Student Diversity Flashcards
Texas English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS)
represent the learning strategies, listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills that ELLs need to learn to become proficient in English in the context of academic instruction.
TELPAS Proficiency Level Descriptors (PLDs) describe
The English that ELLs can use and understand at each of the four proficiency levels.
PLDs (proficiency level descriptors)
Beginning - little or no English ability
intermediate - limited ability, simple language structures, high-frequency vocabulary, routine contexts
Advanced - ability to engage in grade-appropriate academic instruction with SLA support
Advanced high - the ability to engage in grade-appropriate academic instruction with minimal SLA support
Texas School Districts are required to indentify students’ English language proficiency levels in each domain and provide
linguistically accommodated content-based instruction aligned with students’ levels
_____ and ____ are a good idea for ELLs at all levels, although rarely needed once a student has reached
extra processing time and linguistic support
rarely needed once student has reached Advanced High
To quickly determine a student’s English level based on speaking, remember
beginning uses single words, short memorized phrases, or incomprehensible speech
intermediate communicates a simple message with basic vocabulary and limited tenses
advanced uses a variety of tenses and some abstract vocabulary
high advanced speaks as clear and detailed as native speaker
remember that in reading it is not until the students reach advanced level that they start to
independently construct meaning of grade-appropriate text
To determine a student’s English level based on writing, read the writing aloud - grammar errors are easier to identify when read aloud
a beginning student’s writing will have no flow
an intermediate student’s writing will feel choppy
an advanced student’s writing will flow
an advanced high student’s writing will give detail with less repetition
Teachers will need to understand that not all students have the same
interests, skills, backgrounds, or needs. They cannot discriminate based on any factor and should aim to identify, understand, and meet the needs of each student, regardless of their background.
Types of diversities include differences in
interests, skills, ethnicity, culture, language background, gender, sexuality, socioeconomic status
diversities also include exceptionalities related to
behavior, speech, communication, cognitive ability, physical ability, intellect, and giftedness
effective teachers use an understanding of diversity to inform how they develop
the environment and activities in the class
teachers should strive to promote the understanding of diversity by
acknowledging and celebrating the differences that exist within the classroom
Students should have the opportunity to
share and get to know each other throughout the year
students should be led away from forming
ignorant or deragatory opinions that could lead to inappropriate or discriminatory behavior
Take opportunities during readings or lessons to pull texts or activities that
Relate to student cultures and interests
use student diversities as
strengths to guide group work and lesson planning
whatever the diversity is, it is critical for the teacher to recognize
when those diversities are putting limits on student learning, and work to provide the best support and adjustments in teaching strategies for the student to help them learn and perform. This is known as differentiating instruction to meet students’ needs.
recognizing the impact of diversities and finding ways to use them as strengths and lesson enhancements is
key to the successful teaching of all students
The IEP will specify
strenghts and challenges the studnet has in each content area, and specify accommodations and modifications required to be implemented for the student
the first step in adapting curriculum for a student with a disability is to
Read through the IEP and identify these requirements. Meeting with SPED teachers can also be beneficial in ensuring that you are meeting the needs of your students.
When planning learning experiences and designing assessments for student with disabilities, the teacher should make sure these students
are included in content activities and do not feel isolated or overwhelmed. Group projects should be adapted to match their academic ability.
Sometimes accommodations for a student with a disability will be
beneficial to the whole class and can be used without drawing attention to or isolating that student
The purpose of the IEP is to
not the student’s present level of performance, create measurable annual goals to determine and monitor progress within the general education curriculum, create accommodations to assist in the learning process, and determine the district and state assessments the student will participate in
An IEP may include modifications to the general education curriculum or accommodations or
both
Modifications to the curriculume
change what the child is being taught.
Accommodations change
how it is taught. They have help in the way they master it.
Remember that students with disabilities should be treated with
the fewest accommodations needed to ensure success in their least restrictive environment and be included in the classroom activities as much as possible (inclusion)
There are ___ major disability categories as identified by IDEA (individuals with disabilities act). Other than _____, each of these categories has a range in which the students can fall.
13 major disability categories
other than deafness, each has a range in which the student can fall
sex is
the physical state of being male or female
gender is the therm used to
describe how a person identifies herself
with the new awareness of other genders and sexualities,
addressing gender biases in the classroom becomes more important. Students with alternative gender expressions may be more likely to encounter misrepresentation or biases in the classroom.
As a teacher, it is important to ensure that
no gender stereotypes are influencing teaching or learning in the classroom, and that all genders and sexualities are acknowledged and supported.
gender stereotypes may come into play when creating assignments or activities. Checking biases will ensure
that students are being treated equally and allowed to develop skills associated with success, regardless of gender.
It is important for teachers to acknowledge and respect diversity and
facilitate a culturally inclusive classroom.
To promote learning for all students, teachers can adopt
culturally responsive teaching
culturally responsive teaching is
an approach that recognizes the importance of including students’ cultures in all aspects of learning
culturally responsive teaching strategies include
learn about student backgrounds and interests to cultivate authentic relationships in which students feel respected and valued.
activate students’ prior knowledge and understand it will differ
teach concepts in context
draw connections to the real world
include literature into the curriculum about various cultures and ways of life written by diverse authors
present concepts to students using their vocabulary and incorporating their interests.
Culturally responsive teaching seeks to
make education meaningful and valuable to all cultural groups, as well as combat stereotype threat
Who is susceptible to stereotype threat
children who are not part of the dominant or privileged group
an effective teacher recognizes
cultural and social diversity and how it impacts student learning
When students’ cultural norms differ from what is expected or typical in a classroom,
discomfort or self-consciousness arise
Some cultural differences include
eye contact, punctuality, asking questions, individualism and collectivism, body language, views on teachers and school
Eye contact and culture
some cultures believe it is impolite to make eye contact with a person of authority. Therefore, some students will avoid making eye contact when a teacher is speaking to them
Punctuality and culture
in many cultures, there is less emphasis on arriving at a set time. There is a general understanding that arrival times are relative and flexible. Studnet may need help understanding the importance of adhering to the schedule.
Asking quesitons and culture
some cultures believe it is disrespectful to ask a person in authority questions. As a result, some students may not realize that asking questions is encourage and appropriate in the classroom
Individualism and collectivism and culture
in many cultures, the needs of the group are valued above the needs of the individual. Students are accustomed to working in groups and may never have been required to complete an assignment individually. You may observe some students having difficulty distinguishing between group and independent activities in the classroom
body language and culture
body language and gestures are different in all cultures. For example, some children have been taught to look down to show respect when they are reprimanded. The amount of personal space given when talking to someone also varies from culture to culture
views on teachers and school in cultures
the are cultural variations in the degree to which teaching is viewed as a high-status, highly respected profession.
being aware of cultural differences is important for
recognizing cultural roadblock to optimal classroom performance
students who live in low socioeconomic conditions might be experiencing
disadvantages in their access to various resources such as technology which can lead to equity issues when implementing projects that require computer usage or other resources
when designing and implementing learning activities, the teacher needs to be aware that not all students have
equal access to outside resources
the teacher should design instruction to allow all students
equal access to school resources, such as poster board, markers, printers, computers, etc.
Low socioeconomic students might experience disadvantages in their home lives that affect classroom learning. For example:
food insecurity, lack of parental involvement, neglect/psychological trauma, poor physical living situations
students from high socioeconomic families have limitations too
parents might be motivated by grades and performance which may lead them to push students harder or show strong disappointment when they perform lower than “acceptable”
ELLs will need additional support for
their English Language Skills
ELLs should not receive different content, they should receive
linguistically supported content
Teachers should deliver comprehensible input to their ELLs. This means the information can
be understood despite language barriers.
Support ELLs through
visuals, vocab support, and adjustment to delivery
Supporting ELLs through visuals
word walls, vocabulary lists, pictures, gestures, props
Supporting ELLs through vocabulary support
pre-teach key terms, reference materials, word banks, dictionaries, glossaries (depending on the studnets’ proficiency levels, some translations to their native language for these resources may be appropriate. However, their goal is to learn English along with the content, so they should be exposed to the terms in English as well.
supporting ELLs by adjustments to delivery
no idioms, use straight-forward language, gestures, non-verbal cues, slow down, pause after complete thoughts
How to support ELLs in demonstrating their learning
Provide sentence stems to help with writing or speaking
provide additional time to complete assignments since their cognitive load is increased when processing both content and new language
since students acquire a significant amount of language through peer interactions, make time for discussions, group work, and socialization
give students opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge in various ways
if a student is struggling with their assignment, make sure they are set up for success to demonstrate their content knowledge or academic skills. They should be given the language support they need to be successful.
