BSLA - Teaching Writing & ELLP Learners

 CoP 3 - Teaching Writing 

Insights

This is an Overview of Writing. Many BSLA building blocks overlap and inform the teaching of writing. So make sure you pull on this understanding for the writing.

The teaching of writing can be daunting as students look at a blank piece of paper and there is nothing. The teaching of writing takes days. It can't all be done in one. But you can do one day lesson from time to time.

3 Areas of writing are to inform, entertain and persuade. 

Persuasive - students can pick an argument; scaffold writing in a way that students can grow with what they can do independently. 

BSLA has resources available to scaffold and help plan writing. And Exemplars: you can take a plan and adjust the plan to your level.

Before, during and after are built into the example plans. Maintain writing as it is hard to get back into. 

Teaching handwriting is important if students need to improve and free up cognitive load.

The cognitive overload in writing is staggering. Peers writing can help with this. Students can write what a partner is saying and then read it back. Students need to be able to say what they are thinking before they can write.

Can you use writing as a response for reading, rather than writing as a response to reading. 

Writing tasks start with sentences, such as with a sentence starter. The boy released the fish because...

Takeaways

When using resources from the internet, check the sites before giving the students access.

It is important to have students engaged during modelling, as it can often be long and boring.

Be careful using acronyms such as FANBOYS, as too many can be confusing.

OREO - Opinion, Reason, Examples/Evidence, Opinion

CER - Claim, Evidence and Reasoning

First Sentence is a diamond

Reflection

Using graphic organisers to pull apart reading and to put together writing.

CoP 4 - Teaching ELLP Learners

Insights

Judith Anthony shared her knowledge as a teacher of ELL. 

What are their strengths?

For example, consider language, culture, knowledge and skills, spiritual, inter/intrapersonal...

ELLs have rich cultural backgrounds, offer different perspectives, and are adaptable. Using all resources available to them to understand interpersonal communication. Learning a language takes dedication.

What are their challenges?

• Misunderstanding of word meanings
• 
  Processing time: everything takes longer; translate into native tongue, think of an answer and then translate it back.
• Speech difficulties
• Limited Vocabulary
• Sentence structure, verb tense, and word order that differ from their native language
• Listening comprehension; we talk very quickly in NZ
• Understanding instructions, especially multiple at a time
• Oral and Reading often need prior knowledge especially if New Zealand based text
• Difficult forming friends and joining groups

What is Most Important

Takeways

Using multiple language in slides ot support students, build mana and show they are valued!

Reflection

Once build in to one subject it will be easier to build on from there.