Professional Development Support
An important component of Babble Tree’s program is its professional development resources. Research has conclusively demonstrated the importance of teacher professional development: Teaching quality is the key factor in student achievement (Darling-Hammond & Loewenberg Ball, 1997). And the most effective method of professional development makes ESL training an ongoing process with a commitment from teachers and administrators to transfer the ESL knowledge to the classroom (O’Neal, et al, 2008, p. 2).
Babble Tree’s program provides targeted professional development in a blended fashion where teachers can share information with other teachers, learn essential second language acquisition strategies, and take part in periodic professional development webinars to improve the support they provide for language students. Studies on teachers’ effectiveness show that high-quality professional development significantly impacts effectiveness in teaching and improves student outcomes more than any other variable (Darling-Hammond, et al, 2009, p. 20). Researchers have found that effective professional development requires: teachers to be reflective practitioners, teachers to have a mutually supportive professional community, and the need to learn about research-based strategies and pedagogy (PEARS Report, 2009).
For teachers and program users, there is an in-person orientation training to help teachers get started. This orientation session covers necessary background information related to program success and targeting program-specific goals. Key staff and company personnel provide a rationale for the program and introduce the research-based premise and program philosophy. The training models the company’s instructional approach, which allows participants to experience the teaching method in action. Participants discuss the theory while learning about key aspects of the program approach such as its game-based emphasis and using play and storytelling. Further, participants experience a variety of assessment strategies, which allows teachers the opportunity to recognize student abilities, language proficiency levels and language growth. Assessment strategies are embedded in the daily lesson activities, and when implemented successfully, substantially guide the teacher’s classroom decision-making and positively impact students’ language proficiency levels.
In addition to the in-person Orientation to the Bridge Program Training, an online live and a recorded webinar training may be offered to teachers in rural or distant communities who wish to implement the program but are economically challenged. Though not ideal, this option is available to meet the needs of communities where travel budgets do not support an in-person orientation visit. Follow-up visits and teacher observations of those using the program in areas where the online orientation training has been implemented is an option for the program orientation training. It addresses classroom and student needs in a well-balanced manner despite the lack of a more personalized, hands-on training experience. On-site training, in addition to follow-up web-based trainings, including personalized phone consultations, is recommended for adequate program implementation.
Video demonstrations of program lessons and classroom instructional activities are incorporated into online trainings to link the theory, or research background (which is presented in the introductory sections of each unit section of the manual), to practice. In response to teachers’ request to see activities and games from the teacher’s manual, a variety of web-videos are available. Teachers feel it is helpful to see classroom examples in order understand why it is suggested to do certain activities in a certain manner. They also feel the observations help them be able to learn how to successfully meet lesson objectives and standards using differentiated strategies to target student learning in unique ways within various classroom arrangements such as large or small group settings. Follow-up discussions of the demonstrations acknowledge individual teaching styles and recognized diverse student language levels.
Babble Tree’s professional development for second language learning programs includes: a program overview; Getting Started, a formative data and formative assessments training; Simple Assessments, demonstrations that promote language learning through movement and play; Language Games, recommendations and modeling for how teachers and families can blend text with oral language by way of reading to children and telling stories; Storytelling and Reading to Children, a place for building upon families’ commitment to their child’s learning; Family Engagement, and tips for evaluating language proficiency levels, language growth and stages; and Language Acquisition Stages. Recommendations for designing a language program are included. This is acknowledged as a critical element in classroom decision-making and the teacher’s ability to model the target language of instruction in an immersion approach; Language of Instruction.
The above-mentioned professional development resources supply teachers with necessary training and skills to implement the Bridges program and Babble Tree’s instructional approach. In addition, there are classroom resources for students including classroom and home learning games, videos connected to classroom instruction, finger plays for home and school, songs, and books and stories that accompany various language topics or units.