T.ELL.E-gram

Happy New Year! As we kick off 2008 at Colorín Colorado, we'd like to take a look at the topic of English language learners and technology/media resources: how these resources are being used in the ELL classroom, what these resources allow ELL teachers to do, and how teachers who aren't sure how to use these resources can start.

While we're at it, we'd like to hear about the ways that you are using technology in your classroom. Send us an e-mail with a Technology and ELLs subject line and tell us what's working for you!

This month's highlights

Featured Articles

Technology is most effective with ELLs when it encourages interactive learning and provides opportunities for communication with real audiences. In Interactivity Seen as Key, Mary Ann Zehr from Education Week reports on how teachers are using both general-education technologies and technologies designed specifically for ELLs in classroom instruction.

Cooperative Learning Strategies have proven effective for all types of students, including academically gifted students, mainstream students, and ELLs. Technology instruction can be particularly effective in a cooperative learning setting because students can support each other and share information as they learn new skills.

Media Infusion is a PBS blog for educators about the use of multimedia resources in instruction. December's entry features Justin Minkel, Arkansas' 2007 Teacher of the Year, who writes about using technology to help ELLs thrive in 21st-century America.

And for ideas about ways to use children's television programming as part of ELL instruction, take a look at Using Children's Television to Learn Literacy and Language.

Research and Reports

Critical Issue: Using Technology to Support Limited- English-Proficient (LEP) Students' Learning Experiences, a publication of the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, explores the effective use of technology to enrich classroom instruction for English language learners. Educational technology is discussed as a learning tool that helps ELLs expand both their English language proficiency and their content knowledge.

In Using Technology to Help ESL/EFL Students Develop Language Skills, researchers Renee Ybarra and Tim Green discuss practical ways in which technology can be used to help English language learners learn verbal skills, vocabulary, reading, and writing.

In the Classroom

Bright Ideas that Work
21st Century Learners: ELL Students and Technology

The future success of our ELLs will depend in part on their technological skills and their ability to learn new kinds of technology. But ELL students are often at a disadvantage when it comes to learning technology because they may not have access to the technology at home, they may not understand the English used to provide instruction, and they may need more time to develop their skills. 21st Century Learners: ELL Students and Technology offers some classroom strategies for bridging the digital divide in the ELL classroom, including the instruction of vocabulary related to technology, the use of visual aids and demonstrations, and suggestions about how to teach students to evaluate online sources.

Frequently Asked Questions

As a teacher of English language learners, you know how important it is to teach your students the skills they need to be successful in school and in life. As you think about ways to support your students in their reading and content learning, you may want to consider the following:

• Where can I find resources to teach high school ELLs in both English and Spanish literacy? My students are native Spanish speakers who read below a 4th grade level in Spanish.
• What should be the main goal for teaching ELLs in the content areas?

Find the answers to these and many other Frequently Asked Questions about Teaching ELLs.

Achieving Success: From the Heart

Toniann Jeffery is the coordinator of the ELL program at Wigwam Creek Middle School in Litchfield Park, Arizona. Toniann Jeffery is the coordinator of the ELL program at Wigwam Creek Middle School in Litchfield Park, Arizona. In addition to providing support to content teachers working with ELLs, Ms. Jeffery continues to teach as part of two English-language development programs at her school — the Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) program and the PALS elective class (Plato® Alternative Learning System). In this interview with Colorín Colorado, she discusses how she is implementing technology in her classroom and what technology is making possible for her students — and for her as a teacher.

Beyond the Classroom

Book of the Month

The Snowman
By: Raymond Briggs
Age Level: 3-6
Reading Level: Beginning Reader

In this classic winter story, a little boy makes friends with a snowman who comes to life. The story is told through the book's charming illustrations, making it a wonderful book for teachers and/or parents to share and discuss with children.

Special Feature for January

Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King
By: Jean Marzolla
Illustrated by: Brian Pinkney
Reading Level: Grades PreK-2

The significance and impact of Dr. King and why his birthday is celebrated is presented in a handsome package. Fluid text and stunning illustrations done in scratchboard and paint make a sometimes difficult subject accessible to ELLs. This book is also available in Spanish.

The Education World and ReadWriteThink websites offer lesson plans celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that can be adapted for the ELL classroom.

In a Word: Cooperative Learning

This month's glossary term refers to a teaching model in which students work together on clearly defined tasks.

About the Colorín Colorado T·ELL·E-GRAM and ColorinColorado.org

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