Exploring Strategies for the Secondary Level in Mathematics

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Exploring Strategies for the Secondary Level in
Mathematics

• Patricia Latham and Cathie McQueeney
• September 28, 2006

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Objectives

• Content Objective Participants will become
  familiar with the Teachers Guide to Teaching
  Mathematics for English Language Learners (MELL)
  and the Sheltered Instruction teaching strategies
  for working with English language learners.
• Language Objective Participants will work in
  small cooperative groups to identify and discuss
  the Teachers Guide to Teaching Mathematics for
  English Language Learners. Participants will
  create a bank of effective strategies for English
  language learners in the mathematics content area.

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A Definition forSheltered Instruction

• A means for making grade-level academic content
  (e.g., science, social studies, math) more
  accessible for English language learners while at
  the same time promoting their English language
  development.
• Echevarria, Vogt Short, 2004

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A Definition forSheltered Instruction

• An approach that can extend the time students
  have for getting language support services while
  giving them a jump start on the content subjects
  they will need for graduation.
• The practice of highlighting key language
  features and incorporating strategies that make
  the content comprehensible to students.
• Echevarria, Vogt Short, 2004

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Building BackgroundCognitive Academic Language
Learning Approach (CALLA) by Anna Uhl Chamot and
J. Michael O'Malley

• The goals of CALLA are for students to learn
  essential academic content and language and to
  become independent and self-regulated learners
  through their increasing command over a variety
  of strategies for learning in school.

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CALLA's principal objectives are to assist
students in

• valuing their own prior knowledge and cultural
  experiences, and relating this knowledge to
  academic learning in a new language and culture
• learning the content knowledge and the language
  skills that are most important for their future
  academic success
• developing language awareness and critical
  literacy
• selecting and using appropriate learning
  strategies and study skills that will develop
  academic knowledge and processes

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CALLA's principal objectives are to assist
students in

• developing abilities to work successfully with
  others in a social context
• learning through hands-on, inquiry-based, and
  cooperative learning tasks
• increasing motivation for academic learning and
  confidence in their ability to be successful in
  school and
• evaluating their own learning and planning how to
  become more effective and independent learners.

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Specially Designed Academic Instruction In
English (SDAIE)

• The pedagogy surrounding the logic of this
  practice was based upon linguistic theories laid
  out by a number of researchers including Dr.
  Steven Krashen and Dr. James Cummins.
• At the heart of the theory are two major
  components that impact the S.D.A.I.E. classroom.
  These are comprehensible second language input
  and a supportive affective environment.

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Specially Designed Academic Instruction In
English (SDAIE)

• The goals of SDAIE
• Sheltered English is an accepted transitional
  step for students learning English as their
  second language. It allows them to move forward
  with academic courses such as mathematics and
  science while at the same time learning English
  through the contextual clues provided by the
  course of study.

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Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol
(SIOP)Echevarria, Vogt and Short

• Prior to 1996 there was no common definition of
  Sheltered Instruction nor understanding of what
  constituted an effective lesson.
• In 1996 CREDE funded a project to identify key
  practices that produced academic results.
• The SIOP 8/30 protocol was developed to support a
  professional development program.
• SIOP training was developed to support
  implementation of the SIOP 8/30 Model.

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Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol
(SIOP)8 Core Components of the SIOP Model

• Preparation
• Building Background
• Comprehensible Input
• Strategies

• Interaction
• Practice / Application
• Lesson Delivery
• Review / Assessment

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TSUS MELL

• The Texas State University System Mathematics for
  English Language Learners (TSUS MELL) project is
  a multiyear effort, begun in 2004-2005, to
  develop instructional resources designed to
  increase the effectiveness of mathematics
  instruction for ELL students in K-12 schools.
• The project is a partnership between the Texas
  State University System, its component
  universities and the Texas Education Agency.

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Project Focus Areas

• The TSUS MELL project focuses its activities in
• five areas
• Identifying and developing instructional tools
• Creating professional development
• Conducting applied classroom-based research
• Extending best practices to university-based
• pre-service (teacher training) programs
• Guiding policymakers

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Why?

• As a group, ELL students consistently score among
  the lowest of any student group on the Texas K-12
  statewide standardized assessment (TAKS).

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• Growing evidence suggests that low performance on
  standardized skills assessments by ELL students
  has little to do with innate mathematical ability
  and much to do with cultural differences in the
  way math concepts are taught in other countries
  and with linguistic (vocabulary) barriers
  commonly found among non native English speakers.

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• The rationale for the MELL project therefore, is
  simple
• Improved understanding of how to teach math to
  ELL students will result in improved student
  achievement.

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Goal of the MELL Project

• The project is keyed to identifying the
  underlying cultural and linguistic causes of poor
  mathematics performance among Texas K-12 ELL
  students and to developing practical teaching
  tools that address those root issues.

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TSUS MELL Teachers Guide

• Section 1 - Purpose and Structure of the
  Teachers Guide
• Section 2 - Understanding the ELL in Relation to
  Learning Mathematics
• Section 3 - Instructional Strategies for Learning
  Mathematics
• Section 4 - Plan for Teaching the Ten Objectives
  Covered on the Exit TAKS Test

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Other Features Available on the MELL Web Site

• http//www.tsusmell.org
• Classroom Practices Framework
• Review of the Literature
• Summary of Math Professional Development Models
• Professional Development Models and Classroom
  Practices
• TAKS Analysis Tool under development
• Urgent Professional Development Needs Survey
• Teacher's Guide to Meaningful Math ELL
  Instruction
• Quick Start Module

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ActivityFirst Turn, Last Turn

• Each group member will individually read and
  examine the strategies provided in the MELL guide
  (pages 1015) and select 23 items. Items could
  be points of agreement, points of disagreement,
  provocative statements, interesting facts, or
  curiosities. (Take 15 minutes.)
• From the reading and discussion, participants
  will create a bank of effective strategies for
  ELL students in mathematics.

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References

• The CALLA Handbook, Implementing the Cognitive
  Academic Language Learning Approach (Chapter 10 -
  CALLA Mathematics). Anna Uhl Chamot and J.
  Michael OMalley
• Teachers Guide to Teaching Mathematics for
  English Language Learners. Texas State University
  System, Mathematics for English Language Learners
  (TSUS MELL) Project.
• Making Content Comprehensible for English
  Learners The SIOP Model. Jana Echevarria, Mary
  Ellen Vogt and Deborah J. Short