ELL/ESOL/TESOL

Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning: Grades K-12 - No. ELL-139

Through the examination of learners' cultural needs, along with developmental readiness, participants will become familiar with guidelines for appropriate textbook selection, web-based resources, and criteria for selection of responsive multicultural literature and related resources. Participants will expand their understanding of cultural responsiveness by examining models of research-based and differentiated literacy instruction with efficacy for moving up progress in second language learners. In preparation for designing their own differentiated and responsive curriculum, the stages of writing development and the research-based methods that guide them will be examined.

Course Outcomes:

• Teach using a responsive teaching and learning curriculum.
• Respond to students' cultural needs using a responsive curriculum that includes the stages of writing development.
• Apply new strategies to classroom inclusion in a culturally and developmentally responsive curriculum using the stages of writing development.
• Differentiate and scaffold lessons that respond to cultural and developmental readiness.

The Art of Differentiating Instruction for ELLs, K-12 - No. ELL-112

The art of differentiation happens through design, re-design, and flexible teaching strategy. Participants in this e-course will reinvent lessons using research-based, effective methods for differentiation geared specifically for ELLs. They'll have opportunities to re-purpose lesson plans, understand readiness versus ability, and capitalize on brain plasticity to engage students through intellect and creativity. Learning profiles, interest surveys, cognitive-friendly learning environments, tiered questioning and student "hooks" for rigorous learning application are some of the takeaways to this e-course.

Course Outcomes:

• Create differentiated lessons through design and strategy focused on the language needs of ELLs.
• Use design strategy for mixed-ability grouping and classroom environment.
• Use online and print tools for differentiation such as learning profiles, interest surveys and tiered questioning focused on the needs of ELLs.

Organizing and Maintaining Successful Classroom Environments for ELLs, Grades 6-12 - No. ELL-207

Aligned to: Danielson Domain 2, Marzano Domain 4. Organizing and maintaining multi-cultural classroom environments of respect and rapport are the high thoughtful strategy, while facilitating respect and rapport among students. Active participation will further learning about students’ while aiding in the development of assignments and activities that build from high expectations for all students, with a focus on ELLs. Classroom management and effective language strategies will further group work, student engagement, and peaceful transitions between and among activities.

Course Outcomes:

• Take an active role through planning and instruction in learning about students in order to establish a successful classroom environment that includes the language needs of ELLs.
• Develop working knowledge of engaging language strategies and the organization of physical space that contributes to an effective classroom environment.
• Apply new strategy and examine practices that build multi-cultural environments of respect and rapport through caring, and peaceful transitions and student collaboration.

Best Practices in Literacy for ELLs, Grades K-12 - No. ELL-259A

After analyzing lessons to determine the best embedded practices that support diverse English language learners, participants will divide by grade bands to learn the best practices embedded within them. Looking at and analyzing lesson samples will teach them how to identify specific best practices in action, and what makes them best as a strategy and an action, providing the foundations for differentiation and close reading strategies. Participants will identify best practices pertinent to the grade and discipline they teach, and work them into assignments that scaffold into a final project.

Course Objectives:

• Analyze modules to identify embedded best practices that support the diverse language needs of their ELL students.
• Glean and apply new best practices by working them into unit and lesson plans presently being taught. Implement and reflect upon best practice strategies taught, giving and receiving peer feedback in discussion forums.
• Align best practices with pertinent lesson components and Common Core Standards as they apply specifically to their ELLs.

Learning Style Approaches in Teaching English Language Learners No. ELL-222 Grades K-5

Managing learning begins with understanding of our students and their learning styles, especially when moving forward the language skills of our ELLs. It’s about knowing them, and how they learn, and knowing enough to engage them in learning more. Whether they learn kinesthetically (using physical, hands-on), or inter-personally (social) for example, we’ll have the opportunity via learning style analysis to craft activities and performance tasks geared to garnering higher student achievement.  Participants in this course will learn how to use learning style information to develop, plan with, and use strategies that help ELLs.

Course Objectives:

• Apply several learning style theories to determine learning styles.
• Develop working knowledge of, and utility with, various behavior management theories as they align with multiple learning styles.
• Align behavioral theory to identified learning styles in order to successfully manage behavior and instruct students.
• Apply, through planning and job-embedded action, specific and measurable behavioral management goals and strategies as they align with identified learning styles.

Teaching to Cultural and Linguistic Diversity, Grades 3-12 - No. ELL-242

Common Core Reading Standards and Strategies That Support Them for ELLs, Grades K-12 - ELL-147

Effective Instructional Environments for English Language Learners, Grades K-12, No. ELL-219

ELL children and young adults need special environments rife with visual engagement, differentiation, novelty and cognitive-friendly approaches to reinforce learning daily. From seating, to structuring learning centers, participants will learn the research-based essentials for setting classroom environments up for success with a focus on ELL students.  Careful attention will be given to physical space, visuals, design, support systems and activities to accommodate the different and varied needs among exceptional learners.

Course Outcomes:

• Develop and apply working knowledge of the research-based instructional environments to success for ELL students and other language learners.
• Apply knowledge about the classrooms and classroom environments that lead to successfully teaching to English language learners to planning and instruction.
• Develop a classroom model and modify it as it aligns to new ideas, resources, and strategies gleaned from this course.

Organizing and Maintaining Successful Classroom Environments for ELLs, Grades K-6 - No. ELL-202

Aligned to: Danielson Domain 2, Marzano Domain 4

Organizing and maintaining multi-cultural classroom environments of respect and rapport are the high priorities of this e-course. Teachers will learn strategy and examine practices that build environments of respect and rapport through caring, thoughtful strategy, while facilitating respectful peer review among students. Active participation will further learning about students’ while aiding in the development of assignments and activities for ELLs while building high expectations for all students. Classroom management strategies will further group work, student engagement, and peaceful transitions between and among activities.

Course Outcomes:

• Take an active role through planning and instruction in learning about students in order to establish a successful classroom environment that include the language needs of ELLs.
• Develop working knowledge of engaging language strategies and the organization of physical space that contributes to an effective classroom environment.
• Apply new strategy and examine practices that build multi-cultural environments of respect and rapport through caring, and peaceful transitions and student collaboration.

Teaching to Text Complexity for ELLs, Grades K-12 - No. ELL-188

Reading strategies will focus on skill and readability as participants are introduced to leveling systems that scaffold. Participants will be introduced to the scaffolding mechanisms needed to appropriately move up text complexity in multiple genres across all subject areas for ELLs.

Course Outcomes:

• Scaffold for, and teach to, text complexity.
• Through practice, develop the ability to plan strategically for teaching text complexity to ELLs.
• Align student-learning objectives to strategy that teaches text complexity.

Purposeful Planning With Differentiation and ELLs in Mind, Grades K-12 - No. ELL-205

Planning with purpose leads to effective instruction. This course takes learners through a variety of planning processes that align closely to pre-established learning goals, objectives, state and national standards. In addition, working knowledge of current and best instructional planning design specific to ELLs, along  with the preparation that goes behind it, will highlight reflection and development. Participants will work new ideas into planning with specific purposes and ends in mind as they work out of and into the Marzano (2001) Nine Categories in Instructional Planning.

Course Outcomes:

• Develop understanding and knowledge of ELL students.
• Set high instructional outcomes that move ELL students toward specific ends and purposes.
• Practice with accessing planning resources and resources to work into planning with.
• Develop utility with resources that aid in the planning of coherent instruction for English language learners.

Best Practices for Inclusive Classrooms and ELLs, Grades K-12 - No. ELL-211

After analyzing lessons to determine the best embedded practices that support diverse English language learners, participants will divide by grade bands to learn the best practices embedded within them. Looking at and analyzing lesson samples will teach them how to identify specific best practices in action, and what makes them best as a strategy and an action, providing the foundations for differentiation and close reading strategies. Participants in this course will also learn how to create balanced classrooms, and evaluate their utility in various settings and scenarios to include co-teaching and collaboration. The use of appropriate supports for English language learners will be practiced with through various teaching approaches, to include co-teaching, interactive teaching, parallel teaching, and through lesson development. 

Course Objectives:

• Analyze modules to identify embedded best practices that support the diverse language needs of their ELL students.
• Glean and apply new best practices by working them into unit and lesson plans presently being taught. Implement and reflect upon best practice strategies taught, giving and receiving peer feedback in discussion forums.
• Align best practices with pertinent lesson components and Common Core Standards as they apply specifically to their ELLs.

Common Core Reading Standards and Strategies That Support Them for ELLs, Grades K-12 - No. ELL-SP-147

This workshop will take participants into deep realms of text analysis in fiction and non-fiction print. Participants will examine reading selection, questioning strategy, and leveling of strategy and resources for effective scaffolding and differentiation to meet the needs of ELLs. Participants will learn about, and become familiar with, resources that determine text complexity, level libraries, take running records and use anecdotal data to analyze, evaluate, and plan for student needs.

Course Outcomes:

• Use tools that determine text complexity.
• Access and use resources that support text complexity, leveled libraries, the taking of running records, and formative assessment data to plan and differentiate for ESOLs.

Research-Based Literacy Strategies For English Language Learners: Grades K-12 - No. ELL-123

Participants will be introduced to sound and scientific research as it promotes literacy across all content areas to help ELL students build foundational skills across reading, writing, speaking and listening. They’ll learn the scaffolds behind them that aid students in the important transition process across all content areas. Intentional, consistent, and rigorous teaching of reading and writing strategy that improves student achievement will engage the 90/90/90 principled approach. Participants completing this course will take away implementation tools that include graphic organizers, semantic maps, thinking aids, checklists, rubrics and more.

Course Outcomes:

• Move scientific theory into classroom literacy strategy across specific content areas for ELL students.
• Scaffold student progress along a rigorous strategy continuum.
• Import research-based literacy strategy into lessons for rigorous application and implementation.

Close Reading Strategies for ELLs: What are they, and how do we teach them? Grades 3-8 - No. ELL-177

While many students will develop their own methods to read complicated text, answer high-level questions and respond with written products, many ELLs will struggle with reading complex text and the close reading strategies that support it. We now know there are numerous approaches to teach close reading with, all of them working in numerous ways to parcel through multiple layers of text complexity, even for ELLs. From chunking to note taking with purpose, to using visuals and other multi-sensory approaches, participants will gain a repertoire of strategies with which to teach close reading successfully to all students, including ELLs.

Course Outcomes:

• Understand what it means to “close read” with strategy for ELLs.
• Understand and gain insight into the close reading requirements of the Common Core State Standards.
• Apply new strategies to the teaching of close reading to English language learners.

Building Reading Muscle of Struggling ELLs, Grades 6-12

Building reading muscle requires training, perseverance, and constant progress monitoring. Participants will review intervention strategies that include timely response to intervention focused on building strength and strategy among ELLs. Strategic and differentiated interventions reviewed and practiced with will include cognitive questioning, vocabulary development, peer and teacher feedback, use of graphic organizers and reflective self-monitoring.

Course Outcomes:

• Become familiar with, and further develop, intervention strategies focused on response to intervention as it applies to ELLs.
• Use strategy specific to, and that differentiate for, ELL struggling learners.
• Plan for, and implement with, vocabulary and questioning strategies combined with consistent use of teacher and peer feedback to build reading muscle.

Building Reading Muscle of Struggling ELLs, Grades K-5 No. ELL-133

Building reading muscle requires training, perseverance, and constant progress monitoring. Participants will review intervention strategies that include timely response to intervention focused on building strength and strategy among ELLs. Strategic and differentiated interventions reviewed and practiced with will include cognitive questioning, vocabulary development, peer and teacher feedback, use of graphic organizers and reflective self-monitoring.

Course Outcomes:

• Become familiar with, and further develop, intervention strategies focused on response to intervention as it applies to ELLs.
• Use strategy specific to, and that differentiate for, ELL struggling learners.
• Plan for, and implement with, vocabulary and questioning strategies combined with consistent use of teacher and peer feedback to build reading muscle.

Assessment of English Language Learners and Progress Monitoring, Grades K-12 - No. SP-ELL-203

Using assessment criteria to drive instruction requires the use of reliable data. Teachers that are actively and systematically use this data can understand the academic performance of their special needs students, ELLs and other struggling learners, thus leverage for effective progress monitoring. Participants will be introduced to multiple assessments that include feedback models and other formative methods that feed instructional decisions. Participants will learn to find and use this data effectively to meet the unique needs of their English language learners.

Course Outcomes:

• Evaluate and monitor student work against rigorous assessment criteria. 
• Plan and practice with assessment criteria as aligned to performance standards. 
• Use data to reflect on further refine practices to improve teaching focused primarily on ELLs.
• Apply effective communication strategy to articulate learning and instructional goals to ELL. students, while demonstrating flexibility and responsiveness to their needs.

Best Practices for Inclusive Classrooms and ELLs, Grades K-5 - No. ELL-211A

After analyzing lessons to determine the best embedded practices that support diverse English language learners, participants will divide by grade bands to learn the best practices embedded within them. Looking at and analyzing lesson samples will teach them how to identify specific best practices in action, and what makes them best as a strategy and an action, providing the foundations for differentiation and close reading strategies. Participants in this course will also learn how to create balanced classrooms, and evaluate their utility in various settings and scenarios to include co-teaching and collaboration. The use of appropriate supports for English language learners will be practiced with through various teaching approaches, to include co-teaching, interactive teaching, parallel teaching, and through lesson development. 

Course Objectives:

• Analyze modules to identify embedded best practices that support the diverse language needs of their ELL students.
• Glean and apply new best practices by working them into unit and lesson plans presently being taught. Implement and reflect upon best practice strategies taught, giving and receiving peer feedback in discussion forums.
• Align best practices with pertinent lesson components and Common Core Standards as they apply specifically to their ELLs.

Creating a Cognitive-Friendly Learning Environment for ELLs, Grades K-12 - No. ELL-154

Neurons pass information along at speeds of up to 200 miles an hour. With this speed, there's no end to the brain-power students can harness, and the teacher has everything to do with it! Participants in this e-course will learn how to establish cognitive-friendly learning environments that aid in student retention while minimizing the stresses that pull them away from learning. Participants will leave this workshop with multiple takeaways for immediate, brain-friendly application.

Course Objectives:

• Understand and identify the practices and conditions needed to establish cognitive-friendly learning environments. 
• Establish cognitive-friendly learning environments.
• Plan and facilitate retention and cognition among students through motivation and engagement.

Content Area Reading and Writing Strategies for ELLs, Grades 3-12 - No. ELL-104

Building writing muscle requires lots of practice, passion, and on-going assessment. Participants will review intervention strategies to aid struggling writers in developing their skills while becoming inspired to write, and to write more. A Common Core/FSS-aligned writing focus will include essay writing, research writing, narrative, information/explanatory, argument, and narrative genres. Activities will incorporate the ELA instructional shifts. Lesson and unit development will begin with a focus on building from students’ writing strength with evidence-based strategies for success. Differentiation will include peer coaching, chunking with organizers, mapping, use of teacher feedback, and more.

Course Outcomes:

• Become familiar with, and further develop, intervention strategies focused on effective writing interventions for struggling writers.
• Acquire and use strategy to differentiate with for struggling writers.
• Differentiate and scaffold for struggling writers, along with the use of effective teacher and peer feedback that builds writing muscle.

Building Reading Comprehension in English Language Learners, PK-5

The building blocks to effective reading comprehension begin in the primary grades with explicit instruction, teacher modeling and lots of guided practice. Under this umbrella, participants will learn to teach reading comprehension, geared specifically for the needs of ELLs, through effective strategy that builds student capacity. Story structure, graphic representation, reciprocal questioning, retelling and summarizing are some of the approaches under study. All strategies overviewed will include tools for implementation.

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Acquire and apply the skills needed to effectively teach reading comprehension in primary grades for ELLs.
• Plan for and implement with strategy that builds student capacity through teacher modeling, guided practice.

Building Reading Comprehension in English Language Learners, Grades 6-9 - No. ELL-132

In this e-course, participants will examine effective strategy for reading comprehension of ELLs in intermediate grades, and these approaches scaffold across content for optimal effectiveness. Approaches will include text structure, reciprocal teaching, use of graphic organizers, literature webbing, and building background knowledge through the use of questioning. All strategies under study will include tools for implementation.

Course Outcomes:

• Design and practice with strategies that teach effective reading comprehension in intermediate grades.
• Scaffold across multiple content area, grades and reading/writing genre.
• Understand the explicit instruction and teacher modeling methods behind effective reading comprehension curriculum.
• Teach reading comprehension through strategy as it scaffolds student success across multiple reading and writing genres in core content areas.

All About Balanced Literacy and English Language Learners: K-8

Participants in this e-course will learn how the balanced literacy components of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension to work into a balanced reading, writing, listening and speaking curriculum geared specifically for ELLs. Research-based strategies that engage effective instruction, as guided by sound scaffolding techniques, work seamlessly into successful balanced literacy programs when applied intentionally - participants will learn all of this, and more. Ancillary materials for immediate implementation will include rubrics, checklists, lesson plans and strategy guides.

Course Outcomes:

• Plan and implement with the balanced literacy components as leveraged for ELLs.
• Use reading, writing, listening and speaking strategies to effectively scaffold student learning.
• Develop the skill and ability to leverage online and off-site resources to teach using balanced literacy strategies and techniques.

Best Practices in Literacy for ELLs, Grades K-5 - No. ELL-259B

After analyzing lessons to determine the best embedded practices that support diverse English language learners, participants will divide by grade bands to learn the best practices embedded within them. Looking at and analyzing lesson samples will teach them how to identify specific best practices in action, and what makes them best as a strategy and an action, providing the foundations for differentiation and close reading strategies. Participants will identify best practices pertinent to the grade and discipline they teach, and work them into assignments that scaffold into a final project.

Course Objectives:

• Analyze modules to identify embedded best practices that support the diverse language needs of their ELL students.
• Glean and apply new best practices by working them into unit and lesson plans presently being taught. Implement and reflect upon best practice strategies taught, giving and receiving peer feedback in discussion forums.
• Align best practices with pertinent lesson components and Common Core Standards as they apply specifically to their ELLs.

Best Practices in Literacy for ELLs, Grades 6-12 - No. ELL-259C

After analyzing lessons to determine the best embedded practices that support diverse English language learners, participants will divide by grade bands to learn the best practices embedded within them. Looking at and analyzing lesson samples will teach them how to identify specific best practices in action, and what makes them best as a strategy and an action, providing the foundations for differentiation and close reading strategies. Participants will identify best practices pertinent to the grade and discipline they teach, and work them into assignments that scaffold into a final project.

Course Objectives:

• Analyze modules to identify embedded best practices that support the diverse language needs of their ELL students.
• Glean and apply new best practices by working them into unit and lesson plans presently being taught. Implement and reflect upon best practice strategies taught, giving and receiving peer feedback in discussion forums.
• Align best practices with pertinent lesson components and Common Core Standards as they apply specifically to their ELLs.

Data-Driven Decision-Making for ELLs, Grades K-12

Instructional decision-making hinges on variables that can change by the minute, the hour, and the student. The many forms that data take can inform rich instruction. It’s all about driving the right data to the right instructional strategy. This course will focus on deep data digs, gaps analysis, and meeting the needs of second language learners.

Course Outcomes:

• Glean and analyze valuable information about student performance from data, focusing on ENL students.
• Look at and analyze multiple data sets to plan instructional strategy with. Data will include formative and summative sources focused on drawing accurate information about the language performance of ENL students.
• Use data to plan instruction for ENL students with.

Formative Assessment Practices for ELL Students, Grades K-12

Assessment of learning or for learning? Balanced, summative interim and formative assessments will be evaluated for CCSS application in this e-course. Participants will understand how to effectively monitor their ENL student learning, structure requisite assessment criteria, and teach to support a rapid turnaround of language results.

Course Outcomes:

• Seek out new assessment resources using effective research skills that further teaching and learning.
• Match grade-level assessment criteria to standards-aligned curriculum and instruction.
• Monitor student learning to move up individual student performance, focusing primarily on ENL students.

Literacy Strategies for Struggling Learners and ELLs: Grades K-5

Consistent use of reading and writing strategy across all content areas continues to turn around the language skills of English language learners, particularly those who struggle. Participants will finish this e-course with a compendium of strategies and tools to aid ELL students and struggling learners with, using researched and field-tested implementation ideas.

Course Objectives:

• Use same strategy ideas across all content areas to leverage ELL student success with.
• Glean and apply multiple strategies that aid in the successful literacy effort of struggling learners and ELL students.
• Apply collaboration among multiple disciplines and plan to accommodate the needs of struggling learners.

Literacy Strategies for Struggling Learners and ELLs: Grades 6-12

Literature Circles That Differentiate for ELL Students, Grades K-8

Literature circles with flexible grouping are a combination that works perfectly into a differentiated literacy curriculum for ENL students. With a strong record of success, literature circles continue to meet the needs of all learners. Participants in this e-course will learn the strategies that make literature circles successful, and how to leverage them effectively for ENLs, small groups and learning centers. Tools for implementation and informal assessment include checklists, role rubrics and a host of multi-sensory differentiation ideas.

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Locate, develop and use the tools needed to effectively differentiate instruction for ENL students within the Literature Circle framework.
• Use field-tested tools to successfully conduct literature circles that differentiate for ENL students.

Research-Based Literacy Strategies For English Language Learners: Grades K-5 - No. ELL-123A

Participants will be introduced to sound and scientific research as it promotes literacy across all content areas to help ELL students build foundational skills across reading, writing, speaking and listening. They’ll learn the scaffolds behind them that aid students in the important transition process across all content areas. Intentional, consistent, and rigorous teaching of reading and writing strategy that improves student achievement will engage the 90/90/90 principled approach. Participants completing this course will take away implementation tools that include graphic organizers, semantic maps, thinking aids, checklists, rubrics and more.

Course Outcomes:

• Move scientific theory into classroom literacy strategy across specific content areas for ELL students.
• Scaffold student progress along a rigorous strategy continuum.
• Import research-based literacy strategy into lessons for rigorous application and implementation.

Research-Based Literacy Strategies For English Language Learners: Grades 6-12 - No. ELL-123B

Participants will be introduced to sound and scientific research as it promotes literacy across all content areas to help ELL students build foundational skills across reading, writing, speaking and listening. They’ll learn the scaffolds behind them that aid students in the important transition process across all content areas. Intentional, consistent, and rigorous teaching of reading and writing strategy that improves student achievement will engage the 90/90/90 principled approach. Participants completing this course will take away implementation tools that include graphic organizers, semantic maps, thinking aids, checklists, rubrics and more.

Course Outcomes:

• Move scientific theory into classroom literacy strategy across specific content areas for ELL students.
• Scaffold student progress along a rigorous strategy continuum.
• Import research-based literacy strategy into lessons for rigorous application and implementation.

Tools and Practices for Effective Progress Monitoring of ELL Students, Grades K-12

Through a tiered instructional framework, participants will be introduced to tools and research-based practices of effective progress monitoring at Tiers II and III of the RtI framework with a focus on ENL students. By evaluating and becoming knowledgeable about high quality, differentiated and scientifically based instructional practices, participants will learn how to scaffold learning strategy carefully, and with increased intensity using the tools to meet their ENL students at an assessed level of performance and rate of progress. Increased achievement and closed learning gaps are among the priorities when intervening strategically.

Course Outcomes:

• Use the tools of tiered instructional models to close achievement gaps for Tiers II and III ENL students.
• Plan with and apply the assessment procedures needed to progress monitor effectively in order to deliver effective and timely interventions for RtI and ENL students.
• Plan and practice with various differentiated, scientifically based instructional technique to scaffold instruction with.