Our thoughts after reading, Content-Area Conversations

Strategies we have tried

I have used the SOLOM Student Oral Language Observation Matrix in doing an
observation on one of my English Language learner students. I had never done an Oral
Observation before and found this one to be very helpful. The SOLOM takes into
account students comprehension, fluency, vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar. The
scale of 1-5 allows you to grade a student in each level based on their proficiency. The
SOLOM allows you to focus on specific areas in which students need additional
assistance.

I have found the Cloze Procedure an effective strategy. I have used this strategy one on
one with students and in small group settings both orally and written. This tool is
especially helpful in pin pointing areas of need. One thing I learned from the book was
that it can be used to determine if a student is struggling with certain parts of speech
(putting all nouns in place of verbs), incorrect tenses, or adding nonsense words
(indicating the text is too difficult for the student).

This past school year, we tried the elementary arrangement to support communication.
We found that it worked wonderfully in the kindergarten classroom. The students learned
how to work cooperatively with their classmates. This also worked wonderfully for
English Language Learners. This gave them the opportunity to be completely emerged in
the language. The ELL students were able to hear native English speakers engage in
academic conversations as well as conversations for pleasure.

I have tried jigsaw, love it, but teachers have to be very organized and know that it is not
really for deep knowledge but more general knowledge. Would love to try language of
learning poster with sentence starters have never tried anything like that before with
high school students. Would go back and plan better for ells using strategies from
chapter 3. I used to plan only with my ESOL strategy sheet with some strategies on it,
mostly visual, but not to explicitly teach language inherent in the lesson and certainly did
not plan with that goal in mind.


Strategies we would like to try next school year:

I will use the barrier game with my students to encourage positive student interaction. I
will use this strategy by pairing each student with a partner. One of the students has an
obstruction blocking their vision. To succeed they must rely on clear communication and
vocabulary. This strategy will be beneficial to English language learners, and language-
impaired students.

Examples of barrier games I would like to use next year:

Life Cycle Of A Pumpkin
-One student will give their partner directions on how to draw the life
cycle of a pumpkin in the correct order.

Vocabulary Words
-The teacher will give students index cards with vocabulary words
that they learned recently in class. One student will give their partner
a detailed description of the vocabulary word and the other student
will draw the vocabulary word.

I will provide my students with sentence starters that will be related to the topic we are
discussing. This strategy will be beneficial to my language-impaired students who
struggle to speak in complete sentences and add details to their sentences. Sentence
starters will help my students to express themselves verbally in a deeper and clearer
manner.

Examples of sentence starters I will create and have
on the white board after reading a passage with my students:

I can predict that ______ will happen, because ________.
I agree with the author that ___________ because _________.
The main idea of the passage was _________ because _________.

Next year in the classroom I will use modeling to show my students the importance of
creating a social environment. My students are very young and some are nonverbal.
Therefore I will conduct conversations at their level so they can understand my
expectations.

While planning my instruction I will ask myself questions to make sure I am establishing
a clear purpose within my lesson.

-What vocabulary and language structures do my students need to use
in order to talk with other classmates about the content?
-What are the language proficiency levels of my English language
learner students?
-What social skills will my students need to use? Do my students need
to work on their social skills?
-How can I make the learning objectives clear to my students?


Questions we have after reading the book:

For students who do not like to participate in student interactions and classroom
discussions because they are shy and embarrassed, how do you motivate and get your
students comfortable with sharing their ideas?

Now that we are moving towards Common Core, or at least they are attempting to do so,
it'd be interesting to see how a lesson plan would be created and laid out incorporating
conversations that align with CCSS.

After reading the book, how do you further create social environments in students who
are nonverbal?

What kind of time does it take to plan with language usage in mind? We are under such
pressure as it is to plan for other aspects that I worry about the time crunch.

While the title says diverse learners, I felt that many other exceptional populations were
not included, especially ASD learners who need language support as well. While
linguistic and cultural diversity is touched upon, exceptionality is not, even though I
consider that in the diverse category. Why dont the authors include more discussion
about how the same strategies fit a variety of student types (in line with the title)?


Resources we found that support what we have learned:

HYPERLINK
"http://www.sarasotacountyschools.net/departments/esol/default.aspx?id=22111"http://w
ww.sarasotacountyschools.net/departments/esol/default.aspx?id=22111

HYPERLINK
"http://www.readingrockets.org/article/41555"http://www.readingrockets.org/article/4155
5

HYPERLINK "http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-
leadership/feb03/vol60/num05/How-Classroom-Assessments-Improve-
Learning.aspx"http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-
leadership/feb03/vol60/num05/How-Classroom-Assessments-Improve-Learning.aspx

HYPERLINK "http://www.cfchildren.org/advocacy/about-us/e-
newsletter/articletype/articleview/articleid/7934/key-factors-in-creating-a-positive-
classroom-climate.aspx"http://www.cfchildren.org/advocacy/about-us/e-
newsletter/articletype/articleview/articleid/7934/key-factors-in-creating-a-positive-
classroom-climate.aspx

I located: the newest version of Blooms on the Internet, and I dug out my Barnes and
Britton, and Shirley Brice Heath, who did the opening. I want to spend some time
looking for a few parallels with what they assert about using language in the classroom.