Co-teaching models for English language learners: research and practice

WEBINAR

ELLs (English Language Learners) face manifold challenges in the current teaching construct across 46 states in the country in spite of the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS) applied there. The standards, by their own admission, do not attend to the challenges faced by the ELLs in accessing support for improving knowledge or skill accumulation. ELLs need to develop reading and writing skills and fluency, vocabulary and literacy components that empower and enrich knowledge to assess and complete complex tasks. Effective teaching methodologies for ELLs, or for any population of students is therefore very similar. According to the academia and studies in the field of education and effective teaching methods involve providing the learners with clear well-structured tasks, goals and objectives, opportunities to interact with others, adequate practice, retraining when needed and, frequent assessment mainly along with other tools. Research in this field of English learning and teaching effectively affords many constructs and methods that are and have been in use, yet the outcomes do not prove them to be successful. Effective teaching methods need to be revised, even reinvented, in order to meet the challenges faced by ELLs, or for that matter any learning population.

The Event

Dr. Maria G. Dove and Dr. Andrea Honigsfeld delivered the interactive web-based seminar on co-teaching models as the research based initiative specifically addressing the concerns of the particular learning population. Such students are bound to find the proposed constructs, or part thereof, or a combination of certain parts useful in learning the language effectively (ESL Teaching Methods). In addition, deliverance by Dr. Rebecca Stobaugh might prove helpful in getting a clearer picture of the seven steps proffered by Dr. Dove and Dr. Honigsfeld for effective teaching and thereby meaningful learning. In introducing the concept of co-teaching, Dr. Stobaugh elucidates what it (co-teaching) is and what it is not supposed to be. Co-teaching, according to her is doing the job collaboratively- two teachers co-plan, co-instruct and co-assess. They 'do not' divide tasks among themselves where one plans and other teaches, or divide students into a group between them, or one observes the others' teaching. Also, as against traditional teaching, where the methodology is to pass information and 'instruct' in the strict sense of the word, in co-teaching, the aim is to 'engage' the students, collaboration between student-teacher and between teacher-teacher, to get better outcomes. Co-teaching would strive to see that students leave the classroom with least queries, thus, satisfied. The aim is to achieve collaboration and engagement towards better outcomes and scores for the learners (CEBS WKU).

Methods learned

The CCSS leaves it to the states to cope with challenges faced by its ELLs, specially the ESL students. The methodology applied by SIOP models help overcome these challenges for other learners as well. The students started faring better when the SIOP model was used. SIOP, thus paves the way for the students to achieve CCSS standards (PearsonSIOPModel). The standards set by CCSS can be achieved through SIOP model as the curriculum is similar and hence helps the teachers organize the learning matter in a way that can be easily grasped to achieve better scores. The SIOP proposes improved activity and learning methods in subject and content creation (PearsonSIOPModel).

New materials incorporated into teaching.

The use of interactive and engaging activities like "Quizzes and Games" that come under the "English Lessons" are helpful to test vocabulary and information regarding the national culture. Crossword puzzles help gain a command over correct synonyms and thus expand the vocabulary effectively (ESL). Similarly, the "Internet Scavenger" helps learners to make effective use of the web while helping in internet-oriented skills. All these activities are engaging, lively and are tantamount to learning English along with other subjects like culture, history, geography, foreign destinations and their national or cultural norms while improving language skills considerably (ESL).

The teachers are encouraged to make the instruction material more interesting by using media- audio as well as video, into their teaching method, that would not only make the learning captivating, but also engaging and interactive, as the students can be provided with relevant feed of queries to produce the media presentation. The aim of reading and comprehension, vocabulary expansion and language skills are addressed effectively in this manner. Post-movie discussions help improve analytical skills along with grasp of other subjects. The teachers gain by understanding the students' progress through the methods used in the class and make relevant changes and improvements, as need be.

Conclusion

Motivated teachers form the structure and means to achieve the standards required by their students in learning languages effectively. The administration can, at best, formulate the requirements. Teachers assess and alter methodologies based on research and studies to engage and evoke best responses from a classroom. ELLs need a supportive environment through coherent goals, meaningful assessment and follow-up, continued research and developmental processes and finally goal-oriented methodologies in the larger school-wide context to achieve consistently high standards. (Goldenberg & Coleman, 2010).