Entry 4

I have learned a lot from this class. When the class first started, I did not know what to expect because I felt that in other classes those had gone over a few items on how to help and teach ELL students. Also, with seeing some of the accommodations that some teachers from previous observations have done for their students I felt as though I has an idea on what I could do for future ELL students.  However, now gone through this course I see that there was much more to be learned that I could have imagined. I have learned from other students and teachers their experiences being taught or teaching a new language.

From what I have learned throughout this class is has allowed me to see new ways on what I would like to incorporate in my classroom when helping students learn. For example, when I was talking to Ms. Nancy she had described how she had different words around the room for helping students learning English which worked for her. Also, from interviewing an Ell student when Abbas told me that when his teacher would pair him up with another student and how that was helpful these show me simple procedures that I can use in my teaching life to help ELL and non-ELL students succeed.

As far as this class has on impacting my teaching philosophy, it has enhanced it. My teaching philosophy had always been wanting to teach my students as bet of my ability with making them feel welcome and comfortable. I want my class to feel as though they do not have to feel unwelcome by me or others. From what Wright (2015) has said in the text is what I feel teachers need to remember, “teachers need to know their students’ cultural backgrounds and how culture influences learning at school” (p.17).

Furthermore, I have learned that ELL students come from all over and are at different levels with some being beginners at learning English to others having more proficiency in English but needed help with proper grammar. As a future teacher I see that “students differ in terms of prior knowledge, academic proficiency, learning styles, and social background” (Wright, 2015, p.264). It is important for teachers to try and learn who students are and their overall background to get a better understanding and possibly find ways to teach the students that have a connection with themselves.

What I feel this class should go over more is about additive bilingualism. Before taking this class, I did not know what additive bilingualism was. When students are leaning a new language especially one that will become their new dominate language it is important that they do not lose their first language which is tied to their culture. As Wright (2015) discussed, “additive bilingualism should be the form of bilingualism that schools offer to their ELL students” (p.21). I think that if we as future teachers are taught the benefit more of teaching children a new language, but not losing their first will help them in their future.

Wright, Wayne. (2015). Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice(2nded.). Philadelphia, PA: Caslon.

Vblog #3 ELL Teacher Interview

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1LpsiI4XXq10NCyERJXVn07MlcelHrJwF

Hello and welcome back to my Vblog! For this vblog, I interviewed one of my teacher friends Ms. Nancy. I enjoyed doing this interview because it gave me a further look inside as a teacher for ELL students. I enjoyed listening to how she made certain strategies work in her classroom and how she said that in the beginning it takes time for the students to learn, but with reinforcement they work. She also discusses how she does homework with students which for me, follows my method on how I would accept the students work.

When talking to Ms. Nancy’s, she also conversed about accommodations that she has for students. One of them was to pair them up with a proficient student. I have heard this a lot with our last vblog from other students on how teachers would pair up their students to help them with their class work. As Wright (2015) says, “learners need opportunities to interact with other speakers” (pg.53). It seems like the emphasis cannot be stressed enough when it comes to pairing ELL students with another peer. In our book, Wright (2015) also tells how pairing students up is a good deal when it comes to the students learning both languages and academic content (p. 170). I think this is true. When the students are paired up, they are not just learning how to speak English, but they are also learning the school content.

When Ms. Nancy was discussing her strategies for around the classroom, I liked how she also talked about constant reinforcement with them. Students need that constant repetition in the classroom to help them to remember what something is or maybe the proper spelling. When the “teacher models the correct usage through a positive and reinforcing response” this has an overall impact on the students not just helping them learn a new language, but also lets them see that the teacher cares (Wright, 2015, p. 158).  

Wright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition

Entry 2: Interview with ELL student

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1hMYAArRk5JEIZErSl7oH6qyzsqjmKUth


Hello everyone, for my vlog #2 I interviewed Abbas Isfahany. I enjoyed this interview because it gave me a new perspective on other ELL students. As I was interviewing Mr. Isfahany, I found it interesting that he had said when people think of someone speaking a second language here in the US that it is first assumed to be Spanish. I feel like that is partially true, especially for Texas there is a large Hispanic population. It made me think that often times we can forget that there are other races that struggle as an ELL learner. Also, we as future educators need to remember that there are not just Spanish speaking children but children of all races and languages who need our support and guidance when it comes to learning English. It is how Wright (2015) says, “ELLs vary widely by race, ethnicity, home language, level of schooling, socioeconomic status, parent’s level of education, parent’s proficiency in English, proficiency and literacy in their home language, and proficiency in English” (p. 2).

As the interview went on, it was nice to hear that Mr. Isfahany had a good teacher that helped him a lot during his early childhood schooling. That the teacher would take the time to see how he was doing and asking him questions on what interests he had. She would try to get him involved with talking with other students and try to have him be a little more social when he was still learning English. Teachers are much more than just educators, now the thought is of “teacher as communicator, teacher as educator, teacher as evaluator, teacher as educated human being, and teacher as agent of socialization” (Wright, 2015, p. 29). I feel that educators need to know that they are not at a school to just teach children, but they are also there to get to know the children and help them grow as an individual.

Reference:

          Wright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.

Entry 1: Course Introduction

Caroline Lopez's Blog

          Welcome to the first entry of my blog! My name is Caroline Lopez and I am a senior at UH. I am very excited to be getting my bachelor's degree for EC-6 generalist. I can't wait to take what I have learned and incorporate it in the classroom.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=13JXo9AaxFLKda-3BtB1X7EP1WgR1KB8C


          I grew up with English as my first language and learning some Spanish throughout my life. When I was in school there were not many ELL students in my classes and the children who had spoken another language had already learned English well enough to be able to have conversations with the teacher and classmates. It had seemed to me that the children were able to learn English quickly because even though the children had a native language to be in a second or third grade class with no pull outs or help form other teachers to translate was interesting. According to Wright, (2015), there is often a misconception that children who are migrants and their first language is not English learn English at a slow level (p. 7). I think this is true because now I hear people saying that if a child speaks a foreign language they will never be able to understand English nor make it far in life. When I hear that it makes me upset and want to make sure that any student I have knows that they are capable of anything they put their mind to. 

          I have talked to friends who have said that their first language is not English. However,  since being in America and having to speak English more they have lost much of how to speak their first language. I always found it interesting that some would say that even though English was their second language it became their dominant language. As the text states, “immigrant to the United States willingly abandon their language and culture to become Americans” (Wright 2015, p. 18). Seeing that people lose their culture to fit in and be accepted by others is a sad thing to see and I hope my students know that they do not have to so that. 

Reference:

          Wright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.