TELL Assignment #1: SMORE Newsletter On Advocating for ELL

Provide a reflective write up using Smore (https://www.smore.com/) based on the module. How can you use the essential strategies and ideas to allow you to make changes, implement news ideas, be supportive and be an advocate for ELLs, parents, staff and administrators? How have you grown from this module as an educator? Where and what you do plan to do now? What is meaningful to you from this module?

As an advocate for ELL students, I am trying my best everyday to make sure that I have made the materials as accessible to students as possible, if a student doesn't understand, it is because I didn't give them the time I needed to. My students will always understand. Although the understanding of quality is sometimes "lost in translation" (apparently), the idea is still getting across and the is quite authentic for what I am looking for.

For parents, I would like to be an advocate by using things like Edmodo or "guardian signatures" in which students need to collect the signatures of their parents/guardians based on when they finish the work. In using Edmodo, parents are able to join to see what their students are doing as well as contact the teacher directly. Our school  has students, parents and teachers on Pearson's "Power School/Power Teacher" APP, however there is no direct communication between the parties.

If I could do something to bring the parents closer to the school community, I would be asking (as an administrator) that departments are running events once a month (one month for each department roughly) in which the departments are showcasing their students based on merits that are being acknowledged that month and then have parents invited. It is quite doable because our Drama department has about two months of the year taken care of. The Science fair would be a month. The food and nutrition classes could easily take a month. We have an "English Ambassador" student committee that could also use a month of time easily. This is not even yet mentioning the copious amounts of sports played throughout the year.

This module was actually difficult, these topics are not really things I ever stop considering-these are my daily concerns and some of which are issues I don't ever think I will be able to resolve in the my daily work, let alone the world. But if I were to chose a place to start, this module has made me believe that a Documentary project I have constructed and been tweaking since, would be an excellent place to start. Offering the school community to come together and enjoy student created documentaries, I think this might also be a note worthy time to have parents come visit the school and see their Grade 12 children (students) excel in one or all aspects of the English language.

Post 4: Communities

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/may04/vol61/num08/Partnering-with-Families-and-Communities.aspx

This is a great resource on the importance of including the family communities of a school to enrich learning and positive associations with learning for students.

Think about your own school, or a school you are familiar with. What are the occasions or events at your school that promote the school culture, programs, students and parental involvement? How successful have these been? What would you like to implement? What are some next steps for the school and how would you ensure that you affect positive change? How does the Ontario’s Equity and Inclusive Education Strategy play a role in the school culture? What does equity and diversity look like?

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In a previous role, I was employed as a Vice-Principal at an international school is a boarding school. Parents are encouraged to visit the school whenever possible but they rarely do so. Parents are generally visiting the school for a few more crucial events, but not nearly as many as they would be had the school been located in Canada. Parents of students in our international school at some points are also playing less of a role as a parent and more of a benefactor in my opinion, under the stipulation that the parents expect, (observed through various conversations with parents) to be immigrating overseas with their child as a “supervisor” or “caregiver” while the student is enrolled overseas. The grandparents (as practiced in Chinese Culture) are more apparent as guardians (driving students to school, telling their grandchildren to do their homework, etc.).

In our school, to get parents involved, its difficult to say the least. The main aspect in which parents make an effort to visit is the student's future (University Fair Day). In this particular case, yes parents come from all over the country as many students are boarding from out of region/province.

As a school, I think our school especially could benefit from having the parents on a committee (School Community Council) to be representatives for students and the parental community in general. Students are left to figure out their coping mechanisms for themselves in a school of almost 3000 students. Teachers are there for their students, in more manners than what many educators expect to be, but with classrooms brimming near 30 students a class, its tough. Classes and projects in general could benefit from parent feedback in my opinion. Being an administrator, I would expect that I could provide a greater expectation of parental feedback from each class. Having parents work on something with a student to any level.

Our school does make points of periodically updating and contacting the parents in the minimal degrees expected (situations like emergencies to basic term/quarterly reporting). Diversity at our international school is not quite as visible as much as it is documented through data. Because of the number of students who are local or holding a foreign passport, but desire to travel abroad for post-secondary education, we see a very homogeneous student population. From year to year though, there are unexpected anomalies in the diversity, wherein we have slightly higher numbers of students from countries other than China, being Thailand and Indonesia for example. All of our students though, do come from affluent homes, in regards to diversity and equity, the biggest concerns come to denominational holidays/celebrations as well as gender. As an administrator, I would like to see myself in a more confident mentality to talk the bigger conversation of “International Representation”, however much the school deems itself an International School, the expectation of the government is that the school follows the expectations set out by its own educational policies that emphasize a homogeneous calendar and culture as this particular school has a more flexible enrollment to students who may not be foreign passport holders but can provide evidence of family affairs/relations overseas.

(Updated: May 12, 2026)

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Our international school is a boarding school. Parents are encouraged to visit the school whenever possible but they rarely do so. Parents are generally visiting the school for a few events, but not nearly as many as they would be had the school been located in Canada. Parents of students in our international school at some points are also playing less of a role as a parent and more of a benefactor in my opinion. The grandparents (as practiced in Chinese Culture) are more apparent as guardians (driving students to school, telling their grandchildren to do their homework, etc.).

In our school, to get parents involved, its difficult to say the least. The main aspect in which parents make an effort to visit is the student's future (University Fair Day). In this particular case, yes parents come from all over-I guess they also do arrive for the course selection fair as well.

As a school, I think our school especially could benefit from having the parents on a committee to be representatives for students and the parental community in general. Students are seriously left to fend for themselves in a school of almost 3000. Teachers are there for their students, but with classrooms brimming near 30 students a class, its tough. Classes and projects in general could benefit from parent feedback in my opinion. Having parents work on something with a student is a part of growing up that most of these students will never know the way we know from North American Culture.

Our school does make points of periodically updating and contacting the parents though in situations from emergencies to basic reporting. Equity and diversity at our international school is not quite as high percentage wise because of the number of students, but we have quite a bit of students from countries other than China. all of our students come from affluent homes, in regards to diversity and equity the biggest concerns come to denominational holidays/celebrations as well as gender.

Due to an incident long, long ago (apparently-as rumour has it), a female student became pregnant while our main campus location was still a co-ed school. This was basically-such a big deal that it resulted in the ever more separation between campuses (girls and boys). Yes, extreme. Nonetheless, it now stands that the boys (who are on the original campus, and in facilities that are being restored) are struggling with the system course material (our campus is the only gender segregated campus). What can teachers do to meet the needs of boys who are disadvantaged by physical structures and mental blocks?

Our staff has long since learned to adapt/differentiate materials for the boys and girls campus as needed. The school has began the reconstruction of buildings on the boys campus. Both campuses are now being noticed as equally important whereas in the past, the nicer campus (girl's) was the flagship school and the one that people basically recognized as "The School.

Girl's campus may have been nicer, but the Boy's campus is the campus that offered the focus on extra curricular sports and activities. The last two years has been eye opening for the Chinese counter parts at our school who begin to take note that "Girls like to play sports too." The P.E. department at our school over the last few years has done really well at bringing teachers together to help coordinate the activities for the Girls' and Boys' campuses. Co-ed activities are still works in progress.

Safe zones for students who identify as LGBTQ and allies are being established (last I heard), this is something that is a sore spot in Chinese culture. As it was not seen as acceptable if one were anything other than heterosexual (as a development over the last 40 or so years), it is beginning to become more acceptable. The school had said that it would be risky to allow an "LGBTQ Alliance Center" to be established in our school facility. As shocking as this is to North Americans (among other cultures), its not our place to comment.

Teaching English Language Learners Post 3: Parental Volunteers

What is the purpose of having volunteers in the school community and how can you incorporate volunteers effectively in the classroom environment? 

Volunteers in general are important to a school community for a number of reasons, they provide services that are capable of giving teachers and other staff support in areas that might be in need of such support based on the size of the school and staff. Support could be chaperoning support on field trips, in school dances, at lunch time and recess even possibly.

Students benefit from having volunteers in the school community because sometimes there is a person who is permitted to volunteer that has a community connection to students making them a person they can trust and go to if there is something they need. Students are able to do more with volunteers than without. Volunteers do not only provide the extra supervision needed to take students on field trips and what not, but they also provide forms of education that teachers may not provide or be able to deliver in the same way as say, a police officer.

Volunteers are the connection between the school and the extended community. Volunteers are made up of PTA members, community leaders as well as young professionals who will soon be teachers or other contributing members of society themselves. Effective incorporation of volunteers would look like taking on a teacher candidate and having them observe as well as teach. In the time that they are teaching, the mentor could be taking notes and try to take some notes from them. Veteran staff won't usually acknowledge that there are younger staff members who are interested in such things, but there are young teachers or candidates even who volunteer their time and provide examples of skills that veteran teachers could benefit from practicing themselves.

When I was a youngster, V.I.P. (Values Influences and Peers) was a great program that also incorporated police volunteers to come into schools and provide important talks about the different crimes, drugs and laws that we as youngsters needed to begin familiarizing ourselves with.

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.

Post 2: Collaborative Inquiry

Discuss how you and your staff, have or may have engaged in collaboration. What were some of the positive attributes? How did it strengthen relationships? How did it build on school success? How does/did the collaboration support the Ministry’s polices to support ELLs? Think about the Collaborative Inquiry. How does it play an important role within the school community?

My teaching experience at schools in China has required an enormous amount of collaboration. Painful amounts of it actually. For the positive aspects of the collaboration, we are not only working within our departments but as a faculty to better acquire and produce methods of teaching to ELL learning needs.

As a whole department, it is important that our collaboration is not mistaken for cookie cutting methods of teaching when discussing alignment and preparation, I feel. It also feels as though the department expects to be run in a uniform model though with complete alignment. 

We are engaging in collaborative inquiry through our development of system wide course/department materials as well. 

I was the department head of the English Department of both schools I worked at as well as a Career life Education Department Head, and was asked to participate in the collaboration of rubric development across the board for English classes. The process was long and daunting, but allowed for me to bring light to some ideas that I thought were important to mention. There were also opportunities for others to add and subtract what they thought was important to keep in the rubric. 

The collaboration supports the ministry's policies in equitable teaching. Allowing all students an equitable opportunity of success through feedback (among other things). Having a system that cycles through teachers rampantly (high turnover rate) means many things, but in this particular context, there are varying levels of teachers with varying resources throughout the system. Thus more experienced teachers who are providing challenging yet successful assessments and learning opportunities are being asked why their students are working harder than those on another campus. Therefore, in maintaining this collabooration, students are not being passed through the course or being too challenged, a healthy mix is provided.

This is a strengthening experience for a staff when people are open minded and collaborating. I have seen CI's go sour before-its unfortunate an awkward, but it happens if you have a tyrant at the head of the table. With that being said though, Our current initiative to support ELL is a home room reading program, it is relatively successful but we are still collecting data to highlight shortcomings and successes through the pilot program.

One recent success we have had (maybe the most successful yet) was through the collaboration between the middle school teachers and the High School teachers during a High School Entrance Exam moderation marking session/cross grading. The entrance exam to the provincial program was being marked and teachers were able to suggest that if students are "given a shot" or "chance to get into the next level", that its maybe doing them wrong.

We do a lot of cross grading within our department which keeps teachers on point and fair between students who need ELL accommodations and others who are enrolled in the full English Grade classes. This has led to strong consistency between teachers and subjects for the last few years, now that I am moving on though, I believe the process will strengthen with the development of new ideas and procedures in maintaining consistency between English Subjects and Educators.

Currently Working on AQ

I am currently working an AQ for TELL Pt.2 through Lakehead University. I was actually hoping to hve taken this course last semester, however I was able to get it in second semester and take advantage of the spare time to collect an AQ for Teaching Grade 7-8 Math. I am indeed quite proud of myself but I must add that Lakehead is a challenging and very engaging set of AQ's to follow up with. The professors are excellent, adept and very flexible but expect to see quality for their understanding in my experience-I got nothing wrong with that because I am always trying to improve.

I am working on this AQ in hopes that I will soon be qualified to get my specialization in TELL. Once I have that, I will be working towards my FSL. I am very excited as this has been my goal for the last five years. I currently have a couple odd end ABQ's and AQ's, but am banking on coupling my Reading Specialization with a specialization in TELL to qualify me for a principal qualification in the future. Whether I use it or not...that is a different story.

Nonetheless, the next (probably 50) posts will be in regards to my responses and experiences while studying in the course.

Wish me luck!

Carm

ESL Teaching Pt. 2 Resource Guide

http://www.everythingesl.net/inservices/bilingualparents.php

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/may04/vol61/num08/Partnering-with-Families-and-Communities.aspx

https://www2.palomar.edu/users/lchen/


The following sites are resources recommended and helpful links for teachers who are bettering practice in TELL (I have been taking this course through Lakehead University as an AQ for a part 2 in my field of expertise).

Through the time spent studying, I'll be providing some background information on each site so that viewers are not just stuck click on links over and over.

All the best, stay tuned for updates on the resources!

https://www.fcd-us.org/challenging-common-myths-about-young-english-language-learners/

https://www.fcd-us.org/challenging-common-myths-about-young-english-language-learners/

http://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/digital-storytelling-for-cognitive-processing-in-ells/education

http://edugains.ca/newsite/ell/step/english_second_language.html

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/secondary/subjects.html

http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/studentVoice/student_inquirers/speakup_in_a_box.html

http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/104error.html

http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/studentVoice/student_inquirers/students_as_researchers.html

http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/ell/supportingenglishlanguagelearners.html

http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/21stCenturyLearning/innovations_video.html

http://resources.curriculum.org/secretariat/november29.shtml

http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/ell/supportingenglishlanguagelearners.html

https://vimeo.com/91672311

http://thelearningexchange.ca/projects/culturally-responsive/

https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/05a11#BK0