Arizona Laws and Policies
SB 1014 passed and signed into law on 02/14/2019. What did this bill do?
SB 1014 changed the minimum required daily minutes of ELD to 120 minutes (2 hours) per day; Frameworks for Evaluation of ELL Programs (AZELLA, Home Language Survey, SEI)
How are 'ELL's identified in Arizona?
Through a language survey that caregivers fill out.
If your administrator asked you to present at next week's PLT (professional learning time), what 3 strategies would you present that support 'ELL's?
Many possible answers!
Sit, bathroom, water, carpet, line, etc. etc.
How are home engagements a form of culturally responsive teaching?
:)
What is one unique thing about Arizona that differs from every other state in relation to teaching 'ELL's?
We are the only English-only state in the U.S.
How are 'ELL's monitored?
Through a yearly AZELLA exam
Why is 'being goofy' a strong teaching strategy for 'ELL's?
Emerging Bilinguals respond well to contextual clues, including body language and language intonation
List two types of INPUT and two types of OUTPUT
Input: Listening, reading
Output: Speaking, writing
Why/how does promoting learning within the context of culture support our 'ELL' students?
-community members and family members create a network of information for students
-instructional techniques better reflect students' cultural practices
-collectivism is used more often, which reinforces community-centered focus of some cultures
What is Prop 203?
English-only school mandates
How would attending meetings that involve ELL students help advocate for them?
-You can be a voice for the students
-You can relay important information to caregivers
-You can share ELL students' rights with families
One strategy we use to support Emerging Bilinguals is to allow them to use their first language to help them understand English. How does this strategy help students?
-Allows for comparisons and contrasts
-Allows for a more natural progression of language acquisition because it mirrors L1 acquisition
Language is a communication system. When communication fails, both parties likely bear responsibility. What can you do, as the sender of information, to improve communication?
Consider context, work to make communication comprehensible
List one reason why we might 'facilitate' rather than 'teach'.
- Helps students do more than repeat factual information (yes, I see the irony here...)
-Allows students multiple opportunities to participate
-Encourage students to explore and share their own perspectives
What does 'AZELLA' stand for?
Arizona English Language Learner Assessment (AZELLA)
It's already been three weeks since the first day of school and your team teacher is complaining that her ELL student, Sol, is still not answering her questions. What advice would you give to your team teacher?
Your student is in the 'silent stage' or 'preproduction stage'
What is the difference between 'BICS' and 'CALP' and which comes first?
BICS = Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills
CALP = Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency
BICS comes first.
Why should we focus so much on vocabulary words as educators of Emerging Bilinguals?
The stronger the vocabulary, the more the child can function in the classroom. The more they can function, the more the classroom is less threatening and more comfortable.
Why might we want to engage in student-centered learning?
-Encourages cooperation, collaboration, and community
-Topics are more relevant and interesting to students
-Student-centered learning helps students to become self-confident
What are the four approved 'SEI' models in the state of Arizona?
Pull out, Two-hour SEI model, Newcomer SEI, Dual-Language
What is the name of the document you can give to caregivers when they ask about removing their child from your school's ELL program?
Bilingual Parental Waiver Request
What are "illocutionary forces?"
facial expressions, gestures, tone of voice, other non-linguistic tools
There are three things to consider when we want to use language to accomplish something. Context, content, and what?
Linguistic expression
Having high expectations of our 'ELL' students is important. List 2 ways you can model having high expectations.
-Offer exciting instructions
-Offer explicit explanations
-Call on students often
-Allow adequate wait time
-Provide frequent and informative feedback and praise