The final entry....

I have come to realise many things throughout the duration of this course.  I have thought about the young people I work with and how they learn....then I have also thought about myself, my practice and how I learn.  I have come to realise that for me to develop as an educator I  need to connect and reflect on both the theory and the practical.  At this stage of my career I reflect a lot more on my own classroom and life experiences - using professional dialogue to help however I have come to realise that I need to develop my understanding of theory.  I am not confident to quote what I have read here - I don't have that skill yet...I suppose it is a skill I have not needed in many years!

So how do I finalise this module....I can't!  It isn't possible to finish with just one post.  I have many doors in front of me now...which one to choose and where to go.  Each door is a question I want answered...and each door is a different pathway for me to start the next part of my journey.  So many ways to choose.

This module was not what I expected.  However I have reflected on my practice and started to consider how to improve it - perhaps more importantly for me I have made connections with other people to help share the next part of my journey with.  Where I will go I don't know - what I do know is I have some friends to help me find my way. 

Voices in the Park - Functional Grammar

Grrr - grammar - the one thing I always hated.  I didn't really ever understand grammar in primary school.  It wasn't until I went to secondary and had to learn lists of verbs that I gained a better understanding.

I was surprised by the simplicity of colour coding a text....however I feel I was using my own background knowledge of language to do this.  It would be interesting to complete this with a child who doesn't know about verbs...could they break the sentence up?  Or was I only able to attempt it because I knew about verbs?  Was I bringing my prior knowledge - and was I even doing it correctly??

I can see this being very useful when critically analysing texts...however is that what I would do in class or with a group of EAL children?  Would I do this before sharing a text with a child?

I would hope that a child would select a text that interests them - then if it is a text that stereotypes a culture that would form a basis of the conversation.  A poor book can be used as a poor book to highlight similarities and differences. I wonder if that makes sense?

--This post was in draft form- I am just back from the final input and feel like adding that I don't think the time is there to break down a text using functional grammar before choosing to share it with a group of children.  I feel you have to try and share a variety of texts and if it doesn't work then that becomes a discussion point with the young people.

I think I would love to see it in use in the classroom and find out a bit more about the impact it has had...I think it is like any idea - seeing it in practise is better than reading about it.

Cox Report 1989

"Bilingual children should be considered an advantage in the classroom rather than a problem. The evidence shows that such children will make greater progress in English if they know that their knowledge of their mother tongue is valued, if it is recognised that their experience of language is likely to be greater than that of their monoglot peers and, indeed, if their knowledge and experience can be put to good use in the classroom to the benefit of all pupils to provide examples of the structure and syntax of different languages, to provide a focus for discussion about language forms and for contrast and comparison with the structure of the English language. We endorse the view of the Kingman Committee: "It should be the duty of all teachers to instil in their pupils a civilised respect for other languages and an understanding of the relations between other languages and English. It should be made clear to English-speaking pupils that classmates whose first language is Bengali or Cantonese, or any other of the scores of languages spoken by the school population ... have languages quite as systematic and rule-governed as their own".

http://www.educationengland.org.uk/documents/cox1989/cox89-10.html

How is it that after over 20 years the education system still hasn't fully accepted any of this?

If I could do any initiative to improve attainment it would be to work with the teachers who still are not aware of any of this.

I almost feel that an initiative HAS to also educate the educators.

Saturday - day with children

In today's session we worked with a lovely group of young children.
I must be honest and say that I chose to sit back and do a lot of observation today - working as a teacher I feel I am always "hands on", I don't get the time to sit back and observe.

Observation is interesting - especially when you don't know the people.  I had not really met anyone in my group before today thus I was able to have a very objective view point.

We were to bring in a culturally diverse book - which I found challenging to find.

My group chose  "We All Went on Safari", author Laurie Krebs.

Yes this book is culturally diverse, it is set in Tanzania and has illustrations of people walking through the grasslands...but how does this book challenge our thinking?  How would it challenge our children's thinking.  Not once did any of the children mention anything of culturally difference.

In one of England's policies they state that the type of fiction we share with our children should include:

• everyday stories featuring British-born characters from various
ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds;
• stories set in children’s heritage countries;
• traditional stories from their cultures;
• biographies of people from diverse backgrounds who have made
outstanding contributions of various kinds;
• dual-language books;
• poetry and drama from a range of cultures;
• stories which explore or provide a stimulus to explore discrimination,
racism, feelings of isolation, justice and equality, change, loss,
friendships across cultures, living within two cultures, etc.

Primary National Strategy

Everyday stories - this is what we are missing from our libraries - from our schools!  Everyday Stories.

Cummins 1986

I could see posts on Moodle and wondered how this paper had such a huge impact on others - I am having issues with it - I do agree with all his points but there is something....

"Students who are empowered by their school experiences develop the ability, confidence and motivation to succeed academically" (Cummins, 1986)

I have this statement highlighted and I now realise my issue with it...I feel this is true of ALL children.  I think that in a way this paper is short sighted as it is targeted at EAL only...but this statement is true for EVERY child. 

I do totally agree with Cummins - I just believe it to be true for every child.  It is how we "empower" our children that is where schools/educators have been mistaken.  I just wish it hadn't taken so long.

Choosing a culturally diverse text!

I have just explored my mini-library at home - I don't have any books that I consider "culturally diverse" :(

I have always bought books based on theme and price.  I tend to rummage charity shops and look for books that will interest children....I have never thought to look at the diversity of a text....

I actually feel ashamed, how can the children I teach feel empowered - when the books I have do not show a diverse culture?  How can ALL children in school become responsible citizens, having respect for others by understanding their cultures...when the texts in schools are not diverse.

The four capacities

 I have always chosen books with enjoyment in my mind - however I think that these texts are just the stepping stones into literacy.  That yes children need more exposure to more complex texts that engage their thinking.....and that children need to be taught to critise texts??? 

Stated in the National Primary Strategy in England:

Children also need to be explicitly taught how to critically approach

texts used across the whole curriculum. They need to learn that

language is never neutral or impartial.

National Primary Strategy 

How do we teach this to children from a young age?  And what text do I now take with me tomorrow?  Perhaps I shall see what is available and what others will bring?

Research Papers??

I found it so difficult to access any information in that Cummins paper.  I have spoken to colleagues who tell me that Cummins is and EAL "guru"... that worries me.

As a teacher I spend many hours reading papers, looking at ideas, looking for inspiration...but should I be spending time also looking at the research?  That is something I need to spend more time on - to build upon my knowledge of research so that I may sound and feel confident when discussing educational matters.

Which is more valid - Cummins or Davies?

I don't think there is an answer to this - I think that Davies was only able to write her paper from Cummin's research.  Davies is writing for educators - we are her audience.  Cummins is writing for academics and thus uses a different tone.  One that for me makes his paper inaccessible.

Cummins makes very valid points and it is disappointing that after over 20 years eduction is only starting to catch up with his initial research.

ASN/EAL/SEN - acronyms go wild

I have these thoughts and I'm not sure if I should sort them all out then write about it...or show how my thinking is developing??  (This has been sitting in my drafts since the last course day...)

If I was completing this journal on paper I am sure I would have scribbles of ideas all over the place!

After Thursday's input the first thing that struck me was the whole idea of ASN / EAL.  This started because I chose Ireland as my country and in Ireland EAL is considered ASN ... there were gasps in the room as I said this which got me thinking....

Here in Scotland our new Additional Support for Learning (Scotland) Act was amended in 2009 to be more inclusive.  Here in Scotland we include EAL pupils as ASN pupils - not because they have a barrier to learning, but because they have a right to additional support.  Therefore that gasp was caused by our own assumption of "ASN pupils".  Glasgow's "Every Child is Included" policy is in response to this change to the Act. They clearly list EAL as ... "Require support in acquiring full fluency in English."  Also included as ASN are gifted children who are not seen in a negative light.

Perhaps we need to re-examine our assumptions of "ASN pupils" ... EAL children do have an additional need - but as educators it is up to us make sure that our colleagues value a second language in the classroom and use this as a resource.

I have just read over the suggestions for our journal...the third question appeals to me...

"3. What is your own experience of learning in an environment where the dominant language was not your home language? How did you feel? What strategies did you use to succeed in the new environment?"

I am an English speaker - but when I started secondary school I moved to Ireland.  Now Ireland has two official languages - Irish and English.  Therefore the "dominant language" in my school was English...however for me it was English with a thick Cork accent and strange unknown phrases.  It was like a different language to me.

As I type I remember my Geography class, I was sitting by myself and everyone was chatting waiting for the teacher to come - it was just a blur of noise to me.  Then a boy appeared next to me.  He introduced himself as Sean...and then he started talking...I couldn't keep up and just answered "What?" - I did this twice then just found myself nodding and agreeing with him.  Even though I couldn't understand what he was saying!  I felt that it would be rude to keep demonstrating that I didn't understand.
Now, I see this a lot with the children I work with - I say something and they nod but do the opposite. Or in class when the teacher is looking for thumbs up - they do this but later it appears they really didn't know.  They don't want to admit that they don't understand...or perhaps like me they feel it is rude or pointless as they perhaps feel it can't be explained to them.

That day in Ireland I was delighted to have someone try to talk to me, but I was so disappointed in myself for not being able to understand.  Even though we spoke the same language - he could have been speaking Polish or Arabic.

And now with these thoughts in my head I plan to have a rumage around the internet to see what I can find out about Irish policies regarding EAL children.

My first entry - just a test to see if it works.
Just back from our first input of the module - and just wondering how this will look.  

I was a little disappointed as I had gone and bought a notebook so I could write down my thoughts at any time - but perhaps I can do this via my phone?  Technology at it's best!