Webinar Recap: Creating an Immersive English Environment for ELLs

Mountain Top Middle School* is looking for a better way to help its English language learners.

The school has experienced a rapid growth of English language learners in recent years.

Teachers work with students with a wide range of English competencies. Almost all English language learners are comfortable with technology.

Teachers are looking for engaging ways to use technology in-class, not just as a supplement.

The school is located in a Common Core Standards state, so alignment to the English Language Arts standards is important.

*This school does not exist, it is a pseudonym for the school that took part in the webinar.

Recommendations:

We looked primarily at Paragraph Punch. Several aspects of the programs impressed webinar participants.

They liked that the program can be used with students with different levels of abilities.

Paragraph Punch can be used to teach students the language of English while they work. Participants thought this was valuable.

Students’ written texts can promote in class discussions. Teachers felt this will be helpful.

Teachers thought students’ would benefit by seeing their work at different stages of development.

The alignment to the Common Core Standards for English Language Arts was very clear to the webinar participants.

Learn More:

• Paragraph Punch
  Takes students through the process of writing a paragraph – on the web!

Additional Screenshots:

Merit Punch writing programs help students to clarify their thoughts. Here is a view of a prompt encouraging students to think more about their topic after writing their opening sentence.

Worked is saved in an Online Portfolio that allows teachers to view student work at different stages of development. Here a view of a Pre-Writing Notepad showing a student’s opening sentence and list of brainstorming ideas.shows an earlier stage of development of a completed paragraph.