Designers of Learning

PLC Name: Language Learners

PLC Members: 

Diana, Mike

PLC Focus and Essential Question:  

Principle 1: Teachers are Designers of Learning

Problem: We are working with English Language Learners as well as students that are significantly below grade level in reading and writing (4 grades below). 

Question: How do infuse an inquiry-based model and still “Focus on the Hard Parts” to maximize student achievement? 

Goals & Strategic Plan

Overarching Long Term Goal

To achieve level four on the Effective Teacher Practices Rubric under the category “Teachers Are Designers of Learning”.

Goal & Descriptor of Success

Long Term Goal Diana: To have students create a conversational board game to help the next generation of English Language Learners within our school community. Students will also create a restaurant scenario where they will listen and respond verbally to orders.

Short Term Goal Diana: To create opportunities for T and R to experiment with conversational English. 

Professional Development:

-Review and understand the Listening and Speaking Proficiency benchmarks. 

-discuss how to break the project into smaller pieces (making it manageable). 

-found: menus, made cards, etc. 

Sources for PD:

-We will get information from the ESL Proficiency Benchmark tracking sheets.

-Refer to the Effective Teaching Practices Rubric. 

Support Needed:

-Consultation with teachers around time, lending students for the role-playing day, etc. 

-Consider optimal environments

-Ask teachers to observe if their conversation in class is increasing. 

Data Collection:

-Voice recordings and video recordings will be needed to gauge progress and to decide next steps. 

-Anecdotal notes about the amount of conversation taking place (need to maximize speaking). 

-Notes from teachers about conversation in class. 

Action Plan

PLC Actions (include whom and by when?)

Initial Tasks: 

-develop a sample game for students to use as conversational starters. 

-find appropriate menus

-chat with teachers about students’ conversational levels during class time. 

-create a tracking sheet (super easy-peasy). 

-use conversation starters with students and bring feedback. 

-get feedback from students about game modifications (game board? What would it look like?). 

Timeline:

- 2-4 lessons using the pre-created conversation starters. Bring back to PLC, made modifications. 

• 4-6 lessons students bring cameras home and photograph their food (for a week or so). 
• Students go through samples of menus. 
• Students write descriptors for their menu. 
• 6-8 Students create a menu. 
• 8-10 Students practice being waiters in their restaurant. 
• 11-12 Students bring in friends at recess and serve them. 
• 12-14 Develop a conversational board game of some kind.