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!