by Arla Jones
As I am coming to the end of my second year of teaching in a blended classroom, I can honestly say that it has been a completely refreshing experience. Nobody is more surprised than me–it’s been 27 years since I first started teaching! Our English Learners (ELs) are in grades six to nine, ranging from newcomers to long-term ELs who were born in Lawrence. Because our classes are not scheduled by level, we have enjoyed having the ability to use technology to personalize instruction. I have built classes on the classroom management system Blackboard, but in the coming year our district will probably be transitioning to an Open Education System. My summer plans include moving classes to Google Classroom and working to gain Google certification.
If you are reading this blog post and think what I am saying sounds like gobbledygook, don’t dismay! I have created a short video (using the amazing Adobe Spark app on iPad) that highlights many of our favorite apps or programs that are totally free and easy to use. There are two lessons in the video that demonstrate scaffolding—I hope you enjoy them.
Editor’s Note: This article references the same program described in a previous weekly feature article, Blended Learning in a Middle School ESOL Program.
Arla Jones is from far western Kansas and attended Washburn University, Kansas University and the University of Denver. She started her professional life as a librarian at the New York Public Library more than 30 years years ago. She also taught in the New York Public Schools and at The Ethical Culture-Fieldston School. She moved back to Kansas in 1994, where she was the Youth Services Coordinator for the Johnson County Library. Arla became the librarian at Lawrence High School in 1997 and then later became an ESOL teacher. She transferred to South Middle School in 2013 to become a member of the SMS ESOL program with her partner, Dr. Kimberley Kreicker.
