Exam Prep Notes

Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP)

SIOP and Language Strategies

  • SIOP is a way to address language protocols and strategies.
  • CLP 5.15 relates to strategies; questioning types, probing questions, and higher-order thinking questions.

Grouping and Configuration

  • Grouping and configuration, along with wait time, are important. These are part of the second unit of the GSSA program.
  • School integration and desegregation are large forms of grouping.
  • Examples of grouping methodologies:
    • Special education
    • AP classes
    • Gifted and talented classes
    • English language classes (pullout)
    • General ed track

Practical Grouping Strategies

  • Heterogeneous vs. Homogeneous Grouping: Different groups suit different activities.
  • Card System: Use cards with student names and scores to build balanced groups.
  • Numbering Off: Assign numbers and group students based on their number.

Cooperative Learning

  • Cooperative learning is more than just putting students together.
  • Assign different roles and tasks.
  • Rotate tasks to avoid stereotypes (e.g., girls always being secretaries).
  • Address complacency by ensuring everyone contributes.
  • Ensure clear expectations, roles, and assignments to facilitate group work.
  • Consider assessing individual contributions to the group's work.

Classroom Configuration

  • Consider how to group students for instruction and the classroom setup.
  • Arrange the classroom to allow easy movement and access to students.

Personal Anecdote

  • Personal experience of changing classroom setup to encourage interaction and student engagement; moving from a traditional row setup to being able to walk in the back of the room; resulted in noticing students' behaviors better and being more involved in the classroom.

Wait Time

  • Recommended wait time: five seconds.
  • 10011001 (kindergarten), 10021002 (3rd grade), 10031003 (middle school), 10041004 (high school), 10051005 (graduated).
  • Essential for second language learners to allow processing and translation time.

Expectation and Questioning

  • Set expectations for answering (raising hands vs. calling out).
  • Vary question types: move beyond simple recall questions.
  • Use "think time" and incorporate question structures for deeper thinking.

Physical Closeness

  • Get physically close to students to show engagement and check understanding.
  • Maintain a recommended distance within an arm's length.
  • Be stationary and interact with students to hear their thoughts.
  • Increases achievement for all students and benefits second language learners.

Classroom Setup

  • Consider seating arrangements and classroom configurations.
  • Ensure pathways for physical closeness.

Group Size

  • Effective group size: no more than four students.
  • Pairs can be most effective for ELL students.
  • Pairing ELL students with someone who speaks their first language is beneficial.

Research on Wait Time

  • Student response can increase by 400800%400-800\%. from research done on the benefits of wait time.
  • Decreases unsolicited responses.
  • Increases student confidence.
  • Encourages more questions.
  • Increases student achievement.

Strategies and Tips

  • Speak slowly and clearly.
  • Give students enough time to formulate a response.
  • Avoid louder voice when repeating; rephrase instead.

Addressing "I Don't Know"

  • Let students know you will return to them.
  • Encourage collaboration to find answers.

Reproof and Touch

  • Use touch positively to reinforce behavior.
  • Redirect inappropriate behavior with choices and language.
  • Use opportunities for language setting and redirection for learning.
  • Physical closeness is a subtle classroom management strategy.

Discipline Data

  • Boys receive more discipline than girls; boys of color receive more than other boys.
  • African American males and Hispanic males are frequently referred for discipline.
  • Examine gender and race intersection in discipline data.
  • Address stereotypes and expectations related to gender and race.
  • Discipline records show disproportionate discipline for males and males of color.
  • Preschoolers, particularly males of color, face suspension and expulsion.
  • This leads to the school-to-prison pipeline.

Bully Prevention and Zero Tolerance

  • Consider the impact of zero tolerance policies.

Diversity Training and Unconscious Bias

  • Address unconscious bias and intersectionality of race, gender, language, and religion.

Distinguishing Behavior from the Individual

  • Differentiate between disliking the behavior and disliking the student.

Cognitive Bias

Invisibility
  • Lack of representation of people of color and women in texts.
Stereotyping
Imbalance and Selectivity
  • Ignoring different viewpoints and perspectives.
Cosmetic Bias
  • Changing covers of books without changing the content.

Analyzing Textbooks

  • Critically examine textbooks for fragmentation and isolation.
  • Use provided sheet to analyze materials for bias.

Examples of Bias

  • The Tale of Paul Revere: compared to Sybil Ludington’s ride. Sybil actually completed her rides; and the possibility of Paul being drunk.
  • Relying on outdated or biased materials.

Engaging Students

  • Use materials that allow kids to see themselves, particularly based on race.

Book Examples

  • "Swiping Beauty", “Happy Hair”, “A Woman for President”, Dick and Jane.

Language Learning

  • Using Dick and Jane is not the best choice in terms of English language learning.
  • CLD standard 5.14: select materials for English language learners.

Identifying Bias in books

  • Animals used in books often symbolize racial stereotypes in their roles and function.

Listening

  • Effective listening skills are part of language skills that should be worked with.
  • Paraphrase or rephrase what students say to show you are listening.

Language and Culture

  • Language is how we socialize children and transmit culture.
  • Devaluing children’s language devalues their families and sense of self.
  • The stages of language development should be catered to, as well as taking time to build that academic language.

Probing Questions

  • Use probing questions for more information.
  • Ask students to explain their thinking.
  • The deeper the questions allows better development of student skills.

High-Level Questions

  • Move classroom questioning beyond basic recall.
  • Analytical feedback explains what made an answer right or wrong.

Assessment and Review

  • Assessment is an evaluation piece of lessons and aligns with standards.
  • Teachers should provide analytical feedback to assist with language skills.

Bloom's Taxonomy

  • Use Bloom's Taxonomy to formulate questions.
  • Most questions are at the basic recall level; strive for synthesis and evaluation.

Feedback & Analytical feedback

  • Feedback: Males receive more praise; females are praised for neatness/appearance; those with special needs are the least; students identified with special needs are least likely to receive high level questions.
  • Analytical Feedback: Explaining thought process.

Cultural Diversity & Equity

  • There have been disproportionate achievements based on race as well as levels and age levels. This can be fixed by using Bloom's Taxonomy and tools that formulate questions better.

Teacher Expectations

  • Increased use of higher cognitive questions is positively related to increased teacher expectations about students’ abilities, especially for those slow or poor learners.

SIOP Framework

  • SIOP asks for a language and content objective.
  • language objective example: i can use adjectives, past sentences, in order to better describe something. This can be used as supports like maps, timelines, video, or pictures.

Content and Language Objectives

  • A tool districts use.
  • SIOP model to incorporate good teaching strategies.

Preparation

  • When constructing lessons and formats for kids, there are different building blocks to use.
  • Graphic Organizers are used to better improve organizing skills.
  • This helps students from second language to learn good strategies, as well as be better teachers.