This course is part of the ESL Certification Program you must be accepted into the program to take this course.
This course will provide an examination of theory, diversity, and pedagogy constructs for explicit applications to practice in classrooms with English Language Learners. A historical exploration of immigration, cultural perspectives, and teaching practices that demonstrate and explicate the interconnectedness of culture and cognition are provided. By examining the background of English Language Learners and their cultures a framework for creating a culturally responsive classroom environment is developed.
ESL teachers will be prepared to view culture as a dynamic and multilayered system of symbolic resources that impact individuals identity, values and behaviors in varying degrees.
They will also be prepared to address the deep and often invisible dimensions of culture (i.e. worldviews, power, privilege)and their impact on student achievement, participation in the target language community, and patterns of interaction between home and school. Moreover, successful candidates view cultural identity or affiliation as an on-going process of negotiation within and among groups as well as within individuals.
Participants will develop an awareness of how their own culture impacts their views of teaching, learning, and classroom expectations; explore the varied roles of teacher, parent, and student in terms of cultural and educational expectations; and understand that acculturation is not only a complex process, but a matter of individual choice. Along with weekly readings in the book and their corresponding tasks and assignments, participants will also complete 10 hours of field based assessments.
Participants will need to purchase the book "The Crosscultural, Language and Academic Development Handbook- A Complete K-12 Reference Guide" by Lynne T. Diaz-Rico and Kathryn Z. Weed, second edition. The ISBN is: 0-205-33685.