Blog Prompts


Equity
Due December 5th, comments due December 7th
After reading the supplemental "Student Diversity" chapter in Resources (Also, if you have the new version of the book, make sure to skim through and review some of the 'diversity' boxes throughout the book):
Equity Prompt 1
  • State one big idea that was surprising or enlightening to you--that will be useful in your future teaching--from the supplemental chapter, or ask a question about something that still puzzles you.
  • Considering how school is typically set up, how might the structure be inherently inequitable? Name some ways that this is true. Be specific.
  • A student in your class, Alice, comes from a family that communicates primarily using “informal English” where verb use is often misaligned with the formal English standard (e.g.- “don’t be doin’ that!” or “she be getting’ on my nerves” or “she kinda funny!”). You notice that Alice really struggles to express her ideas clearly in writing and also finds it difficult to contribute to class discussion. Being the great teacher that you are, you begin to incorporate more support to help the student develop (and practice) these skills. This is an example of when home culture clashes with the academic culture of school (either is better or 'more intelligent' than the other!). 
    • Name at least two ways that you would support this student in learning and becoming comfortable with using formal English. Keep in mind how you could be careful to not degrade her home culture, make her struggle too public, or harm her self efficacy.

Equity Prompt 2
(focus on Motivation/Learning)
  • Mr. Harrington asked his students to write stories using their weekly vocabulary words. He believes this allows students to connect the words to their past experience in a meaningful way. As you all know, this is an example of ELABORATION. In Mr. Harrington’s class (above), one of the words was PROFESSOR, and another was SILO. Why might including these words be potentially inequitable? Would all students benefit from the elaboration activity? Why (considering how elaboration works)?
  • Geoff complains that his teachers give him bad grades because he is an African American who doesn’t “act white”. Putting aside the potential equity issues in Geoff’s school, to what is he attributing his failure? (use attribution theory)
  • A student in your class, Alice, comes from a family that communicates primarily using “informal English” where verb use is often misaligned with the formal English standard (e.g.- “don’t be doin’ that!” or “she be getting’ on my nerves” or “she kinda funny!”). You notice that Alice really struggles to express her ideas clearly in writing and also finds it difficult to contribute to class discussion. Being the great teacher that you are, you begin to incorporate more support to help the student develop (and practice) these skills. This is an example of when home culture clashes with the academic culture of school (either is better or 'more intelligent' than the other!)
    • In thinking about the concept “sensitive period” from brain-development, why might this student’s learning be challenged? Consider how Alice’s sensitive period for language development is relevant here.
    • In thinking about the 3-stages of memory from IP learning theory, why might Alice find learning tasks that require writing or speaking more challenging when compared to other students (i.e. – who speak formal English fluently)?

(not required) We will be watching this documentary in class, depicting two schools in NYC, a few blocks from each other, with vastly differing socioeconomic status and, consequently, drastically different learning opportunities for students. The differences is particularly noticable in the motivation of the two boys studied (Lonnie and James):
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