MinneTESOL 2013 Preconference Workshop MinneSLIFE

Adapting Lessons for SLIFE Using the Mutually Adaptive Learning Paradigm (MALP)
Kristi Herman Hill, Martha Mason Miller, Sarah Schmidt de Carranza MinneTESOL 2013

Wonder Wall
Please write down something related to SLIFE/LESLLA/ LFS students you are wondering about and attach it to the wonder wall.

Who are SLIFE?

SLIFE stands for students with limited or interrupted formal education. They are also referred to as SIFE, LESLLA, and LFS.

Many SLIFE have experienced interruptions in their education due to war, migration, lack of educational facilities, or other constraints.

What are the Characteristics of SLIFE?

SLIFE are described as students who are Secondary or adult aged Two or more years behind their age group in academic content knowledge May or may not be literate in their first language. Often refugees coming from war-torn countries, but it is important to make the distinction that not all refugees are SLIFE, and not all SLIFE are refugees

What are the unique needs of SLIFE?

Think-Pair-Share: Think of a SLIFE student that you have had in one of your classes. How were this students needs different from other ELs?

Emotional Needs of SLIFE

Many SLIFE come from war-torn regions where they have experienced physical and emotional trauma.

Physical Needs of SLIFE

SLIFE frequently come from refugee camps, where they often did not receive adequate nutrition and medical care as children.

Cultural Needs of SLIFE

Oral culture: SLIFE bring a strong tradition of learning through oral transmission.

Cultural Needs of SLIFE

Interconnectedness: Many SLIFE come from collectivist cultures in which the needs of the group are placed before the needs of the individual.

Cultural Needs of SLIFE

Immediate Relevance: Students are accustomed to learning about things that are immediately applicable and practical in their lives.

Immediate Relevance Example

Cultural Dissonance

Academic Needs of SLIFE

Learn basic and grade-level subject-area concepts Develop basic literacy skills Develop academic ways of thinking Adapt to cultural differences in learning and teaching

Where in the world are you in your work with SLIFE? Choose the landmark that best represents your understanding of SLIFE.

What is MALP?
MALP stands for the Mutually adaptive learning paradigm.

Where does MALP come from?

Drs. Andrea DeCapua and Helaine Marshall have developed the MALP paradigm as a result of years of research and study of SLIFE students.

MALP Sources
Marshall & Decapua, 2013 The next 3 slides are taken from page 31 of Making the Transition to Classroom Success.

What are the features of MALP? Feature 1:

Accept the existing learner conditions of needing immediate relevance and interconnectedness

Feature 2 Combined processes of learners and Western-style education: shared responsibility and individual accountability together with oral transmissions and the written word.

MALP Features

MALP Features
Feature 3 Focus on Western Style Learning Activities: decontextualized tasks scaffolded by familiar language and content.

MALP Handout

MALP Checklist

Turn and Talk..

What would these processes potentially look like in your practice?

Applying MALP
Building skills, language, and background for science.

Objective:
Be a scientist. Observe, inquire, experiment, discuss, do. Carry out a science experiment. Use key science vocabulary.

High school SLIFE, WIDA 1

Student Gender Age Ethicity Years in school

P
N C

M
M F

17
19 15

Karen
Karen Karen

0
0 0

A
J D

M
M F

18
15 18

Karen
Mexican Karen

3
5 6

15

Karenni

10

Theme: Plants

Begin with the familiar Make connections to students experience Add one new element at a time Exchange ideas: teacher is not The expert

DeCapua & Marshall MALP

Krashen i+1
Vygotsky ZPD

Introduction of Vocabulary and Concepts

scientist observe measure

MALP:

Accept conditions for learning.

A1. Immediate relevance

Started marigolds for the school garden

Make connections to students prior experience and A2. Develop and maintain knowledge interconnectedness Build community

Experiment:
How does light affect plant growth? Students planted sunflowers in five pots.
They placed the pots in North, South, East, and West windows, and in a storeroom with no windows.

We discussed which would grow best and why. hypothesis

B1. Incorporate shared responsibility and individual accountability Students were responsible for watering, observing, and measuring the plants, which were in different parts of the building. B1. Shared responsibility Each student wrote in their science notebook.

The Scientific Method

Science notebooks: Hypothesis
Materials

Procedure

Interconnectedness
Students worked together in pairs, threes, or as a class. They helped each other, scolded each other, and laughed together.

=
Languages were in constant flux: Karen, English, Spanish, Karenni. Stronger students helped the others, who copied everything written down.

Community

MALP: Combine Processes for Learning B2. Scaffolding the written word through oral interaction

From oral transmission to the written word

MALP B2

Multilingual discussions throughout Drew and labeled diagrams Wrote measurements Students explained project to a substitute teacher, who wrote the story on chart paper. Students copied the story, then read chorally. (Language Experience approach)

MALP: Focus on New Activities for Learning

C1. Focusing on tasks requiring academic ways of thinking. C2. Making tasks accessible with familiar language and content.
DeCapua, Andrea and Marshall, Helaine. Breaking New Ground. Ann Arbor, MI: The University of Michigan Press, 2011.

MALP: Focus on New Activities for Learning

Over the course of several weeks, students: observe as scientists measure take notes (words and illustrations) graph question more deeply form a hypothesis discuss evidence

Work in groups
Get into groups by age group and subject area. Introduce yourselves and your lesson.

Work in groups
Using the blank MALP checklist, how would you modify this lesson to better meet the needs of SLIFE?

Share out
What kinds of changes did you make to your lesson? How will these changes be beneficial to SLIFE?

Wrap Up/Evaluation
Thank you for coming!