Migrant Learners In Schools

I have lived in two different worlds. The duality of the immigrant experience is a battle that every first-generation child has to wage. As I conquered my language barrier, a whole new world full of traditions and customs opened up. Seeking acceptance from my peers, it was hard not to adopt their culture and ignore my own in the process. However, abandonment was not an option in a family with a strong cultural identity. While there was nothing wrong with either culture, finding middle ground proved to be an ongoing journey.

In 2015, a poll was taken from over 1500 National Education Association members, and more than 70 percent of those polled believed that standardized testing is not useful and helpful to students in developing any skills (Walker). Standardized tests have been taken since the early 1900s in many age groups. A standardized test is any sort of test that has both the same questions and the same answers to all people it is given to. They are usually given over wide areas, such as states or even whole countries, and can be used to see what knowledge a general population has gained from their educations. Some major standardized tests are the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and the American College Test (ACT). These tests are taken by people that are

One of the toughest adjustments, having been born to Mexican parents, is migrating to an unknown country where traditions and languages differ from one 's own. Though many pursue an education and strive for a better life, the purpose behind an immigrant, like myself, differs from the typical American. Immigrants strive for a life that was once impossible, going to school is not only to attain an education, but to better prove that we can also become successful regardless of our traditions and skin color. I lived in a country for over fifteen years, fearing deportation, not only losing a home, but potentially saying goodbye to a bright future. Although many feel empathy for Mexican-Americans, it is undeniably difficult to truly comprehend the immense trauma children and even adults undergo  upon experiencing racism and prejudice. Attending a

Given that first issue starts out at home with language barriers when parents are not able to assist their child with the problems they may need help with. But, may continue when certain high schools are only interested with their top 10 graduates or in other words the students with the highest honors, or are just wanting you to get your degree and get out of there depending on the school and the area that it is in. A study done by the University of Georgia did an analysis on Hispanic high school seniors on track to graduate who were all invited to participate in a program to transition them from high school to college. The entire goal of this program was to increase the number of students who applied to college. Luckily this programmed increased

Being born and raised in a culture and then uprooting your life to pursue opportunities in a different culture can be hard in three ways. First, speaking a foreign language and then coming to America where majority of the people speak English can be difficult to adapt to. When a person has grown accustomed to speaking their native language, it can be problematic to have to pick up an entire new language. Possibilities can be limited because of the restrictions on one’s ability to communicate with other. Second, if a teenager comes to America from a foreign country they will have to take on responsibilities that they normally would not. An adolescent might not be used to having to pay bills which can cause complications. Having to adjust to

For many immigrant families moving into the U.S the culture shock is significant. Families can easily be overwhelmed by their need to fit into their new surroundings. This is especially true for children in these families. It is easy for children to get caught up in the American way of life, and that can cause the original culture to be forgotten. That is why the adults in these families have to enforce their native culture on their children, so the adults can make sure that those customs are not forgotten.

Patricia Gándara writes about the crippling segregation within our modern school system for Latino students in her essay Overcoming Triple Segregation. She examines the Latin American’s struggle for education by pointing out how not only are they segregated racially; but socioeconomically and linguistically. Gándara states that segregation towards Latinos will result small amounts of academic success and fewer citizens entering the workforce. Then the article takes a turn to advocate the use of bilingual classrooms, stating that by assimilating them into our culture, they will be able to become successful future contributing members of society. Gándara states that Latinos are forced to overcome the racial hostility placed before them, a lack

Schooling systems have been the same since anyone could remember. What might need to change for students to get the equal amount of education as the “gifted” students? Will students still benefit from the lack of renewal in the education system? According to the authors from chapter 4 "How We Learn" Alfie Kohn, John Taylor Gatto, Bell Hooks, and Kristina Rizga, explaining in their essays published in "Acting Out Culture" by James S. Miller. They agree the educational system needs a big change if it’s going to impact the future of their students.

In this paper I will discuss the culture of Hispanic Americans, whom are sometimes called Latinos. Five demographic characteristics will be identified, which will follow their beliefs on family, education, and society. Although this culture has seen many challenges in today’s society there are many opportunities for advantages, and new traditions.

Hispanics, initial drawbacks frequently come from their parents ' immigrant and economic position and their sparse knowledge regarding the United States education system. While Hispanic students navigate through the school system, insufficient resources in schools and their awkward rapport with teachers continues to weaken their academic achievement. Initial drawbacks continue to mount up, causing the Hispanic population in having the least high school and college degree accomplishment, which is counterproductive of having a possibility for stable employment. According to Portman & Awe (2009) school counselors and comprehensive school counseling programs are anticipated to play a dynamic role in addressing the discrepancy between diverse

The United States is a place of freedom. We are a mixing pot that unifies as one. Many religions, cultures, and languages make their home in the Unites States. Many foreigners see the U.S. as an opportunity to seek better lives and education, but when it comes to foreigners and native-born non-English speakers that do not yet know English, it becomes a little more difficult to go about an average day let alone make a better future. Children in school often become English Language Learners, or ELL, to assimilate to the American standards. It is a hard journey for both the students, families, and the teachers. But, their journey is not taken alone since there are about 5 million English language learners in the United State.

This is the reason early interventions have a major aim of compensating for the poor and hostile learning conditions that are faced by the children in families that do not offer adequate opportunities to attain informal learning (Suggate, 2012). It is important to note here that “equality of opportunity exists where everyone is accorded the same chance to develop his or her capacities and to be acknowledged for personal accomplishments irrespective of characteristics such as gender, religion, political stance, color of the skin, or social background, that is, characteristics which are not related to their personal performance” (Burger,

We believe that teachers and parents are struggling to make their students and children involved in a different community from their original community. Because these students have different cultures, languages and values from their teachers who are doing their best to meet the needs of all international students (Shurki & Richard, 2009). The schools across the country today are looking for ways to welcome and assist immigrant families because they become a big part of their communities. So how these effect on each of students, teachers and parent?

As a four-year-old immigrant, a personalized education system would have provided me with greater confidence in my academic abilities. I found it difficult to excel in an elementary school with a “one size fits all” curriculum. I only knew how to speak Mandarin and Thai, and I was a visual learner. My teachers taught based on textbooks in English and disregarded my personal learning needs. Therefore, I was uninspired in all my classes which translated to poor grades. Every quarter, the parent and teacher meetings focused on my weak cognitive abilities. My teachers failed to notice an innate leadership and teamwork quality displayed on the playground or during free time. Ironically, employers look for these qualifications in their candidates.

Burns’ article, “Identifying Thinking Skills for Instruction in Your Classroom,” serves to be a great resources for all educators, but, specifically to those who teach gifted learners. Educators of gifted learners are always looking for ways to provide challenging lessons and this taxonomy exposes multiple ways to do so. Burns did a phenomenal job of explaining the taxonomy, defining the categories, identifying the steps, and providing examples in order for the implementation to be successful. I enjoyed the article and I plan to use these strategies and skills in my own classroom as I feel that it would be very beneficial to my