Disclaimers:

*I have made the effort to relate these strategies to my content areas

of ELL education and Spanish Language instruction
1)Think-pair-share:
Think-pair-share is quite possibly one of the most commonly
used techniques in a foreign language or English Language Learner
(ELL) classroom. While it is frequently utilized as a quick
comprehension tool, it can also promote a broader or more in-depth
understanding of content or a text, and supports a respectful
exchange of ideas, as deemed necessary by the Creativity component
of the Universal Core Constructs. When using think-pair-share in my
future classroom, I would first ask students to scan a text in small
groups or pairs, and make notes of what they think the text is about.
Then, as students read, they would take notes to confirm or deny their
predictions, and record any unfamiliar vocabulary. Students would then
discuss their experiences with the text in pairs or small groups, and
work together to define any unknown vocabulary. Finally, students
would re-read the text, likely able to gain a far better understanding of
the texts significance having completed the activity. Any discussion
questions or guiding questions could be worked on individually at first,
then shared in small groups, and then shared out for a larger class
discussion. Any way that this strategy is utilized would result in a lowstress environment, as the student can share and confirm their ideas
with peers.
2)Give one, get one:
Give one, get one is a technique that would serve language
classrooms well, as it provides students with a chance to gain insight
about the content, even while they may be struggling with the
language that it is in. This strategy supports meaningful and engaging
interactions as listed by the Complex Communication component of
the Universal Core Constructs, and productive group interactions
described by the Collaboration component. To utilize this strategy in
my future classroom, I would ask students to write down important
ideas (while reading) on a graphic organizer that would prompt such
responses for each section of the text. If the class had a more basic
level of literacy in the language being taught, the graphic organizer
could be simplified, or as students to summarize a short text with one
overarching idea. I would then ask students to collaborate with 1-3
other people to each share ideas from each section of a reading. As

each student shared an idea, other students would need to add their
group mates thoughts to their own graphic organizer. Ultimately, all
students would have a rich file of ideas based on content exploration
that would increase their understanding of the material.
3)Save the last word:
Save the last word was perhaps my favorite new technique to
acquire during the past semester, as it would cause students to
become highly engaged in their classroom activities, and subsequently
in their learning. To utilize this technique in my future classroom, I
would ask students to approach a more subjective reading, like a poem
or a novel, with the objective of identifying phrases or sentences that
they found significant. Students would be asked to record their
thoughts on a graphic organizer, in-class journal, or whiteboard
(depending on the text being read and student readiness), and then sit
in small groups of 3-5 to read their statements or major ideas without
explaining their rational for choosing them, or what the excerpts meant
to them. The other students in the group would then react in turn to
the statement made by the first student. After all group members had
commented, the student who first read their textual excerpt would
finally be allowed to comment and explain their thoughts. However,
that first student would have gained more insight about their sentence
or phrase through their peers, and would likely have a lot more to say
than they originally would have, had they commented about their
excerpt first.
As students may not agree with what was said, this activity lends
itself to promoting respectful disagreement as deemed a needed skill
by the Collaboration component of the Universal Core Constructs, and
would cause a student to consider purposeful and thoughtful response
to disruptions considered vital under the Flexibility and Adaptability
component.
4)Admit slip:
An admit slip is a useful tool that can be used to gauge student
progress at the beginning of class as they reflect on a previous lesson,
or reading from homework. Not to be confused as a quiz, in utilizing
this strategy in my future classroom, I would do my best to ensure that
this writing activity remained an opportunity for the students to
demonstrate their knowledge and understanding, which would serve as
a jumping off point for me, as their instructor, to gauge how to
further instruct them. Students would need to feel confident in their
ability to discuss the content that would be on the admit slip. To
ensure this confidence, there are many things that I could do: For one,
the class before I would ask students to complete an admit slip, I

could prepare students to complete a reading by frontloading their

background knowledge or vocabulary as needed. I could also provide
students with a graphic organizer to record their thoughts and
reflections about a reading. If the admit slip covered content from an
in-class reading; after students collaborated with peers, completed a
graphic organizer, or answered guiding questions, I could call the class
together for a larger class discussion to clarify and highlight main
points that might appear on the entrance ticket for the following class.
Because an admit slip causes students to generate their own
responses to a question and reflect on content, this strategy highly
supports the ability to acquire new learning on ones own, as deemed
a crucial skill of Productivity and Accountability of the Universal Core
Constructs.
5)Video response page:
Every student loves to watch a video, as it generally signals a
chance for the student to check out from the lesson. However, using
the technique of a video response page, students would need to
record their reactions and thoughts to a video, causing them to remain
engaged in a lesson, and actually benefit from whatever they might
watch. In my future classroom, I might choose to show a video that
discusses Day of the Dead, particularly highlighting the differences
between that Central American celebration, and the American holiday
of Halloween. Each student would receive a video response page,
which, for this particular make believe lesson, would ask students to
compare and contrast the differences between Day of the Dead and
Halloween. After the video had finished, students could gather in small
groups to discuss what they found for the two categories, including any
differences or similarities, and then share out for a larger class
discussion to confirm and clarify the students understanding of the
two celebrations.
By holding students accountable for their learning, this technique
leads to motivation and commitment to achieve, a skill under the
heading of Productivity and Accountability in the Universal Core
Constructs, and would also lead to capturing or collecting new ideas
for current or future use, a skill deemed important by the Creativity
heading of the same constructs.
6)Write around :
A write around is a strategy that keys students into the content
by causing them to read their peers thoughts. The strategy is ideal for
an ELL classroom, as it enables students to gain conceptual
understanding, while building on English literacy skills. In addition, this
strategy utilizes numerous skills considered crucial by the Universal

Core Constructs: for one, in regards to Complex Communication,

students would engage in the selection and integration of various
communication processes, and as for Creativity, engage in a
respectful exchange of ideas, while maintaining Productivity and
Accountability through the application of appropriate processes and
tools to facilitate task completion. To apply this technique in my future
classroom, I would organize students into groups of 4, and then provide
all groups with a topic related to a reading, such as, Re-write the
ending to the chapter that we just read. The main character enters the
door, to find. One student would begin the writing for two minutes,
and then pass the writing along to another student. Student number
two would have 4 minutes (two to read, two to write), who would then
pass it along to another student. Student number three who would
have the paper for six minutes, (four to read, two to write), and then
finally pass the paper back to the first student, who would read their
groups story to the class. I could use in many different ways, but all
would result in student engagement, increased literacy, and content
comprehension.
7)Graffiti:
Graffiti is a strategy that encourages collaboration and
higher order thinking through comparing and contrasting texts
regarding similar content. This technique promotes students
Productivity and Accountability, deemed crucial by the Universal Core
Constructs, through a sense of self-sufficiency as required in a
complex environment, and belief that group synergy enhances
productivity through the Collaboration component of the same
constructs. In my future classroom, I see myself undertaking the
incredible task of differentiating for many different student needs,
while attempting to promote all students success and achievement in
the same content. Therefore, I would use this strategy to provide my
students with many different articles at different reading levels, but
that would all discuss the same, or nearly the same, content. After all
students were finished with their readings, they would meet with a
peer who read a different article, and then compare/contrast, share
and explore the content using a graphic organizer to prompt
conversation. In pairs, students would then select a phrase or a word
that they felt embodied both articles, and then write said word or
phrase on the classroom whiteboard or long sheet of butcher paper,
which would create a wall of classroom graffiti. This activity would
enable all students to meet the content objectives, regardless of their
learning needs, and highlight the main points of the content.
8)I wonder:

I wonder is a structured reading activity that promotes

student reflection regarding content. This strategy supports several of
the Universal Core Constructs: As a tool for Critical Thinking, students
would employ thoughtful questioning that challenges assumptions,
promotes higher order thinking, leads to new insights and validates
assumptions. This strategy also promotes Productivity and
Accountability of the Universal Core Constructs, as all students would
be building on prior learning and experience to apply knowledge and
skills in a variety of contexts. To utilize I wonder in my future
classroom, I might accompany the structured graphic organizer that
causes students to wonder with a heavier reading, such as a novel
like Don Quixote, read in an advanced Spanish class. Before reading
a particular chapter, or even beginning the book, I would likely show a
video of Medieval Spain to provide more background knowledge and
awareness of the topic. Students would think less objectively about the
content if there was some kind of context and relevancy for their
readings. Then, as they read the first chapter, I would ask them to
record their reactions and thoughts, along with questions, by finishing
questions such as I wonder, I question., How does this relate
to. Students would then share thoughts with a partner, and draw all
of their thoughts together to complete the sentences of I
discovered., I learned., at the end of the activity. In getting my
students feet wet with a very dense piece of literature, and by
allowing them a chance to vocalize their confusion and questioning,
they would have a greater chance of not only gaining understanding of
complex material, but also of owning their knowledge and ability to
navigate such a text.
9)Double entry journal:
A double entry journal is a technique that enables students
to record their thoughts as they read a text. As they read a text, they
are asked to take note of a meaningful passage or text excerpt on one
column of a graphic organizer, and then responding to that note with
their own reactions or thoughts on a separate, but parallel, column.
This technique correlates with the Critical Thinking component of the
Universal Core Constructs by creating a situation in which students use
thoughtful questioning that challenges assumptions, promotes higher
order thinking, leads to new insights, and validates perceptions, and
metacognition that supports reflective practice. I would likely utilize
this technique in a lesson that featured a though-provoking or
substantial reading. While a double entry journal could prove
effective at establishing student comprehension of a basic text, the
premise of reflecting on a passage or quote extensively suggests that
there are more than a few basic ideas to reflect upon. Therefore, I
would likely hand this graphic organizer to my students before they

read a more complex or difficult text. I would ask them to take note of
their ideas as they were reading, and reflect upon them. Once finished
reading, students share their thoughts in small groups to expand upon
their ideas. Through this process, students would gain confidence in
their ability to express original thoughts about their reading, as the
double-entry journal does not validate one type of thinking more
than another. Students would also gain greater insight of their complex
texts, which would provide them with greater confidence to tackle
difficult material on their own.
10)Track your thinking:
Track your thinking is a reading comprehension technique
that enables students to follow their thinking as it travels and changes
throughout a text. I personally appreciate this strategy, as I often will
have fantastic ideas while reading that are lost by the end of a page.
Track your thinking facilitates Critical Thinking, considered a crucial
skill by the Universal Core Constructs, through metacognition that
supports reflective practice, and Productivity and Accountability
through application of appropriate processes and tools to facilitate
task completion. To apply this technique to a reading in my future
classroom, I would likely present a graphic organizer for thought
tracking to my students before they began a reading in a non-native
language. As they were reading the text, students would take notes of
their thoughts to pick apart and isolate their understandings of each
paragraph or section. This would greatly facilitate what would initially
be an overwhelming task of reading in a foreign language, as the
students would focus on understanding parts of a text, as opposed to
consuming and digesting the whole reading at once. After they were
finished with their initial reading, they could read over their thinking
to get a better sense of what they had read, and perhaps take note if
they had recorded some thoughts that stood out, or did not make
sense. Students could, if additional scaffolding was needed, have
discussions in small groups about their notes and thoughts. After this
reflection process, the class would then re-read the text to gain greater
insight, taking additional notes or correcting their understandings of
what they had read. Ultimately, this technique would have guided all
students toward some increased amount of content comprehension,
and capability to productively tackle a text.