Module 4, E-Journal #3
4. How you plan to apply course concepts in educational settings Which specific strategies, ideas, or examples from the materials would you use in your classroom? The readings made it clear that affirming diversity through multilingual education is important not only pedagogically, but also societally. While creating a perfectly inclusive environment is impossible, identifying its shortcomings is easy. Restricting language use in education ultimately restricts students’ expressions of culture and heritage, prioritizing the educator’s comfort over the students’. Although the readings did not list explicit strategies, many ideas inspired potential solutions to address restrictions on supports for ELL and ELD students. For example, Nieto and Bode discuss the “misapplication of learning-style theory” (177), where racial biases and stereotypes shape assumptions about ethnically diverse students’ learning styles. This can lead to ped...