New York is a state that speaks many languages. We need teachers who can find the common ground. The MS in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Program helps NYS-certified PreK-12 teachers more effectively teach and communicate with a diverse student population. Academically rigorous and practice-intensive, the 33-credit program includes 50 hours of fieldwork andsupervised student teaching experiences. Candidates that complete all coursework, fieldwork, and student teaching requirements are eligible for recommendation for ESL certification.
Crystal Demarco
Crystal DeMarco is a candidate in the TESOL Graduate Program at Touro University. She completed her undergraduate degree at the College Of Staten Island, and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education in Social Studies. Crystal shares, “I love learning new innovative ways to create an engaging curriculum for my students!”
Educators pave the way for students to achieve their academic goals with the help of students understanding the tools they need to succeed when learning a new language. Like anything else in life, acquiring a new language is a difficult task for both the teacher and the student learning. Therefore, teachers need to understand the importance of phonetics and sounds to help support students effectively while teaching them new words. Teaching students the fundamentals of “Phonetics” is a great way to prepare students to understand the difference between target language and sounds.
Crystal DeMarco, candidate in the TESOL Graduate Program at Touro University.
New York is a state that speaks many languages. We need teachers who can find the common ground. The MS in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Program helps NYS-certified PreK-12 teachers more effectively teach and communicate with a diverse student population. Academically rigorous and practice-intensive, the 33-credit program includes 50 hours of fieldwork andsupervised student teaching experiences. Candidates that complete all coursework, fieldwork, and student teaching requirements are eligible for recommendation for ESL certification.
Marissa Diveris graduated summa cum laude from St. Joseph’s University in May 2022 with a History of Adolescent Education degree. She is currently pursuing an MS in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages at TOURO University. Marissa is working in a Long Island High School with English Language Learners during her role as an ENL Leave Replacement.
The opportunity to observe a crucial lesson in preparing ELL students for the Global II regents was extremely beneficial to me as a Social Studies teacher. It is important that students master the Enduring Issues Essay to do well on the NYS Regents Exam. English Language Learners need the appropriate support in order to work through their languageand cultural barriers.
New York is a state that speaks many languages. We need teachers who can find the common ground. The MS in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Program helps NYS-certified PreK-12 teachers more effectively teach and communicate with a diverse student population. Academically rigorous and practice-intensive, the 33-credit program includes 50 hours of fieldwork and at least 20 days or 100 hours of supervised student teaching experience. Candidates that complete all coursework, fieldwork, and student teaching requirements are eligible for recommendation for ESL certification.
Cristina Talarico is a teacher in the New York City Department of Education who is currently completing a Master’s Degree in TESOL at Touro College. As a part of the EDPN 673 Course, they fulfilled 15 hours of fieldwork where they observed and collaborated with ENL educators and interacted with diverse ELL students. Throughout this experience, she conducted interviews with both students and teachers to identify the most effective methods and approaches for teaching ELLs.
When choosing materials for educating our ELL students, educators must be knowledgeable about the ELL’s vocabulary and language proficiency levels in order to meet their academic needs. The vocabulary for this text is basic and should be familiar to most students at the Pre-K level. It uses simple and repetitive dialogue and introduces new characters on each page through the text and illustrations, repeating the sequence of events.
Cristina Talarico, Touro University TESOL Master’s Degree Candidate
The topic of intercultural competence was the focus of my exploration with the Rotaract group. We discussed how to enhance communication and collaboration among people from diverse cultural backgrounds. This skill is essential in the contemporary globalized workforce, where cross-cultural teams are increasingly common and require effective coordination and mutual understanding. To illustrate the differences and similarities among various cultural styles, we used the Hofstede Insights tool (https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison-tool) to compare and contrast the dimensions of national culture for several countries. This exercise helped us to appreciate the complexity and richness of intercultural interactions.
Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory, developed by Geert Hofstede, is a framework used to understand the differences in culture across countries. Hofstede’s initial six key dimensions include power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism-collectivism, masculinity-femininity, and short vs. long-term orientation. Later, researchers added restraint vs. indulgence to this list. The extent to which individual countries share key dimensions depends on a number of factors, such as shared language and geographical location. Hofstede’s cultural dimensions are widely used to understand etiquette and facilitate communication across cultures in areas ranging from business to diplomacy.
We then took a look at the hurdles when encountering cultural differences:
Stage
Name
Description
1
Denial of difference
Participants in communication fear that cultural differences threaten them or simply deny their existence. As a result, they ignore difficulties and misunderstandings in intercultural communication. Ethnocentrism is a common stance in this stage, meaning that one’s culture is considered better than others.
2
Defense
Participants in communication perceive cultural differences as a threat and react defensively. They see their own culture as superior to others and tend to criticize other cultures. They feel attacked by other cultures and therefore tend to avoid intercultural communication.
3
Minimization
Participants in communication acknowledge the existence of cultural differences but try to minimize their importance. They tend to ignore cultural differences, as they see them as insignificant, or even irrelevant. They may also try to universalize their own cultural norms and values.
4
Acceptance
Participants in communication recognize and respect cultural differences and acknowledge that other cultures have equally valid ways of seeing and doing things. They try to understand and appreciate different cultural perspectives. However, they may still struggle with misunderstandings and conflicts.
5
Adaptation
Participants in communication are willing to adapt their communication style and behavior to better fit the cultural norms and values of the other culture. They are open to learning from different cultural perspectives and willing to change their own perspectives and behaviors.
6
Integration
Participants in communication have reached the final stage where they are capable of reconciling cultural differences and forging a multicultural identity. They are skilled at intercultural communication and can effectively navigate different cultural perspectives. They are able to combine different cultural identities and develop a unique multicultural identity.
Intercultural Communication Cycle by Dr. Jasmin (Bey) Cowin:
I am honored to give a free workshop for my colleague and esteemed collaborator Aziz Soubai, Everyone Academy, founder and manager in Morocco. Everyone Academy Association signed a partnership with the regional Academy of Education and Training in the Guelmim-Oudenoun region. The main objective is to provide meaningful effective professional development for English teachers through the power of collaboration, connection, communicationacademyeveryone@gmail.com,
New York’s classrooms are some of the most culturally and linguistically diverse in the country. Our TESOL certificate program prepares NYS-certified teachers to provide responsive, comprehensive education to students of every background.
What You’ll Learn
The 15-credit program includes five courses—each with carefully designed fieldwork experiences—that emphasize both academic content learning and English fluency for English Language Learners.
With advanced certification, not only will you be able to more effectively and compassionately serve diverse student populations, you’ll increase your value as an educator and improve your career prospects.
Paola Higuera is a NYC public elementary school teacher. She always wanted to be an ELL teacher and “is excited to be taking courses at Touro in the TESOL Certificate program. I was once an ELL student myself and look forward to providing ELL services to the future generations.”
Differentiated Instructional Activity Assignment The differentiated instruction definition refers to an approach to education whereby teachers make changes to the curriculum and the way they teach to maximize the learning of every student in the class (IRIS Center, 2021). This is not a singular strategy but a framework that educators can utilize. Carol Ann Tomlinson also notes that in differentiated instruction, the teacher anticipates the varying levels of students’ interests, readiness, and learning profiles. Subsequently, they can provide diverse ways of learning, enabling students to learn without being anxious because academic tasks are too difficult for them or being unmotivated because assignments are not challenging for them (ASCD, 2011). However, differentiated instruction is not the same as individualized instruction.
For your Differentiated Instructional Activity Assignment, you will use one of your content lesson plans you have already taught and make modifications to the following segments:
practice (how teachers deliver instruction to students), process (how the lesson is designed for students), products (the kinds of work products students will be asked to complete), content (the specific readings, research, or materials, students will study), assessment (how teachers measure what students have learned), and grouping (how students are arranged in the classroom or paired up with other students).
In the differentiated lesson, students will play equivalent fraction four in a row, equivalent fraction bingo and concentration equivalent fractions. Using games in the classroom increases student engagement, participation and motivation.
Touro University TESOL Candidate Crystal DeMarco’s Differentiated Instructional Lesson Planning. This “before” and “after” lesson planning assignment highlights the incorporation of instructional activities approximately midterm in our TESOL EDDN-637 course. Such personalized assignments show “proof-of-work” in the age of ChatGPT and focus on the practical application of course knowledge in the daily instructional TESOL/BLE teacher repertoire.
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages New York is a state that speaks many languages. We need teachers who can find the common ground. Touro University offers TESOL & Advanced Certificates in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Program helps NYS-certified PreK-12 teachers more effectively teach and communicate with a diverse student population.
Crystal DeMarco is a candidate in the TESOL Graduate Program at Touro University. She completed her undergraduate degree at the College Of Staten Island where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education in Social Studies. Crystal DeMarco writes that she “loves teaching, and learning new innovative ways to create an engaging curriculum for my students!”
The assignment description:
Differentiated Instructional Activity Assignment
The differentiated instruction definition refers to an approach to education whereby teachers make changes to the curriculum and the way they teach to maximize the learning of every student in the class (IRIS Center, 2021). This is not a singular strategy but a framework that educators can utilize. Carol Ann Tomlinson also notes that in differentiated instruction, the teacher anticipates the varying levels of students’ interests, readiness, and learning profiles. Subsequently, they can provide diverse ways of learning, enabling students to learn without being anxious because academic tasks are too difficult for them or being unmotivated because assignments are not challenging for them (ASCD, 2011). However, differentiated instruction is not the same as individualized instruction.
practice (how teachers deliver instruction to students),
process (how the lesson is designed for students),
products (the kinds of work products students will be asked to complete),
content (the specific readings, research, or materials, students will study),
assessment (how teachers measure what students have learned), and
grouping (how students are arranged in the classroom or paired up with other students).
You will submit both the original content lesson and plan and the lesson plan with differentiated instructional activities, with a reflection of your professional growth completing this assignment. Your product for Differentiated Instructional Activity Assignment will be:
A paper including the original lesson plan/differentiated lesson plan with all materials
3-4 minute video showcasing (this means you are pretend teaching) one specific aspect of one Differentiated Instructional Activity – your video submission must be a link, not a file. You may use YuJa, Screencast-O-Matic or any other tool. You can also upload your file to Google drive and share that link. No files which need to be downloaded to view will be accepted.
The interdependent relationships between Complexity, Informatics and Cybernetics are continuously expanding and generating theoretical and technological synergies. Both Complexity Science and Cybernetics share similar concepts and theories. Informatics and Cybernetics are increasingly interconnected through computing, communications and control technologies, and some authors perceive them as essentially the same with different emphasis, orientation or names. The field of Complexity Science and Informatics mutually support each other in both theory and practice.
IMCIC 2023 is an international forum aimed at bringing together scientists, engineers, researchers, consultants, theoreticians and practitioners in the fields of Complexity, Informatics and Cybernetics. The IMCIC 2023 Organizing Committee considers hihg-impact research articles from different disciplines, as well as multi-, inter- and trans-disciplinary research, studies, reflections, programs and projects.
Touro University offers TESOL & Advanced Certificates in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Program helps NYS-certified PreK-12 teachers more effectively teach and communicate with a diverse student population.
The assignment: Text Analysis & Critique Assignment Description
Following discussion on the cognitive and linguistic demands of the content areas, you will apply these ideas by closely analyzing a chapter, or an aspect of one content-area text currently in use or recommended by New York State/BOE. Upon analysis of underlying concepts, you will develop a thesis and purpose of your analysis. You will sequence your ideas with evidence from the text supporting important points. Your Critique will feature substantial, logical, and concrete development of ideas describing what makes that concept or section challenging for ELLs. Length: 3-4-page paper (typed, double-spaced, 12-point font) please see grading rubric.
Demonstrate an understanding of various text analysis techniques in relation to educational content-area texts.
In written form effectively articulate, evaluate and critique educational content-area texts concepts using professional TESOL language, theory and standards.
Ask questions from the view of an ELL/ESL learner that can be meaningfully answered using content-area text analysis.
Evaluate evidence; interpret data such as: ELL students cannot glean meaning from context when they have too many words to decipher.
Express yourself effectively on graduate level writing
By analyzing lexical density of the text, come to a conclusion whether the text is informative and difficult or not.
Classroom teachers need to help ELLs build background knowledge and teach unfamiliar vocabulary before presenting a new concept. Some specific challenges that ELLs face when reading new material include the following:
Comprehending a text that contains a large number of unknown words. Students cannot glean meaning from context when they have too many words to decipher.
Understanding text that includes a profusion of idioms, figurative language, imagery, and symbolism.
Using homonyms and synonyms.
Deciphering regional U.S. dialects.
Grasping literary terms such as antagonist, protagonist, and denouement.
Understanding the cultural background depicted in a literary piece.
Recognizing correlations between letters and sounds. ELLs may come from a language background where the sound/symbol correspondence is very different from that of English.
Comprehending the meaning of a text. ELLs will often memorize the rules for decoding written English and read fluently; however, they do not understand what they have read.
Touro University TESOL candidate Dayna Stechel is from Queens, NY, and is in her 3rd semester at Touro University. She attended SUNY New Paltz for her undergraduate degree in early childhood and childhood education. She is substitute teaching in the NYC public elementary schools.
Lexile Levels and ATOS Levels are used to analyze texts and books. Both of these systems, as well as others, determine the readability of a text. “ATOS is a measure of readability—in other words, a readability formula designed to guide students to appropriate-level books. ATOS takes into account the most important predictors of text complexity—average sentence length, average word length, and word difficulty level” (ATOS, 2022). When analyzing this text, Chapter 3, Models of The Earth, using the ATOS Levels, I analyzed a section discussing topographic maps.
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages New York is a state that speaks many languages. We need teachers who can find common ground. The Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Program helps NYS-certified PreK-12 teachers more effectively teach and communicate with a diverse student population.
This week’s DB is constructing a mindmap of comprehensible input strategies AND connecting those to teaching strategies. Share the mindmap in your DB as a screenshot. You need to include your name in the mindmap, title it, and show the connections of comprehensible input strategies to YOUR teaching IN your CLASSROOM. Make sure you include all sources in your mind map.
Dayna Stechel is from Queens, NY, and is close to completing her Masters in TESOL at Touro University. She attended SUNY New Paltz for her undergraduate degree in early childhood and childhood education. She works as an elementary substitute teacher for NYC public schools.
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages New York is a state that speaks many languages. We need teachers who can find common ground. The Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Program helps NYS-certified PreK-12 teachers more effectively teach and communicate with a diverse student population.
This week’s DB is constructing a mindmap of comprehensible input strategies AND connecting those to teaching strategies. Share the mindmap in your DB as a screenshot. You need to include your name in the mindmap, title it, and show the connections of comprehensible input strategies to YOUR teaching IN your CLASSROOM. Make sure you include all sources in your mind map
Alexa Armentano is a candidate in the TESOL Graduate program at Touro University. She attended Hofstra University for her undergrad where she earned a dual degree in Early Childhood Education and Childhood Education and a Psychology degree. Fun fact! She coaches the Commack High School dance team. Her mindmap showcases different comprehensible input strategies.
One of the earliest examples of generative AI was the “Markov Chain”, a statistical method developed by Russian mathematician Andrey Markov in the early 1900s. Markov chains are a “fairly common, and relatively simple, way to statistically model random processes. They have been used in many different domains, ranging from text generation to financial modeling. A popular example is r/SubredditSimulator, which uses Markov chains to automate the creation of content for an entire subreddit.” Devin Soni
The first successful generative AI algorithm was developed in the 1950s by computer scientist Arthur Samuel, who created the Samuel Checkers-Playing Program an early example of a method now commonly used in artificial intelligence (AI) research, that is, to work in a complex yet understandable domain.
One of the early breakthroughs in generative AI was the development of Restricted Boltzmann Machines (RBMs). “It was invented in 1985 by Geoffrey Hinton, then a Professor at Carnegie Mellon University, and Terry Sejnowski, then a Professor at Johns Hopkins University.” RBMs are a type of neural network that can learn to represent complex data distributions and generate new data based on that distribution. In 2014, a team of researchers from the University of Toronto introduced the Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) framework. Jason Brownlee in A Gentle Introduction to Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs). “Generative modeling is an unsupervised learning task in machine learning that involves automatically discovering and learning the regularities or patterns in input data in such a way that the model can be used to generate or output new examples that plausibly could have been drawn from the original dataset.”
Recently, generative AI and ChatGPT have been in the news, discussed at conferences, used by students, and feared by Professors due to the generation of content that can be indistinguishable from that created by humans. Both Google’s BERT and GPT-3, are big language models and have been referred to as “stochastic parrots” because they produce convincing synthetic text devoid of any human-like comprehension. A “stochastic parrot” is, in the words of Bender, Gebru, and colleagues, “a system for randomly stitching together sequences of language forms” that have been seen in the training data “according to probabilistic knowledge about how they join, but without any reference to meaning.”
This infographic is an attempt to visualize the timeline of Generative AI Programs and ChatGPT.
I decided to create this hyperlinked resource to better support my teacher candidates in their graduate research at Touro University, TESOL/BLE Department. I wanted to create a visually attractive, clickable one-sheet PDF for a robust, practical resource collection to guide my candidates as they are preparing to write their research papers and case studies.
The resource areas are categorized into Professional Language Organizations and Journals (dark purple), Research Centers and Institutes (light blue), Proficiency and Language Services (green), Teaching Ideas (orange), Resources for Foreign Language Instruction and ESL Education (magnet), and Culturally Responsive Teaching (light purple). There are multitudes of resources and I am sure I missed important ones!
The International Institute of Informatics and Cybernetics, IIIC through The Inter-National Association FOR Trans-Disciplinary Communication AFTC is planning a Special Issue FOR “Trans-Disciplinary Communication”
The objectives are 1) to support a written dialogue related to the Foundation of the International Association FOR “Trans-Disciplinary Communication”, 2) to potentially support the elaboration of a founding collective document, and/or 3) a special issue of the journal related to the notion “Transdisciplinary Communication” which have two main meaning implied by the context in which the notion is used: 3a) the “Transdisciplinary Communication” required for communicating members of a multidisciplinary team working in the context of trans-disciplinarity and/or transdisciplinary research, and 3b) the “Transdisciplinary Communication” related to communicating authors with readers from different disciplines. speakers for a multidisciplinary audience, or even with the Society in General. The latter is the second sense of the etymological meaning of the prefix ‘trans-”, i.e., across and beyond. Accordingly, based on these two etymological senses, “Trans-Disciplinary Communication” means acrossdisciplines and/or beyond them. The first relates academics from different disciplines and the second relates Academy to Society at Large. The latter requires to use of the natural language being spoken in each country.
In my online courses, starting the semester, I facilitate student discussions using Canvas Discussion Boards. Questions focusing on readings help students with critical analysis of the readings. Course progression starts folding in tech tools such as voicethread, videos, mind maps, infographics, etc. I believe discussion boards create opportunities and set the stage for active learning, developing critical thinking and writing skills relevant to the course subject. To nurture graduate writing skills, my discussion boards are required to use APA style referencing. This gives students an opportunity to engage in graduate writing and peer feedback. Jake LaNasa contributed a well-researched and thoughtful discussion board, which I am proud to showcase.
Jake LaNasa is currently a permanent substitute teacher at California Avenue School in the Uniondale School District. H received his bachelor’s degree in Childhood Education, in December of 2021 and has been subbing ever since.
I became a teacher because my mother and many other family members are teachers. My mother would come home from work every day with a smile on her face and I knew that is what I wanted for my future.
Jake LaNasa, Touro University, candidate in the TESOL/Bilingual department, Graduate School of Education
Question: CHAP 1. WHAT Characteristics INFLUENCE ELLs’ having SUCCESS IN SCHOOL?
In order for ELLs to have success in schools, the teacher must build background knowledge and vocabulary as well as hands-on experience that enhance their understanding of the content. Teachers should also offer access to websites in the student’s native language in order to facilitate any language barriers. The more prepared the teacher is the higher chance of student success. This is not only the job of the teacher but of the schools, districts, and or universities to take action and implement this framework for all ELLs and students. Educators have to be aware of their students’ diverse backgrounds. The students bring cultural and educational experiences to the classroom that will have implications for assessment, program design, and instruction. Understanding the students’ funds of knowledge is incredibly important in constructing effective techniques.
Question: What are some characteristics of ELLs to consider to implement effective teaching?
No Ell is the same. The more aware the teacher is of this information, the easier it will be to implement proper teaching techniques. Many Ell’s come from different geographic locations which will present challenges. Many school districts have not served large numbers of ELLs in the past, meaning the school’s academic progress toward ELLs is not well established. This not well-established progress will reflect on some schools not having appropriate curricula and or resources available for Ells. Many teachers are also untrained in how to meet the needs of their Ell students, the teacher must know and understand the students’ backgrounds and abilities in their native language in order for the teacher to incorporate effective materials and techniques in their instructional practices. ELLs enter American schools with a range that varies widely in language proficiency. Many characteristics of ELLs affect the way they learn and their ability for second language acquisition. These characteristics include the students’ educational background, socioeconomic status, age of arrival, personal experiences while traveling to America, and their parents’ education level. As educators, we must push the need for English language development (ELD) in order for the students to transfer their knowledge in their native language into English as they become more proficient with it.
I feel it is important to explain to the students that making mistakes is natural and teachers should not scrutinize students for grammatical correctness early on.
Jake LaNasa, Touro University, candidate in the TESOL/Bilingual department, Graduate School of Education
Educators must assure that the ELLs and SIFE students are getting the best educational opportunities possible. Districts should be integrating technology and revisiting their models of teaching ELLs to make sure their best practices are up to date with the growing and changing Ell population. The most important aspect is ensuring the Ell students are receiving equitable representation in their schools. Introducing TESOL techniques will transform the education of Ells by increasing students’ linguistic knowledge across multilingual contexts through research, standards, professional development/learning, and advocacy. To reach the students and transform their learning we must value their home language and culture to draw them into learning a new language altogether. The student’s home language will facilitate and bridge the gap between learning a completely new language. I feel it is important to explain to the students that making mistakes is natural and teachers should not scrutinize students for grammatical correctness early on. The students must receive feedback strategically in order for the students to not feel as though they cannot successfully acclimate to the new language and give up. Educators should be involving families in their student’s education path. If the families are involved and participate in their children’s education, this may lead to a greater chance of success as students will feel empowered. Students have to feel comfortable in the classroom during lessons, teachers can add more visuals, translate essential vocabulary, and allow students to collaborate in their native language during discussions. The classroom must be a safe environment. If the children do not feel safe, their ability to learn is fragmented and much more difficult. Implementing the SIOP model will also transform the education of Ells. The SIOP model consists of eight instructional strategies that will help educators in their lesson design and delivery. The SIOP model involves building background, lesson preparation, interaction, practice and application, lesson delivery, strategies, comprehensible input, and review and assessment. This model has a strong research base that has been tested across grade levels and subject areas. Implementing this model has proven to improve academic literacy for ELL students. With more teachers using this model, the future of Ell students is very bright.
Question: What is one takeaway from this week’s readings and how might it impact your teaching?
Something that stood out to me is the fact that ELLs are either over or under-represented in special education. Many districts and schools struggle to distinguish between a learning disability and a delay in developing second language acquisition. Even if students are correctly identified, districts may have trouble providing services to bilingual special education educators. After reading this it changes my perspective of Ells in special education. This motivates me to meet with special education teachers in my building and discuss how they identify ELLs in special education and what services or scaffolds they have in place for them. I never want to misidentify a student and I believe that many students are. Some students have delays in language acquisition, but it does not mean they should be in a special education classroom.
Question: Share a fun fact or photo of yourself.
A fun fact about me is I work in the Uniondale school district where there is an overwhelming and continually growing amount of Ell students. I am taking these courses in order to further my knowledge of Ells and TESOL which in turn will make me a more qualified and proficient teacher in this school district. I am excited to obtain new knowledge and apply it to my Ell students every week.
I am pleased that my thoughts on “The Mitzvah of Mezzuzah and Metaverses” were featured in the Israel Herald. I believe it is time to engage in transdisciplinary discussions and explore the potential implications of dynamic simulation environments for Jewish educators, instructional designers, metaverse curators, and users to ensure Jewish principles are honored.
As a conference co-chair for the Third VirtuaTELL Conference, I am pleased to announce:
Conference Theme: Technology Enhanced Language Learning: Investigate, Identify, and Innovate
There will also be an Innovative Technology Use Teacher Competition
The Third VirtuaTELL Conference will be on May 6th, 2023.
This year’s conference theme reflects on current trends and approaches in technology-enhanced language learning and teaching to investigate, identify and innovate within a broad consideration of related issues, including (but not limited to) the following: millennials and language acquisition; 21st Century pedagogies embedded in and using technology for language teaching and acquisition; assistive technologies, technology in special education; culturally relevant and asset-based pedagogy, gamification, e-assessment; and immersive realities for diverse linguistic learners.
This podcast is a go-to resource to stay updated with the latest and greatest Ed Tech tools that are disturbing (in a good way) education. EdUp EdTech is hosted by Holly Owens, whose ability to break down the complex components of edtech makes us believe we can do anything when it comes to education! Join Holly each week as she hosts insightful guests from the world of educational technology.
Holly Owens, “In this episode, I got to chat with my friend, Dr. Jasmin Cowin from Touro University! Jasmin is an Assistant Professor of TESOL, Ed Tech guru, and lover of all things education. In this episode, you get to hear about Jasmine’s journey into education, her thoughts on jobs of the future, and what we should be doing to prepare our educators for 21st-century classrooms.”
To support teachers working with Ukrainian students, I prepared this grammar resource for teachers and students alike to showcase a morphology comparison between Ukrainian and English parts of speech. Morphological awareness has been related to literacy development including vocabulary development and reading comprehension (Ke & Xiao, 2015).
I believe that developing morphological awareness across both languages, enables both teachers and Ukrainian students to use their linguistic repertoire across languages and benefit from their multilingual resources.
Dr. Jasmin (Bey) Cowin
In addition, Translate Google is a useful tool for basic translations. Feel free to share my resource!
As displaced Ukrainian families are dispersing out across the country they are finding refuge with family, friends, and volunteers and enroll their children in school. In New York, the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) Commissioner Manuel Castro launched New York City’s Ukrainian Response Initiative in June 2022, to help currently residing and newly arrived Ukrainian New Yorkers access immigration legal assistance, translation services, social services, and other resources. Information on how to access services provided through this initiative can be found on nyc.gov/ukraineresources or by calling NYC’s immigration hotline at 800-354-0365.
New York State officials estimate New York will need more than 180,000 new teachers in the next decade, however, the teacher shortage is already hitting selected subject specialties and geographic areas. According to NYSUT, New York reports persistent shortages in teachers for special education, bilingual education, English as a Second Language, science, mathematics, English Language Arts, social studies, world languages, career and technical education, health education, literacy and library science.
Touro University’s TESOL and bilingual certificate programs prepare NYS-certified teachers to provide responsive, comprehensive education to students of every background.
What You’ll Learn
The 15-credit program includes five courses—each with carefully designed fieldwork experiences—that emphasize both academic content learning and English fluency for English Language Learners.
We explore contemporary theory and research-based instructional strategies for multicultural education, methods and materials for second language acquisition, and best practices for teaching ELLs in specific subjects. We give you the tools to ensure that your students meet the latest performance standards of PreK-12 curricula in both private and public schools.
Courses are offered evenings and Sundays, and online to accommodate our students’ diverse scheduling needs, and you’ll receive personalized guidance based on your current work and career goals from highly qualified and experience professors.
Upon completion of the program, you’ll be eligible for the New York State Advanced Certificate in ESOL. All courses are transferable to the master’s degree program in TESOL at Touro College.
Admissions Requirements
In addition to general requirements, applicants must provide proof of initial or professional teaching certificate, as well as 12 credits of foreign language study or a passing score on a CLEP examination. Students who have not satisfied the foreign language studies requirement may be admitted to the program, but with the understanding that they must satisfy this requirement as soon as possible and prior to graduation.
Contact us to learn more about our advanced certificate and master’s programs.
References:
Ke, S., & Xiao, F. (2015). Cross-linguistic transfer of morphological awareness between Chinese and English. Language Awareness, 24(4), 355–380. doi:10.1080/09658416.2015.1114624 [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®], [Google Scholar]
As the end of 2022 is approaching, I decided to design a “poster” and create a bilingual English-Spanish glossary as a resource for administrators and teachers working with Spanish-speaking families. The inspiration came from a text-heavy document by THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, Office of P-12 Key Terms Used to Describe Practices Related to the Education of ELLs in New York State, March 2016. As I read through the document, I thought about visually creating a simpler structure to unbundle the information in a visual way.
Feel free to share!
“Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things, but learning another way to think about things.”
The New York State Education Department is intending to make new grant awards for the operation of Clinically Rich Intensive Teacher Institute programs (CR-ITI). These Institutes are targeted at NYC teachers who want to obtain a TESOL or Bilingual General Education teaching certificate.
Touro College’s Graduate School of Education is successfully operating a 5-year CR-ITI Program under NYSED. Under the Touro program, an annual cohort of 20 teachers will take 5 courses and upon completion of the program, will be recommended to NYSED for either an ESOL (PreK-12) or Bilingual Extension. Under the grant, participants will receive tuition support of $900 per course, as well as a 15% Touro College discount for the remainder of tuition expenses. To complete the entire one-year certificate program,
Eligibility Requirements for Participating Teachers:
Participants must be NYC DOE teachers (with an initial or professional classroom teaching certificate) and must be recommended by their principals.
Teachers must be highly motivated and dedicated to better serving ELLs in their schools or districts.
TESOL candidates will need to provide proof of experience with learning a foreign language (equivalent to 12 college credits). Candidates may complete the necessary credits while in the program.
Bilingual Extension candidates will need to provide verification of target language proficiency.
For more details about this great opportunity program please see the attachment. For other information including deadlines for application please contact
Dr. Olga De Jesus-Diaz
To apply send required information to : Dr. Olga De Jesus-Diaz
Thousands of new students have arrived in city schools over the past few months, largely children of asylum seekers from South and Central America. Some have landed at schools with robust bilingual programs, where they can learn academic content while gaining English skills. Others find themselves lost in classes where the only language spoken is English.
Touro University’s TESOL/BLE Education Program offers an advanced certificate to address the shortage of bilingual teachers and administrators.
Bilingual Education and Services There is a need for high-quality educators trained to offer bilingual education and services. For certified teachers and professionals, a bilingual certificate can extend your certification and opportunities. All our courses stress the importance of considering cultural factors alongside individual abilities in teaching bilingual students. We offer three advanced certificates in bilingual education and services:
Bilingual General Education, PreK-12, for mainstream teachers looking to work with bilingual students, teaching their content area in two languages.
BILINGUAL SPECIAL EDUCATION AND SPEECH & LANGUAGE DISABILITIES is for special education teachers who want to work with bilingual students with cognitive impediments, and help assess whether it’s a hearing or speech impediment that makes it hard for the student to replicate the English language and with them on speech patterns.
Bilingual Pupil Personnel Services is for school counselors, social workers and psychologists, who want to work with bilingual students.
This course provides a historical overview of second language acquisition theories and teaching methods. Students learn how to apply current approaches, methods and techniques, with attention to the effective use of materials, in teaching English as a second language. Students will engage in the planning and implementation of standards-based ESL instruction which includes differentiated learning experiences geared to students’ needs. Emphasis is placed on creating culturally responsive learning environments. Includes 15 hours of fieldwork.
Fieldwork: Exploration and analysis of relevant K-12 pedagogical approaches, methods, and strategies needed to convey to a diverse population state and professional standards-based curricula. Development, adaptation and evaluation of materials for implementation in lesson planning and assessment for teaching English to speakers of other languages to particular groups of different ages, ability levels and cultural backgrounds.
Using centers will allow my students to work on activities that are differentiated according to their academic levels. In these centers, my paraprofessionals and I can give to one-on-one support to my students and collect data on the acquisition of IEP goals. Moving forward as a bilingual education teacher, I will provide a multicultural learning environment in which students’ native language is seen as an asset rather than a barrier.
Paola Gomez, Touro University Bilingual Advanced Certificate Candidate
“As a professor, I created this blog as a mechanism to support, appreciate and showcase the exemplary work of my graduate and professional Touro University TESOL/BLE teacher candidates. By emphasizing candidates’ best work, and their innovative, thoughtful, reflective contributions I provide a path to shift the focus to their professional values while recognizing and celebrating their significant milestones in the Touro University TESOL/BLE program.” by Dr. Jasmin (Bey) Cowin, Assistant Professor, TESOL/BLE Department, Touro University
Admissions Requirements
We welcome applications from NYS-certified teachers who would like to pursue TESOL certification. This program is designed to strengthen teachers’ capacities to effectively serve children for whom English is a second language.
Ready to Apply?
Visit admissions to find out how to apply and start your application.
EDDN 637 Second Language Learners and the Content Areas
Students will become acquainted with and practice effective approaches, methods, and strategies for teaching and evaluating English language learners in the content areas (ELA, social studies, math and science). Throughout the course, students will explore the impact of culture and language on classroom learning. Special challenges in teaching and assessment in each content area will also be discussed. Includes 15 hours of field work.
Touro University TESOL Candidate Nicole Andrade is 25 years old. Her family is from Bolivia. She has worked as a Lead Preschool teacher and as a substitute teacher for the DOE for two years, giving her experience in different classroom settings from grades K-5.
It is important to develop the proper instruction, intervention, and goals for students when designing a curriculum. Code-based skills and meaning based skills are what educators must work on with students in order to gain advancements in reading comprehension from students. Code-based skills rely on students’ abilities to sound words out and alphabet knowledge, whereas meaning-based skills refer to vocabulary. Vocabulary is essential in literacy development. English Language Arts Standards categorize three areas, reading literature, reading information text, and language. In these areas, educators must choose the correct interventions to best support students, for instance understanding the difference between a student who needs assistance in code-based skills such as reading words slowly, or meaning-based skills where a student may have difficulty with comprehension of an unfamiliar vocabulary word in a passage(NYSED, 2022).
It is my great pleasure to play with organist Charles Thatcher for the Deutsche Martin-Luther-Gemeinde, 1600 S Orlando Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789 (St. John Lutheran Church) Pastor Wilfried Wassermann Christvesper am 4. Advent, 18. Dezember 2022 Martin-Luther-Gemeinde, Orlando, Email: dtgemeindeorl@aol.com Internet: www.deutschekircheflorida.com/de/orlando-de.html
When: Dec 14, 2022, from 01:00 PM to 02:00 PM (ET)
DESCRIPTION: In this sharing session, we will look at a number of public domain websites that are used for sourcing materials for language teaching. Specifically, we will review pedagogical tools, actual lessons, language aids in terms of videos, readings, practice exercises, and some teacher training materials and resources.
PRESENTER
Lubie Alatriste holds a doctorate from Columbia University and is a professor of English/Applied Linguistics at the City University of New York (CUNY). Her research interests include genre analysis, institutional discourse, reflexivity and praxis in education, second language writing, curriculum, and materials development. Her most recent book-length publication is Language Research in Multilingual Settings (2020, Palgrave MacMillan), and Second Language Writing in Transitional Spaces (2020, University of Michigan Press). She is the author of numerous articles and has served on editorial boards of international journals. Lubie is a founding co-editor/Editor-in-Chief of TESOL Affiliate NYS TESOL Journal. The webinar will be moderated by Dr. Jasmin (Bey) Cowin, Touro University.
Students will become acquainted with and practice effective approaches, methods, and strategies for teaching and evaluating English language learners in the content areas (ELA, social studies, math and science). Throughout the course, students will explore the impact of culture and language on classroom learning. Special challenges in teaching and assessment in each content area will also be discussed. Includes 15 hours of fieldwork.
Evdokia Gasparis: My family consists of many English language learners, which has influenced me to pursue a master’s degree in TESOL. I completed a bachelor’s degree in elementary/early childhood education and psychology from Queens College, which led me to attain a 1-6 common branch license. As I expand my knowledge in the field of education, I strive to effectively differentiate all instructional activities to meet the needs of all students. I aspire not simply to teach, but to inspire all my students to challenge their limits!
Alliteration can be located at several points throughout Samuel Morse’s “That’s Who!: The Story of the Telegraph and Morse Code” by Tracy Nelson Maurer. For example, “… tromping from town to town…” and “Success always seemed one step ahead for Samuel.” The academic language is quite challenging, as it is content specific. Content-specific terms include Morse Code, inventions, telegraph, and French Optical Telegraph System. ELLs are at a disadvantage due to their limited background knowledge of the history of the United States. Prior to reading, educators must focus on building background knowledge and pre-teaching vocabulary, in order for students to properly comprehend the literature.
Evdokia Gasparis, Touro University TESOL Candidate
As educators, incorporating culture into language teaching is crucial. Learning about different cultures can help us approach languages with new insights. We can feel more connected to our students and our students can connect with each other.
This course provides a historical overview of second language acquisition theories and teaching methods. Students learn how to apply current approaches, methods and techniques, with attention to the effective use of materials, in teaching English as a second language. Students will engage in the planning and implementation of standards-based ESL instruction which includes differentiated learning experiences geared to students’ needs. Emphasis is placed on creating culturally responsive learning environments. Includes 15 hours of field work.
Materials Critique & Redesign: Candidates will: (1) prepare a written critique description of the material or resource, analyzing its effectiveness for ELLs and (2) based on your analysis, redesign one section/activity (which could be an infographic, mindmap or anything that shows a redesign) of the original material so that it meets the need of ELLs. The materials chosen will promote culturally and linguistically responsive classrooms and instructional practices.
Candidates will promote culturally and linguistically responsive classrooms and instructional practices
Candidates will apply strategies to adapting grade-level, content area instruction to include culturally and linguistically different students as well as gifted and special education ELLs.
Touro University TESOL candidate Shannon Smith is a graduate student at Touro University pursuing a master’s degree in the TESOL program. She is certified in general education and special education 1-6.
Ms. Smith, “I am currently teaching a Kindergarten class that has a majority of ENL students. All of the courses I have taken at Touro and all of the professors have been preparing me for the real world. I thoroughly have been enjoying learning different strategies to implement in my Kindergarten classroom.”
This course provides a historical overview of second language acquisition theories and teaching methods. Students learn how to apply current approaches, methods and techniques, with attention to the effective use of materials, in teaching English as a second language. Students will engage in the planning and implementation of standards-based ESL instruction which includes differentiated learning experiences geared to students’ needs. Emphasis is placed on creating culturally responsive learning environments. Includes 15 hours of field work.
Materials Critique & Redesign: Candidates will: (1) prepare a written critique description of the material or resource, analyzing its effectiveness for ELLs and (2) based on your analysis, redesign one section/activity (which could be an infographic, mindmap or anything that shows a redesign) of the original material so that it meets the need of ELLs. The materials chosen will promote culturally and linguistically responsive classrooms and instructional practices.
Candidates will promote culturally and linguistically responsive classrooms and instructional practices
Candidates will apply strategies to adapting grade-level, content area instruction to include culturally and linguistically different students as well as gifted and special education ELLs.
Touro University TESOL candidate Cynthia Olavarria is a Special Education Educator in an elementary school in Brooklyn, New York. “I believe in collaboration so we can make changes in the lives of our youth.”
This book is a great way for kids to build on what they already know about colors and feelings while also learning something new. Looking at page 2-3 the author uses the skill of rhyming to grab the reader’s attention. “Gary is big, Gary is green. Gary is hairy. And Gary thinks EVERYTHING is scary.” (Charlesworth, Gary the Monster, 2018, pp. 3-4) This skill can be a little difficult for students to learn. Rhyming is hard for students who are not ELL’s so we know that it can be significantly challenging for students who are ELL’s.
Cynthia Olavarria, Touro University TESOL candidate
Students will become acquainted with and practice effective approaches, methods, and strategies for teaching and evaluating English language learners in the content areas (ELA, social studies, math and science). Throughout the course, students will explore the impact of culture and language on classroom learning. Special challenges in teaching and assessment in each content area will also be discussed. Includes 15 hours of fieldwork.
“I attended Touro College and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in education, teaching students with disabilities in grades 7-12. Professor Cowin has taught me much about the theory of bilingual teaching, learning, practice, and strategies to use with English language learners this semester.”
Lesson plans: Using procedures (2015) TeacherVision
Touro University TESOL Candidate Marizabel Nunez was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Her family is from the Dominican Republic, and most of them are linguistically diverse.
I completed the Module Making Workshop with the Department of Online Education at Touro University.
In order to teach online courses as an instructor at Touro College,I wanted to learn more about how to elevate setting up course modules for your online course(s). The Module Making Workshop is a 4-week course guided me through the essential components of creating an online module including creating measurable learning objectives, adding critical design elements (e.g., headers), and creating a logical flow to course content.
The components of this workshop adhere to the standards outlined in Touro’s Rubric for Online Education, which is the instrument used to evaluate the quality of online courses at Touro.
“As a professor, I created this blog as a mechanism to support, appreciate and showcase exemplary work of my graduate and professional Touro University TESOL/BLE teacher candidates. By emphasizing candidates’ best work, and their innovative, thoughtful, reflective contributions I provide a path to shift the focus to their professional values while recognizing and celebrating their significant milestones in the Touro University TESOL/BLE program.” by Jasmin (Bey) Cowin
This course provides a historical overview of second language acquisition theories and teaching methods. Students learn how to apply current approaches, methods and techniques, with attention to the effective use of materials, in teaching English as a second language. Students will engage in the planning and implementation of standards-based ESL instruction which includes differentiated learning experiences geared to students’ needs. Emphasis is placed on creating culturally responsive learning environments. Includes 15 hours of fieldwork.
Mrs. Paola Gomez was born in the Bronx and raised partially in the Dominican Republic. She attended Hunter College where she received her degree in Music Performance and Touro University, GSE where she received her master’s in education. She is currently a teacher at P186X, where she hopes to integrate her bilingual teaching skills acquired from Touro University’s bilingual education program.
Paola wishes to thank her family, her husband, Justin, and her professor, Dr. Jasmin Cowin, for her support and dedication to candidate learning during the fall semester of 2022.
For my multilingual learners, the total physical response mini lesson centered around the vocabulary words of body parts gave them the opportunity to make a connection between body parts in their language and body parts in English. For example, if I were to show just the name of each body part, without any visual support and physical action to go with it, my multilingual learners might had struggled to understand that Mouth is Boca. Having the visual support accompanied by the motor activity, helped the students to successfully identify, recall, and acquire new vocabulary in a new language.
“As a professor, I created this blog as a mechanism to support, appreciate and showcase exemplary work of my graduate and professional Touro University TESOL/BLE teacher candidates. By emphasizing candidates’ best work, and their innovative, thoughtful, reflective contributions I provide a path to shift the focus to their professional values, while recognizing and celebrating their significant milestones in the Touro University TESOL/BLE program.” by Jasmin (Bey) Cowin
As a professor, I created this blog as a mechanism to support, appreciate and showcase exemplary work of my graduate and professional Touro University TESOL/BLE teacher candidates. By emphasizing candidates’ best work, and their innovative, thoughtful, reflective contributions I provide a path to shift the focus to their professional values, while recognizing and celebrating their significant milestones in the Touro University TESOL/BLE program.
Dr. Jasmin (Bey) Cowin (Assistant Professor and TESOL Practicum Coordinator, Touro University, GSE)
EDDN 637 Second Language Learners and the Content Areas: Students will become acquainted with and practice effective approaches, methods, and strategies for teaching and evaluating English language learners in the content areas (ELA, social studies, math and science). Throughout the course, students will explore the impact of culture and language on classroom learning. Special challenges in teaching and assessment in each content area will also be discussed. Includes 15 hours of fieldwork.
Evdokia Gasparis: “My family consists of many English language learners, which has influenced me to pursue a master’s degree in TESOL. I completed a bachelor’s degree in elementary/early childhood education and psychology from Queens College, which led me to attain a 1-6 common branch license. As I expand my knowledge in the field of education, I strive to effectively differentiate all instructional activities to meet the needs of all students. I aspire not simply to teach, but to inspire all my students to challenge their limits!”
practice (how teachers deliver instruction to students),
process (how the lesson is designed for students),
products (the kinds of work products students will be asked to complete),
content (the specific readings, research, or materials, students will study),
assessment (how teachers measure what students have learned), and
grouping (how students are arranged in the classroom or paired up with other students).
You will submit both the original content lesson and plan and the lesson plan with differentiated instructional activities, with a reflection of your professional growth completing this assignment. Your product for Differentiated Instructional Activity Assignment will be:
A paper including the original lesson plan/differentiated lesson plan addressing points 1 -6 above
2-4 minute video showcasing one specific aspect of one of your Differentiated Instructional Activities
Picture Walk Video Evdokia Gasparis, Touro University TESOL CandidateEntering / Emerging Differentiated WorksheetEntering / Emerging Differentiated WorksheetExpanding Differentiated WorksheetTransitioning / Bridging Differentiated Worksheet
“…all students work at different speeds, therefore it is essential to group students strategically to provide needed support. During the differentiated lesson, students are grouped homogenously. Homogenous grouping allows students, with similar academic needs and readiness, to collectively complete assignments (Levine, 2012). The intent of grouping students with similar levels of readiness is to scaffold lessons that allow students to work in their zone of proximal development (ZPD) (Levine, 2012).”
Evdokia Gasparis, Touro University TESOL Candidate
EDDN 637 Second Language Learners and the Content Areas: Students will become acquainted with and practice effective approaches, methods, and strategies for teaching and evaluating English language learners in the content areas (ELA, social studies, math and science). Throughout the course, students will explore the impact of culture and language on classroom learning. Special challenges in teaching and assessment in each content area will also be discussed. Includes 15 hours of fieldwork.
Adah Hirschfeld is a New York City Public School librarian who currently works at IS 240 in Midwood, Brooklyn. She holds a Master of Library and Information Science degree from Pratt Institute and a Master’s degree in School Administration from Touro University. She is pursuing certification in TESOL to better meet her students’ language and literacy needs.
The Text Analysis discusses the cognitive and linguistic demands of a content area text. Touro University TESOL/BLE candidates closely analyze a chapter, or an aspect of one content-area text currently in use or recommended by New York State/BOE. Upon analysis of underlying concepts, they develop a thesis and purpose for their analysis. Mrs. Hirschfeld’s paper sequences her ideas with evidence from the text supporting essential points. Her critique features substantial, logical, and concrete development of ideas describing what makes that concept or section challenging for ELLs.
Phonics and phonological decoding of the multi-syllabic words may be difficult for ELL students. Examples of words that do not follow standard rules are: ocean, fascinating, officials, unique, foreign. Students would have to be aware of the hard and soft “c” sounds of recent, cities, places, and appreciation. As well as the spelling patterns and pronunciation of words ending in -gh and -ght.
Overall, this is a highly complex text for English language learners. The sentence length, multisyllabic unknown words, and academic vocabulary are difficult for readers to comprehend without scaffolds and modifications. The illustrations correspond to and enhance the text allowing the reader to gain an understanding but without the visual enhancement, meaning may be lost.
How can educators better support linguistically diverse students and their families was a question hotly debated in the Touro University bilingual and multicultural education discussion boards by Touro University TESOL teacher candidates. The discussion boards focused on English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teacher praxis’, highlighting the targeted inclusion of asset-based approaches. As a professor leading the discussions, the topic sparked deep reflection, and a goal crystallized: to create and implement an impactful hands-on project. The discussion centered around shifting teaching paradigms towards more inclusive, dynamic practices empowering Multilingual Learners (ML). Teachers often enter their profession unprepared to draw on the strengths and assets that culturally and linguistically diverse students bring to school. (Elfers, 2013)
Out of the discussion boards grew a book chapter with a former teacher John Zurschmiede, post-degree completion: ACROSS BOUNDARIES: COMMUNITY ASSET MAPPING AND LINGUISTICALLY DIVERSE LEARNERS, in which John Zurschmiede, now a teacher at the Board of Education, at an International school, co-constructed not only a project but also meaning-making in a collaborative space bringing together different dimensions of teacher-learner in two different levels. Level 1: the faculty-teacher candidate, Level 2: The former teacher candidate – his Multilingual Learners. This was an interwoven process that created fertile spaces of intentional collaboration across boundaries resulting in a book chapter in “Supporting Student Success through Community Asset Mapping.”
I am deeply grateful for the collaboration with my former student John Zurschmiede which expanded my horizon as an educator and shifted my teaching paradigms. I experienced that funds of knowledge are not static as we are all life-long learners embedded in the tapestry of our communities, personal histories and experiences which we express through our unique linguistic landscapes.
AI and intelligent systems are positioned to become change agents in education through ushering in profound changes in institutional administrative and teaching functions, systemic strategic planning, and program planning. Post-pandemic, the explosive growth of fully-accredited online degrees has also reached teacher education programs. However, any online teacher education program needs alternative pathways to support teacher candidates in their online journey at Touro University and towards teacher certification. This lightening talk focused on alternative meeting, teaching and advising spaces in metaverses such as Agora World. Meeting in such alternative, closed-loop spaces fosters positive faculty-candidate interaction, provides pathways for collaborative experiences, nurtures self-efficiacy, and the ability to partner authentically through talking, presenting, debating within groups in a constructed safe metaverse space.
Session recordings are now available to watch On Demand. Keynotes, interviews and panel discussions from top brands explore real world examples of those successfully integrating conversational AI and automation to drive innovation throughout their organizations. Catch any sessions you may have missed or watch your favorites again! You can register here to get access to VOICE22 and my presentation recording from Agora World:
Dr. Jasmin (Bey) Cowin – AI, Avatars and 21st Century Simulation Training for Educators
AI and intelligent systems are positioned to become change agents in education through ushering in profound changes in institutional administrative functions, systemic strategic planning, and program planning. Post-pandemic, the explosive growth of fully-accredited online degrees has also reached teacher education programs. However, any online program in teacher education needs alternative pathways to support teacher candidates who are required to complete practicum and fieldwork hours.
This lightning talk focuses on reviewing, contrasting, and framing two distinct immersive ecosystems. Mursion and simSchool. While both platforms offer immersive experiences simSchool is AI-driven while Mursion employs mixed reality simulations. Both provide preservice teachers a platform to practice and rehearse the art and skill of teaching within a controlled simulation setting using avatars. Insights on evidence-based practices by teacher candidates are generated through data from both AI and candidates’ in-world experiences. Such data aggregation offers institutions informed decision-making through a systematic review using technology to improve teacher education programs.
Together with my dear colleagues and peers Ching-Ching Lin, Ed. D. and Nikki Bell we will be presenting on our NYS TESOL e-book project “Enacting culturally responsive pedagogies through community assets mapping: A NYS TESOL Story,” which has been included in the TESOL 2023 convention program, held on 21–24 March in Portland, Oregon, USA.
Reunion, Resilience & Reciprocity: Fulbright’s Yemini English Teacher Trainees General Session: 60 Minute Presentation and Discussion
Presenter Information: Dr. Jasmin (Bey) Cowin Touro University – Assistant Professor and TESOL Practicum Coordinator Dr. Cowin is a Fulbright Scholar; Assistant Professor and TESOL Practicum Coordinator at Touro University; sustainability advisor for access and equity for Computers for Schools Burundi; collaborator with Prof. Abdullah Al Ghurbani, President of Future Horizons Foundation for Translation, Training, and Development a teacher training and translation institution in Sanaa, Yemen, member of the TESOL International CALL-IS Steering Committee, co-Chair of the of the Technology Enhanced Language Learning SIG 2022 conference, conference chair of the 51st NYS TESOL conference 2021. Recent presentations focused on Computers for Schools Burundi: Gukorera Hamwe through Cultural Competency Training, Yemeni TESOL Teaching & Training for the Future: Exploring Google, Virtual Field Trips and Open Educational Resources (OER’s), The Metaverse: Layers, Applications, and Terminology, The Next Normal: Metaverse, Virtual Beings, AI cloning for the World Higher Education Ranking Summit (WHERS), Dubai, UAE.
Dr. Abdullah Al Ghurbani, Ph.D. Fulbright recipient (2005 USA), Prof. Abdullah Al Ghurbani, Ph.D., President of Future Horizons Foundation for Translation, Training, and Development a teacher training and translation institution in Sanaa, Yemen has 29 years of experience in the field of teaching English as a foreign/second language. He holds a Ph.D. in English Literature, English Department, College of Languages, Sana’a University and was sponsored through a Fulbright grant to acquire the SIT TESOL certification at Rennert International, New York, U.S.A, 2012.
Session Abstract: This presentation gives a voice to Fulbright grant funded Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL) teacher trainees who were trained in Sanaa, Yemen. In alignment with this year’s theme ” Resilience”, this presentation showcases two Fulbright alumni, one from Yemen, the other from the US who reunited through LinkedIn and teamed up to reciprocate with teacher training. The presentation will explore Yemini TESOL teacher candidate’s perceptions on their professional growth through their weekly reflections during their Fulbright funded training cycle. Participants will explore, discuss and celebrate these meaningful journeys by engaging with the concept of reflective practice and the idea of Chris Argyris double-loop learning.
CALL-IS is inviting you to submit a proposal for the Electronic Village at TESOL 2023. The call for proposals will be open between September 30 and November 6, 2022. Consider sharing your knowledge and expertise during this reimagined, in-person-again event.The CALL-IS Team
EDDN 637 Second Language Learners and the Content Areas: Students will become acquainted with and practice effective approaches, methods, and strategies for teaching and evaluating English language learners in the content areas (ELA, social studies, math and science). Throughout the course, students will explore the impact of culture and language on classroom learning. Special challenges in teaching and assessment in each content area will also be discussed. Includes 15 hours of fieldwork.
Xiao Sun started her career in the education field as a paraprofessional. She has worked in NYC District 25 for five years and holds a Master of Media and Governance from Keio University. Last year, she earned her Master of Early Childhood Education and Special Education from Touro University. She is a DOE-certified teacher with B-2nd general education and special education licenses. In addition, she pursues her bilingual advanced certificate with Touro University.
Discussion Boards in Touro University courses serve as an important way we establish ‘community’ with fellow classmates and me, the faculty. It’s how the cohort of learners ‘participate’ online to develop conversations by analyzing the posted questions and applying critical thinking skills. As this is a graduate program, I want to encourage the habit of citing references and require a reference section. Xiao Sun posted a thorough discussion board showcasing not only her grasp of the readings but also analysis and interpretation.
There is no one size fit all approach that could support all students learning. For different types of learners, we need to apply a different strategy to improve their L2 proficiency.
Xiao Sun, Touro University Bilingual Certificate Candidate
Discussion 2: What is Language?
Have you had any students who were proficient in social language but struggled with academic language?
Most of my students are ELLs from kindergarten to second grade. Most of my teaching experiences are in self-contained classrooms or ICT classrooms. I haven’t had any students who were proficient in social language but struggled with academic language since most of them are younger children.
2. Celce-Murcia Chapter edition 4 Chapter 1:
What changes have occurred regarding the teaching of a) pronunciation, b) grammar, and c) vocabulary in the many approaches discussed in this chapter? Has there been a swinging of the pendulum in respect to the teaching of these areas? Why or why not?
In the pre-twentieth -century, the key approaches are getting learners to use a language and getting learners to analyze a language. There are “the grammar-translation approach,” “the direct method,” and “the reform movement.” The grammar-translation approach emphasizes that “instruction is given in the native language of the students. There is little use of the target language for communication. The focus is on the forms and inflections of words. The result of this approach is usually an inability on the part of the students to use the language for communication.” (Kelly, 1969). The direct method is more focused on the ability to use rather than analyze a language. During the reform movement (1886), Henry Sweet, Wilhelm Vietor, and Paul Passy developed the International Phonetic Alphabet to establish the scientific rule that focused on teaching pronunciation and oral skills. (Howatt,2004)
In the early and mid-twentieth-century, there is “the reading approach,” “the audiolingual approach,” and “the oral-situational approach” were proposed by linguists. According to West (1941), reading comprehension is the only language skill emphasized in the reading approach. Only grammar and helpful vocabulary for reading comprehension are taught. The audiolingual approach is proposed based on the principle of the reform movement and the direct method. This approach focuses on practicing sounds, pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar. The “oral-situation approach” focuses on the spoken language and provides the learners maximum opportunity to practice the target language.
The recent approaches to language teaching are cognitive, affective, humanistic, comprehension, and communicative approaches. The cognitive approach emphasized that “language acquisition is viewed as the learning of a system of infinitely extendable rules based on meaningful exposure” (Chomsky, 1959,1965). The affective-humanistic approach emphasizes that “learning a language is a social and personal process” and a “positive social climate in the classroom” (Curran,1976) could support language learning. The comprehension-based approach argues that L2 learning is similar to L1 acquisition and extends exposure and comprehension. Finally, the communicative approach aims to improve learners’ communication ability in the target language.
The pendulum has been swinging for teaching these areas. Because we never know the best approach or method to support the L2 learning of our students. There is no one size fit all approach that could support all students learning. For different types of learners, we need to apply a different strategy to improve their L2 proficiency. In different periods, the purpose of learning L2 is also different. For example, in the early days, people paid more attention to whether they could understand the writing contents in the target language. In the mid-term days, people pay more attention to whether they can use the correct grammar and pronunciation in the target language. Now, we pay more attention to building up the learners’ ability to communicate in the target language.
The recent approaches to language teaching are cognitive, affective, humanistic, comprehension, and communicative approaches. The cognitive approach emphasized that “language acquisition is viewed as the learning of a system of infinitely extendable rules based on meaningful exposure” (Chomsky, 1959,1965). The affective-humanistic approach emphasizes that “learning a language is a social and personal process” and a “positive social climate in the classroom” (Curran,1976) could support language learning. The comprehension-based approach argues that L2 learning is similar to L1 acquisition and extends exposure and comprehension. Finally, the communicative approach aims to improve learners’ communication ability in the target language.
3. Celce-Murcia Chapter edition 4 Chapter 2:
How is Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) related to other proficiency-based approaches to language teaching?
There are three theoretical frameworks discussed.
The first is the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language standards (ACTFL). This framework has five components (the Five C’s model): communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities. By following this framework, learners are taught to focus on “what is the overall purpose and meaning of the texts, and what is cultural or other background knowledge is relevant?” and “what vocabulary or grammatical forms are involved, and what meanings are being conveyed by these?” (Celce-Murica, 2013) There are also three primary modes of communication cultivated by this proficiency-based approach: interpersonal, such like exchanging ideas; interpretive, such like understandings of content, and presentational, such like communicating through oral or written reports.
The second framework is the Common European Framework of Reference for languages. (CEFR) According to Duff (2008), this framework “encourage learners, teachers, and teacher educators to collect evidence of learners’ proficiency and language learning biographies through various media, including multimedia personal learning portfolios and multilingual repertoire.”
The third communicative, proficiency-based framework mentioned in this section is the Canadian Language Benchmark. (CLB) This framework is “based on a functional view of language, language use, and language proficiency.” (Pawlikowska-Smith,2002) Under this framework, teachers could assess students’ linguistic, textual, functional, and sociocultural competence to support them improve language skills.
References
Celce-Murcia, M. (2013). Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language. Fourth Edition. Heinle Cengage Publishing. ISBN-13: 978-1111351694. ISBN-10: 111135169
Chomsky, N. (1959). Review of the book Verbal Behavior by B.F. Skinner. Language, 35,26-58
Curran, C.A. (1976). Counseling-learning in second-language learning. East Dubuque, II,: Counseling Learning Publication
Duff, P. A. (2008). APEC second foreign language standards and their assessment: Trends, opportunities, and implications.
Kelly, L. G. (1969). Twenty-four centuries of language teaching. New York, NY: Newbury House.
Howatt, A.P.R. with H.G., Widdowson (2004). A history of English language teaching (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Pawlikowska-Smith, G. (2000). Canadian language benchmarks: Theoretical framework. Ottawa, Canada: Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks.
West, M. (1953) A general service list of English words. Landon, UK: Longman, Green &Co.
Jasmin (Bey) Cowin, Ed.D., Assistant Professor and TESOL Practicum CoordinatorTouro University, Graduate School of Education, New York, NY Google Scholar Profile: Dr. Jasmin Cowin, Orchid ID: 0000-0002-0405-8774
It is finally done! I published my essay on augmented digital reality technologies, big data, and the need for a teacher workforce on Kindle! The essay explores applications and educational use cases of augmented reality digital technologies for educational organizations during the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The Fourth Industrial Revolution requires vision, flexibility, and innovative educational conduits by governments and educational institutions to remain competitive in a global economy while simultaneously working towards new governance structures aimed to mitigate external interruptions and algorithmic biases by Artificial Intelligence algorithmic models. Educational organizations will need to focus on teaching in and for a digital age to continue offering academic knowledge relevant to 21st-century markets and changing labor force needs. Implementing contemporary disciplines will need to be embodied through learners’ active knowledge-making experiences while embracing ubiquitous accessibility. The power of Distributed Ledger Technology promises major streamlining for educational record-keeping, degree conferrals, and authenticity guarantees. Augmented reality digital technologies (ARDT) hold the potential to restructure educational philosophies and their underpinning pedagogies thereby transforming modes of delivery. Structural changes in education and governmental planning are already increasing through intelligent systems and big data. Reimagining and redesigning education on a broad scale is required to plan and implement governmental and institutional changes to harness innovative technologies while moving away from the industrial manufacturing labor force. Keywords—Fourth Industrial Revolution, artificial intelligence, big data, education, Augmented Reality Digital Technologies, Distributed Ledger Technology
What is in your Heritage Month 2022 Resources for Hispanic Heritage Month Toolkit? I designed an infographic as a contribution to all educators who would like to find more resources for Hispanic Heritage Month 2022.
“If you have an opportunity to make things better and you don’t, then you are wasting your time on Earth.”
Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation – Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month 2022
Recognizing the achievements and contributions of Hispanic American champions who have inspired others to achieve success led me to discover new composers and artists and their music and art of Latin and Hispanic descent. Of course, my resource is only a beginning, “A Place to Start.”
My topic: AI, Avatars and 21st Century Simulation Training for Educators
AI and intelligent systems are positioned to become change agents in education through ushering in profound changes in institutional administrative functions, systemic strategic planning, and program planning. Post-pandemic, the explosive growth of fully-accredited online degrees has also reached teacher education programs. However, any online program in teacher education needs alternative pathways to support teacher candidates who are required to complete practicum and fieldwork hours.
This lightning talk focuses on reviewing, contrasting, and framing two distinct immersive ecosystems. Mursion and simSchool. While both platforms offer immersive experiences simSchool is AI-driven while Mursion employs mixed reality simulations. Both provide preservice teachers a platform to practice and rehearse the art and skill of teaching within a controlled simulation setting using avatars. Insights on evidence-based practices by teacher candidates are generated through data from both AI and candidates’ in-world experiences. Such data aggregation offers institutions informed decision-making through a systematic review using technology to improve teacher education programs.
The Voices At The Cutting Edge of Conversational AI.
I am excited to be speaking at #VOICE22 on October 10-12. I invite you to join me as the world plans for ways to reconnect, restore, and reinvigorate plans for growth in 2023.
💡 Discover ways you can modernize your call center to meet customer expectations.
💡 Get a first-hand look at digital transformation initiatives to improve and automate the customer experience.
💡 Learn how you can develop and implement custom assistants to improve efficiency.
💡 Connect with creators, companies, solutions providers, investors, and media from around the world.
It was my honor to present “The Three Pillars: Strategic Augmented Reality Digital Technologies (ARDT) Implementation” at the International Conference on Innovation in Basic – Higher Education (September 8-11, 2022) İstanbul, Türkiye (Republic of Turkey).
The purpose of this presentation was to frame and share my thoughts on The Three Pillars: Strategic Augmented Reality Digital Technologies (ARDT) Implementation for institutions of Higher Education. To offer ARDTs with functional 3D immersive spaces such as metaverses requires a robust institutional system-wide Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) discussion. TEL integrations not only ask for a highly qualified educator workforce but also demand articulated, interconnected institutional, educator, and learner cultures. The podcast would articulate the three different cultures institutions, educators, and learners to engage in meaningful conversations around ARDTs. The goal was to explore, discuss and debate the purposeful implementation of 21st Century technologies such as metaverses into Institutions of Higher Education while analyzing their positive potential and possible dangers they bring to higher education institutions.
This course reviews the impact of historical, legal, sociological, and political issues in relationship to the education of culturally and linguistically diverse students. Students explore the evolution of attitudes regarding bilingualism and multiculturalism in the United States. Emphasis will be placed on developing multicultural competence as educators, with areas of focus including: cross-cultural communication in the classroom and with parents; how the language and culture of the home and the community impact student learning; cultural factors in the relationships between the school and the community. Models of multicultural and bilingual education will be presented and analyzed. Includes 10 hours of field work.
Mrs. Paola Gomez was born in the Bronx and raised partially in the Dominican Republic. She attended Hunter College where she received her degree in Music Performance and Touro College where she received her master’s in education. She is currently a teacher at P186X, where she hopes to integrate her bilingual skills acquired from Touro College’s bilingual education program.
Paola wishes to thank her family, her husband, Justin, and her professor, Dr. Jasmin Cowin, for her support and dedication to candidate learning during the summer semester 2022.
There is an overwhelming amount of research that confirms that an achievement gap does exist in our public education system. According to Nieto and Bode, “41 percent of whites are reading at grade level, only 15 percent of Hispanics and 13 percent of African Americans are at grade level. The gap worsens through the years: Black and Hispanics twelfth graders perform at the same level in reading and math as white eighth graders” (Nieto & Bode, 2018, p.9). The reason why this is happening is because the achievement of this group of students is related directly to the conditions and contexts in which these students learn.
Paola Gomez, Touro University Bilingual Certificate Candidate
I am excited to be presenting The three pillars: Strategic Augmented Reality Digital Technologies (ARDT) implementation for International Conference on Innovation in Basic – Higher Education, September 8-11, 2022 İstanbul, Türkiye (Republic of Turkey)
Our conference theme on innovations in basic and higher education will give educators wonderful opportunity to learn more about the latest innovations and cutting-edge research in basic and higher education as well as share best practices in teaching and learning, leadership and administration, and research partnerships. We look forward to seeing you in Istanbul (8-11 September 2022).
EDPN 671: Theory and Practice of Bilingual and Multicultural Education: This course reviews the impact of historical, legal, sociological, and political issues in relationship to the education of culturally and linguistically diverse students. Students explore the evolution of attitudes regarding bilingualism and multiculturalism in the United States. Emphasis will be placed on developing multicultural competence as educators, with areas of focus including: cross-cultural communication in the classroom and with parents; how the language and culture of the home and the community impact student learning; cultural factors in the relationships between the school and the community. Models of multicultural and bilingual education will be presented and analyzed. Includes 10 hours of field work.
Gabrielle Mescia is a Pre-K teacher in the West Islip School District in Long Island, NY. Gabrielle graduated from St. Joseph’s College in May 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Child Study, and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in TESOL at Touro College. In her free time she enjoys cooking, reading, exercising, and spending time with her loved ones.
I learned quite a bit from this investigation of Polish culture, and I am glad that I chose this project to inform my knowledge and meet the changing needs of my school population. I will be able to use what I learned going forward to provide Polish families with resources and bring students’ culture into the classroom with bilingual and multicultural books and materials. Additionally, I now know many of the differences between Polish and English, and the areas where these students may struggle with learning the language. Here some examples: The polish alphabet (alfabet polski) consists of 32 letters (23 consonants and 9 vowels). Unlike other slavic languages, the polish language (język polski) uses Latin Script with additional diacritics for the special polish phonemes (such as ą and ł). A good rule to remember is that with the most Polish words, the stress lies on the second last syllable. There is no English equivalent of any of the Polish vowels.
For EDPN 673 Methods and Materials for Teaching English as a Second Language. This course provides a historical overview of second language acquisition theories and teaching methods. Students learn how to apply current approaches, methods and techniques, with attention to the effective use of materials, in teaching English as a second language. Students will engage in the planning and implementation of standards-based ESL instruction which includes differentiated learning experiences geared to students’ needs. Emphasis is placed on creating culturally responsive learning environments. Includes 15 hours of field work.
Touro TESOL candidates submit a Materials Critique & Redesign where candidates (1) prepare a written critique description of the material or resource, analyzing its effectiveness for ELLs and (2) based on your analysis, redesign one section/activity of the original material so that it meets the need of ELLs. The materials chosen will promote culturally and linguistically responsive classrooms and instructional practices.
My name is Kate Yanovich and I teach in the New York City elementary public school in Brooklyn. I have taught students of different ages, ranging from Pre-K to middle school, and being licensed in special education, I also worked with students and young adults with special needs. Currently, I am pursuing the TESOL Graduate degree at Touro College and look forward to working more closely with second language and multilingual learners in their educational journeys.
Kate Yanovich, Touro University TESOL Candidate
The Empty Pot by Demi (1990)New York: Henry Holt and Company.
Kate Yanovich:
“Generally, this book is used for a read aloud in the 1st grade classroom. I would use this book as a shared reading to differentiate for a small group of 2nd grade ELLs on expanding level who are below grade level in reading and are working on reading comprehension. For a shared reading activity, I would use the book in its revised version (see below) to accommodate the needs of the students. According to the WIDA Can Do Descriptors, students on expanding levels are able to identify main ideas and details in illustrated texts. The focus of the activity would be understanding characters in a story and choosing words from the text to describe them and their actions. The content objective would be “I can describe how characters respond to major events and challenges.”. The language objective would be “I can discuss how characters acted in the story by choosing key words from the text to describe character’s actions and responses to the events in the story.”. Before reading the story, I would go over a list of character traits with visuals we have previously discussed and preview vocabulary words in the book using their definitions. As I read the illustrated story presented on the Google Slides, the students and I would make a list of words that students can then choose and use as details to describe how characters respond to the challenges in the story, a strategy called vocabulary selection (SIOP® 8 Components and 30 features, 2022). Here are the words I would expect for children to notice and inquire about as they look and listen to the story: hoped, very carefully, couldn’t wait, worried, transferred, ashamed, best he could do, worthy, impossible, courage, reward. After reading the story aloud, I would ask the following moderately challenging questions to guide students in their comprehension of details about characters’ actions with the purpose to achieve the lessons’ objectives and help students understand the lesson in the story: What is the major event or challenge in the story? What did Ping do to make the seed grow? In the end, why did Ping bring an empty pot to the emperor? How were the other children able to grow their flowers? What do you think about Ping and what words can you use to describe him? How can you describe other children in the story? What do you think this story teaches us?”
Book Redesign:
As far as the text goes, I would add Chinese translation on each page to promote greater understanding for ELLs with Chinese background. This text can be used to reinforce understanding of emotions, and even though illustrations of character’s emotions mostly match the text, readers would have to look closely at the expressions on the characters’ faces. For this reason, I would make illustrations bigger so the character’s emotions are much more visible. I would also make an emphasis on the words that help to highlight the main character’s persistence and convey the lesson in the story. I would make the advanced words stand out by making them bold, in a different color, and using a bigger font. I would also add insets with definitions and visuals on some pages of the book to help ELLs understand the meaning of advanced words like tend and successor among other words. See below.
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