Artifact # 3
ESL Inquiry Project: a lesson taught to a group of my peers using activities, lecture and resources to further their understanding or resources available to help with ESL (English as a Second Language) students.
Context:
This project was created for my Curriculum and Instruction class during
my block experience at ASU. Using a variety of resources such as
the Internet, books and teaching professionals, we gathered information
about ESL students. This information was presented in a one hour
and 15 minute presentation. The medium for presenting the information
gathered included activities, discussions and a handout of resources, that
was created using Microsoft Word. The activities used attempted to
give a feeling of what it might be like to be an ESL student.
Impact:
The knowledge obtained from this ESL project can be utilized by the
classroom teacher as a way to connect with his or her ESL student(s).
Understanding the needs of your students is imperative in making the classroom
a positive learning environment. Realizing what resources a teacher
has available can make it easier to seek help when you have a student whose
needs you alone cannot fully meet.
Alignment:
This project expanded my understanding of the ESL student’s needs within
the classroom as well as where I can seek help. The activities we
presented were planned to create an atmosphere in which my peers might
experience what it would feel like to be an ESL student in an English-speaking
classroom. Searching the Internet for information yielded some helpful
websites that can be used to find teaching materials and activities.
One site that was located that was helpful in making translations is www.bablefish.com
(Tech Comp 13.3). Although caution must be used when translating,
it can be helpful in making the student feel more at home in the classroom
by translating some common school words into their native language and
posting them around the classroom. The resource that I found to be
most useful is an ESL teacher that is local to Watauga County. Ms.
Nancy DeLargy spoke at a PTMA (Prospective Teachers of Mathematics Association)
that I attended, where she gave personal accounts of her experiences with
ESL students, as well, as some information that applies to ESL students
in general (Tech Comp. 13.4).