Inquiry

1 Languages 

Big question (topic that came up in class, on your practicum, you heard parents/friends debate certain questions etc.)

  • should ELL students be encouraged to develop their L1 before studying L2 (presumably English)? For how long?

Relevance of questions (give context, recount a situation)

– I had many ELL students at my practicum school. Many of them spoke perfect English by the time I taught them and the only reason I knew they were ELL is because I read their files. Once I read their files it gave more context as to why they struggled in school. I wonder if they had’ve been able to develop their first language more fully before learning English they may not struggle so much.

One source (books, journal articles, news articles etc). that you have read on this topic. Then give a 5-10 sentence summary of the source as it pertains to your topic and how/when you came across the text.

Gunderson, But She Speaks English

  • This article begins with an anecdote about a teaching speaking to a student’s parents. They inform the parents that the student is not doing well in school because she is struggling with English. The parents argues that the student always did well in school in Hong Kong. When the issue of languages comes up the parents retorts “but she speaks English!” Language is not just about vocabulary. There is evidence to support the idea that if a student develops their first language more thoroughly before learning English, they may do better in school. This is because they can translate information in to their first language if they have the existing knowledge of the subject matter in that language. For instance, if they have learned science in their first language and then enter an English science class when they are older, they already know and understand the science terms in their first language so if they translate the words they will understand the concepts. If they are struggling to learn English at the same time as trying to understand the new science terminology they are doubly challenged.

 

2 Literacy and Cultures

Big question (topic that came up in class, on your practicum, you heard parents/friends debate certain questions etc.)

  • should students be allowed to complete assignments in a casual register? How many assignments? Just one?

Relevance of questions (give context, recount a situation)

  • In my LLED361 class my group did a presentation on alternative registers. The articles we read had to do with the movement towards schools becoming more inclusive of multiple “Englishes”. This made me consider the idea of having students complete more creative assignments in register that came naturally to them. For instance, if they are interested in hip hop music they could create a rap about a historical event.

One source (books, journal articles, news articles etc). that you have read on this topic. Then give a 5-10 sentence summary of the source as it pertains to your topic and how/when you came across the text.

Low and Sarkar, Translanguaging in the Multilingual Montreal Hip-Hop Community: Everyday Poetics as Counter to the Myths of the Monolingual Classroom

  • This article discusses the way hip hop artists in Montreal use a mixture of French, English, and many other languages to express themselves in their music and how this is a reflection of the way many people in Montreal communicate on a daily basis. The article also discusses the French prescriptivist monolingual mindset in education in Quebec. If we were to shift the context of this article to the Lower Mainland, I wonder if the issues would be the same here.

 

3 Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment

Big question (topic that came up in class, on your practicum, you heard parents/friends debate certain questions etc.)

  • Should students who do not do well on typical assignments (essays, tests etc) be allowed to show their understanding in alternative ways? How often?

Relevance of questions (give context, recount a situation)

– This questions is not based on any specific example in my practicum but is a more general question. It especially relates to my EPSE317 class where we are discussing exceptionalities. I would like to look further into this idea as it may be something I encounter with a student’s IEP.

One source (books, journal articles, news articles etc). that you have read on this topic. Then give a 5-10 sentence summary of the source as it pertains to your topic and how/when you came across the text.

Almond and Case, Alternative Assessment for Students with Significant Learning Disabilities

– This article argues for measuring progress rather than comparing all students against each other. It discusses the federal requirements, different formats, and technical requirements for scoring and reporting. It discusses formats such as portfolios, IEP-linked body of evidence, performance assessment, checklist, and traditional tests.

 

4 Diversity and Social Justice

Big question (topic that came up in class, on your practicum, you heard parents/friends debate certain questions etc.)

  • should transgender students be allowed to use bathrooms that are different from their birth gender?

Relevance of questions (give context, recount a situation)

  • This seemed to be a hot topic in the media recently and we discussed it briefly in class:
    • on one side: educators should work hard to make minority students feel comfortable and safe in schools.
    • on the other side: there is a difference between actual safety and the illusion of safety. Just because a transgender student feels uncomfortable going to the bathroom assigned to their non-birth gender doesn’t mean they are actually in any danger.

One source (books, journal articles, news articles etc). that you have read on this topic. Then give a 5-10 sentence summary of the source as it pertains to your topic and how/when you came across the text.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *