decapua keynote building bridges to academic success through culturally responsive teachingbb

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Building Bridges to Academic Success Through Culturally

Responsive Teaching

Keynote

MELEd Conference Minneapolis, MN

November 6, 2015 Dr. Andrea DeCapua


Ways of thinking and lear2ing

are shaped by

prior lear2ing ex6eriences


Struggling ELs

Appropriate grade-level education Age-appropriate literacy Grade-level content knowledge Identity as learner

No / interrupted / limited formal education No / low literacy Missing grade-level content knowledge Incomplete identity as learner

Other ELs


Prior schooling?


Ways of Learning Continuum

No schooling, New to print

Full par@cipa@on formal educa@on


Layers of the Instructional Context

Curriculum, Instruc)on, and Assessment

Culturally Responsive Teaching

Societal Factors

Bedrock Layer


Teachers and learners assume that

1. the goals of K-12 instruction are

a) to produce an independent learner

b) to prepare that learner for life after schooling

2. the learner is ready to

a)  engage in literacy-based, school-related tasks

b) participate and demonstrate mastery on an individual basis


Underlying Cultural Differences


Informal Ways of Learning

Formal Education


Academic Tasks •  Definitions

Ø What is a tree?

•  True/False Ø New York City is the capital of New York

State Ø St. Paul is the capital of Minnesota

•  Classification Ø Categorize these objects


Sample Task

Flynn, 2007

What do dogs and rabbits have in common?


•  Oral transmission / written word •  Collectivism / individualism •  Informal ways of learning / formal education

Three Underlying Cultural Differences


Teachers and learners assume that 1. the goals of K-12 instruction are

a) to produce an independent learner b) to prepare that learner for life after schooling

2. the learner is ready to

a)  engage in literacy-based, school-related tasks

b) participate and demonstrate mastery on an individual basis


Struggling ELs

US Schools

CONDITIONS

PROCESSES

ACTIVITIES

Aspects of Learning

Different Learning Paradigms

Shared Responsibility

Individual Accountability

Pragmatic Tasks

Academic Tasks

Interconnectedness

Oral Transmission

Independence

Written Word

Future Relevance Immediate Relevance


Mutually Adaptive Learning Paradigm® MALP®

ü Instructional Model ü Elements from students’ learning

paradigm

ü Elements from formal educational learning paradigm

ü Transitional approach to developing identity as learner by reducing cultural dissonance

Mutually Adap)ve Learning Paradigm – MALP®

Struggling ELs U.S. Schools

Interconnectedness Independence

Shared Responsibility

Individual Accountability

Pragma@c Tasks

Academic Tasks

ACCEPT CONDITIONS

COMBINE PROCESSES

FOCUS on NEW ACTIVITIES with familiar language & content

Immediate Relevance

Oral Transmission

WriPen Word

with

Future Relevance

[email protected]

Immediate relevance


•  Students work collaboratively to produce a final product

•  Learner-centered vs. teacher-centered

MALP and Projects


A. Accept Conditions for Learning

A1. I am making this lesson/project immediately relevant to my students.

A2. I am helping students develop and maintain interconnectedness.

B. Combine Processes for Learning B1. I am incorporating both shared responsibility and individual accountability.

B2. I am scaffolding the written word through oral interaction.

C. Focus on New Activities for Learning

C1. I am focusing on tasks requiring academic ways of thinking.

C2. I am making these tasks accessible with familiar language and content.

MALP Teacher Planning Checklist©


Carol’s Civil War Project

Student ages: 15-‐21 Prior educa@on: 3rd – 8th grade Home countries: Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Hai@ Carol: Social Studies & ESL


How am I making this lesson

immediately relevant to my students?


How am I helping students develop and maintain interconnectedness?


How am I incorporating both group

responsibility and individual accountability?


How am I scaffolding the written word through oral interaction?


What new academic tasks am I introducing?


What am I doing to make the new tasks accessible to my students?


A. Accept Conditions for Learning

A1. I am making this lesson/project immediately relevant to my students.

A2. I am helping students develop and maintain interconnectedness.

B. Combine Processes for Learning B1. I am incorporating both shared responsibility and individual accountability.

B2. I am scaffolding the written word through oral interaction.

C. Focus on New Activities for Learning

C1. I am focusing on tasks requiring academic ways of thinking.

C2. I am making these tasks accessible with familiar language and content.

MALP Teacher Planning Checklist©


Formal

Educa@on Informal Ways of Learning Orality Collec@vism

Deficit View Dissonance View

Ways of Learning Continuum


Questions?