Culture
Today
We will… Explore culture and the
implications for teaching English Learners
Examine school culture and climate
Look at specific ways to improve the culture and the climate of a school
Review EDUCATE Alabama Diversity strand
CultureActivity - Carousel Charts• Carousel around the room to
answer questions about culture.
• Choose a spokesperson to read questions and responses to the whole group.
• Whole group discussion
What is Culture?
Culture is not innate, but learned.Culture is shared and it has an
important role in defining the social boundaries of different groups.
The various facets of culture are interrelated.
Continuum of Cultural Variants
Family life Social interactions Education Work and
achievement Individuality Wealth and
materialism Time
Age Space Communication and
linguistics Religious tenets Nature
ArtLiterature drama
music folk dancing
heroes cooking dress
Eye behavior Facial expressions
Notion of modesty conception of beauty ideals of childrearing
definition of sin courtship practicestheory of disease
conception of status mobility
Status designations
competition or cooperation body language patterns of handling emotions
communication patterns notion of time
What is Culture?Culture is…
Exploring Culture
What’s In a Gesture?
Number 1-10Watch each gesture
and write the meaning. Indicate if you think it
is considered rude in the United States.
Exploring Culture
Cultural Truths or Stereotypes
Question Agree
Disagree
1. You arrive for dinner an hour late in Costa Rica. Your hosts will be insulted.
2. The parents of your student from Brazil show they do not care how their child is doing in school when they arrive 45 minutes late for a conference with you.
3. The parents of your student from Mexico keep their children out of school on the flimsiest of pretexts. They don’t care about their children’s education.
4. Your new student from Argentina stares at you all the time. The student is belligerent and was not taught any manners.
Cultural Truths or Stereotypes
Question/Answers Agree
Disagree
1. You arrive for dinner an hour late in Costa Rica. Your hosts will be insulted.
2. The parents of your student from Brazil show that they don’t care how their child is doing in school when they arrive 45 minutes late for a conference with you.
3. The parents of your student from Mexico keep their children out of school on the flimsiest of pretexts. They don’t care about their children’s education.
4. Your new student from Argentina stares at you all the time. The student is belligerent and wasn’t taught any manners.
Researchers found evidence to suggest that some modification of school patterns to more closely resemble home and community patterns may have a positive effect on school success for language minority students.
Ovando, 2003
Pathways to Partnership
There should be an equitable partnership between the schools and the community for all students.
However, in most schools, there is
an imbalance of power between the school and the language-minority community.
Four Stages of Adjustment
Acculturation
Coping
Culture Shock
Arrival
Turn and TalkWhat is the role of the school in this process of acculturation? Where are you in this process? Are we considering the stages of adjustment that are experienced by our newcomer parents. Have we considered what we can do to make this process easier?
Assimilation
Assimilation Is...
A process in which an individual or group takes on the traits of another culture, leaving behind the original cultural identity.
Stand Up and Be Counted
This activity is designed to demonstrate how we are all members of a minority
Stand Up If…
The Prism Model
Thomas and Collier (1997)
Culture and the School Setting
School Setting:
We must promote effective participation of EL students in the educational programs offered by the district.
We have the responsibility to adequately notify language minority group parents of school activities that are called to the attention of other parents.
Advanced Level
Parents are consistently participating in literacy workshops/Parent meetings and bilingual materials are available to students and parents.
Parents use bilingual materials consistently
All district, school, and classroom documents are sent home in the native language.
Interpreters are available at all meetings.
Celebrating Culture/Diversity
The entire school staff works together collaboratively to ensure that parent, student, and staff diversity is celebrated and represented through the physical environment of the school throughout the year.
All school staff respect, embrace, and celebrate the school’s diverse population, regardless of personal biases.
Welcoming Environment
All parents and visitors are openly welcome in the school and structures are in place to support them when they are there.
Celebrating Diversity
Ideas for Celebrating Diversity
• When studying ELs’ countries, we can invite parents in the classroom to share culture and artifacts. If the parent does not speak English, their child can interpret while the parent shows artifacts.
• Ask parents to translate books written by students to create bilingual books. EL students can tell parents what the page says and parents can write it in their first language.
• Ask students to interview parents about a specific topic to share with the classroom.
• In the EL classroom allow students to plan a family reception and put on a show for parents.
Classroom
Include culturally relevant narrative and expository text materials in your lessons
Remember prior knowledge holds the key to conceptual understanding.
CULTURE PRIDE SHIELD
Welcoming Environment
How do you create a welcoming environment
in your school for all students?
How do you create and ensure that you have a
welcoming environment in your school for
language minority students?
Survey your parents…
Survey Monkey.com[SURVEY PREVIEW MODE] Parent Survey.mht
Developing a Strong Partnership with your Parents
It can begin with holding a family night at the beginning of the school year. At this meeting a teacher can achieve two objectives:
Establish shared expectations with the parents about the upcoming school year
Offer suggestions and support to assist families in helping their child.
Other Ideas…
Family Literacy ProgramsSchool-Community PartnershipsParent Resource Rooms
Parental Challenges and Struggles
In your group discuss and record challenges and struggles you believe our EL parents experience when getting them involved in the school.
Make a separate list of ways we can alleviate the struggles and challenges to ensure EL parents are active in the school.
Share group findings with whole group.
Features of Effective Programs for English Learners
High Expectations for ELs Language development and content
development are integrated Concept development in L1 is supported Comprehensive staff development
provided for all faculty & StaffThe entire school environment
supports ELs There is active support from school
leaders.Adapted from Myths and Realities, (2007) by K. Samway, D. McKeon
Alabama Department of Education
ResourcesSÁNCHEZ–LÓPEZ, L. (2009), Language and Culture Pedagogy: From a National to a Transnational Paradigm by RISAGER, KAREN.
Sheltered Content Instruction: Teaching English Learners with diverse abilities, 2011. Pearson, Boston
Samway, K and McKeon, D. Myths and Realities, 2007. Heinemann, Portsmouth
Alabama Department of Education
Victor
Case Study Assignment
Buy-in…
Alabama Quality Teaching Standards
1. Content Knowledge2. Teaching and Learning3. Literacy4. Diversity5. Professionalism
Standard 4: Diversity
Culture, Ethnic, and Social Diversity
4.1 Develops culturally responsive curriculum and instruction in response to differences in individual experiences, cultural, ethnic, gender, and linguistic diversity, and socioeconomic status
4.2 Communicates in ways that demonstrate sensitivity to diversity and acknowledges and responds to various cultural, ethnic, and social modes of communication and participation.
Culture, Ethnic, and Social Diversity
4.3 Demonstrates and applies to own practice an understanding of how personal and cultural biases can affect teaching and learning.
Language Diversity
4.4 Supports learners to accelerate language acquisition by utilizing their native language and linguistic background.
4.5 Guides second-language acquisition and utilizes English Language Proficiency strategies to support learning.
4.6 Differentiates between learner difficulties related to cognitive or skill development and difficulties related to language learning.
Thank you for participating!
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