Additive Bilingualism

I know that for students in the United States, English is extremely important in order thrive in our schools, which is why I had always thought of ESL programs as a positive for students who were not English speakers, however, in chapter 7 of the text, "Affirming Diversity", by Sonia Nieto and Patty Bode, ESL is described as being focused on the need to acquire English, which made me look at this differently.

The need to acquire English can often times turn into the need to replace a native language with English, which could end up being a disadvantage for students who originally spoke there native language. Though I feel it is important for ESL students to learn English, I also believe it is important for them not to abandon there native language. Not only is there native language a part of their identity and culture, but also being bilingual can be extremely advantageous for the future of these students especially when it comes to college and joining the work force.

The text states that research found that parents of higher achieving children preferred a native-language environment to a greater extent than the parents of the lower achieving children. This illustrates another positive of not abandoning one’s native language, which is higher achievement in school. ESL students need to understand that their native language and being bilingual is an asset, which they should be proud of. The authors explain additive bilingualism, which I believe is a better way to perceive ESL students learning English. Additive bilingualism is adding a new language rather than subtracting an existing one. I realize that there are a great amount of English Learners in schools today, and as a future teacher, I agree with Nieto and Bode when they say that the responsibility of teaching language-minority students needs to be shared by all teachers rather than just falling on the teachers who are trained to provide bilingual education and ESL services.

Bode, Patty, Nieto, Sonia. “Affirming Diversity” The Sociopolitical Context of Multicultural Education. Fifth Edition. Pearson Education Incorporation : 2008

English Language Learners

I have chosen to write about the topic of English Language Learners for the next couple of weeks because I feel like this is a topic that is extremely prevalent in California schools today, and as a future teacher I believe I must be aware of the fact that for some students in my class, English may not be their first language.

Who are English Language Learners? In the article, “English Learners in California Schools”, Christopher Jepsen and Shelley de Alth describe English learners as students who speak another language other than English at home. The authors go on to explain how English learner students make up one-third of the student population of California Elementary schools, and one-quarter of all California students, kindergarten through twelfth grade.

I was aware that there was a large portion of English learner students in California schools today, but these statistics really put it into perspective for me, and made me realize that as a teacher, encountering English learner students is something one can definitely count on. One of my fears/concerns when it comes to teaching English learners is that I will not be prepared enough to give them all the help, attention, and resources they need in order from them to thrive in an academic setting. I believe observing teachers who have English Language Learners in their class and hopefully being able to work with these students during my time in the credential program will help to better prepare me for this when I am a teacher.

Jepsen, Christopher, & de Alth, Shelley. (2005). English Learners in California School. 10. http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/report/R_405CJR.pdf

My Life

My technological experiences began in second grade when computers became more common in schools and in homes. I would type on Microsoft Word for school and play computer games. By middle school I was using computers almost everyday for school work and for entertainment/communication. Some reasons why I feel I am competent when it comes to computers includes: I am able to use the internet and search on websites effectively, I am able to create power points, I am very familiar with using Word, I can create excel spread sheets, and I am able to communicate with others through the internet. I feel like I am some what quick at picking up emerging technologies, especially if I am shown how to do so, but at the same time, there are times when I find technology overwhelming and intimidating.

My educational experiences started about six years ago when I worked as a gymnastic camp coach. I was also an intern at the Sacramento Children's Home in the Crisis Nursery for a year, where I assisted the infant and toddler teachers. I was an intern to an Elementary School Counselor in Northern California where I was able to learn from the counselor and work closely with students and teachers. Most recently, I worked as an early intervention, ABA tutor for children with Autism. Right now I am completing the prerequisites for the credential program, and I will be starting the Multiple Subject Credential Program this Fall.

From EDU 422 I hope to get a better overall understanding of computers and technologies. I also hope to become more confidant and comfortable with creating and using a variety of technological applications. I want to become very familiar with creating blogs because one day when I am a teacher I would like to have a class blog where my students and I could go to. I also would like to become familiar with wikis and RSS feeds because at this point know very little about them. I hope to be able to walk away with helpful ideas and skills that I can bring to my classroom.