ESL Educational Gain: Best Practices

1. Technical College System of Georgia Office of Adult Education November 20, 2013 ESL Educational Gain: Best Practices

2. Technical Housekeeping • On the day of the teleconference, call 1-866-590-5055 and enter access code 8019870# • Please mute your phone line to minimize background noise. • You can access presentation materials on the GALIS “Help” page under Technically Speaking • Technical Difficulties? Email kbryant@tcsg.edu. • When asking questions, please state your name, program, and location. • Stay tuned at the end for a link to an online evaluation form and information about the next ESL Technically Speaking.

3. Teleconference Overview • Introduction – Leatricia A. Williams, GPS Coordinator • Presenters • Eugenia Evans, ESL Instructor, Okefenokee Technical College • Joey Lim, EL Civics Education Instructor, Center for Pan Asian Community Services • Tina Schnepper, ESL Instructor, Lanier Technical College • Questions of Presenters • Sharing from Others • Closing Remarks – Leatricia A. Williams

4. Introduction In a paper published by the Center for Applied Linguistics (2010) entitled “Education for Adult English Language Learners in the United States, Trends, Research, and Promising Practices” reports: “…the number of adult English language learners in the United States will continue to grow. The adult education system is committed to providing high-quality instruction for this population... …The current emphasis on learner assessment and program accountability, professional development for practitioners, program and content standards, transitions to postsecondary and vocational education and the workplace, and uses of technology will help meet this goal…” Website: http://www.cal.org/caelanetwork/resources/adultELLs/assessment.html

5. Introduction Further, when addressing Promising Practices the article states:   “… As the field of adult ESL education continues to implement higher standards, assessment frameworks look not only at what students know about the language, but also at what they can do with it in everyday life… …The United States has made progress since 1999 in creating a cohesive system of adult education through legislation, such as WIA, and frameworks, such as the NRS. At the same time, accountability requirements reflect the challenges of building such a system… …For there to be a link among classroom instruction, adult learner proficiency in English, and NRS educational gain, standardized assessments that meet both learner and program needs and NRS accountability requirements must be developed and used.” (http://www.cal.org/caelanetwork/resources/adultELLs/assessment.html)

7. Getting to Know My Students • Who are my students? • What are their needs and why do they attend class? • When and how do I assess my students and their progress? • How do I make my class successful?

8. Who Are My Students? • They represent different educational backgrounds. • They have different skills and life experiences. • They want or need immediate application. • They have different learning styles. • They may have low self-esteem. (http://www.simplypsychology.org/self-esteem.html)

9. What Are Their Needs and Why Do They Attend Class? • They come to class for specific reasons: • Adults want their learning to be immediately applicable to their lives. • Improve their education in order to go to college. • Get a better job. • Be able to communicate in every situation that they face in their daily routine.

10. Web Addresses Used in My Classroom • http://www.usalearns.org/teacher/ A free site for you to help adults learn English and improve basic reading, writing, speaking and life skills • http://www.duolingo.com/ Free language education for the world. • http://www.starfall.com/ Systemic phonics approach with phonemic awareness practice • www.usingenglish.com/handouts/ Free ESL teacher handouts, grammar worksheets & pintables • http://www.englishpage.com Free online English lessons, resources and tutorials featuring dozen on interactive exercises. • http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/prepositions Free English Grammar 4U Online

11. When and How Do I Assess My Students and Their Progress? • Daily exercises • Weekly evaluations • Individualized work • Homework activities • Group observations

12. How to Make My Class Successful? • Class Activities: • Group • Games • Social Interaction • Computer Lab • Civics

14. Successful Practices in a Computer, ESL, and EL Civics Education Class

15. Basic Outline of a Normal Class • English Skills - Writing letters, emails, journals and presentations. e.g. USALearns.org • Computer Skills - Basic computer skills that everyone needs in everyday life. • Civics Skills - Learn about how the government works and operates, and U.S. history.

16. Outline of the Class- ESL 1.) English Skills • USAlearns.org • Read a story - Listening • Vocabulary - Definitions/Spelling • Reading Comprehension Questions • Conversations/ Stories • Read and write your own conversation with a partner. • Journal - write your own daily journal everyday. • PowerPoint Presentations

17. Outline of the Class- Computer 2.) Computer Skills • Microsoft Word Basics • Email Basics • Microsoft PowerPoint Basics • Microsoft Excel Basics • Google Documents • Internet Surfing

18. Outline of the Class - Computer • Basic Internet Surfing Skills • How to shop online • Online banking • How to use a search engine • How to find maps • How to Burn/Rip CD’s • How to change/edit/move pictures • USEFUL INFORMATION!! Things people use!

19. Outline of the Class- 3.) Civics Skills – • Citizenship Passing the Test - Civics and Literacy • Long book- try to split it up • Try to finish one chapter a week • Read it together as a class then ask the questions at the end of the chapter. • Incorporate computers • Make presentations

20. Problems I have encountered… • Go through lots of paper • Some students don’t come regularly - catch up • Need to be same level in English and computer skills • Need to have a projector set up so you can show the whole class at once • Ringing cell phones/Talking • Some only interested in computer skills

22. Best Practices Team Goal Setting • Teacher’s Goals • Class Goals • Students’ Goals

23. Best Practices • Relevant material • Daily Activities • Current events • Quote of the day- www.brainyquote.com • Transition- www.careersolutionspublishing.com

24. Best Practices • Routines • Small group work or teams • Computer lab • Laptops for classroom use • Agenda on board • Graphic organizers

25. It’s all about the Students • Student-centered teaching • Student-created material • PBL: Project-based learning • Technology-based assignments • MALP: Mutually Adaptive Learning Paradigm (DeCapua & Marshall, Presented at 2013 Fall Conference)

26. Great lessons…but no LC? • Teacher reviews post-test results with students individually and shares with them the areas that need improvement • Teacher incorporates deficient skills into lessons • Peer tutors who achieved level-completion help other students • Boot Camp - week before next post-test

27. Questions for the Presenters ? Please say your name, program and location before asking your question

28. Sharing of Ideas from other Adult Education Professionals

29. Contact Information

30. Thank you for your participation! Please complete an evaluation of this session at http://surveymonkey.com/s/TechnicallySpeakingESLGains Next ESL Technically Speaking session: Distance Education and Technology-Based Opportunities for ESL & EL/Civics Education January 29, 2014 - 2:00-3:30 pm