Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

“Textbooks Come Alive:” Engaging Teacher Candidates In Service-Learning To Enhance Their Learning About English Language Learners, Carla Amaro-Jiménez, Kim K. Winter

TAPESTRY

This article describes the results of a Service-Learning collaboration initiative between several community partners and two teacher preparation programs (i.e., bilingual education and middle level education) at a large, urban university in the Southwest. We draw on data collected from a total of 77 teacher candidates (38 in bilingual education and 39 in middle level education) who were enrolled in a course focusing on methods of literacy instruction for ELL. The manuscript focuses on the impact that participating in Service-Learning had on teacher candidates’ personal, professional, and academic experiences as they worked with ELL as part of their teacher preparation …

Editors' Note, Tapestry Staff

TAPESTRY

From the editors

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Exemplary National Blue Ribbon Elementary School Principals In Improving Student Learning Through Effective Coaching Conversations With Their Teachers: A Phenomenological Study, Colleen Flavin

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to discover and describe how exemplary National Blue Ribbon elementary school principals improve student learning through effective coaching conversations with their teachers. A second purpose was to explore the barriers they encountered to holding these conversations and the actions to overcome these barriers.

Methodology: This study utilized a phenomenological design. The primary source of data collection was a standardized open-ended interviews. Using inductive analysis, the data were coded and themes were identified that aligned to the research questions.

Findings: Data analysis revealed that exemplary National Blue Ribbon elementary school principals used coaching conversations …

Living Here, Yet Being There: Facebook As A Transnational Space For Newcomer Latina/O Adolescents, Mary Amanda Stewart

TAPESTRY

Under the category of diaspora media studies, the present case study investigates the social networking use of four newcomer adolescent English Learners in a U.S. high school. Demonstrating their transnational skills, the students use the social networking site of Facebook prolifically outside of school in order to connect to their home countries, maintain their Latina/o identities, and acquire English. Findings from analyzing the students' Facebook pages, interviews, and in-school observations illustrate that they are transnational, multicultural, emergent bilinguals who engage in sophisticated multimodal ways of communication outside of school, challenging their at-risk label in their high school. Immigrant students' transnational …

Preparing Teachers Of English Learners: How Field Reports Bridge The Gap Between Theory And Practice, Judy Lombardi

TAPESTRY

Preservice teachers of English learners need practical experience in real classrooms to supplement the rich strategies learned in college methods classes. In classes of preservice teachers in secondary education at California State University Northridge, state course standards require teacher candidates to complete not only classwork but also field observation reports. The field observation reports help teacher candidates bridge theory and practice, making connections between university course strategies and public school classroom applications. With access to the largest number of English learners in any school district in the nation, candidates are able to observe and report on the diverse needs, strategies, …

Classroom Assessment Of Language Levels: A Quick Formative Assessment Tool, Paul Boyd-Batstone

TAPESTRY

When a newly arrived English learner (EL) enters the classroom, time is not on the teacher’s side. It is not uncommon for the EL to arrive far ahead of assessment data, such as a standardized measure of language level. Yet, the teacher is obliged to immediately provide instruction. Time is not on the student’s side either. English learners need immediate and appropriate instruction. This calls for a quick, formative assessment tool for identifying language level and appropriate accommodations. The purpose of this article is to present the Classroom Assessment of Language Levels (CALL) a tool for teachers to identify an …

Editor's Note, Tapestry Staff

TAPESTRY

From the Editors

Technology And Language Teaching: A Conversation With Dr. James May, Tapestry Staff

TAPESTRY

TAPESTRY recently caught up with Dr. James May, winner of 2011-2012 Carnegie Foundation Florida Professor of the Year award, at a recent state conference. Dr. May is currently a Professor of English as a Second Language at Valencia Community College in Orlando, Florida. His research focuses on helping teachers to incorporate Web 2.0 technologies into instruction. Dr. May graciously agreed to share some of his insights into issues surrounding technology in the modern classroom with TAPESTRY.

Dramatic Differences: The Power Of Playbuilding For Young English Language Learners, Jamie Simpson-Steele, Daniel A. Kelin Ii

TAPESTRY

Through a combination of anecdotal stories, the findings of a qualitative evaluative study and overview of experiential activities, this article outlines how a group of 4th and 5th grade English Language Learners benefited from a drama-based project focused on building student confidence, collaborative and communicative skills and facility with drama processes to engage interest and stimulate a sense of investment with the ELL participants. A portion of the article focuses on one participant who experienced a particularly intriguing journey that stimulated both discoveries and questions about the drama program.

Preparing Preservice Teachers To Address The Disproportionality Of Ells In Exceptional Education Programs, Leah J. Lerma, Martha Lue Stewart

TAPESTRY

As our nation’s classrooms become more diverse, how to best educate all of our students is of paramount importance. The educational placement of students of racial, cultural, ethnic, and linguistic diversity in classes for students with special needs at a disproportionate level is well documented. This paper addresses the issue of disproportionate representation of English Language Learners (ELLs) in special education programs. Teacher beliefs, cultural bias, lack of culturally responsive professional development opportunities, and assessments contribute to inappropriate referrals and identification. Preparing preservice teachers to understand disproportionality and why it exists can help reduce the inappropriate referrals and placement of …

Editor's Note, Tapestry Staff

TAPESTRY

From the Editors

New Book Publication Announcement, Tapestry Staff

TAPESTRY

An announcement of a new edited book titled “Preparing Every Teacher to Reach English Learners: A Practical Guide for Teacher Educators” published by Harvard Education Press in 2012 describing an innovative infusion approach to the preparation of all teachers to effectively address the language, literacy, and content learning needs of English learners (ELs) in general education classrooms.

Essay Review: Implications For Educators Of Daniel Everett’S Language: The Cultural Tool, Christopher W. Johnson

TAPESTRY

This essay review discusses Everett (2012), Language: The Cultural Tool, with particular emphasis on implications for educators. While Everett does not belong to the discourse of pedagogy and policy for classrooms, his findings and arguments resonate powerfully with the contemporary challenges of PK-12 classrooms and teacher preparation.

Benefits And Challenges Of Co-Teaching English Learners In One Elementary School In Transition, N. Eleni Pappamihiel

TAPESTRY

This article reports the findings of a case study centered upon the implementation of a coteaching model in an elementary school with a mixed (EL and non-EL) population. In the co-teaching model examined, ESL teachers were embedded in the general education classroom, collaborated on instruction, and taught in cooperation with general education teachers. In addition to presenting the outcomes of the examined co-teaching model, the article outlines several key conditions for the successful application of this model to various teaching environments.

Editor's Note, Tapestry Staff

TAPESTRY

From the Editors

Preparing Teacher Candidates To Meet The Needs Of English Language Learners: The Tells Certificate, Martha Castañeda, Jeannie Ducher, Amy Fisher-Young, Bruce E. Perry

TAPESTRY

A report on the development and implementation of the Teaching English Language Learners (TELLs) certificate program at Miami University, in Oxford Ohio.

Infusing El Content And Instruction Into English Education Courses, Donna Niday

TAPESTRY

An article presenting a five-stage process of infusing EL-relevant topics into English education courses.

Infusing El Content Into A Foundations Course, Cynthia J. Hutchinson

TAPESTRY

An article describing the author's experiences with ELs as well as with infusing EL content within a foundations course.

Infusing El Content Into A Sociocultural Studies In Education Course, Lauren B. Isaac, Richard A. Quantz

TAPESTRY

An article describing the process of embedding English learner topics in the sociocultural studies in education course the authors teach.

The Evolution, Experiences, And Lessons Learned With Esol Infusion In Florida, Jane Govoni

TAPESTRY

A description of the evolution of EL Infusion in Florida, where the State Department of Education requires all teacher candidates to be prepared to work with ELs.

Editor's Note, Tapestry Staff

TAPESTRY

From the Editors

Book Review Of "Differentiating Instruction And Assessment For English Language Learners: A Guide For K-12 Teachers", Melanie Gonzalez

TAPESTRY

Text: Fairbairn, S. & Jones-Vo, S. (2010). Differentiating Instruction and Assessment for English Language Learners: A Guide for K-12 Teachers. Philadelphia: Calson.

Enhancing Reading Proficiency In English Language Learners (Ells): The Importance Of Knowing Your Ell In Mainstream Classrooms, Marth Castañeda, Eva Rodríguez-González, Melissa Schultz

TAPESTRY

In this manuscript, the authors encourage classroom teachers and school leaders to learn about the home culture and language of the growing English learner population if they are to respond effectively to these students’ language, literacy, and content learning needs. These funds of knowledge have been shown to help teachers adjust instruction in ways that permit students to engage more actively in language, literacy, and content learning tasks. In addition to offering recommendations for administrators and teachers working to improve literacy of ELLs within and outside the school setting, the authors share sample surveys that can be used to gather …

In English You Read With A Stopwatch: A Journey Towards Biliteracy In Two Older Adopted Salvadoran Children, Mary A. Petron, Barbara J. Greybeck

TAPESTRY

This longitudinal case study provides an in-depth exploration of the journey toward bilingualism and biliteracy of two older adopted Salvadoran siblings in U.S. schools. Data sources include observations in the home and school, interviews, written artifacts, field notes, and various reading test scores. Analysis suggests that literacy instruction in English tended to focus more on phonics and fluency than comprehension and vocabulary, and it assumed a level of oral proficiency in English that neither of the children had. Spanish literacy instruction was aimed toward children of Mexican origin that was neither culturally relevant nor geared toward their specific language needs. …

Teaching Inclusivity: Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions Of Their Knowledge, Skills And Attitudes Toward Working With English Language Learners In Mainstream Classrooms, Philip C. Smith

TAPESTRY

This study investigated the effect of one semester of ESOL education on preservice teachers by examining their perceived knowledge and skill in working with English Language Learner (ELL) students, and their attitude toward having ELL students in their mainstream classrooms. The survey identified two factors: a) Perception of ESOL Knowledge and Skills (PEKS) and b) Attitude Toward Inclusion (ATI). Results showed that preservice teachers’ perceptions of both knowledge & skill (PEKS) changed from introductory to the final ESOL course, and that PEKS changed significantly from pre- to post-test within the same course. No significant changes were found in students’ attitude …

Editor's Note, Tapestry Staff

TAPESTRY

From the Editors

Book Review Of "Teaching Reading To English Language Learners: Insights From Linguistics", Alex Poole

TAPESTRY

Text: Lems, K., Miller, L. D., & Soro, T. M. (2010). Teaching reading to English language learners: Insights from linguistics. New York: The Guilford Press.

“You Got The Word Now”: Problematizing Vocabulary-Based Academic Language Instruction For English Learners In Science, Katherine Richardson Bruna, Roberta Vann, Moises Perales Escudero

TAPESTRY

With increasing numbers of English Learners enrolling in public schools, teachers of core academic subject area classes are facing the challenge of integrating English language development into instruction. This article describes how teachers' understanding of infusing language into science teaching can shape instructional practices and consequently influence the simultaneous English language development and science learning of English Learner students.

Deciding When To Step In And When To Back Off: Culturally Mediated Writing Instruction For Adolescent English Learners, Leslie Patterson, Carol Wickstrom, Jennifer Roberts, Juan Araujo, Chieko Hoki

TAPESTRY

Culturally Mediated Writing Instruction invites students to take an inquiry stance toward issues of interest and significance—exploring issues, framing questions, gathering information, synthesizing findings into messages, publishing or presenting their findings, and assessing their efforts before moving on to other inquiries. CMWI can be seen as a rich and dynamic landscape of literacy tasks, routines, practices, materials, and dialogues that invites students to ask questions and to look for answers to those questions. Data from four high-school classrooms illustrate that CMWI teachers made interdependent and layered instructional decisions in response to students' needs, and that they provided mediation toward for …

Editor's Note, Tapestry Staff

TAPESTRY

From the Editors