Area 2 ALT Program

The SIOP Protocol (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol)

     Sheltered Instruction is an approach for teaching content to English learners in strategic ways that make the subject matter concepts comprehensible while promoting the students' English language development.  The SIOP Protocol provides concrete examples that can enhance and expand teachers' instructional practice.  The protocol is composed of thirty features grouped into eight main components.  The components and features are:

1. Lesson Preparation (*Content objectives clearly defined, displayed, and reviewed with the students; *Language objectives clearly defined, displayed, and reviewed with students; *Content concepts appropriate for age and educational background level of students; *Supplemental materials used to a high degree, making the lesson clear and meaningful; *Adaptation of content to all levels of student proficiency; *Meaningful activities that integrate lesson concepts with language practice opportunities for reading, writing, listening, and/or speaking.
2. Building Background (*Concepts explicitly linked to students' background experiences; *Links explicitly made between past learning and new concepts; *Key vocabulary emphasized.)
3. Comprehensible Input (*Speech appropriate for students' proficiency levels; *Clear explanation of academic tasks; *A variety of techniques used to make content concepts clear.
4. Strategies (*Ample opportunities provided for students to use learning strategies; *Scaffolding techniques consistently used, assisting and supporting student understanding; *A variety of questions or tasks that promote higher-order thinking skills.
5. Interaction (*Frequent opportunities for interaction and discussion between teacher/student and among students, which encourage elaborated responses about lesson concepts; *Grouping configurations support language and content objectives of the lesson; *Sufficient wait time for student responses consistently provided; *Ample opportunities for students to clarify key concepts in their native language as needed with aide, peer, or text.)
6. Practice and Application (*Hands-on materials and/or manipulatives provided for students to practice using new content knowledge; *Activities provided for students to apply content and language knowledge in the classroom; *Activities integrate all language skills.)
7. Lesson Delivery (*Content objectives clearly supported by lesson delivery; *Language objectives clearly supported by lesson delivery; *Students engaged approximately 90% to 100% of the period; *Pacing of the lesson appropriate to students' ability levels.)
8. Review and Assessment (*Comprehensive review of key vocabulary; *Comprehensive review of key content concepts; *Regular feedback provided to students on their output; *Assessment of student comprehension and learning of all lesson objectives throughout the lesson.)

ESOL

During the week of September 8-12, the teachers at Fair Oaks Elementary had the opportunity to hear Dr. Virginia Rojas speak about helping ESOL students attain language proficiency and academic achievement simultaneously.  During the presentation, she mentioned that Georgia is what is known as an "additive" state.  This means that teachers are encouraged to allow ESOL students to use their primary languages to learn in English.  Dr. Rojas said that the three major factors a teacher should have when teaching an ESOL student, are (1) empathy for the student, (2) know something about how second languages are acquired, and (3) have an extensive and responsive repertoire of learning tools to support language development and academic achievement.

Following is a list of cooperative learning strategies that might be helpful when working with ESOL students in the classroom:

• Circle-the-Sage  (Students who know, stand to become sages;  teammates each gather around a different sage to learn.  Students return to teams to compare notes.)
• Inside/Outside Circle  (Students in concentric circles rotate to face a partner to answer the teacher's questions or those of the partner.)
• Jigsaw Problem Solving  (Each teammate has part of the answer or a clue card;  teammates must put their info together to solve the team problem.)
• Lyrical Lessons  (Students write and/or sing songs based on curriculum, often to familiar tunes.)
• Mix-Freeze-Group  (Students rush to form groups of a specific size, hoping not to land in the "Lost and Found".  Those students who are not able to join a group, make one with the teacher.)
• Mix-Pair-Discuss  (Students pair with a classmate to discuss a question posed by the teacher.)
• Numbered Heads Together  (Students huddle to make sure all can respond to a question or topic given by the teacher.  A number is called and the student with that number responds.)

Learning Walks

     Learning Walks provide school administrators and teacher leaders a framework for gathering school-wide information by frequently visiting classrooms for brief periods of time with specific "look fors" regarding student learning, student work, and student engagement.  Instructional practices and strategies are examined in terms of the impact on learning in the classroom.  These learning walks last around 2-4 minutes and can provide valuable data to initiate reflection, guide instruction, and improve learning.

     To see a copy of the Learning Walk form, click on the attached link:

Download 20082009_cobb_learning_walks.pdf