Fostering Community in a Distance Learning Environment

How do we build community in an online setting?

I decided to start my final semester by asking my students "What challenges have you had with learning online? What do you like most about it?"

I had 57 responses, but for brevity, I will share share six that stood out.

1.  I love online school. I don't want to go back to regular school.*
2.  I hate it it it sucks we get way to much homework we don't learn and then we get quizzes.
3. The challenges are the breakout rooms mostly they are awkward and what about learning online is you can stay home.
4. English barrier. It can improve my English level  and make me talk more. 
5. Sometimes my wifi doesn't work and my siblings walk around the house trying to make their  Chrome books work better. 
6. My biggest challenge is having to keep up with the work and remember what i have to do and the work feels harder without person to person help. I dont like social distance. 

During my final semester at USC, my biggest concern was that my students would not be able to build community the same way we could in person. My concern was that there was going to be a lack of interpersonal connection and culture exchange when teaching World History. I asked my students how to build community with all these restrictions. Here are some responses. 

1. Through Social Media
2. Flipped Classroom
3. Clubs outside class via zoom
4. Its hard because of the pandemic
5. We can build community outside of our class time by having outside zooms that are non-school related.
6. Umm I do not know.

I did not know either.

Distance learning works for some students, but many are underserved. Breakout rooms were also a concern, as students did not feel comfortable communicating with one another.  Oftentimes there was inequity in breakout rooms. 

My biggest concern was internet speeds. The following chart indicates that more than half of the students reported average or below average internet speeds. This is particular damaging for students in underserved areas. 

How do students build community outside of instruction time? This following chart illustrates the most popular mediums for students to communicate outside of class. 

Students overwhelmingly chose text message and social media as their primary form of communication outside of class.

I was inspired to understand potential pitfalls.  Rodgers (2002) notes that “while teachers can perceive much through close observation of learning, a great deal is hidden in the minds of the students themselves."

After a semester with these groups of students, I've come up with potential solutions for building community in a distance learning environment. 

Solution #1: Provide More Access

Marginalized communities have equally marginalized internet access. Developing infrastructure to create equitable internet access, will not only assist with distance learning, but it can help develop these communities. Service providers have committed to providing access during these unprecedented times, but more needs to be done. District provided Chromebooks were also inadequate. Once the pandemic subsides, the new media literacies taught will become a new normal. Creating infrastructure and providing adequate hardware will be imperative. 

Solution #2: Use Slack to Build Community outside of the Classroom

Slack is a wonderful tool used in business and higher education, why not get these students acclimated a technology they will most likely use in several fields. About 1/5 of the students surveyed use Discord and social media to communicate outside of class. Slack has integrations with Google Suite and Zoom, and it can be used to foster a sociocultural learning environment. If a district integrates this, I would have the opportunity to monitor collaborative work. I've used a free version to effectively collaborate with my cohort during guided practice. I am confident it will work with a generation that has so much exposure to new media literacies. I made a presentation on Slack, if there's interest.

In regards to a sociocultural learning environment... 

I already mentioned that this is my preferred pedagogical approach, with a behaviorist framework. 

My prior work experience used this application, and I firmly believe it has value in a Secondary space.  It's here to stay in the professional workspace, why not introduce it early? 

Solution 3: Giving Students a Voice

To truly build community via distance learning, students must be given an option. In one of my exit tickets, I asked my students who they felt comfortable working with. This was after noticing that the zone of proximal development for collaboration was hindered by feeling uncomfortable, shy, or other qualitative observations. In this exit ticket, students informed me of other students that they may or may not feel comfortable working. This continues with the ongoing theme of Safety, Affirmation, Fairness, and Empathy. Students feel safe, collaborating with peers they are more comfortable with, and they are affirmed with fairness that they have an instructor that allows them to work with peers they are more comfortable with. 

To get students to take a metacognitive approach, at the end of each class, ask your students: "Did you bring the best version of yourself to class today? Why or why not?" I found a lot of success in understanding where my students were by asking this simple question at the end of each lesson. 

Conclusion 

It is imperative that instructors have empathy for their students during a global pandemic. Students are experiencing severe trauma from the aftermath of nearly a year without sports, interpersonal events, clubs, dances, and a myriad of other events that have been canceled. 

These aforementioned ideas build community, but without internet equity, educators need to find ways to foster this. Through Slack and allowing your students to assert their own voice, community in an online environment can be achieved. These solutions only provide my opinion, but I believe they are viable, as our field has been disrupted in unprecedented ways. 

EdTPA Portfolio

EdTPA Portfolio at G.M. Walters Middle School, Fremont, CA

676: The Importance of Search: An Ideological Stance for How to Approach Secondary Social Science

In Social Science, I believe one of the most important skills to teach our students is how to effectively use search. From my experience in a seventh grade class, I have discovered that students do not have the funds of knowledge when it comes to researching credible sources on the internet.

This is not just a skill that is pertinent to Social Sciences. It is a life skill that can create job opportunities in the future for many students that come from a resource challenged background.

In order to do so, I have decided that there will be two approaches, behaviorist and 
constructivist. 

The best feature about a constructivist approach is using the funds of knowledge from all students in the class. In all cases of learning, there is always inequity in a given class. The higher level learners are known as more knowledgable others, or MKOs. Jamarillo (1996) illustrates the importance that this student role “ is therefore vital to the learning process for all initiates who learn higher forms of mental activity via more knowledgeable peers and adults who jointly construct and transfer this activity primarily through language.”  Students that have more technology literacy can help the students that do not quite have the funds of knowledge yet.

I have witnessed firsthand on how vital MKOs are in an EL setting, especially as an instructor whose Spanish is very limited. This method allows students who are soon to be reclassified to help students that do not have the same language capabilities. As a social science instructor, it is my understanding that I may have an entire class dedicated to ELD students. A sociocultural environment allows for these students to talk about subject material in their L1 and L2.

Jamarillo (1996) describes the behaviorist approach by stating: “Those educators who adhere to behavioristic, cognitivistic, and positivistic theoretical frameworks tend to instruct their students in a teacher-centered mode, whereas those who adhere to constructivism, collectivistic, and thematic holistic theories tend to teach students in a collective learning environment.”

This sounds contradictory, but it is my philosophy that students need several ways to see something done before they use their peers as a source.  Some skills need to be taught directly by the instructor, namely the skill of properly using the internet as source.

In my future lessons, I believe I will strive for a 50% balance between sociocultural and behaviorist methods.  This will be altered based on the needs of the whole group. If the class does not adhere to the norms that are required in a sociocultural environment, the direct behaviorist approach will take precedent.

While there is also a contradiction between both learning methods,  but there is a way to use them in one lesson. I have witnessed firsthand the value of a sociocultural learning environment. This is why I will incorporate the Gradual Release model more often than any other instruction method. This flexible method of planning lessons allows for a way to incorporating both approaches. Students can use think-pair-share after mimicking the behaviors of the instructor.

During direct instruction, I plan to often check for understanding by using questioning. This will allow students to have a voice, and hear the correct responses from their peers in a time where they may not be used to having an opportunity to share.

In social sciences, it is necessary to create a sociocultural learning environment so that students investigate cause and effect, collaboratively. However, in order to teach real life skills, such as search, students will need to receive direct instruction before learning from one another, so that the more advanced students may then help their peers.

How does this environment look?
My classroom will be arranged in quadrants. I plan to address each quadrant equally. The quadrant closest to me, will be the one behind me. during group, or pair work, I will have my back facing students that are closest to me, and talk at a distance to other groups. This way, I am facing the students furthest from me, but I maintain a close proximity. It was suggested by my curriculum professor, Dr. Botz, that this is the ideal seating chart when trying to implement a constructivist learning model. I also had a seating chart similar, but the students were divided in half, not in quadrants.I look forward to finding the ideal seating arrangement. This is what it may look like when I enter my first year of teaching:

References

Jaramillo, James A. "Vygotsky's sociocultural theory and contributions to the development of constructivist curricula." Education, vol. 117, no. 1, 1996, p. 133+. Biography in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A18960235/BIC1?u=usocal_m ain&xid=e850616a. Accessed 9 February 2019.

676: Is Learning an Art or a Science?

Is learning an art or a science?
Learning is both an art, and a science.

The purpose of this post is to analyze which method of learning is more effective: logical (science) or creative (art).

At it's core, learning sounds like it would lean more heavily towards being a science, since science is based on logic, and learning typically requires logic. I believe that learning is based in science, but it this is dependent on how well a student can use their imagination to learn, which is why learning is an art.

Here's why I believe that learning leans more heavily towards art. In fifth grade, my teacher taught us a song that alphabetized all fifty states in America. I still remember this song. If I used my rational, scientific brain, to try to memorize all fifty states, it would be much more difficult. Additionally, if someone were to ask that I recite all fifty states, it would be much easier to recite the song that I memorized.

That's a social science example, but I also remember a song that my chemistry teacher taught us in high school to learn the ideal gas law. I only remember this formula, because my teacher presented it in song. I have no idea why or how to actually apply the formula, twelve years later, but the fact that I am able to still remember the formula, and all fifty states, shows how effective incorporating art into learning can be. This is an example of science relying on the art of learning to enrich understanding and foster memorization.

Math can be referred to as the antithesis of art, but how can we best learn math? Below is an example incorporating art.

Math uses art to enhance understanding.

Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally. This is a fundamental building block for learning math in secondary education. It translates to Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction. This is a mnemonic device that is used to teach students that are first entering Algebra. Implementing a mnemonic device requires creativity, not logic. If the biggest principle in math is taught by using an artistic mnemonic device, it would be short sighted to say that learning does not lean towards being an art.

All subjects require the scientific method in some cases. Learning as a science may be the foundation, but it the incorporation of art allows us as teachers help our students learn more abstract concepts. It is my firm belief that if we treat learning as a science, we can still produce graduates, but  it does not foster long term retention the way that learning as an art does. So if we, as teachers, know that mnemonics, song, and story enhance learning, we must enhance our craft and become more creative as teachers, to ensure retention.

References
Wegner, G. (2015, November 1). A Silly Way to Memorize Math Formulas. Retrieved November 16, 2019, from https://youtu.be/CvJEpbZLRhE.

676: Literacy in Social Sciences

Schools are vital to civic engagement.  I believe my equity and access section spearheads the pedagogical stance on how exactly this would be implemented, but there are multiple ways that schools foster civic education. The first approach focuses on what it means to actually become a citizen, the second will focus on the idea of how.

Ogle, Klemp, Mcbridge (2007) emphasize that schools are communities. They are the only institutions with ability to mandate almost every young person in the United States. They are also the institution that is best suited for addressing what good citizenship looks like. This is the foundations for why public schools started. This is a space where young people learn how to formulate argument on issues that face society. This form of literacy, rooted in citizenship, will be a life skill that is necessary for students to  participate in the civil discourse. 

It is the obligation of Social Science instructors to teach our students how to participate in the republic that is America. This is civic literacy, and it supersedes all other forms of literacy in the discipline.

Moving forward, there is also a method to creating the path towards citizenship. The unique aspect of Social Science can be found in the name. It is a science. Zygouris-Coe (2015) eloquently states that (historians) "are involved in an ongoing scientific process of collecting, interpreting facts and evidence from multiple sources." This means that Social Science instructors need a STEM background to properly convey information so that is accessible for all learners.

I echo these sentiments. Social science is about building literacy skills and fostering students to engage in the scientific method. There are many avenues to develop a course that includes field or line research that foster implementing the scientific method while discovering what it means to be a citizen.

References:

Ogle, D. Klemp, R. McBride, B. (2007). Building Literacy In Social Studies. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Zygouris-Coe, V.  (2015). Teaching Discipline-Specific Literacies in Grades 6-12.

676 and 674: Equity and Access for English Learners and Students in Special Education

In the MAT program, we address several ways to address a myriad of diverse learners who all bring their various funds of knowledge to the classroom. To ensure there is equity and access for all students, I have highlighted several articles covering a wide range of approaches. 

The underlying theme is based off an acronym I created in my Equity and Access course, during the Spring 2019. This idea that classroom environments should offer Safety, Affirmation, Fairness, Empathy and Equity, or (SAFE). Fergus, Noguera, and Martin (2014) describes that students need to be in a safe, affirming environment to succeed by saying how “educators supported them influenced how intellectually interested they were in school. This in turn is also related to feelings of safety, fairness, and belonging that they perceived in school.” This is the underlying idea for SAFE, and it is also the idea for how I will develop my strategy for equity and access, including the strategies to be implemented.  These include: autoethnography, oral and written narratives, culturally relevant pedagogy, and implementing sheltered content instruction for English learners and learners with special needs. 

Here are ways that I will make my lessons more accessible to English learners and students with special needs. I believe that I can confidently approach students with all learning needs. 

Autoethnography
The MAT program challenged us to create our own autoethnography. The process of creating my own, and having a safe space to discuss situations where I have felt marginalized helped me grow as a person and a student. I firmly believe that this would benefit my future students. I plan to implement weekly digressions at the beginning of the week so that students may have the time to reflect on things going on with their lives. Camangian (2010) reported on the use of autoethnography in classrooms to foster literacy. The "findings suggest that autobiographies increased students knowledge of self and, upon recognizing one another's all-too-familiar struggles, the classroom climate became more conducive to constructing a critical common identity among youth of color." It is my firm belief that this can be used for students of all socioeconomic backgrounds. The use of autoethnography, in regards to social science, could help foster social change for marginalized communities, by simply starting a dialogue. By participating in autoethnography exercises, students receive affirmation, and a sense of safety. 

Oral and Written Narratives
To ensure that EL and special education  students are in a fair academic setting, I plan to lean heavily on their oral narratives, so that they can efficiently construct better written dialogues. This will help English learners and students with special needs. This fosters affirmation, safety, and equity. Johnson and Freedman (2001) state that "by creating classroom environments where students can story together, teachers help students build their social skills, scaffold their knowledge of school subject matter, and become critical thinkers." This will allow my students, who are EL's to construct knowledge, get more confident in speaking, and foster new ideas by sharing. This is contingent that the students are in a safe sociocultural environment. 

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy
Culturally relevant pedagogy requires empathy from the instructor. In social science, much is focused on the dominant culture. This requires to put the students needs above all. Howard (2003) states that the "call for a culturally relevant pedagogy is situated on the belief that many of the current educational practices and philosophies that permeate schools have failed miserably when it comes to educating students from culturally diverse and low income backgrounds."  The stakes are too high to teach a Eurocentric social science curriculum. The standards may drive lessons in Social Science, but they can be interpreted so that the representation of all communities is addressed, not just the dominant culture. Culturally relevant pedagogy also means teaching about oppression, which requires high levels of empathy, while maintaining a safe environment for all learners.

Sheltered Instruction
To ensure appropriate access for EL's and special education students,  I have incorporated several Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) methods, ensuring fairness. Echevarría and Graves (2011) state that sheltered instruction entails: "1. Vocabulary work done in small groups, 2. Reported definitions aloud, paraphrasing, 3. Read aloud in groups with support, 4. Class discussion with visuals, 5. Hands-on activity." These strategies would ideally be implemented in an ELD class or for my special education students.

These ideas are also discussed in by Ralabate (2016) in regards to universal design. The graphic  organizer on page 80 states that when taking notes to encourage students to use formats of their own choosing and permit the use of multiple forms of media. She also discusses providing examples for students and implementing digital response models.

The next generation of students respond well to technology, I believe implementing various mediums, such as Google class can help me provide constant feedback. They will also provide ways to consistently modify lessons for all learners.

Data Driven Instruction:
Bocala (2015) provides a guideline for how educators can evaluate their students. There is a glaring need for collaboration. This will help me consolidate behavior and academic issues within my class.  As a future teacher, I plan on collaborating with the special education instructors frequently to ensure that I provide a SAFE environment for all learners.


Conclusion
By using the model of SAFE, I can effectively look at what strategies can meet all the criteria. Most of the strategies There is also issue of providing less restrictive placements for students, allowing them to move, and incorporating the least restrictive environment. I believe that all of these methods can meet the criteria so that students can have more mobility, since all methods are student centered. In terms of special education here are my views. There are “activity setting features that promote success... the environment is dense with occasions for authentic problem solving and communication of the process and products of problem solving, "(Rueda, et, al 2009).

References
Candice Bocala, Kathyrn Parker Boudett. 2015. The Data Wise Improvement Process, Cambridge, MA. Harvard Education Press.

Ralabate, Patti K. (2016). Your UDL Lesson Planner. Paul H. Brooks Publishing Company.

Edward Fergus, Pedro Noguera, Margary Martin. 2015. Schooling For Resilience: Improving The Life Trajectory of Black and Latino Boys, Cambridge, MA. Harvard Education Press.

Camangian, P. November 2010. Starting with Self: Teaching Autoethnography to Foster Critically Caring Literacies. Teaching of English. 2nd ed., Vol. 45. National Council of Teachers of English. 191-195. Retrieved from Ares.

Tyrone C. Howard, 2003, Culturally Relevant Pedagogy: Ingredients for Critical Teacher Reflection. Theory Into Practice. Ohio State. Volume 45, 3. 191-1995. Retrieved from Ares.

Jana Echevarría, Anne Graves, Sheltered Content Instruction: Teaching English Learners with Diverse Abilities. Pearson. Boston, Pearson. Retrieved from Ares.

671: A Reflection on Assessment

For assessment, I have decided to choose Video Observation One from 670. I chose this assignment, because I wanted to go back and re-watch this video and see exactly what type of assessment this teacher was giving. I found that my reflection did not mention any type of assessment. The particular video I watched is #14010, on EdThena for social sciences. The following paragraph will include everything I have learned in terms of assessment upon rewatching this particular video. My learning process for this particular subject area can be shown when reading this, because it shows where I started before entering the program versus where I am now. 

In my first video observation, I noted that “she collects the written answers, which is like a de facto pop quiz, in my opinion”. This statement did not define what type of assessment, nor did it identify the subject matter covered. Upon rewatching, Using Ormrod (2014) I determined that this is a paper-pencil assessment. Since it was not planned in advance, and it was spontaneous, it did not fit the criteria for formal assessment.  In my notes, I also had that she “uses weather vs climate as analogy to compare, repeats it three times to indoctrinate the idea of debt vs deficit”.  I would could this a form of authentic assessment—to a degree. Although this teacher is not formally giving this as an assessment, she provides a blueprint to using the known to uncover the unknown. Additionally, a student brings up applications to China and the US debt to China, and the instructor engages.  This definitely falls under authentic assessment because students applying their learning to real-life tasks. In my assignment, I also wrote, “ (she) tells students to talk to their neighbors and discuss what they already know about the early 1900s”. I would say that this falls under formative assessment, because the key words are “what they already know”. This particular assessment can be equated to a pre-test on knowledge. 

I did not mention the informal assessments that the teacher may have taken or overheard, but after revisiting this assignment I saw that this teacher utilized three types of assessment that I did not know about prior to taking these courses. I will definitely implement authentic assessment, because as social science instructor it is my duty to relate the past to today. Additionally, the utilization of paper-pencil assessment was particularly helpful. These will give me an opportunity to see where my students are. I also plan to give formative assessments by asking what my students already know, which in turn I will walk around my class and see if I can use informal assessment as well. Evidence can be found here.

References

Ormrod, J.E (2014), The Many Forms and Purposes of Assessment, Educational Psychology

Retreieved from https://reserves.usc.edu/ares/ares.dll?  Action=10&Type=10&Value=201852

671: What values do I hold as a teacher? What do I bring to the classroom?

As a teacher, my values and what I bring to the classroom is exemplified in my autoethnography paper. This piece helped me grow as not only an instructor, but at as a person. The process of writing this indicates this. I start off by discussing my Indian-American heritage, which is important to my role as a social science instructor. As an Indo-American, I bring an understanding of eastern and western values. The learning process for this particular field can relate to me utilizing my past experiences to become a better teacher. As an instructor, I suggest that I this can help me bridge students’ multifaceted cultures and encourage them to embrace their identity as an American and other ethnic group. I discussed that I lost touch with my Indian heritage during my primary and secondary education. It is my goal to teach my students to embrace everything they are given.

Telling my story during my autoethnography made me realize how important autoethnography can be. They can create classroom community. What I bring to the classroom is the sense of community regardless of socioeconomic, sexual, mental, or cultural barriers.Freeman (2001) elaborates on this concept in their piece Using Adolescents’ Oral and Written Narratives to Create Classroom Community. As an instructor and former secondary school student, I understand that there is a need to talk and discuss stories. I discuss my own mental health issues. This allows me to become an advocate for students struggling with a myriad of mental health issues. I deliberately state in my piece of evidence that I want to be an advocate for my students. This can apply to the values I hold, and what I bring to the classroom, which is the overarching theme of my paper.  The piece of evidence also tackles the issue of Islamophobia, and how I grew from my predisposed notion. This portion shows my willingness to change my opinion and it will allow me to perhaps change any other predispositions when I become a teacher.  To answer the central questions once again, I value giving my students a voice that they might not have elsewhere. This can be personified through assignments like the “Struggle”assignment in I Learn America. As social science instructors, we are not only curators of history, government, and economics, we are curators of culture. By giving students a voice and perspective, I am instilling the idea that all cultures have value, not just the dominant culture. I am also willing to change my perspective based on what I learn from my students. The evidence can befound here.

References

Johnson, H, Freeman, L (2001), Using Adolescents' Oral and Written Narratives to Create                      Classroom Community. Retrieved from Ares.

671: Classroom Management

For Classroom Management, I am sharing a piece that I worked on with my colleagues, Linda Gudiel and Antoinette Frazier. Since the program and field is built on acronyms, I created our own  during our group meeting. A safe classroom climate can be condensed into the idea of Safety, Affirmation, Fairness, and Empathy (SAFE). Our particularly reading was focused on Fergus (2016), and the driving concept (and inspiration for SAFE) was “the degree to which boys in these single-sex schools felt that the educators who supported them influenced how intellectually interested they were in school. This in turn is also related to feels of safety, fairness, and belonging that they perceived in school” (Fergus, 186). My learning process for this subject was a bit different— I was a a difficult student to manage during primary and secondary school, so I feel like when we talk about this subject, I have a bit more empathy for so-called "trouble-makers" who actually have more to bring to the table, but are not given enough affirmation.

While our discussion focused on Fergus, we felt that this topic had to involve Jones (2013) and the discussion of Bill. This is an exceptional example of classroom management, because this case involved a very adept instructor, and a student who had difficulty focusing. I had a relatively different perspective on the overall punishment, but I felt like the method of dealing with this is correct. It had all elements of SAFE. First, the teacher was concerned with the overall safety of the classroom. She had given Bill a fair chance and showed empathy. Additionally, affirmation was brought in this case for Bill, because an outsider was brought in to diffuse the situation. None of these tactics worked on Bill, and ultimately, he was suspended. 

I think that applying these four steps (SAFE) should always be in the disciplinary process. When viewing The Class, I felt Francois Marin gave Souleymane all elements of SAFE, but unfortunately his colleagues were missing the most important point, which was empathy, and this ultimately led to his expulsion. I also believe he was not given enough affirmation. It is important for teachers to always give the students that believe they are not capable more affirmation. To implement this culture, it has to extend beyond just my particular classroom. I will always use this acronym when dealing with classroom management. I think above all; classroom management should put most of the emphasis on safety. From there, a teacher affirms the students that it will be a fair, empathetic environment. Evidence can be found here.

                                              

                                                 References

Fergus, Edward, et al. (2014) Schooling for Resilience: Improving the Life Trajectory of Black and       Latino Boys. 186. Harvard Education Press, an Imprint of the Harvard Education                         Publishing Group.

Benjo, C. (Producer), Scotta, C. (Producer), & Cantet, L. (Director). (2008). The Class. [Motion picture]. Paris, France: Haut et Court.

671: Differentiation

For differentiation, I chose my 672 course. This particular assignment was our project regarding integrated language development. We were given the autonomy to create our own fictional class and a coinciding lesson plan. My particular role within this group assignment was to create a differentiation model to suit the demographics of our class. The breakdown of our twenty first grade students are as follows: ten general students (we refer to them as mainstreamers) (50%), five ELLs (two Spanish speaking, two vietnamese, one mandarin, 25%), two GATE (10%), two bilingual Spanish (10%), and one student with an individualized lesson plan (5%).
Like the other areas I discussed, I utilized my past experiences to help with the learning process. I used what I saw in my classes growing up, and I used what I have learned from all of my courses at USC. 

This piece shows growth in not only ELD, but also utilizing the more knowledgeable other (MKO). Since two our our students were Bilingual Spanish speakers, they would be paired with the Spanish-speaking ELLs. The other group included our GATE, IEP, and other ELLs. The initial plan was to mix our gate students with our other students, referred to as mainstream. The teacher would work with the IEPs and other ELLs individually until they at least reached the ability to produce the phonics and understand the articles we were learning. From there, the GATE students would be called upon to teach this particular group of non-Spanish speaking ELLs the concepts of articles and prepositions. This gives the GATE students an opportunity to teach the concept, which is an effective way to learn the material, and gives an opportunity to these particular students to be involved with the rest of the class without too much instructor interference. I also brought up that this group may only be required for a speaking assessment rather than a written one.

I believe this piece in particular will provide the blueprint for how I handle a language learner that does not share the same language of any of their classmates. Depending on how many there are, I would take the opportunity to hold a 1:1 or 3:1 meeting with these particular students before releasing them to my MKOs so that I can benefit my with a stronger Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) by allowing them to teach. From my experience as a student, I learn better when I can learn from my peers and my instructor. Evidence can be found here.

671: Culturally Relevant Pedagogy

Evidence for growth in an understanding of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy can be found in a group reflection with my colleagues, Linda Gudiel and Antoinette Frazier. We put our focus on Camangian’s 2010 article that discussed the use of autoethnography We discussed that all of us grew up belonging to a culture. I discussed that I struggled with my two forms of identity, and there was a sense of disassociation with my Punjabi identity. Camangian (2010) describes this as “cultural self-hate”.  This piece in particular carries a lot of weight in the message that our course is trying to convey.  Ethnically speaking, all culture has value in academia—which is how I approach culturally relevant pedagogy. This piece gave me an opportunity to reflect on my own experiences. I recalled all the times where we were encouraged to talk about our own culture in primary and secondary education. In our meeting, I discussed that one time a girl had insulted the food of my culture, because we were encouraged to bring food from our culture. This was during elementary school. I also recall having the same thing happen to me in my junior year of high school, and everyone liked the food. The point being—this piece made me reflect on times where I felt like my culture was relevant. Yes, I am Indian, but in India, my group represents a minority. My teachers allowing me to share my cultural experience still resonates with me, decades later.
As a social science instructor, bringing in other cultures is essential. We are cultural curators, in that sense. While I may not plan to allow my students to bring food, there are some things that I can implement. For example, when viewing I Learn America (2011), I  found that the “Struggle” assignment was powerful, and I also found the use of autobiography in the “Self Portrait” assignment in The Class to be helpful. Once again, like my prior evidence, I found that I will carry this theory to the classroom by giving my students a voice about their own culture, without discrimination, in a SAFE environment. It is a great example of what Camangian was talking about in using autoethnography. This can even apply to the students that come from the dominant culture. To a large degree implementing autoethnography is a form of culturally relevant pedagogy.Sharing experiences and struggles within intersecting cultures is a central theme of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy. Evidence can be found here.

References

Benjo, C. (Producer), Scotta, C. (Producer), & Cantet, L. (Director). (2008). The Class. 

                [Motion picture]. Paris, France: Haut et Court.

Dissard, J. (Producer/Director), & Peng, G. (Producer/Director). (2013). I Learn America                            

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