Teaching in the RCSD has opened my eyes to so many new things. One of the things that I was unaware of coming out of college was the shear number of English Language Learners I would encounter on a regular basis. As a part of the testing committee for my school, I have to be aware of their testing needs so their accomodations are met, and as an educator, I need a lot of tools in my pocket to be effective for them.
Automatic Captions on Google Slides - I had no idea that Google Slides could do closed captioning during a presentation! Not only will this be an amazing tool for students who are hard of hearing (for medical reasons, I can't use the audio equipment/microphone/etc) but would be awesome for ELL students. While they can hear the words I'm speaking, the ability to read along with is great. Math is a confusing subject to read, so if the combination of spoken word and reading is available, it would help improve all students abilities in math! I can't wait to try this!
7 Technology Tools for Newcomer ELLs - I have so many new tools to learn about and discover! After the hurricane a few years ago devastated Puerto Rico, my school took on a large population of students. I can only imagine their fear and anxiety coming to a new place and not knowing the language much less trying to attend school in this new language. I am definitely going to explore more about Learning Chocolate, Picto4me, and Seesaw. I think using a combination of these resources will help me in my math classroom with a litte modification and development.
Edshelf - Just like with the above referenced sites, I need to start exploring these! I honestly have never heard of Edshelf before, so I have a lot that I will need to expose myself to.
I feel like I barely have the tip of my toes in the water with this topic. This school year, I have very few ELLs in my classes (most have acheived proficiency as well), so I have not dedicated too much time to exposing myself to a lot of resources for them, but this has given me more tools to figure out, more tools to use and hopefully create a better learning experience for my students!
It's so hard to fathom what our ELL students go through. Especially those who have come to us through some sort of disaster or trauma. So glad to hear that you can see ways to help them in your classroom. Such a challenge for educators to meet their needs.
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