A lot of times when we think of CALL we think of it in terms of its pedagogical applications alone. Many of our ESL students, however, immigrate under various circumstances, live culturally diverse lives significant to them, and often attend low-income schools. Many ELL's find themselves in competitive public school systems that value a particular cultural norm; what E.D. Hirsch or Ruby Payne (1997; 2000) might refer to as "cultural literacy", that is different than their own. Many experience a dissonance as they are removed from their cultural roots and experience, what W.E.B. DuBois (LaRaviere, 2008) reffered to as a sense of "two-ness", as sense of living two lives, one private and one public. How might you apply CALL in your classrooms to enrich the experiences of yours students who, in addition to language, may struggle with cultural meanings as well? In other words, how can we use CALL applications to teach ELL's to navigate the complex cultural, and often divisive, realities of American public education, while still giving voice and agency to their familial, cultural, linguistic, and historic heritage?
For more information on critical pedagogy and CALL go to:
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click on "Find Databases & Artles"
click on "Education and Human Development"
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Kellner, D. and G. Kim (2010). "YouTube, Critical Pedagogy, and Media Activism." Review of Education, Pedagogy & Cultural Studies 32(1): 3-36.
LaRaviere, T. (2008). Chairman Fred Hampton way: an auto ethnographic inquiry into politically relevant teaching. Qualitative Inquiry 14(3), 489-504.
Hirsch, E.D. (1987). Cultural literacy: what every American needs to know. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin. 13-23.
Payne, R.K. & Solcumb, P.D. (2000). Removing the mask: giftedness in poverty. Highlands, TX: aha! Process Inc
TUSD Media (Creator) & YouTube (Distributor). (2011). Retrieved March 28, 2011 from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPZHsvbmXLY
A really interesting video. Thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteThe current cultural climate has been a recurring theme in my ESL classrooms. I currently teach Saudi students and many times they have brought stories of intolerance to the classroom. Muslims are not particularly popular in Texas.
One thing I try to do is initiate a class discussion about their experiences. I have them discuss why they think there are negatives attitudes out there against them, and then brainstorm on things they can do as individuals to improve the situation.
This class discussion, though sometimes difficult has opened their eyes some. An additional benefit is that it provides them an opportunity to discuss/practice speaking about topics other than grammar and writing skills. These real world issues that personally concern them often motivates even my most disinterested learners.
Another approach I have taken is to have my students research and report on instances of intolerance throughout any time in history, particularly in the US. I find it has been helpful to see that they are not alone in the discrimination they have experienced. And researching what actions other ethnic, religious or other minority groups have taken empowers them and provides some sense of hope.
@ Christina. You have brought up a very relevant issue. There are some really good films on the topic.
ReplyDelete#1. My Name is Khan (with Bollywood actor Sharukh Khan)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlyesRnsxEc
#2. The Band's Visit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWYlLb0jm8U
Hey there Mr. T!
ReplyDeleteI really liked your post and video. It definitely brings to light other issues in CALL. How our lessons can be culturally sensitive and also inclusive is extremely important. You make a good point on how the majority of our ELLs will experience a very set and divisive American curriculum in a traditional sense, but as ELLs and in CALL, we must also address this with technology.
One suggestion I do have comes from one our class’ past readings, Belz 2002. This article discovered and discussed the many differences and sometimes angry opinions that came to exist between an American (English)/German tellecollaboration that were a result of the two cultures’ different views on education and also access to technology. Belz 2002 suggested one way to remedy this issue in future tellecollaborations is to make the issue (that is of cultural differences) the actual content of the lessons in the telecollaboration. In other words, if we explicitly teach our ELLs and nonELLs in our CALL classes cultural differences and tolerance that is a good first step.
Actually incorporating this content can be done in many different ways. One way is through using a WebQuest. I was fortunate enough in our WebQuest homework to stumble upon a WebQuest that involved students researching folk dances of various cultures. In this sense, teachers can use WebQuests to have students research and learn about various cultures.
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ReplyDelete@Jean2011: Belz and Christina are both right about making issues of tolerance a part of the curriculum. Most critical race theorists (Singleton & Linton, 2008; Howard, 2006; Ladson-Billings, 2008)argue that the best way to address issues of inequity and intolerance is by directly confronting it in the classroom, through what Singleton calls "courageous conversations". The fact is, students are dealing with these problems in their daily lives and in the schools already so administrators that ask their teachers to skirt the issues or play politics are ignoring that fact and dismissing students needs while missing out on a real opportunity to reach out to at-risk, minority, and low-income students in ways that are certainly meaningful to them
ReplyDeleteHoward, G.R. (2006) We can’t teach what we don’t know: white teachers, multiracial schools. 2nd Ed. Teachers College Pres. 22-24.
Ladson-Billings, G. & Tate, W.F. (2006). Education research in the public interest: social justice, action, and policy. New York: Teachers College Press.
Linton, C., Singleton, G.E. (2006).Courageous conversations about race. Corwin Press. 91-106.
Yes, it is critical that cultural differences be taught from an early age in schools. Individuals need to learn to appreciate, rather than fear, differences and to recognize bias and stereotypes when they see them. Teachers could talk openly about identity and to help foster a positive sense of self in students. Understanding these differences can help them make bridges across cultures and traditions. Some people fear that by affirming peoples’ identities in terms of home cultures and traditions, we may be promoting separatism. In reality, the more that students have a solid grounding and understanding about who they are and where they came from, the more they learn to move with confidence among communities different from their own, and the closer we get to building a world of respect. This and much more can be taught through various use of technology. There are movies, online books, clips, activities so many tools available to teach cultural differences!
ReplyDeleteOne possible way of reaching out to these students (high risk, low income, immigrants or others) is through face to face conversations as others already mentioned. Teachers have a great opportunity as mentors to make a world of difference in students’ lives as we saw in the in the video. The students in that class seemed empowered and ready to face the challenges ahead in careers and furthering their education.
ReplyDeleteLanguage teachers too could incorporate some focus on social issues especially as they directly affect their students. Using current technology to affirm and celebrate the students’ culture, ethnicity and their own literacies as well as to teach them strategies for dealing with the culture they have become immersed in could be of great benefit. Just about any of the kinds of technology we have come across in class could be a way to encourage two-way cultural exchange and understanding.
@ Susan and Terri, With respect to culturally and socially responsive curriculum, there are a lot of interesting implications regarding the use of technology, particularly with CALL applications that are both positive and negative. While the're are great tools that enrich students experiences, the're are also some problematic considerations that have been mentioned in some of our readings. For one, there are often limitations when working in low-income schools with students of low-income families. Access is an important consideration up front. The technology we use in class may not be readily availale to students in their homes or communities and so the technical language we use may be foreign, even for native English speakers from similiar circumstances. I would classify the cultural and environmental concerns of the language we use when incprorating technology in our classrooms in three ways. #1. linguistic #2. cultural #3. environmental.
ReplyDelete#1. Linguistic:
ReplyDeleteThere is a a lot of vocabulary specific to technology that students from low-income communities might not be aware of. I think we have to be careful about what we consider to be a "given" with respect to what students understand. I think any CALL application, should be culturally responsive to student's language needs. Children of migrant farm workers may not know what it means to "google" something or to "blog".
#2. Cultural:
Likewise, with respect to culture, we have to be careful not to bias our instruction by assuming certain values are universal. For example, we often think that mere exposure to other cultures will enlighten others to a broader world outside their own. However, we often forget that minority groups are constantly facing pressures from outside and from within to conform to dominant cultural norms. A perfect example I experienced in my class was with an ELL whose parents made him skip school to work half days to provide for his family. Because everytime he did show up for class, he was being threatened with court action, he stopped coming altogether. His family did not value public education in the same way as we might. This particular school I worked at had a lot of drop-out issues because of the large number of immigrants whose families were poor. Although the district and the school looked at it as a cultural problem, their solutions was to "get tough" rather than to work with the community to provide a culturally responsive soliution to the concern. We know education is valuable, but a family's ability to provide for it's members and an older child's obligation to do the same, as culturally particular as that might be, is an equally important consideration. In this case, it doesn't matter how many computers a school has if they are being used in the classroom in ways that are forcing students to abandon the needs of their family. In this case, technology can be useful in providing students with distance learning opportunities and open labs that they can attend during hours in which they are not working. Another way to look at culturally responsive use of CALL is to consider the often one-way scenarios of ESL instruction. Although our goal is to teach students an L2 (English) we cannot ignore the cultural value of their own language. Many lessons can be created around giving students the opportunity to be ambassadors of their culture. This is one of the premises behind the ethnic studies program. Students explore their roots and practice ways of expressing their perspectives of History, English and Language. When designing WebQuests, for example, it might be relevant to allow students a chance to express their own cultural values using their L2 in ways that allow them to express their concerns to the larger society in the language of the larger society. This is in contrast to enforcing a broadly and superficially designed multi-cultural lesson on diversity in which we force students to "appreciate" other cultures.
#3. Environmental: When using technology in the classroom, we sometimes count it as a given that technology is a good thing and that we should all value it. Many indigenous cultures as well as a growing number of individuals from displaced and poor communities, do not feel the same way and the use, or overuse, of technology in the classroom can be a form of cultural oppression. As much as I think that it's important not to "overuse" technology or make the assumption that by giving every student a solar powered laptop that connects to a satelite they will somehow "evolve" into the information age and become acclimated to a western democratic lifestyle, I do think technology is important and useful. What is often missing in the equation, and what we have to be conscientious of, is our student's voice; their perspective and the ways in which they inerpret and negotiate meaning and information in the information age.
I appreciate all of the above ideas and I'm thrilled that we have the opportunity to help our students recognize how to realize the need for cultural tolerance. I feel very fortunate that most of the student I teach seem to be comfortable with the local community with the exception of my refugee class. I've found that some very awkward situations result by cultural differences on both sides. I find it humorous at time, but really upsetting at other times. Even some of the basic ways of being a parent and raising children can create a major issue in the community I've worked with. Having translators available to discuss these issues really helps, ...but it's never really easy to explain the fact that people are often too quick to judge on both sides.
ReplyDeleteReading through all of these posts, I see great ideas, some that I have not though of before. I think that teachers need to be very sensitive of where the students come from and not ignore their culture. I like the idea of using WebQuests to introduce different cultures and ideas into the classroom. Also, you can have fiestas and other such festivals that might represent the students in the classroom. One thing I think that helps is to get the students involved in conversation and discussions about their own culture. The students could blog about their culture. They could even do podcasts to teach others about their culture. I think the most important part is to just involve the students and their culture in all parts of your teaching. Make your classroom a multicultural classroom!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading through these comments- very helpful and interesting ideas!
ReplyDeleteAs far as using CALL for culture- I think there are so many tools that we have! The examples above of WebQuests are excellent. Also blogging is helpful. If students are in an EFL- teleconferences and ACMC via emails with English speaking countries would be great for working in cultural aspects. I also like that we have simple methods such as youtube where students can catch a glimpse of different cultural aspects as well. The importance is to use the technology to make it as multi-cultural as possible! Appreciate the students' cultures, and they will respect you when you reveal to them about the culture of the TL.
A very interesting video. Thank you for posting. I'm interested in learning more about that school's program. Do you have any more info on it? Those students had such a strong sense of cultural awareness, and are very well spoken for high school students, don't you think? I bet the teachers in charge of that program are quite progressive.
ReplyDeleteI always try and relate these questions to my current first grade ESL classroom, and I'd have to say that this has always been a challenge, especially in Texas. The curriculum is not written for ESL students, and I know I don't have to tell you how biased Texas textbooks are. I often ask myself, "Why am I teaching them this????!!!!" I teach at a very unique school, where over 30 different languages are spoken. You'd think there would be a strong sense of cultural awareness, but in all actuality, we could really improve in this area. Issues come up everyday with students treating students with disrespect, making fun of them because they are from a different country, speaking with an accent, and so on. I think a lot of it has to do with how little the teachers know about other cultures, or what their views are on embracing other cultures. I'm not here to bash teacher's points of view here, but only to make a point that some just don't find it necessary to teach, or really have no cultural awareness of their own. It's not just about being respectful of other cultures. We need to dig deeper and LEARN and EXPERIENCE other cultures.
I've found myself spending a lot of extra time focusing on my student's cultures, and I make it a point every year to do more of it. While we embrace American holidays, tradition, cultures in my classroom, I try to balance it out with learning about their traditions and culture. In terms of CALL, we are actually working on a digital storytelling project where they write stories from their country and then make them into a digital story. We are using KidPix and Movie Maker.
In the video, the students talked about a course called Social Justice, where they would analyze the justice system in America and write papers on how they think it's working or not working. Talk about higher order thinking skills!!! Those teachers are really getting those kids to THINK, which is something public schools are struggling with these days...
@Mary Krider,
ReplyDeleteRegarding the ethnic studies program in Tucson schools, it is currently banned by the state of Arizona. Despite its tremendous success at turning the performance scores around for minority students, the Arizona State Education Board felt that it was "un-American". PBS.org has a really interesting report on the contraversy.
You also brought up a really keen observation about "learning" and "experiencing" the cultures of others. For one, alot of state systems assume that by embracing a 'values-nuetral" mainstream curriculum that values all cultures equally, they are being "multicultural". In truth, nothing we do in education is "values-neutral" and if anyone ever claims that something is I think that is reason to be VERY suspicious.
Regarding your experience in Texas schools,I think you hit the hammer on the nail...The role of the ESL program in Texas is to mainstream students. In the process, there is a loss of, or perhaps, devaluation of one's original culture. This is particularly true when the curriculum is designed to reflect certain mainstream values...for instance...assumptions about the benefits of technology or assumptions about free market capitalism as was the case with the recent revisions of the TEKS by the Texas State Board of Education in 2010.
Finally, celebrating multiculturalism with "enchilada day" in the cafeteria or by putting up motivational posters with Antonio Banderas encouraging students to "read" is often the extent of a school's multicultural appreciation.
Great comments! I've enjoyed hearing about this project and some of the unfortunate circumstances in Arizona and Texas. This reminds of the projects we've read about where cmc has been able to connect language learners from across the world in order to have dialogs about cultural values and beliefs. I think it's great whenever language can be examined for meaning and content, rather than just as an object. And I agree with Mr T - kids should never be subjected to posters of Antonio Banderas on their classroom walls. =)
ReplyDeleteInteresting posts from everyone! I think technology and some of the tools we've explored this term could be used in a number of ways. A webquest could certainly be used as a way to do some research into pertinent issues and students would have a chance to do some digging and thinking on their own. The use of wikis as a way to explore literature, define terms, give summaries etc would be a way to interact with cultural readings/literature between classes--something else discussed in our class this semester. I've really loved the idea of students making their own media to post online via Youtube and videos or some sort of podcast series perhaps through a website/blog--giving students a global voice is a powerful tool. And of course...there are interclass exchanges. As we saw in our reading on the german/english class partnership, there is a lot that can be learned (sometimes the hard way) about other cultures through chat and email exchanges--especially when they need to work in partnership with each other.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that it is important for language learners as well as all learners to be exposed to different cultures as well as their own. Teachers sometimes shy away from producing lessons on these issues because they do not want to offend anyone. The truth is that students and teachers need this open communication and teachers should not be afraid of announcing that they are not familiar with a particular culture. We are in the Just in Time learning era so the information is at our fingertips! It would be fun to make it a class project where everyone gets to participate in a role. Even the teacher can do some of the work load and it will feel like a team effort and everyone will learn.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if it's possible to teach culture. You can learn about culture, but there are so many aspects that one would have to learn. But, since communication is becoming global (with the internet), more of the culture is becoming global and people from different geographical cultures are starting to use the same communication patterns. Digital literacy is the new cultural literacy! I'd hope than American-Studies would have a strong emphasis on technology and its use. CALL can open up avenues of communication and can allow students to connect with their families and teach their families from a distance--or become an activist for promoting bringing technology and internet to areas lacking.
ReplyDeleteIt is a good question for ESL teachers to think about it. I can realize the English language learners’ feelings that they feel their cultures are not valuable in the U.S. I think that’s why many English speakers choose to make friends or live in a particular community with the people have the same background. I would like to find a movie or film to discuss about the cultural differences. Students can share their experiences after the movie. Sometimes the film can inspire students’ thinking about how to resolve problems in that situation because it relates to their real life. They can post their thought on the class blog or share the film with friends through email or facebook.
ReplyDeleteAnother way that I will use is role-play. I can give a specific situation to students and I will assign small groups to discuss the situation I gave. While students have role-play in the whole class, I will record the videos and put videos in the class blog. At the end of the semester, students will be requested to review the videos and share if they have different thoughts about this topic or what did they do to solve the problems in the real life. I believe that they would have more chances to think about this topic.
This is a questions that I am not really sure about. Especially the dual identity. This is I guess an issue of encouraging diversity, not only in our ESL students but as a human being as a teacher to all humans around us. I had to adjust my Personal Identity a lot when I came to the United States, and it happened to such an extent that I almost lost all of my Russian language on the way to being a perfect American. As far as using call to address these issues I really am pretty stomped, except that We as teachers have to remember that most of the world is behind on technology, except maybe a few places in far east asia and most industrial countries of europe like germany and england. Thus students who come to our classrooms from other countries must understand the role that technology actually plays in defining the american way of life. Trends like the iphone and the ipod are some of the examples of technology become intertwined with culture. So I believe that it is really important that we do teach students technology, but I am not sure about how CALL can be apart of that.
ReplyDeleteThis article looks provocative for me. We are entering the world of CALL, that supposidly keep owr ELL alone-with-screen. Yet we are trying to add ingredients of "teaching as interaction+communication art" And we have the ELL, the subject of discussion, this "two-ness" personality, who is really strugging with his/her integration process. Anyway this "two-ness" creature couldn't survive like Locnness monster, he/she has to overcome his/her integration problrems to be welcomed into "Salad Bowl" of american society. I don't think ESL teacher can do all the job of helping to integrate. Church and other community services are exist for this. But it is good to be aware about the situation, and keep in the mind, that ELL can be vulnerable and need some extra assistance. At least anyone in this profession has to have this nerve. To be able to balance and succedd between students needs and professional duties.
ReplyDeleteI once watched this YouTube video that dealt with the mores of Australian culture. Specifically the side of the street to drive on, the different ways to greet each other, and the different communication problems that might arise between people who did not know the lingo. Interestingly, there are many of these types of videos on YouTube and they are often presented in a comedic way whilst also providing important information for those who might travel there. I am not sure how to fully adapt this to a full fledged computer driven curriculum , but I think it is a start.
ReplyDelete