Some homework ... Readings of interest...

****copied and pasted from Janet McQueen's blog post on the vln network.

Hi everyone

I am sharing a few readings that I have recently discovered from around the virtual world. I don’t expect you to read them all just pick and choose according to your interests.

I know that many of you also discover great web pages, apps and readings etc. I would love you to feel free to share them with our ESOL community. I really want to make ESOL Online your site rather than just'Janet' sharing her thoughts and ideas. Therefore please share as I really am not the font of all knowledge.  Many of you have far more knowledge and experience than me!  So next time you find something exciting that you think other teachers would love to know about then please share it.

Readings of interest

·         Focusing Formative Assessment on the Needs of English Language Learners by Laura Alvarez, Sri Ananda, Aída Walqui, Edynn Sato, and Stanley Rabinowitz. Whilst the context is American this report is packed full of great advice and information. It not only looks at formative assessment but also teaching English across the curriculum and how to integrate the two. This might be good to share with classroom teachers as a discussion starter.

·         The importance of hands-on learning and movement for English learners, Erick Herrmann Wednesday, August 13, 2014, Multubriefs exclusive.  This article looks at how the maker movement and project-based learning (PBL) incorporate the fundamentals of hands-on learning for all students.  However it goes beyond this to examine why these are  helpful approaches for ELLs and highlights some useful strategies to support language learning through using these methods of teaching.  

·         Chapter 2. Diverse Teaching Strategies for Diverse Learners, by Marietta Saravia-Shore Educating Everybody's Children: Diverse Teaching Strategies for Diverse Learners, Revised and Expanded 2nd Edition Edited by Robert W. Cole. This writer provides many practical strategies for teaching diverse students followed by a classroom example for each illustrating the implementation of the strategy.

·         53 ways to check understanding from Edutopia. I discovered some great new strategies for checking student understanding in this list.

·         The end of dyslexia? Julian G. Elliott and Elena L. Grigorenko argue that the label is a cultural meme that remains unscientific and conceptually problematic. A thought provoking read for those of you interested in this topic.

·         Student presentations Tom Hayton, 29 September, 2005 - 13:00, Teaching English, British Council. A practical post with tips and advice on helping ELLs prepare and deliver presentations.

·         Cutting to the Common Core: My Students Can’t Read So How Will They Write? Hillary Wolfe recommends building strategic scaffolds to assist adolescent writing, The Journal of Communication and Education Language Magazine.

·         Inspire Thoughtful Creative Writing Through Art,  by Denise Cassano, AUGUST 6, 2014,on  Edutopia.  Great to spark some new ideas and she has some great questions teachers can use with students when discussing art.

·         Brain imaging proves second language learners can process language to native like levels, by Christine Metz Howard in the Medical Press.

·         Teaching writing to ELLs across the curriculum: Strategies for success Erick Herrmann, Tuesday, July 01, 2014 Multibriefs Exclusive

·         Tips for focusing ELL student presentations, Eva Sullivan, Wednesday, July 30, 2014, Multibriefs Exclusive

·         Teaching Maths like a foreign language, Visible Thinking in Math- Part 1, March 31, 2014, Langwitches blog

·         Blended and Flipped, Exploring new models of effective teaching and learning,  Special Report  University of Wisconsin

·         3 Ways to Plan for Diverse Learners: What Teachers Do, July 23, 2014, John McCarthy Edutopia

·         A Short Guide to Adaptive Learning in English Language Teaching by Philip Kerr, the round. This is free to download. This  guide  will  explain  in  simple  terms  what  adaptive  learning  is, and  what  it  is  likely  to  become.  He takes a critical look at the subject. He encourages you to think  about  a  range  of  issues  including:•the  role  of  technology •the  nature  of  learning, and  •the  politics  of  educational  change.  

·         University of Sydney papers in TESOL these are all free to read on line.

·         Archive Australian Review of applied Linguistics archive, these articles are all downloadable to read for free.

Happy reading 

Janet 

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Janet McQueen

Facilitator: Primary ESOL community