Modifying Instruction for ELs: Chunking

Have you heard of chunking?

Chunking involves instruction being intentionally paced to deliver one idea at a time or one step at a time. The term was first used in 1956 by George A. Miller at Harvard in studies on memorizing codes and musical tones.  Miller found that people could only hold - or chunk - five to nine bits of information in their short-term memories.

In order to increase memory and be able to use more than 5-9 bits of code, letters, words, etc., we "recode" or combine small chunks into larger chunks.  Other researchers have said four bits is all we can store.

There is some evidence the seven-digit phone number was introduced because of this research.  Think about it: Are those phone numbers really seven digits, or are the chunks of three and four digits, now three-three-four with area codes?

Recent research says there is no magic number, rather the ability to hold chunks in short-term memory depends on many factors, especially when it comes to language. Some of these factors include the complexity of the words, whether the person knows the words, and how long it takes for the person to speak the word.  This implies that the more knowledge of language we have, the larger the size of chunks we can hold in short-term memory.

What does this mean for ELs?

There are several studies that have shown that the more academic fluency a person has in their first language, the quicker they will be able to transfer those skills to a new language.

Even with the differing views, this research indicates that chunking is a natural process of building short- and long-term memory.  Therefore, it makes sense to use it intentionally as a tool in education to help students build understanding.

Throughout most of their day at school, ELs need to process new information and language at the same time.  They are constantly trying to match vocabulary, syntax, and register with the content they are learning.

I like this image from Empowering ELLs.com.

  

The pizza example in the graphic is great.  When eating pizza you wouldn't put the whole pizza in your mouth at once. That would be overwhelming and unmanageable.  You could choke!  Instead, we take small bites from one slice which are carefully chewed and swallowed until the portion is eaten.

Our ELs need to learn in a similar manner. If we give the student too much information at once they will become overwhelmed and are likely to "choke" or shut down. This is especially true for newcomers who become easily overwhelmed. So, we need to chunk the information, text, task, and instructions... into smaller more manageable pieces.

How do you chunk information?

Some recommendations for chunking information for ELs include:

• Provide ELs with an overview of key concepts and key vocabulary (defined and used in context).
• Add images to represent an idea.
• Provide text that is accessible to ELs and focuses on the main concepts. Break the text into smaller pieces for the students. For newcomers, make sure your chunks don't have more than one important piece of information per section. Be sure the text is comprehensible for their level of proficiency. Google Slides is a great tool to use for this. 
• Avoid giving a lengthy list of directions all at once. ELs will be much more successful at following the directions when they are chunked into smaller segments. When possible give directions both orally and in writing.  It might also help students to have a visual for the directions.  I created a desk plate for students that had common and frequently used directions accompanied by an illustration.
• Use technology to chunk information by providing ELs with opportunities to synthesize information before going on to the next concept. Some great tools for this include Padlet, Buncee, Adobe Spark, Google Draw, EdPuzzle, and Quizlet.
• At the end of a lesson, review key concepts and ask ELs to summarize the information in 1-2 sentences. Use the summary as an exit slip for the day. A great strategy for this is Somebody Wanted But So. This is also a great time to bring in oral language.  You could incorporate technology by having students complete a FlipGrid to give an oral response.
• Review the exit slips to assess for understanding and to identify areas of struggle/re-teaching needs.
• Provide ongoing formative assessments throughout the lesson to ensure ELs comprehend the material before moving on.
• Prior to introducing a new concept, review the previous material and show how it connects to the new material. Each time the material is reviewed, ELs have additional reinforcement of the material, which furthers comprehension.
• Use Academic Conversation and/or writing from questions with frames.  After the input phase, the partners discuss what they read with academic language frames and skills. They are directed to use specific language frames that build the explicit vocabulary and academic language connected to the content. Frames can be designed to help students express the content ideas and learn specific language skills, or in the best case, both at the same time.
  
  

Chunking takes time.

All this chunking will extend the time it takes to complete the lesson. Pacing is a constant and real concern. The question is, do you want your students to deeply understand key points of the lesson knowing that you might have to forfeit some details, or can you live with them missing vast pieces that went by way too fast? It takes time when you are learning both language and content.  If you go to fast, you sacrifice understanding.

The size and placement of the chunk depends on the age and language ability of the student. Studies suggest that with fluent students, you should consider their age and give no more than that many minutes of input before taking a break, capping at about 10 minutes no matter the age.  This even applies to adults.  Shorten that as needed for ELs at lower levels of acquisition and support the input with visuals and movement. This means that for a five-year-old EL student you should stop every 3 to 5 minutes to check for understanding or demonstrate the learning. For a 16-year-old high school student, you will need to stop every 8-10 minutes.

Consider the key points of content where clarification or conversation almost starts by itself.  What is the sweet spot between just enough input to talk or write about, but not so much that the key details are getting lost?  Identify the key plot points for fiction or information points for nonfiction that contribute to the main ideas of the text or lesson.  Plan a chunk break at each key point.

A teacher doesn't have to be an EL specialist to create instruction that is EL friendly. These strategies may seem like they take up valuable class time, but we're trying to go slow to go fast. The strategies really divert class time from teacher talk to student engagement.  As the ELs engage with content, they internalize it. When students internalize they are truly learning with understanding. That learning will transfer over to other content.

English Language Learners and Math

 Many teachers mistakenly believe that "math is a universal language" or that "everyone understands numbers".  When it comes to English Language Learners (ELL's), math can be very confusing. Math may be just as tricky for ELLs as science, social studies, and any other language-based subject.

Consider these points when working with ELLs in your classroom:

• A Newcomer coming to your classroom from another country may not have the same basic mathematical knowledge you expect your students to have. Just as standards and objectives vary from state to state, they can vary even more from country to country. You cannot and should not expect a student to just join in where you are.
• Some countries use different symbols to signify basic operations. Because of this, the flow of the problem may look different to them when working a problem.

          

Symbol	What it is	How it is read	How it is used	Sample expression	Some countries where this symbol is used
+	Addition sign	... plus... ... add... The total of... and...	Sum of values	3 + 5 = 8	Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia Russia, Ukraine, Poland and other countries
-	Subtraction sign Minus sign	... subtract... ... take away... The difference between... and ... Negative...	Subtraction, taking one value away from another, difference between two values	3 - 5 = -2	Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia Russia, Ukraine, Poland and other countries
x	Multiplication sign	... multiplied by... ... groups of... ... times...	Product of two values	3 x 5 = 15	Poland and other countries
.	Multiplication sign	... multiplied by... ... groups of... ... times...	Product of two values	3 . 5 = 15	Argentina and other South American countries, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia Russia, Ukraine, Poland and other countries
÷	Division sign	... divided by... What is... shared between...? How many groups of... are there in...?	Division	3 ÷ 4 = 0.75	Demark
/	Slash	... divided by... What is... shared between...? How many groups of... are there in...? ... over...	Division	3 / 4 = 0.75	Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia Russia, Ukraine, Poland and other countries
:	Colon, ratio sign	... divided by... What is... shared between...? How many groups of... are there in...? ... to...	Division Ratio	3 : 4 = 0.75 2 : 4 = 20 : 40	Norway, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia Russia, Ukraine, Poland and other countries
,	Decimal sign	... point...	Separating whole numbers from decimal points	7,3 + 3,3 = 10,6	Europe: Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia Russia, Ukraine, Poland and other countries

     

• In some countries, they use commas where we use decimals, and decimals where we use commas. For example: In the US the number three thousand would be written 3,000 and in other countries, it is written 3.000.  In the US, the number three and two tenths would be written 3.2 in other countries it is written 3,2.

What does this mean for the math teacher with ELLs in their classroom?

    One of the best tips I can give teachers is to allow every student an opportunity to speak and ask questions in every lesson. We have schedules to keep and lessons to teach, however, we have to resist calling on only those students who eagerly raise their hands. We need to try to call on as many students as possible each day and expect an answer.  Don't let students "off the hook" if they don't have an answer. Tell them you will come back to them. Call on another student and if they give the correct answer have the first student repeat it. If you end up giving the correct answer, have all students repeat it. The use of think-pair-share strategies and cooperative group activities also allows each student to talk about the topic (Coggins, et. al., 2007, p. 11).

    Check out this video on Teaching Channel: Second Set Partner: A Turn and Talk Strategy

    Treat the vocabulary used in math class in the same manner you do in ELA and other courses. According to Coggins, et al (2007) we must first activate prior knowledge about the concept behind the vocabulary, then allow students to experience the concept, and finally discuss the concept using informal language. Once they have an understanding of the concept, the formal language can be taught. Coggins also suggests that we not teach keywords or phrases in word problems. Instead, focus attention on the actions and mathematical concepts within the word problem.

    Provide problem-solving opportunities. Problem-solving is more than following one or two-step directions, it is figuring out what to do when you don't know what to do. True problem-solving requires the students to seek help from classmates in addition to thinking critically. This benefits language and mathematical learning. For students with very limited language, providing sentence frames for discussion allows them an opportunity to share their knowledge and ideas.

    Provide students with the support (scaffolding) they need without reducing the complexity of the problem or telling them exactly how to solve it. Begin by activating a student's prior knowledge on a topic and relating it to something they know in the "real world". Scaffolds include visuals, tactile and auditory aids as well as cooperative groups and pair work. For example, a student may know what a penny is but not know the word. By working with a partner, the student can discuss, ask questions and practice the language while solidifying the concept with hands-on materials (Coggins, et. al., 2007).

    Using concrete objects can help the student focus on content and vocabulary at the same time. For example, using counters or blocks to show "hundreds" gives the idea meaning through visual and tactile experience. Allowing students to draw pictures to solve a problem can be equally effective if manipulatives are not available.

Coggins, D., Carroll, M., Coates, G. (2007). English Language Learners in the Mathematics Classroom. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press.

Did you know that you can use Google Slides to create flashcards?  Did you know that there is a tool that allows you to randomize the flashcards you make?

There is and you can!

I attended a technology conference a few years ago where I was introduced to Google Slides and a few of the things you can do with it... like flashcards. Well, Julie Smith at The Techie Teacher, just shared a way to make those flashcards even better.  (If you don't follow her blog you should.)  This month she shared how to use an add-on to make your flashcards even better.  Of course, I had to try it out!

Here is a simple set of farm animal flashcards I created for my students. Below are the steps I followed to create them.

First, you will use Google Slides to create your flashcards- one card per slide.  Mine are for vocabulary practice, but you could do math facts, sight words practice... whatever you would use flashcards for.  I like to make my flashcards a bit smaller, so I click on file - page set-up and set the screen size to standard 4:3.

Now the fun stuff, if you want to be able to have your flashcards randomize each time you use them, you will need to install the Slides Randomizer Add-On.  Click HERE to get the add-on. After you have it installed, you will find it under the Add-ons menu on your slides deck as shown in the video below.

Click Randomize Presentation and then you will be asked whether you want to keep Slide 1 as a title slide- say yes if you have a title page for your set of cards. If your deck consist of just flashcards, you can click no. After clicking, your slides will automatically change order. Pretty cool right!? 

What if you want to provide feedback and supply the answer after each card?  You can do that too! You just add a text box and animation to each slide. You type your answer in the text box.  Next, click on the text box and then Insert from the menu bar and then select Animation. You will want to choose an animation that causes the text box to move into the presentation when the slide is clicked. You will also want to keep On Click selected. The text box should now appear when the user clicks on the slide in presentation mode. 

Randomizer only works on computers.  If you want to randomize the view for users on an iPad or another device, you will have to randomize the file on a computer for them.  Once you do, it will automatically update on their device.

Jeran Ott has created an example to get you started here.

Have fun and feel free to share any creations you make with me!  I'd love to see how you use this tool.

Modifying Instruction for Newcomers: Scaffolds and Supports

What is scaffolding and support?

Scaffolds and supports are strategies used by the teacher or tools that are provided to the learner. These tools and strategies enable language learners to access the content, understand input, and communicate knowledge despite a lack of language proficiency.

Doesn't scaffolding make it too easy? 
What if they don't need it?

Scaffolds are essential to newcomers! As newcomers gain proficiency, you can easily remove scaffolds and supports they no longer need and allow them to function more independently. Scaffolds can also be adjusted to support students in reaching beyond their current level of proficiency.

What is needed to access language and content will vary from student to student and is based on the student's level of proficiency. When looking at the student's proficiency levels, it is important to look at each domain rather than only the overall score. Students may need more assistance in one language domain than in another.

Scaffolds should be appropriate for proficiency levels.

For our newcomer students, we are providing very simple input with simple sentences, common phrases, and basic words and expressions. Our expectations for production should be based on learned words and phrases, small chunks of language, and basic vocabulary usage. This is what we need to be scaffolding students toward, so the strategies we use should be geared toward the level of language proficiency.

What kind of scaffolds and supports should I use?

Every student is unique and what works for one may not work for another. I have heard it said that working with ELs just requires good teaching strategies. Research shows that while the strategies that work for all students sometimes help ELs, the strategies that help ELs will benefit all students. 

Since we are a WIDA state, when introducing teachers to scaffolds and supports, I point out the three types identified by WIDA: Graphic, Sensory, and Interactive. WIDA also offers a list of possible supports divided by content area.  Again, this list is not exhaustive.

Here are some of my favorite scaffolds and supports for newcomer students, all of which are pretty easy to begin implementing:

Personal Word Walls: Personal word walls are excellent for your ELs. They can fill it with words they need and take it with them from class to class. For each new word they can include a picture and even the word in their own language. They can even use Read & Write for Google or an extension called Picto4me to created personalized visual word walls.

Word Banks: Word banks are one of the easiest tools you can include for your ELs, especially on tasks they are expected to produce language. For newcomers, perhaps on of the most difficult things is often remembering the vocabulary they need to express an idea or demonstrate knowledge. Word banks for ELs should include words they already learned and are relevant to the topic.

Classroom Word Walls: You may already have a word wall, but are you using it to its full potential? Classroom word walls can be an excellent scaffold for newcomers when used effectively. They should be visible, interactive and relevant.

Sentence Frames: Sentence frames can really help students at all levels, but they are particularly effective for newcomers who have little to no understanding of the structure of the English language. They may have the mathematical ability or the scientific knowledge to answer a question, but they don't have the language to communicate their answer. Use sentence frames to review and model sentences so that students know how to use them effectively. After a few days of using the frames in speaking and writing, you can usually remove them.

Visuals: The use of visuals is more to provide support for your newcomers as he or she is processing input. If the student can associate a word or phrase with a visual image then they are more likely to understand and acquire the word into their own language bank. You can create class picture cards using images from a Google search, insert images into a powerpoint, add images to your word wall. Picture dictionaries are also very helpful.

Technology: Technology is a great way to help your EL acquire English. I recommend no more than 30 minutes of solo computer time per day for ELs. It is really important that they participate in whole group activities and interact with peers during class time. 

• Learning Chocolate - helps students practice vocabulary using all four language domains. 
• Quizlet - Practices vocabulary with visuals and audio. 
• Read & Write for Chrome 
• Rewordify: a tool that simplifies language in a text. 

My number one guide for scaffold and support are the Go To Strategies for ELs found here.

I hope these tools help you as you modify instruction for your ELs.  Check out the next post on Comprehensible Input to learn more on how to modify instruction for your ELs.

Modifying Instruction for ELs

One of the most difficult tasks for mainstream and ELD teachers is receiving a newcomer student who doesn't speak any English at all. How do we include these students in daily learning activities? How do we ensure that their day is spent in meaningful learning activities? How do we help the student acquire English? It is possible to provide instruction that allows your newcomer to not only participate but also to learn.

What is a newcomer?

In this blog, newcomers will refer to students who have a very low level of proficiency in English.  Our state uses the WIDA screener and ACCESS test to determine proficiency on a scale of 1 to 6.  Newcomers generally enter our schools with a score of 2.0 or below, though it is possible that they have had previous English instruction and higher proficiency levels.  Every student is unique. We used to identify these students as those who were new to the country and new to English, however, many of the newcomers in our schools today are second-generation language learners born in the United States.

One of the most important first steps is determining the student's previous educational background. This can help you plan the most effective instruction possible. Upon enrollment, families are required to complete a language usage survey which answer such questions as:

• When did the student first attend school?
• How many years of schooling has the student had?
• Have there been any periods (other than holidays) when the student did not attend school?
• Is the child a refugee or suffered trauma prior to coming to the US?
• Is the student literate in their home language?
• What is the student's home language?
• Has the student ever been diagnosed with a learning disability?

Knowing these answers will help you better understand the needs of the student and where they may struggle socially and academically. In addition, Missouri requires schools to maintain records (an IAP) for every student to document demographics, proficiency levels, accommodations, and goals for every identified English language learner.

Once we understand the student's background, we can begin to look at the instructions we provide. So, if newcomers possess a proficiency below a 2.0 what does that mean? What are these students realistically able to process and produce at this level? 

In order for instruction to be appropriate for students at this level of proficiency, we need to modify the input we provide to students so that it is comprehensible, and we need to modify our expectations for student expression. As you can see, for our newcomer students that means providing very simple input with simple sentences, common phrases, and basic words and expressions. Our expectations regarding production should be based on learned words and phrases, small chunks of language, and basic vocabulary usage.

When working with newcomers I recommend keeping it simple and modifying instruction in 7 basic ways:

1. scaffolds and supports
2. comprehensible input
3. chunking
4. alternative response and assessment
5. extended time
6. modeling
7. environment

See my next post to learn more about scaffolds and supports.

Modifying Instruction for Newcomers: Comprehensible Input

What is Comprehensible Input?

Stephen Krashan introduced the concept of comprehensible input in the early 1980's. Krashen's hypothesis states that ELs learn and acquire language when they receive input (oral or written) that is only slightly about their current level (i+1). This means that the oral and written input we provide students should be mostly understandable, with only a few words or structures that are unknown or new to the students. Students will be able to understand the message and learn additional language in the process. 

At the newcomer level, comprehensible input is made up of short, simple sentences with known or learned words and phrases, with a few new words or language structures, added to get the +1 in the i+1.

The following video is an excellent example of how a teacher can take unknown information and make content comprehensible in the target language for ANY language learner.

Why is comprehensible input important?

This example demonstrates how much a newcomer might be able to understand if attention is not given to making input comprehensible. As you can see, the student is only understanding high-frequency words, some numbers, and some articles and common prepositions. Is the newcomer in this scenario able to learn the new information? Is the newcomer understanding enough to even know what they are being asked to do? At best, we can tell that it seems like some sort of math problem.

When the input a newcomer is being asked to understand is not comprehensible, they will most likely just shut down. When the student shuts down, no further learning of language or content is possible.

How do I make my input comprehensible?

There are many ways to make input comprehensible for students. Some of these include:

              Appropriate Speech

              * Moderate speed
              * Free from figurative language
              * Moderate volume
              * Use consistent vocabulary (e.g.: restroom and bathroom)

             

              Simplified Language/Text

              * Free from figurative language
              * Simple sentences
              * Highlighted text
              * First language (L1) clarification

You can also provide visuals with oral or written input. Do you know how to find images with Explore while using Google docs or slides? It is very easy. Just click Tools - Explore- type in the object you want a picture of - click Image. You should get a display of images to pick from. I like this method rather than using Insert - Image, because Explore documents the source of the image and most images are from Creative Commons. I suggest creating a folder in your Google drive of images you will use again.  It would be great to share these with fellow content area teachers. 

To make oral language comprehensible, Total Physical Response (TPR) is a great tool. For TPR you use gestures, body language or act things out for the students.

Comprehensible input is NOT 'dumbing things down'!

When you focus on comprehensibility you are simplifying the language, not the content.  It is possible to convey complex ideas in simple language, especially if you are using appropriate scaffolds and supports. 

Middle School.. Oh My

I taught at the Middle School for five years and raised five children, I am quite aware of the struggles that come with Middle School. Add to those struggles the fact that you don't speak English, or don't speak English well, and you find the struggle is real.

There are several strategies that teachers can adopt to support English language learners in the middle grades.  Valentina Gonzalez, a professional development specialist for ELs in Texas, wrote this blog post where she suggests using more visual tools and focusing on small groups.  I follow Valentina on Twitter.  As a language learner herself, she always has great ideas to share.  Her post reinforces many of the ideas I have shared in the past. There is also a link to a post by Tan Huynh. You should read this too.  Tan has many wonderful ideas and strategies for ELs.  He is a must follow on social media. Enjoy!

Promoting Language Development in the Mainstream Classroom

Another Hat

Zipping in and out of different buildings makes it challenging for me to find time to meaningfully connect with the classroom teachers of students in our English Language Development program. 

I plan to share a weekly post featuring a handful of ideas for increasing our students' opportunities to engage in reading, writing, listening, or speaking. Not all of the ideas shared in this post will be designed for your grade level or content area and some of these ideas may not be new to you. It is my hope that the suggestions will inspire you to try new approaches that will enrich your instruction and promote language development in your classroom.

Classroom teachers wear many hats: content specialist, nurse, coach, referee, nutritionist, reading teacher, counselor, cheerleader, surrogate parent, and several other roles that are too many in number to list here. Even though you're already balancing so many identities, I hope you have a little more room on your head to wear one of my favorite hats. Not only are you a teacher, but you are also an academic language acquisition specialist!

An Idea to Teach Listening

Listenwise!

Listenwise is a website that contains listening passages from podcasts and public radio stories. These passages and questions are designed for students in middle school through high school. Watch the videos below for a brief review of Listenwise and follow this link to create a free account.

An Idea to Teach Reading

Non-fiction Strategy: Rewriting an Author's Words

Cleverly written headings and titles are a great way to grab the attention of your audience. The practice of manipulating the English language for literary effect, however, leaves ELs scratching their heads (see what I did there?). Teaching students to rewrite titles, headings, and subheadings so that they truly reflect the content of the passage will increase their inferencing skills and also clarify their understanding of the text.  

• Discuss how some titles/headings/ subheadings are written very clearly to state exactly what is written in the section whereas others are written less clearly.
• Show examples of both, emphasizing how you must make inferences to make meaning from the cleverly written text.
• Provide students with an informal text that contains titles/subtitles/headings that do not explicitly state the meaning of the passage.
• Model filling in the chart. 
• Take time to discuss the nuances of English that allow the author to use the chosen terms to catch your attention.
• Allow the students to work in partners or small groups to complete the chart.

Follow this link to make a copy of the chart and use it with your own lesson!

This idea was modified from Serravallo, J. (2015). The reading strategies book: Your everything guide to developing skilled readers with 300 strategies. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

An Idea to Teach Speaking

Hippo Video

My current favorite tool for providing opportunities for our students to record themselves speaking is Flipgrid.  Flipgrid is a simple tool used by several teachers across the district.  There is an excellent tutorial on Canvas on how to use Flipgrid if you are interested in learning more.

Another tool for teaching speaking is the website and Chrome Extension Hippo Video.  There are several uses for Hippo Video from flipped lessons to screen recordings and sharing.  What the video below created by my friend Katy for a brief review of Hippo Video and follow this link to create a free account.

An Idea to Teach Writing

Old Fashioned Word Banks

For our students still developing their writing proficiencies, I cannot emphasize enough how helpful they find an old-fashioned word bank. Whether you expect your students to write one-word answers, brief phrases, complete sentences, or multiple paragraphs, the word bank provides a scaffold to support ELs and other struggling writers.

The immediate benefit of offering a word bank is that having the words on hand reduces the anxiety they harbor regarding their ability to write academic text. The long-term benefit is that by having repeated exposure to the printed term, they make stronger connections to the term when used orally and begin to use the term independently.

Word banks can be created by you, developed by the individual student, or even created collaboratively as a class. Word banks don't take a lot of time to develop but will pay out heftily in terms of providing students an opportunity to create more robust academic writing. Here is an article about working with students to create a class word bank. If you want your students to use more academic vocabulary in their writing, an easy way to achieve that is by offering word banks.

Care to Collaborate?

Are you interesting in collaborating to integrate more language development strategies into your instruction? Post a comment below.

Thank you to my friend Katy Booher for sharing her videos and ideas.

Edpuzzle

I love Edpuzzle and have presented on it at a couple of conferences.  This tool is great for getting students engaged in learning and can be used for every grade level.  For example, a high school science teacher was struggling with how to accommodate a lesson for his ELLs without losing rigor.  I helped him create a lesson an Edpuzzle which took the video he selected for all students to watch and added in stops for clarification, definition, and questions.  The students were able to listen, rewind, listen again... move at their own pace to complete the activity with understanding.

I have also used Edpuzzle in elementary school to help pace a lesson using a video.  With Edpuzzle I can plug in questions, define or clarify, and add think-alouds to selected spots as we watch the video together.  If a student was absent, they could easily watch the video on their own and have the same information that everyone else did when they return or while still at home.

Here is an example lesson I helped prepare that uses Edpuzzle (last page).

The following is an advertisement from Edpuzzle and a link to where you can sign up for your own free account.

Class Tag

Here is a tool for keeping in contact with parents.  It translates!

Reach every parent with ClassTag

Have you heard of ClassTag? I’m a big fan of this parent communication tool. I even spent time with them at their booth at ISTE a few years ago. ClassTag is a popular family communication tool with lots of special features for teachers and families.

ClassTag is totally free and includes direct messaging using both email and text messages to communicate. Teachers can set up class-wide announcements as well. So you can send a notification to everyone or a special message to just one or a few families. There is the option to share videos and photos too making it perfect for every day sharing or sharing after a field trip or assembly. Teachers can also use ClassTag for meeting signups during parent-teacher conferences.

Parent Features

ClassTag adapts to parent preferences. When you send a message, directly to a parent or to the class, they automatically receive it in the way they choose. For example, there is an automatic translation into over fifty languages. So if a parent signs up with your unique code, they will receive messages from you in their native language. Parents can also decide if they want to receive messages from teachers via email or text. ClassTag is available on any device, so families can read messages and receive updates from their go-to device like a cell phone or laptop.

Teacher Features

In addition to these special features for families, there are lots of perks for teachers too. Teachers using ClassTag can see who is the loop. That’s because ClassTag lets you know who has read a message, and who hasn’t seen a message yet. This information can help you make sure families see all of the critical information you share. Teachers will also receive notifications when a family’s contact details are in need of an update. This way you can send notes home or make a phone call to families who may be hard to reach electronically.

Click here to sign up for a ClassTag account - it's free!

January tips for family engagement

To kick off 2019, a free ClassTag account can give you opportunities to take control of everything on your calendar. In addition to the features mentioned above, I want to spotlight a few activities you can create with ClassTag to try out this month!

1. Create Events: This year, keep your upcoming events organized through ClassTag. You can create an event in ClassTag that lets every family know about the next parent curriculum night, school play, or anything else on this month's schedule.

2. Request Volunteers: Whether you're hosting a car wash or looking for parents to present on career day, ClassTag can help you manage volunteer requests. With a few clicks on your ClassTag teacher dashboard you can request volunteers for anything going on in your classroom this month.

3. Item Requests: If you have a list full of to do items and know that families in your class can help, you can create a "to do item" in ClassTag. This means you have the opportunity to ask for help from families and know who has committed to making sure things run smoothly in your classroom this month.

4. Conference Sign-Ups: Are parent-teacher conferences on your schedule this quarter? You can create a sign up schedule for families using the ClassTag platform.

In the image above, you can see how easy it is to click on the Activities tab and choose which activity you'd like to create for your class.

Another way to use ClassTag this year is for weekly summaries. At the beginning or end of each week - you choose the time - you can send out a weekly summary to families. This way you can keep everyone up-to-date and start 2019 off strong!

Click here to sign up for a ClassTag account - it's free!