Bilingual StudentsDeaf and Hearing-- Learn about Science: Using Visual Strategies, Technology and Culture Jean F.

Andrews, Mary Anne Gentry, Melissa DeLana and David Cocke Lamar University

Contact Author Dr. Jean F. Andrews P !o" #$$%& De't o( Communication Disorders ) Dea( *ducation Lamar University !eaumont, +, %%%#$ -$./00$/#0-0 Jandrews-%1aol.com 2u3mitted to4 Lan5ua5e Learner, March 6$$& Jean F. Andrews is a 'ro(essor o( Dea( *ducation in the De't o( Communication Disorders ) Dea( *ducation at Lamar University, !eaumont, +,. Dr. Dr. Mary Anne Gentry is a 'ro(essor o( Dea( *ducation. Melissa DeLana is a doctoral student and instructor. Dr. David Cocke is a 'ro(essor o( Chemistry and holds the Gill Chair (or Chemistry. +his 'a'er was su''orted 3y two 7ational 2cience Foundation Grants 87F2 9$-:;&% and 7F2 9;::66%< with Dr. Andrews and Dr. Cocke as Pro=ect >nvesti5ators.

Bilingual StudentsDeaf and Hearing-- Learn about Science: Using Visual Strategies, Technology and Culture Jean F. Andrews, Mary Anne Gentry, Melissa DeLana and David Cocke Lamar University

?The Grand Canyon is the worlds premier example of soil erosion. See Figure 1. @ow will 3ilin5ual students, lackin5 science voca3ulary in *n5lish, visualiAe this conce't as they readB +he traditional 'rocess o( la3elin5 'ictures and dia5rams is rarely the e((ective choice. +he creative mind must 3e stimulated. Cisual ima5ery must 3e evoked. Conce'tual hook/u's to real li(e e"'eriences must 3e 'rovided. +rue science teachin5 should su''ort students on a Duest to understand, en=oy, and 'onder scienti(ic conce'ts. Under two recent 7ational 2cience Foundation 'ro=ects, teachers are learnin5 to do =ust that/ enrich science learnin5 e"'eriences. +hese 'ro=ects have 'rovided 'reservice and inservice teachers the tools they need to (ully en5a5e their 3ilin5ual students durin5 science instruction. @ands/on, minds/on, inDuiry/3ased, visually su''orted activities that em3ed technolo5y and cultural elements across the curriculum have 3een cele3rated. 2i" school sites are 'artici'atin5 in Lamar UniversityEs two year lon5 'ro(essional develo'ment trainin5 desi5ned teachers o( dea( and hearin5 3ilin5ual students in 5rades F/0. 2cience teachers (rom the +e"as 2chool (or the Dea(, the Ala3ama 2chool (or the Dea(, the Louisiana 2chool (or the Dea(, the 7ational Dea( Academy in Mt. Dora, Florida, Fletcher *lementary 2chool in !eaumont, +e"as and Gu3en C. Godri5ueA *lementary 2chool in *dcouch, +e"as have 3een colla3oratin5 to develo' science

teachin5 materials to increase 3ilin5ual childrenEs interest in and knowled5e a3out science. +hese teachers come to5ether twice a year to receive trainin5 in inDuiryH 'ro3lem/3ased learnin5 strate5ies 8A3ruscato, 6$$-< alon5 with 3ilin5ual literacy strate5ies 82imms, Andrews ) 2mith, 6$$;I Ca''ellini, 6$$;< that (ully su''ort science teachin5. Jhen they arrive 3ack at their res'ective cam'uses, they receive hi5h/tech, low/cost eDui'ment4 multimedia stations, document cameras, com'uters, 'rinters, LCD 'ro=ectors, di5ital microsco'es, deskto' videocon(erencin5, di5ital cameras and di5ital camcorders. +he com3ination o( trainin5, curriculum develo'ment, and technolo5ical resources ensures instructional e((ectiveness and im'roves teacher motivation (or immediate im'lementation. Usin5 di5ital technolo5ies to enhance native lan5ua5e instruction, teachers are a3le to make science conce'ts come alive. For the hearin5 3ilin5ual children, this includes the use o( 2'anish, (or the dea( 3ilin5uals, American 2i5n Lan5ua5e 8A2L<. *n5lish then, is em'hasiAed as a second lan5ua5e, with science conce'ts understood throu5h dual lan5ua5e trans(er. +eachers learn to incor'orate visual techniDues, ena3lin5 technolo5ies and lin5uistic 3rid5in5 strate5ies to su''ort this dynamic 'rocess. +he No Child Left ehind !"t 87CL!, 6$$#< standards (or ri5orous assessment in science is si(tin5 down into lower elementary 5rades sendin5 some teachers o( *LL 8*n5lish Lan5ua5e Learners< classrooms into 'anic. +eachers under these 72F 'ro=ects have no need to worry, however. Lamar University and +he 7ational 2cience Foundation are hel'in5 teachers understand that assessment is not =ust an end o( the year event, as with state com'etency e"ams. Gather, e((ective assessment is an on5oin5 'rocess, em3edded into la3s, (ield e"cursions, social e"chan5e, and student 'ro=ects.

Assessment 3ecomes the means, then, (or on5oin5 evaluation o( teachin5 and learnin5, rather than sim'ly as an end to an instructional unit or sin5le course. +hrou5h current and 'revious 72F e((orts researchers at Lamar University are enterin5 science classrooms, talkin5 to 3ilin5ual teachers, and 'rovidin5 them with 'ro(essional develo'ment in science teachin5, curriculum, and authentic assessment. +hese e((orts have 'rovided insi5hts into instructional e((ectiveness (or 3ilin5ual science classrooms. More s'eci(ically, o3servation o( 3oth the hearin5 and dea( 5rou's have 'rovided a wealth o( understandin5 re5ardin5 the underlyin5 mechanisms in learnin5 *n5lish as a second lan5ua5e and how this e"tends into science learnin5. 2ee Fi5ure 6.

!ilin5ual 2cience Learners4 2imilarities and Di((erences Many similarities e"ist 3etween dea( and hearin5 3ilin5ual students. !oth 5rou's o( students enter the classroom with varied lan5ua5e a3ilities in 3oth their (irst and second lan5ua5es. For e"am'le, many 8hearin5< 2'anishH*n5lish 3ilin5ual students 'ossess weak 2'anish skills. Likewise, many dea( A2LH*n5lish 3ilin5ual students have weak A2L skills. Additionally, they will all di((er on their levels o( second lan5ua5e com'etency. ConseDuently, they e"'erience di((iculty trans(errin5 their L# schema to their L6 learnin5 without teacher 5uidance. For e"am'le, they may mi" the 5rammars o( 3oth o( their lan5ua5es when writin5, a 'henomenon re(erred to as cross/lin5uistic trans(er. +he 3ilin5ual students must 3e tau5ht to utiliAe 3ilin5ual techniDues, such as translations and codeswitchin5, to create a 3rid5e that e"tends (rom their (irst lan5ua5e schema to second lan5ua5e content learnin5. +he stru55le to learn to read *n5lish academic te"ts, such as their science te"t3ook, is e"tremely demandin5. +o (urther

com'licate the 'ro3lem, teachers in 3ilin5ual classrooms may have insu((icient lin5uistic skills and trainin5 to 'rovide a''ro'riate lan5ua5e modelin5 andHor assist in the lan5ua5e learnin5, science learnin5 'rocess. @earin5 and dea( 3ilin5uals alike have another 5reat need. +here is a lack o( dual lan5ua5e materials, 3oth 2'anishH*n5lish and A2LH*n5lish. Jhile certain as'ects are similar, others remain uniDue to each 'o'ulation. Clearly, hearin5 3ilin5uals have certain advanta5es dea( 3ilin5uals do not have. +hey can learn to read and write their (irst lan5ua5e 82'anish< then trans(er this knowled5e o( conce'ts. +hey can use "ognates to 3rid5e their literacy skills in *n5lish. Cognates are the thousands o( words that sound almost the same in *n5lish and in 2'anish and have the same root and meanin5. +he hearin5 2'anishH*n5lish 3ilin5ual student can ta' into these words and use them to advance their knowled5e o( *n5lish and to im'rove their academic voca3ulary in science. Additionally, hearin5 3ilin5uals are constantly 3om3arded 3y incidental social lan5ua5e in'ut u'on which they can 3uild their academic *n5lish skills. +hese advanta5es are not outside o( the e"'erience o( the dea( 3ilin5ual. +hey are not 3om3arded with social lan5ua5e on the 'lay5round, in the halls, or even in their homes 87over, Andrews, *verhart ) !rad(ord, 6$$6<. Dea( A2LH*n5lish 3ilin5uals cannot take advanta5e o( co5nates. Additionally, challen5es are im'osed 3y the con(lict in modality o( their two lan5ua5esI A2L does not have a written (orm. +eachers o( 3ilin5ual children, then, not only need trainin5 in science 'eda5o5y, 3ut also trainin5 that tar5ets strate5ies (or dual lan5ua5e develo'ment in order to 3e e((ective in the science classroom. +he 'rocess o( teachin5 lan5ua5e 3ecomes a critical (actor 3ecause without this knowled5e science conce'ts may not 3e (ully 5ras'ed. +hey must not undervalue the use(ulness o( (irst lan5ua5e su''ort durin5 instruction, even

when the content may 3e e"'ressed in *n5lish 'rint. Furthermore, they must 3e trained in how to develo' Duality dual lan5ua5e materials (or use in the science classroom.

2u''ortin5 Lan5ua5e and Culture Understandin5 the underlyin5 mechanisms needed to learn *n5lish as a second lan5ua5e is o( 'rimary im'ortance, whether students are dea( or hearin5. >nvesti5atin5 e((ective ways to teach these *n5lish lan5ua5e learners how to en=oy, think a3out, and learn science, was 'aramount to the 'ro=ect. +o hel' teachers stimulate discussions that mi5ht move learners to this end, the Pro=ect 'romoted the use o( !loomEs ta"onomy. +o increase understandin5 on the 'art o( teachers and students, the ta"onomy was 'rovided in *n5lish, 2'anish, and A2L. +o 'rovide a conce'tual hook/u' (or students, di5ital ima5es o( (amiliar locations were 'rovide when teachin5 conce'ts, 5eneratin5 discussions, and (or use durin5 the authentic assessment 'rocess. +o hel' or5aniAe the science and lan5ua5e 'ieces, Pro=ect s'ecialists develo'ed authorin5 so(tware that com3ined 'ictures and te"t in all three lan5ua5es 8Foots, Geescano ) 2'encer, 6$$&<. *m3eddin5 culturally relevant in(ormation into the 'ro=ect was also deemed im'ortant (or e((ective instruction since it increases student interest and motivation. For e"am'le, the teachersE materials in Ala3ama, west +e"as and central +e"as showed di((erent environments that their res'ective students could identi(y with. ne science

teacher in west +e"as incor'orated Me"ican (olktales in his teachin5 o( science. Another teacher 'rovided o''ortunities (or dea( children to read a3out Dea( scientists and their contri3utions to science. Five such stories, 'rovided 3y Dr. @arry Lan5, were translated (rom *n5lish 3io5ra'hies to si5ned A2L and oral 2'anish and 'rovided to 'artici'ants on

&

CD/Gom 8Lan5 ) Meath/Lan5, #..;<. 3io5ra'hies o( @is'anic scientists.

+he same 'rocess was com'leted (or

Develo'in5 Pro3lem/!ased Learnin5 Lesson Plans A vital com'onent o( this Pro=ect included 3rin5in5 to5ether 'reservice and inservice teachers to develo' a 3ank o( conce'tually/3ased lesson 'lans that utiliAe a 'ro3lem/3ased learnin5 desi5n. *m3eddin5 science conce'ts across the curriculum was science across the curriculum was em'hasiAed. Additionally, the use o( visual ima5es as a key com'onent, rather than a su''ortin5 tool was 'romoted. Addin5 ca'tioned descri'tions in A2L and in 2'anish 'rovided another strate5y (or lan5ua5e trans(er. +hese teachin5 'rotocols, created in two so(tware 'acka5es/ Microso(t Power Point and 2ectorware, 82'encer, 6$$&< will 3e made availa3le to teachers nationwide. ther vital

in(ormation such as science writin5 sam'les that illustrate cross/lin5uistic trans(er, strate5ies (or incor'oratin5 assessment into la3s, (ield e"cursions, social e"chan5es, and student 'ro=ects will 3e disseminated as well.

+echnolo5y @i5h/tech, low/cost eDui'ment4 multimedia stations, document cameras, com'uters, 'rinters, LCD 'ro=ectors, di5ital microsco'es, deskto' videocon(erencin5, di5ital cameras and di5ital camcorders were 'rovided (or each classroom teacher in the 'ro=ect. +he com3ination o( trainin5, curriculum develo'ment, and technolo5ical resources ensures instructional e((ectiveness and im'roves teacher motivation (or immediate im'lementation.

!alanced Literacy Practices (or !ilin5ual 2tudents +here are numerous strate5ies availa3le to 3ilin5ual teachers who work with A2LH*n5lish or 2'anishH*n5lish 3ilin5ual students. >t was im'erative that teachers 3e 'rovided with in(ormation re5ardin5 these. !elow are a summary o( many o( these 3ilin5ual strate5ies we are workin5 with teachers in the teachin5 o( F/0 science content 3ased on the work o( our collea5ues 87over and al., 6$$6I Freeman ) Freeman, #..0I Li, 6$$;, Lan5 ) Meath/Lan5, #..;I Padden ) Gamsey, #..0I 2imms, Andrews ) 2mith, 6$$;I Ca''ellini, 6$$;<.

+a3le # Strategies for alan"ed Litera"y #ra"ti"es Deaf SL!"nglish Bilinguals +ranslation 8Free and Literal< Preview/Ciew/Geview 8Li, 6$$;< Codeswitchin5 8Fin5ers'ellin5< 8word, sentence, 'ara5ra'h, lesson levels< 8Padden ) Gamsey, 6$$$< 8>n A2L< 2torysi5nin5, A2L Guided Getellin5, Mini/Grammar lessons in A2L, A2L discussions, A2L summaries 82imms and al., 6$$;<. 8>n A2LH*n5lish< 2torysi5nin5, 2toryreadin5, Guided Geadin5, A2LH*n5lish Mini/Grammar Lessons, Fin5ers'ellin5 82imms and al., 6$$;< Use o( Fin5ers'ellin5 to *"'and Coca3ulary 8Padden ) Gamsey, #..0< Hearing S#anish!"nglish Bilinguals +ranslation 8Free and Literal< Preview/Ciew/Geview 8Freeman ) Freeman, #..0< Codeswitchin5 8word, sentence, 'ara5ra'h, lesson levels< 8Freeman ) Freeman, #..0< 8>n 2'anish< Gead Alouds, 2'anish Discussions, Getellin5s, Guided Geadin5, 2hared Geadin5, >nde'endent Geadin5, Literature Circles 8Ca''ellini, 6$$;<. 8>n *n5lish< Gead Alouds, Guided Geadin5, 2hared Geadin5, >nde'endent Geadin5, Getellin5s, Literature Circles 8Ca''ellini, 6$$;<. Use o( Co5nates (or Coca3ulary Develo'ment 8Ca''ellini, 6$$;<

Dea( Culture 8Dea( 2cientists< 8Lan5 ) Meath/Lan5, #..;< 2cience la3 re'orts and =ournals in written *n5lish and si5ned on videota'e in A2L 82imms and al., 6$$;< Guided Jritin5, A2LH*n5lish Mini/ Grammar Lessons, Fin5ers'ellin5/to/ Jritin5 Lessons, JriterEs Jorksho' 82imms and al., 6$$;<

Me"ican/American Culture 8@is'anic 2cientists< 2cience la3 re'orts and =ournals in written 2'anish and in written *n5lish Guided Jritin5, 2'anishH*n5lish Mini/ Grammar Lessons, JritersE Jorksho'

2ummary Dea( and hearin5 3ilin5ual students share similar characteristics in learnin5 *n5lish as a second lan5ua5e. +hey also share (undamental di((erences such as dea( 3ilin5uals to not receive the amount and Duality o( e"'osure to 3oth their lan5ua5es 8A2L and *n5lish< as hearin5 3ilin5ual students do, thus makin5 the lan5ua5e learnin5 'rocesses more di((icult (or the dea( 3ilin5ual. 7onetheless, 'reservice and inservice 3ilin5ual teachers in Dea( *ducation and !ilin5ual *ducation can work to5ether to develo' dual lan5ua5e materials in A2LH*n5lish or 2'anishH*n5lish as they =ointly e"'lore the underlyin5 mechanisms in how their students learn *n5lish across the curriculum. +hese 72F 'ro=ects have resulted in two doctoral dissertations related to 3ilin5ual science education as well as (unded schools and teachers in sti'ends and technolo5y to im'rove science learnin5 with dea( and hearin5 3ilin5ual students.

Ge(erences

A3ruscato, J. 86$$-<. Tea"hing "hildren s"ien"e$ %is"o&ery methods for elementary and middle grades. 6nd edition, !oston, MA4 Allyn ) !acon. Ca''ellini, M. 86$$;<. *sta3lishin5 the 3alanced literacy 'ro5ram4 Geadin5 to, with and 3y children. alan"ed 'eading (nstru"tion, #6, #/:%. Craw(ord, J. 86$$-<. )du"ating )nglish Learners$ Language di&ersity in the "lassroom. Los An5eles, CA4 !ilin5ual *ducational 2ervices >nc. Foots, !., Geescano, M. ) 2'encer, F. 86$$-<. +eachin5 science with 'ictures. >n G. Ka5er 8*d.<. )xemplary s"ien"e in grades *+,$ Standards+-ased su""ess stories. 7ational 2cience +eachers Association Press, Arlin5ton, CA. Fradd, 2. ) Lee, . 8#...<. +eachersE role in 'romotin5 science inDuiry with students (rom diverse lan5ua5e 3ack5rounds. )du"ational 'esear"her, 60, 6#/6%. Fradd, 2., Lee, ., 2utman, *. ) 2a"ton, M. 86$$6<. Materials develo'ment 'romotin5 science inDuiry with *n5lish lan5ua5e learners4 A case study. ilingual 'esear"h .ournal, 6;8-<, -%./;$#. Freeman, K. ) Freeman, D. 8#.00<. )SL/)FL Tea"hing$ #rin"iples for Su""ess. Portsmouth, 7@4 @einemann. @art, J. ) Lee, . 86$$:<. +eacher Pro(essional Develo'ment to >m'rove the 2cience and Literacy Achievement o( *n5lish Lan5ua5e Learners. ilingual 'esear"h .ournal, 6%8:$<, -%;/;$#. Lan5, @. ) Meath/Lan5, !. 8#..;<. %eaf #ersons in the !rts and S"ien"es. Jest'ort, C74 Greenwood. Li, K. 86$$;<. The effe"ts of the -ilingual strategy0#re&iew1 2iew1 'e&iew0on the "omprehension of s"ien"e "on"epts -y deaf !SL/)nglish and 3earing 4exi"an+

#$

!meri"an -ilingual students. Un'u3lished doctoral dissertation, Lamar University, !eaumont, +e"as. 7over, 2., Andrews, J., *verhart, C. ) !rad(ord, M. 86$$6<. !SL/)nglish ilingual Staff %e&elopment in %eaf )du"ation. Kear ; Ge'ort. 7ew Me"ico 2chool (or the Dea(, 2anta Fe, 7M. Padden, C. ) Gamsey, C. 86$$$<. American 2i5n Lan5ua5e and Geadin5 A3ility in Dea( Children. >n C. Cham3erlain, J. Mor(ord ) G. May3erry 8*ds.<. Language !"5uisition -y )ye. Mahwah, 7J4 Lawrence *rl3aum. 2imms, L, Andrews, J. ) 2mith, A. 86$$;<. A 3alance a''roach to literacy instruction (or dea( si5nin5 students. alan"e 'eading (nstru"tion, #6, :./;-.

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