eMINTS in a Second Language Classroom

2.29.2008
Karen Sander

Comprehensive teacher in Missouri describing several of the key factors for learning in a classroom. The law of Missouri says that each district has to have accomodations for ESL and there has to be a teacher to serve students of othre languages.
BICs (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills) is the technique of teaching students to use English for everyday needs. Examples would include using restroom, hunger, or a situation they will need to communicate in their personal life.
CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Profiency) is where most students struggle as they try to acquire the skills necessary to learn. Statistics reflect that it usually takes children 7 years to acquire this skill and use proficiently.

Getting Started with students is her necessary step. She uses kinesthetic activities to encourage students to work as a team. She also uses techniques to encourage higher order thinking. It is important to push them to use activities that do not require a lot of literate skills. They often sort letters to upper and lower case using picture puzzles similar to bingo. They also progress to Wrod Sorts. This activity helps them identify suffix on words and sort them on a table on the SmartBoard and allows them to work in pairs and groups. Review shows gains in her classroom.
Writing in the classroom for ESL students struggle with ideas. Often she will use promps and help students inquire and question. They need to defend their thinking and encourages students to engage in activities.
Cooperative Learning encourages oral language skills also. This provides them opportunity to practice their skills in a low pressure environment. This helps them transfer to other classrooms.
Cooperative Learning is how she encourages students to share their culture and expertise. All stages of eMINTS strategies are encorporated in her actitives. She models and questions so students develop thinking skills.
Sentence Structure is an activity of word cards and students need to create sentences and determine order of grammar and encourages understanding of words.
Skrinking Summary is where students have the opportunity to share what information they have derived from a learning experience. This encourages fluency and summaries. She gives each participant a time limit to share, so this encourages summary skills.
Whiteboards encourage interactivity within her classroom. She puts all the parts of a letter on the Smart Board and the students will drag the parts in an order. Their follow up is to create their letter after the model they created.
Beta toolkit in Smart Notebook has tests created to allow students to work together and provides immediate feedback. The encouragement of instant response and the interactivitiy is more engaging than paper/pen work.
Another case of technology as being an engaging and monitoring tool to help students learn. She will have students use digital camera to detect cause and effect situations and will insert these into a ppt and create the sentences to explain.
Reference to contemporary literacy. She creates notes in English and then adds the translations in Spanish and then a third entry of how the Spanish note translates back to English. Translations sites do not always create messages that are meaningful. AT&T Language lines has help with translation. Babbelfish and Google translater do not always interpret the real meanings of words to reflect the thought.
Constructivism and Inquiry in ESL classrooms. Stduents have different experiences and we must identify positive eperiences and use these for learning. Google Earth also helps them explain their region and culture.
WebQuests in ESL classrooms. Consider schema and background information. Appropriate resources and equality in learning are important.
Videotape reading and special events for discussion.
Creating activities with diversity includes a preparation of topic, experiences, and other important factors to encourage higher order thinking. Review of any activity always include sharing and communication. This is the key element to help students with speech and auditory skills.