Standard 2 Reflection

The first artifact covers constructivism and sociocultural ideas and speaks
directly to Standard 2. Constructivism is one of the first theories that
interested me in my studies to become an ELL educator. Finding ways to
make teaching student-centered is an achievement filled with short and
long term rewards. It impressed upon me the need to always assess the
background knowledge of each ELL and find activities to help them build on
that knowledge and use it as a bridge to acquiring the concepts being
taught. Helping ELLs to tap into their past experiences can provide
motivation for learning new concepts. When constructivist approaches are
interwoven with sociocultural elements, the success rate for language
acquisition can be augmented dramatically. Alos, sociocultural approaches
create intrinsic motivation and are easily accessible while constructivist
approaches allow for the student to engage themselves in the learning
process. When students build on the familiar, the learning process also
seems more natural.

The second artifact, a research paper focusing on ELLs in the inclusive

classroom, hones in on ways to make lessons culturally relevant to all
students, not just some. This can be a challenge in a culturally diverse

classroom setting. We are reminded of how educators have control over

classroom management styles, how discipline is administered, student
backgrounds, all of which come into play when implementing lesson plans
or facilitating educational activities. I learned about classroom resources,
websites, texts and ideas that teachers can implement into their lessons
that address cultural diversity. At the very least there should be a constant
conscious effort to think about reaching all ELL groups with every lesson
delivered.
One approach I found interesting was allowing students to compete
assignments in the L1 language as a way to promote literacy in both
languages. It follows that if a student is proficient in L1, acquiring L2 can be
easier. L1 written narratives can reveal to educators how best to direct
teaching approaches. The idea is to get them to think about subject or
content matter and not allow language to get in the way of expression.
Encouraging L1 literacy at home is also supported. The only concern is to
make sure what the student produces is understood, especially if the
teacher is not fluent in the students L1. Also, the L1 narratives have to be
useful for teaching purposes. Teachers will have to monitor their students
carefully and guide them appropriately so that this approach bears fruit.