LLED 360 – L. Ramsey
Group Reading Facilitation Sept 28, 2017
Facilitator: Bob Beveridge
Primary Reading: Coelho, E. (2012). Chapter 4: Differentiated instruction and assessment for newcomers and language learners. Language and learning in Multilingual Classrooms: A Practical Approach
Second Source: http://vancouversun.com/opinion/columnists/douglas-todd-b-c-college-faculty-feel-pressure-to-pass-foreign-students
CRITICAL ARGUMENT: With the rapidly rising enrollment of foreign students in BC institutions, it is increasingly more important to agree upon, adhere to, and abide by an educational model for instruction and assessment of ESL students. Without a provincial model based on proper pedagogy; administrators, parents, teachers and students are all potentially exposed to an increased level of negative outcomes.
PRIMARY READING (Coelho)
MAIN FOCUS/ THEME: HOW TO ASSESS THE PROGRESS OF L2L’s IN THE LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION and then use that assessment to:
- PLAN LANGUAGE SUPPORT
- ADAPT THE MAINSTREAM PROGRAMME
WHY? Students spend a large portion of the day in classrooms so it is the teachers RESPONSIBILITY to help those students overcome the language barriers, in many instances these students are years behind other students and some are completely mainstreamed before receiving the required support.
CONCEPTS & MODELS
“The Continuum of Language Learning” based on Jim Cummins research explores the concept that a continuum of language development is required to assess starting points/ assess progress/ and select appropriate goals; instruct accordingly and track progress over time. His model demonstrates a 5-year period in which L2L students’ progress from beginner to highly proficient with continued support.
Initially L2L’s have little or no language experience and learn the language of everyday inter-action. (e.g.: hi, hello, food, washroom, bus, goodbye, thank you etc.)
A continuum of language development is required as often L2L’s are distributed through classrooms at different ages and at differing levels of development. The traditional model of comparing how L2L’s perform vs peers is flawed as it is negatively biased (focuses on what learner cannot do) and does not factor in proficiency in their native language.
(CEFR) Common European Framework of Reference for languages
- Collaborative effort among European language educators and researchers.
- Consists of 6 levels between beginner and completely competent.
- Data bank of detailed descriptors or indicators
- Framework is standardized and has utility across differing countries
- Notable feature: Can be used to evaluate any language, including native one
CEFR – Global Scale
A1 BASIC: Familiar expressions, basic phrases, introduce self, can interact in simple way provided other person is helpful
A2 BASIC: Can communicate in simple and routine tasks, describe in simple terms background, immediate environment and basic needs
B1 INDEPENDENT: Can understand main points of standard input. Can travel without difficulty, can describe experiences, events, dreams etc.
B2 INDEPENDENT: Can understand main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics. Technical discussion in field of specialization.
C1 PROFICIENT: Can express appropriately without struggle or searching for expressions.
C2 PROFICIENT: Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Summarize information.
This scale is age specific as the category descriptors are not suitable for younger people.
This scale is further applied to 3 areas of focus
- Understanding Oral and Written Language
- Speaking
- Writing
The model has many charts and descriptors to help educators get started on developing reference charts and descriptors appropriate for the target language …. very user friendly. Teachers can use developmental continua and descriptors of language to make an assessment, then adjust curriculum, use varying techniques to move the L2L student across the framework from beginner to proficient tracking the progress along the way. This information is recordable, (spreadsheets/ data/ computers etc.) and is useful to the teacher, administrator, students, and parents.
QUESTION
- How could the CEFR model be specifically useful to the teacher, administrator, student and parent.
IMPORTANT CONCEPT: SCAFFOLDING
Scaffolding is a metaphor for continuing to build the learners intelligence, proficiency, and learning ability in any area one step at a time. Continuously building greater knowledge and understanding and being the guide to oversee the process.
Cummins model for second language teaching in based on the concept of scaffolding. The model consists of four quadrants created by the intersection of two continua. The L2L student will begin in the cognitively undemanding and context embedded quadrant and slowly move towards the other end of the model. “Context embedded” means the student is assisted with hand gestures, symbols, body language etc. whereas context reduced means relying on words and language alone.
The CEFR model is incorporated in the Cummins model with the letters and skill level of the L2L learner represented in each quadrant. The concept of scaffolding is used with appropriate gradual directed steps/activities to build the students skills.
ASSESSMENT
- Assessment should not be based on peer to peer evaluation
- Not equitable to expect who are learning the primary language of instruction to be on the same level as those who have learned for many more years or a lifetime
- Evaluation should be based on the student’s improvement in the scaffolding process
- Typically, progress is made later as opposed to earlier in the process so more weighting should be given to the most recent work.
- L2L learners should be given an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge in alternative ways (music/art/tactile)
- Employ group participation to engage the student and as a different venue to assess
- Compile assessment portfolios (this shows hard evidence of student’s growth and is easy to refer to)
- Make sure students have a clear understanding on how they will be assessed and provide one example they can refer too
- Large scale assessment should not include L2L in the early stages as these students cannot engage in dialogue anyways, the system is designed and biased for native language learners and the purpose of public school is not to enable students to pass a standardized test.
QUESTIONS:
1) Are large scale entrance qualifying exams fair?
2) Should there be an appeals process in place?
3) Should a secondary curriculum learning objective focus on having success on mass entrance exams to post-secondary institutions?
SECOND SOURCE: VANCOUVER SUN
- Instructors are increasingly being asked for grading leniency/favors/exceptions on critical English courses that are gateway courses into universities and colleges
- 5x increase in foreign students at Langara College
- Local instructors wrestle with conscience in regard to where to draw the line
- Say that foreign international students is a” booming business “which brings in added revenue, institutions actively recruit these students
- Instructors “agonize” over classroom discussions and worry that high level learners are not getting fair and adequate instruction
- Language difficulties can create high stress in classrooms
- Teachers feel pressure to satisfy administrators, parents, and students
- Teachers feel bad that expectations are skewed based on tuition fees being 5x higher for international students
Questions:
- Does this article accurately reflect the current landscape in BC institutions or is this just a few instructors voicing personal displeasure?
- How does an instructor satisfy the needs of both the top end performers and lower end performers in each class?
- Should grades be based on skill level, effort, or development/improvement?
REFLECTION:
- This is a great activity that I will employ as a teacher as it provides a good base to approach public speaking. As a student is only presenting to a small group it provides an avenue to practice on a small scale before presenting to classrooms. (Scaffolding oratory/presentation skills) However a teacher would have to be careful in regards to the ELL student as the group might not be understanding of the ELL students abilities and challenges.)
- Unsurprisingly when reviewing the content of the cummins model and CEFR my group were not engaged as I was doing all of the talking and they already knew the content from the readings. Only when questions were brought up and group activity began did the overall dynamic increase in energy and productivity. Which further supports my views in regards to the concept on holistic and interactive learning.
- Still somewhat unclear on what model of assessment is used in this province. I would guess it is institution specific , but more inquiry is warranted here.
LLED 360307 Fall 2017 Dr. Lorna Ramsay
Reading Analysis Reflection Template for Presenter Date: 9/28/17
Facilitator name: Kevin Solano
Text Chapters: Chapter 4 Differentiated Instruction and Assessment for Newcomers and Language Learners
Name of Outside source:
Paradis, J., Emmerzael, K., & Duncan, T. S. (2010). Assessment of English language learners: Using parent report on first language development. Journal of Communication Disorders, 43(6), 474-497. doi:10.1016/j.jcomdis.2010.01.002
Main ideas:
• Focuses on getting relevant information on the first language when dealing with assessment.
• Assessment would be measure thru a parent report instrument. These tools would record a checklist of early vocabulary and grammatical constructions for infants and toddlers.
• The data recorded by the parents would allow educators to observe daily conversations of the infant’s vocabulary and the progress of learning English as a Second language.
• For example, CDI recorded by a parent from a Spanish speaking family have recorded critical patterns for lexical-grammatical relationships.
• The article summarizes that parents’ report of their children language appears to be a reliable sources of measuring daily progress of the English Language, (Duncan et at., 2010, p.476).
Main Themes:
1) Assess the progress of Language learners (L2Ls) in learning the language of the instructor, (Coelho, 2012, p. 83). Furthermore, to find strategies in where all teachers can provide different frameworks as a guiding tool in their curriculum.
2) Language support strategies CEFR: Ex: a framework that consist of a set of guidelines that used in Ireland and it describes performance among school-aged student learning English as a second language, (Coelho, 2012, p.87). This is deliver in 3-levels from A1, A2, and B1; A1 is the newly students that arrived with little to no English skills. When students have achieve specific B1 level across different skills of language then they are ready for full-integration into regular mainstreaming, (p.87). However, this strategy is based upon the assumption that from this point there is no further specialized instruction.
• CEFR: is composed of three categories of language performance: 1) understanding oral languages and written text, speaking in both interactive and one-way communication and written, (Coelho, 2012, p. 89).
-This monitor the progress of students who moves from a school to another school or from different districts.
3) The language materials and curricula terms are based on three different levels, 1) Beginner,2) Intermediate, and 3) Advanced, (Coelho, 2012, p.84).
4) Verbal Components of the CEFR: Overall oral production, sustained monologue, public announcements, addressing audiences, (p.93).
5) Develops a method that teacher can use a daily checklist; for example, guide students monitor day-to-day classroom activities and assignments. This is another method that teachers can assess ELL students on the big ideas of the curriculum, (p.100). Based on the teacher notes, students can now keep moving towards the next level of performance their English proficiency.
Cummins model:
• Is a model that works on planning instructions and assessment based on the individual needs of the learners.
• The model consists of four quadrants: A) cognitively undemanding, B) Context embedded, C) Context reduced, D). Cognitively demanding
My Critical Argument or Thesis
The expectation that students who migrate from other countries are mainstream into regular classrooms; and are expected to learn English vocabulary at twice or three times the rate of their peers in order to catch up within a period of five years, (Coelho, 2012, p. 83).
• Why not use the same assessment criteria that are used with other students ?
• Are students with a second language carry a much heavy burden of learning than the peers who already know the language at an-age and grade appropriate level ?
New Vocabulary:
L2L: Language Learners in learning the language of instruction, (Coelho, 2012, p.83).
CEFR: Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, consist of 6 levels from absolute beginner to highly proficient and it measures performance in any language that the learner is learning, (Coelho, 2012, p.86).
Educational Implications:
• Insights and connections on practical teaching strategies suggest that using assessment tools that are design for native speakers informs to the regular teacher that L2L are behind when comparing it to the regular native speaking leaner. This means that over time, teachers are recording the same information which eventually it does lead anywhere, (Coelho, 2012, p. 85).
• Furthermore, the reading indicates that teacher should record what the L2L leaner cannot do and record what the native speakers can do, when dealing with the same age- or grade level.
• Insights and connections to educational themes and theories or more global issues: The main idea of this assessment tool is that teachers would modify and assess the curriculum in a way that would monitor the student progressing learning path and see if is in the normal path of a regular student. For example: ESL math, ESL Science.
• Establish goals for enabling L2L leaners to catch up with the big ideas of the curriculum.
• When implementing the CEFR model, educators should place students on chart that is not static and needs to be modify regularly, (p.99).
Questions:
• 1) Are the different levels of language materials are enough to describe the track and process that happens during the period of five years ?
• 2) Should ELL students continue to received help even though they are fully proficient in English ?
• 3) How can educators provide inclusive strategies in their regular classrooms thru all the subjects ?
• 4). What is the best method for assessment when dealing with ELL students?
• 5) Does labeling ELL students the best method for inclusive education ?
Comments on discussion:
Throughout the discussion one of the most discuss aspect that was addres was the negative stigma that labeling bring to ESL students. The aspect of labeling in ESL students, brings a negative stigma and thru time it does not give the best method for assessing students’ progress. The contribution to engagement was very interesting as we discuss the practicality of assessment and the different evaluations of a more dynamic assessment. For example, using the CFRE checklist but having another component that meets the new BC curriculum. Components such as public speaking, or social-interactions with the community will have a bigger impact as it is a relevant topic for high-school students. Furthermore, the extra research implemented in this study allowed for extra discussion topic when hearing the perspective of the parents and the community.
Critical considerations of the reading analysis presentation:
As a reflect thru my self-evaluation was one the biggest areas for improvement is the delivery of the big ideas in relation to relevant information that is happening in our current society. For example, my teach-able area is not ESL and this is an area that I’m not as familiar with, however thru my social experiences and being an ESL student this is how I was able to connect with the readings. Overall, there was room for discussion but the group was able to connect with their past experiences.
Further consideration?
After reading chapter 4 and the different instructions and assessments for newcomers they were a lot of flashbacks that came to my head. First of all because I was once a student that was a newcomer and had to learn English in regular classroom. Second of all because learning English is a long process that does not have a time limit. In addition, coming from a family that move a lot throughout my childhood, it was not easy to assess my learning abilities in different districts. That’s is why the strategy of implementing a continua and checklist known as CFER can be extremely helpful when gathering information about the student’s progress and learning needs.
For example:
1) Teachers can use different indicators to guide their observations of the student proficiency. Guides such as charts describing the visual component of the big ideas of the curriculum. The teacher would then monitor the ongoing process into a separated selected checklist.
Vygotsky, the Zone of Proximal Development, and Scaffolding in the classroom:
1) Scaffolding different teaching and Learning methods that would meet the needs of an individual student. Ex: graphic organizer, a set of pre-reading questions, a summary of the key concepts and terms of the bid ideas being taught in the curriculum.
Limitations:
• Age, for example kindergarten students would be exposed to the verbal component of the CEFR tool.