I Need Help!!!!!

[Trombonus]

I'm seriously in danger of failing my English Learners class and I don't know what to do. I've asked the teacher for help and instead of offering me even a shred of advice she just seemed to get offended and told me to look at someone else's work. I don't want to look at someone else's work, I want to know what the hell you're talking about so I can do it on my own.

Anyway, I've already missed the last two assignments, and am in danger of not getting the third one in (which is due today and I haven't even started it). I swear, I look at the assignments and my mind goes blank. I have no idea what the hell any of this means.

I'm seriously freaking out here!

 

[English Lady]

First, take a deep breath and let it go. Okay, let's calm down, okay?

Right, now what is the assignment you have to do?Maybe someone here can explain the task to you in a simpler way. I'm sure you're more than capable of doing what needs to be done

 

[Trombonus]

Thanks EL, I'm trying to stay calm but I'm seriously in tears here.

Here is the assignment as given to me in the syllabus...

Assignment #3: SDAIE Lesson Plan (15 points)-Due Nov. 20

Design or modify an academic content lesson plan that:
1. addresses academic content standards
2. develops students’ academic language
3. makes content comprehensible to English learners

Required Elements:
1. You may use any lesson plan format. The format provided by the model lesson plans is just one possibility. The plan will have to address each of the following criteria.
2. Your plan must address the first three SIOP Indicators, plus 5 other Indicators of your choice
3. The first three SIOP Indicators must be near the top of the lesson.
4. The SIOP Indicators must be clearly labeled with their number and name (either in the left margin or in the body of the lesson—in bold). Example: “SIOP 6—Meaningful Activities”
5. Avoid using “understand,” “know,” and “grasp” in your objectives (what is measurable?).
6. Make sure that your lesson is designed to address each of the objectives.


And here is the other assignment I failed to turn in...


Assignment #2: School Programs for English Learners (15 points)-Due Oct. 30

Write a description of any special assessment and assistance provided to an imaginary newcomer to English during the students’ first three years in your school. You will most likely have to ask teachers and administrators for help in completing this assignment. Trace the experience of this imaginary newcomer over these first three years of his/her time at your school. Give the newcomer a name, grade level and a language/cultural background so that you can be specific in your references. Describe the newcomer’s experience over three years, using the following questions to guide you. Your paper should be 2-3 pages, 12-point font, double spaced. Your grade will be based on whether you have addressed these questions and on the clarity and grammatical accuracy of your writing.

1. What assistance will the newcomer to English and to your school receive in getting to know the school and its procedures?
2. What role do the student’s caregivers play in determining the assignment of their child to a program for English learners?
3. Is there a school-site specialist who will oversee placement and monitor the student’s progress? If so, what is the title of this person? If there is no such person at the school, is there a district specialist who will do this? What is this person’s title?
4. What kind of academic assistance will the student receive in class? That is, are there teachers and/or paraprofessionals assigned to assist English learners? If there are bilingual teachers or paraprofessionals, what languages do they speak?
5. If there are special classes designated for English learners, how are they designated (bilingual, English immersion, etc.)? What kinds of materials or other resources do these classes have that facilitate the newcomer’s acquisition of English and learning of academic content?
6. What kinds of assessments are used to measure the student’s progress and appropriate placement for the coming year? Who conducts these assessments and where and how frequently are they conducted?
7. How long would a newcomer expect to receive any of these special services? What will determine which services the newcomer receives from year to year?
8. What information will be used to determine that the newcomer no longer needs services designed especially for English learners? Who makes this decision?

 

[Trombonus]

Here are the SIOP indicators...

I. Preparation
1. Clearly defined content objectives for students
2. Clearly defined language objectives for students
3. Content concepts appropriate for age and educational background level of students
4. Supplementary materials used to a high degree, making the lesson clear and meaningful (graphs, models, visuals)
5. Adaptation of content (e.g., text, assignment) to all levels of student proficiency
6. Meaningful activities that integrate lesson concepts (e.g., surveys, letter writing, simulations, constructing models) with language practice opportunities for reading, writing, listening, and/or speaking

II. Instruction
o 1) Building Background 7. Concepts explicitly linked to students' background experience
8. Links explicitly made between past learning and new concepts
9. Key vocabulary emphasized (e.g., introduced, written, repeated and highlighted for students to see)
o 2) Comprehensible Input 10. Speech appropriate for students' proficiency level (e.g., slower rate, enunciation and simple sentence structure for beginners)
11. Explanation of academic tasks clear
12. Uses a variety of techniques to make content concepts clear (e.g., modeling, visuals, hands-on activities, demonstrations, gestures, body language)
o 3) Strategies 13. Provides ample opportunities for student to use strategies
14. Consistent use of scaffolding techniques throughout lesson, assisting and supporting student understanding such as think alouds, graphic organizers, preview, review activities
15. Teacher uses a variety of question types throughout the lesson including those that promote higher-order thinking skills throughout the lesson (e.g., literal, analytical, and interpretive questions).
o 4) Interaction 16. Frequent opportunities for interactions and discussion between teacher/student and among students, which encourage elaborated responses about lesson concepts
17. Grouping configurations support language and content objectives of the lesson
18. Consistently provides sufficient wait time for student response
19. Ample opportunities for students to clarify key concepts in L1
o 5) Practice/Application 20. Provides hands-on materials and/or manipulatives for students to practice using new content knowledge
21. Provides activities for students to apply content and language knowledge in the classroom
22. Uses activities that integrate all language skills (i.e., reading, writing, listening, and speaking)
o 6) Lesson Delivery 23. Content objectives clearly supported by lesson delivery
24. Language objectives clearly supported by lesson delivery
25. Students engaged approximately 90-100% of the period
26. Pacing of the lesson appropriate to the students' ability level

III. Review/Assessment
27. Comprehensive review of key vocabulary
28. Comprehensive review of key content concepts
29. Regularly provides feedback to students on their output (e.g., language, content, work)
30. Conducts assessment of student comprehension and learning of all lesson objectives (e.g., spot checking, group response) throughout the lesson.

 

[MagicaPractica]

First, take a deep breath and let it go. Okay, let's calm down, okay?

Right, now what is the assignment you have to do?Maybe someone here can explain the task to you in a simpler way. I'm sure you're more than capable of doing what needs to be done

He is. He got an excellent grade on the first one. He's just scaring himself.

 

[tickledkitty]

Trom, do these assignments build on one another? I mean, does the second one you didn't turn in build on whatever you were supposed to do for the first one, etc.? Maybe you'll have to do the other assignments first?

Also, have you asked someone else in your class for help?

 

[Trombonus]

Trom, do these assignments build on one another? I mean, does the second one you didn't turn in build on whatever you were supposed to do for the first one, etc.? Maybe you'll have to do the other assignments first?

Also, have you asked someone else in your class for help?

No the assignments are all separate. And yeah, I asked a couple of my friends and my instructor for help but got little. I'm going to send out an e-mail to everyone tonight if I can't get any help before then.

 

[jomar]

Can't help you out any more than the others here have, but I'm pulling for you!

 

[MagicaPractica]

Here is a simplified assignment.

Assignment #3: SDAIE Lesson Plan (15 points)-Due Nov. 20

Design a lesson plan that:
1. addresses content standards
2. develops students’ language in your teaching area (music)
3. makes it understandable to the English learners

Required Elements:
1. You may use any lesson plan format.
2. Your plan must address the first three SIOP Indicators, plus 5 others (your choice)
3. Put The first three SIOP Indicators near the top
4. Label them with their number and name in bold.
(Example: “SIOP 3 — Understandable to English learners)
5. In your objectives, choose something you can measure. Example - Students will correctly use the term "a music note" during class discussion.)
6. Make sure your lesson plan addresses the objectives.

SIOP indicators to address

1. Clearly defined content objectives for students
2. Clearly defined language objectives for students
3. Content concepts appropriate for age and educational background level of students
4. Supplementary materials used to a high degree, making the lesson clear and meaningful (graphs, models, visuals)
9. Key vocabulary emphasized (e.g., introduced, written, repeated and highlighted for students to see)
27. Comprehensive review of key vocabulary
18. Consistently provides sufficient wait time for student response
20. Provides hands-on materials and/or manipulatives for students to practice using new content knowledge
30. Conducts assessment of student comprehension and learning of all lesson objectives (e.g., spot checking, group response) throughout the lesson.

 

[CeriseNoire]

Alright. For the lesson plan assignment, begin with any standard lesson plan (for the objectives, lookup Bloom's Taxonomy to avoid non-measurable terms). Then look for common accommodations for ELLs. You can start here or there. Then look at places where those strategies can be incorporated into your lesson plan; dor example, can you include visual aids, additional time for testing, use of a dictionary, can you have students demonstrate/create rather than write?

For the other assignment, you'll likely need to speak to the admins and ESL staff wherever you student teach so they can tell you what the basic process is like. It usually starts with the home language survey, then testing, placement, ESL classes/tutoring, exit exam, and placement in regular English with follow-up monitoring. The exact nature of these things varies though.

 

[English Lady]

Thanks EL, I'm trying to stay calm but I'm seriously in tears here.

Well, it looks like you're already getting a whole lot of helpful, practical advice here, I'm sure if you just get started you'll be okay.

Don't panic, you can't do anything in a panic.

 

[Vermilion]

I can;t help with the work itself, but I would suggest that if you have something like a senior tutor or a personal tutor to whom you could take your concerns about not following your class and getting no help from your class tutor then you should. Her refusing to help you is reprehensible and you should make a complaint.

Good Luck with your work, I'm sure you'll do excellently.

x
V

 

[Trombonus]

Ok, I've calmed down now thanks to Magica. I think I paniced so much that it literally shut me down. Now I'm off to work.

Thank you all so much, especially you Magica!

 

[MagicaPractica]

Assignment #2: School Programs for English Learners (15 points)-Due Oct. 30

- Make up a new student to your school and imagine his first three years there. Give the student a name, grade level and a language/cultural background so that you can be specific. (You are writing a story here.)

- Write a description of any special help that would be provided to him or her. Write about his/her experiences over the three years.

- You will have to ask teachers and administrators for help in completing this assignment.

- Use the following questions to guide you.
- Your paper should be 2-3 pages, 12-point font, double spaced.


1. What assistance will the newcomer receive in getting to know the school and its procedures?

2. What role do the student’s parents or guardians play in determining the assignment of their child to a program for English learners? (Do they have to ask?)

3. Is there a specialist at your school who will handle placement and monitor the student’s progress? If so, what is the title of this person? If there is no such person at the school, is there a specialist in the district who will do this? What is this person’s title?

4. What kind of academic assistance will the student receive in class? Are there teachers and/or aides etc. assigned to assist English learners? If there are bilingual teachers or others, what languages do they speak?

5. If there are special classes designated for English learners, what are they called? (bilingual, English immersion, etc.) What kinds of materials or other resources do these classes have to help the newcomer’s learning of English and the academic content?

6. What kinds of assessments are used to measure the student’s progress and appropriate placement for the coming year? (Are there extra tests or does the teacher write a report?) Who conducts these assessments and where and how frequently are they conducted?

7. How long would a newcomer expect to receive any of these special services? What will determine which services the newcomer receives from year to year?

8. What information will be used to determine that the newcomer no longer needs services designed especially for English learners? Who makes this decision?