INTRODUCTION:
I teach in a Toyota Family
Literacy Program in a Denver
Public School. My students are
all Hispanic. They range in
Student Performance Level (SPL)
from level 2 to level 6. There
is also a wide range in their
level of computer skill. This
topic was the result of a survey
of interests. This activity took
place during a
two-and-a-half-hour "Parent
Time" segment. One of the goals
I have in lesson planning is
integration, to the extent
possible, combining Family
Literacy components in different
ways [appropriate education for
the child, education for the
parent, Parent Time and Parent
and Child Together (PACT)].
"PARENT TIME"
TEACHING OBJECTIVES:
Find topics of
interest to students. Use
interests to motivate literacy
and English language learning
activities. Promote cultural
awareness and cultural
sensitivity. Encourage
parent-child activities and
parent-child communication.
Encourage self and group
exploration and discussion of
parenting strategies and topics.
LANGUAGE TEACHING
OBJECTIVES:
(1)
Integrate "Parent
Time" activities with English
language learning activities.
Lower level SPL students study
the relevant vocabulary,
identify words they know, read
the text out loud. Higher level
SPL students use graphic
organizers to analyze what they
are reading and then use this
information to respond in a
short essay contrasting and
comparing what they read,
stating their opinion or
summarizing the reading.
(2) Promote literacy activities
by encouraging reading, web
searches, and discussions even
if they have to take place
primarily in the native language
for lower level students.
TECHNOLOGY
TEACHING OBJECTIVES:
Reduce
technophobia. Increase computer
skills. Utilize technology to
make repetition of tasks less
mundane. Engage students with
different learning styles.
ACTIVITY:
The students
had requested information about
cancer prevention.
1.
The students began in the
computer lab for 70 minutes.
Each student has a Google email
account. They opened their email
accounts and worked on the
following email:
Colleagues,
One topic you
have asked to discuss on a
Wednesday is cancer prevention.
The first four articles are
about cancer prevention. What is
the same? What is different? Use
a graphic organizer. The fifth
article is about preventing
breast cancer. What is the same?
What is different? The last
article is in Spanish and talks
about the difference in cancer
survival for Hispanic women.
What might some of the reasons
be for a different outcome?
2.
Upon the return to the ESL
classroom the students took
turns writing their key
prevention strategies on the
chalkboard.
3.
Students helped each other with
unfamiliar vocabulary.
4.
Using the LCD projector, we
reviewed pages of "Cancer
Facts/Figures for
Hispanics/Latinos 2007-2008) (http://www.cancer.org/downloads/STT/CAFF2006HispPWSecured.pdf),
emphasizing the following
points:
-
The overall incidence of
cancer is lower in the
Hispanic population that in
non-Hispanic white
populations.
-
Despite lower incidence, the
cancer death rate for
Hispanic populations is
higher than non-Hispanic
white populations.
-
Although breast cancer is
less likely to be found in
Hispanic populations, when
it is found the lesions are
found at a younger age and
are larger in size than in
non-Hispanic white
populations.
-
The distribution of most
likely cancer sites is
different for Hispanic
populations than for
non-Hispanic white
populations.
-
There are genetic factors
that may account for these
differences
-
There are socioeconomic
factors that may account for
these differences.
-
Cultural factors such as
Familia, Respecto,
Personalismo, and Confianza
play a role in cancer
detection and treatment.
-
Socioeconomic and cultural
factors that inhibit cancer
screening rates
5.
Lower SPL level students
practiced reading English
language sentences from the LCD
screen. Higher SPL level
students translated the
material. Discussion was
encouraged, even if it took
place in the native language.
6.
We reviewed previous discussions
on the rate of teenage pregnancy
and HPV prevention and
vaccination as they relate to
Hispanic cultural variables and
the current discussion on cancer
prevention.
7.
An animated discussion followed
regarding the sociodemographics
(age, number of years in the
United States, place of origin
(country, rural or urban) of
identification with "cultural
factors."
8.
The whole experience was
unbelievable. You could feel the
electricity in the room! No one
wanted to leave! Everyone
committed to communicating this
information to their family and
to those they come in contact
with.
9.
Follow up activities:
-
Review of vocabulary from
the previous session using
"flyswatter" (thank you
Laura Fishman). The new
vocabulary words are written
on the chalkboard in English
and Spanish. The students
are formed into teams, SPL
levels distributed evenly on
each team. Each team has a
fly swatter. A higher SPL
level student defines one of
the words and the first team
that covers the defined word
with a fly swatter wins a
point. In the second version
a lower SPL level student
says one of the words in one
language and the first team
that covers the word in the
other language with a
flyswatter gains a point.
-
The discussion from the
previous session is reviewed
and students reflect on how
they reacted to the issues
then and now. Students add
new ideas or thoughts.
Students describe how their
views have changed.
-
Higher SPL level students
are asked to edit their
writing from the previous
session. Lower
level students are
encouraged to use a graphic
organizer to organize a
written response to the
exercise.