RPSE 466 exam 1

Question 1

1. How might culture, language, and disability need converge to define the education of a culturally and linguistically diverse exceptional (CLDE) learner?

Answer 1

• Culture—communication, socialization, interactions, values, and behaviors for a certain group
• Language—systematic way in which verbal and/or nonverbal communications occurs among individuals, reflecting cultural values, and linguistic symbols
• Disability needs—includes special education services needed to help students who have a disability (learning dis, developmental dis, visual impairment, significant emotional/behavior disorder) to reach their full potential
• CLDE learner has…
o Diverse cultures and values
o Special needs associated with disability
o Language differences and second language development

Question 2

2. What are some of the recent education practices found in today’s schools and how might these be of benefit to teaching CLDE learners?

Answer 2

IDEA

No child left behind

three-tiered instruction

RTI

Standards-based learning and assessment

Immigrants with special needs

Misdiagnoses of special needs

Question 3

Reauthorization of IDEA

Answer 3

o Overidentification and disproportionality—rethink about placement of minorities in special education; WANT TO AVOID MISDIAGNOSIS BY…
• Early intervening services—use school funds to at risk learners (not necessarily with disabilities)
• Criteria for determining learning disability—discrepancy data is not required and RTI can be used as criteria
• IEPs—emphasize both academic and functional performance
• Transition services—document goals of these students (transition to high school)
• Accommodations—specific provisions for CLDE students

Question 4

NO child left behind

Answer 4

o All students be educated and assessed through statewide curriculum and assessments
o All students also provided with sufficient opportunities to learn through mandated curriculum testing

Question 5

Three-tiered instruction

Answer 5

o	For CLD/CLDE learners
•	High quality core instruction
•	Targeted supplemental instruction
•	Intensive intervention
o	Allows student to receive correct accommodations

Question 6

RTI

Answer 6

o Implementation of research based instructional practices along with monitoring and documenting of student progress
o Requires ongoing differentiation, accommodation, and documentation to make informed decisions about each student

Question 7

Standards-based learning and assessment

Answer 7

o Proficiency levels rather than pass/fail
o Offers precision and what should be taught/learned so teachers can differentiate instruction while meeting standards
o Doesn’t lower standards for CLDE students

Question 8

Immigrants with special needs

Answer 8

o Overrepresented in special ed
o Need to acquire greater understanding of students’ instructional, social, and emotional needs
o Don’t make mistake language difference for disability

Question 9

Misdiagnoses of special needs

Answer 9

resulting from ineffective language assessment

Question 10

3. What instructional qualities do you currently possess for implementing effective instructional methods for CLDE learners?

Answer 10

• General foundation for effective teaching CLDE learners (total of 6):
o Educators must challenge, through high expectations, of all learners
o Teachers must value diversity within the classroom and view this as positive learning opportunity for all students
o Students should be engaged in active learning and inquiry-based tasks

Question 11

4. What are some salient and common theoretical, conceptual, and pedagogical elements needed to ground special education teacher preparation programs that are culturally responsive? How can these elements be infused into special education teacher preparation programs?

Answer 11

Teacher must first look at his/her self and analyze their own cultural, class, and linguistic self
o Basically what this means is to really go back and think critically about your perspectives and how they were developed or influenced. This process also includes examining your own personal understanding of diversity.

Next, teachers were encouraged to develop accurate knowledge of different cultural groups
o Impossible to know ALL of the culturally diverse groups, but deep understanding of those that fill your school
• The first purpose of cultural education is to create a positive change in your attitude towards other cultures.
• Also, this education will help teachers interact better with students of other cultures, and allow teachers to reach a deeper understanding of their students. In the end, this should allow teachers to deepen their relationships with students and be more effective in the classroom.

Question 12

5. Identify and discuss four curriculum and pedagogical programmatic components that result in preparing special education teacher candidates to become culturally responsive and competent in their use of curriculum and pedagogy for diverse exceptional learners

Answer 12

Cultural assessment
awareness competence
knowledge competence
skills competence

Question 13

cultural assessment

Answer 13

o Deep knowledge of one’s own cultural, class, and linguistic self
o Includes assumptions about self and the other, perceptions and predilections of the other, images of the other, stereotyping and beliefs of the other, and engagement in some courageous conversations

Question 14

awareness competence

Answer 14

o Should be able to recognize own cultural, class, and linguistic biases
o Develop an awareness of the larger sociopolitical issues and confront their CLDE students, such as race, ethnicity, and personal identity
o Ability to grasp someone else’s experiences

Question 15

knowledge competence

Answer 15

o Important knowledge and information relative to the formation of racial and cultural identity
o Information and sociopolitical and educational students with diverse backgrounds

Question 16

skills competence

Answer 16

o To integrate the awareness competence and knowledge competence to acquire strategies and skills for developing cultural competency

Question 17

6. Identify, discuss, analyze and critique the major conceptual elements embodied in the discussion around the nexus of culture, class, language and disabilities. What are the curriculum and pedagogical implications of these elements?

Answer 17

• 6 strands:
1. Teach from the perspective of others, “wear someone else’s moccasins”
2. Understand your own culture and those of CLDE learners
3. Ability to have culturally relevant curriculum in your classroom, to know your experiences and then learn to know others
4. Use model principles and constructivism in their curriculum and pedagogical approaches
5. Pre-service you should be immersed in culturally distinct classrooms
6. Allows you to teach culturally responsive pedagogies in your future classroom
• Implications: reach all students, CLDE learners thrive, students feel accepted and welcomed

Question 18

7. To what extent must these elements be embraced by special education teacher candidates?

Answer 18

• Culturally, linguistic diverse learners are a growing population within our education system
• Need to appropriately and successfully educate out CLD learners is crucial as they hold our future in their hands
• FULLY embraced; must be a culturally responsive and competence teacher

Question 19

8. Why is it important for a special education teacher to develop a personal theory relative to first and second language acquisition?

Answer 19

• So you can understand how ESL acquire a new language and be confident in your philosophy in your classroom
• Able to note the differences in first and second language acquisition is important
• Greatest social language exposure is at school—therefore affects you directly
• Students may draw from their first language so knowing their first language can help you support them in transitioning to acquiring a second language
• Understanding language status and losing another language is possible
• A lot of theories surrounding second language acquisition are not fully supported, having your own gives your classroom more clarity

Question 20

9. What are some of the similarities and differences regarding first and second language acquisition and how can you as a teacher use this information?

Answer 20

Similarities:
Process of grammatical development, comprehension to production, and role of hypothesis testing and formulaic speech are very SYSTEMATIC

5 stages for language production are same:
silent/receptive stage; early production stage; speech emergence stage; intermediate language proficiency stage, and the advanced language proficiency stage

differences:
social setting of language (only at school), rate of acquisition (second lang will develop quicker), and language status (native language loss)

Question 21

10. What are some of the common fallacies regarding second language acquisition and how can you as a teacher use this information?

Answer 21

• Parents of CLD students should speak with their children at home in English
o Will acquire second language better if first language is well established
o May not know enough English for provide adequate support

• Acquiring more than one language is ‘difficult’ and can lead to academic problems
o In many parts of world, it is the norm
o Bilingualism is a social benefit and can only have positive outcomes when students leave school and get real world jobs

• Some bilingual students don’t speak any other language to a real extent and are ‘semilingual’
o Learning a second language on top of native language can be damaging to academics
o Strive academically when introduced to new languages as they develop new skills, perceptions, beliefs, values, and insight

Question 22

11. What have been some of the major changes that have occurred in the ESL teaching methods?

Answer 22

English must be taught in the context of social, academic, cognitive, and language development since each of these categories occurs simultaneously

Traditional ESL methods were taught in isolation from the rest of the curriculum. They were originally based on an adult model that was only focused on teaching the English language; it was not concerned with the academic content, which was a major issue since it was widely used in school systems until a better method came along.

Thankfully, during the last decade, professionals have begun to adopt ESL methods that are better integrated within the content areas with a great emphasis on cognitive and academic development (88). The current ESL methods that are being used today use sheltered English instruction, which helps English learners comprehend more than just the language. This method uses gestures, body language, visual aids, and demonstrations in order for students to gain a greater grasp on our difficult language. Additionally, teachers tend to use slower speech, simple sentences, controlled vocabulary, and frequent comprehension checks.

Question 23

12. What are some of the strategies used when implementing sheltered English methodology?

Answer 23

• Sheltered instruction—use gestures, body language, visual aids, and demonstrations along with slower speech, simple sentences, controlled vocab, and frequent comprehension checks
• Current ESL method

Question 24

13. Discuss some of the strengths and weaknesses of the bilingual/ESL special education models?

Answer 24

• Bilingual support model—too basic; no communication between monolingual special ed teacher and bilingual paraprofessional
• Integrated bilingual special ed model—great model, but requires highly trained, masters-level bilingual special ed teacher…VERY rare
• All…
o No strict guidelines—beneficial b/c can accommodate to student/in any school
o Two out of four model require pull-out or elf-containing services; goes against inclusive classrooms; should learn from English environment

Strengths:
Collaboration with gen ed teachers is good
co-teaching
ESL support in the classroom
Shelter both language and disability 

Weaknesses:
not always most inclusive approaches, pulling students out from the class techniques 
lack of ELL paraprofessionals 
not always certified teachers
native language sometimes shunned

Question 25

14. How can you as a teacher best use technology to work with CLDE students?

Answer 25

Most important one is the computer
o Videotape/record my lessons to be played back for repetition
• Subtitles for native language
o Typing assignments instead of handwritten ones
• Use of spell check, thesaurus, grammatical checks
o Translations with newsletters for both student and parents
o Use of grammar or vocab or even math games in order or learn and understand a more advance level since still learning the English language

Question 26

15. Illustrate the relationship among culture, language, and academic achievement and show how this relationship must be considered in assessment.

Answer 26

• Differences in:
o Language function—difference vs. disability
o Cultural values and norms
o Teaching/learning styles

Question 27

16. Why is it important to know a student’s non-English language abilities?

Answer 27

• So student isn’t misplaced or misdiagnosed
• Allows teacher to know when the student is putting their best efforts toward school
• Know student on a more personal level and know what they are capable outside of an English setting
• To make accommodations that still meet the activity’s requirements
• Distinguish between linguistic differences and literacy disability
• To tap full potential

Question 28

17. Discuss how you have used various forms of authentic assessment with CLD/CLDE learners.

Answer 28

• Authentic assessment provides more relevant and meaningful information concerning the educational needs of CLD learners
• Two types:
o Curriculum-based
• Evidence-based alternative for determining specific instructional needs of students
• Ongoing basis
• Uses material directly related to curriculum being taught in classroom
o Performance-based
• When students construct a response orally or in writing
• Provide opportunities for students to demonstrate skill proficiency associated with content knowledge
• Assess more informally with monitoring their work and assessing orally instead of formal assessments like tests (?)