edu 342: esol applications - saint leo university€¦ · web viewintroduction. the ell student in...

Running Head: ASL Minogue 1

Assessment of Student Learning Experience

EDU 342: ESOL Applications - Saint Leo University

IntroductionThe ELL student in my placement I chose to select is Jose. Jose is a third grade student who attends Pasco Elementary in Dade City, Florida. Little English is spoken in Jose’s household. Jose is one of seven ELL’s in my placement, I chose him because he seems to have the strongest accent. He is also classified as an LY, ELL. I think it will be interesting to learn more about Jose’s background and he seems eager to give me this information. Some challenges may be receiving information from Jose’s parents because they speak little English.

Cultural EvaluationStudent’s Pseudonym L1 (Native Language) Grade School/County

Jose Spanish 3 Pasco Elementary/Pasco County

ELL Population (all L1s) ELL Population (student’s L1 only)School:72 County:

PascoState:Florida

School:N/A

County:N/A

State:N/A

Family BackgroundJose lives with his mother, father and two older brothers. He has some family still in Mexico that are spoken to frequently. Some of his family members live in Florida, his family is pretty large. Jose’s mother and father own the Mexican restaurant Del Carmen, in Dade City, Florida. Some of Jose’s family members work there as well. They spend time together on the weekends as a family. Some of Jose’s cousins live in Texas, so they drive there for weekend trips once and a while. Jose’s father’s drives, his mother does not have a license. His father speaks some English and his mother is learning how to speak English, through her computer. Jose’s grandfather and grandmother live in Mexico, they come to visit Florida sometimes. His grandparents live on a farm in Mexico and own a lot of animals. Jose was born in Florida but his brothers were born in Mexico. C1 (Native Culture)Jose speaks both Spanish and English. He was born in the United States. Jose’s family is from Guatemala. Guatemalan history is affected by the Mayan Civilization. It has a multicultural society, made up of different customs. Music and fashion are a large part of Guatemalan culture. The fashion consists of bright colors, which was also popular with the Mayans as well. Holidays in Guatemalan society, are predominately based on the Roman Catholic Church. Food is also a big part of the Guatemalan culture. Corn is mainly in every meal because it is the most plentiful crop in Guatemala. Tortillas, tamales, black beans, rice, wheat bread and pasta are popular foods in this country.

ELL’s Prior Schooling ExperienceIt is unknown where Jose went to kindergarten, it is not said in his school records. Jose did attend Pasco Elementary School for first and second grade.Attitude towards School


Jose is an exceptional third grade student. He enjoys learning and being at school. He likes to read and says that reading is his strongest area in school. Jose dislikes science the most. Jose gets along well with his classmates and is very respectful to the girls in class. He has a good relationship with his teacher and feels comfortable in the classroom. Parental InvolvementJose’s parents are very involved in his school life. His father has made conferences with Jose’s teacher to discuss his education. Jose’s father is able to speak some English, his mother is very limited in English. However, Jose’s parents have adjusted to our culture and are learning to be fluent in English. Jose told me his mother has a computer and is learning how to speak English through that. Jose’s teacher has compromised with José’s parents on how to help José be successful. She told Jose’s father to write on his homework if there is a question. If they do not understand how to help him, they can leave a note on Jose’s homework. That way, in the morning the teacher can see if there were any problems. If so, Jose is allowed extra time to work on homework in the morning with assistance. Jose speaks English with his two brothers, they do their best to assist him with homework. Other than the help of his family, there are no other resources available.Learning Resources Available at Home (Symbolic Universe)

Jose’s family has a computer at home. Between him and his two brothers, they own several books. Jose’s brothers help him with homework the best they can. Other than that, there are not many resources available at home.Cultural AdjustmentJose was born in Florida. He has been attending school in Pasco County which has helped him adjust to America. The staff at Pasco Elementary is very welcoming and helpful towards students. The classroom environment is very welcoming and diverse. This encourages Jose to not be discouraged when learning or asking questions. There are a few other students in the class who are from Mexico. This has made the cultural adjustment experience easier for Jose since they have things in common. Jose mingles mainly with every student in the class. He has a sense of humor and although he is quiet, he is witty. Cross-Cultural Issues/Barriers between ELL, Other Students, Parents, and SchoolAs mentioned in Cultural Adjustment above, there seems to be no cross-cultural issues between Jose and his peers and teacher. Jose gets along with his classmates and they are respectful towards him. I have not observed any issues between Jose and the school. Jose’s mom speaks very little English which is a communication issue. However, Jose’s father speaks enough English to communicate with Jose’s teacher. He has made conferences with her to discuss how to make Jose successful in school.

Academic ProfileLearning StyleJose is a hands on learner. He works better when instruction is demonstrated in front of him with visuals. Jose is good at reading and enjoys it, so he does well on most reading assignments without any assistance. Academic Performance Compared with non-ELL PeersJose performs on grade level for third grader. Compared to non-ELL students, Jose is on an equal performance level. His academics still need improvement but he has already improved


since the beginning of the school year. Academic NeedsJose needs extra assistance during math. He works with teacher in a small group to receive the attention he needs. Jose also needs extra time on certain assignments. He needs things to be repeated for clarification. Jose would benefit from the help of an ESOL instructor, however there is not one available to him.

Language

Oral English Proficiency CELLA FCAT Reading

NES LES FES

Listening

N/A

Speaking

N/A

Reading

N/A

Writing

N/A Not Available

Date: Date: Date:SOLOM (See Appendix B)

After reviewing the student oral language observation matrix, I learned that Jose would be considered a level four on my SOLOM teacher observation. Jose’s observed language is Spanish. I observed Jose interact with other students in the classroom. He is friendly and playful, yet shy at times. He gets quiet around a rowdy large group of children. After my interview with Jose I was able to concur that he understands most of everything at normal speech. However, sometimes repetition was needed to fully answer the questions being asked. In my attached appendix shows times where Jose would say “huh” so I would rephrase or re-ask the question. Jose participates in everyday classroom discussions and conversations. Although, Jose would fall in a category four under fluency because he has occasional lapses while trying to search for the correct manner of expression. He sometimes does not catch on to sayings or quick responses right away. Jose’s vocabulary is that of a normal third grade student. He is up to speed with an average vocabulary. Jose has clear pronunciation of words however you can hear a slight Spanish accent when he speaks. For example, when Jose says “drive” you can hear an accent on the “r”. This is what keeps his pronunciation from being a level five and because of occasional inappropriate intonation patterns. Lastly, Jose’s grammar falls under a level four because of occasional grammatical errors. As shown in the appendix, Jose says certain sentences backwards at times or switches words around.Comprehension: Level 4 Fluency:

Level 4Vocabulary:Level 5

Pronunciation:Level 4

Grammar:Level 4

Total:21/25

Date:SWLOM (See Appendix B)

The Student Written Language Observation Matrix helped me to decide that Jose is at a level two as of right now with written language. I reviewed two different writing samples from Jose. He can form sentences so they are clear to understand however, there are still errors there. There is limited sentence structure in short sentences. The first sentence of his writing sample is a run-on sentence. The organization of his writing lacks logical organization. There are also a


few word order problems in Jose’s writing. He made a few mistakes regarding tenses. For example, in a writing sample he wrote on a story Jose wrote “Juno sawed a letter so Juno opened the letter”. Jose has an average vocabulary but makes several spelling errors. There are one or two sentence patterns going on in his writing. The use of sentence variety is a two out our four.Fluency:Level 2 Organization:

Level 2Grammar:Level 2

Vocabulary:Level 4

Genre:Level 3

Sentence Variety:Level 2

Date:PMP IEP ESOL Services Other Academic EvaluationsYes Yes Year entered: 2012No No # of Years to Date: 2BICS CALP

Listening:2/6

Speaking: 2/8

Listening:2/7

Speaking:3/7

Reading:1/7

Writing:2/7

Reading: 1/6

Writing: 2/5

Language-Learning HistoryJose was born in the United States and has attended school in Pasco County since First grade. Jose speaks English to his brothers at home. Jose’s parents speak Spanish, however Jose’s father does his best to communicate in English. Jose’s brothers learned English in the United States so they taught Jose how to speak it. Being in the ESOL program also helped Jose with his English. Linguistic NeedsJose has had a pretty smooth adjustment to the English language, from what he has told me. It seems his brothers have taught him a lot and guided him to be strong in the English language. Spanish was the first language he heard as a child. Jose does speak Spanish at home with other family members. Since Jose started out with the Spanish language, he has a slight accent. Jose is fluent in both Spanish and English. The Spanish language differs from the English language in many ways. The structures of both languages are different and certain sounds do not exist in Spanish that they do in English, and vice versa. This has caused some struggles for Jose. He is still working on perfecting his writing. However, Jose is not severely struggling, he understands the English language.

InstructionClassroom Culture

Tone: Mrs. Sampson has created a warm environment and tone of the classroom. Lessons are taught in a generous matter, including each student and leaving no one behind. She encourages students to ask questions no matter what the question is. This makes it easier for students like Jose, to not be afraid to ask questions. Mrs. Sampson praises her students and rewards them with treats when they do well. She accommodates all students in her class and


is very flexible to their learning needs. Mrs. Sampson has a relationship with each student and always makes herself available to help.Pace: Mrs. Sampson teaches her lessons at a speed the whole class can keep up with. If she feels some students are not grasping the concept, she slows down. Mrs. Sampson does a great job at making sure everyone is on the same page. Some students in the class need extra time, she is aware of this so she makes herself available after lessons are taught. Jose is one of the students who will work further with Mrs. Sampson after instruction. Discipline: Mrs. Sampson set classroom rules in the beginning of the year. The school also has its own rules students must follow. They have rules for every class and must be respectful at all times. Students are expected to behave and use their “whisper voices” when speaking to each other in the classroom. Mrs. Sampson will pull students aside if they are misbehaving and have a one on one chat with them. Other than that, Mrs. Sampson will remind students to stay on task. Jose tends to go off task at times, Mrs. Sampson will go over to his desk to fix the problem. Jose is well behaved, so there are not a lot of discipline issues with him. Relationship of ELL to Teacher: The relationship between Mrs. Sampson is respectful and warm. Mrs. Sampson knows how to lighten the mood and she has proven that she is there for Jose. Jose is shy at times, however he feels comfortable enough to ask Mrs.Sampson for extra help. Classroom-Culture Survey: N/AMethodology (Whole Class)Literacy Development: Literacy development is worked on throughout the school day in Mrs.Sampson’s class. First thing in the morning, the students do buddy reading with kindergarteners. This allows the third graders to practice their reading skills, and fluency while reading to younger students. Students also have a reading block in the morning. They do several different readings as a class and discuss stories. They work on different reading concepts and reading comprehension. Mrs. Sampson has students read aloud so she can check for accuracy and help students. Students also do silent reading, during this time Mrs. Sampson calls students up one by one to work on reading strategies with them. Other Subjects: Math is another main focus in the classroom. A majority of time is spent on math, students are given a lot of practice with mathematics. ESOL Strategies/AccommodationsAdjustment of Content Objectives: Grade level objectives. Content related to instruction. Valid objectives. Inclusion of Language Objectives (i.e. explicit English language instruction): No ESOL instructor available. Jose is not pulled out of the classroom for selective instruction. Adjustment of Instructional Practices: Small group instruction. Relating all subjects to one another. Cooperative Groups. Differentiation of Instruction: Reading strategies. Vocabulary definitions. Dictionary. Highlighting. Videos. Visuals. Small Group Instruction. Writing workshops. Repeated Instruction. Dragon Dictation. Computer. Higher order questioning. Classroom Library. Assessments: Formative and summative assessments given each day. Quizzes, notebook checks, writing samples, worksheets including vocabulary, chapter tests. ELL’s Response to Accommodations (including assessments): Jose does well in the classroom, there can definitely be more accommodations made for him. He meets the third grade level, however there is still room for improvement.


Adjustment of Teacher’s Language (comprehensible input): Repeats herself during instruction. Slow pace. Uses pictures and video clips. Points out unknown words during instruction and uses real world connections. Sets clear expectations. L1 Support: Lesson accommodations for Jose and other ELL’s. No ESOL instructor available for third grade class. Jose is allotted extra time with Mrs. Sampson if available. He does not get support he should be given. Other: N/A.

EvaluationAppropriateness of language and content presented in classroom with respect to ELL’s linguistic and academic needsLanguage and content is appropriate with respect to Jose’s linguistic and academic needs. Content is explained thoroughly. Vocabulary words are used on a daily basis. Unknown words are always explained to students. Appropriateness of ESOL AccommodationsThe ESOL instructor does not work with Jose. There are only two ESOL instructors at Pasco Elementary School, and not enough time to get to each ELL student. This needs improvement. Mrs.Sampson does her best to differentiate instruction, however Jose should be pulled out of the classroom once and a while for one-on-one instruction. Provision of cultural accommodations (surface and deep)Cultural accommodations are met in the classroom. Jose is welcomed and respected in the classroom by teacher and peers. The class has seven ELL students total, so there is diversity amongst the class. There are resources available for Jose if he is unclear on subject. Dictionaries are provided and books on different cultures are available for students. Mrs. Sampson promotes and encourages diversity in the classroom she has pictures from different cultures hanging in the room. Use of school, neighborhood, and home resourcesNot available. Familiarity of faculty with legal/ethical responsibilities towards ELLs, parents, school personnelMutual respect is clear amongst faculty towards ELLs, parents and school personnel. There is not discrimination or neglect toward Jose. ESOL services are provided in the school, they are just not provided to Jose and the other ELL’s in my class. This is because there are limited ESOL instructors. School must legally provide ESOL services, they are not being met for all ELL’s though. Parents are also provided with letters in their native language (school notices and handouts).

RecommendationsLanguageMore enunciation on words throughout instruction. ESOL instructor available to help with Spanish-English barrier. Clearer and slower pace of speech during complex topics. InstructionThe use of technology should be used more often in the classroom. Students should spend


more time in collaborative groups. Use of ESOL instructor or hire more ESOL instructors. Hands on activities and projects can be implemented into the course. AssessmentAssessing the students on their progress each week and not the actual content in lessons. Projects in class weekly. Short quizzes or quick writes to assess reading and writing. Class ManagementMore instructional time or having student do something productive. They are given too much free time in between instruction. Move desks to have students stay on task. ResourcesMore resources should be provided for Jose and other ELL students. The ELL population is large at Pasco Elementary and there are not enough ESOL instructors. The school can make a club for ESOL students and provide extra help. They should also inform students of any assistance or tutoring in the community. Other

REFERENCESQuijote, D. (1996). Don Quijote Spanish Language Learning. http://www.donquijote.org/

Reiss, J. (2005). ESOL strategies for teaching content. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Ariza, E., Morales-Jone, C., Yahya, N., Zainuddin, H. (2010). Why TESOL? Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.

Breiseth, L. (2011). Colorin Colorado. Retrieved from http://www.colorincolorado.org/index.php?langswitch=en

Herr, N. Retrieved from http://www.csun.edu/science/ref/language/teaching-ell.html

APPENDICES

Appendix A: Interview Transcripts

http://www.csun.edu/science/ref/language/teaching-ell.html

http://www.colorincolorado.org/index.php?langswitch=en

http://www.donquijote.org/


Appendix B: SOLOM/SWLOM Matrices

Appendix C: Writing Samples

Appendix D: Observation Forms

Appendix E: Field Notes

Appendix F: Field Experience Log

Appendix G: BICS & CALP

APPENDIX A: Interview Transcript

“Hi Jose I want to get to know a little bit about you and your background!”

(Start with Interview)


Me: Where are you from?

Jose: Mexico…my family is from Mexico?

Me: Do you know where in Mexico they are from?

Jose: Huh?

Me: (rephrase) Do you know what part of Mexico they are from…where in Mexico there are a lot of different areas of Mexico.

Jose: I am not sure I don’t know how to say it.

Me: That’s ok. So does your family speak Spanish?

Jose: My mom and dad do I speak English to my brothers.

Me: Do your mom and dad know how to speak English?

Jose: I speak Spanish to my mom and dad but English to my brothers. My mom and dad don’t speak a lot of English.

Me: Do your parents only speak Spanish to you?

Jose: My mom has a computer..she is learning how to speak English. My dad speaks better English he knows how to say some Chinese too.

Me: What type of jobs do your mom and dad have?

Jose: They both are bosses

Me: Where are they bosses? What type of place?

Jose: They work at Del Carmen in Dade City.

Me: Do any of your other family members that live here work at Del Carmen?

Jose: My grandma works there she cooks the food and some of my aunts work there too.

Me: What is your favorite type of food?

Jose: hmm tacos andddd… soup

Me: So, how many brothers do you have?

Jose: umm…two.

Me: How old are your brothers?

Jose: one is in twelfth grade and the other one has a job he is 21 he DJ’s.

Me: What type of music do you like to listen to?

Jose: ummm… all kinds hip hop.


Me: Were you born here in Florida or in Mexico?

Jose: I was born here, my brothers were born in Mexico…I am the youngest.

Me: Are a lot of your family members here or still living in Mexico?

Jose: Umm…some family here and some in Mexico.

Me: Have you ever been to Mexico? …or visit family there often?

Jose: I might go for Christmas!

Me: What do you and your family usually do for Christmas?...how do you celebrate?

Jose: We have a Christmas party

Me: What do you do at your Christmas party?

Jose: I play with my cousins and eat food.

Me: What are your favorite subjects in school or what are you best at?

Jose: Reading, I am really good at it.

Me: What about your least favorite or one subject you’re not so strong in?

Jose: Science.

Me: What do you do for fun when you get home from school?

Jose: I don’t have video games I play with my toys

Me: What kind of toys do you have?

Jose: I play with my superheroes and Legos.

Me: What do you do on the weekends? Do you spend time with your family?

Jose: Yeah we go in my pool or to the beach. Sometimes we go on a vacation for the weekend to Texas.

Me: Why do you go to Texas do you have more family there?

Jose: Yeah I have some cousins there.

Me: Who usually drives you there?

Jose: My dad drives mom doesn’t have license. My grandpa and grandma live in Mexico they visit sometimes…they haven’t been here for a long time.

Me: Your grandparents have visited you here before?

Jose: Yeah my grandpa just got a new horse?

Me: Do your grandparents have a lot of animals at their home in Mexico?


Jose: Yeah.


APPENDIX B: SOLOM/SWOLOM Matrices


APPENDIX C: Writing Sample

APPENDIX C: Writing Sample


Appendix D: School Observation Form

Criteria Sub-Categories Yes No NoCommunity Events

Collegiality: teaching groups

Administration promotes positive collaboration among staff, parents, outside community.

Events

Workshops

Parties

Services ESOL Two ESOL specialists for entire school.

ESE Parents Communication

Between parents and teacher

Healthy Food Available

Students receive a fruit or vegetable every day at lunch.

Languages Spoken by Staff

Spanish &English

Campus Security Safety Sports Facilities Arts Facilities Ease of Navigation Motif connected to diversity

Mascot is respectful of diversity

Professional Development

School Wide Development

Teacher-Teacher Development

Extra-curricular Activities

Diversity Everyone is welcome

Clubs Sports Academic Support Conferences

and extra help available.

APPENDIX E: Field Notes


APPENDIX F: Field Experience Log


APPENDIX G: BICS & CALP

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