Berni Magazine | Case 2

BERNI Magazine

Case Two: Grade 2/3 Class

BERNADETT ASKEY

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ducation is a way of life. Connecting education and design is Bernadett’s mission. Her role as a designer and educator is to inspire. She teaches based on learning outcomes and the individual learner’s abilities. Education should also be a community-driven project. As such, she is also a member the board of a the Mount Pleasant Family Centre in East Vancouver. There, she handles its mission mandate, fundraising and personnel.

It all started in Budapest, Hungary where she habitually rearranged her furniture as a child. As a young adult she found employment in the printing and reprographics industry. Upon moving to Vancouver, BC., she began taking Interior Design. She completed her diploma at NKBA- and FIDER-accredited Lakeland College in Alberta. There she earned several student design awards.

Her career in education began with tutoring fellow students at Lakeland. Back in Vancouver, she worked as the Education assistant for the Canadian Craft and Design Museum. Bernadett worked for several years as an independent designer and for local design firms.

She started teaching at LaSalle College Vancouver and Vancouver Community College in 2002. She joined the Interior Design Department of the Art Institute of Vancouver in 2005.

She completed her Bachelor of Science in Interior Design through the Art Institute of Pittsburg in 2009. In 2015, Bernadett earned her Master’s Degree in Adult Education from Argosy University.

Now she lives and works in Vancouver with her husband and two young children.

Her teaching philosophy is based on inspiring and supporting her students, faculty and colleagues. She provides a respectful environment for students to feel comfortable constructing knowledge.

Her curriculum design is based on industry standards. She designs classroom projects to carry students from a novice level to expertise. Student’s learning styles, cultural backgrounds and personal skills guide curriculum design.

CASE 2 (Oct. 1 – Oct. 12, 2018) Thanksgiving Oct. 8th Phew! You’ve just finished the last of your beginning of the year parent-teacher conferences. Meeting the linguistic needs of several families for whom English is an additional language was challenging. In an attempt to improve communication, you found yourself relying on students to translate your educational program.

As well as giving out information, you’ve learned a lot from those parents who could attend. Looking back over your notes, you realize that the 24 children in your grade 2/3 class have an amazing range of abilities, interests, personalities, and backgrounds.

Although most of the children have adjusted to the routines of the classroom, a few have not yet settled into being part of the classroom community. When you mentioned this to their parents at the conferences, some seemed genuinely surprised. For instance, when you told Drew’s parents that he seems quiet and withdrawn in class, they said, “At home he’s always on the go and talking a mile a minute!” When you explained to Kayla’s mother that her daughter has been teasing her classmate, Nikesh, about his “stinky lunches,” she told you that Kayla is so “caring” at home, “always helping with her two younger brothers.” It made you wonder: are we talking about the same child?

In conversations with many of the parents you were struck by the range of out-of school reading (and writing) experiences that engage your students, and how these differ from what you’ve been doing in the classroom. Some of the parents asked about your reading program and you explained that you spend a great deal of time on the skills of decoding/reading. Troy’s mom said that she agrees that this is important, but she’s concerned that her son doesn’t seem to understand what he’s reading even though he can say/decode all the words.

Brajit’s father had a question about his daughter’s work in mathematics. “Why is it, she can tell me how to add and subtract numbers, but when I ask her to make change from $10.00 for a $2.55 cent purchase she doesn’t have a clue?”

Thinking over what you have learned from these short meetings, you wonder how you might help children monitor their understanding of concepts particularly through selfregulation.

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HOW CAN A TEACHER EMBRACE THE DIVERSITY OF A CLASSROOM?

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eacher’s tips: Focusing on common physical and psychological needs, such as food needs, safety needs, social-emotional needs of every child, regardless of the differences in their attributes and capacities, or cultural backgrounds.

• Providing all students in the classroom with decision-making processes that give a voice to all members.

• Reducing the expectations of “mainstream” forms of self-expression as desirable or acceptable.

• Democratic practices include children’s choices of resources and activities through which children’s awareness and understanding of democracy and social justice will be developed.

• Outline guidelines for acceptable behaviour in the school community

Photo by Bernadett Askey, 2016

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in ways to communicate that self-expression is not to interfere with acceptable classroom discourse.

Teachers can learn a few words in other languages, and learn the ELL student’s family background.

Find bilingual staff for parents to talk to (The teacher needs to understand family values, family relationships, the family’s expectation of the education their children receive).

Teachers can ask questions such as “who lives at home, or do they come from a city or from rural areas? Also could ask about the child’s earlier educational experience, and their home setting for study time and support.

Painting by Clio Askey, 2017

order to establish trusting relationships and embrace diversity.

Inviting parents to volunteer and participate in the class also helps build a community that respects experience and diversity.

Such partnerships help position the school as the core of the community. Teachers can create a communication channel with the https://www.scoop.it/t/the-outdoor-classroom /p/2314710817/2012/08/03/let-the-children-playparents by using “freshgrade” to loose-parts-imagination-creativity show families what the children are working on each day. ocial Justice is a “philosophy that exOnce a teacher opens up places for the tends beyond the protection of rights. children to be able to translanguage, children Social justice advocates for the full parwill be able to use all languages known to ticipation of all people, as well as for their basic them fluidly, without “macro alterations” (Orlegal, civil, and human rights” (Making Space ellana & Garcia 2014), or social constraints.

2008).

Allowing multilingual context to enter the classroom and school community will validity EMBRACING DIVERSITY children’s knowledge and identity.

Whole School Approach: Co-construction of knowledge can take the Creating community partnerships that form of children teach each other what they support student achievement strategies by know. In the classroom, children can share reaching out to neighbourhood businesses, their previous knowledge and co-construct language communities and associations, who knowledge by using different forms of literacy. may be interested in developing partnerships They can teach each other to count in differwith the school community. In Case 2, the ent languages, or teach each other the rhythm teacher has a great chance to model curricular or melody of a song they know. They can also requirements such as Social Responsibility create a identity for a character together to acand Personal Awareness by reaching out to complish the writing of a story, or reflect on a the parents in order to establish community past experience. demographics, attitudes, expectations, and soOrelland and Garcia (2014) recommends cial assumptions. Meaningful family engage- that children can broker language for their ment means that families and caregivers are classmates and parents, and teachers should invited to bring in their stories. Heritage builds have some guidelines and ways to orchestrate inclusivity,as children re-create their identities the languages in their classrooms. as a result of feedback and cooperation within Teachers and School communities are the classroom. In case 2, the teacher’s job is to responsible to access, celebrate and include create opportunities for children to imagine students and their families with different langoals, and futures and feel included. The cre- guages into our school and classroom comation of a pluralistic society where children munities (Early, 2018). understand how to respect others through Embracing The Project Approach: their experiences with views that are differ- Projects such as “The New Country” by Lisa ent from their own, is the goal of the inclusive Leoni’s class help children incorporate their classroom community. Teachers should guide full language repertoire , and moves classroom students through questions such as “Who am practice away from a monolingual approach,.

I culturally, historically, how did I get here, and Teachers need to be able to provide ways for how could it be otherwiise” (Ayers 2008) in children to be able to share their identities

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through story telling, family engagement, community outreach and sharing their whole language repertoire.

TESTING THE PRACTICE:

Ask for feedback from the students, the parents, and school administration regularly.

When students are able to make connections to themselves, the school and the world. Listen for students using appropriate and respectful language based on the Effective SOGI-Inclusive Policies and Procedures. Apply recommended Lesson Plans to link ‘identity’ to BC’s Curriculum. Completing a school climate survey can help target issues that may exist in the school, and help create a positive physical and social environment (Listening to Students, 2012-2013).

BC’S CURRICULUM:

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First People’s Principles of Learning All children are welcomed Core Competencies Communication Thinking – Knowledge and Skills Personal and Social Positive Personal and Social Identity Personal Awareness and Responsibility Social Responsibility

ALL STUDENTS SHOULD BE INCLUDED

Social Emotional Learning, ASD child- gifted, all children are included.

Remember students who are across the physical and cognitive range.

Inclusivity could be reached by reviewing and using the Musqueam Nation’s teaching kit in order to understand and communicate the rich history and culture of the Musqueam Nation.

The school-based team should be included in discussion of inclusivity to ensure that all children’s needs are met – for example: an ELL specialist, a Counsellor, ABA specialist, Principle, Vice Principal, Educational Assistants.

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Supporting Grade 2/3 students in developing a stronger mathematical understanding in the classroom and the real world.

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Science World, 2017. Phote by B. Askey

THEORIES IN EDUCATION

Jerome S. Bruner (1916-2016) wrote The Process of Education (1960). He out lined his cognitive and instructional theories, and produces a comprehensive curriculum drawing upon the behavioural sciences. He looked at social and political contexts in the development of cognitive growth, and was influenced by Vygotsky. He outlined his view that children are active problem-solvers, and suggested practical approaches to teaching. Furthermore, the idea of the spiral curriculum was a result of his thinking. He illustrated the three stages of representation: • Enactive, which is the representation of knowledge through actions.

• Iconic, which is the visual summarization of images.

• Symbolic representation, which is the use of words and other symbols to describe experiences.

In Case 2, applying role-playing of a scenario of a cashier-customer would apply these theories to teaching practice and represent symbolic way of learning.

Math vocabulary, and illustration by the use of coins, and bills would be help conceptualize decimals and place value within a practical framework.

Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences comprises of eight autonomous intellectual capacities: logical-mathematical intelligence, musical intelligence, linguistic intelligence, bodily-kinaesthetic intelligence, spatial intelligence,

Cade Askey at Science World, 2017. Photo by B. Askey

http://elmwooddayschool.com/programs/ fives-kindergarten-first-

interpersonal intelligence, intrapersonal intelligence (the capacity to understand oneself), and naturalist intelligence (the ability to recognize and make use of certain aspects of the environment). In Case 2, the educational application of Gardner’s theory could include diagrams, group and game activities to teach math concepts to all types of learners in the ways they understand best, through visual kinaesthetic, auditory and reading/writing.

GRADE 2 AND 3 MATH CURRICULUM

Students should be able to develop math strategies through reasoning, making sense of qualities by drawing, acting out and using concrete materials and experiences. Students should justify and explain their thinking using their literacy capabilities pictorially, symbolically concretely.

Apply multiple strategies and relate math to daily activities , traditional practices, and able to pose questions , and see perspectives relevant to First Peoples cultures.

Application of Place-Based Learning relates to any environment, locality or context with which people interact to learn, create memory, reflect on history, connect with culture and establish identity. Math Walks and number talks are examples of active learning applications. Grade 2 math should accomplish : Number concepts to 100 Counting: skip-counting by 2, 5, and

Clio Askey at Science World, 2017. Photo

by B. Askey

10: using different starting points, increasing and decreasing (forward and backward) Quantities to 100 can be arranged and recognized: comparing and ordering numbers to 100, benchmarks of 25, 50, and 100 Place value: understanding of 10s and 1s, understanding the relationship between digit places and their value, to 99 (e.g., the digit 4 in 49 has the value of 40) Decomposing two-digit numbers into 10s and 1s. Grade 3 math should includes fraction concepts using pictorial representations, concrete materials, real-life applied skills, symbolic notations, equal partitioning, medicine wheel, seasons, counting mixed combinations of coins up to 100. Playing trading games, and understanding ways of earning money to reach financial goals through jobs of recycling, working , selling items. Understanding other ways of payment methods is also part of the requirements. Computational fluency is achieved through strategies to keep track of problems, record numbers, understand number-facts and relationships, as well as having more than one problem-solving approach.

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Reading methodologies we can use in our teaching practice

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eading comprehension can be supported by a combination of approaches, such as Phonics, Whole Language and Decoding. Phonics : refers to instruction in how letters and sounds correspond to each other and how these sound-letter correspondences can be used to decode or pronounce words in text. Phonemic awareness helps students hear sounds called phonemes, focusing on the sound a letter makes. Teachers can train students to listen to first sounds, middle sounds and end sounds. Phonics can be used to teach the relationship between printed letters and sounds, decode words and see spelling patterns. Decoding with phonics may not help Photo by Bernadett Askey - Sir R. children comprehend the text.

McBride Elementary, 2017 Decoding: means the analysis of the letters in a word to determine its pronunciation; to translate from one form of message to another, such as from printed text to pronunciation (Brooks, M. & Brooks, J., 2005), (Shanahan, 2005). In Case 2, the teacher should look at other ways to help children to understand the content. She can try oral reading fluency and focus on high frequency words to help children achieve a higher level of comprehension. Formal vocabulary instruction, and exposure to different linguistic environments would increase children’s achievements. The teacher in Case 2 can encourage parent and children to read together, notice text in their environment.

Community resources, home reading books, libraries and even multi language reading will aid children’s comprehension and vocabulary accumulation. Furthermore, the teacher can incorporate student-created books, and projects that are of interest to the students in order to encourage them to spend time with different forms of literacy. Whole Language: acquire language, instead of direct teaching, through questioning, problem-solving, listening, writing, drawing, dramatizing, reading, and orally responding . Incorporating something about the field of the text, and knowing about the syntax of English can speed up reading in English, because children don’t need to “decode each word, one by one” (Gibbons, p. 137).

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Photo by Bernadett Askey- UBC Music Room, 2018

Music’s Prosodic Features: focuses on melody (variation of pitch in utterance -> relates to intonation), Rhythm (systematic patterning of sounds in terms of timing). Music also helps children understand the emotional role of texts. Practical application of music in comprehension can be accomplished by “Purpose-setting for reading is a strategic method that can deepen children’s understanding…[music/poetry/rap] provides a purpose for reading.” Learning may be enhanced from the raps through “emotional context of the text, clear images, rhythm of speech and of body movement, and memorable play on words.”

By displaying the collective rap on the wall and singing together, teachers can facilitate: (1) spoken word-written word correspondence (2) letter knowledge and phonemic awareness (3) sight words and high frequency words (Rando et al., 2014)

The BC Curriculum emphasizes comprehension. In Case 2, the teacher can engage children with questioning activities, by looking at the topic, making predictions, examining the title and completing before-reading activities. Making connections is also a big part of comprehension. Students can use their existing knowledge and create background knowledge during and before reading. Visualizing, such as thinking of what would you as a reader see, taste, feel, smell or hear as the character of the story. Teachers can also help children infer knowledge to make meaning from the story for themselves.

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How Does Social Emotional Learning Support Each Student’s Own Learning?

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ocial and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. (CASEL) Carol Dweck coined the terms Growth Mindset and Fixed Mindset. In Growth Mindset, children believe that they can get smarter, and their efforts leads to higher achievement. In Case 2, the teacher can build growth mindset in the classroom by emphasizing challenges, not success. Also, by creating a culture of risk taking, and using constructive criticism/ feedback. Also, giving a sense of progress by grading for growth, explain mindset and help children with their goal setting.

Barry Zimmerman focused on children’s lack of metacognitive skills in a demanding academic setting, and recommends using the SRL model, in which, students become engaged with the task, and take greater responsibility for their learning, whereby their academic performance improves. Zimmerman’s SRL model makes use of an ongoing series of feedback cycles that consists of three phases: planning, practice, and evaluation, in which positive correlations yield more confidence.

5 CORE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL COMPETENCIES

Self-Awareness: helps assess one’s strengths and limitations, with a well-grounded sense of confidence, optimism, and a “growth mindset” Identifying emotions, Accurate self-perception, Recognizing strengths, Self-confidence.

Self Management: helps regulate one’s emotions and manage stress, control impulses and work towards Impulse control, Stress management,

Self discipline, Self-motivation, Goal setting, Organizational skills, Responsible Decision Making: helps make constructive choices, and identify personal and social norms, ethical standards, and consequences of various actions. Parts of this are the ability to Identifying problems, Analyzing situations, Solving problems, Evaluating, Reflecting, Ethical responsibility.

Relationship Skills: helps maintain , communicate, cooperate with others and negotiate conflict through Communication, Social engagement, Relationship-building, Teamwork.

Social Awareness: helps perceive others, understand other values, backgrounds social and ethical norms of behaviour and recognize support. Elements of this are Perspective-taking, Empathy, Appreciating diversity, Respect for others. elf regulation refers to the influence of states of arousal and the ways in which people cope with and recover from ongoing stress.

In Case 2, the links to curriculum can be found in the ability to develop confidence through self discovery. Requirements of effective and respectful communication is outlined. Students need to identify steps required to achieve short-term goals, and find sources of support at home, at school, and in the community.

Risk taking and its role in self-exploration can take place through Trying new activities, making new friends, volunteering to ask/answer a

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https://casel.org/core-competencies/

http://learningandtheadolescentmind.org/

question,speaking in front of others.

Cultural and social awareness achieved by: exploring self-identity, acknowledging cultural differences, honouring indigenous traditions.

In Case 2, the promotion of Social Emotional Competencies can take shape by student-centred classroom management that helps students be motivated to be self directed . The teacher’s language , warmth and support in the classroom and school community that demonstrates care also helps students. Student’s responsibility and choice means children can make decisions and their voices are heard in the community. Cooperative learning will allow children to monitor their own progress and work as part of a group in a social setting.

Classroom discussions allow children to be exposed to other ways of thinking. Plenty of self-reflection and goal setting should be included in the instruction, along with balanced instructional techniques of individual and group work. Teachers need to build competence by modeling, practicing, feedback and coaching.

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Communicating Effectively with Parents/Guardians of ELLs Photo by Bernadett Askey- Sir R. MCBride Elementary 2017

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eache parent conferences can take many forms, and are conducted throughout the year. Meeti the teacher night includes exchanging information about the family , classroom management protocols, expected behaviours, goal setting, and resources available for the child. Conferences may discuss the child’s academic achievements and present school work examples of the child. Issues of social development and any other reevant topics may also be discussed.

During problem-solving conferences, problem-solving strategies, cooperative methods of working together with parents and children as well as suggestions from parents may be discussed.

As new focus is given to children to take responsibility of their own learning, and the importance of building respectful and engaging relationships with families, Garry Hornby, a professor in New Zealand ad-

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vocates for a partnership model. He believes that the strengths of both parents and teachers can be utilized through two way communication, mutual support and some joint decision making, and the understanding that parents “experts” on their own children.

HOW CAN TEACHERS HELP?

Teachers can facilitate communication by encouraging language brokering in necessary to involve ESL parents. ships. In Case 2, the teacher can communicate with the parents throughout the year using newsletters, blogs, notes that may be translated to the children’s home language. Even communicating what conferences are about, how they are conducted, and that parents are welcome to ask questions, express views and dedicate time to engage with their children’s work .

Children may play the role of the expert in their introduction of their own work.

INVOLVING L2 PARENTS

The use of ranslanguaging can help invite parents to share a kill or even just to visit the classroom to learn about what children are doing. Asking bilingual parents to share information, and translating notes to multiple languages could make L2 parents able to partixipate in their children’s education.

Teachers can also engage with families of different cultures, by providing information that can help immigrant families find community resources (ex. settlement.org) Teachers should check if they incorporate opportunities for students to use different languages in class by asking themselves these questions:” Do I use the home language to give children positive reinforcement?

Do I create opportunities for children to use different languages in day-to-day activities?

Do I work with parents to identify when to validate home languages and dialects and when to emphasize standard English?

Do I use the home language to give children positive reinforcement?

Do I create opportunities for children to use different languages in day-to-day activities?

Do I work with parents to identify when to validate home languages and dialects and when to emphasize standard English?

Because language brokering is viewed as an obligation, children could end up feeling inadequate, hence there is a fear of being viewed as a disappointment. However, children can gain vocabulary, confidence in different social situations, and self-worth by feeling the positive effects of their helping.

According to Malakoff and Hakuta (1991), children’s metalinguistic awareness and translation strategies may produce strong learning outcomes.

When teachers invite and appreciate children’s and parent’s fluency in L1, it affects their sense of identity. Children’s cognitive development, self-esteem, second language acquisition, and academic preparation is positively influenced when teachers provide opportunities of language use.

In Case 2, the teachers needs to recognize cultural and linguistic inequalities that may be present in the classroom and the community. By providing resources to non-english speaking parents and guardians, the communication between teacher and parent will be easier. Translanguaging should be encouraged so that ELLs can develop their sense of self and achieve their learning goals.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fUeFbDL-gck/ Umm9b7-BbmI/AAAAAAAAJ6w/OuijQN1moiI/

APPLYING TRANSLANGUAGING FOR LEARNING IN THE CLASS

Children are able to utilize their full language repertoire in the classroom during group work if there are students speaking the same other languages.

These students can come together and utilize their discussion and apply it to their projects, and utiolize their understanding to be able to accomplish in-class work in English. Students may also complete individiual research in their first languages forst, and bring their understanding into the projects continues in English.

The Social constructedness of language includes the concept of how language is transmitted needs to be changed in order to enhance communication betweeen children in the classroom, children and teachers as well as between parents and teachers.

Photo by Bernadett Askey - Edith Cavell Elementary

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