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Multilingualism and Translanguaging in General Education Classrooms: How Educators Can Support the Complex Linguistic Repertoires of Multilingual Learners in Elementary School
Get PDFThis capstone project is a culmination of research, professional experience and educational growth. Through these lived experiences I studied what many sociolinguists have determined; the population of multilingual learners in the United States continues to increase. According to the Minnesota Education Equity Partnership (MnEEP, 2020), multilingual students are the fastest-growing student group in Minnesota, totaling 73,919 in the 2018-19 school year. Therefore, linguistic pedagogies such as multilingualism need to come to the forefront of professional development to educate and support non-ELL teachers to address the complex linguistic needs of multilingual learners. The paper begins with an introduction of why I chose to create the project including history of monolingual practices in education in the United States. The literature review addresses findings from linguistic scholars that found introduction of translanguaging pedagogy disrupted the monolingual approaches. A shift in pedagogical practices can lead to empowering multilingual learners. In my experience as a classroom teacher, there has been little focus to support mainstream classroom teachers\u27 knowledge of the importance of creating a multilingual environment and the impact it has on student achievement or effective applicable strategies that mainstream teachers can implement to support language minority students on a daily basis. The Minnesota school\u27s population continues to transform, therefore this professional development project addresses the question; How can general education teachers implement translanguaging to support positive language identity in multilingual learners
The Case For Culturally Affirming Systems Of Education: Exploring How Professional Development Impacts Culturally Relevant And Critical Literacy Teaching Practices
Get PDFThis case study based on a qualitative paradigm utilized grounded theory to analyze teacher interviews, focus groups and elite interviews focused on culturally relevant and critical literacy practices. This case study focuses on a small group of teachers and facilitators in a large urban school district in Minnesota. This dissertation focused on the impact of culturally relevant and critical literacy professional development on teachers\u27 mindsets and practices. The theoretical concepts that emerged from this case study are the importance of culturally affirming systems. The data collected from this project support the need for creating culturally affirming classrooms, diverse literature, and the opportunity for student voices to be heard. During and after professional development, teachers must have the opportunity for application, reflection, and time to dialogue with peers
Teaching Mindfulness in High School Settings
Get PDFRoisum, G. (2021). Teaching Mindfulness in High School Settings. This capstone project addresses the following research question: How can engaging in mindfulness lessons impact high school student and educator stress levels? Research suggests that mindfulness practice is linked to, among other benefits, statistically significant decreases in student and teacher stress in diverse educational settings. The mindfulness curriculum created for this project is intended for implementation in high school settings, including content area classrooms, case management settings, and other educational programs. Key concepts include stress, trauma, and mental health; mindfulness; social-emotional learning (SEL); and teacher self-efficacy. The lessons are trauma-informed in design and discuss differences in perceptions of stress and mindfulness across cultures. In an effort to create accessible lessons for all students and for teachers inexperienced with mindfulness, the curriculum incorporates educator guidance that includes content information, responsive teaching tips, and research context prior to each brief mindfulness lesson description. The curriculum was designed using Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction (UbD/DI) principles. The ten week program can be implemented as weekly activities during one quarter of high school learning. Two summative assessments for student reflection are included, as well as formative assessments in the form of exit slip journal prompts and additional understanding check suggestions. Each lesson generally includes a hook, a mindfulness activity that lasts five to twenty minutes, and an option for formative or summative assessment. Curriculum goals include: students will be able to define stress and mindfulness; students will be able to analyze how they can apply mindfulness strategies in their own lives. Limitations and opportunities for future application and further research are also discussed
Creating an ESL Curriculum in a Type C International School in China
Get PDFThe research question for this capstone project was: what does an ESL curriculum look like in a Type C Chinese international school and how will it reflect the cultural and linguistic needs of its students? The Type C international school is a relatively new kind of school that has become more common in the last few years that caters to affluent families who want their children to gain a Western curriculum and at the same time still maintain their national curriculum. Research on Type C international schools is scarce, but Bala Kumaravadivelu’s postmethod theory would insist that this author’s experience working in a Type C international school is a good working background for creating a curriculum that best suits the students who attend those schools. Research for this project includes topics such English as a Second Language (ESL) in international school settings, Chinese culture and schools, and best practices for English learners. These topics form the basis of the project, which is a 4-week social studies unit aimed at upper elementary Chinese students who attend a Type C international school. The hope is that this curriculum will expand students’ international perspectives and English language skills, thus extending their potential and ability to grow up in a global community
Professional Development Activities: Understanding How Cultural Stigmas Impact the Participation of Japanese English Learners in Universities
Get PDFAccording to a variety of research and literature, existing cultural stigmas in Japanese society and education creates a classroom culture gap between native English teachers (NETs) and Japanese English learners (ELs) at the university level. The specific cultural gap in question is on the differences in cultural expectations regarding participation between NETs and Japanese ELs. The result of this classroom cultural gap generally results in a silent and non-productive class. To combat this issue, I have designed a total of 15 professional development (PD) activities. The project employs culturally relevant pedagogy as understood by Ladson-Billing, and it is specifically designed for EFL professionals and NETs teaching Japanese ELs in universities. Although adaptable, the PD activities are best applied in formal and in-person settings where interactive learning can be exercised. The goal of the project is to provide NETs experience and knowledge on effective teaching practices that is not only student-centered but culturally responsive to reduce learner anxiety and optimize student participation in the EFL classroom
The Public Administrator’s Role in Public Art Collaborations: A Case Study of Public Art in Minnesota Communities
Get PDFAbstract
The public Administrator’s Role in Public Art Collaborations:
A Case Study of Public Art in Minnesota Communities
By Kurtis G. Ulrich
Hamline University 2021
This study focuses on the planning and implementation of public art in small cities, and the public administrator’s role in public art collaborations within that context. The research highlights the public administrator’s role in public art collaborations and analyzes how public art projects are implemented and sustained in small cities. The study methodology relies on the qualitative case study method to describe the subjective real-world experiences of city managers in public art collaborations within three Minnesota cities. The researcher interviewed public administrators, local officials, and other stakeholders involved with public art in each of the three communities. Communities were selected based upon having a self-reported public art presence within the community, and chosen to represent three different and distinct geographic situations (i.e., first-ring suburb, exurban community, and free-standing regional center). Study findings indicate that the public administrator’s role in managing cross-sector collaborations can contribute to a successful public art project. The public administrator’s role is examined in regard to classic management roles and the study outlines the multiple roles played by the public administrator concerning public art. The city manager, and administrative staff, often play a pivotal role between the art commissioning group, the city council, and the public. All three subject communities had developed public art policies and had incorporated public art into the strategic vision for the community. The city manager was found to have a key role in taking the high level public art policy direction from the city council and implementing those policies on a day-to-day basis. The research showed that an inclusive upfront collaborative process can build a common expectation among elected officials, the artists, and the public about the value of art in the community and its positive role in shaping the community. The role of the city manager was found to be instrumental in developing and implementing city policy in regard to the public art process. The city manager, along with elected officials play a substantial role in building and maintaining relationships among the various art collaborators, including artists, art commissions, school districts, civic groups, and the like. The city manager holds a leadership position in the city, and serves as a liaison to sustain relationships across the community. In all cases, city managers were responsible for identifying funding and allocating resources that supported public art. The study provides a resource for citizens, elected officials, and public administrators that may have an interest in pursuing public art projects in their community
How Can Incorporating an Animal Based Curriculum Into an Elementary Classroom Help Promote Social/ Emotional Development?
Get PDFThe research question addressed in this project was, how does incorporating an animal based curriculum into an elementary classroom help promote social/ emotional development? This project describes a teacher’s journey in implementing an animal based curriculum in the hopes of promoting social/ emotional development. The purpose of this project is to examine the effect that having animals into a classroom environment can have on students in regards to their social/ emotional development. This project describes the challenges, struggles, and opposing views on having animals in a classroom as well as the successes and highlights from an animal based classroom
TPRS in ESL Programs: A Storytelling Approach
Get PDFThis capstone project is an effort to incorporate TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling) into a middle-school sheltered ESL curriculum. TPRS is a promising methodology that has been used in foreign language acquisition classes for decades, but has not yet had a significant impact on ESL education in the United States. The accompanying paper examines the process of adapting this methodology to best serve the needs of English learners, which are distinct from foreign-language learners in critical ways. Relevant topics in the literature review include an overview of ESL in the United States today, the principles of language acquisition, and a review of the practices and effectiveness of TPRS. Also included is a 3-week curriculum plan containing several TPRS stories, activities, and assessments, along with their supporting materials. All curricular items have been aligned with the IB (International Baccalaureate) language acquisition standards for grades 6-10, and have been designed with a particular focus on sheltered instruction, SLIFE (Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education) programs, and similar ESL models. The goal of the project is to explore the potential of TPRS in teaching such traditionally underserved students, especially since the stakes for them are often so high
Supporting Beginner English Learner Success in Low-incidence Districts: Reading Accommodations for the Content Classroom
Get PDFThe research question addressed in this capstone project is: “How can low-incidence high school content teachers provide reading accommodation strategies with beginner ELs to impact student success?” This paper focuses on a way to provide equitable instruction for high school beginning English Learners (ELs), through researched reading accommodation strategies. The context in which this project was created was for low-incidence districts whose content-area teachers may not have formal training on working with beginner ELs. The professional development sessions include a focus on who ELs are, as well as the following reading strategies: oral scaffolds, text discussion activities, vocabulary instruction, and use of native language (Zwiers, 2014; Gibbons, 2009). To provide a meaningful learning experience, content-area teachers are given time for collaborative planning during the sessions for strategy implementation
What Are The Lessons Teachers Trained In The U.S. Learn Through An Experience Of Teaching Internationally?
Get PDFThe research question addressed in this study was: What are the lessons teachers trained in the US learn through the experience of teaching internationally? A group of 61 participants with experience teaching in the US and in international schools completed a survey with both quantitative and qualitative questions regarding school climate and support, instructional practices, cultural differences, and overall satisfaction teaching at an international school. The data revealed that most of the international teacher participants did not have any intentions of returning back to the United States to teach again after teaching internationally. The results of this study show that teaching internationally has a very high satisfaction rate with some contributing factors being the high sense of community and collaboration amongst colleagues at international schools, a better work/life balance provided and having more student-focused teaching methodologies instead of test-driven curriculums. Limitations, implications and recommendations for further research are also discussed