Using a Blended Classroom to Support
English Language Learners
By: Matt Whistle
In the US, immigrant communities
make up major portions of both
urban and suburban populations.
Children from these communities
often do not speak much English in
the home and so are at a
disadvantage when it comes to
achievement in public education. As
schools determine what it means to
offer their students a 21st century
education, they may have access to
cutting edge tools, technologies,
and strategies for teaching their
traditional students. However, ways
to use 21st century technology to
educate English language learners
(ELs) have been explored
significantly less. I teach high school
science in a suburb of Columbus
with relatively large population of
Somali, Nepali, and Eritrean
refugees.
The scholastic experience of these
students varies greatly, but most
participate in sheltered EL learning
environments that consist of highly
differentiated classes, emphasising
vocabulary, hands-on activities, and
visual aids.As it is in a large, well
performing district, the school has
access to a number of 21st century
devices and services, like 1:1
Chromebooks, Gizmo lab
simulations, and Schoology, of which
mainstream classes take advantage
on a daily basis. The goal of my
research was to develop a sample
unit of curriculum that took a
collection of these strategies and
implemented them in my ESL
(English as Second Language)
Physical Science classroom. As a part
of my research, I presented two
versions of the same curricular