TELL Part 2: Post 1-Supporting ELL

The first post about the course content:

Think about the support you have given to an ELL/ELLs or other students in the classroom. What support did/do you provide? How has the information from the Ministry resources supported you or will support you? How does the information in the resources align with your board/school initiatives currently?

You may choose to look up a School Board to determine what supports they have in place for ELLs and compare it to the Ministry documents listed above.

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School Board chosen "Niagara Catholic District School Board"

https://international.niagaracatholic.ca/programs/

"Programs

Niagara Catholic’s International Programs are designed to fully immerse students in the English language and Canadian culture.

Students may participate in a variety of programs, which vary in length from a few weeks to several months. In all programs, students can expect to participate in English language classes and a number of exciting activities while living with a Canadian family.

Integration Programs (Short-term)

• Designed to offer intensive English as a Second Language learning
• Offered at different times throughout the year
• Designed for students aged 10 to 16
• Programs for older students are also available.

English Summer Camp

• Three or four-week stay options
• Open to high school students from around the world
• Offers intensive English language instruction through classroom and day-to-day experiences
•  Provides students with social and physical activities and Canadian cultural experiences
• Participants benefit from living and studying with students from around the world

Academic Visa Program

Niagara Catholic offers full-year programs for elementary and secondary students who wish to take part in longer stays in Canada. A one-semester program, beginning in either September or February, is also available.

The benefits of the Academic Visa Program include:

• Greater opportunity to become immersed in the English language and Canadian culture
• Increased travel opportunities
• The chance to fully bond with a Canadian family"

https://www.niagaracatholic.ca/special-education/assistive-technology/

Assistive Technology

Niagara Catholic continuously strives to improve access to technology for all students in elementary and secondary schools.

School Connect, is a network management system used by elementary schools in Niagara Catholic that allows software availability and access for all users. All elementary schools have network accessibility to all Ministry of Education and Board purchased network licenses.

At the secondary level, assistive technology is available in all special education classes, and resource rooms. In addition, one Computer on Wheels (COWs) mobile computer lab, has been purchased for each high school. This mobile lab consists of one cart and 8 laptops. All assistive technology listed is available on the COWs.

The following is a list of assistive technology available to students to support their learning and their ability to access curriculum.

What is the difference between OSAPAC and OESS?

• OSAPAC is the committee that advises the Ministry on software titles to negotiate for provincial licensing.
• OESS (Ontario Educational Software Service) is the distribution mechanism whereby the software is sent to School Boards, Faculties of Education and Native Band Schools.

Clicker 5 (OESS)

• Clicker 5 is more advanced than Clicker 4, taking advantage of the latest technologies, yet it’s even easier to use.
• There is a huge range of free, ready-made materials on the Crick Software Learning Grids website.
• Writing support and multimedia tool that enables children to write with whole words, phrases or pictures
• Comes with a large picture library with 1,000 educationally related images.
• Subjects: Cross Curricular, English/Language Arts and Special Education
• Grades: 1-8

Co-Writer Solo (OESS) A tool that is a word prediction software.

• Provides writing and typing support, which helps students focus on conveying ideas.
• From the first letters a student types, Co-Writer generates possibilities for the word.
• For struggling writers – FLEX SPELL allows students to use phonetic spelling – predicts words consistent with the sounds of the letters.
• Correct spellings are predicted and reinforced as students see, hear and use the words.
• Speaks predicted words and completed sentences.
• Grammar support fosters better sentences and includes dozens of topic dictionaries – ranging in size from 150 to 2200 words.
• Teachers can also create new individualized Topic Dictionaries.
• Subjects: Cross Curricular, English/Language Arts and Special Education
• Grades: 1-8
• Co:Writer website

Write: Outloud (OESS)

• Write: Outloud\Write: Outloud Solo is the easy-to-use word processor that gives immediate speech feedback as students type words, sentences and paragraphs.
• As students draft their assignment, they see and hear if their writing makes sense and if it is what they wanted to say.
• Students can listen for proper word usage, tense inflections, omitted words and misspellings.
• Subjects: Cross Curricular, English/Language Arts and Special Education
• Grades: 1-8
• Write:Outloud website

Smart Ideas 5.0: (OESS) A tool that gives students the power to brainstorm, think visually and turn complex ideas into colorful concept maps quickly and easily.

• SMART Ideas concept-mapping software enables teachers and students to create multilevel concept maps using colourful symbols, arrows and clip art to reinforce concepts from all subjects.
• An unlimited number of levels can be added to any symbol in the map, along with links to video files, audio clips, documents, photos, presentations and websites.
• Subjects: Environmental Studies, French/Language Arts, French, Geography, History, Mathematics, Social Studies, Special Education and Visual Arts
• Grades: K-12
• SMART Tech website

Kurzweil 3000 (Version 10.04: Network) A tool that is text reader software.

• Technology that is used by people with a learning disability – reading difficulties, ADHD etc.
• May be used by individuals of all ages.
• Provides the tools needed to improve reading speed and comprehension.
• Helps students learn and study independently.
• Allows students to type or record answers directly on text that is scanned.
• Can also be used to complete tests, including the Grade 10 Literacy Test and EQAO
• A Board purchased license.
• Currently, all elementary schools have 1 black and white scan and read version.
• Larger schools have an additional ‘Read Only’ version.
• All secondary schools have 1 black and white scan and read version plus an additional 4 ‘Read Only’ versions.
• View DEMO – www.kurzweiledu.com

Dragon Naturally Speaking (OESS) –  not available on school connect

• A tool that turns speech into text.
• Users can dictate into virtually any windows-based application.
• Training is needed to create voice files.
• The standard version is now Ministry licensed for all schools.
• www.scansoft.com/naturallyspeaking

Discrete Trial Analysis DT Trainer (individual license in each secondary Special Education class) A tool that is beneficial for learners that have the following characteristics:

• Developmentally between the ages 2-9 years
• Easily distracted or overloaded
• Not self directed or motivated
• Have difficulty following directions
• Require moderate to substantial repetition
  • Designed for independent use.
  • Accommodates the needs of the individual user and the preferences of the teacher.
  • Collects data and provides reports.
  • Contains a broad range of content programs – over 125 areas, covering skills like matching, identification, counting, classification, phonics, sequencing, math, word recognition, ‘wh’ questions, time, money, and word analysis.
  • Includes interactive reinforcers that reward and motivate the student.
  • Breaks learning into small steps.
  • Board purchased software
  • Currently there is 1 standard bundle for each high school and targeted for use in the Learning Strategies classes.
  • View DEMO – www.dttrainer.com/trainingvideos.html

Addition to Next School Connect Image
Accessibility Suite – Premier Assistive

• PDF Equalizer
• Universal Reader Plus
• Premier Predictor Pro
• Scan and Read Pro
• Talking Calculator Text-to-Audio
• Talking Word Processor
• PDF Magic Pro
• E-Text Reader

This will allow us to use it for Literacy, ESL, ELL, Low Vision and Tools for Blind

Writing with Symbols (individual licenses purchased for each school) A tool that is a word processor that automatically illustrates the words as you type. Writing with Symbols provides support to written language, helping writers see the meaning of words.
It can help to explain the differences between

• words that look the same (saw saw, spell spell)
• words that sound the same (hair hare, pear pair)
• as well as giving language support (drink drink, run ran, loud loudest)
• It can also help many other aspects of language development where images can assist understanding.
• Board-purchased software

Kidspiration/Inspiration – no longer on the image (individual licenses purchased for each elementary and secondary school) A tool that helps organize and plan for the writing process.

• Kidspiration for students K-3.
• Inspiration for students grade 4 through to adult.
• Depending on the student there may be overlap in the junior grades.
• May be used by individuals of all ages and abilities.
• Board purchased software
• Currently all elementary schools have 5 copies of Kidspiration and 5 copies of Inspiration.
• In K-3 schools, there are 10 copies of Kidspiration.
• All secondary schools have 5 copies of Inspiration. www.strategictransitions.com

http://www.mywayto.ca/literacy.html

http://www.mywayto.ca/english-as-a-second-language.html

pg.40 "The Individual Education Plan (IEP): A Resource Guide"

"Regulation 181/98, subsection
6(4), requires that, where
the pupil is 14 years of age or
older, the individual education
plan must also include a plan
for transition to appropriate
postsecondary school activities,
such as work, further education,
and community living. Subsection
6(5) states that subsection
6(4) does not apply in respect
of a pupil identified as exceptional
solely on the basis of

giftedness."

For myself, I have large classrooms full of ELL learners because I am teaching in an offshore school. The need for accommodation is abundant, so much so that it is sometimes just seemed as normal that the students will struggle. The support I provide is usually differentiated learning assessments as well as use of assistive technologies. Our school has an IEP program, however it is difficult to keep track of the students because the parents are in other cities (boarding school), the counselors are looking after about 100 students each at a time, and we normally as teachers normally have at least 30 students who we are continuously overseeing as identified students. 

Personally, I provide whatever I can to help my students, usually beginning with a tutorial in which we look at the work, correct it-I check for understanding and then observe how the student continues forward. Our school supports students through the identification process, but because of the size of the school, some students who are unsuccessful in our school are just seen as students who won't make it in this system and need to reroute their graduation into a Chinese university instead of getting established to apply with a Canadian or American one. 

This document supports me because I know, when I need resources or accommodations for my students, there is a place for me to receive evidence and support that the OCT is backing. Budget is our enemy right now (especially with the bad blood in the trade relations between Canada and China).

Nonetheless, the school I am observing is Niagara Catholic District School Board (Home). As a student there I had a few friends in the ESL program, and the reality was those folk grew up great, well and fine (the ones who were considered ELL). Niagara was on the cusp of the development for a proper ELL program when I was in High School, it must have been the 10th grade for me when I finally knew and saw the international students in class. I am sure there were other instances of integration and accommodation, however, I remember when my friends were started be put in my classes and how excited I was to see them in class. But upon research the Niagara Catholic District School Board offers everything from "Literacy Coaching/Assistance" to Spec Ed Assistive Technologies for students and school communities.