Internship II ECE 455 - B1 Advocating for Implementing effective bilingual education in the classroom.

Hello my name is Katrina Bell and it is a pleasure to meet some of my classmates. Some of you I recognize from ECE 450 and some of you are new. This is my last semester at Kendall and I must say I am so proud of myself. I honestly did not think I would make it. I look forward to working with each and every one of you. I hope that we all can learn from each other.

 

A Note of Thanks and Support

Advocating for Bilingual Education

I want to thank each and every one of you for all the support given to  me while writing my research paper. Instructor Puntil, I must put you at the very top of my list because you were extremely helpful to me from day one. Because of you I learned a great deal and I am what they call a new found person. I had no idea what a  blog was and all the instructions or samples you provided were wonderful and made things very easy for me. I never had an instructor like you and I really want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Best wishes as you continue to teach and instruct students. "You are number 1 in my books. Thanks Again.

Observing and Interacting With Proessionals, Children, and Families in an Early Childhood Setting Advocating for Bilingual Education

Name: Katrina Bell

Date: February 22, 2013

Name of Program/Setting: Mary Bert Gutman Early Learning Center

Who I spoke with: Ms. R. and the G. Family

What I learned about … Advocating for Bilingual Education

Two insights, experiences, or quotes that I will share in my blog this week…

On Friday February 22, 2013 I had the opportunity of interacting with Ms. R. who is a teacher at Mary Bert Gutman Early Learning Center. Ms. R. has been teaching for 21 years and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education. Ms. R. is bilingual and teaches English and Spanish. During my visit I spend a great deal of time communicating with Ms. R. and the G. Family. The G. family has 3 children that attend Mary Bert Gutman. The family moved from Puerto Rico to Philadelphia and was in search of childcare for their children. One of their major concerns was that they could not speak English and they did not want them to lose their native language. In fact, the parents are not fluent in speaking English as well. Since they only spoke Spanish the parents were very concerned about how they would be able to communicate and interact with the teacher and children in the classroom. In the classroom the children spoke their native language while at the same time they are learning to speak English. On top of that the other children in the classroom who speak English are learning to speak Spanish. This is a wonderful experience because they learn to communicate with one another in both English and Spanish. The parents also come into the center and work with the teacher as she conducts her lesson in English and Spanish. The center provides classes for the parents who are not fluent in speaking English. This is a good way for them to learn the language and at the same time they learn to communicate with others in the setting and their children at home.

I watched as Ms. R. read to the children in English and Spanish. The lesson that was prepared by the teacher was also done in English and Spanish. The flash cards used were in English and Spanish. If you took a good look around the classroom you will see pictures in both English and Spanish. The days, of the week, months of the year, shapes, colors are also in English and Spanish. The songs the children sing are done in both languages and the children do extremely well.

The teachers and families are in support of bilingual education programs. At Mary Bert Gutman these students are getting a very good education in their native language, and learning English at the same time. This is great and the children do not fall behind academically. At Mary Bert Gutman children are taught English as a second language. The families believe that Bilingual Education programs provide their children with both the knowledge and literacy to help their students’ transition into our society and transition into an English class setting. They also believe that this program has provided their children with the content materials in their native language in order to help them keep up academically and work on their English proficiency. This really helps them to stay on task. Ms. G. stated that she was very pleased with the program because it helped her children with their self-esteem and their feelings about their culture are not hindered in anyway. The bilingual education program at Mary Bert Gutman promotes biculturalism. The children are able to understand the value of their culture and language. The children and families are very proud of who they are. They also have the ability to learn another culture, other than their own.

In my conversation with Ms. G. she stated that she appreciates the fact that the program accepts, encourages, and supports their native language. She appreciates the fact that their culture and language is respected as it should be. Marry Bert Gutman also provides the families with the resources they need to succeed academically. Their native language is preserved while teaching them English which is something Ms. G. is very pleased with. The G. family is learning how to speak, read, and write two languages instead of just one.

The two insights I have gained is that speaking more than one language is common throughout the world. Through language, your child learns to understand others and communicate his thoughts and observations. A bilingual child can speak and understand two languages, a skill which requires persistent exposure for complete acquisition and development. A child learning two languages can experience the same proficiency in both languages as a child learning only one. It can help them to relate more to their culture if one of the languages is primarily used by relatives. Children will be able to use both languages to express themselves, which is especially beneficial if they do not yet know enough of one language and needs to borrow from the other to get their point across.

A child's continued development of both languages depends on their motivation, opportunities to use the language and the value of its use. Although language is primarily learned at home, a child’s language development depends on grandparents, peers, teachers and all caregivers in their life. It is important that children be given every opportunity to use both languages in their daily life.

My experience is this setting has also showed me why advocating for bilingual education is so important. Bilingual programs foster a more positive social experience which was very apparent at Mary Bert Gutman. Being limited to an English only environment can be very intimidating, which can cause a child to withdraw socially. When people of similar backgrounds are joined together in a program they are more inclined to open up and engage socially. Bilingual education programs aim at preparing students for experiences beyond the program, giving them the foundation for learning how to work together in teams, communicate and respond to conflict.

This is a program that I learned a great deal from and one that I would highly recommend to others.

Observing and Interacting With Professionals, Children, and Families in an Early Childhood Setting

Advocating for Bilingual Education

 

 

Name: Katrina Bell

Date: February 7, 2013

Name of Program/Setting: Mary Bert Gutman Childcare Center

Who I spoke with: Shelly Bowman

What I learned about … Advocating for Bilingual Education

Two insights, experiences, or quotes that I will share in my blog this week…

 

I had the wonderful opportunity of interacting with the Program Director Shelly Bowman. Ms. Bowman and I had the opportunity to really talk and see what we as educators can do in support of bilingual education. My experience here was wonderful and I am very happy that I chose to do my research on “Advocating for Bilingual Education”. I learned from Ms. Bowman that students in bilingual and ESL classrooms manipulate more than one language and are influenced by more than one culture.

 

Their experiences with these languages and cultures influence their learning. The more we understand the personal, socio-cultural, and linguistic backgrounds of bilingual students, the better equipped we are to provide these students with an effective learning environment. This environment should be one that supports learning in a second language and culture, while fostering a positive attitude and respect for the other language and culture. As you walk around the center you have no doubt that this is taking place.

 

Ms. Bowman helped me to appreciate that the responsibility for English language learning, academic progress, and integration of bilingual and ESL learners into the school community should be assumed by all personnel at the school, not just by the bilingual and ESL staff. At Mary Bert Gutman School administrators make certain that bilingual students have opportunities to integrate both socially and academically with monolingual English speakers.

 

One thing I found very interesting was the set-up of the classrooms. In my mind I thought okay what do you do? When you create a bilingual preschool room this is a great way to teach preschoolers a new language. Whether you include languages all year round or just for topics and themes that include other countries, the children are likely to build up a foreign vocabulary, which is a great basis for becoming bilingual. It is also a good way to make children who speak English as a second language feel much more at home.

 

I also found it interesting that the most common bilingual classrooms are those in which Spanish and English are spoken. At Mary Bert Gutman I can see how the children benefit from a bilingual education. I also learned that for pupils who are unfamiliar with one of the languages spoken in the classroom, they are exposed to a new language at an early age. By using this language daily along with their native language, they learn vocabulary and the use of these words in everyday situations. Pupils whose first language is not English benefit from placement in a bilingual classroom because learning in their native language improves their understanding of academic skills such as reading and writing.

 

Ms. Bowman stressed that some student may not fully understand one of the languages used so they make it a point to provide instruction in both languages, not just one. In addition, we must be aware of the importance of teaching about cultural diversity in the classroom. Though the focus may be on the languages, the cultural differences among the students should be discussed. In advocating for bilingual education it means I need to involve the parents. Involving parents in the bilingual process will help extend the childd's learning beyond school.

 

It is important that we keep parents informed of what we are teaching, including diversity lessons and basic academic concepts. One thing we can do is to provide parents with a list of vocabulary words and basic phrases in each language taught in the classroom. Doing so gives the parents the basic knowledge to converse with their child in the two languages you teach. This will also allow the child to practice each language at home. In addition, we can also provide parents with access to bilingual books so they can read them along with their child.

 

 

One challenge that I had was what I could do to effectively teach the ELLs in my preschool classroom? Ms. Bowman gave me some wonderful suggestions to assist me in what I could do with my students. Three and four year olds seem to be constantly in motion and have nothing but energy. Activities that are action-based will grab their attention and keep their interest. Children of this age group enjoy movement play. Emphasize acting out stories, repeating predictable text, puppetry, chants, rhymes, finger plays, songs, and role-playing. Have students make believe by playing house or pretending to be firefighters. Teach them to play games. Let them run jump, skip, dance and hop. These activities can be utilized to encourage verbal expression and language development. Use what these children love to do in order to help them learn.

 

She also recommended developing oral language skills and teaching young ELLs to speak and understand English first. They need to learn vocabulary dealing with greetings, families, body parts, school and classroom items, days of the week, zoo and farm animals, numbers, shapes, seasons, colors, clothing, and fruit. Teach them commands such as "line up, raise your hand, and go to the circle." Use songs and chants to make learning fun.

 

The insights I gained was that all students, especially English language learners (ELLs), benefit from active participation in their learning. Through conversations and discussions in class with both teachers and other students, ELLs develop their English language skills as they broaden their knowledge and understanding of subject matter. Becoming a role model for the celebration of bilingual education, and establishing a classroom climate of acceptance, respect, and self-appreciation, should be key functions of teachers. I later also had the opportunity of watching a teacher in the classroom as she conducted her lesson with her students. What a wonderful learning experience and one I will not forget. I really learned a lot and this experience really gave me something to reflect on.

 

As a result of my interaction with Ms. Bowman I learned that bilingual education programs help to preserve the linguistic and cultural links between the students and their parents, thus facilitating effective communication and parental involvement in the students' education. If I am going to advocate for bilingual education then I need to have a goal. It is my goal to build successful productive bilingual and bicultural citizens of tomorrow.

Observing and Interacting With Professionals/Colleagues in Your Setting

Advocating For Bilingual Education

 

Name: Katrina Bell

Date: January 25, 2013

Name of Program/Setting: Mary Bert Gutman Childcare Center

Who I spoke with: Shelly Bowman/Ms. Mary/Ms. Vicky

What I learned about … Advocating for Bilingual Education

I had the privilege of observing and talking with the Director Shelly Bowman.  Shelly Bowman holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education from Penn State University, a Master of Education degree in Elementary Education, and an Instructional I Certificate in Special Education from Temple University. Her extremely rich background includes classroom teaching, teacher supervision and training. Some of her accomplishments include initiating, earning and maintaining NAEYC accreditation, founding the SINAI program for children with mild to moderate special needs and obtaining numerous grants. Most recently, she has owned her own consulting business helping early childhood programs in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and New York improve the quality of their programs. She has been a validator for the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and a mentor for the Delaware Valley Association for the Education of Young Children (DVAEYC).

This childcare center is very diversified and many of the children are bilingual. I would have to say that this is a quality childcare program. This is a program that provides a loving and responsive, environment for the children in their care. As I followed the director around I noted the teachers speaking to the children in both languages. Some of the students did not speak English at all but the teachers still displayed positive interaction with the students. I watched as one particular teacher Ms. Mary hugged, rocked, cuddled, and had eye contact with her children. I also liked the way she took advantage and found ways to expand on the children’s play to help them learn new skills. She talks to the children about what they do and see. The environment was very stimulating and child friendly.

In the preschool classroom during circle time, the children learned about their phone numbers. They used pretend phones to talk about how to answer. When Ms. Vicky asked who could tell her their number for memory, a child yelled out. The teacher explained the importance of taking turns. When a child couldn't remember his number the teacher helped the child along doing so in both languages. This was an appropriate activity. When the kids needed help the teacher offered it. The teacher is helping the child move to the next level by urging them to succeed in learning their phone numbers. The teachers placed great importance on control of the room.

There were also girls and boys who were playing at the housekeeping area. One of the girls got mad at a boy for taking the play-doe, and so she hit him. The boy left and she said "He didn't say please, so leave me alone." She stuck her tongue out at the boy. Another one of the girls in the classroom told the teacher. The teacher told her that she would have to choose another area if she couldn't talk nice and share. The teacher checked up on her later and complimented her. The girl seemed to be more focused on herself and what she wanted. When the boy didn't follow, she got upset.  I think the teacher handled the situation well by explaining why the girl's behavior was wrong and how to fix it. She gave the girl alternatives. After the situation, the teacher praised the girl for improving her behavior and sharing positive reinforcement. At another point the children were playing on the climber unit and jumping onto a mat. They were supposed to jump on the X mark, but some were jumping past it. They almost hit their heads, so the teacher explained why they needed to jump on the mark.

There is one day during the week that they have a lesson conducted in Spanish. There is Spanish language that is included. Spanish stories are read, Spanish nursery rhymes, they print coloring sheets that have a picture and the word in Spanish, and greet each child in Spanish. Spanish items are added to the classroom for children to explore. During the day, they also played Simon Says using Spanish words. They took pictures of the children throughout the day, doing different Spanish themed things. The pictures were then uploaded onto the computer, and the teacher asked each child what they are doing in the pictures. Then then write down what they saw in both English and Spanish, and print the page. They staple and then bound this to make a book that children and parents will love. It also shows a reflection on how to create a bilingual preschool room.

What are your views regarding bilingual education?

Ms. Bowmans views regarding bilingual education is that it will be of great benefit. She also believes that there needs to be more qualified teachers so that children don’t lag behind or are in these programs forever. She believes that bilingual education for students who do not speak English as their first language goes beyond language acquisition. Bilingual education is a prerequisite for establishing a school environment that welcomes all students' cultures, sends a positive message to students, and sets the groundwork for a relationship of respect and equality between schools and all families and communities. Her view is that bilingual education will be fine if presented right. Being an advocate for bilingual education is at the forefront of her list.

Two insights, experiences, or quotes that I will share in my blog this week…

One insight I gained was that students in bilingual and ESL classrooms manipulate more than one language and are influenced by more than one culture. Their experiences with these languages and cultures influence their learning. The more we understand the personal, socio-cultural, and linguistic backgrounds of bilingual students, the better equipped we will be to provide these students with an effective learning environment. This environment should be one that supports learning in a second language and culture, while fostering a positive attitude and respect for the other language and culture.

Another insight was that I came to recognize that students use both languages to learn and that they benefit from classrooms rich with materials and resources in both languages. Parents are included in every aspect of the children’s care and education through conferences, telephone calls, sending hone newsletters and sharing information in any way that supports parent involvement. Whether in a bilingual or ESL class, it is easier for bilingual students to learn when they are able to use both their first and second languages. Encourage students to share what they learned in their first language.

 

“Bilingual Education is a Must”

 

Professional Interview on Bilingual Education

I had the opportunity to interview an ESL teacher and the Director. When it comes to bilingual education both of these individuals felt this was an excellent topic and an area that was of great concern to them both. I must admit they are good and very skilled in what they do as it relates to the language. Some of the topics related to bilingual education are how to teach a child to be bilingual? Will the two languages cause speech language problems?  Does cultural bias pose any problems with bilingual education? What are the current issues related to these topics? What advocacy efforts are currently under way in your area of interest?

They both went on to explain that there are different theories on the best way to teach a child to use two languages. Their belief is that children, who are exposed to two languages at an early age, and simultaneously, will naturally learn to use both languages. Children who are bilingual have the tendency to experiment with the two languages to express themselves. Even though bilingual children may not be equally skilled in both languages it is common for there to be greater understanding than actual use of one language. In addition less confusion will occur if children learn to associate the two languages differently. If both languages are introduced early and simultaneously then speech problems are less likely to occur. TThere is a greater possibility of problems if children are introduced to a second language during the preschool years after another language was used exclusively.

Another problem that arises is cultural bias. Cultural bias poses a real problem of exclusion with bilingual and multicultural students. Cultural bias in teaching occurs when classroom instruction, learning activities, materials, and lessons largely reflect the contributions and/or cultural values and perspectives of the majority race or culture. A culture, which has predetermined that a group is inferior, is unlikely to open the same opportunities for individuals of that group. Group acceptance suffers and the educational opportunities suffer as well

As educators they both agree that it is extremely important that they set the example for the conduct and language exhibited in their classrooms. Those who are sensitive to language and appreciate the diversity of their students will convey this to their students. They also feel that it is important that you foster a sense of acceptance so that no student or group of students feels inferior to any other student or group. They both make it a point of relating to their students in a respectful way, without expressing cultural bias. One key factor they both attest to is to first recognize cultural biases in their own thinking and life. If you recognize cultural biases in your own thinking and life you will be more sensitive to cultural biases expressed in the classroom.

A successful advocacy bilingual program opened in December of 2012. In December a Latino advocacy group opened a bilingual cyber charter school. Aspira of Pennsylvania opened their first bilingual cyber online charter school in Pennsylvania. This school opened the end of December. The school has a principal, four teachers, and 31 students who attend from grades 8-12. There is also Clemente Middle School which has been very successful in their bilingual program.  The interesting thing about this is that I attended what was originally Roberto Clemente Middle School of course whenI was young and now it is Clement Middle School and they have moved to a new and beautiful location. The bilingual program at Clemente Middle School is for students who need to develop their English or who speak Spanish at home.  The program helps develop proficiency in both languages for students who meet the criteria. I had the opportunity to visit this school and I was totally blown away by what I saw. I have been given the opportunity to come in again and spend an entire day to see how they operate. This is something I plan to do. This is what I call advocating for bilingual education and this is jusr the start of more and better things to come.

As a result of the interview I gained a great deal of insights from both of these professionals. I learned that the need for bilingual education is a must. This interview helped meet to appreciate that there are many areas of interest that I can use in researching my paper. Some of the areas I am thinking about focusing on are, the effectiveness of bilingual education, cultural awareness and why it matters, parental involvement, effective schools and classrooms for bilingual students and reasons for second language learners. One thing they stressed several times is to see for myself why bilingual education is so important and to get parents involved as well. I think based on where I work I understand where they are coming from and I see that there is a great need.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Advocating for Bilingual Education

Hello everyone,

I chose to do my research paper on bilingual education. Bilingual education refers to instruction in two languages. The goal of bilingual education is to help students acquire English so they can enter and succeed in mainstream classes. Advocating for bilingual education is important and I am in full support of bilingual education because I believe that, in our increasingly interconnected global communities, it is important to be able to communicate with one another. If children are to develop a positive sense of themselves and their culture, bilingual programs can be a key component of that process.