Project 2: Building An Innovative Curriculum

Technology-Enhanced Project-Based Learning for Newcomer Emergent Bilingual Students

Understanding the Need

The United States has seen a huge influx of individual and family immigrants seeking residence in the United States. This has consequently lead to an increase in the number of newcomer English learners in Texas schools. Newcomer English learners, or newcomer emergent Bilingual (EB) students, are students who are in their first 3 years in a U.S. school. These culturally and linguistically diverse students are unique in that they are required to be taught and learn subject-related learning standards in all content areas, but many have little to no knowledge of English, the main language of instruction. In the write up for this project which can be found below, I demonstrate how I am working on a two-person team to build an original, enriching, and engaging Reading curriculum, called the ELLA Curriculum, that supports the unique needs of newcomer Emergent Bilingual students in grades 6 – 8.

The Inception

The ELLA Curriculum, which is a technology-enhanced, project-based curriculum for newcomer Emergent Bilingual (EB) students was conceived in 2022 when my teammate and I noticed a critical shortcoming in the education of EB students in our school district. Specifically, EB students were using the same computer-based Reading/English Language Arts curriculum that general education students were using, but the EB students had not yet acquired enough English to successfully work in the platform. Additionally, the program did not offer adequate linguistic accommodations for newcomer EB students.

Therefore, we offered to use resources we created when we previously worked as Reading teachers as a baseline to build out a Reading/Language Arts curriculum specifically designed with EB students’ unique needs in mind. Although this was outside of our regular job duties and an immense balancing act, we were compelled to take action because we wanted to ensure the newcomers were given a better chance at success in middle school with content and activities that is linguistically accessible and authentically engaging. We also believe that language should not be a barrier to education.

Samples of instructional materials & artifacts:
- A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J
- Unit Assessments A | B | C | D | E

Here is a link to the innovation proposal letter we plan to send out during phases 3 – 4 of our implementation outline. Additionally, in the accordion table below, you will find our innovation plan outline which details the progress we’ve made thus far and shows how we plan to proceed with our idea.

Innovation Implementation Outline

Phase 1 – Brainstorming, Conceptualizing & Building a Strong Foundation

From February 2022 – May 2022

A. Drafted Reading/Language Arts Curriculum Proposal Presentation citing the – February 2022

Challenges EB students were facing with the current curriculum.
Benefits a different approach would have on target student subpopulation.

B. Validated proposal with information compiled about our target students’ educational and linguistic needs based on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) – March 2022

Number of newcomer EB students who go on to becoming long-term ELs.
EB graduation rate
EB dropout rate

C. Gave the curriculum a name – the “ELLA Curriculum” – March 2022

Derived from the initials of the standards set forth by the state of Texas in 2017 to educate English Learners.

D. Defined desired student learning outcomes for the ELLA curriculum including – March 2022

EB newcomers learning, understanding, and applying CALP (Cognitive academic language proficiency) for 6 – 8 Reading using information in the English Learners Language Arts (ELLA) standards.
Increased use of English to communicate as the school year progresses.
Decreased use of linguistic scaffolds/support tools
Completion of an authentic project during each unit of instruction.
Gradual and increased performance on unit assessments.
Positive student remarks on post-unit surveys

E. Defined “look-fors” to observe for when evaluating a class where the ELLA curriculum is being used – March 2022

Classroom Environment
Student Actions
Teacher Actions

F. Sourced existing documents for use in planning ELLA curriculum – March 2022

ELLA Standards vertical alignment by standard strand
English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS)
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and ELLA Alignment Document
STAAR Dictionary Use Policy
STAAR 2.0 New Question Types Document

G. Created ELLA curriculum supporting documents – March 2022 – April 2022

Scope & Sequence
- Divided ELLA standards into eight units
Unit Planning Document
- A division of work document that guided work splits between my business partner and I.
Lesson Plan Templates
- Regular Lesson Plan Template
- Testing Lesson Plan Template (for quizzes and assessments)
Pacing Calendar
- A calendar where all lesson plans were organized for easy teacher access.
Created a model lesson with differentiated and accommodated activities for grades 6 – 8 using standards that are common across grade levels.

H. Presented concept to district leaders – May 2022

Delivered presentation with challenges newcomer EB students face and the benefits of adopting a curriculum tailored specifically to newcomers.
Went over model lesson and highlighted the differentiation and accommodations for newcomer EB students.
Received feedback and approval to proceed ✅

Phase 2 – Building a Plane While Flying It

From June 2022 – May 2023

A. Used desired student learning outcomes (Phase 1 - Item D) to determine the resources to use – June 2022

1. 1. 1. Used original resources (created when my business partner and I worked together as reading teachers).
      - Created lesson deliverables including lesson plans, presentations, notes sheets, projects, rubrics, assessments, etc.)
      - Thoroughly accommodated and modified items for newcomer EB students.
    2. Sourced long and short form texts.
    3. Sourced videos.
      - YouTube
      - Animated shorts
      - Advertisements

B. Curriculum writing and delivery to teachers (May 2022 – May 2023):

Unit 0

Written from May 2022 – June 2022
8 Lesson Plans | 1 Pre-assessment to determine proficiency in native language (L1).
Delivered to teachers on August 10, 2022
Unit Commenced August 16, 2022
Unit Completed on August 26, 2022
- Shared assessment of L1 results.
- Reviewed student survey and shared with teachers.

Unit 1

Written from June 2022 – August 2022
21 Lesson Plans | 1 Project | 1 Assessment |Student Survey
Delivered to teachers on August 22, 2022
Unit Commenced August 30, 2022
Unit Completed October 7, 2022
- Reviewed and shared assessment results.
- Reviewed student survey and shared with teachers.
- Collected feedback from four teachers.

Unit 2

Written from August 2022 – September 2022
13 Lesson Plans | 1 Project | 1 Quiz | 1 Assessment | Student Survey
Delivered to teachers on September 30, 2022
Unit Commenced October 11, 2022
Unit Completed November 4, 2022
- Reviewed and shared assessment results.
- Reviewed student survey and shared with teachers.
- Collected feedback from three teachers.

Unit 3

Written in October 2022
15 Lesson Plans | 1 Project | 1 Quiz | 1 Extension Activity | 1 Assessment | Student Survey
Delivered to teachers on October 28, 2022
Unit Commenced November 9, 2022
Unit Completed December 15, 2022
- Reviewed and shared assessment results.
- Reviewed student survey and shared with teachers.
- Collected feedback from three teachers.

Unit 4

Written from November 2022 – December 2022
Refocus Days – Teacher’s discretion provided options for two days if needed (January 5 & 6, 2023)
Persuasion: 10 Lesson Plans | 1 Project | 1 Assessment |Student Survey
Delivered to teachers on January 3, 2023
Available online December 16, 2022
Unit Commenced January 9, 2023
Unit Completed February 3, 2023
- Reviewed and shared assessment results.
- Reviewed student survey and shared with teachers.
- Collected feedback from three teachers.

Unit 5

Written in January 2023
8 Lesson Plans | 1 Project | 1 Assessment |Student Survey
Delivered to teachers on January 27, 2023
Unit Commenced February 6, 2023
Unit Completed February 24, 2023
- Reviewed and shared assessment results.
- Reviewed student survey and shared with teachers.
- Collected feedback from three teachers.

Unit 6

1. 6 Lesson Plans | 1 Project | 1 Assessment |Student Survey
2. Written in January 2023
3. 8 Lesson Plans | 1 Project | 1 Assessment |Student Survey
4. Delivered to teachers on February 17, 2023
5. Unit Commenced February 27, 2023
6. Unit Completed March 22, 2023
  - Reviewed and shared assessment results.
  - Reviewed student survey and shared with teachers.
  - Collected feedback from three teachers.

Unit 7 - STAAR Review and Preparation

Written in March 2023
Delivered to teachers on March 20, 2023
Unit Commenced March 23, 2023
Unit Completed April 24, 2023

Unit 8 – Year Wrap Up: Students Revise Projects, Select Best & Present to Audience

Written in April 2023
Delivered May 5, 2023
Teacher's discretion for implementation

Positive and constructive feedback collected from top three teachers to be used in Phase 3 ✅

Phase 3 – Reconstruction & Iteration **Current Phase**

From May 2023 – April 2024 (Current Phase)⚡

A. Business Formation – May 2023

Created business plan
- Mission Statement
- To Do List – Kanban Board

B. Branding – May 2023. Consistent:

Colors
Fonts
Logo
Icons

C. Completed Literature Review (July 2023) that showed how technology-enhanced project-based learning can support EB students in:

Increasing their motivation,
Improving their language proficiency, and
Improving their overall academic performance.

D. Editing and revising Unit 1 texts: June – August 2023

E. Build business website – August 2023

WordPress
- Homepage
- Landing Page
- Interest Form
- Testimonials
- About
- Contact

F. Develop and implement marketing strategy: mid-August – September 2023

Marketing strategy draft started May 2023
Innovation Proposal Letter (June 2023)

G. Unit by unit/lesson by lesson - iteration, improvement, and purposeful technology integration

Iterating Units 0 – 3 (August 2023 – December 2023
- Checklist developed May 2023
Iterating Units 4 – 8 (January 2024 – April 2024)
- Checklist developed May 2023

H. Submit items for copyright (TBD)

I. Networking (August 2023 – July 2024)

Outreach
Lead Generation
- Warm network
- Cold network

J. Determine parameters for pilot and/or soft launch. (January 2024)

K. Select Model/Demo lessons. (January 2024)

Phase 4 – Pilot Program & Soft Launch

From April 2024 – May 2025

A. Confirm/select school districts and campuses where ELLA will be piloted (April 2024 - July 2024)

B. Pilot or launch curriculum at confirmed campuses. (July 2024 - September 2024)

1. 1. 1. 1. Adopt ELLA curriculum based on parameters of Pilot Program/Soft Launch.

C. Provide professional learning experiences as requested. (July 2024 - March 2025)

Trainer of trainers
Mini professional development sessions
Professional learning as requested.

D. Collect feedback at predetermined checkpoints. (August 2024 - May 2025)

Teacher focus groups
Student surveys
Review artifacts of authentic learning

E. Attend campus events where students showcase their authentic learning/projects to an audience. (After STAAR May 2025)

Phase 5 – Continuous Improvement

June 2025 & Beyond

A. Use feedback, surveys and observations notes to continuously improve curriculum and remain relevant and competitive.

Literature Review

After starting my graduate degree in Applied Digital Learning (Summer 2023), I completed a literature review on Technology-Enhanced Project-Based Learning (TEPBL) for Emergent Bilingual (EB) students. I was particularly interested in the potential of TEPBL to provide EB students with authentic and meaningful learning experiences that tap into their interests and foster a sense of relevance. I also wanted to learn more about how the use of technology can enhance EL students’ language proficiency and academic skills.

My literature review found that TEPBL has a number of benefits for EL students. First, it can increase motivation by providing EL students with a purposeful and engaging context for learning. Second, TEPBL can enhance language proficiency by providing EL students with opportunities for immersive language experiences. Third, TEPBL can improve academic performance by promoting critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and creativity. You can find my literature review below.

Students' Perspectives

The videos below provide glimpses into two of the video interview exit surveys we conducted with newcomer EB students who completed the inaugural Technology-Enhanced Project-Based Learning reading and language arts curriculum – Phase 2. Our initial implementation of this project has underscored the effectiveness of Project-Based Learning in captivating the interest of newcomer emergent bilingual students. The students were particularly enthusiastic about the autonomy they had in selecting their project topics, taking charge of their educational journey, and using technology to bolster their language proficiency. Moreover, they found the integration of reading and language arts standards into the curriculum to be both enjoyable and enriching.

Nabiullah: First-year student from Afghanistan

Daniella: First-year student from Venezuela

Annotated Bibliography

I am always looking for ways to improve my practice and create a more engaging and effective learning environment for students. Here are some books I plan to read on change management, project-based learning, and curriculum writing so that I can continue to improve my skills in these areas and become an even better effective curriculum developer.