Return to Instructions for Contributors
For this information in word form, please click here
Background and Student Preparation
Goals
- To develop original learner stories about learners’ educational backgrounds and experiences in their home countries (or the countries where they resided and went to school before coming to the U.S.).
- To create a meaningful dialogue about educational and cultural differences between learners, volunteers and teachers.
- To increase teacher and volunteer understanding about learners’ educational experiences and expectations in order to be more effective educators and learners.
- To create a body of resource materials about various cultures and countries that Minnesota’s adult English language learners are from.
Skills Used
Reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills will be utilized. Extension activities will allow students to focus on a particular skill, based on what is going on in the classroom.
English Level of Student
This project is most appropriate for intermediate to advanced English language learners, however, the lesson may be modified to be used with lower level students as well.
Materials
Educational Heritages Questionnaire
Consent and Release Form
Time Needed
The interview may take approximately two one-hour sessions to complete, depending upon the level of the students.
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Process
Option A: Volunteer Interviews Learner
* Ask interviewee (learner) to fill out the consent form.
* Type up answers and submit them electronically to the coordinator.
* Ask interviewee to write a story about his educational experience, using the information generated in the interview (and submit that electronically to the coordinator).
* Meet with the learner to follow-up on the writing and give feedback and support.
* Teacher, learner or volunteer types up story to submit electronically.
Option B: Class Activity: Learners Interview Each Other
* To activate prior knowledge, the teacher introduces the project and discusses educational experiences is his/her country. The teacher discusses some key vocabulary that students may not be familiar with.
* Teacher discusses different types of listening with the class in order for students to learn effective communication strategies to use while conducting the interview.
* If information from interview will be used for publication, ask interviewees (learners) to fill out the consent form. Learner consent is needed if their work will be included in publications (such as Minnesota Literacy Council’s publication, To Open Your Mind, and the Educational Heritages Project Wiki site).
* Learners pair up with a partner, preferably a learner from a different country (a volunteer or teacher may be appropriate an appropriate partner, depending upon each student’s level of English and social skills).
* Learners interview each other, using the Educational Heritage Questionnaire, Students interview each other one at a time, using an interview format (rather than just answering the questions together as a worksheet). The questionnaire can be used as a tool to access information, yet it may be necessary to ask follow-up questions in order to answer each question completely.
* During the interview, the interviewer records interviewee responses on the Educational Heritages Questionnaire sheet.
* After the interview, the interviewer gives the notes to the interviewee (person interviewed) for review.
* After receiving notes from the interviewer:
- Interviewee reads the notes and discussed with the interviewer, letting them know if the information is accurate or if any other relevant information should be added.
- Interviewee uses notes about himself/herself from his/her partner (as well as own memory) to write a narrative story about his/her own educational experience.
* Teacher, learner or volunteer types up story to submit electronically.
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Documents Needed
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Optional Extension Activities with Possible Assesment Methods
The following is a list of optional extension activities that may be used following the educational heritages oral history project. They are designed for classroom teachers and groups. Teachers may choose one or more of the following activities as a follow-up to the oral history project. Teacher may use several of these optional activities consecutively to create a thematic unit on educational heritages.
1. Learners create an in-house newsletter in which one or more interviews or cultures are spotlighted per issue. Writing assessment idea: learners’ written articles are assessed on various points, such as the introduction, body, and conclusion of the article, and use of transitions.
2. Learners hold a resource fair/open house at their school and have tables with information about their culture. Various organizations are invited to the resource fair. Learners discuss their cultures and educational experiences with people who visit their tables. Listening and speaking assessment idea: learners asses their own participation based on specific criteria and then they write a journal entry about it. Learners could also be assessed on a written flyer.
3. Learners give an oral presentation in their class explaining their educational experiences. Students may use visuals, such as a PowerPoint presentation, pictures, books, and realia to enhance the presentation. Speaking assessment idea: learners are assessed on their oral presentation (speaking volume, clarity, content, use of discussion strategies).
4. Learners’ writings are published in a journal. The publication could be used in a variety of ways by instructors. Articles could be used as reading materials for the class and a variety of activities could be planned around the stories. Writing assessment idea: students are assessed based on grammatical issues they are studying in class (examples include use of the past tense verbs, use of particular vocabulary). Reading comprehension idea: students compare and contrast two stories in the journal.
5. Learners are part of a panel discussion about their educational experiences at a professional conference or at a volunteer training. Learners discuss their educational experiences and answer audience questions. Listening and speaking assessment idea: students are assessed on participation, contributions to discussion, content of discussion, and use of discussion strategies.
6. Learners have a class debate on an educational topic, such as school uniforms, discipline in schools, school choice, or school funding. Listening and speaking assessment idea: learners are assessed on their participation, content and on the use of discussion strategies.
7. Learners hold a poster session in which they describe their experiences. Half of the class circulates and visits the posters individually, while the other half of the class stands by their posters and describes their experiences to visiting students. Content assessment idea: students assess each others’ posters based on specific criteria provided by instructor.
8. Learners attend a parent-teacher organization meeting and share their experiences with their child’s school (or another school). Written assessment idea: students reflect on their experiences and write a journal entry about it. A language experience approach activity could also be used.
9. Learners present their educational experiences in a public school classroom. Written assessment idea: students reflect on their experiences and write a journal entry about it. A language experience approach activity could also be used.
10. Learners develop a handout about useful advice that they would give newcomer students. This could include advice on understanding the U.S. educational environment and tips for succeeding in U.S. schools. Written assessment idea: students are assessed based on their written handout.
11. Students create a welcome video geared toward adult learners who are new to their school. Students are broken into groups and each group takes one section/topic of the video (examples include: finding your way around, study strategies, getting to know the staff, school resources). Assessment idea: students are assessed as a group on the various components that each group is responsible.
12. Learners read another person’s autobiography and then compare and contrast the other student’s experiences with their own. Written assessment: students use a graphic organizer, such as a Venn diagram to compare and contrast their experiences.
13. Learners discuss a real educational problem and work together to create a list of possible solutions. Students then write a proposal and then present it to their school administrators. Written assessment: students are assessed for grammar and content of their written proposal.
In addition, other assessment activities could be used, such as self-assessment, collaborative/group assessments, portfolio work, and reading assessments.
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To Submit
Compile results and send them to Wiki@theMLC.org . You may also direct any questions, comments, or concerns to this email address.
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Last Revised
06 November 2006
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