Introduction
In this ESL Methods portfolio, I have included many important theories, strategies, plans, and ideas for the academic and linguistic development of English language learners. There is also an oral development activity and a literacy development activity. My favorite component of this portfolio are the two sheltered lesson plans because they are great examples of how to run lesson plans for the success of ELLs in your classroom. Finally, I also included a reflection of my portfolio and its components according to the rubric for this assignment, which isn't just an assignment. It is my path towards becoming a strong teacher for each and every student in my class.
Oral Development Activity
Grade
Content Area Lesson Topic TEKS ELPS Listening ELPS Speaking Activity Procedure Rationale |
Kindergarten
Science Seasons and Weather 8.A observe and describe weather changes from day to day and over seasons 2.F listen to and derive meaning from a variety of media such as audio tape, video, DVD, and CD ROM to build and reinforce concept and language attainment; 3.J respond orally to information presented in a wide variety of print, electronic, audio, and visual media to build and reinforce concept and language attainment. What am I? Students will be paired up. One student will have a picture of a season or weather taped to his back. The other student will describe the image. For example, a picture of winter could be described like: "It is cold, snowing, you have to wear coats, mittens, hats, etc." and the student with the image taped to his back would say: "Am I winter?" They would repeat this with about 5 different images. Students would have to rely on their speaking ability to describe the images. They also have to utilize their content knowledge to know what weather or season they are describing because the images would not be labeled. Listening skills are also important in order to know what season or weather is being described. Comprehensible input and interaction are another important factors in this activity. All of these components would help students increase their speaking proficiency level, build science vocabulary, and improve content knowledge. |
Literacy Development Activity
Grade
Content Area Lesson Topic TEKS ELPS Writing Activity Procedure Rationale |
Kindergarten
Science Earth and Space 8.C observe, describe, and illustrate objects in the sky such as the clouds, Moon, and stars, including the Sun. 5.B write using newly acquired basic vocabulary and content-based grade-level vocabulary Learning Log Students would use their learning logs to show what they learned by drawing pictures, writing sentences, and labeling their drawings. I would walk around, correct their sentences, and have them rewrite the correct sentences. They would also have to write a question about something they didn't understand. Students have to use their writing skills in order to describe what they learned, but the drawings also help students to support their explanation. They develop content knowledge by labeling because it requires content specific vocabulary and by having their question answered. They also increase their writing proficiency by writing sentences, seeing their mistakes, and rewriting sentences correctly. Practice and application are other important factors in this activity. |
2 Sheltered Content-Area Lesson Plans
Self-Assessment and Conclusion
I believe that I have learned a lot of new strategies and ideas for developing content knowledge along with increasing language proficiency for English language learners. I have learned about the theories of second language acquisition, which fall within the Behaviorism Theory, Innatism Theory, and Interaction Theory. I believe that components of these theories were fostered within my lesson plans. For example, interaction was included in both of my lessons by grouping and pairing students.
In my reflection of my second language acquisition journey, I also included about how the behaviorism, innatism, and interaction played a role. It made me look back and almost feel again what it would feel like to be this ELL student in a classroom, which helped me to maintain that mindset throughout my portfolio. In my oral language activity, I didn't just want them to speak. I wanted them to have fun while speaking. I wanted them to feel like it was a game and not just another assignment. In my literacy development activity, I wanted students to be able to not just communicate what they learned through words, but through pictures also. I also wanted them to feel comfortable with asking a question about the topic without having to do so out loud, which was a way of lowering the affective filter. It is very important to lower the affective filter for ELLs in order for them to acquire and learn as much as possible.
In my two sheltered lesson plans, I also included very important factors for building content knowledge alongside language proficiency development for ELLs. I built background knowledge by pre-teaching vocabulary. I integrated meaningful interaction by allowing students to pick their own topics to survey others and to come up with their own skit. I also included 2 language developing skills on each lesson. I also did my best to align instruction with language and content objectives, and to differentiate assessment for beginning ELLs and intermediate ELLs. This has been a wonderful learning experience. I feel that this has truly prepared me to be the best teacher that I can be.
In my reflection of my second language acquisition journey, I also included about how the behaviorism, innatism, and interaction played a role. It made me look back and almost feel again what it would feel like to be this ELL student in a classroom, which helped me to maintain that mindset throughout my portfolio. In my oral language activity, I didn't just want them to speak. I wanted them to have fun while speaking. I wanted them to feel like it was a game and not just another assignment. In my literacy development activity, I wanted students to be able to not just communicate what they learned through words, but through pictures also. I also wanted them to feel comfortable with asking a question about the topic without having to do so out loud, which was a way of lowering the affective filter. It is very important to lower the affective filter for ELLs in order for them to acquire and learn as much as possible.
In my two sheltered lesson plans, I also included very important factors for building content knowledge alongside language proficiency development for ELLs. I built background knowledge by pre-teaching vocabulary. I integrated meaningful interaction by allowing students to pick their own topics to survey others and to come up with their own skit. I also included 2 language developing skills on each lesson. I also did my best to align instruction with language and content objectives, and to differentiate assessment for beginning ELLs and intermediate ELLs. This has been a wonderful learning experience. I feel that this has truly prepared me to be the best teacher that I can be.