This document discusses the benefits of collaborative learning for English language learners (ELLs) from pre-kindergarten through 5th grade. It describes different types of collaboration including cooperative learning, project-based learning, hands-on projects, and maker education/makerspaces. Effective collaboration can increase social interaction, build language skills, and involve active learning for ELLs. Teachers must model language, pre-teach vocabulary, and design activities that meet student needs and abilities. Small group work benefits ELLs more than lectures. Collaboration helps ELLs develop confidence and capitalize on their strengths.

1. Collaborative Learning for ELLs:
Active Engagement from
Prek - 5th Grade

2. Judie Haynes
judieh@optonline.net
www.everythingesl.net
Karen Nemeth
Karen@languagecastle.com
www.languagecastle.com

3. Types of Collaboration for ELLs
• Cooperative learning
• Project-Based Learning
• Creating projects
• Maker education and makerspaces

4. Protocols for Collaboration
Collaborative models can:
–increase social interaction
–build oral language skills
–develop academic language
–increase students’ self-confidence
–involve active, hands-on learning

5. Protocols for Collaboration
Teachers must:
–model the language of social
interaction
–pre-teach academic language
–Design activity with each
student’s needs/abilities in mind

6. Cooperative Learning

7. What’s important to know…
• Lecture-led teaching is least effective for young
children.
• Native speakers of English understand
only 14% of a lecture.
• ELLs will understand even less.
• Small group learning is beneficial to ELLs.
Andrews, J. D.(2003) Teaching format and student style: Their interactive effects
on learning. Research in Higher Education, Volume 14, Number 2

8. How ELLs Benefit from Cooperative Learning
• CL supports use of each student’s learning
style.
• Helps each student capitalize on her own
prior knowledge
• Many ELLs come from cultures in which
collaboration is the norm.
• Young learners of English are usually
visual/kinesthetic learners – need hands-on.

9. How ELLs Benefit from Cooperative Learning
• Young ELLs do best when cooperative
groups have structured jobs such as
illustrator, time keeper.
• ELLs benefit from comprehensible input
and output.
• Peers can navigate meaning for ELLs
• ELLs will produce comprehensible output
with peers

10. Introducing Cooperative Learning
All small group configurations are not created equal.
What happens when teacher A instructs students to
“work with a partner to complete a worksheet”?
• Is the command “work with a partner” a
guarantee of participation? Will it build social
skills? How will Teacher A know?

11. Introducing Cooperative Learning
• Teacher B structures groups. Every student
has a role and knows what to do.
• Structured small learning groups help build
cooperation and sharing.
• ELLs benefit from social interaction with
Classmates in structured, intentionally
designed activities.

12. Appoint a Social Facilitator for small
group work to keep a tally of each
student’s contributions.
Hana ///
Safwon /
Thomas ////////
Margo //////

13. Project-Based Learning

14. What is Project-Based Learning?
Project Based Learning is an inquiry-based
teaching method in which students
• gain knowledge and skills by working on a
project for an extended period of time
• investigate and respond to a complex
question, problem, or challenge.
• work toward an assigned goal.

15. Components of PBL
• Driving Question
• Significant Content
• 21st century competencies
• In-Depth Inquiry
• Choice of project
• Public Audience

17. Introduce PBL
• Students know that collaboration is expected in
the classroom.
• Teachers may do team-building activities at the
beginning of the year and gradually add authentic
collaboration on challenges and problems.
• Activities might be around one content area or
across content areas.
• ELLs develop speaking and listening skills with
guidance and support.

18. Project-Based Learning Resources
• Collaboration Rubric - -
http://bie.org/object/document/6_12_collaboration_rubri
c_non_ccss
• Resources for PBL from Edutopia -
http://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning

19. Doing Projects vs. Project-based Learning

21. Developing Language through Projects
“It is difficult for dual language learners
(DLLs) to learn a new language unless they
can engage in social interactions with
speakers of the language they are trying to
learn (Tabors 2008). “

22. Projects
• Can be done at home without teacher guidance
• Focus is on product rather than process
• Students do not choose the project
• Teacher gives explicit directions for the project
• Is usually assigned for one particular subject
area
• Can be assigned without the benefit of
collaboration.

23. Creating Projects
• Assigning a project is not the same as
Project-Based Learning
• Do these traditional projects work in today’s
classroom? Diaromas, crafts, posters.
• We need to re-examine these projects and
tweek them to:
– build teamwork,
– foster oral language development
– build academic language

24. New Approaches to Projects for ELLs
• Set ELLs up for success
• Pick partners and groups so ELLs will have
students to mentor them
• Make ELLs responsible for the parts of the project
that are at their English language level.
• Choose projects that are relevant to ELLs’ Lives

25. What is Maker Education?
• MAKER Education’s mission is to create more
opportunities for young people to develop
confidence, creativity, interest in science,
technology, engineering, math and the arts
through Making
• The process is more important than the
product

26. Another View of Maker Education
Maker Education is a form of design and
innovation in education that uses technology
as a tool to empower students to get their
ideas from thought to product.

27. Involving ELLs in Projects
• "To ensure the dual language learners were
comfortable and engaged with the project as
it unfolded, I implemented role-playing
scenarios and continued to model the
language by repeating project words and
phrases. This type of role-playing and use of
props is a valuable technique to use with
young children.” (Jones & Shue, Young
Children 2013)

28. Preschool Maker Project

29. Maker Education
• Advocates of Maker Education feel that the
“spirit of play and discovery of knowledge is
missing from much of formal education.”
The Maker Education Initiative is working to
make sure kids get more of this informal
tinkering and tactile exploration
experiences in school as they grow.

30. Choosing a Maker Topic
• Projects for young children are either
teacher or student-initiated, but…
• topic must be relevant to all learners & help
them make connections between prior
knowledge and new concepts.
• Plan ahead to scaffold ELLs to make sure
they are able to talk about their project.

31. Choosing a Maker Topic
Choose projects that provide:
• hands-on learning activities
• opportunities to work in groups or with a
partner
• activities that enhance vocabulary, oral
language acquisition, and social skills.
• Focuses on creating, building, making,
trying, exploring, designing

32. What are Makerspaces?
• Makerspaces provide students with the
space and materials they need to explore
and extend their problem-solving skills
through a tactile environment
• A Makerspace provides physical outlets for
messy and creative thinking, innovating, and
creating.

33. Building a Maker Space

34. Examples of Maker projects that
encourage oral language
• Video production
• Making puppets for puppet show
• Projects where students take things apart
• 3-D printing projects
• Art, painting, sculpture
• Sewing projects
• Projects from scrap materials

35. Preschool Makers

36. Quotes
“When teachers guide DLLs through scripted
dramatic play—meaning they introduce the
roles and props needed for the dramatic
play—they are creating a rich language
environment (Jones & Shue, 2013).”

37. Maker Ed for ELLs
• We need to think of ways that Maker Ed can
be applied to ELLs.
• Teachers need to preteach the language
needed to talk about a project
• Students need to work in teams with native
speakers, if possible.
• Projects should be presented to an
audience, either in person or online

38. Tie Language to Maker Project
• “A child can learn a lot about something by
making it, but if they can’t EXPRESS what
they learned and share their project with
others, the value of the project is lessened. ”
(Judie Haynes, 2014)

39. Our TESOL Blog Post
The Power of Collaboration and Active
Engagement for ELs
http://blog.tesol.org/the-power-of-collaboration-
and-active-engagement-for-els/#
more-4640

40. Teacher Discussion
Discuss with a partner or small group what
kinds of collaboration you could use in your
classroom to promote social and academic
learning.

41. Judie Haynes
The Essential Guide for Educating
Beginning English Learners
http://www.corwin.com/books/Book237736?
siteId=corwin-press&
subject=C00&qsupld=false&q=Judie+
Haynes&surfUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cor
win.com&pageTitle=productsSearch

42. Books by Judie Haynes
• Teaching English Language Learners Across the Content Areas
http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/109032.aspx
• Getting Started with English Language Learners
http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/106048.aspx

43. Books by Karen Nemeth
• From www.gryphonhouse.com

44. 45 Experts http://bit.ly/1jtbasy
Caslon Publishing – April 2014

45. Judie Haynes
judieh@optonline.net
www.everythingesl.net
Karen Nemeth
Karen@languagecastle.com
www.languagecastle.com