The Value of Language Objectives

At this point in the year we may have forgotten the value of language objectives. In this article written by Jane Echevarria she reminds us of the why and the relevance behind using language objectives in ALL classrooms. Use this reading to boost yourself up and to remind yourself of the why of language objectives. Come back from break refreshed and ready to write language objectives in your classrooms for ALL students!

The Value of Language Objectives

By: Jane Echevarria

Examples of language objectives from the field

Example of how one teacher honors the five different languages spoken in her classroom

OPEN DL POSITIONS 2018-2019

The School District of Waukesha is hiring the following Dual Language Positions for the 2018-2019 School Year.  

ELEMENTARY DUAL LANGUAGE

Heyer: First Grade 

Heyer: Special Ed

Blair: 4th or 5th Grade

Blair: Special Ed

MIDDLE SCHOOL DUAL LANGUAGE

Les Paul: 6th and 7th Dual Language Arts

Please share with your contacts and colleagues-we are always looking for teachers who share our beliefs and mission

*apply on Teachermatch.com

SDW Wisconsin Bilingual Educator of the Year

Three of our SDW Staff have earned the Wisconsin Association for Bilingual Education Bilingual Educator of the Year Award.  These staff have demonstrated and unwavering commitment to equity, access and multilingual education.  The staff earning the award this year have made significant leadership impacts upon our Dual Language Program, and will be receiving their award later in April.

If you see'em-let them know their work really matters!

Jamie Martinson

 Liz Gould

 Lisa Bence

TDP ONLINE/SELF PACED: DUAL Language Essentials

BUILD YOUR LEADERSHIP IMPACT!

The Dual Language Essentials online is a self paced TDP that will prepare coaches and teachers who serve Dual Language Learning in the School District of Waukesha.  Search your Google Classroom for Dual Language Essentials, and join the course with this course code: f8vay3

The course starts any time starting today and must be complete by August 20.  

There are excerpts from several texts linked into the course and one text that is additional-request it from dmgarcia@ waukesha.k12.wi.us

The course consists of 11 modules with interactive discussion posts on topics such as:

1. How does Dual Language Enrich a student’s overall well being?Define Additive and Subtractive Bilingualism. How is the Dual Language Program superior to programs whose goals are monolingualism?
2. The SDW Dual Language Program is referred to as 90:10. What are the benefits of a 90:10 program? How do schools and staff elevate the status of the non-English Language in the learning environment and the school-wide community?
3. How do teachers teach in two languages? How would you describe to a parent group of your choice about how teachers use language for teaching?
4. How can we help staff and parents to become experts in answering the question. Why is Dual Language Education Beneficial?
5. What techniques do teachers use to make language comprehensible to students? Refer to specific strategies in the reading.
6. Name the varieties of objectives that must be considered in instructional planning for Dual Language acquisition and literacy.
7. How does literacy develop in two-languages?  What seems to be a key factor in the Spanish proficiency of Non-ELLs? Describe why literacy is taught in Spanish to all learners. What is the relationship between early proficiency in Spanish and Non-ELL parents perception of the quality of the program?
8. How is learning to read in two languages similar and different from learning to read in a native language only?
9. What are the three phases of instruction (not including assessment) that work together to create a learning experience that moves from the concrete/experiential to the abstract (like reading and writing).
10. How would you describe the equity dilemma in the Dual Language Program? Why does this happen, and how can we be proactive to prevent this dilemma?
11. What must we do as a system to increase the authentic and meaningful engagement of ELL families in our Dual Language Community to our schools and programs?

Opportunity to Learn March TDP: Success for ALLs

Last Friday Coordinators and Coaches had the opportunity to participate in the professional learning, Success for ALLs for District Leaders. I am excited to let you know that SDW is offering this course a second time because so many have found such value in this learning.  See what our leadres are saying below.

"I felt this PD was very valuable because it was an opportunity to continue to reflect on how all students are Academic Language Learners and how we can best meet everyone's needs."

"You shared a lot of info that's relevant to ALL students and you kept the activities and topics rolling. It was good!"

"It is sooooo valuable to come together as a group and talk about our students assets and needs. I feel like this PD really reaches ALL of our students and we need it soooooo badly."

Opportunity to Learn

March TDP: Success for ALLs

As an ALL, academic language learner, we have the unique opportunity to learn about how language is taught through content. Our students benefit from learning the language of Math, Science, Social Studies, Literacy, and Social and Instructional Language; therefore, I encourage you to sign-up for the TDP: "Success for ALLs". During this course, you will learn how to infuse language into your content area which will allow ALL students to access the curriculum. Through the knowledge gained in this TDP, your planning and instruction will provide a differentiated approach to reaching ALL students. 

Sign up HERE!

Just a heads up! I will stopping by sometime next week to see your awesome work around language objectives and supports!  

WHY? Language Objectives

Because......

College and Career Readiness Standards 

The standards establish guidelines for English language arts (ELA) as well as for literacy in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects. Because students must learn to read, write, speak, listen, and use language effectively in a variety of content areas, the standards promote the literacy skills and concepts required for college and career readiness in multiple disciplines.

Sample Standard: Kindergarten-RL2

CC Standard:

RL2. With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details. 

 What would students need to DO (verbs)........ 

         (LOWER ORDER BLOOM)

Remember (Knowledge), Understanding (Comprehension)

• Recognize that story has a begging, middle, and end.
• Identify key ideas and details in a familiar story.                                   

What would students need to DO (verbs).......

        (HIGHER ORDER BLOOM)

Analyzing, Evaluating, creating (Synthesis)

• Communicate the difference between important (Key) and unimportant details in a story.
• Create an effective retell of a familiar story that includes key ideas and details. 

Celebration of Language Objectives

Language Objectives through Content and Language

Language Objectives through Content and Language

Language and content demands are increasing for ALL students, and the reality of students needing to become college and career ready for success is indisputable. In order for students to be college and career ready, ALL students must gain academic language proficiency. Whether this student is an English Learner, a student whose first language is English and is in a chemistry class for the first time, or for a student that comes to school with limited experiences and background knowledge of the world around them.

Academic language is more than building the vocabulary of content area or socio-cultural context. It includes thinking about language at a word/phrase, sentence, and discourse level.

• Word/phrase Level: language has multiple meaning words, commonly seen collocations, idioms, different shades of meanings, and general, specific, and technical language.

• Sentence Level: grammatical constructions, mechanics, matching language forms for purposes and perspectives and fluency of expression.

• Discourse Level: density of language, coherence of ideas, sentence structures, and the complexity in the amount of written text and speech.

Students are also asked to compare, justify, sequence, describe, evaluate, analyze, and synthesize using language. Gone are the days of self-contained language classrooms.  No longer are students separated from the universal instruction in order to learn the complex language system because ALL learners benefit from language instruction through content and teachers must access the strategies and intentionally plan for language in content.

Research from Cheuk,T (2013) and best practice suggests that language and content are taught hand-in-hand. Language is not learned in isolation. An approach I have used in working with teachers across the country is presenting the idea that we are ALLs (academic language learners). Since we are ALLs, then it is essential that we as educators approach teaching language through the content. One way to do this is to implement the use of language objectives.

Language objectives allow teachers to intentionally plan for the language that is necessary to access content. The planning of language objectives provides teachers the opportunity to prepare the supports that are critical for students to attain the outcome. The language objective ensures students and teachers know what the success criteria is and what they are striving to achieve. Language objectives allow teachers to support students in closing their achievement gap.

There are multiple ways to address writing a language objective.  One way to write language objectives is to think about it in three parts.

• The first part is the language function. The language function is a verb and it describes what we will do with the language. This tool from Colorin Colorado helps decide what the language function could be. This depends on the CCSS or NGSS that I am using and what I want student to be able to do with the language.
• The second part is the standard or the content that we are addressing in the lesson. It is imperative that the standard is decided prior to writing the language objective. Without the standard you will find yourself lost as the standard allows the teacher to choose the function and supports.
• The third part is the support.  The support is meant to assist students in accessing the content.  Without a support, students who are not reaching language proficiency will struggle to meet the content standard.  

Let’s take a look at a language objective and break it apart for its three components.  

Language Objective: I can explain the  central key ideas about a major Revolutionary War battle with a small group of peers orally using an annotated article and a graphic organizer.

The process of constructing the above language objective:

1) Start with the content standard

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2

Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

2) Then decide what language function you want to use to access the content. You can use the tool from Colorin Colorado for support. In the example we chose the language function of inform. Depending on the level of your students the language function might change. This is an opportunity for differentiation.

3) The content standard does not change. It is important that we do not water down the content in order to keep the rigor high.

4) Lastly think about what supports are necessary to meet the needs of your varied learners. Remember supports may vary depending on what your students need to access the curriculum. This is an opportunity for differentiation.

Great Examples of Language Objectives from the Field

Example from 4th grade DL class, Zachary Bennett from Heyer Elementary





Example from ESL 1 Class, Geidy Colon at North High School



Example from Co-Taught English 9 Class, Sarahi Monterrey and Heidi Kaczynski at North High School


Example from 3rd Grade Class, Rachael Thiede at Heyer Elementary