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.
It is very clear that there are two school of thoughts about how we should educate learners. One implies that science education must prepare the learners for the 21st century global society. Therefore science education must focus on skills that will enable the learners to compete, relate and succeed in the future. The other one emphasizes the challenges to the seemingly production line type of schooling (schools as factories and students as products). It emphasizes that different learners must be give the chance to express their creativity which is the true measure of intelligence or smartness. It also challenges that public education in the US actually degrades the cognitive capacity of the learners instead of developing it.
On my personal practice, I would like to use the word “eclectic”. In science education, there are standards that must be accomplished because science is a highly intellectual enterprise although it also values creativity, productivity, and entrepreneurship. We cannot simply say that having standards-based practices paralyzes creativity, on the contrary, it must provide the guide post based on which we can help the learners become innovative. Standards-based practices provides the rigors or the kind of personal discipline that the learner needs. On the other hand, creativity is an important skill to be able to transform conceptual and procedural understanding into meaningful and productive applications. In my personal practice and exposure to various forms of curricular documents, I can say that the way we state standards, competencies, expectations or in whatever way you call them, they have already evolved into an eclectic paradigm. There is now a strong move to have a paradigm shift from the factory-line approach into an innovators’ facilitating approach in science education. For example, in our school, we don’t only assess students using standards-based pen and paper tests. We also put high value on performance assessment, investigative work, and laboratory exercises where students are given opportunities to construct meaning and translate theory into practice.
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION: ALL LEARNERS MUST SUCCEED
Based on group activities, I usually notice that the more advance students usually facilitates the group discussion while those who are more confident to speak are usually the presenters. In the 10th grade that I am currently handling, the students are homogeneously grouped according to scholastic ability. The more advanced group are usually given longer reading tasks and writing assignments are done individually. As for the other two groups, I always pair them for the written and reading tasks.
Language proficiency is a very important tool in executing science lessons. For the average group who are more visual and active, a lot of my teaching strategies involve interactive materials, videos, simulation and games. For the advance class who has a more advance skills in all four domains, including vocabulary, I give them more independent work. For the last group, where majority has low proficiency in all four domains, I give them more guided practice. Their readings are shorter and I usually allow them to speak occasionally in our local dialect to express their thoughts.
As the extent to which students must be proficient, they need to be proficient in all domains because language is an important tool in scientific literacy. As what was explained by Ms. Lee in the video, all the science and engineering practices requires the use of language. Reception, appreciation, understanding, response, and utilization of scientific information all depend on how well the learner is able to grasp the language used whether it be in the receptive domain or in the productive domain.
ASSESSMENT PRACTICES FOR EL IN SCIENCE
In designing assessment tools in science, the science and engineering can be used as standards. Also, assessment items or questions can be classified according to the varying levels of proficiency and target science process skill. Science test items can be divided into three general categories: (1) knowledge of concepts, facts, and figures, (2) transfer of science process skills into real-life situations, and (3) construction of meaning such as creative or productive tasks. These are parallel with the development stages of language proficiency.
Special thanks to IREX and Dr EMILY ADAH MILLER
TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) International Association. (2015). Modules 1 to 3, ESL for Secondary Science Teachers. A 4-Module On-line Course for Science and Mathematics Teachers, a small grant award from IREX, August – September, 2015. Retrieved from tesol.desire2learn.com
Overview of the TESOL On-line Course
This is a 4-week on-line course offered by TESOL and funded by IREX to selected TEA-ILEP alumni from different countries from Asia, Africa and South America. The course is divided into four modules: (1) Language and Culture in Science Classroom, (2) Science as a Second Language, (3) Aligning Instruction to Meet Needs, and (4) Doing Instruction and Assessing ELs. Each module is intended for one-week, self-pacing independent study. Each participant is required to read the materials, view some videos and post entries to the discussion forum. Each module is divided into subtopics and several activities. A facilitator who is a TESOL member and a university professor (in this course it is Dr. Emily Miller) who checks assignments, moderate the asynchronous fora, and answers queries from the participants.
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