Standard 3.

a Planning for Standards-Based and Content Instruction

Artifact 1

Initially, when I was given a classroom with students of varying language skills and L1s, I

separated students into homogeneous groups. My instinct was to group students with students

who shared the same L1 and had similar abilities. However, after completing my coursework in

second language acquisition, I have learned that acquiring language is a social process and I

have since changed my practice by heterogeneously grouping students to include a range of

abilities in one group.

As the attached artifact demonstrates, I have changed my planning strategies by

creating social opportunities for students to use language while learning language skills.

Through the use of Joint Productive Activities (JPAs), students can learn from each other as

they explore new concepts or materials. By using the grouping strategy outlined in my lesson

plan, I can also work with students in small groups to engage them in Instructional

Conversations (ICs). This allows me to present information to students in a variety of ways and

also supports students social language skills.

By changing my practices in this way, I have created a learning environment that

supports social and academic language development, while also engaging students in rigorous

standards based instruction.