ESOL Empowerment

Discover how the ESOL Program enhances ELs' learning experience and how we can support each other for greater success!

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VIDE's vision and goals

Teacher Appreciation During this New Era of Teaching

May 2, 2022, 9:37 a.m.

Teachers

Teacher Appreciation Week

May 2, 2022, 8:07 a.m.

Teacher Appreciation

Asian American and Pacific Islander Month

April 28, 2022, 10:19 a.m.

Asian American

National Poetry Month

April 5, 2022, 1:10 p.m.

Poetry

Week of the Young Child

April 4, 2022, 9:22 a.m.

Week of the Young Child

Let's Celebrate Arab American Heritage Month!

March 28, 2022, 9:25 a.m.

Arab AMerican month

Quick view of the ESOL Vision, Goals, Programs and English Language Development Standards

March 28, 2022, 9:15 a.m.

ESOL Quick View

English Learners Celebrate VI History Month!

March 1, 2022, 9:31 a.m.

VI History

 

REL WEST Shares New Video Series Available: Connecting Classroom Instruction to Learning at Home

Feb. 25, 2022, 2:17 p.m.

I am excited to share a new three-part video series for educators based on the popular family and caregiver activities to support early language development at home. The wonderful thing about this three-part series is geared to young English learners. The video series, created by REL West in partnership with RELs Northwest and Northeast & Islands, is intended for educators, school-family liaisons, and others working with English learner students in grades PreK–5. Having worked with the REL, I know that this three-part video series will greatly support teachers and parents. Please share the link because not everyone is linked to GoOpenUSVI as yet. We are working on getting as many teachers, administrators, and families signed up. 

Click on the link below and enjoy.

New Video Series Available: Connecting Classroom Instruction to Learning at Home

Reading Inspires!

Feb. 14, 2022, 2:20 p.m.

Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is gearing up for National Reading Month (March) with their Reading Inspires! Webcast with young readers across the country. The webcast will include an all-star lineup of readers and special guests, including Secretary Cardona, to share reading inspiration with elementary school students nationwide. The free virtual celebration premiers on Read Across America Day, March 2 at 9 a.m. ET, and is available to view on demand through the end of March.

Click on the link and enjoy reading: Reading Inspires!

books

ESL Celebrate Valentine's Day!

Feb. 10, 2022, 11:32 a.m.

As an ESL teacher, you know how great it can be to have a holiday or event to celebrate. Valentine's Day is another one of these great options because there are so many exciting activities that you can do. Depending on your students’ culture and mother tongue, Valentine's Day may be a familiar holiday or maybe a completely foreign concept. So, it is a good idea to begin by sharing the history and traditions of Valentine's Day. Your students will enjoy reading, watching movies, crafting, and sharing while developing oral language and literacy skills. The activities are endless. Remember, make it fun. Go ahead and try it. 

VD

Introducing an educational website with Multilingual books for young language learners.

Feb. 10, 2022, 9:39 a.m.

Monthly, I would like to share a new and exciting educational website that parents and teachers can use with their children. Today's website provides an assortment of multilingual books that you can read or listen to in English or Spanish. Please take a look at this beautiful site and have fun reading! 

“Reading is important. If you know how to read, then the whole world opens up to you.” – Barack Obama     

Clink on this link and begin your adventure:  Unite for Literacy

site

 

Celebrate Black History, Culture & Identity with Google for Education

Feb. 2, 2022, 12:16 p.m.

Click on the link and explore all the wonderful lessons you can use with your students in honor of Black History Month.

Google for Education

How can ESL teachers incorporate Black History Month into their lessons?

Feb. 2, 2022, 8:50 a.m.

During February, we are celebrating Black History Month. How exciting! Here are some tips on how to incorporate Black History Month lessons into your ESL classes. First, create lesson plans that will speak to your learner's culture. This way, ELs can make connections. Then consider their English proficiency level, and last think about what they need. How about introducing a short Black History piece that EL students can summarize. For listening, maybe they can listen to videos on the Civil Rights Movement, and afterward, they can share what they understood. This will allow EL students to practice their listening skills while learning American history. Play some jazz! You can bring a reading or video to give the music some context. Ask students to infer the meaning of the lyrics, or have them fill out a cloze worksheet on the subject. You can read and discuss so many biographies with your students. There are lots of ways to include English learners. Remember to be mindful of their culture, English language proficiency, and needs, and off you go. Let's get celebrating!

 

BHM

Welcome Back to In-Person Learning

Jan. 24, 2022, 11:05 a.m.

Welcome pic

WIDA ACCESS 2.0 Testing

Jan. 21, 2022, 11:30 a.m.

Virgin Islands Public Schools will be giving the ACCESS 2.0 test to all English Learners in both school districts starting January 24th until March 31st. 

What is ACCESS 2.0 test? The ACCESS 2.0 test for ELs Online is a computer-based, adaptive test that responds to student performance.

Who takes this test? This test is given annually to English learners in Grades K-12. 

What is the purpose of this test? This test monitors and reports ELs' progress toward English language proficiency. It tests students' language in the four domains: Listening, Reading, Speaking, Writing. 

Specific dates for testing are:  Kindergarten EL students begins January 24, 2022, 1st -12th grade EL students begin February 1st, 2022. Teachers will have until March 31st to complete the testing.

Let's wish our EL students much success. 

testing

Strategies to Implement High-Quality Instructional Practices for English Learners in the General Classroom

Nov. 12, 2021, 1:29 p.m.

REL NEI in collaboration with VIDE will be presenting very soon our very first series of 4 webinars. These webinars will provide guidance and support to content area teachers working with ELs.  The Webinars are finally up and ready for those interested in receiving training for working with ELs. 

VIDE's ESOL Procedures Manual

English Learner Policy and Procedures Manual

PowerPoint Presentation

Let's take a look at the manual and the PowerPoint presentation! Click on the links and begin learning about EL policies and procedures.

Manual

English Learner Tool Kit

This publication is additional guidance for States, districts and schools and was produced by The National Center for English Language Acquisition (NCELA) under the U.S. Department of Education. This resource is essential to following obligations in federal law to ensure that English learners have equal access to high-quality education and achieve their academic potential.

 

English Learner Tool Kit

This publication is additional guidance for States, districts and schools and was produced by The National Center for English Language Acquisition (NCELA) under the U.S. Department of Education. This resource is essential to families of English Language Learners.

 

English Learner Family Toolkit

EL Family Toolkit

PLCs for Content Area Teachers

This section includes a series of webinars created in collaboration with the Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast & Islands (REL NEI). The series of four webinars are focused on strategies to implement high-quality instructional practices for English learners in the content area classroom. The instructional practices are beneficial for content area teachers and essential for English language learners. The webinars have been designed to align with the VIDE Vision for English learners and the practices described in the VIDE English Learner Manual. This section will also be posting ongoing professional development based on the district's needs in working with ELs.

 

The Series of Four Webinars Include the following topics:

Session 1 - Concurrent Content and Language Learning: Defining English Language Development: Students learn grade-level academic language and content simultaneously through dedicated and integrated English language development (ELD).

Session 2 - Academic Discussion and Quality Interactions: Promoting students’ practicing of academic talk provides the building blocks for deep learning.

Session 3 - Integrated, Scaffolded Instruction in Disciplinary Language and Content: Scaffolding provides instruction to students at the appropriate level to both challenge them and allow them to access learning.

Session 4 - Formative Assessment for English Learners: Formative assessment practices allow educators to assess for learning and to adjust instruction of both language and content.

Concurrent Content and Language Learning

Webinar 1

Academic Discussion and Quality Interactions

Webinar 2

Integrated, Scaffolded Instruction in Disciplinary Language and Content

Webinar 3

Formative Assessment for English Learners

Webinar 4

VIDE Parent Handbook Preschool to Grade 3

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The Virgin Islands Department of Education (VIDE) and community stakeholders have collaborated to design this reference tool, The Parent Support Handbook, to support parents for the safe reopening of schools as we embark on a virtual learning environment. The resource provides tips for English learners, students with disabilities, and so much more. The resource reflects feedback shared by stakeholders and has been compiled into a reader-friendly document for ongoing support and guidance. This incredible resource is in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole. Take advantage of this wealth of information.

 

Parent Handbook English Version     

Parent Handbook Spanish Version

Parent Handbook Haitian Creole Version

 

Administrator and Teacher Resources

Resources that will help support administrators working with ELs.

Groups

ESOL and Interested Members Coming Together to Share Student Needs and Strategies.

Curated Collections

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Introducing Open Author

Open Author Tutorial

Get started using our OER authoring tool, Open Author. This video walks you through how to author and remix; including how to add and format content, import and attach resources, embed media, add co-authors, check for accessibility, describe your resource, select a license, align to standards, publish, and download.

Created by ISKME. Licensed Creative Commons BY-NC-SA.