learning the ropes liverpool 2013
TRANSCRIPT
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Learning the Ropes
A New View to Crossing Cultures in School Environments
Patricia E. Reynolds, Ed.DUniversity of Mary Washington
Current Demographics demand a change in praxis
P-12 under federal mandates to “Leave No child Behind”
Information Gaps exist for the educator working with English Language Learners
The loss of human and cultural capital
As we know it….
In 1954, Karl Oberg coined the term "Culture Shock." Often referred to as a “Bath of Cold Water” Definitions are numerous…and nebulous. “Culture shock involves a powerful disruption of one's
routines, ego and self-image”(Hall, 1959).
What is culture shock?
BUT the one area ……………………We have little information about is… SCHOOLS…..
in particular….
PreK-12 Public Schools
The research began here…
Little is known about how English Language Learners cross cultures in school environments
Educators lack information about the academic as well as the sociocultural processes
Current praxis is based on models that have assumed adaptation and freedom of choice
Research on first and second generation children is difficult to locate and almost non-existent
There was simply… not much out there about children and how they accomplish this while going to school.
• In 1990, Jean Phinney describes outcomes for ethnic minority youth and how these “identity outcomes” were important to an individual's mental health.
• John Marcia added to this by developing identities that led to forming a healthy ethnic identity.
• In 1992, Ogbu identified differences between voluntary and involuntary patterns that contributed to ethnic minority identity and sense of belonging.
Moving toward Education
While this information informed the psychology community , other than ideas forwarded by Banks in his concept of multicultural education, little made it’s way into the PreK-12 environment.
Most of the research has been conducted on young adults or older adolescents.
So.. We continued to use models that were not relevant to the experiences of children in schools!!!
Current Models in
Based on Oberg, 1954
Krohls 1958
Gullahorn &Gullahorn, 1963Ting, Toomey & Chung, 2005
Determining the concerns and behaviors children crossing cultures engage in while they go through the acculturation process.
Understanding identity development accomplished while in multicultural transition.
Balancing concerns of academic and language development in educational settings.
Theoretical Framework
• Assimilation assumes that the individual, in this case the learner, will have to take on the responsibility to change and subsume into the matrix culture.
• In fact…• Acculturation has a more balanced and neutral meaning…
Both the matrix culture and the immigrant’s culture will modify as a result of the contact.
Assimilation or AcculturationThe Key Difference
But ….
• What is required of school age children……
• Don’t we ask them to change to match the target culture?• Don’t we place the responsibility for change on their
shoulders in the PreK-12 environment?• How much change does the PreK-12 environment
contribute to the acculturation process?• What do we require PreK-12 children to do in educational
environments?
Focusing on the actual experiences of students provided conceptual theory of explaining how students cross cultures.
Developed a theory grounded in the experience of people as they resolved their main concerns.
Current methodology is focused on academic development and may be missing important aspects of identity development.
Significance of the Study
{Learning the Ropes
A Grounded Theory Study of Children Crossing Cultures
4 Stages
Stage 1: Frozen in Time Breaking the Ice Hiding in Plain Sight
Stage 2. Turtling Slaying Dragons Closing the Door
Stage 3. Painting a new Picture Getting a New Voice Aiming to Please
Stage 4. Finding the Future Staying Ahead of the Game Something Always Missing
The Stages
Unlike current models in practice, this stage demonstrates that students are not able to engage because they are suspended in space and time.
They must break the ice and develop a comfort area to move into the process.
They hide in plain sight and observe what will be the best course of action.
Stage 1:Frozen in Time
Stark contrasts between the two cultures are difficult for children to process. Consequently, they go between cultures “turtling” by putting on a hard shell when they have to emerge from the home environment.
They constantly are slaying dragons because they have to survive in both worlds without much guidance.
At some point, they have to come to terms with closing a door on the past and moving forward into the new culture.
Stage 2. Turtling
Once the new culture is then accepted, participants related they had to figure out a way to develop a new persona in the new culture by imitating those around them.
By getting a new voice, individuals are now able to self advocate consequently finding a value and identity in the new self.
When this happens, individuals set about aiming to please everyone around them so they can continue to access new information.
Stage 3. Painting a new Picture
There is no clear end to the process. But there is a recognition that one has gotten this far and can apply newly developed strategies and keep going to discover new pathways.
Challenges at this stage are attempting to stay ahead of the game so that ground achieved is not lost with a clear view to the future.
The one clear knowledge that does emerge at this stage is that something will always be missing and the recognition of who they may have been or known is forever lost to them.
Stage 4. Finding the Future
Two dimensions, although relevant, were external to the stages process of the theory, yet added a complexity to the learning the ropes behavior for many of the participants. Nonetheless, the significance of these dimensions to the participants is notable.
Coloring my World Talking about the Past
Dimensions
Findings were indicative that further understanding of the sociocultural aspects would enhance teachers ability to work with culturally and linguistically diverse students.
Grounded action study to develop professional development for educators.
The two dimensions that emerged should be investigated in depth for the implications they may imply in P-12 environments.
Further Research
Dynamic
• Children school ages 5-16 continue to develop emotionally, socially and psychologically.
• We encourage these developments in school for native language speakers and easily recognize disruptions in these developmental patterns.
• Do we look at these same aspects when we work with Second language learners?
• Can we assume they will follow the same patterns of Native speaking classmates?
Or Do we…. focus on language acquisition and language
development…. And ignore……
Variations that children may go through the process differently
Do teachers even recognize there may be a need for this awareness?
