Professional Project Proposal

Student Name: Ali Pravda

Project Title: Differentiated Instruction for English Language Learners
Category of the Project: Research and development of materials/teacher
resource
I. Professional Project Goal(s):
Research best-practice methods for language differentiated instruction
(and assessment?).
Develop methods that are primarily used for differentiating language
instruction, but could be used for other content courses when considering
the ELLs language skill levels. (i.e. a resource for all teachers to better
support their ELLs).
Primarily applied to secondary student situations, but could possibly be
adapted for other age groups.
Develop methods and materials that are separated by skill-level, but with
the possibility of using Whole Language Theory of Instruction.
Develop methods and materials that can be used in a level-specific EAL
course (e.g. an intermediate EAL/ESL course) or for a diverse class of
ELLs (e.g. a beginner ELL and an approaching-fluency ELL together).
Develop materials that are quick and easy to use for everyday planning
and teaching.

II. Professional Project Objectives (breakdown of goals into manageable

chunks):
Find relevant studies and resources related to differentiated instruction
(DI).
Analyze the basics and more in-depth theory of differentiated instruction
(DI).
Create an outline and/or guide of what DI means when considering the
ELL.
Compile a list of lesson activities; activities both used in a mainstream
classroom and those relevant to language skill practice.
Compile a list of whole language activities.
Analyze these activities and record ways to differentiate the activities
with respect to each separate language skill.
Format methods of language instruction differentiation into a quick-use
resource.
o List instructions and explanations separate from previous resource for
further reference when needed.
Compile introduction of project, theory of project, instructions for
resource, final teacher resource, and conclusion of project into an
electronic document for submission.
III. Brief abstract or summary of the professional project (including
rationale and value to the project writer and the field of EAL/ESD/EFL etc.):
o Abstract:

Through research on differentiated instruction (DI) and teaching English as an

additional language (TEAL) strategies, this project presents professional
development information and lesson planning materials to be used in the secondary
classroom.
o Rationale:

Depending on the classroom situation, students are separated and grouped

by either age (i.e. grade level), by skill (i.e. content-area course), or by both. No
matter the situation, each classroom has studentsboth students whose first
language (L1) is English, and those who are English language learners (ELLs)with
a wide array of skills and skill-levels. This phenomenon occurs whether in a
mainstream curriculum course (e.g. Science 9students of all English skill-levels
are apparent), or in an EAL/ESL leveled course (e.g. a beginner course may have a
student who has intermediate speaking skills and beginner writing and reading
skills; while another student in the same beginner class has never received English
instruction).
The teacher is expected to give instruction and to educate all students. The
lower-leveled student may find tasks difficult and daunting if the materials, tasks, or
instructions are too advanced; while another student may find the same material,
task, and instruction boring, tedious, and unnecessary for their skill development.
Therefore, teachers are being set-up to failonly the middle group, or the group
that the lesson was developed for is truly benefiting from the instruction. With
immigration staying stagnant or rising, language teachers and mainstream teachers
are continuing to have classrooms with higher numbers of diverse students.
Therefore, teachers are in need of strategies to quickly and easily differentiate their
instruction for all studentsfrom beginner ELLs to those who are approaching-
fluency and everything in between. As the EAL curriculum is usually thematic, many
of the strategies and activities can be used in content-area classrooms, but with the
focus on language needs.
o Value:

Teachers, both of mainstream classes and of EAL courses, will be able to more
clearly consider the needs of all students during lesson instruction, and will have a
tool to apply the knowledge in the classroom.
IV. Schedule of Completion (Devise a monthly schedule that enables you to
focus your work and guides you in efficient completion. Use additional
paper if necessary.)
May [Differentiated Instruction theory]
Find relevant studies and resources related to differentiated instruction
(DI).
 Analyze the basics and more in-depth theory of differentiated instruction
(DI).
Create an outline and/or guide of what DI means when considering the
ELL.

June [Lesson Activities used in the Secondary Classroom]

Compile a list of lesson activities; activities both used in a mainstream
classroom and those relevant to language skill practice.
Compile a list of whole language activities.

July [Differentiate Activities]

Analyze these activities and record ways to differentiate the activities
with respect to each separate language skill.
Format methods of language instruction differentiation into quick-use
resource. List instructions and explanations separate from previous
resource for further reference when needed.

August [Compile, Edit, and Submit]

Compile introduction of project, theory of project, instructions for
resource, final teacher resource, and conclusion of project into an
electronic document.

V. Additional Notes to Instructor:

As I start my project, I am not certain about all aspects of the process and the end-
product. Currently, my questions to myself are:
What is an appropriate amount of activities? How specific will these
activities be?
What is the best format for quick-use? Currently, I am considering the
following:
Skills \ Levels Beginner Intermediate Advanced All
Lower Listening
Lower Speaking
Lower Reading
Lower Writing
Increase L
Increase S
Increase R
Increase W
How much of my increasing the difficulty be of simply using extension
activities? Should I make a separate resource for this?
 Will there be enough differentiation possible? Do students simply do
activities to the best of their ability? Is it possible to make tasks easier
or more difficult?
Should I be adding a level of grammar into the differentiation?