Working with ELLs

Here is a list of websites that I think would be very helpful when working with English Language Learners.

Esl-library.com is an online library full of lesson plans and flash cards to use when working with ELLs. This site is useful because it allows teachers to browse lesson plans. The lesson plans provided are not only for the core curriculum, the site also provides interpersonal communication skills such as idioms, debates, discussion starters,etc.

UsingEnglish.com is also a website with lesson plans and worksheets. The lesson plans are all in PDF form which allows for easy access and printing. This site has the lesson plans divided up into a number of different categories to make navigation easier. This site also has a section for testing resources.

Eslwonderland.com is a website for students that offers interactive activities. The activities are in different categories; listening, reading, grammar/integrated, and webquests. These activities are beneficial for older students learning English as some of the listening activities talk about higher level of ethics. This site also offers additional resources for students to use.

Eslpartyland.com is a website that is beneficial for students and teachers. For students it provides a list of questions on different topics to discuss. Each topic has an activity or game, a quiz, and common idioms that are used. For teachers this website provides lesson plans for different topics with different ways to teach.

The Online Education Database website offers resources for teachers to get their students to use what they have been learning in class. The resources are split up into different sections; grammar and usage, spelling and pronunciation, vocabulary and writing, quizzes and worksheets, and podcasts.

Resources for General Educators

According to Special Education Resources for General Educators there are 7 essential questions that need to be answered to assure the best education possible. Here are a list of the questions:

1- How can I be sure that all my students will succeed in the curriculum I am teaching?
2- What instructional methods will help ensure that all my students learn?
3- How do I manage my classroom to optimize learning?
4- What are effective ways to assess what my students are learning?
5- How do I collaborate to benefit my students?
6- How do students' development and life experiences affect learning?
7- How are my responsibilites affected by federal, state, and local policies?

If you click on the links in each question it will take you to a site that answers each question.

Differentiated Instruction

Thanks to http://mindstepsinc.com/Differentiation/ I am able to post this sample unit plan for differentiated instruction.

Assisted Technology

On the Family Center on Technology and Disability website there is a slide show that highlights these assisted technology devices:

Single Word Scanners
Electronic/Large Print Books
Electronic Organizers
Enlarged Worksheets
Talking Clocks
Closed Captioning

Microsoft has listed on their website these assisted technology devices:

Electronic Pointing Devices
Joysticks
Touch Screens
Computer Screen Readers

Enablemart is a website that sells different types of assisted technology devices. A few that I found most interesting are:

Large Print Keyboards
Electronic Note Takers
Text to Speech Software

References:
(2012).  Enablemart. Retrieved from http://www.enablemart.com/
(2012). Family Center on Technology and Disability. Retrieved from http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=assistive%20technology%20in%20the%20classroom&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&ved=0CEAQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fctd.info%2Fassets%2Fppts%2F1%2FFCTD_Assistive_Technology_in_the_Classroom.ppt%3F1290191264&ei=6CRyUMivAaiMiAKRpYBA&usg=AFQjCNHB5YnjLThljTKoNo5abwH1BigDGw
(2012). Microsoft. Retrieved from http://www.microsoft.com/enable/at/types.aspx

Supplementary Aids

IDEA’s Exact Words

"Again, let’s start with IDEA’s full requirement for identifying the supplementary aids and services a child will need and specifying them in his or her IEP. This appears at §300.320(a)(4) and stipulates that each child’s IEP must contain:
(4) A statement of the special education and related services and supplementary aids and services, based on peer-reviewed research to the extent practicable, to be provided to the child, or on behalf of the child, and a statement of the program modifications or supports for school personnel that will be provided to enable the child—
(i) To advance appropriately toward attaining the annual goals;
(ii) To be involved in and make progress in the general education curriculum in accordance with paragraph (a)(1) of this section, and to participate in extracurricular and other nonacademic activities; and
(iii) To be educated and participate with other children with disabilities and nondisabled children in the activities described in this section… [§300.320(a)(4)]
We’ve bolded the part of IDEA’s regulation that specifically mentions supplementary aids and services, because it’s important to see the context in which this term is used. It is that context, and IDEA’s own definition of supplementary aids and services, that will guide how a child’s IEP team considers what services the child needs and the detail with which the team specifies them in the IEP."

The Short Story on Supplementary Aids and Services

"Supplementary aids and services are often critical elements in supporting the education of children with disabilities in regular classes and their participation in a range of another school activities. IDEA’s definition of this term (at §300.42)reads:
Supplementary aids and services means aids, services, and other supports that are provided in regular education classes, other education-related settings, and in extracurricular and nonacademic settings, to enable children with disabilities to be educated with nondisabled children to the maximum extent appropriate …
Speaking practically, supplementary aids and services can be accommodations and modifications to the curriculum under study or the manner in which that content is presented or a child’s progress is measured. But that’s not all they are or can be. Supplementary aids and services can also include direct services and supports to the child, as well as support and training for staff who work with that child. That’s why determining what supplementary aids and services are appropriate for a particular child must be done on an individual basis."

Reference:
(2012). National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities. Retrieved from http://nichcy.org/schoolage/iep/iepcontents/supplementary