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Recent Newsletter Articles
Observing Standards-in-Action: ELA Classroom Lesson
Bell-to-bell video of an ELA lesson focused on identifying a claim and evidence (52 minutes; ELA High-intermediate/low secondary ABE students). Read More
The Problem with Math is English
Molina explores the relationship between mathematical instruction and language. "The Problem with Math Is English explains how language-focused conceptual instruction leads students to a deeper understanding than traditional procedural-based teaching methods." Read More
The Best Way to Learn Math is to Learn to Fail Productively
Manu Kapur's research finds that students are more successful when teachers allow them to have a period of (teacher-planned) productive struggle with material before the teacher provides direct instruction on the math strategies. Read More
Problem Strings
Problem Strings are an instructional strategy where the teacher facilitates students working through and thinking aloud about a set of math problems (for example: 5 x 6, then 5 x 60, and so on...) as a method for students to learn from each other about math strategies. The strategy offers a way to pack significant math learning into a short time in class. Read More
For Teachers: Please Don’t Teach Exponent Rules
A teacher writes about how he approaches operations with exponents so that the students make meaning and discover the rules for operations with exponents for themselves. Read More
ELL Math
This teacher, who teaches a math class for students who speak very limited English and a variety of primary languages, writes about strategies he is using "so students with a strong mathematical background in their own country can advance while the students with a weak background can get feedback and work on the problems they need." Read More
Writing SMART Goals for English Learners
This blog post from Ellevation provides an overview of a webinar where participants learned how to transform the commonly used SMART goal-setting framework and make it directly applicable for EL educators. The full recording of the webinar is available using Adobe Connect. Read More
Writing Across Borders
Writing Across Borders is a 3-year documentary project whose purpose is to help faculty, writing assistants, and other professionals work more productively with international students in writing environments. Read More
Transforming Grammar Instruction: Moving from a Traditional Practice to a Functional Practice
Sheri Lear, and adult ESL teacher from Minneapolis, MN, outlines her approach to teaching functional grammar in this lesson plan. The plan provides teachers with an explanation of functional grammar as well as a concrete example of how it integrates grammar instruction into the overall context of the lesson. Read More
ThoughtCo: Writing Skills
This website contains articles on English writing skills for a variety of purposes, including essays, formal and informal letter writing, resumes, business documents, that include examples and instructions. The articles can be printed for use in the classroom. Read More