Starting the School Year Right for our English Learners: Part 2

  • Posted by Diane Staehr Fenner
  • On September 11, 2017
  • 0 Comments
  • English as a Second Language, English language learner
In this second part of the blog post series, “Starting the School Year Right for Our ELs”, we will focus on setting up a plan for effective communication with ELs and their families. In this blog post, we’ll share three steps you can take to foster better communication with EL families and some guiding questions […]
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Starting the School Year Right for our English Learners: Part 1

  • Posted by Diane Staehr Fenner
  • On September 5, 2017
  • 0 Comments
  • English as a Second Language, English language learner
In preparing for the school year, we teachers can easily spend countless hours setting up our classrooms with eye-catching bulletin boards and classroom organization. But how much time do we put into the unseen foundation for preparing our students–ALL of our students–for academic and personal success? What are we doing before the school year even […]
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Addressing the Digital Divide: Computer-Based Testing for ELs

  • Posted by Diane Staehr Fenner
  • On March 2, 2017
  • 0 Comments
  • assessment, Computer-Based Testing, digital divide, EL strategies, EL support, ELL, ELs, English language learner, recommendations, Test accommodations
By Sydney Snyder | March 2, 2017 It is important to consider the digital divide that may exist between  ELs and their non-EL peers and how that affects computer-based testing. While most ELs are probably familiar with smartphones, because some lack access to computers at home and at school, they may not feel as comfortable […]
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SupportEd’s Second Guiding Principle: A Supportive School Climate for ELs

  • Posted by Diane Staehr Fenner
  • On February 27, 2017
  • 0 Comments
  • Advocacy, EL strategies, EL tips, ELLs, ELs, English as a Second Language, English language learner, English language learners, supportive school climate
by Sydney Snyder | March 1, 2017 In last month’s newsletter we provided an overview of SupportEd’s Five Guiding Principles and focused on the first principle. Here we take a closer look at Principle #2: ELs learn best when they are taught in a welcoming and supportive school climate. A school culture that supports equitable […]
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Scaffolding CCSS Instruction for ELLs – New Resource Guides

  • Posted by Diane Staehr Fenner
  • On September 11, 2014
  • 0 Comments
  • CCSS, Colorin Colorado, ELL, English language learner, ESL, Professional Development, scaffolding
By Diane Staehr Fenner / Originally published on the Colorin Colorado website / September 9, 2014 In my third post of the new school year, I’ll share with you more new resources that will support ELLs with instruction aligned to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics. (You can see my first […]
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A Deeper Look at an Innovative High School CCSS Lesson for ELLs

  • Posted by Diane Staehr Fenner
  • On September 10, 2014
  • 0 Comments
  • CCSS, Colorin Colorado, Common Core, ELL, English language learner, ESL, High School
By Diane Staehr Fenner / Originally published on the Colorin Colorado website / August 26, 2014 In my last post, I shared Colorin Colorado’s new multimedia project filmed with ELLs and ESL teachers in Poughkeepsie, NY. This week, I’d like to delve a little deeper into one of the high school lessons taught by ESL teacher […]
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New Multimedia Project: ELLs and their Teachers in Poughkeepsie, NY Common Core Classrooms

  • Posted by Diane Staehr Fenner
  • On September 9, 2014
  • 0 Comments
  • academic language, CCSS, Colorin Colorado, Common Core, ELL, English language learner, ESL
Originally published on Colorin Colorado by Diane Staehr Fenner / August 13, 2014 As you prepare for a new school year, I’d like to share with you a rich multimedia project that was recently added to Colorín Colorado. The Common Core in Poughkeepsie, NY highlights authentic ways six ESL teachers worked with middle and high school ELLs to implement Common Core-aligned lessons. […]
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What’s Your “Elevator Speech” About Your Expertise with the Common Core for ELLs?

  • Posted by Diane Staehr Fenner
  • On May 29, 2014
  • 0 Comments
  • Advocacy, Colorin Colorado, Common Core, elevator speech, English as a Second Language, English language learner, ESL, Professional Development
By Diane Staehr Fenner | originally published on Colorin Colorado May 22, 2014 Throughout my conversations with educators this spring, I’ve focused on helping ESL teachers further develop their leadership skills as they solidify their role within the Common Core framework.  One strategy is for ESL teachers to get some practice at explaining these new […]
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Preparing New Teachers to Work with ELLs: An Overview of the edTPA

  • Posted by Diane Staehr Fenner
  • On May 12, 2014
  • 0 Comments
  • academic language, Common Core, edTPA, ELL, English as a Second Language, English language learner, Praxis, Professional Development
By Diane Staehr Fenner | Originally posted on Colorin Colorado May 1, 2014 recent blog post, I wrote about how ELL experts are rethinking preparation of ESL teachers in the Common Core era.  As I wrote that post, one of the topics I started thinking about was the edTPA, a relatively new assessment for pre-service teacher candidates […]
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Preparation of ESL Teachers in Common Core Era

  • Posted by Diane Staehr Fenner
  • On April 16, 2014
  • 0 Comments
  • Aida Walqui, Amanda Kibler, CCSS, edTPA, English as a Second Language, English language learner, ESL, Guadalupe Valdes, Kellogg Foundation, standards, TESOL
Originally published on the Colorin Colorado website by Diane Staehr Fenner / April 9, 2014 Happy Spring! After spending much of March providing professional development to ESL and content teachers in a few states, as well as attending the TESOL International Convention & English Language Expo in Portland, OR, I’m happy to be back in the Washington, DC […]
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