Podcasting for ESL

In the past week, I was able to learn a little more about podcasting. I've never used podcasting before and it's rather new for me. I had really enjoyed being able to look through some of the sites and see the different subjects that were available for anyone to listen to. Lee Lefever's Podcasting in Plain English gives some good background and ideas on how Podcasting works and can become beneficial use for any classroom. For anyone who doesn't know what Podcasting is, it's a form of digital media used in an form of audio or video, similar to listening to the radio with having episodes based on specific topics.Podcasting is great for anyone to be able to listen to on the go. Weather it's for a topic of interest or a class assignment; it provides anyone to learn. Essentially anyone is able to create a podcast and share ideas and information. I had been able to listen to several Podcasts over the past week and one of the Podcasting sites that I liked was ESL Podcast. This site had several Podcasts based on specific topics on Daily life, Business, Health/Medicine, Travel etc. I think it can be useful for adult or high school ESL learners. I liked that everything when listening to the podcast was clear and specific for students to be able to understand. One of the Podcasts I listened to was English Cafe 373 which discussed topics such as the Chicago seven, and American authors etc. with several vocabulary words displayed while students would be listening to it. I can see how I would be able to use this Podcasting site for my own ESL classroom. I would have students listen to a specific subject and have them write about what was discussed in a podcast. I would also have discuss their own ideas and be able to ask questions if they didn't understand a particular topic. ESL students will be able to work on their listening,comprehension skills, and speaking skills. It would be useful to make it a classroom discussion for students to able to express what their reactions were to a particular Podcasting. It also wouldn't be a bad idea to be able to break students into groups and create a project where students would have to be able to create a podcast and discuss any topic that interests them, to be able to practice their speaking skills. Overall I really love the idea of using podcasting in class. I would even use it for my own learning, and the fact that I can use it through my ipod, phone, or mp3 is a plus for anyone that wants to learn on the go! It's a great way for global learning and be able to connect with other students and educators around the globe and exchange ideas.

Using Global Collaboration For A Classroom

This week I got the chance to explore ePals which is a global learning community for parents, teachers and students K-12. This is a platform where classrooms can collaborate on projects with other communities around the world. It is a safe learning environment to students to be able to communicate and share ideas. Student are able to learn about what is going on around the world, their cultures, language, and communication etc.I was amazed by how well organized and how many ideas and projects that are taking place. It's a great way for students and teachers to share their learning styles and ideas to continually make learning a fun experience! There are many themed projects and students and teachers are able to use the search engine if they're looking for a particular topic and are able to narrow down their search by country and language. What I like is the way it is set up in lining of the projects and describes them in a well organized manner by stating objectives and standards, activities, lesson plans, and resources to aid students in participating in these projects.

One of the projects that I stumbled upon while visiting this site was the Monster Writing Project, this one particular classroom in France was looking for another class to collaborate on this project with in order to improve student's reading and writing skills in English. Student draw a sketch of a monster and then write a detailed description of it. Their partner then reads it and attempts to draw the monster. Students are then able to look at the original sketch and match the drawing. Winners get their drawing displayed. I like that this is a project that can engage and motivate students to working on their language skills. It helps them build their reading, writing, and critical thinking. This would be something that I would enjoy using in my own ESL classroom one day. I would look into getting students to maybe share their stories of their daily activities or write about their favorite pet in order to get them to work on their writing and reading skills. Although the monster writing  project is one of the ideas that I really like because it really incorporates all the skills that student would need to work on when learning a new language. There are so many ideas and projects that teachers can use in their classrooms to motivate students to learn.

Making Photo Stories

So, for the second part of the assignment I looked into making photo stories. To make my photo story I used to Stupeflix which is a video making where you can share images, and videos with additions to use text and audio. I ended up using a free one time trial to make my video, it usually costs up $5 a month to get a plan and start making videos. I really enjoyed being able to use this tool  to share some of my photos on a trip to Paris. I wished that been able to use more than the 6 slides and initially tried to edit the video but wasn't able to do so in order to add more pictures. I can where this a great learning experience for students and teacher since it gives them a chance to explore the tools of the site and also share their interests and ideas. I can definitely see myself using this in my own classroom one day even with this particular slide that I've created and expanding it into a lesson about Paris and its culture and language. I think this something that can be useful in a classroom when discussing certain topics and making the slides engaging to be able to get students interested in learning a topic. It would be a great platform to use as an assignment for students, perhaps even splitting them into groups to work on a project and make a video based on a specific topic. It is simple to use in terms of making your own video which I like since it might be something that younger students might interested in using when participating in a classroom presentation.

Using Voicethread fo the Classroom

This weeks assignment was about using Voicethread and learning how to create my own assignments for a potential ESL class that I would teach. For example I chose to do an assignment for a 9th grade ESL class. I started off by giving instructions on how to leave a comment on the Voicethread and also what the assignment was about. I decided to start off everyone by introducing themselves, where they're from, how long they've been in the united states, what languages they speak, and if they have visited any places or have wanted to visit any place in the world. I wanted to keep it direct and simple and have the students enjoy the time of learning about each other and practice their speaking skills along the way. I didn't really have any problems creating a voicethread, although I did have to record several times just because I didn't really like how it sounded before! Voicethread is a forum for students and teachers to create and have discussions based on assignments and specific topics given out in class, it lets anyone the ability to record comments through video, voice, or writing. It also gives the creator of a thread to post videos or images. I think it's also an opportunity for teachers and students to create a digital story with having feedback from their peers.

 I had the chance to visit two of my classmates voicethreads Alicia's and Jinsoo's. Alicia's thread was an interesting topic to use for an ESL classroom to get students to describe their differences and similarities of their schools and learning experience with their own countries and the u.s. I have had some personal experience with that when I was younger before moving to the united states and found the experience to be valuable. I thing it's a great way to get students to learn about each others experiences in education and also for teachers since it might get them some insight on a students learning background. Jinsoo's was also a great way to engage students in expressing their opinions on a story. It is a great way to get a class to have a particular discussion on language and learning. So far, I've enjoyed this weeks in depth experience with voicethread. I would definitly use it in my own classrooms one day, its an easy way to create an assignments based of students interests and get them to have a fun learning experience.

Bookr

So, I've decided to use Bookr to create my short story. Bookr is a platform where anyone can create a story book using images through Flickr. I based it off my hedgehog named Henry and his activities of the day and his favorite things. The reason I decided to create this type of story based on a hedgehogs day is to make it easy and simple for younger students or L2 learners to be able to enjoy it. It might be able to give them some confidence in being able to create their own stories based on their interests. One of the things I liked about the idea of bookr is to be able to get a group of students together to work on a project and collaborate on creating a story. It is also a great way to be able to get L2 learners to practice on creating sentences by creating stories out of the images that they choose. While using bookr I thought that it was relatively easy to use and create a story and thought that students would really enjoy the process of being able to create and publish their own stories. With using technology tools in a classroom I always prefer for it to be simple to use for students, since I don't want them to feel overwhelmed or turned off by any assignments that include tools like flickr, bookr, blogging etc. I think this would engage students and motivate them to work on using their imagination and even practice on their vocabulary, reading and their writing skills.

Digital Storytelling in Education

Digital Learning Network, a photo by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center on Flickr.
 

 Digital Storytelling is a gateway for students and teachers to be able to tell stories through images, text, and videos. According to 7 things you should know about digital story telling "Can be instructional, persuasive, historical, or reflective. The resources available to incorporate into digital story are virtually limitless, giving the storyteller enormous creative latitude." For example a great site that is a platform for digital story use if Flickr which gives you the ability to upload images and videos as well as search them in order to be able to post images in a blog. Flickr gives anyone member the ability to organize photos and videos so that they are easier to find. I think that with Flickr there are endless ways to be able to create and give students assignments. I definitely see myself using it in my own classrooms in the future, especially for second language learners. I've thought of giving students a chance to introduce themselves and tell a story about it a way to break get students to know each other better through the images that they share. It's also a great way to get students in groups and collaborate on a project. I see how important of a tool digital storytelling can be for anyone. It gets them involved in thinking about their environment and the the knowledge that they receive and share with others. Overall its a great way to engage students and teachers to use their imagination and be creative with their process of learning.

Games in an L2 Classroom

Since I have been talking about strategy games in my last post, I decided to play this online game called  Stop Disasters which its main objective is  to save lives  where a player would choose a scenario and try build and upgrade a community and house them all before a disaster occurs. A player is given a budget and a time limit on finishing their mission and housing the population and statistics are then shown after the game of what occurred in the disaster and survivors etc. I played it for quite sometime I failed on my first try. I think this type of game is a great way for students to build their strategic thinking skills and find ways to solve the problem of housing a certain amount of people in the game. As the game ends I like that it shows the newspaper and the mission report that the player can read to determine whether they've succeeded in housing the population. Although it's not one of those games that automatically works in terms of language context, I think it's a great game to use in a class or even outside of the classroom for students. I like that I can use it as a reading activity with the newspaper at the end of the game and have student discuss what their mission was for the game and what their end result was. It can even be turned into a writing activity where I can have students write a narrative of their experience of the game. I would ask them what they did to build the homes, hotels, hospitals and how they tried to achieve their goals in making the community safer from a type of disaster. I would also ask them the type of disaster that hit the community and how affected it. I think its important for students to have that kind simulating game where they feel engaged and interested in finishing a task. It gets them to learn about the different disasters and affects they can have in a community and provide a important discussion for any classroom.

Another game that isn't strategy but is I think is basic and simple start for students that aren't all too familiar with gaming is Rice. I've been playing  Free Rice  which as a game that donates 20 grains of rice to the world food program whenever a word is defined correctly. I've been playing this game for some time and has been a little bit addicting.What I like about this game is that it has different levels for students to work with and it is a simple and easy game to follow for students. It gives a chance for ESL students to stay engaged in the game by earning points every time they get a word correctly and contribute to donating rice to fight hunger. This can be a game that can be played in class or outside of the classroom. This is a great game for anyone to work on their vocabulary. This definitely a game I would use in my own classroom, especially working with students one on one with their vocabulary or even break them up into groups and who ever gains the most points in donating rice earns a badge or extra points towards their grade. It's a great way for students to work together and build their confidence in learning a new language. This game gives anyone a great sense of accomplishment in what they've learned and the fact that they've helped fighting hunger makes it important. As someone learning to be a teacher, I think incorporating games in a classroom can prove to be helpful as long as they aren't so complex that students have a hard time following the subject. 

Learning What is Gamification

Gamification is used to engage and motivate students of all ages in particular subject areas. I've always known and used certain games outside of classes as a younger student; since I wasn't so great in math or science computer games were pretty popular in my learning process. I see where today it can be so important to students who may either be struggling in a subject or just don't have any interest in what they're learning in a class. Using gamification is a great way to get student interested in learning and gives students a sense of competition to always challenge themselves. 7 Things You Should Know About Gamification gives several good points about how gamification works in academic environments. Stating that "Gamification offers instructors numerous creative opportunities to enliven their instruction with contests, leader boards, or badges that give students opportunities for recognition and a positive attitude toward their work." The article  presents some interesting  reasons why they work so well for some students and other students may struggle even more with the addition of gamification into a classroom. Their concern is that gamification would makes learning a subject more complex than it already is, and if a student is already struggling in a classroom it may completely turn them off. I think that teachers should be alert in the types of games they would be using for a classroom. I like the idea of breaking students into teams and having them work and collaborate in gaining points or earn badges. This creates an environment where students are driven to work and get a sense of accomplishment when end up in a new level of gaming. It also works for shy students since it would bring them out of their shell and give them a chance to participate in a group environment.

One example of  a style of gaming is a strategy game where players  have the ability for decision making in order to determine the outcome of what they want to achieve with a particular game. What strategy games work on is getting the player to think internally of their decisions as well as creating this awareness of what and how they should play the game as they go along. For example a simulation game is a great way to get players to think about their decisions and process it in a similar manner as if it were a real world situation. Most of the simulation strategic games are meant to reflect real-world consequences. One those games would be 3rd World Farmer which relates to world hunger and poverty where a player works in the decision making of sanitation, education, infrastructure and where the player makes choices of the crops, livestock, and tools needed or used for a farm. This game is fairly easy to follow even with or without instructions although I would start students out by giving them an example of how I played my game and also show them how it can be used. This game is a great example of creating a sense of awareness in the player bases on the type of situations they encounter throughout the game and the measures they have to take to achieve their goals. I think simulation games are great to bring into a classroom since it provides a way for students and teachers to discuss on important subject matter. I think this type of game will get students to be engaged in their learning experience. I would create an assignment where they would play the game several times and get them to discuss the type of crops they used, animals, and housing in the farm. It gets them to build their thinking and decision making skills as well as practice their writing skills when given an assignment such as this. I can see them building their vocabulary as well by learning what's on the Farm such as "Pig", "Chickens", and Crops such as "corn" etc. I think this a great way to get them interested in learning the language and to discuss their experiences playing the game.

Using Twitter: Microblogging

This week, I've been able to look through several blogs on the topic of twitter. As I was making another twitter account for this class, I found that I wasn't really taking advantage of the opportunities twitter could offer in my learning experience. I already had a personal twitter account that I barely used and had thought whats the point? I was necessarily getting much out of it beside the occasional article that I'd find. As I had set up my account for this class and started following other educators, I really started to see why twitter was so important to our learning experience. This new for of micro-blogging allows us to be able to share and exchange information and knowledge in small contents.  As it states in Wikipedia, micro-blogging is a way to post about topics that can range from a simple "What am I doing right now?" to more specific or thematic such as ESL. A Teacher's Guide To The Use of Twitter gave me several ideas on the use of twitter in a classroom. Even though I had previously used twitter in an undergrad class for question/answer assignments. The blog displayed some interesting steps on ways to use twitter as a networking platform. I thought the idea of even getting parents involved in the twitter process as useful in keeping them informed on assignments and would give them the opportunity to ask questions as well. Teachers and Students will get a great challenge in figuring out what to use in a 140 characters. It can go as far as being used for an ESL assignment and getting students to create sentences in a 140 characters or under.Students will be able to work on developing their writing, communication, and critical thinking skills through discussions on readings or assignments. Langwitches also gives a nice break down on why twitter works so well  for younger students in a classroom. I can see how it would be effective to use with the middle school and high school students and getting them to go beyond the routine of what they're doing at that moment and be able to instead think and create a real discussion on classroom topics. As Teachers we're providing students with the skills to be able to build a network and finding strategies to share and connect with other global communities. As knowledge changes every day it keeps them current on learning the new information and techniques on any topic that may be of interest to both students and teachers. As a student I see the benefits of using it for my current learning as well as being able to using in the future for professional networking. I think so far by following other educators I've read so many interesting articles on topics of learning. Twitter keeps things simple and it gets right to the point and the specifics of a topic.

Learning to Network: Ning

One of the networking sites that I explored was Ning. It is a networking site where people are able to create and customize their own website by having the ability to have blogs,videos, forums, and integrate their site with Facebook, Google, Yahoo, and Twitter. It works for anyone who wants to able to create a platform where people are able to share ideas and knowledge. They are able to build their own online community based on a specific topic of interest. Ning actually lets service members charge their customers through their site and has three different plans for its members as well.
 One of the features that I like is that people have the ability to integrate with twitter and Facebook and anyone can join the groups through both of these social networking site. One of the forums that caught my attention was the NCTE Assembly for ESL/English Language Learners it's a group targeted at promoting the understanding of ESL/English Learners of all ages. It works at informing teachers, students, etc. on ways to aid ESL students and also teachers in how to provide a better teach the academic language and content. They also provide sessions in getting students to develop their academic language and literacy in content areas. I think its a great way ESL teachers to share their perspective and experience in how to able to better serve ESL students in their learning as well as being able to get teachers to learn how they will be able to help their students in their language development. I like the idea that I might be able to use a site like this where I'm able to discuss different ways of being able to teach an ESL classroom and be able to find sessions that I can attend to enhance my learning as a teacher. Networking sites like this gives teachers and students the ability to experiment with different ideas and exchange information with a global community. It's having the ability to connect with other teachers going through similar experiences. According to Alan Levin's New Media Consortium "It's always important in tapping into our sense of willing to experiment, play, and try new things." In other words being a teacher or a student is all about being able to get out of our usual comfort zone of learning and being able to  try and experiment with the tools we are given, such as a networking site. Being able to improve our knowledge in teaching and keeping an open mind about what is out there for us to learn and improve on. It's about sharing our knowledge and our creativeness and getting feedback from others and again going back creating something even better.I can definitely see myself joining an ESL forum as a new teacher to be able to take tips from other teachers to better my experience and my students experience in their learning. I can also see being able to create my own network and gather teachers and students around the globe to have an open discussion about any number of topics in teaching the English language and what we can do to improve the way we can help students to become confident and interested in their language learning. Its a great way for anyone to build a network and create and recreate information and knowledge.

A Learner is Like a....

SPONGE!! When I was looking through those videos and reading George Seimens Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age I thought a sponge; because in this digital age students absorb so much information with each other through networking.  A learner is open to adapt and evolve and continually learn new information every day. In this digital age a learner is forming new networks through their, work, school, and social sites that allow them to interact with people all over the world.  Network is the new form of gaining new knowledge!

In George Seimens Connectivism: A Learning Theory  for the Digital Age He explores the idea of connectivism as learning elements that aren't entirely based on individual learning. But explains that it is an outside of ourselves learning experience; and that "the connections that enable us  to learn more are more important than our current state of knowing" As information changes everyday, we must change our ways of learning and skill in order to keep up with the world. I think its important for students and teachers alike to take advantage of all the opportunities technology has to offer to us. If teacher's don't keep up with the learning styles of students and their world of technology then they would not only be letting students down but themselves as well. It poses as a great learning experience for anyone who is willing to come up with creative ways of learning and for those who aren't so great with technology social networking is a great start to being able to put themselves out there and learn something new every day.

I think Seimens sums it all up very well in The Network is the Learning when he says that "What we know today is not as important as our ability to stay current, so if what I know today is going to change; because knowledge changes rapidly, if I'm not continually learning I' becoming obsolete in my particular field or particular knowledge space." This is why learners are like sponges they're constantly learning, reworking, and creating ideas and absorbing other's learner's ideas and experiencing it for themselves. A Learner can now go on the internet search Google, Wikipedia,etc. and find out anything they'd like to learn any time and any where. And interacting and the sharing of information through social networks has become that much more important for us.

IPADS for Second Language Learners

So, this week I've read through several educational blogs for the mod4 assignment. One of the blogs that stood out to me and I commented on was languagemoments blog by Phil Wade. Because I plan to eventually teach ESL in the future and the fact that I had recently been curious on the use of iPads in classrooms, I read his  post Apps n' Dogme in which he discusses his experience in the use of iPads in a TOEFL class. He gives some good insight and tips on the apps that work with iPads and can be used for students to practice their vocabulary, speaking, and writing. There were two in particular, he mentioned he had used in his TOEFL class, that I thought could be useful to use in a future ESL classroom. The quizlet app can be downloaded on an iPhone or iPad where you can either  find or create lessons for students to work on. Another is scoopit where someone can curate any number of topics; such as the TOEFL links displayed with sites to practice tests and vocabulary tips and lessons etc. What I like about the iPads is it saves on making copies of handouts. Teachers can save teaching materials easily on an iPad. It can also be used to have students watch videos to practice on their speaking and listening skills. It's one of the tools that I'm looking forward to use in future classrooms. I have yet to try it out myself for  either personal or educational use. There are some great advantages to the tools an iPad provides. The free apps are helpful to some extent and it will engage students in working on practicing the language. The one thing that does concern me with iPads is students playing on it, rather than working on their lessons. There would need to be a great amount of supervision to make sure they're really working. Maybe an iPad could be helpful in using it to work with an ESL student one on one, where a teacher can focus on specific lessons that a student needs to improve on.

A New Age of Learning...

It's All about Paying Attention... These days we can all say that technology plays a big part in our daily lives. Whether it is for personal use or academic use we're constantly connected to the rest of the world. Whether we realize it or not technology is only seeping into our lives more and more every day. So why not take the time and use it to our advantage??? In the past couple days I've watched several of the videos that were suggested on the syllabus and about three videos really jumped out at me. It's not everyday that you fully realize that; wow look how far I've come in using technology!! But today seems to be one of those days that really made me think how much I use my phone and computer and boy do I use it a lot! I use to research and read my news online, watch videos, and connect with loved ones overseas. It's fascinating and exciting to think how many ways that it can affect our lives. In some ways it also brings a shiver down my spine because we seem to depend on it so much. All these videos  aim at the idea that we're entering or at least have entered an age of digital learners.  We have these powerful tools but don't necessarily use them to the full extent that they should be used. In Pay Attention its a message that is directed to motivate teachers to use technology to engage students in a class subject. It asks the questions of how can we use technology to help students create? How can we engage them in being motivated to learn. For them its about giving students and teachers the opportunity to learn to understand ,and analyze and create new ideas every day by using technology. And why not use these amazing and powerful tools as teachers to our advantage?

 Everyone has a different style of learning...  I can say for myself I'm definitely a visual learner, which is why I think for me technology has become a big part of my learning. There are plenty of students who are Visual learners, Auditory learners,  Read and Write learners and Kinesthetic learners. Technology can satisfy all of these learning styles. There are so many tools that we can use to learn from and we can teach students how to effectively use google,youtube, podcasts, itunesU, etc to research and gain knowledge on a subject. They can connect with other students around the world and discuss with them a particular subject they're learning in class just as in the Networked Student we are creating this community of connectivism. We are here to teach students to learn to differentiate between scholarly articles and facts against what is pure opinion. And that they someday can take all that they've learned and apply to the real world one day. I like the idea that we can create this anytime learning, where we can gain access to lectures and articles by some of the best professors in the world. I think that we shouldn't take these learning opportunities for granted. It is our job to create a balance in the use of technology in class and traditional teaching methods as well. I think as long as there is balance students will always have the opportunity to become well rounded individuals!

The Big Wake Up Call...Some may call this a social media revolution, and I guess in some ways it is. Anyone, anywhere can use their cellphones, ipods, ipads, laptop and create a blog, join a group, use the search engine, and connect with others worldwide.  And that is the beauty of technology, we can embark on new learning adventures everyday from wherever we are in the this world. The wake up call in this really, is that it affects our lives in so many ways, and we have to know that it can either be good or bad. It's our choice to take action and create an environment where we can use technology without having to completely and totally be dependent on it and learn to think for ourselves and use our imagination.

Several Ways I can use Blogging in a Second Language Classroom:

Reading Will Richardson's "Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Tools for Classrooms" gave me some pretty good insight for someone like me who is new to the world of teaching. I like that it allows students and teachers to fully discuss assignments and readings through blogging. It gives the students who can be relatively shy in class to be able to be comfortable in discussing their opinions and reflections on assignments in their blogs. As someone who was an ESL student I think I would have benefited from that. Since I myself was an extremely shy student, I was always nervous about speaking out in class and wasn't entirely comfortable in asking the questions I wanted to ask or even express my opinions. I do believe that there are students who are in the exact position that I used to been in and blogging presents an excellent opportunity for them to build confidence in their English Language skills. We also need to make sure that we create a safe online environment and educate students and parents on the safety uses for online blogging. Teachers and parents must supervise students since the internet is so open to the rest of the world. One idea that I liked from the readings for an ESL Classroom is posting assignments that would get students to work on their vocabulary and grammar. I would also get students to reflect on readings based on their English proficiency. They would be able to fully express themselves and their opinions. Another use for blogging is as a teacher being able to create additional links and sources (being able to connect with students with English as their native language) for students to use in order to work on improving their Vocabulary, Grammar, and Speaking skills. One of the sites that is helpful in determining NewYork State learning standards for ESL students that I think is helpful is NYLearns it explains the levels of standards for English as a Second Language from K-12 by using standard performance indicators, what grade level, and the subject area. I decided to post two standards that are used for English as a Second Language:

Standard 1: Students will listen, speak, read, and write in English information and understanding.

• Students Learning English as a second language will use English to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information for content area learning and personal use. They will develop and use skills and strategies appropriate to their level of English proficiency to collect data, facts, and ideas, discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts.

Standard 2: Students will listen, speak, read, and write in  English for literary response, enjoyment, and expression.

• Students learning English as a second language will use English for self-expression, artistic creation, and participation in popular culture. They will develop and use skills and strategies appropriate to their level of English proficiency to listen, to read, and respond to oral, written, and electronically produced texts and performances. Relate texts and performances to their own lives, and other works, and develop understanding of diverse social, historical, and cultural dimensions texts and performances present.

  In general I like that it creates a "collaborative learning experience" that Richardson presents in the chapters. It's an excellent learning experience for both teachers and students and gives students a chance to get interested in a subject and fully immerse in their assignments and discussions with one another.

http://nylearns.org/default.aspx
http://www.p12.nysed.gov/biling/resource/ESL/06PerInd.pdf