Curriculum for Challenged Immigrant Students

An article that really interested me this week was in The Washington Post titled “Virginia high school gets a boost for some of its neediest immigrant students.”   Although I don’t teach high school, I work closely with our district’s high school ESL teachers and I am aware of the struggles they face with some students on a daily basis.  Their difficulties go beyond teaching English.  High school ESL teachers see the struggles of students trying to make it to school every day.  Some of them need to work to provide for their families while others may need to take care of younger siblings.  Still others face the hurdles of overcoming “having fled violence and instability in their homelands,” (Balingit, 2017).  

One high school in Virginia received a $50,000 grant from the state “to help teachers develop curriculum for its most challenged immigrant students, young people who may have the drive and the capacity to learn but have major academic gaps,” (Balingit, 2017).  The teachers will develop a curriculum about basic literacy and number skills, as well as how to “adjust to school and life in the United States, teaching them everything from study skills and how to write an email to how to open a bank account,” (Balingit, 2017).  

I think this curriculum sounds amazing.  This is just what these ESL students need- differentiated instruction that is geared toward them and their unique needs and cases.  I hope to follow the success of this curriculum and these teachers.  If this curriculum proves to benefit the students, it could be used to help ESL students and programs in other parts of the country.

Balingit, Moriah. "Virginia High School Gets a Boost for Some of Its Neediest Immigrant Students." The Washington Post. WP Company, 27 July 2017. Web. 30 July 2017.

ESL Teacher lists "My Tech Essentials"

The website eSchool News has a new monthly feature called “My Tech Essentials.”  This month’s “My Tech Essentials” featured an English as a Second Language (ESL) specialist and administrator from Oregon.  This article caught my eye for several reasons: it is very relevant to this course, it is relevant to my job, and it provides great resources.

I was shocked to read how many ESL students attended this school district in Oregon (over 5,000 ELs speaking approximately 95 different languages).  In order to help these English Learners (ELs), the district relies heavily on technology.  “As a Future Ready district, we use technology to engage students in every lesson, while providing resources to bridge the gap between their native language and English,” (Maurizio, 2017).  

The three tech essentials that Maurizio lists are:

1. Lightspeed Redcat Audio Systems:  This is a system I had never heard.  This Oregon school district has a Lightspeed Redcat Audio System in every ESL classroom across the district.  “ The system amplifies educators’ natural voices so they don’t have to shout and do not experience vocal exhaustion at the end of the day. Hearing the teacher clearly is critical during the language-learning process,” (Maurizio, 2017).  
2. Laptops:  It states that “Laptops are an educator’s lifeline,” (Maurizio, 2017) and every ESL teacher in the district receives a laptop.  The laptop helps with lesson planning, grading, monitoring progress, presentations, and, most importantly, providing visuals to help bridge connections to the home language.  
3. ipads:  Each EL has access to an ipad to use Google Translate.  Additional keyboards can be added so that students can type and translate words to and from their native language.  

Out of the three tech essentials mentioned, I would have to say that the laptop would be my number one technology essential, with ipads coming in as a close second.  It mentions using the ipads for Google Translate, however there are endless other apps and activities that they can be used for.  Technology has had such an impact on learning a new language.  Maurizio mentions that the advances in technologies from when she began teaching have changed the language learning world very much.  These tech essentials (as well as other technologies), have made language learning and teaching more efficient for teachers and students.   

"ELL Specialist: These Are “My Tech Essentials”." ESchool News. 19 July 2017. Web. 24 July 2017.

Schools Transforming Immigrant Education?

One of the interesting articles I received was titled, “The Schools Transforming Immigrant Education.”  In the article, it explains that some schools are trying to improve the newcomer “achievement gap” by creating International schools.  Newcomer ESL students are enrolled in these schools with other newcomers.  There are a lot of mixed opinions about International schools.  At first glance, it seems amazing.  Newcomers get more individualized and/or small group instruction while feeling at home in their comfort zone with other non-native speakers of English.  And, it seems to be working!  “Students in these schools outshine their English-language-learner counterparts in traditional high schools,” (Gross, N., 2017).  

However, there are concerns.  “Some critics liken the separate learning environments to segregation practices of old,” while others are upset about the amount of funds and resources that are being spent on immigrant students while some native born students are still lagging behind.  Also, students often resort back to their home language in order to communicate with other speakers of their home language.  This takes away valuable language learning time.  Another concern is taking away the constant, daily interactions with native-born peers.  However, there is the option for students to “take elective classes offered by the parent high school, thereby mixing with native English speakers.”

I will continue to follow the research and information about International schools.  I, too, have mixed feelings about it; I see the pros and the cons.  This may definitely be one way to help close the achievement gap of ELs however at what cost?  Are these students losing too much of the social interactions?  Is it creating more of a divide between people?  These are certainly concerns to continue monitoring.

Gross, Natalie. "The Schools Transforming Immigrant Education." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 13 July 2017. Web. 14 July 2017.

ELs Not Attending College as Often as Peers

I had many interesting articles delivered through Google Alerts this week, however I chose to focus on "English learners graduating from high school, but not going to college like peers," from Statesman Journal.  This article caught my eye because of recent discussions among our ESL department regarding the new federal "Opt-Out" regulation.  Under this regulation, school districts must notify parents of the option of being able to opt their child out of the ESL program.  Our high school ESL teachers are concerned of some possible negative effects if students choose this option.  Many of their high school ESL students do not want ESL on their transcript because they fear that it will harm their chances of getting into the university that they want.  The teachers are concerned that many students will choose the opt-out option solely because of their desire to attend college.  

"While staying in those programs appears to help students graduate from high school in five years at higher rates than the state average, it has its drawbacks. English language learners who stay in the programs aren't going to college as frequently as their peers who leave the programs before graduation," (Pate; June 29, 2017).  After reading this, a thought popped into my head: Are these students not applying to college because they fear they will not be accepted due to the fact that they are English Learners?   Maybe that thought is complete off, however it definitely could be a lack of confidence which is causing this gap.  

Pate, Natalie. "English Learners Graduating from High School, but Not Going to College like Peers." Statesman Journal. Statesman Journal, 30 June 2017. Web. 02 July 2017.