Hi! Welcome to #ELLCHAT. Join us now to discuss Valuing Cultural Assets with Culturally Responsive Teaching.
Q1) Please share your name and where and what you teach.
Hi! Welcome to #ELLCHAT Join us now to discuss Valuing Cultural Assets with Culturally Responsive Teaching. Q1) Please share your name and where and what you teach.
Kanako here, joining #ELLchat from Vietnam. I work as a 4th grade ESL Specialist, working alongside another ESL specialist and co-teaching with 5 classrooms of 4th grade!
Hi, @judiehaynes and everybody. Judie will post our questions every few minutes to guide discussion. Please start your response with the answer number to match the question number: Q1 - A1 And, donāt forget our #ELLCHAT Hashtag!
Kanako here, joining #ELLchat from Vietnam. I work as a 4th grade ESL Specialist, working with another ESL specialist to co-teach with 5 classrooms of 4th grade! Teaching primarily Vietnamese students at an international school so culturally responsive teaching is crucial!
Hi #ellchat, Mel here (she/her). Iām a first year ESL teacher in New Jersey teaching 5th-8th (push-in). First time joining the chat + Iām really excited to connect to other educators + learn collectively in this space.
A1: Melih, middle school (7-8) ESOL teacher in Falls Church, VA teaching sheltered life and physical science to emerging ELs and team-teaching physical science to developing/bridging ELs. Excited for tonight's #ELLChat topic!
A1 Iām Karen Nemeth, author and consultant on teaching young children who are growing up with 2 or more languages - DLLs - and cohost of #ELLCHAT Tweeting from eastern PA!
EL specific graphic organizers help students build language while listening, focusing on vocabulary, comprehension, grammar, sentence structure & more. #ellchat
Q2) Culturally responsive teaching uses the cultural knowledge, prior experiences & performance styles of Ss to make learning more effective for them; #ellchat
Q2) CRT requires that teachers transcend their own cultural biases and preferences to establish and develop patterns for learning and communicating that engage ELs. #ELLCHAT
A2) I think technology is a valuable tool to leverage culturally-responsive teaching; students can engage and collaborate more with one another and develop communication skills in a digital space. #ellchat
#ELLCHAT
A2 What all tchrs need to know about culturally responsive teaching: that it is SCIENCE. Your brain literally cannot learn if you don't feel safe and heard. Perceived threat shuts down the part of your brain dedicated to making meaning of new information.
A2) CRT is based on what the Ss' prior knowledge is. Different Ss from the same culture have different knowledge. Don't assume what you plan based on what you know about a Ss culture is automatically CRT. Be mindful of differences w/in cultures too.
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A2 I agree - plus, technology allows us to access information about cultures all over the world. Without tech, how can teachers really be in touch with the cultural assets of so many diverse children? #ELLCHAT
A2) I think technology is a valuable tool to leverage culturally-responsive teaching; students can engage and collaborate more with one another and develop communication skills in a digital space. #ellchat
#ellchat
Also: that culturally responsive teaching is flexible. You don't have to know everything about every student's home culture. What you do need to know is how to recognize and move around your own biases and assumptions.
A2: I donāt know if this is really a āfeatureā, but the first thing that comes to mind when reading this question is the necessity of honoring the history/ies of CRT: educators, researchers, and authors Gloria Ladson-Billings and Geneva Gay, to name two. #ellchat
A2 Yes! because itās not about ordering a bunch of flags during summer break, it really is about getting to know what is meaningful to each student - thatās their real culture! #ELLCHAT
A2. I think most importantly you must take the time to get to know Ss & build a comfortable learning environment WITH them. Tie learning into student culture/values as often as possible to increase student motivation & connection to the material. #ELLCHAT
A2) I think technology is a valuable tool to leverage culturally-responsive teaching; students can engage and collaborate more with one another and develop communication skills in a digital space. #ellchat
Q2: Educators should not make assumptions based on their previous knowledge of cultures not their own. Also, they need to be aware that, like it or not, in many occasions there is bias when treating others from diverse cultures. #ELLCHAT
Technology levels the playing field and allows us to learn so much about one another! We need intentional use of this intervention to reflect CRT. #ellchat
A2- Ts need to know their students firstly. Know where they are coming from. Know your own personal biases (conscious/unconscious). Know history. Be willing to learn/read more and listen listen listen listen listen. #ellchat
#ELLCHAT
A2 What all tchrs need to know about culturally responsive teaching: that it is SCIENCE. Your brain literally cannot learn if you don't feel safe and heard. Perceived threat shuts down the part of your brain dedicated to making meaning of new information.
A2) Culturally responsive teaching is student centered instruction. It honors their foundation(s) and provides a connection to help them grow! #ELLCHAT
Q2: Educators should not make assumptions based on their previous knowledge of cultures not their own. Also, they need to be aware that, like it or not, in many occasions there is bias when treating others from diverse cultures. #ELLCHAT
A2: for me, CRT is grounded in my self-work. I am white and linguistically privileged. These are the lenses I bring to myself, my teaching, + the world. I have to be intentional + explicit in naming how this impacts my daily classroom practice. #ellchat
Educators should be aware of possible trauma that students may have experienced, especially when doing "get to know you" or "family" activities at the start of the year. #ellchat
A2. I think most importantly you must take the time to get to know Ss & build a comfortable learning environment WITH them. Tie learning into student culture/values as often as possible to increase student motivation & connection to the material. #ELLCHAT
A2: Educators should be aware of possible trauma that students may have experienced, especially when doing "get to know you" or "family" activities at the start of the year. #ellchat
Iām telling you...some need to at least āfake itā till they make it #ELLchat
Itās not about our comfort zone; itās about a comfortable environment for our #ELs#ellchat
A2 For example: I live near Philadelphia. If you know my address, you will assume I wear green every weekend of the football season. But Iām not a football fan. To relate to me, you should not assume a room decorated in Eagles souvenirs will connect me to learning. ;) #ELLCHAT
Access points. Big deal for kiddos who might feel like outsiders. Build your learning environment and lesson plan to answer the question: āHow do I get in?ā #ELLChat
#ELLchat heck yes! So many teachers mean well but put themselves at the middle of their anxieties re: ELLs. Itās about the kidsāthey see and appreciate effort and interest
A2: In order to be more culturally responsive, I think teachers need to vary their lessons, while trying to emphasize the social nature of learning. #ELLchat
A3) Taking the time to ask "what is (insert mainstream cultural values/holidays here) like in (Ss' culture)?" and be genuinely interested in hearing what Ss have to share when they want to share about their experiences! #ellchat
A3) We did a #SocialContract inspired by @MsSalvac#BuildingAchievement book to help build a safe space in our co-taught Science 8 classroom.
I model risk-taking, think-pair-share, and encourage mistake making in my sheltered science class for my emerging ELs. #ellchat
Ts should bring L1 into instruction whether or not school is a dual language/bilingualed program, & make bilingualism the classroom norm! Model a passion for language learning & communicate to Ss that ENGLISH IS NOT the most important. #ELLCHAT
A3: sentence stems for sparking thoughtful response and pushing verbal expression, as well as those for appreciating what peers contribute to the conversation #ellchat
A3. My classroom is minimally set up prior to our first day of classes - the Ss help me sort books for our classroom library, design bulletin boards, put out supplies...whatās mine is theirs. No matter what ELP level they can take part in this process & take ownership. #ELLCHAT
A3) Also CRT includes the valuing of the Ss mother tongue in the classroom. Language is an important aspect of culture, and we as teachers need to show that we value the languages Ss already speak coming into our classrooms. #ellchat#ELLsCAN#additivebilingualism
A2: Culturally Responsive Teaching starts with ones own Cultural Competency. You cannot teach cultural responsiveness without knowing your own cultural competency. Period. We need to be aware of our own lens to see HOW we see the lenses of others! #ELLChat
A3 Young children need to be taught how to interact successfully and respectfully with friends who speak different languages. I wrote this into a childrenās book: New Words, New Friends https://t.co/LTuklNn4g8#ELLCHAt
A3: We as educators need to be open minded and aware of how extremely diverse is the world. Need to be respectful of other religions, clothing/makeup/hair styles, eating customs, and a plethora of other things that may not be the "normal" in the educator's eyes. #ELLCHAT
A3: Provide platforms so students share ALL about themselves!
Thereās a š of beauty and diversity waiting to flourish in your own classroom. Use the most valuable resource you have...#ELL STUDENTS
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A3) (Part 2) Then there is the expectations and culture you establish. Important to emphasize mutual respect, valued diversity, intersectionality, in your daily routines and lessons. Non-ELLs learn a lot about how to collab with ELLs by the tone you set. #ELLChat
Q2. Teaching in a culturally responsive way begins with checking oneās assumptions at the (classroom door). Donāt assume ELLs who came from other countries didnāt have solid education there...and donāt assume all your ELLs came from another country. #ellchat
A3: Teachers should adopt an empathetic, questioning, information seeking mentality when getting to know students. Making assumptions of students and their background is dangerous and can lead to harmful student / teacher / family relationships. #ellchat
Love this! I kept my bulletin boards mostly empty this year to add student work and visual supports as needed/desired. Kids just hung up their āgetting to know youā projects and first two writing assignments and got to choose which to display #ownership#ellchat
A3: I think teachers need to maintain an attitude of constant reflection, continually questioning their motivation and practice, while at the same time actively learning from their students. #ELLchat
I support #TotalCompleteSentenceWriting š¤£š¤£ by providing sentence starters and modeling PQIA- putting the question in the answer. WIll gradually ween them off of this! #ellchat A3
A3: sentence stems for sparking thoughtful response and pushing verbal expression, as well as those for appreciating what peers contribute to the conversation #ellchat
A3- model respecting and valuing culture and language in your classroom. Read diverse books. Celebrate diverse heroes. Recognize that good listening doesn't always look like the poster you have up. Allow time for relationship building with students and staff #ellchat
A3) Let students be teachers. They know so much about the world that we don't know. Peer-learning and peer-teaching in small groups can lower the affective filter for ELLs too. #ellchat
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Just imagine how powerful this type of teaching would be for students from marginalized groups, too! The dominant culture isn't just "American culture" - it's the culture of those in power in America. Being responsive to other cultures welcomes in SO MANY more students!
A3) It is important to provide opportunities to collaborate and find connections with fellow students and the material. Whatās similar? What is different? New? Surprising? Whatās changed now that you have this new info/connection? #ELLCHAT
Agreed! @CSchlessinger and I love this book and so do our teachers at @irvingprimaryhp! A few even asked us to come into their classrooms and read this to the entire class to kick off the year. #ELLCHAT
A3 Young children need to be taught how to interact successfully and respectfully with friends who speak different languages. I wrote this into a childrenās book: New Words, New Friends https://t.co/LTuklNn4g8#ELLCHAt
Definitely. Give them ownership, lower the affective filter by letting them learn from peers. Also, they have SO MUCH background knowledge of things I could spend my life researching and not be able to convey. Theyāve lived it and their connections are valuable #ellchat
A4) Organize classrooms in communities that are designed to encourage academic and
cultural excellence. Encourage ELLS to learn to facilitate their
own learning. #ellchat
A3- encourage students to share their stories. Review review your lessons- are you excluding certain students based on culturally relevant notions? (ex- Disneyland, certain holidays) #ellchat
I think of giving authentic situations they might end up in and having informal discussions about how they might react. Some role-playing, throw in some realia..let kids discuss the new culture from the frame of their own in a safe space #ellchat
Definitely. Give them ownership, lower the affective filter by letting them learn from peers. Also, they have SO MUCH background knowledge of things I could spend my life researching and not be able to convey. Theyāve lived it and their connections are valuable #ellchat
Q3. I make it clear when teaching both Eng or Span that mistakes are part of learning, especially when speaking in a language one is learning. Support one another. Focus on communication/understanding rather than mechanics of language during discussion. Take risks. #ellchat
A4: Just providing translated assignments do not do the trick.
Student must feel that weāre truly interested in their learning so they can be successful!
Help them prepare themselves for ANYTHING they want to be šš¼šāØ
#Ellchat
A4 Such an important question: it changes the focus of learning. Instead of the teacher being in control of every bit of information and interaction - the teacher builds studentsā capacity to be open to, and to find cultural information that builds classroom culture #ELLCHAT
A4) Explicitly teaching social interactions so that
students can learn to assume leadership for learning and feel
comfortable exploring differences of opinion. #ellchat
A3: tomorrow in @BayDistSchools Iāll be working with HS Students each period on Cultural Responsiveness. Whew! Itās a year long series of āStudent Developmentā the Admin would like to see to bridge the āPerspective Gapā among the varying student population! Canāt Wait! #ELLChat
A4) Give Ss chance to be risk-takers. Provide opportunities for peer-discussions where they are able to use their own cultural knowledge to connect to new knowledge. #ellchat
A4 Provide real-world, contextualized learning of your content area. Teaching science lends itself easily to do this bc students can make authentic connections to the concepts with their daily experiences. Also provide meaningful opportunities š£ļøš£ļønegotiate meaning. #ellchat
We donāt have a billingual program and my Spanish is atrocious but I try! So do several of my colleagues (and theyāre worse than me š) but my kids LOVE it. They laugh with their teachers and feel included #ELLChat
A4- real experiences, a fine balance of discussing as it comes up and explicitly teaching some skills (ex- having a discussion in school has diff expectations than with friends) #ellchat
When we talk about culture, it goes far beyond focusing on holidays, music, and food. I love these infographics, that can lead to deeper discussions on how much of culture we take for granted, yet truly dictates how we live on a daily basis. https://t.co/1jfPrm64op#ELLChat
A4: I think that those first days of school are extremely important to create a classroom culture of respect. My opinion is that there should not be any content taught until everyone in the classroom feels safe and is open to respect others and their cultures. #ELLCHAT
Elementary Teachers! Look up @EmpaticoOrg and youāll never be the same! 100% free and creates an empathetic, compassionate Global citizenry environment!! You will LOVe IT!!!! #ELLChat
W4. Intentional collaborative grouping is the key. Group ELLs with students who can model cultural norms for academic/social language use. Teachers facilitate and contribute. #ellchat
A4 And, while I think it is so important to empower students of all ages to get to know each other and be sensitive and respectful of the unique assets brought by each of their peers - teachers must show students how! Model, discuss, tell stories, and guide #ELLCHAT
A5) Levelled texts in L1s of the students, clear procedures and expectations, lesson plans that put students at the heart of the cognitive work and emphasize collaboration, interaction, listening, and respect. #ELLChat
Elementary Teachers! Look up @EmpaticoOrg and youāll never be the same! 100% free and creates an empathetic, compassionate Global citizenry environment!! You will LOVe IT!!!! #ELLChat
The idea of roleplay w authentic situations 4 diverse Ss 2 acquire cultural info. is important! @chrisemdin discusses learning around codeswitching in his work. Help Ss understand w/in what context 2 use formal Lang, when 2 use nonacademic, how 2 navigate between them. #ELLCHAT
Our input must not only be comprehensible but MEANINGFUL! Students need some buy-in and authentic texts is one of many ways to accomplish this.
A4 #ELLChat
A5. Bilingual & multicultural books are by far my favorite materials. Students need to see themselves reflected in texts (mirrors), while others may need to see into a new culture or way of thinking (windows). #ELLCHAT
A5- also I think we need to examine what is already out there with a CR lens- if you are adding anything to your room- be wary of how it represents or relates to your students #ellchat
A5) Teachers Need access to multilingual resources and of course- diverse books and authentic student work! I think itās critical to make the process visible, not just the product. #ELLCHAT
I like the categories in this infographic, but I find the actual graphics to be too stereotypical, having lived in both Eastern and Western countries š Besides, Germany and China doesn't necessarily represent "east" and "west"... #ELLchat
A5) Q might be misleading because it says āresourcesā and we think of physical artifacts (books, materials). But there are a lot of soft resources that are essential: love, joy, patience, resilience, and integrity, to name a few. #ELLChat
A5) I think teachers need to research content information in the various languages in their classroom on the internet. If ELLs can read content in their L1, they won't have to conquer both language & content. #ELLCHAT
I totally agree. I have used these with Vietnamese students, as well as Saudi Arabian students, and there are different opinions about them. What I like, is that it opens up a discussion that reveals a deeper sense of culture and its implications. #ELLchat
A5: Diverse books from different cultures, using pics from different cultures when showing examples, incorporating little things here and there from Ss cultures as part of classroom decorations. #ellchat
A5) In addition to diverse & CR texts, Ts can also incorporate artifacts from Ssā homes into the classroom. Allow & encourage kids to bring in special items that hold importance, to add to the environment. #ELLCHAT
A4: we have an epidemic a lot of Ss in FL schools where there is a literal ācultural&country caste systemā based on what Spanish-speaking country u r from. As an #ELL teacher we discuss Adichieās Danger of a Single Story& Ss 9week project on another Ss country/story! #ELLChat
A5: Even though I don't teach social studies, a world map poster is always in my classroom and it provides and area of a lot of conversations between students. #ELLCHAT
A6) Reach out to your ESL partners / co-teachers! We have tons of resources on CRT and have been trained in it!
Also don't be afraid to deviate from the lesson plan if a student wants to share about their culture. Allow for that space of sharing and building community! #ellchat
A4 As a trainer, I ask tchrs to list items of American culture. Hotdogs? What about vegetarians! Baseball? most young children play soccer. Music? What really is āAmericanā music. This shows that culture is whatās meaningful to a child/family - not what you read online! #ELLCHAT
#ellchat@kruu_justin truth...it can happen at anytime of the year. For ex, Mother's Day...I had a student once who lost his mother.This was a sensitive time for him. When we know our kids well, we can be responsive to their needs and delicately incorporate into our instructions
A6: For content information, linking to students' backgrounds is so important. It's our job to help Ss make connections to what they already know. #ELLChat
A6: When we know better...we do better!
My advice would be to read and grow in understanding on how to make content accessible to ELs.
Our comfort way of teaching may have to change for THEIR sake!!! šš¼
#ellchat
A5. Bilingual & multicultural books are by far my favorite materials. Students need to see themselves reflected in texts (mirrors), while others may need to see into a new culture or way of thinking (windows). #ELLCHAT
A6) Connect the content w/something they've experienced or can relate/respond to!
For ex, we've explained the relationship between an element's valence electrons and it's reactivity with analogies to cafeteria seating & asking Ss what makes them "stable." #Connections#ellchat
A6- if you're using a resource in your class, ask- who wrote it? Who's story is being told? Who's story might be left out? Who in my class can relate to this? Who might be left out? #ELLCHAT
A3: Inquire and show genuine interest in childrenās culture, language, traditions. Let them know you also make mistakes and model making mistakes & moving past them in front of students. #ellchat
A6) Gen ed Ts: ask Ss to teach you terms in their native language as you are learning them, & then add these translations to word cards, walls etc. Encourage Ss to listen 4 cognates & look 4 cognates in texts, on charts, etc. #ELLCHAT
A6: When we know better...we do better!
My advice would be to read and grow in understanding on how to make content accessible to ELs.
Our comfort way of teaching may have to change for THEIR sake!!! šš¼
#ellchat
French, too, Iām pretty sure! Also, their wordless book option is great for re-telling/letting kids make up their own stories given the visual input of the illustrations. Easy assessment of ability to use new vocabulary from the book they just read #ellchat
A6: I have a student survey that I give 2content area Ts that they ask their #ELL to fill out so that they can get to know them more. Once they do they can start infusing the info in that survey into their conversations, content, and lessons to create a better connection #ellchat
A6: Be aware of the diversity in their classroom. Take the extra step when creating assignments or assessments to be more culturally diverse. Go beyond page 1 when searching on Google. #ELLCHAT
My AMAZING co-teacher came up with the cafeteria seating analogy for valence electrons! (S/O to @Moescience1!)
DEF reach out to colleagues and see how they have students make connections to the content. #ELLCHAT A6
A5) In addition to diverse & CR texts, Ts can also incorporate artifacts from Ssā homes into the classroom. Allow & encourage kids to bring in special items that hold importance, to add to the environment. #ELLCHAT
A6: I also do professional development on cultural competency for content Ts because they first have to know from what lens they see an #ELL before the even teach them! Itās eye opening!!! #ellchat
A6 I think it is important to help teachers know WHY culturally responsive teaching/materials work: In addition to supporting ELLs as individuals, they also provide better access to content by starting with info that is familiar, known, and creates learning foundation #ELLCHAT
That last point is massive. A story being great doesnāt immunize it from being exclusive. How can we bring multiple perspectives to the table? #ELLChat
