¿Comprendes o no comprendes?

When I first began teaching I had very little experience with students who did not speak my own language. I am a bit embarrassed to admit that even after 5 years of Spanish classes in college and high school; I would not be able to hold an intelligent conversation with someone in my "second" language. The frustration in this knowledge brings to light a new understanding of students who do not speak English as their native tongue. In the majority of classrooms at the school I teach at has at least one student who is fluent in a language I cannot understand. One fourth (5/20) girls on the soccer team I coach speak English as their second language (four speak Turkish and one speaks Portuguese). In the past 5 years I have been exposed to more diversity in a classroom than I would have ever imagined.



Even with this exposure, teaching a student who does not speak the language that you are fluent in never becomes easier. In terms of strategies I have used, the best and most helpful to the student is inserting pictures into everything we do. Using a storyboard technique to explain a concept can facilitate more understanding than a dictionary. Allowing students to draw a process or their understanding gives multiple perspectives and allows the student to communicate on an even playing ground.



Another piece of software the school has is a test maker. This particular program allows the teacher to change the language so the student is not immediately put at the disadvantage to the rest of their classmates. In most cases there is a teacher that can translate the answers after the test has been taken. On this note I have used Microsoft Word as a piece of assistive technology. If available, students can be given a computer and be allowed to type a question or answer in their native language. Word has a translator built into it so with a few clicks the entirety of the students work can be translated into multiple languages. Any handouts can be done the same way to ensure the student is receiving the same education as the rest of the class.



In order to write this blog I spoke with a Spanish teacher here about the title. The upside down question mark is a few keystrokes for a single symbol. If you hold down alt and type in 168 with the number lock on ¿ will appear. Here are a few more examples:

Type of Character	Character	Value	Type of Character	Character	Value
Accented a	á	Alt+160	Tilde n	ñ	Alt+164
Accented e	é	Alt+130	Tilde N	Ñ	Alt+165
Accented i	í	Alt+161	Inverted !	¡	Alt+173
Accented o	ó	Alt+162	Inverted ?	¿	Alt+168
Accented u	ú	Alt+163	Left angled “	«	Alt+174
Accented E	É	Alt+144	Right angled ”	»	Alt+175
Dieresis u	ü	Alt+129

Found at: http://users.ipfw.edu/jehle/courses/ascaccnt.htm

This can be tedious when typing in the English language. But if there is a small amount of work needed to be done to make a student feel more comfortable or have an easier transition into the classroom it is the teachers responsibility to make that as seamless as possible. I have actually contemplated writing this blog in English and then translating it in word and posting the Spanish version with directions how to retranslate it. Imagine the frustration you would feel having to go through the process and not simply being able to understand. The most important idea to keep in mind when teaching a student who does not speak English is understanding and patience.

True Availability of Assistive Tech in the Classroom

As the student walks into the classroom they take their seat in the middle of the class, sit quietly working on the activity for the day and working hard to pay attention to the directions written on the paper. Unfortunately, this student has a reading and comprehension level of a sixth grader. In this high school classroom the student is falling behind their classmates and would benefit from a read-aloud program.

This exact scenario has been playing out in a classroom in the high school I currently teach at. The student works very hard but is simply an auditory learner. The ability to hear the directions and/or reading they are supposed to do automatically puts them on a level playing field with their peers. Both the special education teachers and the general education teachers have pushed to get the student the Kurzweil reading program my school currently uses. Unfortunately the student does not qualify, according to state standards to receive the piece of assistive technology. This goes against the idea of a quality education.  According to the U.S. Department of Education (2006), who says, funding may be appropriated to students with disabilities in the general education classroom in order to maximize the accessibility of the curriculum. This instance is contradictory to that statement. Because the student is not “low” enough on the spectrum of learning disabilities they do not receive the assistive technology. In reality parents have to request or the need has to be blatantly obvious before the school can obtain the funding for certain pieces of assistive technology.

Fortunately, solutions in teaching styles are present. Instead of assigning readings teachers are now able to do a read-along. Also, the utilization of the Smartboard tools (a huge piece of assistive technology) have allowed students like to one described to succeed without the funding provided from the state. One of the newest tools used in the classroom are apps available on the new phone technology. These apps can transcribe a student’s voice to text, if the student has a problem with fine motor skills such as writing. Unfortunately, the funding for traditional assistive technology pieces is not always readily available. Teachers are able to come up with creative solutions to individual problems.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. (2006, December 8). IDEA–Reauthorized Statute - STATE FUNDING. Retrieved from: http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/%2Croot%2Cdynamic%2CTopicalBrief%2C18%2C

Breaking the Law!

As I was reading Title II of the ADA it claims that all people with disabilities should have equal access to public education. Incorporated into this is the fact the building has to be accessible to these students. In previous classes within this program I was instructed to take measurements of my classroom and the areas around my school. At that time the school was not accessible to students in wheelchairs and/or on crutches. There is only one elevator in the entire school and it may not be the easiest route for students to take. This could cause the students to be late to class and detracting from their education. The classroom itself is similarly not available to the same students. The desks provided by the school do not allow enough room for students in a wheelchair to fit in between them, no matter what configuration they are put in.

These measurements were taken prior to construction performed on the school’s entrance. While the above problems still exist, the entrance has become much more accessible to students. Originally there was maybe an 8-9 foot clearance between two sets of doors. It would make moving difficult for someone using assistance to move around. Now there is approximately 15-18 feet clearance between the doors. Other improvements have been made, including a new foyer and main office which is much bigger and includes automatic doors (the prior didn’t).