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Education Dive
Teachers strategize to keep English learners engaged during COVID-19 crisis
Shawna De La Rosa
March 31, 2020
Dive Brief:
Kentucky teacher Cheri Mann is one of numerous educators nationwide
using unique strategies to keep recently immigrated students engaged in
learning during coronavirus shutdowns, Chalkbeat reports. Rather than
sending students a surplus of emails, Mann creates a daily spreadsheet
and walks through the lessons by phone, in addition to sending links to
assignments by phone to those who don’t have computer access.
Mann said the transition to online learning can be overwhelming for
students, teachers and parents, but it’s particularly challenging for
English learners who are already struggling to adapt. Teachers,
however, are going above and beyond by doing everything from delivering
hotspots to hosting Sunday video chats.
Chicago teacher Nancy Serrano told Chalkbeat the intent is to make sure
these students still feel included, as ELL students may fall behind
without in-person instruction.
Dive Insight:
Districts with more resources and technology are better prepared for
this type of interruption. In Forsyth County, Georgia, where only 15%
of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, the district can
hand out hot spots for students who need them, and an existing
multilingual messaging app helps keep parents informed.
Equity and access are additional concerns when it comes to online
learning caused by coronavirus closures. Colin Seale, an attorney and
educator, writes in Forbes that current education practices already
fail to provide ELL students with equal access to education. The
transition to online learning could put ELL students even further
behind.
For ELLs, online learning may be inequitable because parents won’t be
able to help. Seale suggests changing job responsibilities of staff to
meet these needs. Teachers of ELL students must also iron out the
closed-captioning modifications in online learning.
In Colorado, Colorin’ Colorado, an educational resource for ELLs and
their educators, urges educators to reach out to Englishe learners'
families to keep them engaged during this confusing time. The site
reminds schools to also keep families informed about the virus itself.
Sharing information on how the virus spreads, social distancing and
what to do if you are sick are important for communities that get much
for their information through the school system.
Students who are still in school should be getting information on
preventative measures, and families should be made aware about the
vulnerability of grandparents or older relatives, many of whom live in
the households in large extended families.
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