Why Should Dual Language Educators Start with Pillar Three?
You Can’t DO Dual Language to Schools: It Takes Time
I’m one of the fiercest advocates of DL, and the waves of districts rushing to implement DL programs in under 6 months, has me cautious of the larger consequence of starting programs without enough training, without buy-in and commitment in schools, and without a strategic plan fully developed. How will neigh Sayers recognize the difference between programs that were set up to struggle from their inception? And if something doesn’t change, will all dual language programs be deemed part of a run-away train that needs to be “fixed” with more policies that further devalue the needs of our learners?
FAQ: About Supporting Language Learners in Schools
I recently hosted an amazing webinar around engaging in data-driven instruction for language learners with Dr. Doug Reeves. I wanted to share the frequently asked questions that stemmed from the session. Please reach out with any questions! Q & A: These “service” minutes are state requirements. What can we do, add more minutes? State requirements reflect the minimum number of minutes required to be compliant, and define the way in which certified specialists are allocated at the building level. While 30 minutes, may be what the state defines as the minimum amount of specialized support, it should not be used to define how schools ensure each student has the conditions of learning that will lead to their success. It is the difference of providing 1,000 calories of crackers and wheat versus a full meal – you can only survive for so long. Does instruction and curriculum need to be authentic to students to be able to make meaning or authentic to the standards? Curriculum and instructional practices must first affirm the identity of the students that are meant its beneficiaries: meaning it provides content, concepts, and creation of knowledge (pedagogy) worth learning, and that it honors the life experiences that have shaped the individuals they are and will choose to become. Without knowledge of the students first, educators will constantly be chasing standards that escape the grasp of learners that may not see the connection or the point. Is the goal of early exit programs unrealistic in light of the research of 5 – 7 years? Yes, we have worked for many years to change policies that focus on unrealistic early exit philosophies and do so while also encouraging the abandonment of students’ first language and cultural reference points. These programs have consistently shown abysmal results, and are more grounded in personal beliefs around the value of English rather than the science and reality of the language acquisition process. For schools/districts with low EL populations, how realistic is it for beginning ELs to participate in rigorous GenEd content, texts, and topics? We must shift the idea that ELs are only capable of remedial curriculum that leave learners with little opportunity for achievement. On the contrary, ELs are capable of the cognitive demands of any curriculum that provide content, concepts, language, and meaningful opportunities to create knowledge that is worth learning within a context that allows every student to be a part of the larger community regardless of their language proficiency. In thinking about curriculum in this way, there is no perfect curriculum, text, or topic. Rather, the perfect combination of these things comes from knowing who each and every child is, and using that knowledge to adapt the materials’ ability to help each child make meaning, seek the answers to real questions, and develop more complex ways to communicate their truth within the world. Just know that the adaptation of the materials will need to include linguistic and cultural supports if the text is something like “To Kill a Mockingbird”, that is grounded in historical and cultural references that EL students may not have. What about this metalinguistic awareness you spoke of? Metalinguistic awareness and the strategies that support its development are critical for language learners, especially in dual language programs. These strategies are separate from and must work in addition to data-driven instruction. Educators must have the opportunity to build their expertise and toolkit of strategies to be able to effectively build students’ ability to meaningfully apply this thinking to their language learning and development. We do 2-3 day institutes to build this skillset strategically and effectively.
What Makes an Exemplary Curriculum for Language Learners?
The success of linguistically and culturally diverse students has become a shared goal for educators and policy-makers across both political lines because there are now over 5 million students from homes where a language other than English is spoken. The impact of this fast paced-growth began with grants, funding sources, and other program level compliances. However, the consistent failure to see achievement and growth in both language and content, has created a shift in the conversation from minutes of instruction to what educators are teaching and what they are doing to change the consistent failure. It is a conversation that inevitably leads to curriculum. Is there a curriculum that is best for language learners? Is there one that is better for dual language programs, versus bilingual programs, versus ESL programs? And while I have my own views on whether curriculum should be the focus of the conversation, here is the short answer from an article I am in the process of submitting. Curriculum that have historically served language learners have consistently been characterized by learning that is less challenging, more repetitive, more focused on skills that require low levels of thinking and denies students the opportunity to engage in any type of productive struggle. It is, in short, a curriculum that ensures language learners do not grow and remain uninspired to move beyond their current possibility in life. How do you know if you have this type of curriculum? Ask yourself the following questions: Does the teacher do most of the thinking? Do the lessons leave students unsure of what to do with new learning after the lesson? Does the curriculum allow students to sit passively and “stay under the radar”? These remedial-mentality curriculum leave learners with little opportunity for achievement. On the contrary, any curriculum that can reach the level of being exemplary must provide content, concepts, language, and meaningful opportunities to create knowledge that is worth learning within a context that allows every student to be a part of the larger community regardless of their language proficiency. In thinking about curriculum in this way, there is no perfect curriculum. Rather, the perfect curriculum comes from knowing who each and every child is, and using that knowledge to adapt the materials’ ability to help each child make meaning, seek the answers to real questions, and develop more complex ways to communicate their truth within the world. Even still, there are some criteria that must be part of how we evaluate the efficacy of our curriculum for our language learners. The following are not the only criteria that should be used to evaluate curriculum. However, if you are looking to evaluate your current curriculum materials, or looking to adopt a new one, these three criteria should top your “look for’s”: The curriculum affirms the identity of the students that are meant its beneficiaries: meaning it provide content, concepts, and creation of knowledge (pedagogy) worth learning, and that it honors the life experiences that have shaped the individuals they are and will choose to become. Provides modeling, shared practice, oracy, and independent learning experiences that include variety and choice in how they apply that learning and challenge the way they look at things. Allows for authentic and high-quality pedagogy for the language of instruction, and authentic and worthy tasks/artifacts to support the access and achievement of each diverse learner. These three criteria are critical. If we cannot, at a bare minimum, say that our curriculum affirms the learners who it was purchased for, that there are a range of paths for students to apply that learning, and that the pedagogy is authentic, we cannot expect to have different outcomes. So, what will you do to ensure that your curriculum doesn’t work against your goals?
English Only Here: The Impact of Restrictive Language Policies on Language Identity and Student Achievement
Last week, I had the opportunity to be part of a critical dialogue about the past, present, and future trends in the education of linguistically and culturally diverse students (also called bilingual, emergent bilingual, EL’s, and ELLs) with Manuel and Dr. Kathy Escamilla. It was a dialogue that created so many flashbacks of my experiences as a student. It was also a humbling reminder of my last two decades as an educator. The lingering message was a narrative of language policies that coerced linguistically diverse students out of their first language. And schools issuing a growing number of punishments for “failing” to acquire a second language almost instantaneously. The sad reality is that in many ways it was a terrible walk down memory lane that I almost did not want to take – and yet, I’m infinitely grateful that I did. The day left me hungry to change the reality of this narrative for current and future children who depend on schools to prepare them for a future of their choosing. The message of the day was powerful, but one question in particular keeps calling my attention. What are the implications of losing a language? It seems like a simple question? And yet it is incredibly profound. Many of us serve language learners in various program models with strong and (at times) immensely restrictive language policies: Don’t speak your native language in class. You need to find other friends so that you can practice English during recess Put a quarter in the jar if you use your native language These are practices and messages I have heard in schools across the country. But why are these policies problematic? Why should all educators be concerned with the consequences of restricting a native language in school? Personally, I know that my language is part of who I am; it is an essential connection to my past, my culture, my funds of knowledge. My language is how I interact with, negotiate with, and socialize with this world. My language is a point of pride that honors my culture and concurrently is refined and expanded by that same cultural connection. My language is my window to learning and gateway to new ideas embedded in books. To take away my language is to take away my right and access to interact socially and academically… to devalue the legitimacy of my identity… to render me powerless. This is the reality faced by the fastest growing student group in schools across the country, language learners. Valuing bilingualism as an asset, not a deficit, is a critical mindset needed. Even still, participation in learning may be a great source of struggle for language learners depending on their skills in English. Every successful interaction in English helps students to renegotiate their academic, social, and individual identities in more powerful ways – ways that will lead to greater academic success. Every miscommunication, idea, and thought that is stifled by the limited words and grammar they are able to produce causes a renegotiation towards greater inequality – one that will translate into greater achievement gaps. Educators must consider how to maximize students’ opportunities to fully participate in the learning community while also learning the rules, structures, and vocabulary of English. The best place to start is to use language policies and practices that provide language learners with a more powerful position to access social networks, opportunities to speak, and the tools to engage in cognitively challenging work. So how do educators do this? Include texts that reflect the interests and background knowledge of students. Utilize bilingual word walls to allow students to connect academic vocabulary with words in their native language. Engaging students in strategic learning around metalinguistic awareness (the ability to see, analyze, and manipulate language) helps to develop greater proficiency in English. Increase the amount of student talk that requires complex thinking. In doing so, students will have greater opportunities to master content knowledge by utilizing academic language, which are inter-related processes regardless of what language is used.
What Schools Can Do to Raise Achievement for EL’s:
Do You See Me?
A Dedication to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
Today is a day dedicated to honoring the legacy and impact of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. And while many simply enjoy the extra day at home, it is vital to reflect on what this day truly means. His life’s legacy is one of equity, access, equality and the ability of each person to realize their own dreams regardless of race, color, or creed. As an educator, I see the overwhelming challenges our children face to realize that legacy every day. Not all students experience an equitous educational experience, have access to the conditions that will ensure their success, or are faced with a set of experiences that prepare them to realize their dreams. With barriers existing for so many children (black children, brown children, language learners, exceptional children, children living in poverty, LGBT, and so many other silenced voices), I know that this work can not live on just one day of the year. Rather, we must fight, now more than ever. We must honor his legacy as we serve and guard the amazing children that are entrusted to our care. So let us not be silent, for our children – all our children – are the future and the legacy of our humanity.
Program and School Considerations for English Learners: Look Inward Before Looking Out.
As ESSA plans are submitted by states and districts, it is interesting to see what provisions are included. One thing is for sure, there is a new and much needed focus on the achievement and language acquisition levels of English Learners. This new spotlight is causing many districts to reflect on their program models and linguistic supports. There are many new models, theories, resources, books, and experts ready to tell us the direction in which we should shift. But as we begin to explore changes in programs and approaches, we must remember to exercise caution in looking out before looking in. Students learning English are as diverse as the countries and cities from which they’ve moved. From their native language, age, school experiences, country of origin, family dynamics, and everything in between, there are a range of “things” that make each one of our ELLs unique – that makes them each special. Teaching culturally and linguistically diverse students, that means, is unique from and different than teaching monolingual students. It is not bad, just different. In order to be effective in teaching ELLs, therefor, a range of considerations must be thought out in order to match the right program models and instructional supports to their needs. There are few that disagree that teaching ELLs to read and write in the majority language (which in the U.S. is English) is important with both political and social implications that add to the pressure. In addition, ESSA has raised the stakes on the increasing achievement gap and the stalling progress of language acquisition of these students, leaving many wanting to reach for the newest buzz in language acquisition. But the answer is more involved than that. While the challenge and its solution is quite complex, I think it starts with one simple concept. It is not what program model is best, but which model and supports best meet the needs of the students you have for they don’t all serve all students equally well. Yet, to make that decision, you must ask yourself, do you know your students? Most people would answer that question with a quick, “yes, of course,” before sharing a range of data points. But looking through the points below, how well could you answer the following questions about your language learners: What is your students’ native language? What are your students’ literacy levels in their native language? What are the developmental differences (interferences) between your students first language and the language they are working to acquire? What are the previous educational experiences of your language learners? What cultural factors will impact your language learners’ success in the classroom? This list of questions is by no means meant to be exhaustive. Rather, it does begin to help educators and program administrators develop an idea of what it means to truly know the students they serve. It is only by understanding your students at this level, that we can begin to determine what program model, instructional resources and supports, and yes intensive professional development is needed to ensure success. So I ask, has your district looked inward before looking out? If not, know that it’s never too late.
Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!
Today I had the honor of attending a field trip with one of my children, and it reminded me about the amazing power that teachers have over the minds, values, and excitement for learning our children develop. It was chilly, gusty, and damp at Sauganash Prairie Grove this morning when the class of about 25 stepped off the bus. But the children, an incredibly diverse group of brilliant minds, gathered around their ecology and classroom teachers as the mission of the day was shared. “We are here to look at the native flowers,” the ecology teacher began. “Now, we need to remove the invasive weeds so that next year these flowers grow everywhere,” he continued for a moment. The students listened before answering a range of questions about the different parts of the flowers, connections they had to previous learning and trips, and how to engage with mother earth. Then they were off in a range of directions to explore, learn, and engage in stewardship. While I was tempted to feel bothered by the dreary conditions that were already numbing my toes, I found it almost impossible. My group was an energetic bunch that reflected everything we would want from students. In tuned to every last detail of a plant to have the ability to determine whether is was a native flower or an invasive weed. They were detail-oriented, persistent, collaborative, and both developing and sharing multiple processes for identifying different variations of the same weeds. It was awe inspiring. I know that they will go back to school and engage in other content area learning. But this was something different – both organic and meticulously planned. It is something that so many teachers work to build all around the world – a spark, a joy for learning. So, to all educators around the world that work tirelessly to build these experiences when parents are around (and when we are not), I thank you. No words can capture the appreciation for all that you do and the lasting imprint of your work on each and every child you encounter. You are appreciated!