ASL Classroom Management

     I have always been fascinated by American Sign Language. It is something I have always wanted to learn, and something that has always clicked with me. In the fall of 2009, at the age of 37, my mom lost her hearing, and was completely deaf in both ears. I watched her struggle through having hearing aids, and through an eventual surgery, that has allowed her to get her hearing back. She always had a hard time, with reading peoples lips, because no one ever made eye contact or talked loud enough for her to get a general idea of what the person was saying to her. While my mother never learned ASL she was able to depend on lip reading and context clues, in order to communicate effectively with others, until she was able to hear again.
       My cousin Emily who is 2 years old, was born with hearing loss, for the first year of her life, Emily couldn't hear and the doctors believed she would never be able to hear again. Emily went into an intensive speech therapy program, because she wasn't making noises or developing her speech because she couldn't hear. The program that Emily was in actually was paid for a ASL teacher to come to their house once a week to teach sign language, as they believed it would be the only way to communicate with Emily. My aunt and uncle invited most of the family, and every week for about 3 months, they spent 2 hours a week learning ASL. While I was not able to attend because I was at school, my mom attended every class. She learned so much, and I remember seeing her on brakes and she would sign things for me and show me what she learned. She was so excited.
     Within the last 6 months, Emily had a turnaround. They put tubes in her ears, and she was able to hear again, but she still has some significant hearing loss. Her cleft palate will also make speech difficult for her, so she still sees a speech pathologist weekly.
   For my family learning ASL was important to us because it directly affected us. Over spring break I was thinking about ASL and being deaf and how it affected my family, and how one day it might affect me personally as well. As my mother's hearing loss was genetic, I have a good chance of developing it at a young age too. I thought about how I could incorporate this in my classroom. Was there a way that I could incorporate sign language into my every day lesson plan? Could I have a little power point with important vocab words of the day, and how to sign them? I decided to do a simple google search, to see what popped up. Within seconds, I was bombarded with links on how to use ASL as a effective classroom management technique.
    The articles talked about using, sign language, to sign things like bathroom, water fountain, or even things like I have a question, or I have a comment, in order to minimize disruptions in the classroom. It would be so easy to have my students just raise their hand with the sign for restroom, and I could easily, direct them, by signing yes or no, without stopping the class or disrupting an activity or lectures. Most of the teachers who wrote about ASL classroom management were elementary or middle school teachers. This is could also be an effective tool in high school, but I am apprehensive because it might not work as well for older students, who might find it petty. Is it too childish? Is it appropriate to use?
     ASL classroom management is an idea I would like to explore further, it seems like if used correctly it could be extremely effective. Not only does it help minimize distractions in my classroom, but it is also teaching my students a new language, that one day they could find useful or helpful in their life.

    Check out this link:
 Sign Language Classroom Management Posters

My beautiful cousin Emily

    
            

Sexuality in Nepal

LGBT Pride Parade in Nepal

      In Nepal, the LGBT community fairs very differently then in western society. Nepal is a deeply rooted Patriarchal society. Patriarchal means a society or government that is controlled by men. Thus there is a powerful stigma  against females, but also sexual and gender minorities in general. They are perceived as a social "vikriti" or "a state of deterioration that can connote disease, degeneracy, deformation and malformation" 
      There has been a very long history of this powerful stigma against the LGBT community. This stigma is based on a lack of understanding and the strong Nepali views that the biological sex is the only natural sex. While Nepal's patriarchal society does not accept the diversity of the LGBT community, they may be tolerant of them. Currently in Nepal, issues such as the Caste System and Ethnic Identity politics are the most pressing matters, and subsequently LGBT rights is often put on the back burner.
    In Nepal 80% of the population is Hindu while 10% is Buddhist. Because these religions are built on acceptance and don't have any rules or scriptures against gender identity and sexual orientation, religion does not strongly contribute to discrimination. Thus it is social and societal norms that contribute the most heavily.
    Some young Nepalese LGBT drop out of school due to harassment and bullying from both the students and the teachers. There is a clear lack of LGBT friendly environments within the schools. Transgender students can be denied access to exams because of issues with uniforms and identification.
    In relation to Nepal, there are no Anti-discrimination laws to cover the employment sector, and many LGBT individuals report discrimination and sexual harassment within the workplace.
   It is important to remember that same-sex marriage is not legalized in Nepal, and was only decriminalized recently in the Supreme Court Verdict of 2007, suggested decriminalizing same sex marriage and which reaffirmed the notion that the LGBT community had the same rights as all Nepali citizens, and moved to put more anti-discriminatory laws in place. Unfortunately this verdict has not been implemented properly and even today there have not been any major efforts by the government to legalize same sex marriage. Today in Nepal, LGBT relationships are not recognized by law and couples cannot adopt children. Lesbian couples are also denied access to IVF and Transgender individuals have immense trouble legally changing their gender.
     The media has played a huge part in highlight LGBT issues in Nepal. They have actively reported on victories and challenges faced by the community. The media however is criticized for not reporting on the wide diversity of the LGBT community and for sometimes reporting inaccurately. As far as support for the LGBT community goes, there is a regular LGBT radio program that broadcasts information and advice about the health and right issues of sexual and gender minorities. Even the Nepali movie industry is beginning to produce films that depict same sex relationships.
    While the Nepali society is not accepting to LGBT communities as it could be, there are still much better off than LGBT in countries where being LGBT is criminalized. Currently there are 55 LGBT civil society organizations in Nepal. While these organizations are very weak, I suspect that as time goes on, the Nepali LGBT voice will become louder and their voices will be heard, and a change will be made.

Sources: http://digitalcollections.sit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3115&context=isp_collection

https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1861/Being_LGBT_in_Asia_Nepal_Country_Report.pdf

Education In Afghanistan

   As part of an exit, assignment, I was asked to write a little about the education systems in Afghanistan, I have put together some facts as well as other findings I have found about the education system. Afghanistan is located in the Middle East. It is a predominately Muslim country, and Afghanistan is typically known for their patriarchal society and their mistreatment of females. Afghanistan has also been a war torn country for the past decade, so this also does not benefit the students in Afghanistan.

• The country as a whole spends about 3.4% of its budget on education
• The average literacy rate of individuals over 15 is 38.2%.
• 52% of males are literate while on 24.2% of females are literate.
• On average from primary to tertiary school, males spend about 13 years in school while women spend 8 years in school.

          (facts from world factbook)

• The Afghanistan Ministry of Education has built around 16,000 schools and trained 154,000 teachers since 2002.
• Today, 9 million students are currently enrolled in school in Afghanistan, 40% of the students are female.  

             (USAID website)

While I could not find much on differences between rural and urban areas and socioeconomic status as the sites that could have possibly had information were blocked, I did find however that, “According to the Afghan Central Statistics Organization, public university enrollment has increased from 7,800 in 2001 to 174,425 in 2015, 21% of which are women, and demand for higher education continues to grow.”

 While Afghanistan is considered a developing countries there are obvious changes and advancements that are being made. Due to the active support of organizations like the United States Agency for International Development, there has been some drastic changes within the education system, and girls are getting more opportunities than they had had before

Sources: The World Factbook and the USAID website

Education in Nepal

 

     I have been doing some research in regards to my student's home country of Nepal. I know a lot about our education system in the United States, and I know my student was able to go to school during his time in the refugee camp in Nepal, but what I didn't realize is the quality of education and the literacy in Nepal.
      Nepal is one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world. The average life expectancy is 61 years old and 90% of Nepalese live in a rural community. The
 public education and Nepal's Ministry of Education and Sports was not founded until the year 1951. Hence Nepal's education system is very new. Education levels in Nepal are very low, and only 1/3 of the population has received formal schooling. While primary education is free, the government schools are often inadequate and overcrowded. To add to this many communities have cultural practices that are against sending children to school. This practice is most specifically aimed at girls, who leave school by the age of 12. Basic education is considered 8 years long which includes primary and lower secondary education. The enrollment in secondary schools is less than 35%. 
     Literacy in Nepal is not very high either. Among adults only 53.7% are literate. Of Males who are over 15, 65.1% are literate and females over 15, only 34.5% are literate. There is obviously a huge gap between males and females.


source: Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life. Ed. Timothy L. Gall and Jeneen Hobby. Vol. 4: Asia & Oceania. 2nd ed. Detroit: Gale, 2009. p714-720.

A primary school at a Bhutanse Refugee Camp in Nepal

   S told me a little about his school in the refugee camps. He said it was made out of mud and straw, and they had wooden benches and desks to sit on. S told me how the teachers were very strict. He talked about how the students were expected to memorize the Periodic Table of Elements and the Multiplication tables, as well as the spelling of scientific words like "Mitochondria." If the students did not memorize them, they would be punished. S said this was why he was so good at spelling "Mitochondria" He remarked how easy the teachers in America were, and how no one was ever punished for spelling something wrong.





  

Facts about Nepal

   
    

The student I will be working with this year is from Nepal. He is 19 years old and came to America in 2015 from a refugee camp, where he lived for 17 years. I did some research and put together some pictures and fun facts about Nepal. So here they are:

FUN FACTS:

·        Nepal is Located in Asia

·         It is Slightly larger than Arkansas

·        It is   Landlocked between China and India

·         Mount Everest is located there, contains 8 of the world’s 10 highest peaks

·         Population: 29,033,914

·         Nepali is the official language

·         The Median Age is 23.6 years

·         18.6% of the population is urban

·         Kathmandu is the Capital

·         Life Expectancy 70.7 years

·         Average woman has 2 children

·         2.9% Obesity Rate

·         63.9% of the population is literate

·         One of the poorest and least developed countries in the world

·         70% of the population depends on agriculture

·         Labor Force: 69% Agriculture 12% Industry 19% Services

·         17.6% of the population are internet users

·         Insurgency led by Maoists started in 1996. Caused 10 year civil war. Absolute Power was instated in 2002, and elections were held in 2013. Nepal’s new constitution came into effect in September 2015.

 

Flag of Nepal

Nepal is right in between India and China

Pretty Picture of Nepal

More Thought's On Our Approach To English Language Learners

                I have already posted a few blog posts about ELL's but I feel as if its a topic that isn't talked about often enough. For a class reading we were assigned 2 articles, Preparing English Language Learners for Academic Success, and Teaching English Language Learners: What does Research Tell Us?. (I will post links to both articles below. I encourage you to give them a read.) As I read these articles, it was coming apparent that I myself didn't have a lot of knowledge about how the programs for ELL students are being cultivated and what they actually need to be successful. I imagine that majority of these students don't attend top private schools, so I was really entrigued to see how schools are helping ELL's be successful. While these articles give a general overview, I would like to do more research on my own into what  resources schools actually have.
        
           According to a study there are over 3.4 million ELL students, in our schools right now, and ELL students represent 6% of all school aged children. 79% of these students come from Spanish households and 2/3rds of ELLs come from low income families. When reading the article about Preparing ELLS for Academic Success, I was a little shocked to find out that there is no common benchmark for English Language proficiency. I guess I was so taken aback because ELL students make up a huge part of the student body of America. The government has always been very gungho about common core standards, so I was confused when they didn't really have a plan for ELLs.
  
         The types programs that are available to our students is probably the most crucial to their success. While there are many different methods that our used. The articles seem to suggest that bi-lingual programs work the best, and is most helpful for students trying to learn a new language. On average it takes students about 3-5 years to be proficient in oral English and 5-7 to be proficient in Academic English. The law however only gives up to 4 years, to get a student up "full proficiency." To me this seems a little ridiculous, how do we expect students to learn a new language proficiently in the matter of three years? I doubt that any average American Student could learn a new language "proficiently" that quickly either. I guess it just doesn't seem quite fair to put such a time constraint on something that is clearly very important. A 2015 study in Washington found that on average it takes Spanish Speaking Learners a little over 4 years to be completely proficient in the English Language.
 
     I don't know how to fix the problems, or how to make things more cohesive for our ELL students but I can see that we are making the right strides. As of 2015 , More than 45 States in the US, use 1 out of 2 of the English-Language proficiency test, in order to gauge student's success. Researchers believe that by using these assessments they will be able to gather some clearer data in regards to what is working and what is and how we can better help our students.







          Articles:

       Preparing English Language Learners for Academic Success,
         
http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/Main-Menu/Instruction/What-research-says-about-English-language-learners-At-a-glance/Preparing-English-language-learners-for-academic-success.html


   Teaching English Language Learners: What does Research Tell Us?

  http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2016/05/11/teaching-english-language-learners-what-does-the-research.html

            

WIDA

Today, I learned a new word, WIDA. WIDA is a word that after 19 years of life I had not heard or ever really knew much about. WIDA stands for the World-class Instructional Design and Assessment. So in short, a system of assessments/standards followed in various states that ensure the success of English Language Learners (ELL) in schools around the country. After the past two days, I have been shown that ELL and Teaching English as Second Language (TESOL) is a huge topic that not only has been reasearched greatly, but in many areas it is not as comprehensive has it should be. We are living in an expansive country that is changing rapidly. We are a mixing pot full of immigrants, and different cultures and languages. As a future Educator it is up to me to be aware of the changing population of students and how I as a teacher can help them learn the best. It will be very probable that in my classrooms throughout the years I will have an ELL learner among my students.
      Being an ELL teacher is a field that I have been interested in but very hesitant to pursue. My Step-Mom who has her masters in Pyschology is now a middle school history teacher, but before that she worked at an elementary school in Colorado Springs that had a very high Latino population, and more than half of the students who attended there only spoke Spanish, and most of the teachers there were bilingual. My Step-mom who was a secretary at the time and she recalled to me that even she had to brush up on her Spanish. She told me about a little boy, who's father was in Jail, and he was having problems in school. She told me how most of the kids here, had at least one family member in prison and a lot them were struggling. This particular little boy, ended up forming a relationship with my dad who was a Police officer in Colorado Springs at the time, and my dad became a positive role   model, for young boy who didn't have one.
       Ever since my Step-mom shared her experiences with me, I had an interest in helping ELL students. And in fact for a long time, I looked into learing ASL and being a teacher for the deaf. Something that is very close to my heart, as my 2 year old cousin is deaf, my mom lost her hearing, and it is very likely that I too will lose my hearing by the time I'm 40. My wandering mind didn't hold these ideas for very long, but that does not mean, I won't try again. I still have hopes of learning Spanish and ASL and even moving out west, Colorado ideally, and making a difference. I know that i was put on this earth to make a change and to help others. Whether that be students in a white upper class community or students in the city, I want to inspire at least one student, to strive for more. It breaks my heart when I see people with potential who are so smart and so gifted, but they just were put in the wrong circumstances or they just don't see the point in trying. I want to make it my mission, to not only be a good teacher and role model but to also inspire every young adult and child to strive for more and follow their dreams no matter how hard it may be.

            

         

Thoughts on a Single Story

 

 Danger of a Single Story by Ngozi Chimamanda :

https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story
     

                In Chimamanda Ngozi’s Ted Talk, she talks about her struggle as a writer and an African author, and the different perceptions that people have based on the story they s see. I think as a college student, one thing that I can take from Ngozi’s speech is that we tend to have only one perception of someone or something, and to look beyond that perception and realize that there are more stories than just the one we see. Often when we watch the news we only get one story.  Ngozi described how her first American college roommate’s perception of her was based on the things she had seen about Africa, Africa as a poor, third world country. Which was not how Ngozi grew up at all. By knowing the whole story, and ALL the stories we are able to have a better understanding of not only ourselves but others.
           As a teacher, I think this means to look at our students as individuals, and understand that the way they might act in the classroom is not the only definition of who they are. As a teacher it is our responsibility to not only teach but open up our eyes to the struggles that our students are facing not only inside of the classroom but outside of the classroom too. There’s always something more to it than just what we see, and being aware and open to everyone's stories is a way of helping our students, but also benefitting ourselves. Not to look down on them and pity if they are struggling, but instead we should say, “How can I help you?”and accept some of the humility. Chimamanda reflected on the fact that she only saw the young boy who worked for her family as poor and she could not see his abilities. Let me be a teacher who sees ability in my students and not the things that are holding them back.