April 2008 — Features
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ELL Spoken Here
Online resources and educator networks are providing teachers of English language learners with a support system they don't often get within their own school districts.
OF THE COUNTLESS TEACHERS of English language learners to whom Catherine
Collier has provided counsel and support, there is one, she says, whose story resonates the most.
Collier recalls a talk she had with an ELL classroom aide who approached her following one of her workshops. The woman explained that, until participating in Collier's class, she had believed the daily difficulties and feelings of isolation she experienced working with ELL students were uniquely her own.
"She always thought it was just her," Collier says, "that the things she was feeling and experiencing were just hers-that it was her struggle. It was absolutely jaw-dropping for her to hear that her experiences were in fact an identified pattern of adaptation. Everything that happened to her was something that happened [to others]. She was almost in tears….Now she has a safe place to talk and to share."
That safe haven is Collier's CrossCultural Developmental Education Services, based in Ferndale, WA. For two decades, the company has been providing professional development and teaching materials to ELL teachers. The face-to-face workshops, technical assessments, and college courses have been complemented the last eight years by the company's website, born out of what Collier says was a "desperation for outreach." The site offers all sorts of useful resources, including books and games, assessments, software, a parent page, and an "Ask Dr. Collier" feature.
Online educational tools such as Collier's provide an assist all teachers, but for ELL instructors, a technology-fueled support system is critical to helping them deal with pressures and emotions that their colleagues generally don't experience. As an important example, though the No Child Left Behind Act holds all teachers accountable for student performance, ELL teachers have a less favorable starting point.
Recommended Resources
- Childtopia A multi-language and multi-age world of educational entertainment. Offers a broad supply of languagelearning materials.
- Dave's ESL Café Resources for ELL teachers and students around the globe.
- ESL Flashcards Hundreds of free flash cards to make teaching English easier. Each colorful set comes in three different sizes.
- ESL-Kids Flash cards, worksheets, classroom games, and song lyrics.
- Kindersay A free, online video website designed to help preschoolers and English language learners learn English words. More than 500 online activities are available.
- TeacherTube Educational videos.Watch how carbon dioxide makes raisins float to the top of a glass, or kindergarteners describe what they would do if they were president.
For more help with ELL activities, visit these educator pages.
- Arturo Guajardo's website, blog, and wiki
- Larry Ferlazzo's blog
- Linda Rush's Del.icio.us page
- Tobey Bassoff's page at Teachers Network
One other place to try is The Internet for ESL Teachers, part of a website developed by Claire Bradin Siskin, director of the Robert Henderson Language Media Center at the University of Pittsburgh. The page includes a list of ELL organizations, links to websites, and online courses.
