El Centro

Catholic Charities/El Centro Adult Education

TAGS: #InstructionalRoutine #VideoConferencing #Zoom #ElCentro

WHAT | Optional blurb: Annotation tools allow teachers to effectively teach reading and vocabulary acquisition to large classes of online students.

WHY | Optional blurb: Traditional pedagogy implies that small classes or even one on one tutoring is the optimal way for students to acquire literacy skills. Teaching literacy with Zoom’s annotation tools provides an environment for ESOL students to make mistakes with confidence and still gain the attention to detail from an instructor.

Connected Evidence-Based Strategies | This strategy connects to the following evidence-based strategies:

• Annotating:  Zoom’s annotation tools replicate the personalization of a private lesson without diminishing the cohesiveness and interaction of a group discussion. Guided reading with annotation tools allows students to practice inference of vocabulary. It also allows teachers to isolate words on the screen for explicit instruction of pronunciation. 

HOW | Zoom Annotation Tools: Once the participants have entered the class and the literacy activity has begun, the host should share their screen and identify the literacy materials. Once text has been indicated, the host should offer some type of audio or visual scaffolding as pre reading.  In the screenshot below, a student is offered a picture to accompany the text. The instructor should elicit a response from the students, and use the zoom highlighting tool to color code part of the text. This feature is available in the zoom toolbar. After the instructor left clicks on the annotation symbol, scroll to draw and choose the dropdown menu symbol on the middle row- left column. 

Choose a color and move the cursor over the desired text on the screen. Once the text is highlighted, ask a volunteer student to unmute and read the text aloud. Pause to allow for pronunciation correction as needed, and comprehension and analysis to bring in the rest of the class.

For further scaffolding, identify new vocabulary from the text and switch to draw mode to underline and circle desired words. Students can practice pronunciation of the words as a class and also mute themselves for privacy, if needed. 

To see a recording of these tools in action click this link. Using Zoom Annotation Tools for ESOL

DIGITAL SKILLS | Implementing this strategy connects to the following digital skill(s):

• CO.2: Collaborate with Technology: Using Zoom’s Annotation features as a tool for literacy enables collaboration between students across multiple borders, and provides a convenience and comfort that is unmatched in a traditional classroom. All the while, the annotation features accompanied with a teacher’s instruction allows students to receive the personalized experience of a traditional classroom. Listening to the pronunciation of new words also helps students collaborate together and build confidence as language learners. 

Catholic Charities/El Centro Adult Education

TAGS: #InstructionalRoutine #WordProcessing #GoogleDocs #ElCentro

WHAT | Students use the two features of annotation: editing a document directly and commenting in Google Documents. Teacher uses comments to give feedback to the student independently and the student can edit the document directly or use the comment reply feature to discuss with the teacher or ask questions about a specific portion of the highlighted text. This routine is ideal for teachers who already use Google Classroom.

WHY | The primary rationale is to build writing and collaboration skills simultaneously. Google Docs, and cloud drives in general, almost all have a feature like annotations/comments and it’s a great tool for students to use to collaborate with each other. This is a way for students to develop proficiency with how the feature works so that they will be equipped to collaborate with each other, as well as potential colleagues at future jobs. This type of feedback is also an excellent metacognitive strategy for students to think critically about the writing process.

This routine encompasses many workplace skills essential for using a word processor. Additionally, it is a crucial skill in understanding cloud storage and the concept of shared documents, giving people the ability to collaborate swiftly. Finally, navigating cloud storage and accessing these types of documents are essential foundational skills in retrieving documents.

Connected Evidence-Based Strategies | This strategy connects to the following evidence-based strategies:

• Annotating: Using Google Documents to comment directly to the student allows students to “engage deeply with a text by focusing on specific sections as highlighted. 

• Error Analysis: Analyzing errors is especially beneficial in helping learners develop a Learner Mindset and critical thinking skills, which are a component of Problem Solving. Studying their own errors can help learners see when they have used incorrect strategies or procedures, which is particularly important in strengthening Numeracy and supporting English language learners.

• Guided Practice: This method also allows guided practice and goal setting by giving students manageable “chunks” of feedback with “actionable steps” to improve their work while simultaneously allowing them to analyze errors in context. 

• Goal Setting & Monitoring

HOW | Google Documents Editing & Suggesting: Students submit a written assignment in Google Classroom. During the next lesson, the teacher will explicitly teach the functionality of the editing feature in Docs. Classrooms with a computer lab or laptops for students would be ideal, as they can log in, access the document simultaneously and follow along as the teacher demonstrates.

Pull up a sample text, be sure to include deliberate errors (whether they are grammatical or spelling is not important). The document will be shared with students and they will be able to log on and open the document simultaneously.

The teacher will direct attention to the upper right corner, where the default setting “editing” should already be activated. Click the drop-down menu and select “suggesting.”

The teacher now finds an error in the text and highlights it. Students resolve the error and the teacher types the “suggestion” which will appear as a comment to the right of the page and coincide with the highlighted text. The teacher will show them that they now have the option to accept or reject any suggestions. If the suggestion is valid, the teacher will click accept and the suggestion will take effect into the text itself.

Next, with the suggesting feature still active, the teacher highlights another section of text and draws students’ attention to the speech bubble with a plus symbol in it. Click it.

The teacher demonstrates that this feature allows the user to add comments over the highlighted portion of text. These comments do not coincide with suggested edits like previously stated, and are available to add in both editing mode and suggesting mode.

Students will then work in pairs to comb the text for errors and use the suggesting feature to “suggest” corrections. The teacher will be able to see these suggestions in real time. Additionally, the teacher can instruct students to ask three questions, make three agreements/disagreements, or otherwise comment using the comments feature to further demonstrate their understanding between the two functions.

DIGITAL SKILLS | Implementing this strategy connects to the following digital skill(s):

• WO.7: Create Documents 

• WO.3: Manage Projects Online 

• WO.4: Choose the Appropriate Tools 

• OL.10: Save and Manage Content

Catholic Charities/El Centro Adult Education

TAGS: #InstructionalRoutine #ProgramPractice #Presentation #GoogleSlides #ElCentro

WHAT | Hyflex collaboration: Hyflex Learners will collaborate virtually in a cloud-based presentation platform (like Google Slides) to create and present content.

WHY | Collaboration: The goal of this routine is to establish connection among all students in a hybrid classroom.  It is important to maintain student collaboration, particularly for students who are learning remotely while their peers are in-person in a hyflex learning environment. Hybrid collaboration is a great opportunity for students to cement their digital skills while simultaneously applying numeracy concepts in a controlled, focused setting. Hyflex refers to the combination of synchronous in-person and synchronous online instruction, with asynchronous work in between sessions. 

Connected Evidence-Based Strategies | This strategy connects to the following evidence-based strategies:

• Clear Structure & Presentation: Structuring delivery of new information understandably, consistently, and in multiple ways aids in maintaining learner attention and can support learners who have lived through adverse experiences.

• Explaining Their Thinking: Giving learners the opportunity to explain their thinking process aloud helps them to solidify their comprehension, and move knowledge into their long-term memory. This can be achieved through learner think-alouds, or self-explanations, which require individuals to reflect on new information. When learning and practicing numeracy skills, these strategies can be highly effective as they allow learners to reflect upon the process. Explaining their thinking can also boost foundational reading skills, reinforcing details of a text and the strategies needed to understand or write it. Explaining their thinking can be especially helpful for those learners with lower levels of Background Knowledge as these processes help encourage more involved interaction with a variety of texts and resources.

• Guided Practice: Through guided practice, the instructor or facilitator gradually releases scaffolds, allowing learners to develop independence. When content information and processes are broken down into smaller chunks and learners are allotted practice time in between, learning is strengthened.

• Peer Discussion: Having discussions with peers can cement learning for adults, increasing Disciplinary Literacy and strengthening understanding of new information, including Numeracy skills.

HOW | Zoom Room and Google Slides (but can be adapted for any virtual platform and cloud-based presentation software)

In a hybrid classroom, set up separate laptops connected to the same video conference call. These will be used by the in-person students. Group the in-person students with the remote students, ideally so there are only one or two people per in-person classroom computer, and one to two students remotely. Use the same groupings for the breakout rooms. See photo.

Prepare a slide deck presentation  with the prompts for the activity on each slide, and a title on each slide that denotes which students will be editing which slide. Share the link to the presentation slide deck in the Chat for simultaneous editing. In my math class, students are given a “solution” and from there they must work backwards to write a viable problem for that solution. This allows the in-person and remote student groups to work collaboratively and produce a single final product together. 

DIGITAL SKILLS | Implementing this strategy connects to the following digital skill(s):

• CO.2: Collaborate with Technology

• CR.3: Adapt & Reuse Digital Content

• CR.4: Design Digital Content

• CR.7: Revise & Adapt Existing Content

• IS.6: Organize Information & Files

• OL.10: Save and Manage Content

• WO.6: Create Slide Presentations

Note: This is a more advanced routine that gives students the opportunity to apply their skills in creating/editing content (specifically slide presentations) while simultaneously collaborating to organize and manage their final product in a shared space. This routine requires multiple open applications that students will be required to navigate together. The teacher will be present to guide students through any snags, but the purpose of this is to give students autonomy in creating digital content.

Catholic Charities/El Centro Adult Education

TAGS: #InstructionalRoutine #MobileDevice #GIFs #ElCentro

WHAT | A Graphic Interchange Format (GIF)  is a small roll of still images that can show movement. Commonly used in messaging applications to express greetings, creating GIFs in class are a great routine for ESOL learners acquiring new vocabulary. This tool is especially useful for teachers practicing the method of Total Physical Response (TPR).

WHY | Learner engagement and vocabulary acquisition in hyflex classrooms: The rationale for using GIFs in an ESOL classroom is to help beginning ESOL students review new vocabulary while communicating with one another on multiple devices. Creating GIFs together engages students to participate in the lesson regardless of physical presence in the hyflex-classroom. Additionally, it helps students to develop confidence in using technology and communicating with one another. 

Connected Evidence-Based Strategies | This strategy connects to the following evidence-based strategies:

• Creating Visual Representations

• Experiential Learning

• Explicit Instruction: Vocabulary

HOW | GIFs: Give students a vocabulary list of verbs relating to a common theme. The list of verbs can be projected onto a SMART board screen. Ask a volunteer to draw a line to the correct word, either on the SMART board in the classroom or by using the annotation tools (Remember to enable annotation tools for remote students to draw on the slide). Once students have contributed and identified verbs with one another, ask students what a GIF is. Use a slide asking them to identify the three words making up the acronym: GIF: Graphic Interchange Format.

Example of a slide with GIF that elicits student participation

Send a popular GIF to the classroom’s mobile chat group to demonstrate. Ask students: What is s/he doing? What is happening? Illicit a response to identify a gerund, examples: she is laughing, he is running.  Encourage remote students to send a GIF to the group chat, making sure a student who is physically present explains the instructions to the remote student. 

Play a GIF demonstration video at .75 speed. Ask students if their phone is an ANDROID or IOS. IOS phones have GIF makers preinstalled while Android requires a GIF maker to be downloaded. For IOS, an image must be captured then students can select “loop” or “bounce” to create a GIF. For Android phones, each GIF maker APP has individual features. 

Once the students have seen the instructions for making GIFs with their phones, show a list of verbs from the lesson and delegate each student to act it out in groups of two. One student will pantomime the action while their partner creates a GIF with their mobile device. For example, if students are learning verbs related to cooking: chop, stir, fry, squeeze could all be performed by students and teachers both remote and in-person. Once each group creates a GIF matching the verb, the teacher can then add the students GIFs into the slideshow and create an interactive quiz for verb recall. 

Example of a slide with a student made GIF for an interactive hybrid flex lesson.

DIGITAL SKILLS | Implementing this strategy connects to the following digital skill(s):

• CO.1: Communicate Effectively

• CO.2: Collaborate with Technology

• CO.3: Make Voice and Video Calls

• CR.5: Create Open Content

• CR.6: Produce Multimedia