This is a lesson from an introductory unit for multilingual learners. It was designed for a newcomer English Language Development class to provide students with basic interpersonal communication skills (BICS). 

When designing this lesson, I considered how to create a dynamic learning experience to maximize the potential of both online and offline learning environments to ensure that students receive comprehensible input and communicative opportunities. 

I often use the following questions to help me in this process. How can I:

• Assess this skill in an accessible and meaningful manner?

• Provide clear, succinct, and visual content?

• Incorporate multiple language domains across the sequence of the lesson?

• Recycle vocabulary and language structures?

• Design interactive and communicative opportunities for learners to apply language?

• Create effective scaffolds and layer practice opportunities that expose learners to the new language through multiple and varied means?

To engage students while viewing the video, I used embedded questions through Edpuzzle. I create frequent opportunities for students to respond to the language input they receive. 

The first part of the video allows students to record themselves repeating the vocabulary I have introduced. 

The second part of the video has multiple-choice questions where students select the appropriate vocabulary term. 

Edpuzzle allows me to record myself reading the questions and answer options, so students aren’t limited by their reading ability. 

After the video is complete, I provide students with the Lesson 1 Review Notes to review the language from the video. This way, they aren’t overwhelmed by the need to both answer embedded questions AND take notes, but they do have a chance to recall the material as well as create a reference tool for the practice activities.

Must Do Practice (Individual)

Must Do Practice (Whole Class - Scheduled in Advance)

Should Do Practice

Aspire to Do Practice

When designing practice opportunities for this lesson, I wanted to ensure I provided students with various ways to practice the language across multiple language domains. 

Students have the opportunity to practice individually, with peers, and as a whole class. Some of these practice activities are essential (Must Do) components and some are optional activities. 

Students begin with a Picture Word Inductive Model practice activity similar to the check for understanding in the instructional video. Then, they can work with a partner or independently to go through some flashcards to practice the vocabulary.

If students desire, they can go on a selfie scavenger hunt to locate the items we reviewed in the instructional video in our actual classroom.

Finally, we have a whole class communicative practice activity that allows all students to practice using the language in spoken conversations.

Like how it was modeled in the instructional video and how we practiced with the class, the mastery check requires students to review a new picture of a classroom, label it, and write sentences using that classroom vocabulary. 

Students then have a second part where the teacher points to various things in the picture and asks, “What is this?” Students must respond correctly using the sentence structure and vocabulary practiced within the lesson.

I create a simple and visual individual progress tracker that includes screenshots of the actual assignments. This tracker is on paper and shows a week of learning at a time. The tracker is arranged in a learning path, with each square representing “Must Do” assignments, each circle representing “Should Do” assignments, and every hexagon representing “Aspire to Do” assignments. There is a place for students to check off the assignment when complete, and there is a line for me to sign after providing feedback. 

I also use a whole-group tracker projected at the front of the classroom to start the class. It is a seating chart slide that consists of students grouped based on their progress. This gives the students and myself a holistic view of the class’s collective progress. This is also where I indicate to students if they need to revise an assignment. I changed their seating color. This is a visual indicator to that student and myself that we need to conference about necessary revisions. It’s easy for me to update this tracker at the end of each class with any progress made that day.