16 Matching Annotations
  1. Sep 2022
    1. Early in the school year, talk with students about the positive connection between discussion, thinking, and their home languages. In addition, teach them to "code switch" across registers. A register is defined as the level of formality in language that's determined by the context in which it is spoken or written. We have three common registers—a social or community register, a "business" register, and a more formal "academic" register.

      Often we have discussions about the language we use at home, on the playground and in the classroom. Using this terminology and teaching students the differences may impact how they communicate for learning.

    2. econfigure the chalk talk protocol as a graffiti tag billboard. Invite students to "tag" the "billboard" using elements of sketchnoting, doodling, collage, and written word to stimulate thinking before a discussion begins or to deepen it afterwards. The idea is to leverage students' comfort with multimodal expression as a way into dialogue, discussion, or debate.

      Chalk talk is in my plans this week, so I will give this strategy a try!

    3. So why not leverage interactive hip-hop structures like the cipher and rap battles to help students access their existing funds of knowledge?

      This would be so fun and engaging!

    4. unequal participation.

      So true. The ones who need to be participating are often overshadowed by the ones who always have something to add to the discussion.

    5. We often see the same students talking in class, namely those who are comfortable conversing in English, have mainstream background knowledge, or are more extroverted.

      If it is true that the ones doing the talking are doing the learning, then the few students who always have a response to my questions must be doing a lot of learning. I hope to learn some strategies in this article I can use tomorrow in my class.

    6. Academic conversation is one of the most powerful practices we can bring to our classrooms to promote higher achievement (Hattie, 2012).

      I've seen this in action when we use Socratic Seminars in my classroom. Deep academic discussions are possible even with young students and it absolutely enhances their ability to write about a topic after a rich discussion.

  2. Aug 2022
    1. Families of immigrant students should also be encouraged to participate in school leadership, says Lowenhaupt. (For example, one parent-teacher organization had a specific slot for an ELL parent.) ELL staff should be called upon to speak to the needs of individual students and of their classes generally. Experts at the University of Washington School of Education who focus on family engagement across cultures recommend the development of cultural brokers who can help immigrant students adapt to their school systems while still maintaining connections with the culture of their home country.

      Giving families of ELLs a seat at the table might illuminate some of the needs we inadvertently overlook. Needs of students and their families. And perhaps enlighten educators to better connect student learning with their culture, values, and traditions.

    2. Assimilation is expected, at least in part, because some educators see immigrant students as “fortunate” to be here.

      An example to deficit, rather than asset lens.

    3. AIRF’s practice of encouraging students to talk about and stay connected with their positive memories of their home country is an example of additive acculturation.

      Facilitating conversations, fostering connections, and building relationships.

    1. Translanguaging rings are instructional strategies that help teachers build on students’ home languages to enhance their learning experiences. This can include helping students understand how their languages are connected. For example, students can discuss the commonalities that exist between their home languages and English by identifying cognates or words that have similar spelling, pronunciation, and meaning (such as ciencia/science) during a reading lesson.

      This is an area in which I need to study more. Learning the connections among languages and teaching cognates could provide a powerful aid in students' decoding and comprehension.

    2. Translanguaging happens fluidly in the classroom, but teachers can also support translanguaging by intentionally guiding students to use all of their linguistic abilities. For example, teachers can ask students to write stories with bilingual characters who use both of their languages. The intentionality behind this teaching practice is to provide a flexible and comfortable space for students to fully share what they know across all of their languages.

      How might this impact so many of our reluctant writers who are bilingual! Giving them the confidence to demonstrate their understanding using their native language could also provide teachers a better glimpse of the student's understanding. It would remove the barrier that might inhibit their authentic response.

    1. the school board changed a policy that had funneled many Latino students into an academic program that is not rigorous enough to qualify students to attend state universities, even if they receive perfect grades. Under the new policy, most students are put into the college prep sequence.

      ALL students should have access to high quality, rigorous education, putting them on the path to success. Students rise to high expectations with support and opportunity.

    2. so he started acting what felt like white, absorbing what he called the “Caucasianness of it."

      It is sad to think that students feel the need to absorb "Caucasionness".

    3. researchers have found significant positive results when black and Hispanic students have teachers who match their race or ethnicity: better attendance, fewer suspensions, more positive attitudes, and higher test scores, graduation rates and college attendance. Teachers of color also have higher expectations for students of color, which may fuel the other gains.

      So many positive results when teachers match their students' race or ethnicity. The question is how to recruit and retain more teachers of color.

    4. researchers have found significant positive results when black and Hispanic students have teachers who match their race or ethnicity: better attendance, fewer suspensions, more positive attitudes, and higher test scores, graduation rates and college attendance. Teachers of color also have higher expectations for students of color, which may fuel the other gains.

      So many positive results when teachers match the race or ethnicity of their students. The question is how do we recruit and retain more teachers of color.

    5. She was the first person who saw something good in me.”

      No child should have to wait 14 years to find a caring adult who sees something good in them.