TeachME Professional Development

Educational Technology for English Language Learners

1. English learners from kindergarten through grade 12 come from a variety of language and cultural backgrounds and have a wide range of needs, and they may appear proficient in English based on their fluency in everyday conversations but not yet have the level of academic English proficiency they will need to succeed in learning academic content.

A. True B. False

Scenarios

2. An English learner who is reading several levels below grade-level and who is assigned a complex reading task may benefit from tools that offer simpler versions of the English language text on the same grade-level content and multimodal support features such as:

A. Productivity tools to help organize the content B. Digital features that highlight comprehension skills C. Visual representations for understanding the academic terms and vocabulary D. Digital storytelling that emphasizes reading structure

Design by Leveraging Research and Best Practices

3. The Department of Education encourages developers to familiarize themselves with the research on instructional practices that help English learners gain proficiency in English and:

A. Encourage flexible learning styles B. Engage and support the student C. Promote collaboration with fellow students and teachers D. Build understanding in the different content areas

4. The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework is based on the premise that all students benefit when provided flexible learning environments that can accommodate individual learning differences and that provide each of the following EXCEPT:

A. Multiple means of understanding B. Multiple means of engagement C. Multiple means of representation D. Multiple means of action and expression

Include Support Features for English Learners

5. Simple visual supports for English learners are recommended, as sophisticated visual displays may be overwhelming and counterproductive to learning.

A. True B. False

6. Text-to-speech or “read-aloud” supports are valuable because many English learners can comprehend the spoken word better than the written word.

A. True B. False

Offer Instruction-Focused Professional Development

7. Teachers find professional development sessions run by vendors to be most effective, especially when the sessions focus on ways that technology can improve academic outcomes.

A. True B. False

MATRIX 1: Digital Learning Resources

8. Digital academic context tools include designed learning activities such as interactive tutorials or lessons, practice and assessment tools, virtual worlds, and:

A. Word or text processing tools that enable students to create, edit, and print documents B. Concept-mapping tools that let students visually represent relationships among sets of information C. Dynamic modeling or simulation tools D. Story templates that assist students to communicate a narrative using text and/or images

Understand What Educational Technology Offers for Instructing English Learners

9. Educational technology opens up a new breadth and depth of resources for teaching and learning by offering instruction that considers the English learner’s level of proficiency and academic learning needs and that is:

A. Specialized B. Differentiated C. Auxiliary D. Collaborative

What to Ask-Administrators

10. When selecting educational technology resources to best support English learners, administrators should ask which tools will assist with learning academic content, with making gains in academic proficiency, and what will best support teachers in planning for and using the technology to instruct English learners.

A. True B. False

Maximize the Supports that Educational Technology Offers English Learners

11. Digital support features are generally categorized as visual, auditory, translation, or:

A. Assessment support features B. Specialized support features C. Developmental support features D. Collaborative support features

12. Some English learners may be just learning to use computers, so it is important to observe whether they have difficulty in following the navigational steps needed to access support features.

A. True B. False

Seek Out Hands-On, Instruction-Focused Professional Development

13. Teachers report that the most helpful professional development is taught by educational technology specialists who focus on the nuts and bolts of a resource.

A. True B. False

Learn More About English Learners and Educational Technology

14. Which of the following is NOT one of the questions that the authors recommend asking when seeking out education technology that meets the needs of English learners?

A. Am I including searches focused on resources for general education instruction? B. Do the resources support the specific languages of my English learners or their levels of English language proficiency? C. Do the resources have a built-in mechanism to assess English learners’ progress? D. Are the resources culturally appropriate?


Copyright © 2024 TeachME Professional Development

Visit us at https://www.teachmeceus.com