“We the Multicultural Learning Community” Using the Power of Perspectives to Build a Cross-Cultural Community of Learners Rebecca K. Fox, Ph.D. Jorge P. Osterling, Ph.D. George Mason University Fairfax, VA 12 th Annual International NAME Conference October 31, 2002

Action Research Project in a Multicultural Teacher Education Program Report on Emergent Results & Lessons Learned from a Qualitative Study George Mason University

Session Objectives F Report on Ongoing Research Study F Share information about strategies used in retooled graduate course to help teacher candidates develop cross-cultural competence F Promote a 21 st Century philosophy that teachers must become “cultural brokers” F Promote collaboration, discussion among attendees about best teacher education practices that foster equity for all learners

Today’s Agenda F Background of the Study –Overview –Research question F Strategies used to create a cross cultural community of learners. F Examples F Results F Dialogue: questions and discussion.

Background F Impetus for the study –Co-teaching opportunity –Major demographic changes: u USA & Greater Washington Metro Area u Graduate Student Population –Challenge and opportunity to re-tool: u Required first-semester graduate course –Opportunity for professional growth

Research Site F F Graduate School of Education F George Mason University F Fairfax, VA

Longitudinal Project Stages 1. Action research project conducted during 2001 Fall Semester in EDCI 516 [Bilingualism and Language Acquisition Research] 2. Follow-up research on study participants & learners in their PK-12 classrooms. 3. Emergent and ongoing recommendations for programmatic growth and change.

EDCI 516 Bilingualism and Language Acquisition Research F Course Description –Provides students with a knowledge of L1 & L2 acquisition, including the interaction of a bilingual’s two languages with implications for the classroom. –Required course for Virginia State PK-12 ESL/FL licensure and for foreign language immersion teachers.

Vygotsky’s Contribution Zone of Proximal Development Lev Semenovich Vygotsky (1896 – 1934). Social interaction plays a fundamental role in the development of cognition.

Freire’s Contribution The Teacher as a Learner Paulo Freire (1921 – 1997 ) F The importance of the interaction of teaching with learning on a dynamic and ongoing dialogic process. F One does not happen without the other. F Dialogue demands respect for the learner and his/her reading of the World.

Our Point of Departure - part 1

Our Point of Departure - part 2

Developing a New Lens Becoming part of a larger Community of Learners

EDUC 516: Learning Community F Building and developing a dialogical learning community composed of graduate students and professors. F Challenges F Opportunities

The EDCI Learning Community CHARACTERISTICS

EDCI 516: Our point of departure F Two professors of second language acquisition and multi-cultural education; F Teaching Bilingualism and language acquisition research to polyglots – F 28 polyglot students : from romance to Asian languages, from Arabic to Russian, including ASL teachers working with students who come from countries where English is not the native language F % of the class composed of non-native English speakers

Co-Teaching a Graduate Course F Potential zone of conflict? F An opportunity for collaborative teaching?

Our Learning Community

Solo Teaching: Professor A Osterling

Solo Teaching: Professor B Fox

Covering Part of the Whole Globe: Professors’ Contributions Osterling Fox

Osterling Students become teachers Teachers become learners

Strategies Used F Instructors jointly planned and presented. F Technology: –Blackboard-5 Instructional Platform –PowerPoint guides for major topics – F Multiple intelligences/ learning styles theory F Guest speakers F Literature and narratives F Funds of Knowledge theory F Group projects F Small group hands-on collaboration F Performance-based course products [language analysis project] F Written feedback/ evaluations F Student socialization [ e.g., snacks at break, potluck dinner].

Results of the Research: 1. A community where everybody teaches and everybody learns.

Results: 2. The power of modeling negotiation and experiential learning in the preparation of teachers for the 21st Century Skill building through experiences All participants have a voice A respect is built out of and for all

Results 3. The importance of on-going formative and summative assessment along the continuum of the semester –help to draw conclusions –provide opportunities for synthesis –essential for constructivist learning approach and for scaffolding

Results 4. Technology supplied an essential community building element –discussion strands (Santiago and other topics drawn from weekly readings) –power point guides to course themes –postings from Krashen, Unz, and NCBE Newsletter provide current context – s and announcements facilitate course work and communication

Results Open atmosphere lowers affective filter Time for formal and informal social interaction support collegiality and the philosophy of a learning community

We thank you for this rich opportunity to explore another dimension in our teaching and learning. It has been MOST enlightening! We look forward to hearing about your teaching and continuing learning pathways, so please stay in touch.