Comments on: The education of Jaime Capellan http://www.joannejacobs.com/2008/06/the-education-of-jaime-capellan/ Thinking and Linking by Joanne Jacobs Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:51:22 +0000 hourly 1 By: cj http://www.joannejacobs.com/2008/06/the-education-of-jaime-capellan/#comment-37069 cj Thu, 19 Jun 2008 02:12:47 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/2008/06/17/the-education-of-jaime-capellan/#comment-37069 "They are simply learners with strengths and weaknesses who need professional, dedicated educators to find the strategies that will help them make progress toward proficiency." Uhmm... is this a gimme? Isn't this what ALL students need? "Frankly, I’d gladly take a whole school of English Learners if offered, because they have all the potential of any other child, and maybe a little more." Could you expound on this? What exactly is their "little more [potential]"? I'll admit, I'm half-way to being offended by this... “They are simply learners with strengths and weaknesses who need professional, dedicated educators to find the strategies that will help them make progress toward proficiency.”

Uhmm… is this a gimme? Isn’t this what ALL students need?

“Frankly, I’d gladly take a whole school of English Learners if offered, because they have all the potential of any other child, and maybe a little more.”

Could you expound on this? What exactly is their “little more [potential]“? I’ll admit, I’m half-way to being offended by this…

]]> By: Dan Winters http://www.joannejacobs.com/2008/06/the-education-of-jaime-capellan/#comment-37068 Dan Winters Wed, 18 Jun 2008 05:14:57 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/2008/06/17/the-education-of-jaime-capellan/#comment-37068 Sometimes when I hear educators talk about English Learners, they get this little twitch in their neck and contort their face like their aliens from another planet who all need the exact same thing to succeed. Usually the prescription includes bilingual education, English Language Development, and lots and lots of time. Now, for some English Language Learners that may be just the ticket for success. However, the reality is that English Learners are as diverse as any other group of learners that happen to have one common element (in this case a second language at home). What English Learners need - get ready for the magic bullet - is expert instruction on an individual basis (some like to call this differentiation). I've observed, like your case study, that some English Learners blossom like wildfire to English proficiency in less than two years, while others take longer and even bog down at some points. Most of these English Learners have very little in common with each other. They are simply learners with strengths and weaknesses who need professional, dedicated educators to find the strategies that will help them make progress toward proficiency. Those English Learners who quickly become proficient in English also have the added benefit of a second language skill that gives them a leg up on the English only crowd. Frankly, I'd gladly take a whole school of English Learners if offered, because they have all the potential of any other child, and maybe a little more. Cheers Sometimes when I hear educators talk about English Learners, they get this little twitch in their neck and contort their face like their aliens from another planet who all need the exact same thing to succeed. Usually the prescription includes bilingual education, English Language Development, and lots and lots of time. Now, for some English Language Learners that may be just the ticket for success. However, the reality is that English Learners are as diverse as any other group of learners that happen to have one common element (in this case a second language at home). What English Learners need – get ready for the magic bullet – is expert instruction on an individual basis (some like to call this differentiation). I’ve observed, like your case study, that some English Learners blossom like wildfire to English proficiency in less than two years, while others take longer and even bog down at some points. Most of these English Learners have very little in common with each other. They are simply learners with strengths and weaknesses who need professional, dedicated educators to find the strategies that will help them make progress toward proficiency. Those English Learners who quickly become proficient in English also have the added benefit of a second language skill that gives them a leg up on the English only crowd. Frankly, I’d gladly take a whole school of English Learners if offered, because they have all the potential of any other child, and maybe a little more.

Cheers

]]> By: ms_teacher http://www.joannejacobs.com/2008/06/the-education-of-jaime-capellan/#comment-37067 ms_teacher Wed, 18 Jun 2008 02:29:04 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/2008/06/17/the-education-of-jaime-capellan/#comment-37067 It is amazing to me that when I teach Grammar to my second language learners, many outperform their native speaking counterparts. The reason? They want to understand "how" English works. They do struggle with more esoteric concepts that is taught when I teach literary concepts, but even then, they will ask questions to try to understand. Too many of my native speakers are very passive when it comes to their learning, even though I do try to get them more involved. It is amazing to me that when I teach Grammar to my second language learners, many outperform their native speaking counterparts. The reason? They want to understand “how” English works. They do struggle with more esoteric concepts that is taught when I teach literary concepts, but even then, they will ask questions to try to understand. Too many of my native speakers are very passive when it comes to their learning, even though I do try to get them more involved.

]]> By: Joanne http://www.joannejacobs.com/2008/06/the-education-of-jaime-capellan/#comment-37066 Joanne Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:46:07 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/2008/06/17/the-education-of-jaime-capellan/#comment-37066 Heavens, no. It's a booklet. (You can order a copy from Lexington.) Heavens, no. It’s a booklet. (You can order a copy from Lexington.)

]]> By: Catch Thirty-Three http://www.joannejacobs.com/2008/06/the-education-of-jaime-capellan/#comment-37065 Catch Thirty-Three Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:07:16 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/2008/06/17/the-education-of-jaime-capellan/#comment-37065 Is this intended to be a full-length book? Is this intended to be a full-length book?

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