Student Diversity Flashcards
(24 cards)
Differentiated Instruction
tailoring teaching methods to meet individual needs
Example.
using varied reading levels for different student groups
Gender / Sexuality
the outward ways in which a student chooses to express his/her gender via dress, behavior, or other factors
Example.
Queer
Inclusion
ensuring students with disabilities are included in classroom activities as much as possible
Individualized Education Program (IEP)
legally mandated, customized educational plan developed for students with disabilities in the United States, outlining specific learning goals, services, accommodations, and supports needed to meet their unique educational needs
Word Wall
an on-going bulletin board with terms used frequently in the classroom; words are often added as they are introduced
Modifications
changes made to the curriculum or instructional practices to alter the expectations or performance criteria for students, often used to support learners with special needs by providing a more accessible and tailored educational experience
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
the law mandating that all students with disabilities must receive a free and appropriate education that is tailored to their needs and abilities
Example.
IEP Goals
Comprehensible Input
Information that can be understood despite language barriers. Legally required to be provided to all ELL students under statute set by Lau vs. Nichols.
Example.
If a teacher uses comprehensible input for her ELL students, they can understand the essence of what is being said even if they do not know every word or structure used in the message.
Sex
the physical state of being male or female
Example.
Male
Cultural / Individual Stereotypes
general assumptions made about individuals or groups, sometimes based on information that is not correct or incomplete
Example.
Boys are better at math than girls.
English Language Learners (ELLs)
students who are learning the English language, or for whom English is not a first language
Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
the classroom or setting where the child can be successful, with or without accommodations, and with typical age/grade level peers
Example.
General Ed Classroom
Culturally Responsive Teaching
teaching that recognizes students’ cultural references
Example.
using culturally familiar examples to explain new concepts
Accommodations
assistance or changes to the learning process to allow the student to learn the same material as others (Changes HOW they learn)
Example.
Extended time on a test
Ms. Samson has recently started a new unit with her fifth-grade science class on the plant life cycle. During class, the students were introduced to several new vocabulary words. For homework, she asks the students to complete a writing prompt describing the process of photosynthesis. What can Ms. Samson do to assist her intermediate-level English-language learners (ELLs) with this task?
a. have them do a think-pair-share with a partner at the end of class
b. give them a Venn diagram to complete
c. provide them with sentence frames
d. provide them with a list of websites they can use to access information
Option c is the correct answer.
Explanation:
Sentence frames help students who are new to English by providing vocabulary and structure that they wouldn’t be able to produce on their own. Sentence frames are particularly helpful when writing about more linguistically complex ideas.
A teacher has several intermediate-level English-language learners in her class for the first time. She is planning to introduce a text in class and wants to ensure that the ELLs are able to follow along. She asks the ESL teacher for advice, and the ESL teacher suggests
a. using grade-level text and pre-teaching abstract vocabulary words.
b. assigning research topics that are content-specific.
c. limiting texts to environmental prints, such as logos, signs, and labels.
d. selecting high-interest texts with common vocabulary.
Option d is the correct answer.
Explanation:
This is appropriate for ELLs with an intermediate level of reading proficiency. At this level, ELLs are just starting to read and understand common social and academic vocabulary
A second-grade teacher has many students from diverse backgrounds in her class this year. In preparation, she needs to ensure that she is effectively using culturally responsive teaching in the classroom. Which of the following would help to foster a sense of cultural inclusiveness in the classroom?
a. choosing content that reflects the different cultures of students in lessons
b. having students from similar cultural backgrounds work in groups
c. presenting content based on students’ preferred learning styles
d. encouraging students to read books that reflect their cultural backgrounds
Option a is the correct answer.
Explanation:
This is very important in a culturally responsive classroom. Culturally responsive teaching recognizes the importance of including students’ cultures in all aspects of learning.
A tenth-grade English teacher wants her class to use a wide variety of resources and technology in their end-of-year project. She asks each student to use three online sources and two written sources and incorporate a multimedia presentation to show the class. After class, four students who have limited opportunities and technological resources outside of school approach her and express their concern that they may not be able to fulfill all the project requirements because of their limited means. The teacher can best respond and meet the needs of the students using which of the following strategies?
a. Give each student a clear set of written instructions for the project so they can reference the expectations throughout the activity.
b. Place students into small groups that consist of students of varying means and abilities while also structuring class time so all students have equal access to the school’s equipment. It will be important to let each student know the after-school hours available to access the school resources.
c. Place the four students into a group and allow them to have more class time with the school resources than the other groups.
d. Design the project so each activity can be completed using only the school library and a paper notebook. The teacher can give an opportunity for extra credit for the use of outside resources and technology.
Option b is the correct answer.
Explanation:
Using groups of students of varying means allows the responsibilities between the students to be split to best accommodate individual situations. Also, giving each student equal access to the school resources provides all students the means to meet the minimum requirements of the project.
A seventh-grade science teacher has several English language learners from Mexico in his class. This week he is teaching his students about local endangered and extinct species. Coincidently, the week ends on November 1st, the day of the traditional Mexican holiday, The Day of the Dead. Traditionally, on this day, family and friends gather and celebrate their loved ones who have passed away.
The teacher decides to use this as an opportunity for a fun activity. At the start of the week, he assigns each student an endangered or extinct species to research. He gives them most of the week to gather information and create a poster with details about their species and why it is endangered or extinct. He encourages students to be creative and incorporate costumes or food if they choose. On Friday, the class has a celebration, which mimics the Mexican Day of The Dead celebration, during which students display their posters and celebrate the lives of their species.
In order to scaffold this activity for the intermediate English language learners (ELLs) in the classroom, what could the teacher do?
a. pair these students with a native English-speaking peer
b. allow students to present in their native language
c. require students to create a visual model of their animal
d. provide students with sentence stems to use on their posters
Option d is the correct answer.
Explanation:
Sentence stems are an effective scaffolding technique to use with Intermediate level ELLs, as they enable students to display their content knowledge without the added pressure of making English language mistakes.
Mrs. Brunson notices that many of her English language learner students understand the beginning of what she says but become lost as she progresses in her lectures. She decides it will be helpful to pause as she speaks. What is the most appropriate time to pause during her instruction?
a. After every complete thought
b. After every sentence
c. After every third word
d. After every difficult word
Option a is the correct answer.
Explanation:
Once a thought is complete, a pause allows the listeners to process the information in its entirety to promote the ability to use context clues and the main ideas to define the words.
In which of the following situations would it be appropriate to add an enrichment activity?
a. A small group of students shows consistent mastery of the current concept being taught.
b. A student was absent for four days on family vacation and needs help learning missed concepts.
c. A small group of students is struggling after initial instruction.
d. A student loves the subject being taught and asks high-level questions during class discussion.
Option a is the correct answer.
Explanation:
Students who have mastered the concept would benefit from a challenge or enrichment activity to maintain interest in the topic.
A kindergarten teacher is planning to read the book Pete the Cat: Five Little Pumpkins, by James Dean, to the class and ask some text-dependent questions. The teacher has several English Language Learners in the classroom and wants to ask developmentally appropriate questions. In the book, five pumpkins sit on a gate, fly in the air, and trick or treat, among other fall activities. The book talks about each pumpkin, from number one to number five, and each one’s unique characteristics. At the end of the story, the pumpkins are shown walking away from the reader, ready to have fun.
On one page of the text, the pumpkins are scared because the wind has blown out the candles. The picture in the book shows just the pumpkins’ scared eyes and the lights out all around them. The teacher says, “All we can see are the pumpkins’ eyes. How do you think they are feeling right now?” A student answers, “Sad. It dark.” This response is expected of a student at what level of English proficiency?
a. beginning
b. intermediate
c. advanced
d. advanced high
Option b is the correct answer.
Explanation:
A student with an intermediate level of oral language proficiency will often respond with single words or incomplete sentences.
An elementary teacher would like to assign a cultural heritage project, but realizes that not all of her students live with their biological family. Others may live with their family of origin, but their heritage includes difficult subjects such as slavery or ownership of slaves. The teacher can be responsive to these concerns by doing which of the following?
a. offering the project as an extra credit assignment
b. creating a new project that meets the same learning goals
c. sharing information with parents beforehand so they may address concerns with their child
d. allowing students to visit the counselor as needed during work time
Option b is the correct answer.
Explanation:
This is the best option, as it is sensitive to the needs of all the students.
ELL teachers use verbal scaffolding to support student understanding. Teachers are aware of their ELLs’ existing proficiency levels and use prompting, questioning, and elaboration to support students’ movements to higher levels of language proficiency and thinking. Which of the following options would be an example of verbal scaffolding?
a. anchoring instruction to Bloom’s taxonomy to promote higher order thinking skills
b. adopting graphic organizers as a pre-reading tool to promote comprehension
c. reinforcing context, as when teachers discuss the definition of a word within a sentence
d. using one-on-one teaching, modeling, and coaching
Option c is the correct answer.
Explanation:
Verbal scaffolding is the way a teacher verbally presents or explains something to aid a learner. Reinforcing context is one technique of verbal scaffolding. An example is this sentence: “Aborigines, the people native to Australia, have a great deal of knowledge about using plants in medicine.” The phrase “the people native to Australia” is an example of reinforcing context, since it provides a definition of the word “Aborigines” in the sentence.
