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Leaving a leadership legacy
Andy Curtis EducationFor those of us in TESOL, one of Nelson Mandela’s most relevant (and most famous) quotes is: "Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world." More specifically, in relation to first and second languages, he said that: “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart."
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Bill for mandatory cameras in Texas special education classes still stuck
Bambi Majumdar EducationIn recent years there have been numerous disturbing incidents that have made both authorities and parents concerned about student safety on campus. Measures are being taken around the country to secure premises better. At the same time, there has risen a need to protect children from dangers within the campus as well, especially special needs children who cannot verbalize their trauma. Texas has paved the way for an unprecedented action — protecting differently-abled children and aiding in their development by making cameras mandatory in special education classes. The bill, S.B. 1380, easily passed in the state Senate, but has been stuck in a legislative black hole since then. And it's unclear when it will resurface.
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Compliance or engagement: When are students truly engaged in class?
Erick Herrmann EducationConsider a time that you felt you were extremely engaged in the task at hand. Were all of your thoughts, attention and actions focused on the task at hand? Did your thoughts or attention wander at any time? Did upcoming tasks, events or past events from the day pop into your mind at some point? Did you still consider yourself engaged in the task, or did you feel that those moment took you off-task? In the classroom, the importance of student engagement is paramount. If students are not engaged in the tasks at hand, they are not likely learning what we are teaching and what we expect them to learn and be able to do.
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Uses for GIS mapping technology in fields of ESL
Beth Crumpler EducationGeographic information system (GIS) mapping technology is not the same as GPS mapping. GIS relies on computerized hardware and software to add data to maps, while GPS is a location device that relies on satellites. GIS helps answer information about the world around you. The Geographic Information Systems Collaboratory at DePaul University and the Chicago Federation of Labor Workers Assistance Committee have created an example of using GIS to for data analysis purposes in the field of ESL.
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Project-based learning: Working together for deeper understanding
Bambi Majumdar EducationThere are two important aspects to project-based learning (PBL), going to the core of every subject to gain deeper insights and learning by doing instead of a one-way instructional pattern. Though PBL is by no means a new concept, it has gained major momentum in recent times. Educators across the country are focused on harnessing the various tools and technologies available to make learning more interesting and informative and to engage students deeper.
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Leadership lessons from the language classroom
Andy Curtis EducationAlthough workplace bullying used to be thought of mainly in terms of bosses bullying employees, or bullying between employees, it is now becoming clear that some staff bully not only their colleagues but also their bosses. I want to focus on the more general disruptive behaviors of some staff in some language teaching organizations that make life difficult for everyone, especially those in leadership and management roles.
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MAP assessments: The new way to gauge potential
Bambi Majumdar EducationMeasures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessments are fairly recent entrants to the wide world of standardized achievement tests but have quickly become the norm due to their deceptively simple yet effective ways to gauge student performance and inherent abilities.
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Music and performance: Methods for language learning and retention
Beth Crumpler EducationMusic instruction greatly improves student working memory by minimizing the variables that impair it. It has been documented and proven that music students do better on IQ tests. This is not due to their superior intelligence, but rather a result of their music training. Many variables affect the working memory of ESL students, and music is a gateway that ESL teachers can use to decrease these imparities for English learning.
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Scaffolding: Helping all students reach academic excellence
Erick Herrmann EducationEducation can be seen as the act of helping students learn new content, concepts and skills over time by teaching the steps necessary to master the skills being taught. Teachers need to provide scaffolding for students to reach each skill or concept and achieve at higher levels.
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LEP student learning struggles: Language or disability assessment
Beth Crumpler EducationLimited English proficient (LEP) students struggle with academic and content-area concepts. When these students have lower proficiency levels and show little to no increase in their English academic abilities, it sets off a red flag to content-area teachers. LEP student struggles within the content area could be a result of not having developed academic English yet, or could be a result of an unidentified disability.
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