COURSE TITLE:

CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION that WORKS for ELL

NO. OF CREDITS:

2 QUARTER CREDITS
[semester equivalent = 1.33 credits]

WA CLOCK HRS:  
OREGON PDUs:  
PENNSYLVANIA ACT 48:  
20
20
20

INSTRUCTOR:

Mary Ann Johnson
maryajohnson-advisor@comcast.net

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

The diversity among learners in today’s ELL classroom is widening, but ironically the curriculum is contracting, often due to the emphasis on preparation for standardized testing.  To the rescue come the authors, Kathleen Flynn and Jane Hill, who provide the ultimate handbook of methods and specifics about how to work with ELL students as they move through the five phases to become fluent English students.  The great insights you will get include how to make an easy diagnosis to determine at which of five stages a student is functioning—and a probable timeline for your student.
The authors have reviewed the classic nine strategies in the first edition of Classroom Instruction That Works by Marzano and Pickering. Then they enhanced each of the nine models to make that strategy work especially well with ELL students in the classroom.  So this is a companion book to Classroom Instruction That Works, and its content is even more readable and user-friendly.  
While the book is of most urgent value to elementary teachers, where most ELL students begin their classroom experiences, secondary teachers will find a great deal of essential background information to help them continue to teach older students at the next logical developmental level.
 

 

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon completion of this course, participants will have:

  1. Used the nine most effective classroom instructional strategies from Classroom Instruction that Works to devise lessons for ELL students at each of the five levels of student readiness.
  2. Created successful parental involvement.
  3. Accomplished the teaching of language acquisition and content knowledge simultaneously.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Completion of all specified assignments is required for issuance of hours or credit. The Heritage Institute does not award partial credit.

The use of artificial intelligence is not permitted. Assignment responses found to be generated by AI will not be accepted.
 


HOURS EARNED:
Completing the basic assignments (Section A. Information Acquisition) for this course automatically earns participants their choice of CEUs (Continuing Education Units), Washington State Clock Hours, Oregon PDUs, or Pennsylvania ACT 48 Hours. The Heritage Institute offers CEUs and is an approved provider of Washington State Clock Hours, Oregon PDUs, and Pennsylvania ACT 48 Hours.




 

UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT INFORMATION

REQUIREMENTS FOR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT
Continuing Education Quarter credits are awarded by Antioch University Seattle (AUS). AUS requires 75% or better for credit at the 400 level and 85% or better to issue credit at the 500 level. These criteria refer both to the amount and quality of work submitted.

  1. Completion of Information Acquisition assignments 30%
  2. Completion of Learning Application assignments 40%
  3. Completion of Integration Paper assignment 30%



 

CREDIT/NO CREDIT (No Letter Grades or Numeric Equivalents on Transcripts)
Antioch University Seattle (AUS) Continuing Education Quarter credit is offered on a Credit/No Credit basis; neither letter grades nor numeric equivalents are on a transcript. 400 level credit is equal to a "C" or better, 500 level credit is equal to a "B" or better. This information is on the back of the transcript.

AUS Continuing Education quarter credits may or may not be accepted into degree programs. Prior to registering, determine with your district personnel, department head, or state education office the acceptability of these credits for your purpose.

ADDITIONAL COURSE INFORMATION

REQUIRED TEXT

Classroom Instruction That Works with English Language Learners, (2006)  First Edition.ISBN 1-4166-0390-5.  There is a new second edition (2013) based on a second (different) edition of Classroom Instruction That Works, which is also valuable, but less user-friendly.  This course is based on the 2006 edition

  • Classroom Instruction That Works with English Language Learners
    ISBN# 1416603905
    by Jane D. Hill, Kathleen M. Flynn
    HOUGHTON MIFFLIN HARCOURT

    Buy from Amazon

MATERIALS FEE

This course is based on the 2006 edition. Text is currently available used from Amazon.com for approximately $4.

ASSIGNMENTS REQUIRED FOR HOURS OR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT

A. INFORMATION ACQUISITION

Assignments done in a course forum will show responses from all educators who have or are taking the course independently. Feel free to read and respond to others' comments. 
Group participants can only view and respond to their group members in the Forum. 

Assignment #1: COURSE FORUM.

Briefly introduce yourself and tell why you chose this course.
From the Preface” OR  the “Conclusion  
In a 1-2 page paper, answer one (1) of the following questions:  What is an important idea you found in the Preface?  OR  What experience prompted one of the authors to want to write this book?
Answer the above questions in the Course Forum.

Assignment #2: 2 Ideas/Quotes.

From the Introduction  
Find two ideas/quotes you thought were particularly important in this Introduction.

Assignment #3: 5 Subpoints.

From Chapter 1: What is Classroom Instruction That Works?  
In this chapter is a valuable review of the nine key findings from the book “CITW” on which this book is based.  Go through the nine dark headings and find 5 sub-points under these headings that you want to remember.  List them.

Assignment #4: Stages of 2nd Language Acquisition.

From Chapter 2:  The Stages of Second Language Acquisition 
Using Figure 2.1, name each stage and give one or two examples of a typical characteristic of student ability at each level.

Assignment #5: Some Questions.

How long does it usually take non-English speaking children to have conversational ability?  Then, what false conclusions do parents and teachers make when their schoolwork and exams don’t reflect their conversational fluency?  How many years does it usually take to develop academic language?

Assignment #6: Answer A Question.

Answer one (1) of the following questions:  What is meant by the student’s “zone of proximal development”?  OR  In the Early Production phase of the Word-MES Strategy, what do you do when a student makes a grammatical mistake?

Assignment #7: About Objectives.

From Chapter 3: Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback  
Answer one (1) of the following questions:  What are four reasons for combining language objectives with content objectives?  OR   What are three techniques and six devices and procedures for sheltering instruction?

Assignment #8: COURSE FORUM.

Answer the above questions in the COURSE FORUM.  You may comment on another teacher’s answer in the forum as well.
Answer one (1) of the following questions:  Explain a key fact you learned about goal-setting and about feedback in this chapter. OR  What are two things ELL’s really want to know, and how does the way we provide feedback affect this?

Assignment #9: Non-linguistic Representations.

From Chapter 4:  Nonlinguistic Representations  
Answer one (1) of the following questions:  What are 5 recommendations for using non-linguistic representations in the classroom?  OR  Find 3 interesting ways for using physical movement and kinesthetic activities in a lesson. Explain them.

Assignment #10: Cues & Questions.

From Chapter 5:  Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers 
What are four generalizations from research when using cues and questions?

Assignment #11: Advanced Organizers.

Answer one (1) of the following questions: What are four generalizations in the research on advance organizers? OR Explain the four types of advance organizers.

Assignment #12: ELL & Cooperative Learning.

From Chapter 6: Cooperative Learning  
What are four important ideas you learned about using cooperative learning in an ELL classroom?

Assignment #13: Summarizing & Note Taking.

From Chapter 7:  Summarizing and Note Taking  
Answer one (1) of the following questions:  How can someone teach a summarizing strategy?  OR  What are the components of reciprocal teaching?

Assignment #14: About Note-taking.

Answer one (1) of the following questions:  What are four generalizations about note-taking?  OR  What are three recommendations on teaching good note-taking skills?

Assignment #15: Homework & Practice.

From Chapter 8:  Homework and Practice 
Describe 5 things you learned about homework and classroom practice in this chapter.

Assignment #16: Providing Recognition.

From Chapter 9:  Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition
Answer one (1) of the following questions:  What is so important about reinforcing effort and name one technique(s) to recognize effort that impressed you?  OR  Describe three important facts about rewards and praise.

Assignment #17: About Hypotheses.

From Chapter 10:  Generating and Testing Hypotheses
Answer one (1) of the following questions:  Describe two tips for teaching ELL students to generate and/or test hypotheses.  OR  What are two important values that are behind the need to help ELL students learn to generate and test hypotheses?

Assignment #18: Similarities & Differences.

From Chapter 11:  Identifying Similarities and Differences 
Create a list of procedures that should be remembered in helping ELL’s learn to compare and contrast information.

Assignment #19: Involving Parents & Community.

From Chapter 12:  Involving Parents and the Community 
List the types of background information that a school really needs to gather to assess a student’s ELL needs.  
How can the school program benefit from knowing about its community resources?

Assignment #20: COURSE FORUM.

COURSE FORUM:
Does this book provide adequate information and strategies for teachers to successfully work with English Language Learners?
If others have already written comments, please respond to one(s) that caught your interest.

ADDITIONAL ASSIGNMENTS REQUIRED FOR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT

B. LEARNING APPLICATION

In this section, you will apply your learning to your professional situation. This course assumes that most participants are classroom teachers who have access to students. If you do not have a classroom available to you, please contact the instructor for course modifications. Assignments done in a course forum will show responses from all educators who have or are taking the course independently. ​Feel free to read and respond to others' comments. Group participants can only view and respond to their group members in the Forum. 

 



Assignment #21: Lesson Development.

Assignment #21:   (Required for 400 and 500 Level)
Assignment #21-A:
  • Adapt a lesson reflecting what you’ve learned in this course.
  • Implement your lesson with students.
  • Write a 250-500 word commentary on what worked well and what could be improved.
  • Include any student feedback on your lesson.
  • Share what you’ve learned with other teachers taking our courses by adding your Lesson to The Heritage Institute Lesson Library here.  For a sample lesson plan template click here.
  • Submit your modified lesson to your instructor via the online response box or file upload.
OR
Assignment #21-B:
  • Adapt a lesson reflecting what you’ve learned in this course. (Do not implement it.)
  • Share your learning with other teachers by contributing your Lesson to The Heritage Institute Lesson Library here.
  • For a sample lesson plan template click here.
  • Write a 500+ word article about a noteworthy teaching success you’ve had with one or more students.
  • Please refer to the guidelines on our blog What Works: Teaching at its Best prior to writing your article.
  • When you submit your article to your instructor, please also email a copy to Renee Leon THI blog curator and media specialist.
  • Indicate whether or not you are OK with having your article considered for publishing on our website. 
  • Submit your lesson to your instructor via the response box or file upload. 

Assignment #22: (500 Level ONLY)

In addition to the 400 level assignments, complete one (1) of the following assignment options: 
Option A)  Create a presentation that could be given for a group of colleagues, based on your reading.  It can be in the form of a Power Point, or a “lesson plan.”  The presentation should include a copy of any handout(s) you will use.  (If you ask for feedback, follow the “Peer Response as Part of Assignment Response” directions in Choice #3 below)
OR
Option B)  Compare and contrast the material in this book with information you find in another book or online research of articles.  For online research, quote any important URL, write a summary of information you found, and then compare/contrast with information in the book for this course.
OR
Option C)  Create an Annotated Bibliography of five or more books or articles related to the subject of your course.  The annotation should include Title, Author, Publisher (or URL), length of the book or article and your review of information contained.  Add your opinion of the value or your criticism of the contents of each book or article, and rate the importance of the material in contrast to the subject of your course.

C. INTEGRATION PAPER

Assignment #23: (Required for 400 and 500 level)

SELF REFLECTION & INTEGRATION PAPER
(Please do not write this paper until you've completed all of your other assignments)

Write a 400-500 word Integration Paper answering these 5 questions:

  1. What did you learn vs. what you expected to learn from this course?
  2. What aspects of the course were most helpful and why?
  3. What further knowledge and skills in this general area do you feel you need?
  4. How, when and where will you use what you have learned?
  5. How and with what other school or community members might you share what you learned?


INSTRUCTOR COMMENTS ON YOUR WORK:

Instructors will comment on each assignment. If you do not hear from the instructor within a few days of posting your assignment, please get in touch with them immediately.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR TEACHING THIS COURSE:

Mary Ann Johnson, M.Ed Adm. has worked with students of all levels, from alternative high school to gifted classes. She has also been a junior high vice principal and is now working with teachers for continuing education in classes, distance learning and building leadership groups. She is a teacher emeritus who has led seminars for educators which focus on developing a quality learner environment for students and for teachers. Her courses are research-based and resonate with user-friendly and energizing content.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION that WORKS for ELL

Ferlazzo, Larry & Hull,Sypnieski, Katie. The ESL/ELL  Teacher’s Survival Guide, Ready-to-Use Strategies, Tools, and Activities for Teaching All Levels, Grades 4-12, pb, 322 pages, Josey-Bass, 2012. 978-1-118-09567-6.  The authors have designed a thorough handbook to offer educators specific ways to set up their ELL-friendly classroom, develop relationships with students and their parents, and provide motivating strategies for their students.  Larry Ferlazzo, one of the authors, is the highly acclaimed author of books on motivation, including Helping Students Motivate Themselves.  The book is full of reproducible forms, worksheets and lesson plans for thematic units.  Teachers comment that it is helpful, both for beginners and experienced ELL teachers.
Flynn, Kathleen & Hill, Jane. Classroom Instruction That Works with English Language Learners, pb, 142 pages, Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt, 2006.
ISBN 1-4166-0390-5.  The diversity among learners in today’s ELL classroom is widening, but ironically, the curriculum is contracting, often due to the emphasis on preparation for standardized testing.  To the rescue come the authors, who provide the ultimate handbook of methods and specifics about how to work with ELL students as they move through five stages to become fluent English students.  The great insights you will get include how to make an easy diagnosis to determine at which of the five stages a student is functioning—and a probable timeline for your students to progress.   The authors have reviewed the nine class strategies in Classroom Instruction That Works by Marzano and Pickering.  Then the authors took each of the nine models and enhanced them to make each important strategy work especially well with ELL students.
Haynes, Judie. Getting Started with English Language Learners: How Educators Can Meet the Challenge, pb, 163 pages, ASCD, 2013. ISBN 978-1-4166-0519-5.
This book is indispensable for everyone in education today:  teaches of ELL students, mainstream teachers, and support and administrative personnel.  It helps introduce the stages the new ELL student will be going through, as well as acknowledging the stages the teacher may be doing through in coping with the diverse variety of students at all levels and from differing cultures.
Hill, Jane D. & Miller, Kirsten B. have created a new second edition Classroom Instruction That Works with English Language Learners, pb, 182 pages, ASCD, 2013. ISBN 1416616306.  This edition is based on the revised McRel Lab second edition of Classroom Management That Works.  It is much more research-oriented than the first edition of the book reviewed above, but both editions provide strong value and are based on the five stages of student language acquisition.  Note: The cover of this edition is bright yellow; the cover of the other version has children’s faces.
Lessow-Hurley, Judith. Meeting the Needs of Second Language Learners:  An Educator’s Guide, pb, 92pages ASCD, 2003.  In six chapters, all very interesting and readable, the author has laid out the most important issues  (and some misconceptions) about the way best to work with a second language population.  She includes information about “Best Practices” and “What Educators Need to Know About Language.”  She includes the impact of national, state, and local requirements, and how to  make the  most of the realities a teacher will face.  Included are some practical teaching strategies, and where else to turn for more in-depth information.
Samway, Katharine Davies & Taylor, Dorothy. Teaching English Language Learners:  Grades 6-12 (Theory and Practice), 320 pages, Scholastic, 2008.
Each chapter takes on sticky “Situations” that are challenges for the ELL students and their teachers, especially at the secondary level.  The book handles advice on what to do in both interpersonal and intercultural situations, as well as  listening, speaking,  reading, and writing trouble spots.