D169 Module 5

Consider the available strategies for cultural responsiveness in the classroom. Many of these strategies are instructor led but require both student input and a deep understanding of your students' diverse backgrounds. What are the three ways teachers can engage students in the process of creating a culturally responsive classroom?

-Plan activities to engage in finding out common interests and experiences. -Create art and pictures for the room representing students' cultures and families. -Build relationships with students' families and engage them when possible. -Include varied cultures and heritages into science, language, art, and history classes. -Offer 1:1 and small group time to ask questions and bring up any thoughts or concerns. -Provide time for students to use and engage with their native language(s) in the classroom.

New language acquisition has five stages. What are they? preproduction, early production, speech emergence. intermediate fluency, and advanced fluency.

-Preproduction- 0-6 mo, "the silent period" -Early production- 1000 words, 6mo-1 yrs, 1-2word response, key phrases, present tense -Speech emergence- 3000 words, good comprehension, simple sentences, grammatical and pronunciation errors, misunderstand jokes, 1-3 yrs -Intermediate fluency- excellent comprehension, Makes few grammatical errors, 3-5 yrs -Advanced fluency- can "express" "retell" and "discuss", near native, 5-7 yrs

A new student from Haiti is joining your classroom in two weeks. You have no other students from Haiti in your classroom and want to make this student feel comfortable, safe, and welcome. What are three steps you could take to prepare for this student's arrival and foster a welcoming environment with your students?

-Research country of origin -Explore cultural and religious traditions -Read about the DOs and DON'Ts of social behavior and communication practices of his or her culture -Incorporate books about diversity and culture

Talia began school in Burlington, Vermont, a more rural area of the country. She was born in the United States to parents who came to the United States from Nepal and only speak Nepali. Talia has only spoken Nepali at home, and this is her first time being in an environment with predominantly English language speakers. What challenges might Talia initially face in the classroom?

1. Little formal schooling if student is K-2 2. Parents accustomed to different school culture 3. Limited English proficiency to communicate with teachers and peers 4. Limited practice developing and using English or academic language 5. Vermont has large Nepali EL population 6. Urban schools typically have more EL resources than rural.

How many ELs are there in the US? What are the 4 most common native languages of ELs?

4.85 million ELs. Most common native language are: 1. Spanish 2. Chinese 3. Vietnamese 4. French creole Haitian

What is the difference between a bias and an implicit bias?

A bias is a conscious preference for a person or group of people, and an implicit bias is an unconscious stereotyping or preference for a person or group of people

Sara's family has lived in Germany due to her parents' jobs. They have relocated to the United States, and Sara is placed in seventh grade. Sara will need to not just learn the academics in her seventh-grade classes but learn English and the culture of the school and the United States. What is the process called that Sara is involved in?

Acculturation is an individual's adjustment to a new culture, while also retaining important cultural beliefs, customs, and the native language.

What Language Acquisition Stage is this? Near native comprehension and communication.

Advanced Fluency

What characteristic of cultural competence can the teacher introduce in the instruction or curriculum to support an inclusive and culturally responsive classroom? In a tenth-grade social studies classroom, two students are struggling to find common ground on a difficult subject. One student is from Palestine and the other is from Israel, countries in conflict with one another. These students have gotten one another riled up about the ongoing conflict and have even involved their peers.

As a teacher, it is important to be aware of the topics you might discuss in class and how the diversity of your class might be affected. Planning for potential racial or cultural tensions, such as the tension described in this example, will support students in navigating conversations and interactions in a more positive way.

A fifth-grade teacher entered the school year with a diverse population of students speaking five different languages. Many of the students' cultures vary significantly in terms of customs, practices, religions, and more. Entering the first science lesson of the year, the teacher was unsure about what information students knew about the vocabulary and concepts outlined in the lesson. Which instructional strategy should this teacher use to begin the lesson and create an inclusive classroom environment during this lesson for all students, regardless of previous knowledge and experience?

At the beginning of a lesson when students are just learning content, it is always critical to build students' background knowledge in order to level set and ensure they all have an advantage when engaging with new concepts and terminology. This is particularly important when students may not have received similar formal education previously, or when the classroom comprises students learning English as a second language.

Education is presumed to be the vehicle through which we transmit ______.

Culture is transmitted through the vehicle of immersive and intentional educational experiences.

What Language Acquisition Stage is this? Limited comprehension. Produces one- or two-word responses. Uses key or familiar phrases and mostly present tense verbs.

Early Production

True or False ELs proficient in their native language but not proficient in spoken and written English should receive special education services for speaking, reading, and writing.

False Although some ELs may experience a disability and require special education services, it is important to determine whether the disability is present. If there is not a disability, students may receive support from qualified EL teachers, but special education services are not warranted.

True or False Requiring ELs to speak English only during the school day will foster positive social, emotional, and academic growth.

False Research indicates the most effective way to support ELs is to validate their native culture and language while also providing English language instruction throughout the day. This humanizes the students' experience and allows them to explore their self and cultural identity.

True or False Exposing students to their native language in the classroom will inhibit their interest and progress toward acquiring English.

False Using multilingual resources helps newcomers feel welcome and comfortable in their new environment. Maintaining linguistic and cultural identity is important to a sense of belonging for a newcomer.

What characteristic of cultural competence can the teacher introduce in the instruction or curriculum to support an inclusive and culturally responsive classroom? A Chinese student transferred to a second-grade classroom from another school district. The student has moved almost a dozen times in the last couple of years due to his parents' work. In his last district, the student was in the process of being evaluated for special education services. His parents speak limited English and the student's native language is Mandarin. The classroom teacher has had difficulty communicating with the family about previous educational experiences, and special education testing in his new district is about to commence.

Family involvement is critical for both the student and the staff in a school and classroom. This student and his family may require an interpreter to ensure clear communication about the student's education and special education testing. The student may also require an interpreter for special education testing to ensure results are valid and reliable.

In order to embed cultural responsiveness across classrooms, schools, and districts, school leaders and teachers must work together to revamp and critically assess their ___________________.

In order to ensure classrooms across schools and districts are culturally responsive, school leaders and teachers must critically evaluate all aspects of their curriculum, from instructional strategies to assessments to celebratory days and holidays, to ensure they are inclusive and offer opportunities for the widest array of students to bring their cultural backgrounds, customs, and beliefs to the classrooms.

Name the second language acquisition stage: Marla is told to circle words she does not know as she reads while writing predictions of the word meanings on a sticky note.

Intermediate Fluency

What Language Acquisition Stage is this? Excellent comprehension with limited grammar and pronunciation errors.

Intermediate Fluency

A student in your tenth-grade classroom is within the speech emergence stage of second language acquisition. He understands spoken English quite well but struggles with reading and comprehending written English independently. Additionally, he is beginning to write grammatically correct sentences and correct his mistakes, but he requires a lot of support. The student is given an assignment over winter break to read a part of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew and write a report. How does this assignment relate to his Zone of Proximal Development?

Outside the Zone of Proximal Development

Name that Instructional Strategy! In order to reinforce vocabulary words learned throughout a period of time, the teacher pairs up students. Each pair is provided with a few short stories to read together. They are instructed to identify vocabulary words in context and also provided thought questions to discuss as they read.

Peer modeling can be an effective instructional strategy to support ELs in the classroom. It is often a good strategy to use for review material.

Name the second language acquisition stage: The teacher provides Sophia with a tablet and allows her to listen to the text as the words are highlighted on the page and the story animated as it progresses.

Pre-production

Name the second language acquisition stage: The teacher reads words aloud and asks Jack to point to the corresponding picture on a chart.

Pre-production

An eighth-grade student in your classroom is within the intermediate fluency stage of second language acquisition. He has also learned many strategies to support his understanding and expression both orally and written. The teacher broke students into groups to work on a project reviewing concepts learned throughout the first half of the year. The teacher encouraged students to choose a role in the group that allowed them to independently showcase what they believe to be their best work. How does this assignment relate to his Zone of Proximal Development?

Preceding the Zone of Proximal Development

What Language Acquisition Stage is this? Minimal comprehension. Does not verbalize. Uses nonverbal means of communication (nods, draws, points).

Preproduction

What characteristic of cultural competence can the teacher introduce in the instruction or curriculum to support an inclusive and culturally responsive classroom? At a small school in a suburban town, a 14-year-old girl and her sister are the only students of color. They are both Native American and proud of their culture and community. In the classroom, their teacher and classmates do not share similar beliefs or customs, and no one else looks like them. Although they have a strong sense of cultural identity, they feel as though their culture is suppressed by not being acknowledged or celebrated.

Representation matters. When students do not see themselves represented around them, their sense of self and cultural identity can be affected. It is important to provide opportunities for culture to be shared among peers, as well as provide forums and training with students to learn about diversity and varying cultures.

What is the most common language spoken by ELs in the United States?

Spanish More than 70 percent of ELs speak Spanish in the United States. More than 75 percent of ELs in 2014-2015 were Hispanic or Latino.

Name that Instructional Strategy! A teacher provides a lesson on tense and tone. As the teacher experiments with various ways to speak different words, she combines the word with different tones and visual supports (facial expressions, associated sketches—happy, sad, etc.) alongside the verbal prompt. Picture cards are also used when she ties these types of words in a story. She has students use language from the story to help them practice the way different words are spoken in various contexts.

Speaking and Listening This activity provides examples and practice for students to engage in speaking and listening activities to determine meaning in various contexts.

ELs with disabilities are more likely to be classified as having which educational disability?

Specific learning disability (SLD) SLD is the most likely educational disability among ELs with disabilities; 49.7 percent of ELs with a disability are classified as having an SLD. By comparison, approximately 37.5 percent of non-ELs with disabilities are classified as having an SLD.

Name the second language acquisition stage: Li receives a fill-in-the-blank version of a history assignment with the necessary vocabulary listed on the page.

Speech Emergent

Name the second language acquisition stage: The teacher pairs Maria with a peer who will write down Maria's ideas as she explains them.

Speech Emergent

What Language Acquisition Stage is this? Decent comprehension. Produces simple sentences with grammatical and pronunciation errors. Does not often understand jokes.

Speech emergence

Name that Instructional Strategy! In a classroom of students building skills in their expressive oral language, a teacher often rewords students' statements using appropriate tone and pitch. For example, a student may state "I goed to bathroom." The teacher may model "Oh. Yes, I saw you went to the bathroom." Additionally, when providing an example question in a grammatically correct form, the teacher provides possible answers, as well.

This example shows a teacher providing language modeling by acknowledging the student's efforts and providing the grammatically correct equivalent.

What type of stress-related culture shock is the following? A student from Somalia joined your classroom. After the first couple of weeks, you were noticing concerning patterns of behavior. The student did not want to participate, observe, or seemingly enjoy school activities or events and spent a lot of time lying down in the nurse's office. What might she be experiencing?

This student is experiencing cultural fatigue. Learning a new language alongside experiencing a very different culture can be overwhelming. The student may need support and guidance in engaging with these elements at a slower, more controlled pace. Including more culturally relevant experiences from her native culture and language will be important.

What type of stress-related culture shock is the following? An EL student from Argentina is attending formal schooling for the first time in your second-grade classroom. Quickly, you realize she is having a difficult time adjusting to routine, social and behavioral norms, and academic tasks. What might this student be experiencing?

This student is experiencing education shock. She is just beginning to learn formalized schooling through a new cultural and linguistic lens.

What type of stress-related culture shock is the following? An EL in your classroom has received EL support for about six months. He is hesitant to speak in class and is becoming more acutely aware of how challenging it is to communicate with other students. What might he be experiencing?

This student is experiencing language shock. He is coming to terms with the difficulty of learning a new language and how it affects social and academic experiences.

What type of stress-related culture shock is the following? A high school student from Kenya joined your classroom at the beginning of the school year. Now halfway through the year, he is beginning to voice concerns about his experience at school. In his previous school in Kenya, he was head of his debate team and active in sports. His limited English skills and difficulty making friendships have caused him great strife about his place in his new school. What might he be experiencing?

This student is experiencing role shock. Previously, he was used to being much more integrated and involved. In a new culture and using a new language, this student may need support finding his role and confidence.

True or False ELs are the fastest growing student population in the country.

True Approximately 10 percent of all students are ELs. Over the last decade, the number of ELs has increased 60 percent compared to the general group of non-ELs, which has increased 7 percent.

Describe two ways teachers can intentionally lessen implicit biases in the classroom.

Two ways to intentionally lessen implicit bias are to (1) make connections with people from cultures other than your own and (2) model how to talk about culture and diversity in a positive and transformational way.

Teachers in classrooms with ELs must use a range of classroom techniques to foster language growth through curriculum. What skills are most important to embed in instruction aimed at fostering language growth?

When learning a new language, practice speaking and opportunities to listen through modeling are critical to progress.

A student in your fifth-grade math classroom is in the early production stage of learning English as a second language. Word problems have been particularly difficult for her to learn in the general education environment. The teachers work out a plan for her to receive a pre-teaching period before her math class with the ESL teacher each day. They hope this will tie difficult language concepts to her native language prior to attending her general education math class. How does this assignment relate to his Zone of Proximal Development?

Within the Zone of Proximal Development

True or False In schools and classrooms where cultural diversity was acknowledged and celebrated, teachers provided practical and meaningful opportunities for all students to be proud and share their languages and cultures.

true Providing practical and meaningful experiences that showcase cultural diversity contributes to a positive school culture where diversity is not only acknowledged but also celebrated and welcomed.