Success?

Nora Ramirez said this at a training I went to this weekend. She is President of Todos, www.todos-math.org, a group dedicated to improving mathematics education for English Language Learners (ELL) specifically, but their programs, ideas, and methods help all learners, not just ELL.

The title of this post is something she told the group to think about. It is not remediation that most of the learners need, it is acceleration with support. It is not about “dumbing down” the language used in the classroom, it is about using the language more clearly, better and WITH MEANING.

We spent a lot of time learning how to not use pronouns in the classroom, and instead use and SAY what we mean. Instead of saying, “it rises on the left” say, “the curve, the graph is rising on the left.” See how that is clearer and more understandable? The second sentence has meaning, while the first one the meaning has to be supplied by the listener, they have to translate the “it” for themselves.

Why do we leave that to chance? Some may understand the “it” some learners may not.

I am not a member of TODOS, but I have been to a couple of their trainings. I need to go to more to improve on this use of language with meaning. I think most of us teachers do.