Chapter 6 Key terms and Vocab

ESL(English Second Language) programs- This is a program taught in English speaking countries to educate individuals that family do not primarily speak English or a class for people who moved to English speaking countries that have no formal education in speaking English. For both Peley and Raji, this program was used to help these children better understand English. They needed this extra English education because their families primary language is not English.

Push-In Classrooms vs. Pull-out: The debate for the strengths and weaknesses of these programs are all over the web (especially concerning ESL programs). One common theme among the debates is the strength of a pull out program to get students into one common area. Often times these programs involve multiple students from different locations in the schools. It is easier for the teachers of these programs to gather students to come to one location and teach in the room. A postive argument for a push-in classroom is that the students often times will have a program more guided along classroom ideals and the students will also feel more included in the general education programs.

Cultural Blindness: Fosters an assumption that that people are all basically alike, so what works with one group of people should work within all other cultures. (www.med.umich.edu/multicultural/ccp/basic.htm#continuum). The website quoted here also provides a great example of what each teacher should strive for, cultural proficiency.

Illustrator- Peley and Raji, left out, isolated from the rest of the class (Chapter 6) Blog #3

This image depicts three students working together while another is left out and isolated. This is what I imagine Peley and Raji experience so often in their class. The have no really consistent friends and the peers don't like to work with them or learn from them. This defeats the purpose of socialization that is so important for students. Students can learn from each other, use imaginative role play to work out ideas or issues but the exclusion of Raji and Peley because of their differences has defeated this important peice to the education puzzle. The word change is seen overlaying this image. And I agree, change is necessary for the right kind of learning experience to take place. More effort is needed to understand the cultural differences so that these students can fit in, make friends and have socialization.

-Elizabeth Francescotti

language barriers, poor if any communication with home and social isolation...oh my (Chapter 6) Beth Blog#3

Chapter 6 is all about how the home and school connection is valued by the elementary school. And it works just fine too. Unless you consider our Peley and Raji. The teachers, general, ESL and assistants all make assumptions, usually negative ones about these two students. We have seen that they are think about the right questions to ask but not asking them. In what attempts that were made were not successful because of language barriers and work schedules and misunderstandings.

The poor children are misunderstood and are not getting the important socialization that they need. Vygotsky believed children would learn from each other. He also pointed out the importance of socialization in all aspects: home, school, community and culture. Peley and Raji don't really have socialization at school.. It's clear that Raji is getting that socialization and confidence when he is in India and he comes back with it. However, it fades out fast because he is not socially accepted at school. His intelligence is higher than what the teachers know because he never feels comfortable to speak out...he will reply when someone asks him a question.
Peley is known as bossy but she is clearly a boss at home. She handles many chores and responsibilities. She likes cleanliness. This is what she knows. She get labled a tyrant when she is behaving the way she does because she has a dual role as adult and child. The teachers don't get this.

Add in that ESL program and things are a true mess. The ESL teacher should push into the class room and work with the students so they don't miss literacy classes and so she can aide them. Both students have really clear English skills so I am not seeing nor our the students, the value to this ESL time.

It's a real eye opener here that with best intentions you still need to make that effort to really get to know and get past the boundries to understand where these two kids are coming from, why they behave the way they do, why Raji goes to India. Time seems to be an issue for Miss Starr and willingness to go the extra mile.

Do you agree that taking time to research and possibly have a translator when meeting with the parents would be a worth while investment into the education of these young learners?
-Elizabeth Francescotti

In hopes I am never this disconnected...(Chapter 6)

I find Mrs. Starr to be a very passionate person but at times very misguided. While ESL for students like Peley and Raji is critical, I think that the way she planned it out and communicated the students class schedule to the parents needed to be done in a better way. Mr. Jon may have been a little extreme when he was quoted as saying that "Raji would not be in summer school if he had not left reading class(p. 91)." But what he is saying can not be over looked. He did not know that in order to be in an ESL program a student would be missing valuable time in class. Information like that is critical for a parent to know.
When it comes to Peley, the communication (or lack there of) is even more upsetting. Mrs. Starr would constantly send notes home to Peley's family with the knowledge that her notes would often times be over looked or confused. The fact that Peley was the best at English in her family was something of a problem because Mr. Lom "had the major responsibility for home and school communication (p. 90)." I just get the feeling that Mrs. Starr would just try to treat Peley's family like every other family. She needed to make an extra effort in my eyes to help Mr. Lom better understand what was happening in the class. Try leaving an open afternoon or a few to let him the opportunity to come in. Another idea, and I know we floated this idea in our group meeting, was to maybe have an interpreter go with Mrs. Starr to visit the Lom house.

Karen Paine - Ch 6 - Discussion Director

Chapter Six opens by saying that "home and school connections were primary considerations of kindergarten staff at East Side Elementary School" (page 89). This was a startling way to begin the chapter as there have been concrete examples of blatant disregard for home and school communication between Mrs. Starr's classroom and the homes of Peley and Raji. One such example is the Parent Teacher conference - when Peley's father was very late (due to fatigue from working nights), the teacher did not make adaptations for this and neglected to reschedule. Another example is Peley's birthday party - when it was clear to Peley and Mrs. Starr that there was an impending miscommunication regarding the birthday cookies, Mrs. Starr did not take steps to reach out to Peley's family. More grievously, Raji's family is not made aware that he is being pulled from reading class to take part in the ESL program. Later in Chapter Six, it is admitted "home and school communication seemed strong with the exception of Peley's and Raji's families" (page 89). With this is mind, is it fair to say that home and school connections were truly primary considerations if it was fully attempted for all the students in the kindergarten class?

Karen Paine - Holiday Idea Illustrator (Chapter 5)

I have two links.

One is for a great article that offers many references to internet articles about holiday observance in schools.

http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/pdfs/DecemberDilemma2008-print.pdf

Here is a Google Calendar that illustrates all the religious related holidays for every month during the school year.

https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=6lebd2vdlu7pu3ta284o1pdubg@group.calendar.google.com&ctz=America/Chicago