LDE 3910 Assessment of English Language Learners

1. LDE 3910Assessment of English Language Learners Vicki Nilles Metropolitan State College

2. Week 1 • Introductions • Move It or Lose It! • Building Community • Introduction to Brain Based Assessment • Syllabus

3. I. Introductions

4. Life Long Learner

5. Move It or Lose It!!Highly Effective Strategies for All Learners

6. Four for Tag!

7. Let’s Talk About the Brain

8. Important vocabulary to get us started! • Neurotransmitters • Dopamine • Serotonin • Norepinephrine

9. It’s All About Communication Think of the brain as about one hundred billion neurons that are trying to chat with one another but they need special chemicals in order to be able to get good “reception”. Those chemicals are known as neurotransmitters.

10. 3 Special Neurotransmitters • Serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine…O.K. say that three times fast! • They are known as regulators of the signaling process and of everything else the brain does!! • Psychiatry focuses on these three

11. Meet the Important Three! Serotonin • Policeman of the brain- keeps brain activity under control • Influences mood, impulsivity, anger, and aggressiveness; anxiety • Aids in the digestive process • Serotonin drugs such as Prozac help modify runaway brain activity that may lead to depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsiveness

12. Norepinephrine • First neurotransmitter studied to understand mood • Amplifies signals that influence attention, perception, motivation, and arousal • Activates the sympathetic nervous system • (automatic nervous system)

13. Dopamine Thought of as the learning neurotransmitter • Vital to: • Movement • Motivation • Pleasure • Addiction • Cognition

14. Feel Good Neurotransmitters written by Vicki Nilles and sung to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star Feel Good Neurotransmitters, you are what my brain deserves. Dopamine makes me feel fine, give me serotonin anytime. Feel Good Neurotransmitters, it’s what I need to calm my nerves. Dopamine helps me sit still and I don’t have to take a pill. Laughing hard is what I need, chocolate, chocolate if you please helps me relieve stress physiologically. I just need to move and sing!

15. Serotonin makes me feel fine, I need to have it all the time. It really helps me digest well, moderates emotions so I feel swell. Helps to regulate my heart, helps me learn so I feel smart. Endorphins are natural morphine. I get a good dose just listening to great tunes that give me chills. Even if it’s rap that kills plants in scientific study, listen to cool tunes with your buddy!

16. Final Verse! Feel good neurotransmitters help us learn what we must learn. Reducing stress by having fun laughing hard, taking a run will help us focus more in school, then kids might think that school is cool!

17. Why is this important to us??

18. Move it…or lose it?? • Exercise and physical fitness are the best natural ways to increase the production of the important three • If we keep kids moving…maybe they won’t lose it in the classroom…sitting for prolonged periods of time is not natural or healthy • As the important three are produced naturally, learning and ability to pay attention and focus increases for all

19. Great Balls of Fire!!!

20. Movement and learning • Many researchers believe that sensory-motor integration is fundamental to school readiness Peter Strick, PhD (1995) traced a pathway from the cerebellum to parts of the brain involved in memory attention and spatial perception.

21. The part of the brain that processes movement is the same part of the brain that processes learning!

22. “Exercise is like Miracle-Gro for the brain” J. Ratey M.D. • Cerebellar stimulation: 10 minutes, twice a day of exercises such as juggling, balancing on a wobble board, and standing on one leg with eyes closed (Hallowell, 2005) • Results: stimulates a region at the back of the brain called the cerebellum

23. The cerebellum

24. Cerebellum • A small densely packed part of the brain which contains half of the total nerve cells in the entire brain and is involved in integrating sensory and automatic motor function. • Constantly updating and computing incoming and outgoing information • Involved in maintaining rhythm and continuity for many brain functions such as emotions, memory, language, and social interactions • Referred to as the center for rhythm and blues

25. Support for Cross Lateral Activity! • At the University of Exeter they divided a group of 40 children with moderate to acute learning difficulties (dyslexia, and Attention Disorder)

26. Cross-Lateral Movement The experimental group was asked to: 1) do exercises standing on a cushion on one leg 2) throw a beanbag from one hand to the other 3) balance on a wobble board All designed to stimulate the cerebellum

27. Hackey Sacks

28. The Results • After 6 weeks students in cross-lateral exercise program showed so much improvement they were removed from remedial help. The improved balance and coordination seemed to improve neural pathways. Special Note: The control group was immediately assigned to the exercise program (Nick Britten, 2004)

29. Final Questions & Comments

30. Building Community • True Colors

31. Build community…is that a standard? • How can we afford to take classroom time to build community and make connections with kids when we have so many standards to teach?

32. How can we afford not to…?

41. Devastating • “No school or community should ever have to experience such barbarous and inhumane injustice.” • Randy Zila, Superintendent for St. Vrain Valley School District, Longmont, Colorado • (In response to the 2006 school shootings in Bailey, Colorado)

42. Instilling safety precautions • Campus supervisors monitor school grounds • School resource officers patrol schools • District Incident Response Team- train & drill in order to support school staff • Students, parents, neighbors monitor activity • Upgrades made to surveillance equipment • Mandatory visitor check in • Ballot initiative 2A which funds two additional school resource officers

43. What about making connections with kids…all kids • Building community • Making all kids feel accepted and part of the school community • Celebrating diversity • Recognizing unique learning needs • Accommodating for all learners • All children can learn

44. Part One: Making connections The techniques and skills that really make a difference in human interaction are the ones that almost naturally flow from a truly independent character. So the place to begin building any relationship is inside ourselves, inside our circle of influence, our own character. ( Stephen Covey, 1989)

45. Using True Colors to build community? True colors is an easy, entertaining way to begin to understand yourself and others. Identifying your character becomes an invaluable tool for enjoying success in your professional life as well as with your family and personal relationships. (Don Lowrey, founder of True Colors)

46. The History of True Colors • 400 B.C. Hippocrates • 1921 Carl Jung • 1923 Meyers Briggs • 1967 David Keirsey • 1978 Don Lowry True Colors

47. True Color “Truisms” • Everyone has all 4 colors in their personal rainbow • All of the colors represent strengths • We need to use all of our own colors but recognize that we will be most comfortable working in our brightest area

48. And most importantly… • There is a need for diversity—True Colors celebrates the idea that the differences are what make us unique as individuals and exciting as productive groups

49. What are your true colors? • Character cards • Word sort

50. Blue Attributes Summary • mediators—sensitive to other’s needs • optimistic—motivate & encourage others • caretakers—peace, harmony, relationship • passionate—cooperative not competitive • true romantic—enjoy symbols of romance • cause oriented—has a kind word • need to feel special