ESL/EFL Methods 1

Course Project
Biography-Driven Practices Rubric

Name
Date

Segundo Casacumba
07/26/2015

School or Site

Lee Elementary School

Total # of Students

20

ELL Languages
Spanish
Chinese
Other

# of
Student
s

Topic
Grade Level(s)
Content Area(s)
Age Level of Students

Ecuador
4th
Geography
7

Classroom Environment / Setup

Rows w/individual desks
Groups w/3 to 5 desks
Pairs w/2 desks

Strategy Implemented
Active Bookmarks
All in the Box
All on my Clipboard
Consequence Wheel

Mini Novela
Pic-Tac-Tell
Picture This
Pictures & Words

Mind Maps
Magic Book
Word Drop
Listen Sketch Label

DOTS Chart

Relevance Scale

Vocabulary Quilt

Extension Wheel
Foldables
Heart Activity
IDEA

Story Bag
Three Facts & an Opinion
Thumb Challenge
Tri-Fold

Linking Language
U-C-ME
Other

Any other comments: we didnt have enough time to develop the whole class as we planned at the beginning.
Kansas State University, CIMA

ESL/EFL Methods

In order to critically reflect upon the lesson, please use the

following questions as a guide.
Opening [ACTIVATE] (5-6 sentences minimum response)
Use the following questions as a guide to formulate your answers:

What did you do at the beginning of the lesson to make

connections to your students backgrounds/biographies and
preview key vocabulary?
In order to establish the students background we ask a set of questions
about Ecuador. To illustrate, we ask them about the language that we speak,
the color of our flag, the name of our country and so on. Additionally, we ask
for the students name and wrote their names on a piece of paper in order to
identify each one of the students. All these with the objective of activate the
students prior knowledge, academic knowledge, and fund knowledge.

How did you document this information? How was this

documentation process embedded in the instructional process?
When we knew the students background we realize that they already know most
of the vocabulary which we are going to develop for that class. So, we work
based on the students knowledge.

Work Time [CONNECT] (5-6 sentences minimum response)

What actions did you take throughout the lesson to utilize the
information gained from the pre-assessment to further promote
vocabulary, comprehension, and the development of higher-order
thinking skills? What intentional actions did you take DURING the
lesson to facilitate comprehension and provide students with
opportunities for meaningful interaction?
We already know that students have information about Ecuador because the
other group have already taught them. And we refresh that leaning in the
activation part. So we presented to students a series of slides on power point
about Ecuador, and while, we were presenting them the slides, we were asking
questions and making an interaction with students. Additionally we provide
students with the opportunity for meaningful comprehension while, they made
relationship with the new thing that we were presenting with some that they
already knew. For instance when we discussing about the famous sport in
Ecuador a student make a connection with soccer because it was his favorite
sport.

Closing [AFFIRM] (5-6 sentences minimum response)

Kansas State University, CIMA

ESL/EFL Methods

How did you use what you had learned to focus on any remaining
gaps in the students understanding? What steps did you take to
affirm what had been learned by students?
When students didnt understand something we were capable to explain again in
order to avoid remaining gaps. As exemplification, when students felt a little bit
confuse when we explain the location of Ecuador we repeated again using other
words with the purpose of avoid misunderstanding. In order to assess what
students had been learned, we ask for students to explain in front of the class
about their new knowledge about the key vocabulary learned. In some cases
when students were not able to remember all then we provided them some help.

Kansas State University, CIMA

ESL/EFL Methods

1. Personally reflect on whether the strategy supported you to address

the specific academic and linguistic needs of the students (e.g., Did it
provide you with insights about students academic and linguistic
needs? If so, how? Do you think it benefited your students? If so, in
what ways? What would you change and why?).
In our case we use the Vocabulary Quilt, and I think that it was really
useful to develop the academic part in students. Additionally, it allows
students interaction and they respond perfectly using their language
to express their opinions, feelings and learnings. The students were
capable to acquire new knowledge about Ecuador and also expand
their vocabulary because some of the words that we use were in
Spanish and there were no translation. So the Vocabulary Quilt was a
meaningful strategy for students.
2. As you implemented the strategy, how did it give you insights
regarding the instructional processes of the students? How did it
support you to promote higher-order thinking skills among students?
Give specific examples. (If it did not support you in these ways, what
would you do differently to promote higher-order thinking skills?)
The Vocabulary Quilt allows the teacher an overview of the students
leanings because it the teacher is capable to recognize when a student
is working and how engage the student are. Additionally with this
strategy the teacherprovokes students critical thinking because the
student interacts actively making and answering questions. As
example, when we were talking about the animal that we could found
in the different regions of Ecuador, some of the students start to make
a relationship with the animals in the U. S. and other start to
questioning about the giant turtles of the Galapagos island, that shows
a clear understanding and thought-provoking.
3. How did the strategy support you to create opportunities for studentled academic conversations? (If it did not support you in this way, what
would you do differently to help students develop the ability to hold
academic conversations with peers?)
The Vocabulary Quilt allows teacher organize students using i+TPSI, in
this way the students have the opportunities to interact each other and
share their believes, thoughts, opinions, learnings and so on. Moreover
the students in the class are learning new vocabulary, in fact academic
vocabulary, so that it really helpful for students since they are using a
high use of language and they are developing their speaking skills.

Kansas State University, CIMA

ESL/EFL Methods

PART B DUE AUG 9

4. Review the Biography-Driven Practices (BDP) rubric and do the
following:
1) Rate yourself on the continuum (Not-observed to Integrating) by
either highlighting or typing your placement for each indicator of
the five standards.
2) Choose one indicator from each of the five standards. For each of
the selected indicators, give examples/evidence (2-3 examples)
from your teaching to illustrate how you implemented that indicator
in the classroom.
For instance, for Joint Productive Activity you might say
something like:
LE:
I rated myself as Enacting.
During the activation phase of the DOTS Chart strategy, I allowed
students to use their native language or English to record their
ideas. Students worked in small groups throughout the class period
and exchanged information on their individual DOTS charts to add
ideas regarding the vocabulary words. Throughout the lesson, I
highlighted different student examples for the class. These
intentional actions helped me create a low-risk learning
environment that also allowed me to formatively assess my
students.
*Note: The complete BDP rubric is attached.

I. Joint Productive Activity

Not Observed

Emerging
The teacher:

LE

A.

No evidence of a
respectful learning
environment

A.

Developing
The teacher:

Creates an
A.
environment that
respects students
as individual
learners

Creates a culturally
and linguistically
respectful learning
environment

Kansas State University, CIMA

Enacting
The teacher:
A.

Creates a low-risk lear

environment that value
diverse perspectives

ESL/EFL Methods
No collaboration
between teacher
and students

TC

B.

TPSI

C. Students work
independently of
one another

PGD

D. Pair or group
D. Pair or group
D. Pair or group students
students based on
students based on
based on two or three
random grouping or
one dimensions of
dimensions of the CLD
student selfthe CLD student
student biography
selection
biography

D. Pair or group students b

on two or three dimens
of the CLD student biog
as appropriate for th
task/activity

AC

E.

E.

No connections
between the
activity and the
lesson

B. Collaborates with
students but no
evidence of a joint
product

B. Collaborates with
B.
whole class to create a
joint product or
students collaborate on
a joint product in pairs
or small groups

C. Provides minimal
opportunities for
student
interaction

C. Provides occasional
structured
opportunities for
student interaction

E.

Makes minimal
E.
connections
between the
strategy/activity and
the lesson

Makes occasional
relevant connections
between the
strategy/activity and
the lesson

Collaboratively guide
small groups of stude
especially those that ne
higher levels of supp
to create joint products

C. Provides frequent
structured opportunitie
purposeful student
interaction

Frequently uses insig

from the strategy/activ
make connections affir
learning, or modify
instruction as neede

Notes:

LE= Learning Environment TC= Teacher Collaboration TPSI= Total Group, Partner, Small Group, Individual
Activity Connections
Adapted from CREDE (1999) Standards for Effective Pedagogy and Learning

Kansas State University, CIMA

PGD

ESL/EFL Methods

II. Language & Literacy Development

Not Observed

Emerging

The teacher provides:

Listening, speaking,
reading, & writing
(LSRW) activities
with minimal
opportunities for
students
academic
language
development

Developing

The teacher provides:

Enacting
The teacher provides:

LSRW

A.

Instruction is
dominated by
teacher talk and
students are
passive listeners

A.

QRM

B.

No use of
questioning (Q),
rephrasing (R), or
modeling (M) to
assist language
and literacy
development

B. Minimal use of Q,
R, or M to assist
language and
literacy
development

L1

C. No evidence of
C. Minimal evidence
C. Occasional
native language in
of native language
opportunities for
environment or
in environment
students to use their
instruction
and/or instruction
native language
during the lesson

C. Frequent, explicit,
purposeful opportuni
for students to use the
native language during
lesson in ways that
support academic
learning

LBK

D. No references to
students prior
knowledge and
background
experiences
related to
language and
literacy
development*

D. Frequent references t
prior knowledge and
background experience
related to academic
language and literacy
development*

D. Minimal references
to prior knowledge
and background
experiences related
to language and
literacy
development*

A.

L, S, R, & W activities
with occasional
opportunities for
students academic
language development

B.

Occasional use of Q, R, B.
or M to assist language
and literacy
development

D. Occasional references
to prior knowledge and
background
experiences related to
language and literacy
development*

A.

Frequent opportunitie
student expression a
academic language
development in activit
that integrate L, S, R,

Frequent use of
purposeful Q, R, and
assist language and lit
development

Notes:

*PA = Phonemic Awareness; P = Phonics; V = Vocabulary; F = Fluency; C = Comprehension

LSRW = Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing

QRM = Questioning, Rephras
LBK = Background Knowledge of Language/Literacy
Adapted from CREDE (1999) Standards for Effective Pedagogy and Learning

Kansas State University, CIMA

ESL/EFL Methods

III. Contextualization
Not Observed

Emerging

The teacher:
BK3

A.

No preassessment of
students
academic
knowledge about
the topic

A.

Conducts preassessment of
only students
academic
knowledge about
the topic

A/CL

B.

Focus is solely on
content delivery

B. Provides minimal
opportunities for
students to share
with peers contentrelated connections
to their background
knowledge

BIO

C. New information is C. Makes minimal

presented in an
connections
abstract,
between students
disconnected
sociocultural,
manner
linguistic,
cognitive, and
academic
dimensions and
new academic
concepts

Developing

The teacher:

Enacting
The teacher:

A.

Conducts preA.
assessment of students
funds of knowledge,
prior knowledge, and
academic knowledge
about the topic or key
content vocabulary

Conducts pre-assessm
that provides all stude
the opportunity to
share/document thei
funds of knowledge, pr
knowledge, and acade
knowledge about the t
or key content vocabul

B.

Provides occasional
opportunities for
students to share with
peers content-related
connections to their
background knowledge

Provides frequent
opportunities for stude
share/document thei
content-related connec
to their background
knowledge and
purposefully
listens/observes as
students share/docu

C. Makes occasional
connections between
students sociocultural,
linguistic, cognitive,
and academic
dimensions and the
new academic concepts

B.

C. Makes frequent and

purposeful connectio
between students
individual biographi
including what was lea
about their knowledge
experiences from hom
community, and schoo
the new academic con

Notes:

BK3 = Funds of Knowledge (family), Prior Knowledge (community), Academic Knowledge (school)
Biography Connections
Adapted from CREDE (1999) Standards for Effective Pedagogy and Learning

Kansas State University, CIMA

A/CL = A

ESL/EFL Methods

IV. Challenging Activities

Not Observed

Emerging

Teacher instruction
and strategy use:

Developing

Teacher instruction and

strategy use:

ACOM A.

No
accommodations
for linguistic or
academic levels

A.

Provides minimal
accommodations
based on students
linguistic and
academic levels

A.

Provides occasional,
structured
accommodations based
on students linguistic
and academic levels

CO/LO B.

Makes no reference
to lesson objectives

B.

Includes verbally
B. Includes verbally stated
stated or posted
and posted content
lesson objectives
and language
that reflect
objectives that reflect
content
content standards
standards

Enacting
Teacher instruction and
strategy use:
A.

Provides frequent,
structured accommoda
based on students ling
and academic levels th
build upon culture-bo
patterns of knowing
learning, and applyin

B. Includes content and

language objectives th
are verbally stated and
posted, (2) reflect con
and language standa
and (3) are revisited
during the lesson

S/E

C. Strategies/activities
are not aligned to
standards and do
not reflect
expectations

C. Includes strategies/ C. Includes strategies/

activities that are
activities that are
aligned to
aligned to standards
standards and
and that reflect clear
that reflect
expectations
vague
expectations

C. Includes challenging
strategies/ activities th
aligned to standards an
that reflect clear
expectations

AF

D. Does not consider

students states of
mind/affective filter

D. Minimally attends
to students states
of mind/affective
filter

D. Occasionally monitors
students states of
mind/affective filter and
adjusts instruction
accordingly

D. Frequently monitors
students states of
mind/affective filter an
adjusts instructional
conditions accordingl

FB

E.

E.

E.

E.

Provides no
feedback on
student
performance

Provides minimal
feedback on
student
performance

Provides occasional
feedback on student
performance to
confirm/disconfirm
learning

Provides frequent feed

on student performanc
confirm/disconfirm lear
and to advance stude
learning

Notes:

ACOM = Accommodations CO/LO = Content Objectives & Language Objectives

S/E = Sta
FB = Feedback (formative assessment)
Adapted from CREDE (1999) Standards for Effective Pedagogy and Learning

Kansas State University, CIMA

ESL/EFL Methods

10

V. Instructional Conversation
Not Observed

Emerging

With individuals and

small groups of
students, the teacher:

Developing

With individuals and small

groups of students, the
teacher:

Enacting

With individuals and small

groups of students, the te

ESTK

A.

Lecture
predominates

A.

Uses questioning
to elicit student
talk

A.

Elicits student talk with

questioning, listening,
and rephrasing

A.

KTU

B. Teacher responds
in ways that
validate students

B.

Responds in ways
that minimally
promote higherorder thinking
and individual
connections from
the known to the
unknown

B.

Responds in ways that

occasionally promote
higher-order thinking
and individual
connections from the
known to the unknown

B. Responds in ways that

frequently promote h
order thinking and indi
connections from the k
to the unknown

BICS/
CALP

C. Teacher
C. Uses BICS and/or
conversation is not
CALP to discuss
on topic
the content/topic;
provides minimal
opportunities for
academic talk
among students

C. Uses CALP to discuss

the content/topic and
provides occasional
opportunities for
academic talk,
including use of key
content vocabulary,
among students

C. Provides frequent
opportunities for acade
talk, including use of k
content vocabulary, in
the teacher bridges
between student tal
and academic langu

REV

D. Incorporates no
revoicing of
students learning

D. Includes minimal
revoicing of
learning, limited to
repeating
students words

D. Includes occasional
revoicing of learning,
limited to repeating
and/or rephrasing

D. Includes frequent rev

of learning that challe
students to solidify
expand upon connec
to the academic con
and vocabulary

SAV

E.

E.

E.

E.

Does not invite

students to
articulate their
views/judgments/
processes

Provides minimal
opportunities for
students to
articulate their
views/
judgments/processe
s

Provides occasional
opportunities for
students to articulate
their views/
judgments/processes
and provide
rationales

Elicits student talk with

questioning, listening,
rephrasing, and explic
modeling of turn-tak
and questioning
structures

Provides frequent,
purposeful opportuni
for students to articula
their
views/judgments/proce
and provide rationales

Notes:

ESTK = Eliciting Student Talk

KTU = Known to Unknown BICS/CALP = Basic Interpersonal Communication
Proficiency
REV = Revoicing
SAV = Stude
Adapted from CREDE (1999) Standards for Effective Pedagogy and Learning

Kansas State University, CIMA

ESL/EFL
Methods

Biography-Driven Practices Rubric

I.

Joint Productive Activity

AC:
I rated myself as Enacting.
In the activation face we as a teachers provide the opportunity to
students to show their background knowledge. The Vocabulary Quilt
strategy allow us that students work with their background knowledge.
We can realize, they already know some of the words presented in the
Vocabulary Quilt, as illustration we have the language, the flag, and so
on. In that situation we make a connection by asking students about it.
Another evidence to support this rate is when we identified the students
assets and we modify instruction because we realize that they already
know something about our topic. So it was easier to present the key
words in the vocabulary Quilt.
II.

Language & Literacy Development

QRM:
I rated myself as Emerging.
During the activation phase of the vocabulary Quilt strategy, I was not
able to give students the total opportunity to ask question, when they
tried to ask something, I just approve their questions and I was not able
to answer because we dont have enough time and I had in mind just pass
as soon as possible. Additionally, Rephrasing was limited because the
time became a problem, and I just try to explain everything but just one
time. At this point we need to improve our teaching by giving students
the same opportunities to clarify their blanks.
III.

Contextualization

BK3:
I rated myself as Enacting.
During the connection phase of the vocabulary Quilt strategy, I take
advantage of the students background knowledge. At this point some
students use their academic knowledge about our topic, and that was
because they already learned about Ecuador. So, some of them use that
academic knowledge for answering some questions. Another example
that supports my rate is when a student make a connection using their
Funds of Knowledge, at the moment when He told us that his favorite spot
was soccer as the same of Ecuadorians. In those cases we can notice that
we were activating the students background knowledge.
IV.

Challenging Activities
FB:

I rated myself as Developing.

Kansas State University, CIMA

11

ESL/EFL
Methods

Biography-Driven Practices Rubric

During this phase of the vocabulary Quilt strategy, I try to know what the
students learned by applying a formative assessment. I rate myself in
Developing because I need to improve offering feedback to the students.
For instance, we try to give students the opportunity to clarify and
exposed that they acquired but it happened with minimal opportunities,
because we hadnt enough time. So we dont offer a real feedback in
order to clarify students gaps. Other example, which we can mention is
when students wanted to express something by themselves. And we
dont give them the opportunities to clarify their misunderstandings.
V.

Instructional Conversation

BICS/ CALP: I rated myself as Enacting.

During this last phase of the vocabulary Quilt strategy. I give the
opportunity to students to show their new knowledge using BICS and
CALP. As illustration, at the end of the lesson the student were capable to
use CALP to show their new vocabulary by exposing in front of their
classmates. Also I can mention that in some cases the student didnt
remember specifically the word that they learned, but they used BICS to
explain the meaning of the words in your own words. In those cases we
could notice that they were capable to apply academic and basic
vocabulary to demonstrate their learnings. Thats the reason for my rate
like Enacting.

Kansas State University, CIMA

12