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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.

Join the https://gse.touro.edu/academics/masters-programs/tesol/

Text Analysis & Critique Assignment Description

Following a 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 the 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).

Learning Outcomes:

• 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

Meghan Schick is a graduate student in the Masters of Education TESOL program at Touro University’s Graduate School of Education, TESOL/BLE program. “I am really enjoying learning more about how to support my students who are English Language Learners in this program. I hope to become a TESOL teacher one day in the future.”

EDDN 636 Linguistic Structure of the English Language – Sociolinguistic Perspective

Course Description
This course provides an understanding of basic linguistic concepts and their applications for TESOL instruction. Students will be introduced to the essential concepts of language development and modern linguistic components that are relevant to first and second language pedagogy. Specific concepts include: phonetics, phonology, morphology, semantics, syntax, pragmatics, discourse
analysis, and the nature of regional and social variations in English and the relationship between dialects and ethnic identity. Students will explore the origins, diversity, and functions of human languages, in addition to the relationship between language and society. Students will also study key concepts of sociolinguistics in order to gain a solid understanding of the social and cultural dimensions of language. Includes 10 hours of fieldwork. 3 credits

Michele Goldin is an Assistant Professor of Bilingual Education and TESOL at Touro University Graduate School of Education. She received her Ph.D. in Bilingualism and Second Language Acquisition from Rutgers University. Her research broadly focuses on child bilingualism. As a heritage speaker of Spanish herself, she strives to increase our understanding of bilingual development with direct implications for successful academic outcomes, language policy and pedagogy, as well as bilingual and dual-language education.

Valerie Szuster is a 7th and 8th grade World Languages Teacher at Richard R. Sherman Great Neck North Middle School. She is of Argentine and Colombian descent, and speaks 4 languages: English, Spanish, French, and Hebrew! She earned her BA in French Secondary Education from New York University and is currently completing her MS in TESOL at Touro University.

Dr. Michele Goldin: “Mrs. Szuster’sfieldwork project, a case study, shows a keen understanding of the foundations of research. For the project, she collected a speech sample from an ELL, analyzed two areas of language in which the student encountered some challenges (phonetics and syntax), designed and implemented an activity to address each of these challenges, and then reflected on the results of the activity.”

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.

Mindmapping is a strategy that helps students study and professors teach course material. A mindmap is a diagram that is used to visually outline information. One of the most common types of mindmaps is a large brainstorming web where a central word or idea branches out into related subjects. As ideas are fleshed out and connect to one another, one can see how concepts tie together to get a better understanding of what you are trying to study. By using words, pictures, and diagrams, you are able to organize your thoughts in a way that helps you follow your train of thought when you come back to study further. Using a combination of words and pictures while studying is six times more advantageous for remembering information than words alone. Mindmaps differ from other forms of outlines by removing their linear nature and instead positioning information in a way that is more natural for the brain to process and retain. Mindmapping takes a conceptual approach to teaching and learning, and helps students visualize a subject and understand how various ideas are interconnected in both the theoretical and practical senses. In addition to seeing information in a way that helps students remember more of what they are being taught, they are also able to increase their critical thinking and/or memory skills (and thus correct the deficit in critical thinking). Long after their days of cramming for finals are over, the skills they sharpen by using mindmaps will translate to their professional lives. For students that rely on visual learning methods in order to complete projects and study for exams, mindmaps make it easier to communicate thought processes so their teachers and classmates can better understand their ideas.

Week 4’s Discussion Board is constructing a mindmap of comprehensible input strategies AND connecting those to teaching strategies.

• Share the mindmap in your DB as a screenshot.
• Below a sample Mind Map from Mind Meister, a free mind mapping tool https://www.mindmeister.com/
• 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
• Give feedback on 2 of your peers’ mind maps.

Touro University TESOL Candidate Rachel Brielmeier is a certified teacher from B-6th grade general education and special education. She teaches in an 8:1:1 special education classroom and is completing her master’s degree in the TESOL program at TOURO College.

Touro University TESOL Candidate Shannon Smith pursues a master’s degree in TESOL at Touro University, Graduate School of Education. She is currently filling in as a leave replacement Kindergarten and First grade ENL teacher at Greenport Elementary School. Shannon Smith, “This mind map is a digital representation of all the different techniques and strategies I utilize in my own teaching to help support my ENL students.”

In the Touro University TESOL course EDPN 673 Methods and Materials for Teaching English as a Second Language the infographic assignment aims to introduce instructional high-leverage practices to TESOL/Bilingual teacher candidates such as:

• Systematically design instruction toward a specific goal
• Adapt curriculum tasks and materials for specific learning goals
• Teach cognitive and metacognitive strategies to support learning and independence
• Provide scaffolded supports
• Use explicit instruction

Kristen Bergin graduated from Saint Joseph’s College with her Bachelors in May 2021. She started her professional career as a substitute teacher for the Department of Education in Manhattan.

Infographic Description:

An infographic is a visual tool to provide information as a support for students. This infographic was created to support ML first-grade students in building a sentence. This infographic includes Spanish sentence building blocks to support all my first-grade students.

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.

Erin Gage is a passionate educator who has taught 7th grade Social Studies and Humanities for six years in Brooklyn. She taught at both Summit Academy Charter School and Apollo Middle School before making her way to teaching back home on Long Island. She is a firm believer in creating a student-centered classroom where students feel validated and heard.

Infographic Description:

Infographics serve as a visual representation of information to enhance student learning. This infographic was created to support seventh-grade students taking United States History. Throughout this class, students are responsible for analyzing both primary and secondary sources while discussing the importance of perspective.

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.

Assignment Description:

For this assignment, you will create an infographic for a specific group of learners (your audience). It is highly recommended that you create your infographic for the learners that you are currently teaching, or typically teach. You will know more about this group than other groups of learners and are likely to have an easier time designing instruction for them. Integrating the infographic into one of the SIOP lessons is recommended.

Your project will be assessed on the following:

• Content: content is specifically tailored to ENL/ESL students for a specific grade level,
• Focus: All content (visual and textual) concisely complements the purpose of the infographic
• Visual Appeal: Fonts, colors, layouts, & visual elements meaningfully contribute to the infographic’s ability to convey the overall message
• Argument: The infographic effectively informs and convinces the reader of its intended purpose
• Organization: Information is systematically organized and supports readers’ comprehension of the main message
• Citation: Full bibliographic citations are included for all sources referenced
• Mechanics: The infographic is free of spelling or grammatical errors

Infographics Background:

An infographic is a highly visual representation of information, data, or content that is intended to quickly communicate information to a reader. Smaller than but similar to a poster, an Infographic often communicates a central argument, topic, or thesis focusing on the overall patterns, themes, or salient points. As a quick visual representation, Gillicano and colleagues (2014) suggest that an infographic is easily comprehended and read in less than a minute.

Choose the purpose

Decide on the purpose and teaching point of the infographic for your Multilingual Learners (ML’s) .

WHY are you designing this infographic?
HOW will this infographic serve MLs?
WHAT are you trying to point out, teach, focus on, or reinforce?
WHICH language production is this infographic focusing on?
WHERE in your lesson plan will YOU be able to use this infographic?

I created this infographic using a flow diagram we use at the Board of Education. I noticed that some of the MultiLingual Learners in my class struggled with some of the concepts outlined in the flow diagram. I decided to modify the flow diagram to make multilingual friendly by doing the following.

1) Explicitly show sequence and directionality by including arrows and numbers for each step.

2) Providing a clear visual for Mind Mapping while explicitly highlighting the ‘wh’ questions that needed to be answered.

3) Explicitly outlining what needed to be included in an opening and closing statement.

4) Explicitly providing transition words that students needed to use in their narrative.

John Zurschmiede’s Personal Experience Narrative Infographic