Wida Standards, Essay Example

Based on my understanding of the video, I would use the WIDA standard framework and expanded standards to help me plan effective lessons primarily by attempting to bridge gaps that occur across the varying fields of knowledge. While focus has been primarily on helping ELL students in English and language classrooms, it is essential to continue this focus in the other disciplines, such as math, science, social studies, and specials. It is inherently wrong to ignore the needs of ELL students in other classes, as language knowledge is essential for allowing them to understand these subjects as well. Until this can be effectively implemented in schools, it will remain necessary to indicate to students the relationship between English and the other disciplines so that they will be able to gain the same level of understanding of these subjects as native English speakers.

During this process, it is also necessary to focus on linguistic complexity, language forms and conventions, and vocabulary usage. In most cases, these variables differ depending upon the particular subject that is being taught. For example, the vocabulary that is essential to mathematics differs significantly from what one would expect to be used in social studies. Furthermore, the types of sentences utilized in both fields differ as well. Thus, it is important to emphasize the degrees of difference and similarity in which ELL are expected to master the language depending upon the fields that they will be educated in.

Ultimately, ELL students need to master varying degrees of language capabilities in different fields in order to achieve standards and then eventually mastery. In my own classroom, I will emphasize these differences and work towards a greater understanding of the use of language in a variety of situaitons.