Week 1: Post 1
Discuss the impact of ethnocentrism within the United States as it relates to minority groups developing their personal identity within their new environment and becoming acculturated.
Ethnocentrism is defined as: “having or based on the idea that your own group or culture is better or more important than others.”
ethnocentric. (Simple). 2016. In Merriam Webster.com. Retrieved May 10, 2016, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethnocentric
Ethnocentrism exists in all areas of the United States, varying at different degrees. Some areas in the United States are more accepting of other cultures than others. We are all born into a particular cultural environment and most identify with what we grow up with as the norm. However, when we feel we are better than another group we become ethnocentric and there lies the issue at hand. How do we accept who we are as good but that another culture is just as good?
Teachers can make a big impact on how other cultures are perceived and appreciated. How we model acceptance is essential as an educator. As a kindergarten teacher, and often my students’ first teacher, I lay the foundation for their school experience and expectations for the future. Developing effective lines of communication is imperative, as parents and teachers need to be partners in their child’s education. It’s crucial to get to know as much about a child’s family and life at home, as that is where their learning journey began. The life experiences a child has, prior to school and during school, impacts learning. This is an important factor to recognize and learn from as a teacher to better educate students.
Acculturation, beginning at a young age, is often a family choice; however, the older one is the more this becomes an individual choice. We as educators need to respect and understand that each culture should be appreciated and respected. Last year I was blessed to have two Jehovah Witness students in my class. This was my first time working with students and families with this culture. This family chose not to acculturate, therefore, requiring me to alter my teaching. Assignments were modified as necessary to respect their beliefs. For example, when my students did a countdown to Christmas chain, my Jehovah Witness students did a countdown to January chain. The objective of the lesson was counting and patterning. All of my students reached this objective however slightly altered to meet their beliefs. These students taught me more about their belief system and the families worked with me to create a positive experience for their children. This partnership made the difference in their children’s education as well as the rest of the class.
Week 1: Post 2
What are your thoughts about Cultural Relevance after reading the article by Jackie Roehl?
Jackie Roehl’s article, Embracing Discomfort: Speaking Out for Cultural Relevance brought attention to what cultural relevance is, what it looks like and why it is important in schools and classrooms. This is the first article I have read about cultural relevance and the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education (NUA) whose focus is on changing teachers view and understanding of cultural differences. I was impressed with how Jackie implemented cultural relevance in her classroom, however, I was left with questions on her techniques and strategies she was taught through NUA.
Jackie Roehl, was the 2012, Minnesota Teacher of the Year. She was chosen for this award for implementing innovative teaching methods. Jackie worked with the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education, “a professional development-provider that works with urban and suburban schools.” (Roehl, 2012), for 8 years, effectively changing the way she teaches. The NUA’s approach to teaching focuses on students’ strengths to motivate higher level learning and performance with all students. Jackie described some of the techniques she uses in the classroom, such as: priming activities (to help students create emotional connections), small group discussions, directed reading and thinking activities and writing and drawing images and pictures. These techniques covered multiple learning styles which allowed students to build on their personal strengths and demonstrate understanding of concepts.
After reading this article, I sought out more information about the NUA, its approach and if this approach was implemented in California schools. The NUA website,(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nuatc.org/, explained its goal of each child reaching their full learning potential. I discovered a middle school and high school in San Francisco, that implemented their approach and shared their success stories. I tried to imagine myself using the techniques Jackie Roehl shared, in my class, and was at a loss as to where to begin. Jackie teaches high school students, and I teach Kindergarten, a wide difference in expectations and capabilities. However, culturally relevant teaching has to begin somewhere, so what does it look like in Kindergarten and how would the NUA implement it differently than I do know?
Jackie Roehl’s closing metaphor, regarding gardening and meeting the needs of each plant, made me reflect upon my own students. Each one has their own culture. Each one has their own beliefs. Each one has their own strengths and weaknesses. I promote personal best in kindergarten as each child has their own personal best. But, what else can I do to meet the needs of each of my students so that they all reach their full learning potential?
Week 2: Post 1
What is culture? How would you define the idea of culture? Please refer the reading and video for this week. When you respond to the DQ, reflect on the ways that people from different culture groups have been treated and perceived because of different cultural world views. How does this impact our students?
Culture is the behavior, beliefs, and views of a group. It includes a groups language, religion, food, social habits, music etc. One’s culture defines a person and helps them to identify with a group of people. It gives them a sense of belonging.
I grew up in the midwest, in a caucasian, middle class family. My parents raised me to believe in the Catholic religion. I never felt like I had a lot of culture. We didn’t eat special foods, or have a particular style of clothing or music. My sense of belonging came from my religion and groups I was involved with at school.
Cris Cullinan’s article, Vision, privilege, and the limits of tolerance, focused on the three presumptions about the dominant culture, innocence, worthiness and competence. Members of the dominant culture are said to enjoy these privileges. They are the group that is unsuspected when there is theft or someone is injured. The group that is taken at “face value” when in need of money or medical treatment. The group that is considered competent when given a job. All other groups are often denied these presumptions. They are often tolerated rather than being accepted.
Throughout my life, I have generally felt that I received these presumptions. However, the year I graduated from college, and received my first teaching job, I felt that I lost these “privileges”. My first job was to co-teach at Head Start in Columbus, Ohio, working with a homebound program. I was fresh out of school and excited to receive my first teaching assignment. My co-teacher, was an African-American woman, around the same age as myself. The students that we were working with, were primarily, African-American, and were bussed in from a nearby shelter. I was the only caucasian teacher on site. I was very self conscious of this, and often felt that I didn’t belong. It didn’t help that my co-teacher and myself had difficulties getting along, most likely because I didn’t understand the culture, and our views and beliefs regarding children, differed. I felt that I was not accepted as competent or worthy. I didn’t share or understand the culture of the students I was working with and felt the disapproving looks of others when I spoke or shared my thoughts and ideas. My co-teacher and I eventually worked through our differences with support from our administration. Communication, respect and an open mind was the key for us. Getting past our differences required respecting each other's views and an understanding that even though our views and beliefs differed, neither had to be right or wrong.
References:
Adichie, C. (2009, July). The danger of a single story. Ted Global 2009. Podcast retrieved
from https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?language=en#t-2515
Cullinan, C. (1999). Vision, privilege, and the limits of tolerance. Electronic Magazine of Multicultural Education. Retrieved from http://www3.wku.edu/socialwork/documents/mswdownloads/kvaa_cullinan_article.pdf
Week 2: Post 2
How do schools mirror the dominant culture? Regardless of the “dominant culture of the school population” what are the things that are expected from students and parents that mirror the dominant culture and may create conflicts for students who have different cultural worldviews. Remember the first article by Bowman (week I) and her discussion related to assessment of children based on standards that reflect the “dominant” culture. Regardless of the ethnic and racial makeup of your school, what aspects of the school and school culture support the dominant culture? Examples regarding this idea abound: English only, assessing ELL and Special Ed students with one assessment, schools with the greater wealth, often attract more teachers and have greater success by the standards of the dominant culture.
Schools mirror the dominant culture by speaking, reading and writing in English. The attire one wears reflects the dominant culture as well as the foods one eats. A student's culture is very much shown through how they dress and what they bring for lunch.
Language is expected from parents and students. I believe this is one of the biggest barriers we have. This year I have a Chinese student that speaks very little English. Her family speaks very little as well. At conference time, my school provided me with an interpreter to help communicate with the parents. This was extremely helpful, however, on a day to day basis I can’t communicate well with the student/family. I am unable to tell them how their child is doing, or to discuss any concerns I have with them. This is a barrier that affects the education of this child.
In most schools, students are expected to speak, read and write in English. Students are assessed on standards, through oral and written English and standardized tests are based on experiences familiar to mainstreamed students. All of which, are difficult for an English Language Learner to understand. Schools need to address this issue and find a way to meet the needs of all students.
References
Adich, C. (Writer). (2009). The Danger of a Single Story [Video file]. TED Talk. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?language=en
Bowman, B. T. (1994). Cultural Diversity and Academic Achievement. U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement.
Week 3: Post 1
Visit this web site. Explore the resources. Take the quiz. Let me know what you think? How can you use this information in your classroom?
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/newamericans/quiz.html
I took the quiz on Immigration Myths and Realities, which was about misconceptions about immigration. I figured that since it was about misconceptions that what I thought would be true probably wasn’t. I still didn’t do well on the quiz, receiving only a 1/9, knowing only that most immigrants come to the US legally. I was most surprised by the amount of languages that are spoken in the US, 460, and that the US percentage of immigrants and native born that hold a college degree is roughly the same. I discovered that I didn’t know much about immigration, and learning more could be beneficial to me as a teacher. I researched myths and realities further and found this link on the PBS site that was beneficial and gave further clarity: http://www.pbs.org/pov/madeinla/immigration-myths-and-realities/
After taking the quiz, I began exploring the website/resources. At first, I was not impressed and didn’t know how I would use it in my classroom. But, the more I explored, the more I found. I started by clicking on “Our Films” and found that I could search out films about education. I watched the intro and clips of East of Salinas, which was very interesting. The film was about a boy named, Jose, whose parents were migrant farm workers. It talked about the struggles of the family and the teacher that helped Jose keep faith that he could succeed in America. I watched several other short videos as well and read a couple of articles, one being, China’s Education System, The Primary Years. It was interesting to see the similarities and differences in our two cultures. I found this area to be interesting, however, I didn’t find anything that was appropriate for Kindergarten in this area, just more for myself as a teacher.
There were many educational areas on this site. LearningMeda, which is “PBS’s TeacherLine suite of self paced courses” being one of them. It has classes on technology, leadership, math, reading, science, social studies, and instructional strategy. Teachers receive a certificate upon completion. Classes were about an 1 ½ to 3 hours long and cost between $50 and $100 to take. There were many classes that I found interesting, and would consider taking one of the courses in the future.
I also discovered the Black Culture Connection, which has videos about the underground railroad, the March on Washington, Enslavement etc. I was impressed that they also had lesson plans aligned to the standards, however, most of this area was geared for middle to high school students and couldn’t see myself using it much in Kindergarten.
PBS Kids was the most appropriate area I found and one that I could see using in my classroom. I was able to create an account and get started saving things I liked. For example, my class is learning about the ocean right now and I was able to find multiple videos about the ocean that were appropriate for Kindergarten. Dinosaur Train/Maise Doesn’t Like to Dive Deep, is a fiction video with non-fiction mixed in. They were short clips, perfect for Kindergarteners, and would match K listening and comprehension standards.
Overall this is a great site and one that I will bookmark and refer back to in the future.
Week 4: Post 1
You have students in your classroom that may have 504 plans or IEPs. Do differences exist in the expectations and goals for English only students compared to ELL students? What strategies do you use to ensure that ALL of your students' learning needs are met? How do you address, for example, that some of your students are not fluent readers, and though they may be able to decode, they cannot comprehend? What do you do to differentiate your lessons for speakers of other languages?
I do not have differences in my expectations and goals for my ELL students. I know that it may take longer to achieve the goals and may require more assistance, however, my goals are the same for all of my students. I expect them to meet these goals, with assistance along the way, if needed. Several strategies that I use to ensure that all of my students’ learning needs are met are: modeling, review of concepts, assessments, manipulatives, pictures, working with students one on one, and communicating with parents. I also learn a lot about my students through assessments. They are constantly learning new things, and by adapting my lessons to meet their changing needs, they can continue to meet their goals.
Strategies are essential in education, not just for teachers, but for students. Using manipulatives is one way to solve a problem. But, there are many other ways as well. Teaching our students that their are multiple ways to figure out how to solve or do something is essential in creating independent learners. The charts and posters we put up in our classrooms are tools for our students. Teaching them that they are there for them to use, is a strategy to solve a problem. These tools are beneficial for all of our students, but especially our ELL students.
Reading comprehension is an area where many ELL students struggle. This year, I have several ELL students that are able to blend, but have difficulty comprehending what they are reading. My school uses the DRA (developmental reading assessment) for determining a student's reading level. Kindergarteners need to be at a 3-4 at the end of Kindergarten. Comprehension is assessed beginning at level 4. My ELL students are often able to achieve a level 3, but due to the comprehension questions, can not pass a level 4.
Academic language comprehension is also a struggle. Constant review, pictures, and modeling are a must to understanding. Even then, it can still be difficult. I have a student in my class that speaks very little English. She learns quickly, and works best when I model or use pictures. Using visuals and manipulatives, such as, rekenreks for addition, and modeling seem to be the key to her comprehending the concepts and applying academic language.
Differentiated instruction is essential in education, however, is difficult in whole group. When I teach whole group, I use many of the techniques vital to teaching ELL students such as, modeling, pictures, and manipulatives. When I work one on one or small group with my ELL students I differentiate according to their specific needs. For example, working on characters, setting and sequencing of a story using pictures. “Differentiated instruction offers teachers an effective method of addressing the needs of this diverse population in a way that gives all students equal access to learning.”
References
Ford, K. (n.d.). Differentiated Instruction for English Language Learners. Retrieved May 29, 2016, from http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/differentiated-instruction-english-language-learners
Discuss the impact of ethnocentrism within the United States as it relates to minority groups developing their personal identity within their new environment and becoming acculturated.
Ethnocentrism is defined as: “having or based on the idea that your own group or culture is better or more important than others.”
ethnocentric. (Simple). 2016. In Merriam Webster.com. Retrieved May 10, 2016, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethnocentric
Ethnocentrism exists in all areas of the United States, varying at different degrees. Some areas in the United States are more accepting of other cultures than others. We are all born into a particular cultural environment and most identify with what we grow up with as the norm. However, when we feel we are better than another group we become ethnocentric and there lies the issue at hand. How do we accept who we are as good but that another culture is just as good?
Teachers can make a big impact on how other cultures are perceived and appreciated. How we model acceptance is essential as an educator. As a kindergarten teacher, and often my students’ first teacher, I lay the foundation for their school experience and expectations for the future. Developing effective lines of communication is imperative, as parents and teachers need to be partners in their child’s education. It’s crucial to get to know as much about a child’s family and life at home, as that is where their learning journey began. The life experiences a child has, prior to school and during school, impacts learning. This is an important factor to recognize and learn from as a teacher to better educate students.
Acculturation, beginning at a young age, is often a family choice; however, the older one is the more this becomes an individual choice. We as educators need to respect and understand that each culture should be appreciated and respected. Last year I was blessed to have two Jehovah Witness students in my class. This was my first time working with students and families with this culture. This family chose not to acculturate, therefore, requiring me to alter my teaching. Assignments were modified as necessary to respect their beliefs. For example, when my students did a countdown to Christmas chain, my Jehovah Witness students did a countdown to January chain. The objective of the lesson was counting and patterning. All of my students reached this objective however slightly altered to meet their beliefs. These students taught me more about their belief system and the families worked with me to create a positive experience for their children. This partnership made the difference in their children’s education as well as the rest of the class.
Week 1: Post 2
What are your thoughts about Cultural Relevance after reading the article by Jackie Roehl?
Jackie Roehl’s article, Embracing Discomfort: Speaking Out for Cultural Relevance brought attention to what cultural relevance is, what it looks like and why it is important in schools and classrooms. This is the first article I have read about cultural relevance and the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education (NUA) whose focus is on changing teachers view and understanding of cultural differences. I was impressed with how Jackie implemented cultural relevance in her classroom, however, I was left with questions on her techniques and strategies she was taught through NUA.
Jackie Roehl, was the 2012, Minnesota Teacher of the Year. She was chosen for this award for implementing innovative teaching methods. Jackie worked with the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education, “a professional development-provider that works with urban and suburban schools.” (Roehl, 2012), for 8 years, effectively changing the way she teaches. The NUA’s approach to teaching focuses on students’ strengths to motivate higher level learning and performance with all students. Jackie described some of the techniques she uses in the classroom, such as: priming activities (to help students create emotional connections), small group discussions, directed reading and thinking activities and writing and drawing images and pictures. These techniques covered multiple learning styles which allowed students to build on their personal strengths and demonstrate understanding of concepts.
After reading this article, I sought out more information about the NUA, its approach and if this approach was implemented in California schools. The NUA website,(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nuatc.org/, explained its goal of each child reaching their full learning potential. I discovered a middle school and high school in San Francisco, that implemented their approach and shared their success stories. I tried to imagine myself using the techniques Jackie Roehl shared, in my class, and was at a loss as to where to begin. Jackie teaches high school students, and I teach Kindergarten, a wide difference in expectations and capabilities. However, culturally relevant teaching has to begin somewhere, so what does it look like in Kindergarten and how would the NUA implement it differently than I do know?
Jackie Roehl’s closing metaphor, regarding gardening and meeting the needs of each plant, made me reflect upon my own students. Each one has their own culture. Each one has their own beliefs. Each one has their own strengths and weaknesses. I promote personal best in kindergarten as each child has their own personal best. But, what else can I do to meet the needs of each of my students so that they all reach their full learning potential?
Week 2: Post 1
What is culture? How would you define the idea of culture? Please refer the reading and video for this week. When you respond to the DQ, reflect on the ways that people from different culture groups have been treated and perceived because of different cultural world views. How does this impact our students?
Culture is the behavior, beliefs, and views of a group. It includes a groups language, religion, food, social habits, music etc. One’s culture defines a person and helps them to identify with a group of people. It gives them a sense of belonging.
I grew up in the midwest, in a caucasian, middle class family. My parents raised me to believe in the Catholic religion. I never felt like I had a lot of culture. We didn’t eat special foods, or have a particular style of clothing or music. My sense of belonging came from my religion and groups I was involved with at school.
Cris Cullinan’s article, Vision, privilege, and the limits of tolerance, focused on the three presumptions about the dominant culture, innocence, worthiness and competence. Members of the dominant culture are said to enjoy these privileges. They are the group that is unsuspected when there is theft or someone is injured. The group that is taken at “face value” when in need of money or medical treatment. The group that is considered competent when given a job. All other groups are often denied these presumptions. They are often tolerated rather than being accepted.
Throughout my life, I have generally felt that I received these presumptions. However, the year I graduated from college, and received my first teaching job, I felt that I lost these “privileges”. My first job was to co-teach at Head Start in Columbus, Ohio, working with a homebound program. I was fresh out of school and excited to receive my first teaching assignment. My co-teacher, was an African-American woman, around the same age as myself. The students that we were working with, were primarily, African-American, and were bussed in from a nearby shelter. I was the only caucasian teacher on site. I was very self conscious of this, and often felt that I didn’t belong. It didn’t help that my co-teacher and myself had difficulties getting along, most likely because I didn’t understand the culture, and our views and beliefs regarding children, differed. I felt that I was not accepted as competent or worthy. I didn’t share or understand the culture of the students I was working with and felt the disapproving looks of others when I spoke or shared my thoughts and ideas. My co-teacher and I eventually worked through our differences with support from our administration. Communication, respect and an open mind was the key for us. Getting past our differences required respecting each other's views and an understanding that even though our views and beliefs differed, neither had to be right or wrong.
References:
Adichie, C. (2009, July). The danger of a single story. Ted Global 2009. Podcast retrieved
from https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?language=en#t-2515
Cullinan, C. (1999). Vision, privilege, and the limits of tolerance. Electronic Magazine of Multicultural Education. Retrieved from http://www3.wku.edu/socialwork/documents/mswdownloads/kvaa_cullinan_article.pdf
Week 2: Post 2
How do schools mirror the dominant culture? Regardless of the “dominant culture of the school population” what are the things that are expected from students and parents that mirror the dominant culture and may create conflicts for students who have different cultural worldviews. Remember the first article by Bowman (week I) and her discussion related to assessment of children based on standards that reflect the “dominant” culture. Regardless of the ethnic and racial makeup of your school, what aspects of the school and school culture support the dominant culture? Examples regarding this idea abound: English only, assessing ELL and Special Ed students with one assessment, schools with the greater wealth, often attract more teachers and have greater success by the standards of the dominant culture.
Schools mirror the dominant culture by speaking, reading and writing in English. The attire one wears reflects the dominant culture as well as the foods one eats. A student's culture is very much shown through how they dress and what they bring for lunch.
Language is expected from parents and students. I believe this is one of the biggest barriers we have. This year I have a Chinese student that speaks very little English. Her family speaks very little as well. At conference time, my school provided me with an interpreter to help communicate with the parents. This was extremely helpful, however, on a day to day basis I can’t communicate well with the student/family. I am unable to tell them how their child is doing, or to discuss any concerns I have with them. This is a barrier that affects the education of this child.
In most schools, students are expected to speak, read and write in English. Students are assessed on standards, through oral and written English and standardized tests are based on experiences familiar to mainstreamed students. All of which, are difficult for an English Language Learner to understand. Schools need to address this issue and find a way to meet the needs of all students.
References
Adich, C. (Writer). (2009). The Danger of a Single Story [Video file]. TED Talk. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?language=en
Bowman, B. T. (1994). Cultural Diversity and Academic Achievement. U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement.
Week 3: Post 1
Visit this web site. Explore the resources. Take the quiz. Let me know what you think? How can you use this information in your classroom?
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/newamericans/quiz.html
I took the quiz on Immigration Myths and Realities, which was about misconceptions about immigration. I figured that since it was about misconceptions that what I thought would be true probably wasn’t. I still didn’t do well on the quiz, receiving only a 1/9, knowing only that most immigrants come to the US legally. I was most surprised by the amount of languages that are spoken in the US, 460, and that the US percentage of immigrants and native born that hold a college degree is roughly the same. I discovered that I didn’t know much about immigration, and learning more could be beneficial to me as a teacher. I researched myths and realities further and found this link on the PBS site that was beneficial and gave further clarity: http://www.pbs.org/pov/madeinla/immigration-myths-and-realities/
After taking the quiz, I began exploring the website/resources. At first, I was not impressed and didn’t know how I would use it in my classroom. But, the more I explored, the more I found. I started by clicking on “Our Films” and found that I could search out films about education. I watched the intro and clips of East of Salinas, which was very interesting. The film was about a boy named, Jose, whose parents were migrant farm workers. It talked about the struggles of the family and the teacher that helped Jose keep faith that he could succeed in America. I watched several other short videos as well and read a couple of articles, one being, China’s Education System, The Primary Years. It was interesting to see the similarities and differences in our two cultures. I found this area to be interesting, however, I didn’t find anything that was appropriate for Kindergarten in this area, just more for myself as a teacher.
There were many educational areas on this site. LearningMeda, which is “PBS’s TeacherLine suite of self paced courses” being one of them. It has classes on technology, leadership, math, reading, science, social studies, and instructional strategy. Teachers receive a certificate upon completion. Classes were about an 1 ½ to 3 hours long and cost between $50 and $100 to take. There were many classes that I found interesting, and would consider taking one of the courses in the future.
I also discovered the Black Culture Connection, which has videos about the underground railroad, the March on Washington, Enslavement etc. I was impressed that they also had lesson plans aligned to the standards, however, most of this area was geared for middle to high school students and couldn’t see myself using it much in Kindergarten.
PBS Kids was the most appropriate area I found and one that I could see using in my classroom. I was able to create an account and get started saving things I liked. For example, my class is learning about the ocean right now and I was able to find multiple videos about the ocean that were appropriate for Kindergarten. Dinosaur Train/Maise Doesn’t Like to Dive Deep, is a fiction video with non-fiction mixed in. They were short clips, perfect for Kindergarteners, and would match K listening and comprehension standards.
Overall this is a great site and one that I will bookmark and refer back to in the future.
Week 4: Post 1
You have students in your classroom that may have 504 plans or IEPs. Do differences exist in the expectations and goals for English only students compared to ELL students? What strategies do you use to ensure that ALL of your students' learning needs are met? How do you address, for example, that some of your students are not fluent readers, and though they may be able to decode, they cannot comprehend? What do you do to differentiate your lessons for speakers of other languages?
I do not have differences in my expectations and goals for my ELL students. I know that it may take longer to achieve the goals and may require more assistance, however, my goals are the same for all of my students. I expect them to meet these goals, with assistance along the way, if needed. Several strategies that I use to ensure that all of my students’ learning needs are met are: modeling, review of concepts, assessments, manipulatives, pictures, working with students one on one, and communicating with parents. I also learn a lot about my students through assessments. They are constantly learning new things, and by adapting my lessons to meet their changing needs, they can continue to meet their goals.
Strategies are essential in education, not just for teachers, but for students. Using manipulatives is one way to solve a problem. But, there are many other ways as well. Teaching our students that their are multiple ways to figure out how to solve or do something is essential in creating independent learners. The charts and posters we put up in our classrooms are tools for our students. Teaching them that they are there for them to use, is a strategy to solve a problem. These tools are beneficial for all of our students, but especially our ELL students.
Reading comprehension is an area where many ELL students struggle. This year, I have several ELL students that are able to blend, but have difficulty comprehending what they are reading. My school uses the DRA (developmental reading assessment) for determining a student's reading level. Kindergarteners need to be at a 3-4 at the end of Kindergarten. Comprehension is assessed beginning at level 4. My ELL students are often able to achieve a level 3, but due to the comprehension questions, can not pass a level 4.
Academic language comprehension is also a struggle. Constant review, pictures, and modeling are a must to understanding. Even then, it can still be difficult. I have a student in my class that speaks very little English. She learns quickly, and works best when I model or use pictures. Using visuals and manipulatives, such as, rekenreks for addition, and modeling seem to be the key to her comprehending the concepts and applying academic language.
Differentiated instruction is essential in education, however, is difficult in whole group. When I teach whole group, I use many of the techniques vital to teaching ELL students such as, modeling, pictures, and manipulatives. When I work one on one or small group with my ELL students I differentiate according to their specific needs. For example, working on characters, setting and sequencing of a story using pictures. “Differentiated instruction offers teachers an effective method of addressing the needs of this diverse population in a way that gives all students equal access to learning.”
References
Ford, K. (n.d.). Differentiated Instruction for English Language Learners. Retrieved May 29, 2016, from http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/differentiated-instruction-english-language-learners