Symbols in ESL Teaching Beyond Snapshots of Nouns

Symbols in ESL Teaching – Beyond Snapshots of Nouns 1. 2 Presented By: Bogdan Pospielovsky www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

May 13 th – 15 th • See new technologies • Network with professionals from across Canada • Learn from educational and assistive technology leaders • Discover UDL strategies • Experience Technology hands on. www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Educ. ATe Content – Canadian curriculum in AT tools, templates, tutorials, tip sheets Courses – How to, application of AT, requests Community – build learning communities, post events and news www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Introducing Youdle www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Introducing the Youdle Box www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

How to Learn More • Subscribe to Blog • Free Info Sessions • Bridges’ to Learning Conference • Web based live Software Demos • Bridges Loan Pool – Switches – Communication Aids – Mounts etc. www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Outline of Presentation • Look at differences between symbols, realia and pictures • How to use Symbols to support growth of BICS and CALP • Overview of using the symbol based software in support of BICS and CALP • Drawing on Research by: – Chris Abbot (Symbols Now, 2000) – Tina and Mike Dethridge (Literacy Through Symbols, 2002) www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Types of Technology Closed Curriculum www. bridges-canada. com Multi-Media Authoring Task Based Tools 1 -800 -353 -1107

Simple Line Drawings Widgit Literacy Symbols (WLS) • Designed with a focus on literacy • Over 10, 000 symbols available from Widgit Software www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Pictures vs. Symbols Picture • visual representation of a person, object, or scene, as a painting, drawing, photograph • conveys a lot at once/detail • its focus may be unclear Symbol • something used for or regarded as representing something else; a material object representing something, often something immaterial; emblem, token, or sign • focuses on a single concept/idea • can be put together to build more precise information www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Limits of Photos and Realia • Intensive use of concrete photographic visual representations language acquisition plateaus after initial success (Kang, S. H. & Dennis, J. R. (1995). “The effects of computerenhanced vocabulary lessons on achievement of ESL grade school children. ” Computers in the Schools, 11 (3), 25 -35). www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Iconicity A continuum that describes symbols based on their ease of recognition Transparent Opaque drink guessability www. bridges-canada. com learnability 1 -800 -353 -1107

Iconicity Opaque Transparent Concrete nouns Abstract verbs www. bridges-canada. com sets Function words 1 -800 -353 -1107

What is the Message? What is the lesson? www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Choosing Symbols: Considerations • Does the symbol convey the correct meaning? www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Choosing Symbols: Considerations • Do the symbols have a clear schematic structure to support learning? WLS www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Choosing Symbols: Considerations • Do the symbols have a clear schematic structure to support learning? Symbolstix www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Choosing Symbols: Considerations • Do the symbols have a clear schematic structure to support learning? PCS www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Choosing Symbols: Considerations • Do the symbols have a grammatical structure to support reading/writing? – Verb tenses www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Choosing Symbols: Considerations • Do the symbols have a grammatical structure to support reading/writing? • plurals, comparatives, superlatives www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Choosing Symbols: Considerations • Do the symbols support a range of vocabulary required for curriculum? www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Contexts in which we use symbols • Communication • Organization and Independence • Vocabulary support for concept development, oral language ELL support, reading/writing – within the symbol application – combined with other software applications • Create materials for reading support • Within grids to support student writing www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

BICS • Basic interpersonal communication skills www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Behaviour • concrete references and/or cues are easily accessed during new, difficult, tense or escalating situations. www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Pragmatics and Semantics • subtly of language given in a visual context to make them more accessible and concrete. www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Homophones • words pronounced the same as another but differing in meaning, whether spelled the same way or not. www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Heterophones • words that are spelled the same but have different pronunciations and meanings. www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Metalinguistic Awarentess • Metalinguistic awareness (MA) across languages (Bialystock, 2007) very important • Supported by studies by Mc. Carthey et. Al (2004) and Garcia (2000) www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Boardmaker – Dual Language Search • Searches in English • Presents in Language of your Choice – Arabic – Russian – Hindi etc. www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Notes to parents www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

'Communication Friendly Environments' www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Symbols Inclusion Project Guide to creating a Communication Friendly Environment www. symbolsinclusionproject. org/evidence/cfe www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Symbols Inclusion Project Audit strands self survey *Current support *Communication *Environment www. symbolsinclusionproject. org/evidence/cfe www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Why do we use symbols? • Supplement text to increase reading comprehension. Symbol Inclusion Project (2006) www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Learning to Read www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Guided Reading: What Will You Be For Halloween? www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Symbols Inclusion Project Supported Curriculum Learning – Reading books and worksheets www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Creating Reading Materials • • Communicate in Print Symwriter – writer Clicker 5 – clicker library, PCS and/or WLS Boardmaker Plus - symbolate www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Communicate Ideas www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Add Vocabulary to SMART Notebook Copy and paste www. bridges-canada. com Paste into gallery 1 -800 -353 -1107

Concept Mapping Software www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

CALP • Cognitive academic language proficiency (Cummins) • Symbols can be used effectively to support: – Discrete subject specific academic language learning – Scaffolded subject specific Writing www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

“ELL’s are especially hurt by the fals presumption that they will continue developing advanced literacy skills in mainstream classrooms through mere exposure to classroom discourse and text reading, even without effective, ongoing language learning assistance (Allison 2008, Callahan, 2005) p 132 • www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Can you do this worksheet? www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Symbols illustrate meaning www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Key symbols help where meaning is unclear www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Levels of Symbol Support • Supported text – primarily text, with a few key words symbolized, used mainly for specific curriculum topics • Symbol Literacy: – full content in symbols and text, symbols reflect grammar, one sentence per line, no more than 8 symbols • Symbol information: – Simply imparts the vocabulary terms associated with the topic www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Levels of Symbol Support Simplified www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Levels of Symbol Support Full symbol support www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Levels of Symbol Support Symbol supported text www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Levels of Symbol Support Text www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Pupils often understand the ideas but cannot always read the words or write their responses. www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Communicate Ideas: Widget Software www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

In Smart notebook www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Communicate: Sym. Writer • Word processor that displays a symbol (if available) for each word typed. www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Communicate: Sym. Writer • Supported writing environments for selecting from predefined grids and buttons www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Communicate: Sym. Writer • Over 10, 000 Widgit Literacy Symbols, color and black & white • Smart Symbolizing www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Communicate: Sym. Writer • Speech feedback • Symbolic spell checking www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Vocabulary Support • Within an application for creating displays : – Communicate in Print - WLS – Boardmaker – PCS (WLS addendums) – Symbol. Mate - Symbolstix • Concept Mapping Software: – Kidspiration/Inspiration – Smart Ideas – Communicate Ideas – WLS • Pasted into other applications – Boardmaker – Communicate Ideas – Symbolstix online – WLS Metafile Collection www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Writing • What is the activity, the goal? • The place for symbols for spellers – Consider the impact of using a symbol processor on motivation – Consider vocabulary support in text mode – Language representation in word prediction? • Language representation in the word processor as well as the grid? www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Other Curriculum Symbol Supports • Web support: – Point (Widgit) – Purchased by the web site developer www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Other Curriculum Symbol Supports • Web support: – Insite (Widgit) • create and display symbol-supported content on your website • new "content editor" plugin which can replace or work alongside your existing content editor www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Other Curriculum Symbol Supports • Web support: – Symbol. World http: //www. symbolworld. org/ www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Communicate: Ideas • A dynamic environment for modeling and organising thought • Comes with the Widgit Symbol set of over 10, 000 images • Easy to use • Ideal for younger grades www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Symbol Supported Assessment? “It is essential that ELL’s be assessed in a way that uncouples language proficiency from content knowledge. ” Improving Achievement for English Learners Claude Goldenberg www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Useful Web Resources Symbol World – Symbol supported resources www. symbolworld. org www. tarheelreader. com www. dictionary. com/translate www. wordle. net www. tagxedo. com www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107

Contact Information Bogdan Pospielovsky, B. A. , B. Ed Bridges Canada 1 -800 -353 -1107, 2178 bogdan@bridges-canada. com Please contact me with any questions! Or Comments! www. bridges-canada. com 1 -800 -353 -1107