Edgy+Literacy+Innovations

Authors: Johanna, Meg, Evan Page Editor: Ourselves

**Edgy Literacy Innovations - Bilingualism, Technology and Poetry**
Below Image: An ESL class using technology to record their poetry!

**Practical Resources**

**Bilingualism Resources** Bhatacharjee, Y. (2012). Why bilinguals are smarter. //The New York Times// [] This article inspired our short investigation into bilingualism. The author argues that bilinguals are “smarter” than monolinguals because they constantly translate, code switch, and think on their feet every day. I read this aloud with my students and had a two-day discussion, gathering their thoughts. We also used this article to deploy nonfiction reading strategies like previewing, building background vocabulary, and making connections, that would prepare students for the ELA state exam. Students loved the article but there are some challenges words and concepts. We turned and talked a lot, and also paused any time a new word came up. We also collaboratively created support materials that categorized the vocab into 3 main buckets: neuroscience vocab, language/linguistics vocab, and general. This helped students understand more of the text. You might also consider differentiating the text to level it for your readers. (Evan and Johanna) 

Moseley, Christopher, ed. (2010). Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, 3rd ed. Paris, UNESCO Publishing. []

This document from UNESCO has some great visuals and maps illustrating the issues facing “dying” languages around the world. You could use this with students as a kind of scavenger hunt as they practice interpreting graphs and visual information. You might ask: which regions of the world have the most languages in danger? Which regions seem “safe” from language loss? Does this atlas confirm or deny what we think we know about the loss of language within our own schools, communities, or homes here in NYC? (Evan and Johanna)

Tabors, P.O. with Paez, M.M and Heize-Baigorria, C. “How do you support second language learners in the classroom.” Excerpted from //One Child, Two Languages in Action – A Professional Development DVD//. Brookes Publishing, 2007. DVD. []

This short Youtube video is an excerpt from a larger DVD about supporting second language learners in the classroom. I toyed with including this in the professional resource section, but decided instead to include it here. It’s short enough and compelling enough – with images of bilingual signs and video of a bilingual elementary school classroom – that it could be useful to build students’ background knowledge on the life of a bilingual classroom. It might be a good jumping off point to discuss with students the value of a bilingual classroom. You could ask them, as I did, if they think we should speak more languages in NYC public schools, and why or why not? I used this video in my class to begin a conversation about the signs and symbols that we see every day represented bilingually. Once we had an exhaustive list, we then journaled about whether or not English should be an “official” language in NYC public schools given students’ exposure to so many different languages in their communities. Students loved the discussion, and the prompt turned into a letter to our district superintendent. (Evan and Johanna) media type="youtube" key="iXDJLNrsNgI" height="315" width="420"

Shin, H.B. with Bruno, R. (2003). Language use and english ability: census 2000 brief. United States Census Bureau.
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[]

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This census brief gives a lot of great data about language use in the United States. You might use this for interdisciplinary math-ELA lessons, or to drill down from the UNESCO resource listed above. Ask students to apply the statistics they read here to their own experiences or assumptions. How does the data substantiate our lives as bilinguals here in NYC? Are there areas of our country with more ELLs and what can we infer about those regions based on this census data? (Evan and Johanna)

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jacqui. (2010, August 16). How to teach kids email. Retrieved from [|http://askatechteacher.com/2010/08/16/how-to-teach-kids-email/]
 * Use of Technology**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This site, written by a technology teacher, provides tips on teaching kids the skills, etiquette and benefits of using email for classroom purposes. She includes helpful bullet-point lists that could be easily reproduced for classroom use. The protocol Jacqui uses includes things like teaching kids to use spell check and to check their “sent” file to be sure their message was sent. Try to disregard the bizarre background music. (Meg and Evan) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Utrecht, J. (2011, May 12). The classroom newspaper google docs style. Retrieved from []

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This blog page discusses one teacher’s use of a Google Doc template to create a class newspaper with her third graders. I plan to adapt this for my high school students writing articles related to Hamlet, and using their own art creations (scanned and inserted) in place of the cartoon images that the third graders used. The article mentions the opportunity to teach kids “chat etiquette,” using the chat function on the Google Doc to share ideas while they write, give feedback to groups working simultaneously, and generally learn how to work together productively in a professional manner. (Meg and Evan)

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">ajwoodle (2010, August 26). How to make a podcast in GarageBand [Video file]. Retrieved from []

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This YouTube video is a how-to on making a podcast using GarageBand, an Apple program included on most Apple computers. Annie, the narrator, takes you through all the basics, like how to record voice, edit recordings, and add a soundtrack, as well as some of the bells and whistles like using sound effects, fading, and adding pictures to make it a slideshow. She moves through the process a bit more slowly than Apple’s how-to video, and she takes us with her as she makes a couple mistakes, which is helpful for trouble-shooting with kids. I used GarageBand to create podcasts with students last year and they would have turned out much better had we watched Annie beforehand! Other classes have used it to create “soundscape” projects, mixing student-created media with historical images, for example, to create projects for a social studies class. The possibilities are endless! (Meg and Evan) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">media type="youtube" key="GqAwTcH_EAE" height="315" width="420"

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Google. (n.d.) //Using google docs in the classroom: Simple as ABC.// Retrieved from @https://docs.google.com/View?docid=dcdn7mjg_72nh25vq

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“Google Docs is a free, Web-based word processing, presentations and spreadsheets program” that has myriad uses for teachers. This site provides ideas for using Google Docs in the classroom both for collaborative student projects and also teacher tools, like keeping attendance, creating quizzes, and keeping track of grades. Google Docs is great for students to collaborate with writing, respond to each other’s written comments/reflections, create surveys, for example. One idea that has been successful in my classroom is sharing documents with interesting/provocative articles or pictures and having students simultaneously comment on the item and then respond to each other’s comments. This forum is something new to our classroom, but uses a very familiar medium to students who are already on Facebook, Twitter, and the like. (Meg and Evan)

Booktrust. “The poetry friendly classroom: teachers on writing.” //Booktrust//. August 2011. Video Clip. []
 * Poetry**

A poetry friendly classroom in an England primary school is profiled and their teachers explain practical engaging activities. For example, a teacher could share a poem with the last stanza missing and then ask the students to guess what it could be. They combine poetry with images to have children role play point of view, use sticky notes on a giant print out of a poem to look for inferences, take out their favorite line in a poem to make their own poem, among other interactive activities. (Johanna and Meg) media type="youtube" key="4JRzbPP_66Q" height="315" width="560"

Corbin, G. with Frohman, D. “Philly youth poetry movement: youth empowerment and self-sustainable education.” //TEDxPhilly//. November 2011. Video Clip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QixeNWsex28.

In this video the Philly Youth Poetry Movement (PYPM) asks the TEDx audience: How do we engage young people? How do we create spaces for expression, empowerment and transformation? How can we help students become leaders? This youth poetry organization helps young people to discover their voices, explore their place in the world, expose their diverse stories and listen to each other. Corbin explains: “Their stories are classrooms. Their lessons are life experiences. Both are abundant, beautiful changes to change the world.” (Johanna and Meg) media type="youtube" key="QixeNWsex28" height="315" width="560"

Mixon, C. (2012, March 5). Poetry pros. //Brooklyn Paper//. Retrieved from http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/35/9/24_grandslam_2012_03_02_bk.html.

This article gives an introduction to the Brooklyn Reads Poetry Project, an education program at the Brooklyn Academy of Music that teaches students to express themselves through poetry. My students who receive speech services took part in this program, and had a rewarding experience. They had a teaching artist come bi-monthly for three months to work on performing their own poetry for a culminating event. Before their performance, there was a field trip to BAM to see a “grand slam” of poetry featuring many inspiring artists. For more information on how to join the Brooklyn Reads project with your students, call the Education Manager, John Foster at BAM. (Johanna and Meg)

Tarwood, J. “Poetry Videos.” //Teachertube//. December 2011. Video Clip. Retrieved from http://teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=152571&title=Poetry_videos.

This video from Teachertube was uploaded by a middle-school teacher and shows off their student’s work. The task was to select a poem and then make a video on it. This is activity ties literacy together through poetry and technology. When selecting a poem, students have to find images to go along with their understanding of the poem. This ties into skill building in making inferences and reading comprehension. This further proves that poetry can be used to increase any literacy skill. (Johanna and Meg)

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Professional Resources**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Bilingualism Resources** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Faltis, C. (1996) Learning to teach content bilingually in a middle school bilingual classroom. //The Bilingual Research Journal//, 20(1), 29-44. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[]

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Faltis suggests that we should teach more content bilingually, especially in disciplines like Science or Social Studies where vocabulary instruction depends so heavily on academic language that is subject-specific. He also suggests that even the slightest bilingual instruction helps all students access the curriculum, because it slows down instruction and helps other student empathize and learn from the bilingual classroom. By “bilingual” instruction, he encourages teachers to teach in both English and Spanish for instance, thereby modeling the code-switching that many students experience and encouraging other students to think on their feet about language shifts and changes. (Evan and Johanna)

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mora, J.K. (n.d.) Metalinguistic awareness as defined through research. CA. San Diego State University. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">[]

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mora introduces the idea of metalinguistic awareness – a critical thinking about language – that is also hinted at in the Bhatacharjee article. Mora defines metalinguistic awareness as the ability to separate out language as both a cognitive process and a thing itself. She talks about the importance of getting kids to reflect on the use of language, which is really the whole point of my mini-study and this wiki entry. Many of our students have this metalinguistic awareness within them, and they just don’t know about it. If we explicitly what bilingualism is and how it is advantageous for certain learners, then perhaps bilingual students will feel more empowered in tackling academic classes and content. (Evan and Johanna)

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Caverly, D.C. & Ward, A. (2008). Techtalk: Wikis and collaborative knowledge construction. //Journal of Developmental Education, 32//(2), 36-37. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ868667.pdf
 * Use of Technology**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Caverly and Ward (2008) discuss five types of wikis and their potential benefits for collaborative learning in an asynchronous environment. The authors also point out opportunities for critical thinking development as students are forced to examine the validity and reliability of sources that are authored collaboratively by anyone with an Internet connection. One great idea is the “Gateway Wiki” which they suggest could be used as a way for students to defend their answers to end-of-chapter questions (for example), by citing the specific date in their notes that support their answers. Since this could then be accessed and contributed to by other students in the class (with the same class notes), this can be an effective way to promote study habits and collaboration even after the school day. (Meg and Evan)

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Klages, M. A., & Clark, J. E. (2009). New worlds of errors and expectations: Basic writers and digital assumptions. //Journal of Basic Writing//, 28(1), 32-49. Retrieved from __ http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ851081.pdf __

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Klages and Clarke (2009) point out that although many students enter college as “digital natives…proficient in new technologies, cyber-literate, and comfortable with the discourse of digital rhetoric” (p. 32-33) most are largely unable to code-switch between informal cyber situations, and the more formal academic expectations required by their professors. They discuss the benefits of public writing using ePortfolios (collections of digital works managed by the user-author) for students entering LaGuardia Community College from underperforming high schools. (Meg and Evan)

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Poetry** Gasparro, M. and Falletta, B. (1994). Creating drama with poetry: teaching English as a second language through dramatization and improvisation. //Center for Applied Linguistics//. Accessed on April 2012. Retrieved from http://www.cal.org/resources/digest/gaspar01.html.

The conclusion of Gasparro and Falletta’s research was that poetry was the framework of culture. It targets language to enable a student to explore the linguistic and conceptual aspects of the written text without concentrating on the mechanics of language. Poetry helps students access language from their various language level skills, ages, and interest. Teachers can also facilitate the communicative approach to a second language through read aloud. Poetry assists in language acquisition through video/record-tape recordings, photography, improvisations and dramatizations. (Johanna and Meg)

McConochie, J. (1982). All this fiddle: enhancing language awareness through poetry. //Annual Conference of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages//. Detroit, Michigan. March 3-8, 1981. Retrieved from [].

This paper was shared at a conference to discuss the relevance of poetry as a component of language teaching. It introduces was to incorporate poems into ESL lessons. McConochie explains that poetry is valuable as a language learning experience because it is interesting, memorable, and serves as a link with English speaking culture. Teachers should select poems that promote deeper self-understanding, explain a story with common archetypes, and be able to discuss poet’s underlying cultural assumptions. Six techniques for using poetry in ESL are word choice, sentence combining exercises, reading poems aloud, and translating poems into everyday language. (Johanna and Meg)

=__Internet Resources and Software That Will Help Inspire Creativity__=



[|www.heromachine.com] is a great Internet resource that is free to use and provides users with a tool for creating visual representations of characters. This website can be used to inspire students to create their own characters or renditions of characters they come across in content literature. I find it is a great tool for aspiring writers, illustrators, and students alike. It is very simple to use and students can learn the mechanics within minutes. The end result is a professional looking character that students can use for any imaginative endeavor. ( Kenny Santos)

**Toondoo.com**


Toondoo is a resource and website that students will absolutely love. The link is [] It is a free resource that only requires users to create a Toondoo account. Once an account is created, students can create their own cartoons using the website’s cartoon creator tools. The tools are relatively easy to use, and the interface is seamless. This resource can be used for a range of purposes from encouraging students to create their own visual narratives or having students create brief political cartoons. ( Kenny Santos)

Comic Life 2


[] offers teachers and schools a seamless comic book creation program in Comic Life 2. The program can be installed on computers or tablets and allows students to create their own comic books. It offers templates and tools that are relatively easy to use. The program does have a fee of $19.99 for individual users. A school can purchase a school wide license depending on their needs. In this day and age, I consider this a must have for schools as the program can be used cross content. Students could use this software to create comic books for fun or to demonstrate/reinforce what they are currently learning. Use of this program also promotes differentiation and professional development. (Kenny Santos)