Category Archives: Uncategorized

Week 8 Reading Facilitation – Scaffolding

LLED 360­307 Fall 2017                                                                Dr. Lorna Ramsay 

Reading Analysis Reflection Template for Presenter                             Date: Oct 26

             Facilitator name: Danielle Dar Juan

Text Chapters: ​ 8

Name of Outside source:

McCloskey, M. L. (2005). Visual scaffolding to support ell reading. Keeping the Promise, 1-7.

Main Themes:

The over arching theme across both readings is scaffolding and how a teacher should implement it in the classroom and through their own actions.

Coelho:

  • what is scaffolding
  • ways to implement scaffolding in order to promote authentic interactions within the classroom
  • the importance and benefits if authentic interactions
  • checking for comprehension and giving feedback
  • benefits of group work and how to implement it
  • classroom environment and culture/fear and anxiety
  • careful construction of scaffolding
  • examples of scaffolding activities

McCloskey:

  • focused on visual scaffolding, how to use visual scaffolding/the physical presentation of content
  • how to manipulate texts/fonts for understanding
  • what images are most effective for understanding

My Critical Argument or Thesis: Carefully constructed scaffolding will produce authentic interactions if the ELL students are given the tools to reduce fear and anxiety, and attitudes of teachers and non-ELL students are constructive and positive.

New Vocabulary: ​

  • Scaffolding
  • Visual scaffolding
  • Authentic interaction
  • Authentic language
  • Graphic Organizer (will be addressed in next chapter)
  • Silent period
  • Manipulatives
  • Sociolinguistic

Educational Implications:

  • Insights and connections to educational themes and theories or more global issues
    • A traditional teaching style may promote fear and anxiety, decreasing the motivation to participate in conversation
    • Being respectful of and offering encouragement through the silent period
    • Drawing from different cultures for understanding
    • Recognizing and respecting individual learning styles and progressions
    • The necessity of authentic interaction and language for language learning
  • Insights and connections on practical teaching strategies
    • benefits of group work
    • engaging non-ELL peers to give constructive feedback
    • creative but comprehensive presentation of the material to gauge constructive understanding
    • draw from students’ cultures and interests to make content more applicable/easier to make connections
    • simplicity of language
    • limited teacher talk/giving more opportunities to engage in conversation
    • necessary reminder that L2Ls are not being taught how to read a second language

Questions

  • Given the plethora of inclusive activities, benefits of engaging in conversation, and the necessity of non-ELL student feedback, should we continue to implement segregated ELL classes?
  • How much should the teacher be engaged in conversation with the students?
  • How can we ensure that practice in the classroom is translated outside of the classroom?
  • What are other methods to reduce fear and anxiety to increase participation? (already mentioned: teacher talk and attitudes, respecting the silent period/when the student feels ready, group work/interaction with peers)

Reflection: There are a plethora of methods and activities to assist ELL students in both an integrated and segregated settings. We agreed that group work will be most affective. Not only will they be given opportunities to receive peer feedback, group work models the environment outside the classroom, such that students are constantly interacting with each other and the environment around them; it is necessary to build those skills in the class room. The students are also given the opportunity to build relationships and learn how to build relationship. We constantly talk about the necessity of belonging, and teacher-student and student-student relationship. Group work and opportunities to interact allows those in the classroom to foster those needs and relationships; addresses social objectives. We do believe that segregated ELL classes are necessary due to varying abilities and previously known vocabulary. There need to be a balance of developmentally appropriate language within a unit and the actually content that needs to be addressed. While exercises like these can be used for student across the language spectrum, they may not benefit those on either far end of the spectrum. As Coelho suggested, smaller groups allow for more growth, participation and learning.

Comments on discussion:

Critical considerations of the reading analysis presentation:

  • Could have looked at an article that refutes scaffolding methods
  • Looked at scaffolding in low SES areas/the implementation of scaffolding

Further consideration?

  • While there are various methods to address active participation for authentic interaction, we need to consider more methods to reduces fear and anxiety to encourage participation before true implementation of active/authentic participation.
  • Interactions with the counsellor to help increase participation
  • Are there going to be peer tutors that are comfortable/willing to interact with someone they are having difficulty communicating with

Ideas about Refugee Students

Consider: background; inability or difficulty focussing; alcohol as escape from trauma or soothes pain, emotional or otherwise; easily overwhelmed specially with new project; spoken English and confidence, proficiency or functional illiteracy

Strategies: 1. appeal to interests

– skits, spoken word, oral skills strong

2. computer as resource

Motivations: difficulty with reading and writing BUT lived experience of alcohol recovery; therefore, motivated to make personal change!
Tap into this student’s strengths
– oral/spoken confidenc
– motivation re personal change

Look at multi-media presentation
– spoken componant
-computer generated piece
written…..incorporate challenge
– within group dynamics
-group project with clearly defined parameters
-students as mentors? Role of teacher… needs to be very involved as support facilitation

Thank you, Andrew, Maylena, Joyce, and Kyle

In class Activity on Refugees

Dave, Kevin, Jason, Keegan, Michael, Simon and Danielle

 

Background: Refugee from Syria that fled during the civil war.

 

Behavior/ Trauma: Experienced some brutality and thus is suffering from PTSD and has developed anxiety as a result

 

Language Level: barely spoken with little language literacy skills

 

Strategies:

  • Decoding skills (for example, find a topical sentence, word definitions)
  • Partnerships: with peers, family members, counselors, educational assistants, teaching assistants
  • Activating background knowledge: Someone that can act as a broker that can facilitate the transfer of knowledge (template on how communicate with the students that is provided by the teacher)

 

 

 

 

LLED 360307 Fall 2017     Dr Lorna Ramsay

Reading Analysis reflection template for presenter 

Date: Oct 12 2017

Facilitator name: Rania Ismail

Group members: Dan Hanoomansingh,Justine martins,Jessica Pellegrino, Katie Harries,Laura Qin

Text Chapters : Chapter 6 – An inclusive learning environment

Main themes : Inclusion and integrating multiculturalism into the classroom

An inclusive learning environment

This chapter is about social and cultural inclusion in a multicultural classroom & how to help peers respond to L2Ls in a supportive manner.

Cultural diversity is an asset and it should be an advantage.

In this chapter there will be ideas for cross cultural projects, which will help enrich the cultural knowledge of the students and how to incorporate cultural diversity into the curriculum

Also how to reach the different learning styles of the students.

It is always hard to move provinces, or schools, let alone move countries. The older the students the harder it gets. The teacher should be involved in helping newcomers feel welcome into the classroom and easing their social transition which can be awkward for some of them.

Here are some examples:

Introduce newcomers in a positive way

Do not refer to newcomers as someone who does not speak good English on the other hand you can talk about where they came from? What language they speak? Their name and write all this information on the board. We can all help her/him work on his English and ask the child to teach the class a couple of words in their native tongue

You can get them to tell the class a little bit about themselves if they are not too timid.

Don’t be intimidated by the long names

Write the name down and ask to pronounce it. If it is too long break into shorter syllables

Names need to be correct on any administration forms

If you are not sure always check with the parents which is the family name and which is the given name

Also you can ask the child about cultural practices. For example is it ok to shake hands with the parents and what are the preferred alternatives.

Encourage peer support

To alleviate the stress on the child by enlisting the help of others and when they are still settling into the routine. The whole class needs to feel that this is like a shared responsibility, as these students have a double load not only to learn a new curriculum but on top of that to master a new language.

Demonstrate a few ways to the students in the class such as repeating, rephrasing, using gestures, drawing and using visuals.

Create a positive learning environment and ask suggestions form students in the class on how to facilitate the process of learning English to L2.

Seat the L2 with someone who speaks their native tongue if possible just for a few weeks. Even if there is no one who speaks the same language you can seat them with a sympathetic and a helpful child.

Try to involve L2 in group tasks even if their contribution is limited and soon they will start to recognize repeated words and understand the class routine.

Structured group interview 

As a teacher you can model to the class how to conduct the interview and L2 can be involved in this with the help of a bilingual peer. Post interview on classroom bulletin board and as time goes students can add more information to it

Intercultural projects

It will help students gain a better understanding of other cultures and appreciate diversity but also appreciate their own culture see definition p.161

What’s your name interview 

All about Sasha

The world in our classroom

Students can then interview each other and find out when, why, where their distant ancestors immigrated to the province

Class exchanges

Heritage box

Diversity in the curriculum

Cultural diversity has to be presented in a positive and reflective way not just for the sake of it.

Traditional curriculum taught in western countries focuses on the achievement of western ancestries and in our culturally diverse communities a more inclusive curriculum is more required in order to prepare students to work and live effectively in these culturally diverse communities.

Homogenous student populations benefit from a curriculum that encourages or enables them to:

  • Value linguistic and cultural diversity
  • Enrich cultural knowledge
  • Expand world view
  • Recognize and challenge situations involving bias and discrimination

Students need to recognize prejudice and be able to speak up against it

Remember as a teacher you need to maintain a balance against viewpoints and avoid blaming descendants of previous generations for past injustice

Avoid guilt and blame and focus on the present and how can we make our own world a just world

Explain that inclusive curriculum does not eliminate European content but places it alongside content from other cultures

The content should draw on students’ previous knowledge or experiences

Examples on how curriculum content can be adjusted to make it more inclusive:

Reading and literature study:

Use the same themes such as friendship, loyalty in the books but use stories from other cultures that have been set into a different cultural or geographic contexts

Literature circles

Same idea of a book club

Students read and respond to a book

Students can read different books and then share their thoughts about the books in a written or oral presentation

Multicultural literary circles

Books represent various cultural perspectives

Watch out for books that promote typical stereotypes

Provide books in students own language and ask them to talk about it

Model the process and encourage students to generate questions about the book

Organise the process and match students reading levels to the books

Provide structure by giving each student a role

Provide questions and websites

Go around and check and ask students to relate the book to their own experiences

Think about how you would present the book to the class

Discuss the similarities and differences among books

Key messages and themes of books

The idea behind these literature circles is to encourage students to read, talk, think and reflect on the books

Redo the whole thing again but make sure you shuffle the groups around

Create book collections of multicultural books

Collaborate with other teachers, librarians and parents to find culturally diverse books that can be used in these literary circles

Social studies :

 

There will always be a bias in the language like in how the stories of the first settlers is told.

Young people need to recognize these perspectives in order to have a balanced view of the world

How can we add diverse perspective to social studies:

Explore diversity in local communities

Teach about ancient civilization and reduce the European content and substitute civilizations of other people

Use parallel themes

Teach about human interdependence

Ex: deforestation shared responsibility, hunger in some countries is related to over consumption

Encourage students to think about how to resolve conflicts in a peaceful and more civilized manner

Democracy human rights

Celebrate lives of human rights activists around the world

Familiarize students with human rights legislations

How to initiate a complaint about sexual or racial harassment outside or in the school

Mathematics

Thought to be cultural free but it offers opportunities for cultural inclusion

History of mathematics

Geometric concepts can be used to explore cultural artefacts

Examples of calendars and number games can also be used

Immigration statistics

Demographic surveys gathering data on languages and cultures and this can be represented in the form of a graph, as an expression of ratio, as a percentage or as a fraction.

Equity which can be expressed as proportion, ratio or percentage

Students can investigate the distribution of world’s resources

Maths curriculum may be sequenced differently in other countries

Science:

How science is used in society

Acknowledge the achievements of scientists ancient and modern in many parts of the world

Look for resources that counteract the image of a scientist as a white male

Invite people of many different cultural backgrounds to come and to talk to students

Emphasize interdependence in science

Value intuition and imagination

Expand the concept of science and technology to include important but undocumented innovations

Develop social awareness in science

Art

Teach about artists from other parts of the world

Include a variety of artistic forms

Display a wide variety of students art work

Students to design posters and notices for cultural events or to promote an antiracism message

Using a variety of languages and literary styles

Use & explore arts form other cultures

Provide choices especially for students who are prohibited from participating in some activities

Music

Expose students to different kinds of music

Music is universal and include songs from other cultural traditions

Give choices to students whose values maybe in conflict with some aspects of the program

Drama

Prepare work based on multicultural literature

Link drama to themes in specific subjects in the curriculum

PE

Students to share sports, games and dance forms from their own or their parents’ countries of origin

Provide a balance of competitive and cooperative activities

Respect cultural value

In nutrition explore supplements for protein instead of meat

Learning styles

Use  a variety of instructional techniques so that everyone can expand their ability to learn in different ways sometimes within their comfort zone and sometimes being stretched beyond it.

Equal amount of classroom time on whole class learning, collaborative small group learning and independent work.

Support groups and provide models,scaffold for writing activities

Write instructions and check before students start on the work

Modify the use of language

Use visual organisers such as venn diagrams,classification trees

Encourage students to reflect

Alternate between tasks that require concentration and drama or PE so that students are nitsat down for long periods of time

Use songs,chants and choral repetition

Encourage creativity

Communicate with all members of the class

Pay attention to the physical layout

Differentiated tasks give feedback

 

 

 

Chapter 6 Group Facilitation

LLED 360­307 Fall 2017                                                             Dr. Lorna Ramsay 

Reading Analysis Reflection Template for Presenter  Date: October 12, 2017

             Facilitator name: Kevin Chu

Group members: Jason Edge, Raj Dhillon, David Yuill, Keegan Sluis, Danielle Dar Juan, Michael Perpeira, Simon Widmann

Text Chapters:​ Chapter 6  – An Inclusive Learning Environment

Main Themes:​ inclusion

Educational Implications:

  • Introducing newcomers/L2L’s in a positive way
    • Avoid addressing the new student as someone who doesn’t speak the school’s language
    • Respect the students’ names, learn how to pronounce it, make sure it’s correct
    • When in doubt of how to introduce the student: ask student!
    • Using peer support: enlist support of other students in the class
      • Seating new L2L’s beside someone who speaks same language
      • Provide a template on how to introduce class to new students
    • Use intercultural projects
  • Literature circles
    • Having students read books about cultural perspectives
      • Choose the books and theme
      • Model the process
      • Organize and guide the literature circles
      • Share the books
      • Discuss similarities/differences
      • Assign independent reading
      • Choose another theme, new books, and start again
    • Social studies
      • Cultural conflict, democracy, human rights, diversity
    • Mathematics
      • History of mathematics, geometry and cultural artifacts, population figures
    • Science
      • Achievements of famous people
    • Art/music/drama
      • Art history, techniques and methods used by famous artists
    • PE
      • Variety, individual/co-ed, cultural values (clothing), games/sports from different countries

Critical considerations of the reading analysis presentation:

  • Getting a colleague to assist
  • Can take time, changes happen gradually over time
  • Trying new things getting comfortable with that method, and then trying another
  • Provide feedback and encouragement in the classroom
  • Organize classroom as to not marginalize certain students