The Second Grade Classroom Science video shows how two teachers carefully implement the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) model of teaching. This strategy is a specific method used to instruct English learners. I talked about it a bit in an earlier post (Having a Plan: SDAIE), but I very much enjoyed watching two veteran teachers actually putting it into action. What stood out most for me was just how much careful planning must be used when using this teaching protocol. Eight specific areas must be addressed: lesson preparation, building background, comprehensible input, strategies, interaction, practice and application, lesson delivery and review and assessment. It is a time-consuming process and teachers are, if anything, always short on time. Still, I am someone who likes to have a plan, and I will definitely be mindful of all of these steps that should be used when instructing English learners. Lesson planning takes enormous effort, and since
The information to be considered regarding special education in regards to English learners is massive. Indeed, special education is a complex, multi-faceted topic for any learner. It is not an easy task to talk about it in a short blog post. So, I am going to focus my discussion on the possible overrepresentation of English learners in disability programs. Our text points out that in the 1970s the United States faced many lawsuits stemming from the lack of safeguards and invalid testing of English language learners that unfairly placed them in special education programs. Fortunately, these lawsuits caused our country to remedy many problem areas in evaluating English learners. The disproportionately high numbers of English learners faded. Unfortunately (and I learned a bit about this in my wonderful Educating Special Learners class) the problem still exists to some extent. For one thing, legislation has expanded disability categories and, as a result