I participated in my first #ELLCHAT on Twitter this week. I initially planned on just watching how people interact, how they comment on certain topics, and how conversation flows. As soon as I started to read, however, I jumped into the conversation. The major part of the chat focused on helping English Learners think critically and achieve Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS, as the Twitter participants called them). One of the pros of the #ELLCHAT is that it serves as an opportunity to interact with people I would usually have no contact with. The participants come from all over the United States and teach different areas and grades. They have different points of view and experiences but all come together for an hour or so to discuss certain topics simultaneously. In other words, it really is an opportunity to network and see what other educators are doing!
This chat was easy to keep up with and I took an active role. I asked about strategies to keep English Learners engaged, especially in the higher grades. I currently teach two English courses with Seniors, who are suffering from a severe case of Senioritis. Getting them to work can be difficult at times, and motivating English Learners sometimes takes an extra effort. Although the participants in the EL chat gave some good suggestions, I felt that many of the suggestions were a bit generalized or theoretical. I did like the links to outside sources and materials that they suggested. I also tried to provide links and materials to other participants when they asked questions or asked for suggestions.
As a student teacher, I found it fascinating to interact with experts on the field who have released books are are leads in their particular districts. I look forward to participating in my next chat and seeing who I meet and follow on Twitter.
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