Session 4: Developing Knowledge of Assets and Legal Obligations

LA 4.1 (30 min) Sharing the Assets of Our School Neighborhoods. Teachers share their asset maps with others in their group.  Circulate among the partner groups as they share according to the directions. Listen to reports and note assets discovered and how they discovered them. Ask each group to report an asset they think is unique to their location or school community.   

They will turn in their map for a grade. As you review them and the explanation quickly, provide positive comments but also push them to consider other potential assets. Return the maps, but remind them they will review them again in Course 6, Parent and Family, so they don’t need to make a new one then. 

 

LA 4.2 (25 min.) Reviewing Changing Demographics. Teachers will discuss their notes and their understandings from the video (there are prompts to push their discussion deeper). Allow them to share with each other for about 15 min. Listen and if you do not think they are getting deep enough insert the class discussion earlier. Now you will have at least 10 minutes for them to share ideas and for you to potentially provide a commentary on the Video and on the implications the shorter video they watched could also be used but you would need to take more time from the class time to do this (use your judgement here about what you think your class needs).    

 

LA 4.3 (15 min.) Exploring Learning about EL Myths and Realities Teachers have read and considered EL Myths and Realities in their HW 3.2. You might want them to do both LA 4.2 and LA 4.3 in their group providing them with 15 minutes total to discuss learning from their homework based on the prompts in the direction and then use the total time left which would be 25 minutes to have a whole class discussion considering the Myths and Realities in terms of changing demographics. You might end with a shower of ideas about how they could inform their colleagues and associates or take action in their classroom or school around these ideas.  

 

LA 4.4 (15 min) Examining the Meaning of a Supreme Court Decision. Teachers read the article linked. As they read, the group discusses the ideas in relationship to their understanding. After reading they make a list of the important ideas in the article.   

 

LA 4.5—In groups, teachers go to the link in the instructions.  They scroll down to Section 2: Common Civil Rights Issues.  They divide the work described in the instructions as equally as possible and each person fills out their assignment part in the chart provided.  Each person then presents the information they read to the rest of the group, as the others make notes in the spaces on the chart.  You will lead a discussion regarding teachers’ responsibilities for civil rights, questions about how your district meets the demands of the issues raised and invite them to share their concerns about the district and their schools and consider actions they might take in their own classroom or school or at the district level. 

Here is a summary of the section of the document teachers are reviewing chart:  (https://equitypress.org/-sCHD). You might want to print this out so you have it with you as students ask questions.  

 

HW 4.1 Teacher Reflection This is the reflection component: asking them to think about and respond in their practice to the learning in this session on changing demographics, Supreme court decisions and compliance issues with OCR and opening opportunity   

 

Remind the teachers that at the end of this course they will construct portfolios and should save artifacts and explanations of aha’s (insights) as they go. They will need one for each characteristic of Inclusive Pedagogy Including the center question which is Who is this child? 

 

HW 4.2 Understanding the Myths and Realities of Enrollment  

Teachers will read an additional segment of the book Myths and Realities. Make sure teachers know which of these segments they are reading: Enrollment (pages 8-11) and Native Language Instruction (pages 12-16) [6 myths], Placement (pages 28-45) [8 myths], Staffing and Staff Development (pages 86-98) [7 myths]  

Teachers will create a graphical representation of the myth they chose from their reading.  Select a strategy for teachers to share their myth and its representation to as many people as possible. (gallery walk; inside/outside circle; fishbowl; etc.) 

 

HW 4.3 The World Outside and Inside Schools —Teachers will read the assigned article and discuss it in their groups.  Then they will apply their learning from the article by filling in the analysis sheet on the 2 students and create a profile for each. They will write what the legal, moral, and ethical obligations are for teachers.  They will share their findings in session 5. 

 

HW 4.4 Reviewing and Analyzing Landmark Cases/Legislation Involving ELs.  The cases the teachers will review are considered the most important. The teachers will need to analyze the cases on a number of issues (The chart is linked here so you will be aware of what is needed (https://equitypress.org/-nfLk). 

 

 HW 4.5 Implications of Court Decisions Teachers will read through the court cases provided and make inferences. (You might want to remind them an inference is a conclusion based on facts and details—an implicit understanding that emerges from the details.)  

 

This content is provided to you freely by Equity Press.

Access it online or download it at https://equitypress.org/tell_facilitator_guide/session_4.