Integrative Education starts with a paradigm shift
The RSA video can be accessed from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U
A Personal Reflection
Having gone through the three TESOL modules, (the fourth and last module is due this week) I realized that teaching science using English is an interdisciplinary task. NGSS and Science and Engineering practices are included in one of the modules and it is very clear that it is not as simple as including the practices in the plan or classifying learning tasks. They encompass both instruction and assessment. Another point for reflection is looking at the BICS and CALPS or the level of social and academic language proficiency of both teacher and learner. All the S&P practices entail a certain level of communication so it is very important that the teacher knows the level of proficiency of the students, in both receptive (listening and reading) and productive (speaking and writing) of the students. Every teacher must also exert effort in organizing the lesson in a way that it will address lexical (vocabulary), syntax (grammatical structure), and discourse (academic understanding) levels of language. The key to effectively using English as the language of science is first for the teacher to overcome difficulties as an English Language Learner (ELL), herself/himself. For instance, how can one define a quality blended learning objective if there is inferior language proficiency?
Let me share some of the entries that I posted on the discussion fora. The first is a T-chart that compare and contrast two views about science education which was constructed after a study on the 21st century skills. This module made me reflect on my own application of the science and engineering practices. I think I need to analyze deeper how I really do instruction as far as making my students develop these practices according to their level of language proficiency. The second entry is a reflection about differentiated instruction based on varying levels of language proficiency. We must acknowledge that media poses a threat to the depreciating interest of students to academic English language. Teachers, must therefore exert more effort to become better models of academic discourses in English. The third is a synthesis of the challenges, the tools to use and proposed teacher training activities. The third is a table that highlights the alignment of S&P practices for recommended assessment techniques for EL in science.
