English Language Learning

To learn a language is to have one more window from which to look at the world. – Chinese Proverb

Author: Michelle Van Balkom (Page 5 of 5)

Monday Mash-Up- May 11, 2020

May 11, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Happy Monday morning!

I hope the sunny weekend brought you rest and respite. Also, happy Mother’s Day to all of you out there.

Last Week’s Victories

About 100 teachers were able to attend workshops on this year’s year-end assessment process. Thank you to everyone who was able to attend the workshop and share practice.   It’s nice to hear that many teachers have been able to start the year-end assessments through collaboration, in-consultation, and in small groups.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Common Questions:

Can we invite students into buildings to do assessments? Please discuss any students that you are concerned about with and would like to invite into the building with your school’s administrator. 

Do we need to assess ELLs in French Immersion Program? If a student was receiving ELL support in 2019-2020, they need to be assessed. We are still looking into other French Immersion students who may need ELL support for the 2020-21 school year.

Do we need to assess students who are exiting? If students received support for ELL in 2019-2020, they need to be assessed. After that, if they are found to be no longer needing support they can be exited. In Burnaby, students are not automatically exited after 5+ years. It is only if the ELL teacher finds that the student no longer requires support to succeed at grade level
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Are we assessing ELD students at this time? Yes, please contact Michelle for further information.

Reminders

Thursday, May 28th at 1pm, there will be an AIP workshop for anyone who has never used the ELL database before. Please let me know if you would like to attend and I’ll send you the invite.

Last Note

Thank you for your amazing dedication and work. We are inspired by all the creative approaches you’ve taken with your students.

Have a brilliant week!

Monday Mash Up May 4-8, 2020

May 5, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Common Questions this week:

Can matrices be completed with classroom/content teachers? Yes, collaboration is key. Take notes to document your discussion and find a reading and writing sample to support your assessment (Grade 3+).
 
What should I do if I can’t contact a student? The first action is to ask other teachers if they’ve had any contact with that student. Then, if no one has, discuss it with your administrator and ask them to try. Then, contact Michelle or Fanny and we will consult with you on next steps.
I’ve never done an AIP. How do I complete one? We will be holding an AIP tutorial later this month so keep an eye out for announcements in the next few weeks.

Reminders

There will a workshop every day this week. These optional sessions are mostly to answer questions and give some pointers about planning, scheduling, and collaborating with the Ministry of Educations ELL Standards.  If you wish to attend but are unable, please email Michelle to make alternative plans. Please note Wednesday’s session was changed because it conflicted with a LSS district meeting. Check your email for zoom links.
Monday, May 4th, 10-11am Year-end assessment for first-year ELL teachers
Tuesday, May 5th, 12:30-1:30pm Primary matrices and IPT for year-end assessment
Wednesday, May 6: 9am-10am Intermediate matrices for year-end assessment
Thursday, May 7: 1:00-200pm Secondary matrices for year-end assessment
Friday, May 8: 1-3pm ELL teacher drop in with Fanny and Michelle

Last Note

One of positives that have come from this crisis is the number of free educational webinars that have become available. We’ve added a channel to our ELL Teams with these opportunities. If you have one you want to share, please do. Last week, I attended a session with Larry Ferlazzo (author of the ELL Teacher Toolbox) and he discussed how difficult he’s found this change and some solutions he has found. Here is the link to the video if and when you want to give it a watch: Distance Learning for ELL

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