In many schools and especially international schools, there are classrooms with mixed proficiency in the instruction language. This poses challenges as well as opportunities for teaching and learning. In this talk we will explore how wordless media (books and videos) can be used as a tool for opening minds and sparking ideas and interactions in the international elementary classroom. Wordless media offer all students, also EAL students and students with educational needs, a framework, and challenge them to think deeply, interact and write. Where needed, the native languages of the students are used as a scaffold. Examples will be shown of using wordless media in literature lessons as well as in lessons connected to the units of inquiry and the exhibition, which can be applied in any subject area.
Outcomes: Teachers will have learned about the rich possibilities of wordless media and will be provided with a lesson design framework with the optimal characteristics, so the students benefit most from the wordless media for their learning.
