Professional Development Recommended Literature Archive
Assessing English Language Learners: Bridges From Language Proficiency to Academic Achievement by Margo Gottlieb (2006, Corwin Press, www.corwinpress.com)
If you are looking for resources to help your English language learners (ELLs) succeed academically, WIDA suggests Margo Gottlieb's Assessing English Language Learners: Bridges From Language Proficiency to Academic Achievement. Used in several pre-service and professional development programs across the country, this book complements the
WIDA ELP Standards and Resource Guide, offering concrete ideas for standards-based curriculum implementation. Dr. Gottlieb was able to build bridges from academic language to academic achievement through the perspectives of instruction, assessment, and accountability. Remaining student-centered, she shows how to comply with the law while making ELLs' school experience meaningful and enriching. Dr. Gottlieb infuses throughout her work examples of placement forms, classroom assessments, oral proficiency assessment tools, record-keeping, and many other practical forms for teachers and administrators.
In addition to the practicality of Assessing English Learners, the highest value of this text is in the opportunities for reflection it provides educators. Looking at assessment in a larger context, Dr. Gottlieb encourages the exploration of the political and social aspects of today's educational system. Furthermore, she promotes deeper understanding of the dichotomy of the ESL profession, ensuring educational equity by providing ELLs with access to grade level content while helping students continuously develop their academic language proficiency. Understanding the individuality and the interrelatedness of these tasks is at the heart of what ELL educators face every day. The academic success of ELLs hinges on educators' attention to these details.
Pieces of Peace: A collection of literacy-based lessons for young peacemakers by Eds. Julie Ashworth, Lisa Brunick, and Emily Drommerhausen (2007, Augustana College, www.augie.edu).
Educators are constantly looking for ways to make their instruction more inclusive and effective for all students, including English language learners. Research supports and validates this desire by showing that ELLs benefit from hands on, relevant, and authentic curriculum (Brown, 2007; Fay & Whaley, 2004; Mason, 2006; Rice, Pappamihiel and Lake, 2004). WIDA recommends Pieces of Peace because of the unique opportunity it poses for educators to engage in critical dialogue that promotes language proficiency as well as overall literacy.
This resource is filled with hands-on activities with the goal for students to expand their literacy through critical pedagogy. Each lesson plan uses children’s literature to demonstrate ways of problem solving in their everyday lives. For ELLs, this represents an opportunity to link new content and language to their everyday lives within an authentic and relevant curriculum. The lessons are divided into six environmental categories in which students can incorporate peace including: family, classroom, lunchroom, playground, community, and world. Additionally, these lessons are tied to a model of youth empowerment called the Circle of Courage which was inspired by Native cultures. It was developed to promote courage in environments to create change and meet needs of the individual and society. The circle consists of four values including independence, generosity, mastery, and belonging.
Each lesson is aligned to the Education Standards of WIDA's newest member state, South Dakota. Topics include reading, communication arts, and social studies. For example, in these activities students will cover content and language standards that include, but are not limited to:
- vocabulary development
- writing and retelling information and ideas
- multicultural literary appreciation
- developing and applying comprehension strategies
- critical reflection on the values, beliefs, interests, and celebrations of different cultures.
An example lesson plan:
“We Dream of a World...Where Everyone is Generous” in the Peace in the World category deals with all four areas of the Circle of Courage wheel. The lesson plan begins with an introduction explaining how to help children realize that they can make a difference. Objectives, materials, and vocabulary terms (such as independence, selflessness, and generosity) are also discussed. The introductory event is an activity to build teamwork and belonging by having every individual student help complete a puzzle of the circle of courage with a poem on the inside. Students will work together to complete the poem and become a member of the inner circle. Following the introductory event, the lesson course of action follows with a discussion activity. It introduces students to a song activity involving learning some sign language, and they read the book “We Dream of a World” created by students just like them. Students will work on English language listening proficiency during the song and while their teacher reads the book, and speaking proficiency during discussion.
The activities included in this book will increase the student’s self-awareness and their knowledge of diversity in the world. Encouraging reflection through these lessons will teach ELL students to self-advocate and have a voice both inside and outside the classroom while helping them develop critical skills that can transfer across academic areas.
Trumbull, E. and Pacheco, M. (2005). The Teacher's Guide to Diversity: Building a Knowledge Base. The Education Alliance at Brown University.
Volume I -Human Development, Culture, and Cognition (184 pages)
Volume II - Language (148 pages)
Click the link above to download the documents from the Brown University website for free.
The connection between culture and language proficiency with human development, learning, and schooling are examined in these two excellent resources. Volume I, Human Development, Culture, and Cognition, focuses on sociocultural and constructivist perspectives, with information on how schools can foster identify development conducive to culturally sensitive learning engagement. This volume ends with a section devoted to learning principles and standards to guide cognitively demanding learning for ELLs from various cultural backgrounds. Volume II, Language, examines language proficiency, especially as it intersects with literacy acquisition and instruction. In particular, the volume stresses the centrality of culture with regard to language identity through an understanding of communication style; the challenges that ELLs face in becoming language proficient; and the components of language (phonology, syntax, etc.) as they relate to print language and academic language proficiency.
The Alliance at Brown University has continued to spearhead an understanding of factors appropriate for academic success of diverse learners from a variety of backgrounds. These two volumes in particular help educators working with English Language Learners understand the challenges ELLs face, with sound research-based information on how to provide the contextual framework for maximizing successful social and academic learning.
For more information, please visit www.alliance.brown.edu.
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