Peer Review

3 Steps to Implementing Peer Review for English Language Learners

Recently, I began to examine how I facilitated writing instruction with students, particularly English Language Learners. Since writing is an avenue of learning in my classroom, I realized that it was necessary for me to be more intentional about teaching students who are learning the English language to write effectively. They have the ability to make consistent progress, even if there is noticeable ineptitude in this area initially. If my expectation was for students to write in a way that demonstrates their content knowledge, I needed to give them the tools to do so suc

Project Based Learning

Project Based Learning and Vocabulary

As I continue to unpack the fundamentals of Project-Based Learning, I have begun to realize the very important role that vocabulary plays in this process.   Without content vocabulary knowledge, it is likely that students will have difficulty doing their very best on a project. Placing an emphasis on vocabulary can be beneficial for students because it reinforces the meanings of terms that they will need to understand as they work to complete a rigorous project. In the past, I made the mistake of assuming that I had done a good job of teaching the material and

Project Based Learning

Helpful Linguistic and Cultural Accommodations for Project-Based Learning

I have learned a great deal about Project-Based Learning and how it can be beneficial for students. Throughout my journey of learning more about it, I have often paused to consider how to make learning this way accessible for my students who are language learners. I realized that they need support much longer than we sometimes think, and linguistic and cultural accommodations are two ways to ensure that the content is comprehensible and relatable. These accommodations can provide ELLs with necessary support as they navigate learning information that is sometimes very u