Section I: Language Development and Learning Dynamics

Artifact 1: Student Biography Cards

TESOL Domain & Standard:
- Domain 1 Language. Candidates know, understand and use the major concepts, theories,
and research related to the nature and acquisition to construct learning environments
that support ESOL (English Speakers of Other Languages) students language and literacy
development
o Standard 1.b. Language acquisition and development. Candidates understand and
apply concepts, theories, research, and practice, to facilitate the acquisition of a
primary and new language in and out of classroom settings.

Within my 6th and 7th grade Social Studies classes, I have three CLD students out of 130
students, all of who have exited the ESL program within the past 2 years. Although they have
exited the ESL program, completing Student Biography Cards allows me to have brief snapshot of
the language ability levels of these students and a brief snapshot on their home life and
sociocultural background so I can use it to find materials that relate to the students diverse
backgrounds. Since these cards include a brief snapshot of the students home life, I can
determine how I can communicate the students progress at home (e.g. if I would need a
translator to communicate with the parents). I can also use the Student Biography Cards to
identify what language is spoken primarily at home to determine what kind of extra academic
support the student will need to complete their assignments outside of the school setting (e.g. if
English is not spoken at home, but directions on an assignment are given in English and the
student, who is fluent in English, needs assistance at home, the directions could also be given in
the L1 so that a family member can help the student on the assignment). Also, I have use these
biography cards to ensure that my lessons do not contain culturally biased language and material
when teaching, and I have used the biography cards to identify potential language discourse
patterns from the students L1 that could still show up in their L2 usage. In the future, if I have
CLD students who are not fluent in their L2 and have not been exited out of the schools ESL
program, I can use the Student Biography Cards to first identify what the students L1 is, and
then find materials to use in my classroom that are in that students L1 to help promote that
students L2 acquisition. Along with creating and using materials in a students L1, I can use the
Student Biography Cards to plan any modifications I need to make to an assignment or activity to
fit the ability levels of that student. Furthermore, the Student Biography Cards that I used
include a section on language proficiency and how the level of proficiency was assessed. Since
the biography cards include this section, I could use the cards as a reference after completing
language acquisition-specific assessments to compare the students L2 acquisition over time. I
would also update the academic and assessment considerations portion of the Student
Biography Cards as the student improves their fluency in their L2.
This artifact aligns with the section 1 of my portfolio platform because in that section I
discussed how teachers should encourage CLD students to use their L1 in the classroom and that
teachers should provide students with classroom and lesson materials that use their L1 as much
as possible. The more a CLD students background is represented in the classroom, the better

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CLD students perform academically and socially. The Student Biography Card also provides the
teacher with the background information needed to create meaningful and culturally relevant
lessons and to create the culturally and linguistically accessible classroom environment that
supports CLD students.

CREDE Standards for Effective Pedagogy

After reviewing my artifact, I feel that it closely aligns with the Joint Productive Activity
aspect of the CREDE Standards for Effective Pedagogy. I would rate myself as Enacting on the
Standards Performance Continuum because although the Student Biography Card considers all
of the dimensions of the CLD student biography (sociocultural, linguistic, cognitive, and
academic), I do not feel like I am constantly using the insights from the artifact, but instead use
the artifact somewhat frequently. I believe the reason for why I am not constantly using the
insights from the Student Biography Cards is because my CLD students are fluent in their L2 - I
did not know that one of them was not a native English speaker when I first had them in class
during the previous school year. However, I do provide students with frequent opportunities for
interaction since the majority of the assignments in my classroom require group work. In the
future, I can use this artifact to identify the language proficiency of CLD students, and I can use
the artifact to identify what languages/cultures I should use to create culturally and linguistically
relevant lessons. Also, I would continue to support and allow the use of a CLD students L1 in
classroom including speaking to other CLD students who have the same L1 in that L1 (none of
my current CLD students are in the same class hour/only 2 speak the same L1).

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