Megan Tunon ESL 2: Developing Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity Multicultural Curriculum Education Plan

Professional Field Study Time-log

Name. Megan Tunon

Time-log Page

1 /1

Course. ESL 2: Developing Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity

Date 2/25/14

Time 8:00am3:30pm

Location The Metropolitan School of Panama The Metropolitan School of Panama Holiday Park Elementary Plum, PA 6th grade:

Activity

Language Inquiry: Compare/Contrast Essay Math Inquiry: Fractions 6th Grade: Social Studies Inquiry: Panamanian History Math Inquiry: Fractions Students in 2nd 6th grade develop reading, writing, and math skills in English

2/26/14

8:00am3:30pm

3/19/14

8:00am12:00pm

Section 1: Curriculum guides/manuals evaluation and analysis Curriculum Evaluation Tool:

The following questions received a 1 for yes and and a 0 for no based on each curriculum review. 1. Does the curriculum foster understanding and acceptance of cultural differences? 2. Does the curriculum acknowledge and treat honestly and fairly the contributions of different cultural groups? 3. Do curricular materials accurately represent the histories, experiences, and contributions of various cultural groups? 4. Does the curriculum provide all students equal access to quality educational programs and learning experiences? 5. Do classroom practices tap into students' family, language, and culture as foundations for learning? 6. Do classroom practices encourage multiple intelligences and reflect an understanding of different learning styles? 7. Does the curriculum allow teachers to use students' informal home language as a tool for developing formal literacy? 8. Do assessment methods reflect the diversity of students' learning styles, language, and culture? 9. Do classroom practices link learning to families and resources in the local community? 10. Is the curriculum sensitive to the special needs and cultures of the students and parents? 11. Are the assessments free of cultural bias? 12. Do instructional methods ensure that each student will understand the course content/ instructions/expectations? 13. Are a variety of classroom activities incorporated into the curriculum so that students can work in small groups and independently? 14. Does the curriculum allow students to conduct peer and self-evaluations? 15. Does the curriculum allow for careful record keeping of student progress and present opportunities for consistent feedback from the teacher?

Language Arts Curriculum: 10th Grade American Literature This language arts curriculum received a score of 8/15 based on the curriculum guide that I developed. This low score reflects a lack of cultural awareness and sensitivity in the design of this course. I believe that this curriculum is outdated, as it mainly includes texts from the American Cannon, which is comprised of mostly white male authors. Although a few selections of Native American Mythology and the Slave Narrative are included in the curriculum, they make up a very small percentage of the course of study, which fails to represent a wider variety of cultures. Furthermore, the course content is reflective of standard American history, which inherently reflects the values and beliefs of mainstream society and does not represent the perspectives of minorities.

Because American society is a compilation of thousands of different voices and experiences coming together to form our unique American culture, it is clear that more perspectives should be represented in this course. Incorporating the poetry, fiction, memoirs, short stories, and essays of Hispanic American, Asian American, African American, Native American, and authors from various other cultural backgrounds would not only be a simple task, but also incredibly enriching for all students.

With that said, the course does accommodate the diverse learning styles that one would find in a typical 10th grade classroom. The classroom activities and instructional methods cater to all learning styles and allow for student centered learning experiences. A wide variety of assessments which allow teachers to offer consistent feedback to students, and for teachers and students to record progress address the needs of diverse learners.

Math Curriculum: 3rd Grade Math The sample math curriculum that I reviewed on the NJ department of Education addressed a wide variety of learning styles, much like the language arts curriculum previously reviewed. Multiple assessment styles such as tests, projects, reports, and group work, differentiated instruction such as cooperative learning groups, technology based research, use of manipulatives, and class discussion, and opportunities for consistent feedback and progress monitoring ensure that students individual learning needs are met. The sample curriculum reflected very little cultural diversity in its content, and for this reason it earned a 6/15 on my scale. Each of the learning objectives were based on the common core standards, as they should, but little or no consideration was given to students diverse learning experiences. A measurement until was based on the US system of measurement, and a unit on currency teaching about the US dollar, which do not reflect the diverse backgrounds of students. Also, word problems draw from the prior knowledge of American students, using examples such as American holidays to introduce the problems. Incorporating students previous educational experiences, such as their native countrys unit of measurement and currency, and students diverse cultures by using symbols and stories that are recognizable to them would help diverse students to understand the concepts of the course. Also, allowing students to think about math concepts in their native language can facilitate in learning.

Science Curriculum: 5th Grade Biology Much like the language arts and math curriculum that I reviewed, this biology curriculum from Colorado does a great job with differentiating instruction and assessment to fit a wide variety of learning styles. This science curriculum also incorporated many hands-on lab work to help the advanced concepts come to life. Furthermore, the curriculum addressed the need to not only teach technical vocabulary, but academic vocabulary as well, rather than assuming that all students would be familiar with the common English vocabulary used in the classroom.

This curriculum received a 9/15 because it did a lot right, but it still did not seem to address the diverse educational backgrounds of the students. The outline did not indicate that contributions of scientists from a wide range of cultures would be taught in this course, nor did it indicate that the climate, wildlife, or plant life from diverse environments would be discussed. There seems to be many opportunities to incorporate students diverse cultural backgrounds into this science curriculum. Students can do biographies on influential biologists from their native countries and explore the biodiversity of the environments that they come from. Also, students should be encouraged to use the concepts and vocabulary that they are familiar with in the L1 to help facilitate understanding in their L2 One issue that none of the three curricula that I reviewed was the role of the parent in student learning. Parents from diverse cultural backgrounds should be seen as an asset to each of these courses. Besides involving them in their childs learning by communicating the expectations of the course and showing them how they can help with homework, parents can share their unique cultural knowledge to the class if they are able and willing to do so. Parents can create presentations on the literature, currency, or biodiversity of their native countries for each of these courses.

Section 2: School and Classroom Profile School Name: Holiday Park Elementary School School District: Plum School District Teacher Name: Heather Itle Grade Level: K-6 Number of Students: 7 Number of ELLs: 7 Cultures Represented: Russian, Bangladeshi, Haitian Cultural Transitions: Acculturation: the process of adapting to a new culture. The students who received ESL services at Holiday Park were all acculturating to American society. They dressed like their US born peers and learned about different occupation typical in mainstream society. Assimilation: the process through which one is absorbed into a new culture and lose their native culture. The ELLs at Holiday Park were all high proficiency students who are likely to exit out of ESL at the end of the year. Furthermore, each students family is planning to remain permanently in Pennsylvania. It is likely that these students will assimilate into mainstream culture and completely lose their accents, especially if they remain in this small town environment which lacks cultural diversity on a large scale.

Biculturation: The state of being able to function successfully in two cultures. Most of the ELLs at Holiday Park have been living in the US for most of their lives and therefore are more familiar with their adopted culture than their native culture. However, one student is a new transfer to HP, having been displaced by the earthquake that devastated Haiti in recent years. This student has adapted well to American society, but lives with her Haitian family and still maintains her cultural norms at home. Resistance: the refusal to accept or comply. None of the students at Holiday Park were resistant to education.

Section 3: Curriculum assessment and analysis Content area: Language Arts Grade Level: 5th PA academic standards: CC.1.3.5.F Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in grade level text, including interpretation of figurative language. CC.1.3.5.I Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiplemeaning words and phrases based on gradelevel reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies and tools. CC.1.3.5.J Acquire and use accurately grade appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain specific words and phrases, including those that signal contrast, addition, and other logical relationships. CC.1.3.5.K Read and comprehend literary fiction on grade level, reading independently and proficiently. PA English Language Proficiency Standards: English Language Proficiency Standard 1: English language learners communicate in English for SOCIAL AND INSTRUCTIONAL purposes within the school setting. English Language Proficiency Standard 2: English language learners communicate information, ideas, and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of LANGUAGE ARTS. English Language Proficiency Levels of ELLs The 5th grade students receiving ESL services in this class are each at the Bridging Level and will be exiting out of ESL at the end of the year. Cultures Represented: Russian, German

Can Do Descriptors: English language learners can: Identify main ideas Use context clues to determine meaning of words Interpret information or data Find details that support main ideas Identify word families, figures of speech Draw conclusions from explicit and implicit text Common Core Standards: Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes. Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact). Describe how a narrators or speakers point of view influences how events are described. Curriculum Used: This lesson was adapted based on the English Language Arts Curriculum of Morris Hills Regional School District in Rockaway, New Jersey. The curriculum was developed by the districts English department, supervised by Jennifer Toriello. The superintendent in charge of curriculum and instruction is Dr. Nisha Zoeller. Adaptations Utilized: This lesson lends itself well for the ESL classroom. It has been adapted to be utilized at a 5th grade level and to fulfill the standards of English language proficiency. I have also introduced a bilingual aspect to the assignment to utilize students L1 in language acquisition. Assignment Procedures/Descriptions: Because the students in this ESL class are at the Bridging level and will be exiting out of ESL services at the end of this year, the teacher has decided to begin a novel unit with the fifth grade students. The novel chosen was Charlottes Webb. Before reading begins, the teacher and the student will study vocabulary associated with the novel and its setting: a farm. This is be accomplished using flashcards and visual aids. The students and teachers will engage in activities that will allow them to learn and practice the new vocabulary, such as matching games, and will use the students L1 to construct meaning of L2 vocabulary. (Strategy that recognizes the L1) To facilitate in students understanding of a complex text, they will be annotating the text while they read. The teacher will distribute an annotation rubric, giving guidelines for what types of annotations should be made, and how their work will be graded. During reading, students should write down any questions they have about the text, define unknown words using L1 or L2 descriptors (Strategy that recognizes the L1), write predictions, identify important quotes or lines of text, make inferences, and

make connections from text to text, text to self, and text to the world. The teacher will review the rubric with the students, then model how to make annotations while reading, and finally practice making annotations with the students. Students will read and annotate the remainder of chapter 1. At the end of each chapter, students will discuss the annotations that they made, analyzing the text and discussing how to improve their annotations. (Communicative activities)

Assessment Procedures/Activities Annotations will be graded based on the annotations rubric. rubric: 4 3 Questions Many questions Questions lack are asked that are some meaning meaningful and and may not enhance enhance understanding understanding Vocabulary Unknown Some vocabulary vocabulary is is defined correctly defined correctly based on based on context context Predictions Thoughtful Some predictions predictions are are made that made based on may not be based understanding of on understanding the text of the text Quotations Important quotes Some important and lines of text quotes are were identified identified and and described described correctly correctly Inferences Thoughtful Some inferences inferences were are made but not made based on all are based on understanding of understanding the text Connections Thoughtful Some thoughtful connections were connections are made from text to made, but not text, text to self, necessarily and/or text to the relevant world Below is an example of the annotation 2 Questions lack meaning and do not enhance understanding Vocabulary was defined incorrectly Few predictions were made and did not seem to reflect understanding Few quotations were identified and were described incorrectly Few inferences were made and were not based on understanding Few connections were made and were not thoughtful reflections of understanding 1 Too few/no questions were asked

Little to no vocabulary words were defined Too few/no predictions were made

Too few/no quotations were identified

Too few/no inferences were made

Too few/no connections were made

Assignment and Assessment Results: I would expect that the first round of annotations to be in major need of improvement. The rubric is designed as a guide to students on how to make quality annotations, rather than simply summarizing the text in their own words. The process of discussion of the annotations, and the subsequent grading will give the students the feedback they need to improve the quality of their annotations. The process of annotating the text is designed to facilitate understanding of complex texts and improve comprehension, therefore improving the students ability to speak and write about literature, which will be incorporated in to the final assessment for the novel unit. Reflection: After the unit has ended, I would go back and analyze the results of the annotations lesson and make any necessary changes based on its success in facilitating comprehension of the novel. If the students found the rubric too difficult to follow, I would adapt the language accordingly and possibly simplify the requirements outlined on the grading rubric. If students did not improve their annotations over time, I would spend more time scaffolding the process for and with them. I think that this activity lends itself really well to the teaching of ELLs at the bridging level. As with all student who are studying literature for the first time, reading a complex text can be difficult and frustrating. By teaching how to use this effective reading strategy, the teacher gives the students a technique for making sense of the literature; one that can give more meaning to the text so that students dont complete the assignment not knowing what it is that they just read. For students still learning English, I truly believe that that there is no better way to expand vocabulary than by becoming an avid reader. The annotations process allows students to stop and think, ask questions, look up words that they dont know, and achieve deeper levels of comprehension.

Section 4: Teacher Professional Staff Development Session Session Length: 6 Hours (full day in-service) Topics of focus for staff development: Topic 1: Understanding diversity in our school (1 Hour) What minority groups are represented in our community? What cultural norms are important to understand out these groups? How can we appropriately recognize and celebrate diversity in our school? What resources are available to teachers to explore different cultures? How can we best reach out to minority parents and involve them in the educational process? What resources are available to teachers to help with the instruction of ELLs? Topic 2: Understanding the Academic Standards for ELLs (1 Hour) Overview of the PA Academic Standards for ELLs Overview of the WIDA Standards Can Do Descriptors Overview of the testing procedures for ELLs Topic 3: Instructional Strategies for teaching ELLs (1 Hour) Introduction to Classroom Instruction that Works for ELLs

Teachers have already participated in workshops for the popular strategies outline in Marzanos Classroom Instruction that Works and will be able to adapt those strategies using the instructional methods outlined in this new book

Hands on/Interactive application: (3 Hours) Teachers work in small groups with members of their own departments on creating a detailed lesson plan based on one or more of the strategies outlined in CITW for ELLs. The lesson will detail: The PA Academic Standards for ELLs addressed in the lesson Can do descriptors The Big Ideas taught in the lesson Lesson Opener Implementation of the new strategy(ies) Assessment Lesson close Small groups will present their lesson to the workshop group and instructors Evaluation: The instructor will evaluate each lesson presentation based on the following criteria (with 5 being excellent and 1 being poor) How well were the PA standards incorporated into the lesson? 1 Were the Can-Do descriptors accurate and properly written? Did the opener capture interest and set up the lesson? 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5

Were the new strategies implemented effectively and appropriately?1 2 Was the assessment appropriate for the skills being measured in this lesson? 1 2 3 4 5

Did the closing activity sum up the big idea that students should walk away with? 1 2 3 4 5

Feedback/Suggestions for Improvement _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ Likewise, teachers will evaluate the quality of the workshop using this form:

Please rate each area using the following scale: 1 = lowest 5 = highest Topics covered in this workshop: Facilities used in this workshop: Instructors Persona: Format of the workshop: Materials/Handouts: Overall Workshop Rating: 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5

What, if anything would you like to see changed about the workshop (the length, days/times offered, content, etc.):

Would you recommend this workshop to someone else?

Yes

No

Section 5: Parent Workshop Plan Session Length: 1.5 Hours Topics for focus of parent workshop: Topic 1: School Policy/Culture (25 mins) An overview of the rules and expectations of the school because they may very well differ from the previous educational experience of the students previous school A discussion about school conduct codes and values A presentation of school traditions and activities

Topic 2: School resources for parents (25 mins) An overview of all of the resources available to parents to stay involved with their childrens academic and extra-curricular life such as: online gradebooks, introduction to school counselors and administrators, and handouts with important dates, addresses, and telephone numbers A guide to resources available to parents with a language barrier: where to find translators and information about community English courses

Topic 3: Homework Help (25 mins) A presentation on the expectations of homework from the faculty Tips for how parents can help their children with homework

An overview of the assignment book and how it should be properly utilized by students and parents A list of resources for homework help services in the community and online

Topic 4: How parents can get involved (25 mins) An overview and handout regarding all of the ways parents can volunteer and become involved in school activities

Interactive component (30 mins) Parent will have 30 minutes to ask questions and address concerns with the faculty and administration and to interact with each other to seek support. Evaluation Instrument Form: Parents will receive a form on which they can give feedback and ask additional questions. Forms can be filled out in English or a native language and will be translated and addressed after the workshop date.

Section 6: Community Cultural Event Plan Tile of the Event: Multicultural Day Time allotted for the event: One school day + 5pm-7pm for families and community members Location: School gymnasium Purpose of the event: To research, understand, and celebrate cultures form around the world. To enhance understanding of the diverse cultures in our own communities. To share art, literature, music, traditions and food from diverse cultures. People involved: All students in the sections of the high schools World Cultures Course (all 10th grade students) World Cultures teachers, administrators, and parents Activities at the event: In groups of two, students will research a specific world culture, it could be from their own cultural background or one that they are unfamiliar with. Students will prepare a report about this culture and set up a display for World Cultures Day The display should include aspect unique to their chosen world culture including (but not limited to) art, music, literature, food, and traditional artifacts. Students will be paired with a community member from that culture to interview and who has volunteered to assist with their report and display by offering information and artifacts for the display. Students who hail from another culture can report on their native culture and use a family member as their primary source. Students will set up their display at the beginning of the school day and be present at their display as students from the school visit the gymnasium and learn about the various world cultures. Students will answer questions from their peers and from the course instructor, who will conduct an interview about their research and grade each group based on their preparedness, display, and knowledge of their chosen culture. The fair will be open to the community from 5-7 pm

during which students and their native expert will be present to answer questions and inform the community about their unique world culture. Evaluation instrument/form: Student reports will be graded using the writing rubric for 10th grade. Each report should discuss the history, cultural norms and traditions, contributions and impacts on the world and our own society. Students will also be graded based on their cultural displays and interviews during the fair. The course instructor will use the following rubric to grade the display and interview: World Culture Display and Interview Grading Rubric where 1 is insufficient and 5 is excellent The display was complete with many representations of the chosen culture 1 2 3 4 5

The display accurately represented the chose culture 1 2 3 4 5

The students conducted themselves appropriately while representing the chosen culture 1 2 3 4 5

The primary source was sufficiently utilized for the display and research 1 2 3 4 5

The students answered each question knowledgably during the interview 1 2 3 4 5

The information presented during the interview was accurate 1 2 3 4 5

The research conducted by the students was thorough 1 2 3 4 5

Section 7: Reflection Throughout this course, Developing Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity, I have learned a lot about what it means to teach students from diverse cultural backgrounds in the American public school system. There seems to be a fine line between understanding and appreciating cultural diversity and expecting students to conform to our cultural norms and beliefs. On the one hand, as educators we must have the same set of expectations of all of our students, and in our country we have a system that we believe will offer every student a good education. However, if we are insensitive to the challenges that face us when a student with a different set of values, beliefs, traditions, and behaviors walks into our classrooms, then we will fail to make the appropriate accommodations so that they too can receive a quality education.

Diverse students can come to us with a totally different language than we use in school, and so the first step to educate them is help them learn to speak and write in English. What I learned in this course, however, is that this should not be achieved by ignoring the students L1. The native language can be a valuable learning tool and students should be encouraged to use their L1 when studying and learning English. It is important to recognize the important role that language plays in learning, and how it actually affects the functioning of the brain in the learning process. Along with language, a students native culture plays a big role in the way they learn, their behaviors in the classroom setting, and the prior knowledge that they bring to the educational setting. Getting to know about the cultural norms and educational experiences of a students native culture is vitally important to understanding how they learn, and which behaviors they exhibit that may be misconstrued. Also, to provide an appropriate education for a student from a different cultural background, a teacher needs to be aware of the cultural experiences or educational background that a student is entering into his or her classroom with, otherwise the teacher will be doing a disservice to the student by assuming they have background knowledge in certain areas when they do not. Language and culture should play a major role in planning, implementing and managing the instruction of ELLs. When planning, teachers need to take into account what a student brings to the equation in terms of background knowledge. What ideas or concepts need to be explained at further length and which are already understood? When implementing instruction, teachers need to make the appropriate accommodations based on the students language proficiency and understanding of the content covered in class. Teachers also need to closely monitor progress of the students language development and comprehension of content materials so that the instruction can be altered to address any issues that arise. Also, constant assessment should be used to track a students progress and inform instruction. Overall, a students cultural background is one of the most important factors that affect learning in an ESL classroom. If we, as teachers, fail to understand the unique set of ideas, beliefs, values, and cultural norms that our students bring to the classroom, then we will never be able to reach them. Only when we understand where they are coming from can we help them get where they need to go.