Problematizing Assumptions, Examining Dilemmas, and Exploring Promising Possibilities in Culturally Relevant Pedagogy. A Response to “\u27I Didn’t See It as a Cultural Thing\u27: Supervisors of Student Teachers Define and Describe Culturally Responsive Supervision

In response to the study and recommendations presented in the article “\u27I Didn’t See it as a Cultural Thing,\u27” written by Linda Griffin, Dyan Watson and Tonda Liggett, we explore three interrelated topics. First, we seek to problematize some of the assumptions in the study. We review some of the authors’ approaches and assertions that seem to reflect a hierarchical power structure and a deficit model. Second, we examine our own dilemmas and struggles in enacting culturally relevant practices within our teacher education program. Our reflections derive from our recent experience preparing for a reaccreditation site visit by NCATE. Third, we end by exploring some promising possibilities in culturally relevant teaching by describing a successful project we have been able to implement, which involved a partnership with a school district

ESL students as ethnographers : co-researching communicative practices in an academic discourse community

No research to date has involved ESL students as researchers in investigations of community language practices. This study examined the research processes of 23 international college students in an advanced ESL course. The students worked on an original curriculum, the Language Research Project, through which they performed ethnographic and discourse analytic tasks and engaged in collaborative action research. As the students uncovered the tacit rules that regulate communicative practices in the university community, they sought to improve their own performance in academic interactions. The teacher-researcher simultaneously observed and analyzed students' perspectives, seeking to improve her teaching practice. An analysis of the classroom dialogues showed that intertextual links made by the teacher and the students served to build a system of scaffolds for the group. These intertextual links acted as cognitive and affective support for reflection and evaluation of ideas. The students' comments to each other resembled comments made by the teacher, which indicates that they appropriated the teacher's expert role. Thus, this study reveals that learners of similar levels can offer each other expert assistance in the completion of tasks. The students developed a high level of metacognition. Their reflections uncovered serious conflicts between themselves and native English speakers. They observed that they performed better in social settings. Conversely, they felt awkward in academic settings when interacting with domestic classmates and professors, who were often unsupportive and unwilling to engage in communication. This denial of access by Americans resulted in feelings of inadequacy and inferiority for the students. Nevertheless, some students rejected and transformed certain dominant practices of the community. By adopting the identity of researchers, the students were empowered to engage in their own realities from a position of strength and to assert their individual needs. These findings demonstrate that the students developed a sense of critical language awareness. This dissertation portrays an emerging Vygotskian sociocultural perspective on second language acquisition research. The findings support social constructivist teaching approaches that incorporate students' lived experiences. Finally, this study reveals an urgent need to sensitize faculty and students in higher education in the United States about the experiences of language-minority students

Agency, identity and imagination in an urban primary school in Southern Mexico

This paper presents an ethnographic study of two studentteachers in a Mexican public primary school in a fifth-grade English-asa-Foreign-Language classroom. Typical of classroom ethnography, this study incorporates systematic observation, description, micro-analysis of events, and discourse analysis. Utilizing a sociocultural perspective as a theoretical framework, the activities created by the two student-teachers are contrasted to the exercises and tasks prescribed in the official textbook. The analysis reveals that although the official textbook reflected a traditional, transmission-oriented pedagogy, the two student-teachers were able to adopt a socio constructivist and transformative teaching approach. They created activities that enabled their learners to work together through a variety of modes and to participate in a wide range of tasks that were relevant to their worlds beyond the classroom. Key words: sociocultural theory, ethnography, identity, second language education.</p

Agência, identidade e imaginação em uma escola primária urbana no sul do México

This paper presents an ethnographic study of two studentteachers in a Mexican public primary school in a fifth-grade English-asa-Foreign-Language classroom. Typical of classroom ethnography, this study incorporates systematic observation, description, micro-analysis of events, and discourse analysis. Utilizing a sociocultural perspective as a theoretical framework, the activities created by the two student-teachers are contrasted to the exercises and tasks prescribed in the official textbook. The analysis reveals that although the official textbook reflected a traditional, transmission-oriented pedagogy, the two student-teachers were able to adopt a socio constructivist and transformative teaching approach. They created activities that enabled their learners to work together through a variety of modes and to participate in a wide range of tasks that were relevant to their worlds beyond the classroom. Key words: sociocultural theory, ethnography, identity, second language education.Este artigo apresenta um estudo etnográfico das praticas pedagógicas de duas estagiárias em uma classe de inglês de quinta série em uma escola pública mexicana. Típico da etnografia de sala de aula, este estudo incorpora a observação sistemática, descrição, microanálise de eventos, e análise do discurso. Utilizando uma perspectiva sociocultural como referencial teórico, as atividades criadas pelas duas estagiárias são contrastadas com os exercícios prescritos pelo livro-texto oficial. A análise revela que, embora o livro-texto refletisse uma orientação pedagógica tradicional de transmissão, as duas estagiárias conseguiram adotar uma forma de ensino sócio-construtivista e transformadora. Elas criaram dinâmicas que possibilitaram a seus alunos trabalhar juntos através de diversas modalidades e de participar de várias atividades relevantes aos seus mundos fora da sala de aula. Palavras-chaves: teoria sociocultural, etnografia, identidade, ensino de línguas estrangeiras

Perceived affordances of a collaborative virtual teacher education course on CLIL and technologies during remote teaching

The objective of this paper is both to describe the course syllabus and the activities implemented in a course on CLIL and technologies for pre-service and in-service teachers from three public universities in Paraná, and also examine the perceived affordances of the initiative. The theoretical framework of affordances guided the analysis and results indicate that the interactions provided by the online course allowed teachers to learn about CLIL, have opportunities to practice their language skills, articulate the use of technological resources and also reflect about pedagogical issues specific to the English language. For the professors in charge of the initiative, it allowed them to collaborate through the course planning as well as through researching/learning together in an international online experience. The affordances for our institutions include the incorporation of new perspectives into their curriculum as well as the development of internationalization at home practices. The proposal also allowed some room for identifying some limitations such as lack of time, no interactions among peers from different regions; no involvement with proposed ethnographic case study activities, aspects which impaired community building

The unexpected in ethnography with the participation of children and young people

Neste artigo apresentamos um panorama reduzido de um extenso e diversificado levantamento realizado sobre pesquisas etnográficas em colaboração com meninos, meninas e jovens existentes no Brasil, realizado entre 2016 e 2017. Do amplo e valioso repertório de temas, problemas, abordagens e contextos que caracterizam as pesquisas etnográficas com crianças e jovens encontrados, nos detivemos em duas estratégias colaborativas cuja particularidade é ter ocorrido em um mesmo contexto em que a participação das crianças incluiu reflexivamente a participação dos pesquisadores. Como objetivo correlato, evidenciamos que a peculiaridade da relação de pesquisa entre crianças e pesquisadores desencadeia questões de ordens éticas, epistemológicas e teórico-metodológicas importantes para a reflexão do processo de construção de conhecimento nas quais as estratégias colaborativas com a participação das crianças, em si mesmas, criam uma configuração relacional particular inseparável da reflexividade ativa do pesquisador no campo. Ressaltamos que as pesquisas etnográficas com a colaboração de crianças tem se mostrado um desafio estimulante aos estudos acadêmicos e que as diferentes concepções das crianças e dos adolescentes nelas presentes são igualmente parte de um debate público e político recente no País.En este artículo presentamos un panorama reducido de un extenso y diversificado relevamiento de investigaciones etnográficas en colaboración con niños, niñas y jóvenes en Brasil, realizado entre 2016 y 2017. Del amplio y valioso repertorio de temas, problemas, abordajes y contextos que caracterizan las investigaciones etnográficas con niños y jóvenes que se han encontrado, nos detendremos en dos estrategias colaborativas cuya particularidad es haberse desarrollado en un mismo contexto en el que la participación de los niños incluyó reflexivamente la participación de los investigadores. Por otra parte, evidenciamos que la particularidad de la relación de la investigación entre niños e investigadores desencadena cuestiones de orden ético, epistemológico y teórico-metodológico importantes para la reflexión del proceso de construcción de conocimientos en el cual las estrategias colaborativas como la participación de los niños, en sí mismas, crean una configuración relacional particular inseparable de la reflexividad activa del investigador en el campo. Resaltamos que las investigaciones etnográficas con la colaboración de los niños se han mostrado como un desafío estimulante para los estudios académicos y que las diferentes concepciones de los niños y los adolescentes presentes en ellas son también parte de un reciente debate público y político en el País.In this article we present a brief overview of an extensive and diversified literature review conducted on ethnographic research in collaboration with children and youth in Brazil during the years of 2016 and 2017. From the broad and valuable repertoire of themes, problems, approaches and contexts uncovered in the analysis of the different research studies, we focus on two collaborative strategies whose particularity is to have occurred in the same context where the participation of children reflexively influenced the participation of the researchers. We show that the peculiarity of the research relationship between children and researchers triggers issues of ethical, epistemological and theoretical-methodological nature that are important for the knowledge-building process. We argue that collaborative strategies with the participation of children create a particular relational configuration inseparable from the researcher's active reflexivity in the field. We contend that collaborative ethnographic research with children represents an exciting challenge to academic studies, and that the different conceptions of children and adolescents reflected in these studies also permeate recent national public and political discussions

T eoría, localización, y reflexión en la formación de profesores de lenguas extrajeras

The  field  of  teacher  education  is  currently  undergoing  a  paradigm  shift. Traditionally  the  act  of  teaching  has  been  viewed  as  the  mastery  of  technical  skills. T oday , with the current emphasis on sociocultural, reflective and critical approaches to learning,  we have  come  to  understand  that  teaching  is  a  much more complex  and  situated process.  We  are  starting  to  view  teaching  as  a  cognitive  process,  as  opposed  to  a  technical endeavor .  This  paper  expands  on  this  new  view  of  teacher  education  by  focusing  on  three themes:  theory ,  localization,  and  collaborative  reflection.  Each  of  these  themes  is discussed  through  examples  of  activities  and  assignments  used  successfully  in  the preparation  and  training  of  second  language  teachers

“Comimos quesadillas y después jugamos tag: ” Children’s bilingual/bicultural identity in a U. S. elementary school

This reflexion paper presents findings from a classroombased ethnographic study conducted for three years in collaboration with children of immigrant Latino families attending an elementary public school in the U. S. The investigation focuses specifically on the analysis of a series of “family journals,” which were collectively created by the children and their families, and shared within the space of the classroom. Through the journals, the children’s bilingual and bicultural identities became an important source of learning, collaboration and meaningful engagement in the classroom.Este artículo de reflexión presenta los hallazgos de un estudio etnográfico en el aula que se llevó a cabo durante tres años en colaboración con niños de familias inmigrantes estudiantes de primaria, en un colegio público de los Estados Unidos. La investigación se centra en el análisis de una serie de “diarios familiares”, que fueron creados de manera colectiva por los niños y sus familias y socializados en el aula de clase. A través de estos diarios las identidades bilingües y biculturales se tornaron en una fuente importante de aprendizaje, colaboración y compromiso significativo en el aula

Agência, identidade e imaginação em uma escola primária urbana no sul do México

This paper presents an ethnographic study of two studentteachers in a Mexican public primary school in a fifth-grade English-asa-Foreign-Language classroom. Typical of classroom ethnography, this study incorporates systematic observation, description, micro-analysis of events, and discourse analysis. Utilizing a sociocultural perspective as a theoretical framework, the activities created by the two student-teachers are contrasted to the exercises and tasks prescribed in the official textbook. The analysis reveals that although the official textbook reflected a traditional, transmission-oriented pedagogy, the two student-teachers were able to adopt a socio constructivist and transformative teaching approach. They created activities that enabled their learners to work together through a variety of modes and to participate in a wide range of tasks that were relevant to their worlds beyond the classroom. Key words: sociocultural theory, ethnography, identity, second language education.Este artigo apresenta um estudo etnográfico das praticas pedagógicas de duas estagiárias em uma classe de inglês de quinta série em uma escola pública mexicana. Típico da etnografia de sala de aula, este estudo incorpora a observação sistemática, descrição, microanálise de eventos, e análise do discurso. Utilizando uma perspectiva sociocultural como referencial teórico, as atividades criadas pelas duas estagiárias são contrastadas com os exercícios prescritos pelo livro-texto oficial. A análise revela que, embora o livro-texto refletisse uma orientação pedagógica tradicional de transmissão, as duas estagiárias conseguiram adotar uma forma de ensino sócio-construtivista e transformadora. Elas criaram dinâmicas que possibilitaram a seus alunos trabalhar juntos através de diversas modalidades e de participar de várias atividades relevantes aos seus mundos fora da sala de aula. Palavras-chaves: teoria sociocultural, etnografia, identidade, ensino de línguas estrangeiras