Teaching using SIOP, all levels of students have the ability to learn and grow.

2.

A factual question a teacher might ask based on social studies text: Who was the first president of the United States? Given the topic of the presidency, what are several additional questions you could ask that promote higher-order thinking? List three (3). Why is it important to use a variety of question strategies with English learners? 1. Why was George Washington elected as the first president of the United States?

Nicole Teran

2. How is the President elected into office? 3. Why is our country governed by a president, not ruled by a king? By asking a variety of questions that promote higher level thinking, you are having the students think at a higher level, raising the level of knowledge the students will learn by just asking and answering general questions. This not only helps the higher leveled students learn, but the lower leveled students hear, and can formulate their thoughts based on a higher level of thinking, raising their level of knowledge on the subject. By asking open-ended questions there can be multiple answers, making each student learn multiple answers and gaining more knowledge. This is similar to Benjamin Blooms 1956 Taxonomy of Educational Objective (Blooms Taxonomy). 3. Compare and contrast the following two teachers approaches to teaching a lesson on nutrition. a. One teachers approach involves a lecture, a diagram of the USDAs Food Plate, and a list of appropriate foods for each group. Students are then tested about their knowledge of the percentage of each food type they should eat at a meal. b. The other teachers approach begins with students maintaining a food diary for a week. Copies of the Food Plate are distributed and explained, and all students must analyze their food consumption according to the national recommendations. With a partner, students must design nutritionally sound weekly menu for each day of the following week, and they must be prepared to defend their food choices to peer group members. Which approach to teaching this content concept is most appropriate for English learners? How do you know? Be as specific as you can.

For an assessment both teachers could have students with good scores. The difference is in the students retention. Teacher A will have students that remember the information for the test, then their knowledge would be stored in the forget this part of their brain. Where as Teacher B has the students working on activities that will cement their learning into their knowledge. Teacher B has her students analyze their food consumption for the week, whereas Teacher A only assesses her students on their memory of the Food Plate. Teacher B has her students come up with a good balanced weekly menu. Teacher B has the students actually doing what is being taught as opposed to just learning about healthy nutrition and being assessed on portion size. The SIOP Model emphasizes the use of meaningful activities to enhance learning for all students especially English language learners. 4. How does a teacher determine whether a majority of students, including English learners, are engaged throughout the period? What techniques could be used to sustain engagement throughout the period? What should the teacher do if he or she senses that students are off task? Why is sustained engagement to English learners academic progress?

Nicole Teran

There are multiple ways in assessing whether or not students are actively engaged in your lessons. One way is by looking at how students are sitting. If the students are sitting up, and have their eyes on you, following you if you are walking, they are most likely paying full attention. If I student is taking notes (writing or typing), or drawing, they are only partially paying attention to you as their attention is also being used to complete their other task. When students are actively engaged in your lesson, they are: asking questions, answering questions, actively participating in discussion. One way to make sure your students continue to pay attention is by changing activities. Straight lecture will bore the students, and you will lose them within a few minutes of starting. By having your students participate in various activities you will hold their attention and interest longer. Students know when you are giving them busy work, they do not like this, and tend to tune out. Students will pay more attention to an assignment if you can give them meaningful activities that they will use in their lives. Make sure you are teaching to all levels of learners. By teaching to only your high students, you lower and ELL students will tune out as the content to over their heads. While teaching to only average students, your high level students tune out as they are bored. Teaching to only your lower level students the material is too simple, students will tune out and not learn what needs to be learned according to the Common Core.

5. Think of a content concept you might be teaching. Describe three different grouping configurations that could be used for teaching and learning this concept. How would you organize the members of each group? How would you monitor student learning? What would you want students to do while working in their groups? How would be grouping configurations facilitate learning for ELLs? I might be teaching double digit addition. First I would pre-assess the students on double digit addition. I would analyze the results of the pre-assessment then group the students accordingly. (1) I would start by teaching whole group. (2) Next I would have the student break into pre-assigned partnerships. I would have the two students work together in figuring out the answers to a set of problems. Then when I know all of the students have finished, I will have the students check their answers with another group (3). If they have different answers I will have the students rework the problem as a group. In doing this you may still have different answers in which I will have the partnerships explain to the other partnership why they believe their answer is correct. As the students are in their various groups I will walk around checking their answers and checking for understanding. I will be open to any partnerships/groups who need the assignment explained again. If I see that one group fully understands this concept I will see if they can figure out 3 and 4 digit addition, to stretch their knowledge. By having the smaller groups ELL students will be able to see how other students work out the problems, and have the addition explained to them on a simpler level. They will have the peer support they need to understand the assignment.

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