Fun Assessments

Assessment is SO important!  The teacher needs to CONSTANTLY be accessing the understanding of the students so he/she can go over the concepts that students aren't understanding.  Luckily, because of all the new technology available to schools, constant mini quizzes, quizzes, and tests don't need to be made to access students so "formally."  There are SO many other formative assessments teachers can use for students, including clickers.  Also, the SMART board is a wonderful tool - teachers need to be taught all they can do with them!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3R6gewJ9xg

Another effective way for teachers to promote interaction between students and assess them as well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xeBt-bOK1s

Question-Answer Ball Throw:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYIrPuxEgcs

Interactive Word Wall:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoconCtm2tE

Technology in the Classroom

Argument for why we should use technology in the classroom:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWT2yTL8oG4

Top 13 Vocabulary Apps

http://www.readingrockets.org/teaching/reading101/vocabulary/literacyapps_vocabulary/

Songs for Teaching

If you are like me, you like to incorporate songs into your teaching--for musical students, it is VERY helpful!  One of my classmates found an EXCELLENT site that has songs for a bunch of things - check it out!

http://www.songsforteaching.com/recall/50statescapitals.htm

Websites and APPs

Thanks to my classmates for finding some great websites!

http://www.readwritethink.org/ - has TONS of lesson plans

http://www.watchknowlearn.org/ - free educational videos!

Free ESL apps:

• EF Vocabulary: A game that allows students to build on topic specific vocabulary 
• English Pronunciation-Otterwave: A free app that allos students to get feedback on how to improve pronunciation and give examples on how to pronounce phonemes
• Frequently Confused Words: More of a dictionary of words but allows students to see the meanings of things that may sound similar or have similar meanings. 
• Idioms for ESLs (Children): This was super helpful with pictures and explanations for things like raining cats and dogs, etc. 

Watch Know Learn Classroom

TONS of educational videos for kids about content language!

http://ccss1.watchknowlearn.org/

YouTube Resource :)

This group on YouTube, "KidsOnlineEnglish," has some GREAT videos to teach ESL students that are younger, such as emotions, numbers, colors, etc.  Enjoy exploring!

http://www.youtube.com/user/KidsOnlineEnglish?feature=watch

Using Video with ELLs

This site gives 8 ways that technology can be used with ELLs and explains them in detail - great way to teach core content and incorporate technology, meeting the technology standards along with core content standards at the same time.

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/ell-engagement-using-video-larry-ferlazzo-katie-hull-sypnieski

Possible APPS for ELLs

With the constant drive toward more technology, it's no surprise that there are all kinds of educational apps out there!  Here's a great site that constantly lists new apps - great for ALL students, including ELLs.

https://sites.google.com/site/bloomsapps/home

Technology Resources for ELL Students

Excellent sites with resources teachers can use/download for their ELL students! (again, just a few of MANY out there)

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2010/05/10-resources-for-esl-and-foreign.html#.UHMfDK5nAaA

Lists 10 technology resources that are useful for ELLs, such as "The Story Place" (digital stories), "WordSteps" (for learning vocabulary), and "Make Beliefs" (comic strip creation)
 

http://www.wested.org/cs/tdl/view/tdl_tip/52

This website lists accommodations, and tells how to use the accommodations using technology!

http://eslteachingandtechnology.com/

This website offers a "Teacher Resource Area" and a "Student Resource Area"

Posting Information into STI

This link provides instructions for how to post different information into STI (Infinite Campus).  For specifics on posting information about ESL students, refer to pages 46-52.

http://www.education.ky.gov/nr/rdonlyres/aa6da51b-8e05-4249-8bb3-64dee6fd8d48/0/201112_kdedatastandards.pdf

It's important to have as much information about each student as possible, including things like "ESL information."  When that sort of information is necessary, the teacher (the way things are right now) has to go through cum folders, ask different instructors or the principal for information, etc.  It's a lot of work!  What better place to put in all this sort of information than onto an electronic data base that already has a lot of information about the student??

"This is an example of one school’s infinite campus:
I am in Infinite Campus right now in the LEP tab. In it, it lists the start dates, end dates, and English proficiency. If you click one, it lists:
English proficiency
Start date
First US English school date, LEP identified date, LEP enrolled date
Bilingual/ESL type (cat, cbe, Poe, sen, etc.)
Instructional accommodations (read text in English, scribe responses, etc. — there are 25 choices with checkboxes)
Assessment accommodations (simplified language, bilingual dictionary, etc. — there are 11 choices and checkboxes)
LEP Test Access (boxes for listening, speaking, reading, writing, literacy, comprehension, and overall composite scores and date)
LEP Test W-APT (boxes for listening, speaking, reading, writing, and ocerall scores and date)
If your school updates it, it contains a ton of information. As a mainstream teacher, I have access to all of it."

From: http://broadyesl.wordpress.com/2012/10/04/ky-what-infinite-campus-should-give-access-to-for-all-mainstream-teachers/