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How can "scientific" research-based practices account for culturally sustaining pedagogy?

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How can "scientific" research-based practices account for culturally sustaining pedagogy?

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What stands out to me about both Delpit’s (2001) description of her daughter Maya in “No Kinda Sense” and Stewart’s (2013) description of her student Valeria in “Giving Voice to Valeria’s story” was both authors’ discussion of how it is necessary for one’s identity to be affirmed in order for them to acquire literacy. In fact, when one’s identity is affirmed, they are more likely to acquire multilingual literacy more quickly. Delpit’s daughter, Maya, acquired literacy in AAVE within only a few months since joining her new school, despite Delpit describing how she had previously only spoken dominant American English. Young people are not only more likely to acquire multilingual literacy when their identity is affirmed, but also when they can practice in an authentic context. Stewart asserts that Valeria acquired English more quickly in her workplace even than school, since using English was more relevant and meaningful to her at work.

Both authors also emphasize the importance of making clear connections to the contributions of one’s culture to the content of school in order to support students in feeling affirmed and valued in their literacy learning. This emphasis on literacy and identity reminds me of Gholdy Muhammad’s research on historically responsive literacy as well as Django Paris and Samy Alim’s theory of culturally sustaining pedagogy. It made me question the extent to which I make explicit how the historical contributions of Black and Latinx and other scholars from marginalized communities contribute to English Language Arts.

The third article I read was “Teaching Composing to Students with Learning Disabilities,” which describes evidence-based studies for supporting students with learning disabilities to develop their literacy skills (Graham, Olinghouse, & Harris, 2009). The authors emphasize that explicit teaching on skills like writing, organization, and reading help all students to acquire literacy, but especially those who having learning disabilities. The authors promote research based on “scientific evidence” over research “based on experience and authority” which often presents strategies supported by select student work samples that fail to address the neurodiversity of students on their classroom. Yet I wish they had also discussed more how even “scientific evidence” based research studies also hold bias. As I was reading, I was thinking that teachers need to build strong relationships with their students before we can use any of these evidence based practices to support them. I wonder what work is already being done to make sure that quantitative, “scientific” research better accounts for qualitative factors like relationships between students and teachers and students’ feelings of value and self-efficacy.

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One question I have about Delpit's article is: Is teaching about code switching a part of college readiness or is this detrimental to students, specifically minority students' success in society?

"Giving voice to Valeria's story..." took me back to my 6 year old self coming to America with no knowledge of the language or the culture. I remember how caring my teachers were (which is something that's underscored in the text). I have to admit that a few of them were Haitian which made it much easier for me to transition and adapt to to my new environment. I wonder if my parents strategically placed me in that school or if it was something God cooked up because I definitely was at the right place at the right time.

In "Building a Pathway of Optimal Support for English Language Learners in Special Education"- The question that comes up is: Are inclusive classrooms really helpful to ELLS?

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The article "Re-Seeing (Dis) Ability, Ten Suggestions," by Patricia Dunn, gave some useful suggestions about how to make our classrooms more equitable for students with disability. One point that stood out to me is suggestion three, "use literary and other texts as a springboard for informed discussions of disability and ableism,"  sometimes as teachers we do not have any say in which curriculum we teach or the books that we read, however, we do have input in how we frame the lessons through questioning and this in turn will help students become what she calls "resisting readers" which hopefully will disrupt harmful views of disability. Even though my population of students are not students with disability, I do see how many of these approaches could be implemented in my multilingual classroom.

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Delpit’s No Kinda Sense evokes the discussion surrounding which languages carry more value. Throughout the studies thus far in the literacy program it has become apparent that some languages and literacies hold weight over others due to societal conditioning. The concept of code switching is prevalent throughout. The initial scenario presented by Delpit between her, and her daughter is emblematic of scenarios for a multitude of Black and brown children. The concern of Delpit that her daughter was not adhering to Standard American English in her speech is also indicative of the classist undertones in communities of colors. Delpit states herself that “more is expected of the daughter of a university professor”. In my own personal experiences, I find that the adherence to dominant discourses and literacies is fueled by external pressures in society, by meritocratic frameworks, and the traumas inherent that Black and brown people carry for not having access to said discourses.

The classist underpinnings of dominant discourses are also seen in the rhetoric of Black intellectuals. Maya Angelou’s concern that teaching home discourses and literacies will encourage Black youth “not to learn standard English”. While Angelou has generally been a proponent of Black intellectual advancement, these notions that students must be able to perform in a standard literacy is assimilationist.

This is where I find that I’m grappling as an educator. The intentions of Delpit and Angelou are sound, we live in a society that exalts a dominant culture, for access to that culture and capital students will need to engage with this dominant discourse. I’m left wondering how we strike the balance between valuing students inherent languages and giving them agency to navigate other languages on their own terms.

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How can "scientific" research-based practices account for culturally sustaining pedagogy?

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How can "scientific" research-based practices account for culturally sustaining pedagogy?

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What stands out to me about both Delpit’s (2001) description of her daughter Maya in “No Kinda Sense” and Stewart’s (2013) description of her student Valeria in “Giving Voice to Valeria’s story” was both authors’ discussion of how it is necessary for one’s identity to be affirmed in order for them to acquire literacy. In fact, when one’s identity is affirmed, they are more likely to acquire multilingual literacy more quickly. Delpit’s daughter, Maya, acquired literacy in AAVE within only a few months since joining her new school, despite Delpit describing how she had previously only spoken dominant American English. Young people are not only more likely to acquire multilingual literacy when their identity is affirmed, but also when they can practice in an authentic context. Stewart asserts that Valeria acquired English more quickly in her workplace even than school, since using English was more relevant and meaningful to her at work.

Both authors also emphasize the importance of making clear connections to the contributions of one’s culture to the content of school in order to support students in feeling affirmed and valued in their literacy learning. This emphasis on literacy and identity reminds me of Gholdy Muhammad’s research on historically responsive literacy as well as Django Paris and Samy Alim’s theory of culturally sustaining pedagogy. It made me question the extent to which I make explicit how the historical contributions of Black and Latinx and other scholars from marginalized communities contribute to English Language Arts.

The third article I read was “Teaching Composing to Students with Learning Disabilities,” which describes evidence-based studies for supporting students with learning disabilities to develop their literacy skills (Graham, Olinghouse, & Harris, 2009). The authors emphasize that explicit teaching on skills like writing, organization, and reading help all students to acquire literacy, but especially those who having learning disabilities. The authors promote research based on “scientific evidence” over research “based on experience and authority” which often presents strategies supported by select student work samples that fail to address the neurodiversity of students on their classroom. Yet I wish they had also discussed more how even “scientific evidence” based research studies also hold bias. As I was reading, I was thinking that teachers need to build strong relationships with their students before we can use any of these evidence based practices to support them. I wonder what work is already being done to make sure that quantitative, “scientific” research better accounts for qualitative factors like relationships between students and teachers and students’ feelings of value and self-efficacy.

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"No Kinda Sense" was very insightful to me in terms of validating students' feelings about language in the classroom, but also led to my question of how to really approach code switching with students. In high school and middle school, there are definitely students who are aware of the inherent differences of language in different settings, but to expressly validate their language while also telling them to anticipate having to use different language elsewhere is difficult to do. I also know that there are some students in my class who don't yet have the critical thinking skills to interrogate this dynamic, which makes me wonder how we can set up students who need this environment to succeed when their environment is restricting them in these ways.
I also read "Writing instruction for adolescents with Learning Disabilities: Programs of intervention research," by Linda Mason and Steve Graham. The article covers a few different strategies that have been successful in enabling students to structure their writing. I really like a lot of them for creating a comprehensive and easy-to-follow formula for writing thoroughly. I have certain students who would benefit from these. The thing with writing strategies is keeping conscious that students understand why the progression is as it is, and don't see it as arbitrary to just one class. Ensuring that students can recognize reason in their work is evidence of critical thinking, rather than blindly following instruction just to "do school."

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My major takeaway from Lisa Delpit’s “No Kinda Sense” chapter is the importance of creating a culturally sustaining education. The feelings of an outcast are real for many of our students, and this is something that I really want to change in my classroom. I believe that creating a learning environment where everyone feels welcome is a huge challenge, however, it is essential if we want our students to thrive not only academically but also as they experience personal growth and become more accepting of each other’s identities.

The next article I read was “Teaching Composing to Students with Learning Disabilities” in this article one strategy that stood out is the Who,When,Where, What = 2, How, = 2 because it builds on a strategy that I have relied often to support my students in the ability to question the text, but to also write. I’ve always been a fan of tweaking things that work, and also of thing that are easy for my students to remember, especially when this tool can be used to support students with LD.

The last article I read was “Giving Voice to Valeria’s Story: Support, Value, and Agency for Immigrants Adolescents.” This text resonated with me because it highlighted the importance of fostering a caring a relationship with our Immigrant students. Indeed, they go through many hardships and enormous challenges in their lives, therefore, it is importance to focus on creating an environment that ensures their emotional safety and makes them feel welcome. In terms of literacy development,  the author argues that we must create a culturally relevant space in order to increase the chances of academically success, and to also sustain their identity.

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In “25 Successful Strategies From an Inclusive Social Studies Classroom” by David J. Connor and Christopher Lagares, there are different useful strategies to use social studies curriculum beyond a standardized exam. One strategy that stood out to me was number four, making multiple connections to text. In promoting students to take a more analytical approach to history, using primary and secondary sources, the authors have students use six symbols for annotation to create connection (19-20). These symbols can allow for entry points into a source that might feel daunting at first.

In “Building a Pathway of Optimal Support for English Language Learners in Special Education” by Andrea Zetlin, Dolores Beltran, Patricia Saicido, Teresa Gonzalez, and Teresa Reyes, the authors discuss the turbulent relationship between the labels ELL and SPED. Students who are not native English speakers can often be incorrectly diagnosed, and students who do have a disability might be misdiagnosed. Noted in the text, the benefits of primary language support and English and primary language instruction, should be recognized (62).

In “No Kinda Sense” by Lisa Delpit, the author emphasizes that schools must be welcoming of all different literacies that intersect with standardized English. The conversation about AAVE and it’s use in school, or rather the rejection of it in schools, highlights the prioritization of standard white middle class speech over other speech patterns. As stated on page 2, the quote from Maya Angelou stood out to me “…The very idea that African American language is a language separate and apart can be very threatening because it can encourage young men and women not to learn standard English.” It is important that schools recognize that the literacies students bring into the classroom shape the way they learn and express themselves.

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In the article “No Kinda Sense” it was clear that oftentimes when as teachers, including teachers of color, lack cultural responsiveness it is often a product of our own biases about what is appropriate or what is important to talk about in the classroom. Speaking from experience, there have been plenty of times when I thought about my own culture and understanding of the world are lacking in depth and sophistication. However, Delpit’s conversation about the mathematical nature of braiding patterns has shown me one more way in which I can think about something that has been so often overlooked and looked down upon. I also related to the ideas she expressed regarding her fear of her daughter being labeled as ghetto. It definitely made me think about how last year some of my boys would often bring their sass and unapologetic selves into the classroom, and how horrified I was that the world would tear them apart, making me the one to have to deliver the painful words of “the world will not accept you for who you are” and diminish their identities. Moreover, I understand that this is rooted in my own fears, in my own understanding of what is acceptable, and now that I am more aware I can fight that urge to tell my students to be something other than themselves.

This is a perfect segue into the next article, “Recognizing and Responding to Cultural Differences in the Education of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners.” In this piece, we learn about practices implemented in schools, including mine, that tend to be so alienating for students who happen to be language learners. Also, how often these practices feed the model that when a student continues to underperform on standardized tests in a foreign language or do not seem to pick up on a new language, they must have a learning disability. We fail to see students' individuality when we push for more standardized and normed teaching practices. Furthermore, it is painfully clear that education is a business and that a lot of school networks and administrators are pushed into placing linguistically diverse students into special education since this allows them to write these students off their testing data. It is a disgusting cycle, but the article did put a lot of emphasis on teachers who play into the system by failing to add in support for these students or have collected limited data on them, but still push for them to be referred to special education. Thus showing that we are the first line of defence for these students, we have the power to take the time to recognize their learning needs and differences so that our environment is optimal for their success.

In the final article, “Writing Instruction for Adolescents with Learning Disabilities: Programs of Intervention Research” the conversation turns into what I can do as a teacher to, not only take into consideration some of the suggestions the other article provided, but also to take action in my classroom. Reading this piece was very comforting because some of the ideas that were presented I am already in the process of implementing. This gives me hope that if I continue to hone in my practice and put effort into these procedures my students will end up benefiting from them. In this article the conversation turns into how to best support students with learning disabilities. One of those ways is creating a space that is positive and that inspires confidence in students with labels in general. For a project in another class I am implementing the idea of writing groups, in these I will be using some of our formal writing strategies from this class; setting goals, teaching writing strategies, direct grammar instruction, peer to peer feedback, and teacher to student feedback. Therefore, one of my biggest takeaways is that again just as Delpit explained, when teachers look for beauty in spaces they have often seen as challenging, or scary there is always something to gain for our students.

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In the reading, The Skin That We Speak, Lisa Deplit uses her daughter’s educational journey to communicate the dangers that many students face throughout our schooling system in regards to language use in school. When Deplit’s daughter, Maya, began to experience negative, outsider type feelings in her predominantly white school, her mother took the initiative to move her into a new space where she could grow into her own self comfortably and confidently. In the process, Maya picks up new speech codes rather quickly which has her mother thinking (1) “Why did I react with such heart-pounding emotion to my daughter's words?” And (2) “If it was that easy for my child to "pick up" at school a new language clearly not her home language, then what was preventing the millions of African American children whose home language was different from the school's from acquiring the dialect of Standard English?”. She explores these two questions extensively, but I found the most powerful evaluation to be in the statement “If the students feel the linguistic equivalent of Maya's feeling the need to be prettier in order to have friends, or having to have lip reduction plastic surgery in order to be acceptable, then they will eventually reject those who make them feel inferior and unacceptable. Just as Maya's new friends made her feel beautiful, brilliant, and "part of the club," teachers have to create similar conditions for their students'' (Deplit, p. 6). Creating an inviting atmosphere which includes acceptance and unity would be more effective and motivating than distinguishing the “right” and the “wrong” ways to communicate, interact, or even learn.

As I read through Giving Voice to Valeria’s Story, Mary Amanda Stewart mentions research that, in my opinion, involves one of the biggest issues we have in education today. She states, “Noddings (2003) believed that schools today are prioritizing the intellectual component of a student at the cost of the emotional and moral; yet, because schools are places of frequent teacher/student encounters, it is essential that teachers prioritize the development of caring relationships with every student” (Stewart, p. 43). I have been hearing this concern often in school, but not specifically in regards to Valeria’s situation as an immigrant student. Due to the “gaps'' in our students’ education from the pandemic and virtual learning, I feel there is an even greater emphasis on all business all the time from administration, but is this truly healthy? For anyone? I have the opportunity to hear voices and perspectives from various K-8 teachers who are consistently expressing their concerns of the overwhelming pressures of curriculum(s) as well as catching up on topics from when school was closed. In my head, I can’t help but think about these same stresses, but it concerns me when we imagine these children as learning machines rather than what they are… human beings!

In the reading, Evidence-Based Strategies for Reading Instruction of Older Students with Learning Disabilities, the authors discuss the different elements of effective instruction for middle school and high school students with learning disabilities in regards to reading. The five areas of focus that were discussed were word study, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and motivation. On page 66, the authors state a relevance to vocabulary in a social studies setting which I agreed and typically try to practice. “Learning new and challenging vocabulary encountered in specific content-related texts, such as those used in science and social studies classes, may be best facilitated by providing direct instruction that focuses on simple definitions, examples and nonexamples, and the use of semantic maps (Kim, Vaughn, Wanzek, & Wei, 2004) that reflect the likely sources and possible uses of a new word” (Roberts, Torgesen, Boardman, & Scammacca, p. 66). I often incorporate and introduce visuals around the classroom (word walls, posters, word webs, etc.) and refer back to them as the vocabulary comes up throughout the unit. Do any of the other science or social studies teachers in this class have a creative and engaging way to introduce unit vocabulary!?

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In “No Kind of Sense,” Lisa Delpit explains how educators must understand that “no language form [is] better than another from a linguistic or cognitive standpoint” (p. 6). White middle-class English has been the standard language in schools and society, and if a student does not “pick it up” and speak in this manner teachers, adults, and society can view students as “deficit” and lacking in knowledge and skills. This stems from the fact that there is a perception that Standard American English is the “right way” to speak and write—diminishing the knowledge and brilliance that students’ from diverse, multilingual backgrounds and literacies possess. In order to sustain students’ languages and identities, Delpit discusses how we need to get to know our students (that should be our priority). By finding out what is interesting to them, what their home language is, what is happening in their lives, what they value and find meaningful; we can make learning valuable and forge connections.

After reading Stewart’s “Giving Voice to Valeria’s Story: Support, Value, and Agency for Immigrant Adolescents” she explains how “second-language acquisition occurs most effectively in meaningful ways that lower one’s anxiety level” (p. 43). This reminded me of what Delpit’s calls an affective filter—“less stress and the more fun connected to the process, the more easily it is accomplished.” Similarly, Stewart explains that ELL students must regularly engage in learning and reading for pleasure and not just for academic purposes. It is important that our classrooms and instruction sustain ELL students’ home-native language(s), their cultural backgrounds, and lived experiences in order for them to become more engaged and skilled readers and writers. We must really work on establishing authentic relationships and trust with our students—we need to show them that we truly care about them and their humanity more than their numeric grades, reading scores, or grade average (kids can tell when adults are fake).

In the article, “Re-Seeing (Dis)Ability: Ten Suggestions” a major take-away for me was bringing in the principles of Universal Design into our planning and teaching. We need to create and present material “in more than just one way” (p. 21) students need to have many ways in which they can learn, interact, and be assessed. By offering text-to speech writing tools, audiobooks, storyboards, etc. from the start we can create a learning environment that normalizes and celebrates learning differences. If all of us do this we will be contributing and creating a more inclusive society.

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The first article I read for this week’s class was “Combining Classic Literature with Creative Teaching for Essay Building in an Inclusive Urban High School Classroom” by Connor, Bickens, and Bittman. While there was nothing mindblowing in this article that I hadn’t thought about before, it served as a good reminder of the best ways to support students with disabilities while still maintaining high expectations and keeping lessons engaging. (It was also of particular interest to me because it is about a high school, Manhattan Village Academy, that we send a handful of our 8th graders to every year, including some of our SWDs.) I liked that the article highlighted the importance of using creative activities that engage students and connect to multiple intelligences, while still incorporating skill-building routines (13). I regularly use many of the suggested strategies in my classroom, but there are two listed in the article that I want to add to my “toolbox.” The first is creating a visual using descriptive language (10). I’ve done similar activities with my students, but I liked the idea of having them work in pairs and annotate the drawings with quotes from the text. I also liked the idea of a group essay as I think that would help my students discuss and be more thoughtful about the components of the essay than when they write them independently (18-19).

In “Teaching Adolescent ELs to Write Academic- Style Persuasive Essays” by Ramos, I really liked the idea of breaking down a short model text in a specific genre to help students improve their academic writing (656). While I use model texts in my classroom, we do not break them down at the level discussed in this article, and I think doing that for certain units would help my students better determine the type of language to use in each published piece they write. For example, we start with a memoir unit and read several short memoirs (4-6) as models. For next year, I may cut that number down so that we can spend longer on 1-2 model texts.

There was so much that stood out to me when reading “No Kinda Sense” by Delpit that it is hard to choose one thing. Though this article does not explicitly use the phrase “culturally responsive” or “culturally sustaining” I thought it made an incredibly strong argument for why CSP is imperative in our schools today. Delpit discusses the importance of making schools inviting to students by listening to them (6) and celebrating and centering the curriculum around their “cultural legacies” (5). Students have an innate desire to learn that is, unfortunately, often crushed by schooling. Through telling the story of how her daughter, Maya, learned a second language form, Delpit explains that affirming students’ identities is crucial to learning.

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Re-Seeing Disability: Ten Suggestions by Patricia Dunn

The part that resonated with me the most was #8, which emphasizes an awareness of how much language influences our perception of reality. With the constant access our students have to the internet via their smartphones, they spend so much time consuming images and texts online that speak to them about the world and its people. As teachers, we don’t have control over the media that they consume, but we can and must influence their ability to think critically about the messages they see and read to be able to unpack biases and ascertain the credibility of their sources.

Teaching Adolescent EL’s to Write Academic-Style Persuasive Essays by Kathleen Ramos

There was so much to take in from this reading that I can see myself returning to it in the future. I had never heard of the  “three meaning types”, and even though I was familiar with some of the concepts in the language resources she described, I would not have considered explicitly teaching them to students. Even though she speaks specifically about how much ELL students can benefit from the “reading to learn” approach, I think all students will benefit from

similar types of instruction. Even in honors classes, there are students who are incredibly knowledgeable about topics, yet they struggle to demonstrate this knowledge in the academic language that schools require.

No Kinda Sense by Lisa Delpit

Delpit’s text contains a lot of the sentiments I’ve heard surrounding culturally sustaining and culturally relevant pedagogy. In short: listen to your students, validate their experiences by including them in the curriculum, and treat them with the same respect you expect from them. In an ideal world, we would not have to teach our students to code-switch, but we are not there yet, so it is our duty to make sure our students learn “professional” and “formal” English, so they can find success in professional, academically oriented careers if they so choose. The more doors we can open for them, the better off they will be.

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Through the discussion of speech codes and dialects within standard English of Delpit’s “No Kinda Sense,” I immediately connected her example with her daughter, Maya, to the idea of viewing our student’s prior knowledge, language(s), and interests as assets rather than deficits (that “they come from brilliance” (8)). In the way that Maya so easily acquired the ability to code-switch, teachers too can communicate more efficiently with their learners if they are willing to participate in their world.

Claude Goldenberg in “Teaching English Language Learners: What the Research Does—and Does Not—Say” confirmed for me what I suspected, but was not entirely sure about: that ELLs need a combination of direct language instruction and be placed in situations where that langauge can be used, and that their native tongue is key to English comprehension. With this understanding, teachers can be more deliberate with their instruction to ensure their ELLs are not only exposed to the conventions of standard and academic langauge, but have access to opportunities where they can test that acquired langauge out for themselves. But, more important, this is also an opportunity for teachers to work with specialists and language certified educators to foster their learner’s native langauge alongside acquiring standard English.

After reading Patricia A. Dunn’s “Re-Seeing (Dis)Ability: Ten Suggestions,” the idea that resonated most strongly in my mind is accessibility. The question of “Is my classroom instruction accessible to ALL my students” challenged me throughout this reading. Between the suggestions that Dunn offers from specific accommodations to shifts in perception, my takeaway is that as long as educators are willing to appropriately differentiate instruction to allow all students to access learning in an equitable fashion, the barriers that deny students of their right to learn and participate in society are lowered. This returns to the idea of how “we” view disabilities and how “we” might view it differently from the perspective of one of our students with disabilities.