Class outline: Class #5

.Teaching Students with Intensive Communication Needs

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June 8, 2006 (class #5)
Topic: Cultural differences in the development of communication

Class outline:

4:20-4:30 Quick questions and quandaries. Announcements:

Don't forget to turn in your brief summary of de Valenzuela & Tracey, 2007.

We will be talking about symbols on Monday. Bring in some examples of symbols and icons to share with the class.

We have a guest speaker on Tuesday. Please make sure you are well prepared for his presentation.

4:30-4:50 small group activity:

What differences can you identify, as a group, in how children from different cultural groups are raised and how they are taught to communicate? Focus on differences during early childhood, if possible.

4:50-5:10 Report out and whole group discussion

5:10-5:20 quick write: Why might it be important for teachers of students with intensive communication needs to understand cultural differences in communication/language development and language socialization?

5:20-6:15 interactive presentation: Cultural differences in the development of communication

6:15-6:20 minute paper:

What was the most important concept you learned in class today?

What was the muddiest part of the class?

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Overheads:

PowerPoint file

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Optional Reading Questions:
Note: All of the readings, required and recommended, can be found on electronic reserves at Zimmerman library. Please contact the instructor for the course password.
de Valezuela & Tracey, 2007

1) The authors present their individual backgrounds as a way of contextualizing the chapter. Why do you think that an individual's background might be important to recognize, if they are an author or even a teacher?

2) On the bottom of page 30 and the top of page 31, the authors discuss the importance of the home language to support academic instruction. Why do you think they make this claim? What are their arguments as to why it might be improtant?

3) Beginning of page 33, the authors discuss the improtance of students' home laguages and cultures. What did you get out of this section?

4) What are some strategies that you can use to facilitate the lagnauge deelopment of children from diverse linguitic backgrounds?

5) According to the authors, how can you increase your ability to work with diverse communities?

6) Now that you've read this article:

what are some new terms for you from this article?

what seem to be some important concepts in this reading?

what new questions do you have?

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Additional Resources:
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Recommended Readings:
Basso, K. H. (1971). "to give up on words": Silence in western apache culture. In K. H. Basso & M. E. Opler (Eds.), Apachean culture history and ethnology (pp. 151-161). Tucson, AZ: University of Arizona Press.
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Corson, D. (2001). Language diversity and education. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. (in particular, chapters 3 and 4)
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Pease-Alvarez, C., & Vasquez, O. (1994). Language socialization in ethnic minority communities. In F. Genesee (Ed.), Educating second language children: The whole child, the whole curriculum, the whole community (pp. 82-102). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
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Philips, S. U. (1983). The invisible culture: Communication in classroom and community on the Warm Springs Indian reservation. Prospect Heights, IL. Waveland Press, Inc.
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Valdés, G., & Figueroa, R. (1994). Bilingualism and testing: A special case of bias. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
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Related Web sites

See this on-line resources on "Cultural diversity and language socializationnin the early years" from the Center for Appli

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Return to top Julia Scherba de Valenzuela, Ph.D.
Last updated: June 6, 2007

4:20-4:30	Quick questions and quandaries. Announcements: Don't forget to turn in your brief summary of de Valenzuela & Tracey, 2007. We will be talking about symbols on Monday. Bring in some examples of symbols and icons to share with the class. We have a guest speaker on Tuesday. Please make sure you are well prepared for his presentation.
4:30-4:50	small group activity: What differences can you identify, as a group, in how children from different cultural groups are raised and how they are taught to communicate? Focus on differences during early childhood, if possible.
4:50-5:10	Report out and whole group discussion
5:10-5:20	quick write: Why might it be important for teachers of students with intensive communication needs to understand cultural differences in communication/language development and language socialization?
5:20-6:15	interactive presentation: Cultural differences in the development of communication
6:15-6:20	minute paper: What was the most important concept you learned in class today? What was the muddiest part of the class?

1)	The authors present their individual backgrounds as a way of contextualizing the chapter. Why do you think that an individual's background might be important to recognize, if they are an author or even a teacher?
2)	On the bottom of page 30 and the top of page 31, the authors discuss the importance of the home language to support academic instruction. Why do you think they make this claim? What are their arguments as to why it might be improtant?
3)	Beginning of page 33, the authors discuss the improtance of students' home laguages and cultures. What did you get out of this section?
4)	What are some strategies that you can use to facilitate the lagnauge deelopment of children from diverse linguitic backgrounds?
5)	According to the authors, how can you increase your ability to work with diverse communities?
6)	Now that you've read this article: what are some new terms for you from this article? what seem to be some important concepts in this reading? what new questions do you have?