Back to Work

So I am back at work this year and this time as a Graduate. I am learning how to manage work and raising my teenage son of 16. It's different coming home without studying.
I had a great summer; we went to Fairbanks for ten days in June, Anchorage for another 10, and Hawai'i on the 10th of July for two weeks. I came home for abt two weeks. After my vacation, I went on a day trip to pick salmon berries with my sister Susan and her family. It was the hottest and calmest day with swarms of angry mosquitoes all around. At the end of the day, I had three gallons of salmon berries stored for the winter, which is enough for my son and I.
I traveled back to work to Anchorage for our district In-Service held in the Hilton. My first day back at work was on August 16. The In-Service was on 6 + 1 Writing Traits. We were grouped according to Primary, Grades 3-6 teachers and Jr. High and High School teachers. Everyone was in a 6 + 1 Trait Writing session. I gained useful insights on planning, implementing, and assessing 6 + 1 Writing Traits using picture books. I have a great understanding on how I can tailor it to include it within my Thematic Unit on Diversity. I also started using the SIOP method beginning with the Content and Language Objectives visible within the classroom. I agree that objectives should include language objectives and through SIOP I am able to do just that.
The only thing that remains is for me to get back into a nice routine without studying since I earned my MA in May. I need a good routine to get back into health and fitness. So far, I have not really started my diet and exercise, but I am making strides toward that.
Today I picked a gallon of blackberries and I think I need to go at least 3 more times to stock up for the winter. It feels odd, not studying, but I like the freedom. I just need to learn how to manage freedom again. Sounds funny, but I do.

Yupiit Piciryarait Cultural Center Graduation May 7,2010!

http://www.thetundradrums.com/article/1019kuc_graduation_celebrates_ends_and_beginnings

The Tassel was worth the Hassle!

~Every yesterday is a memory of dreams; Every tomorrow is a vision of hope~ 

Arnaucuar MaryAnn and the late Can'aar Teddy Sundown are proud to announce the graduation of their panikcupai Nuraraq Joanne Sundown with an MA in Applied Linguistics from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. 

 We would be honored to have you share in our happiness at Commencement Exercises on May 7, 2010 at 1:00 PM at the Yup’iit Piciryarait Cultural Center of Bethel, Alaska.

My Thesis Title: Using Multicultural Literature To Promote Cultural Awareness and Deepen Understanding of Your Own: A Yup'ik Teacher-Researcher's Journey

I have five more days until I graduate with a Masters in Applied Linguistics. I wanted to take the time and respect due to the following entities. I am a firm believer in thanking and giving credit where credit is due.

First of all this thesis is dedicated to my parents Arnaurcuar MaryAnn and the late Can'aar Teddy Sundown of Scammon Bay. As a result of their devotion in sharing the Yup'ik values through oral story telling, Yuraq, love, and compassion, I was directed toward this journey. Kenkamtek cali-llu quyaamtek!

Second  of all I want to acknowledge all the tireless efforts of the Second Language Acquisition and Teacher Education Project staff: my professors Dr. Joan Parker-Webster, Dr. Sabine Siekmann, Dr. Marilee Coles-Ritchie, and Dr. Patrick Marlow, Administrative Assistant Teneesha York, and the Graduate Assistants Carolyn Mousseau and Allan Hayton. Quyana all for your dedication and encouragements toward the benefits of Language Research and Education, believing in me, and guiding every step of my path.

Last of all I acknowledge the following programs and departments for supporting my education: this thesis would not have been possible without the financial support of the Second Language Acquisition and Teacher Education Project  at the University of Alaska Fairbanks funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Alaska Native Education Program. I would also like to thank my school district Lower Yukon School District, as well as UAF's Alaska Native Language Center, Applied Linguistics Program and Kuskokwim College for their financial and logistical support.

In retrospect, I conclude writing a Thesis is messy, enlightening, and necessary. When it is all said and done, one idea remains true, how does the new information (and information you already know) fit into your plans for the betterment of Language Research, Language Education, and your desire to becoming a better person? After all, theorizing and analyzing are often a path to self enlightenment and self discovery.

I wish  my SLATE family (professors, classmates, and friends) great health, prosperity, and happiness today and in every endeavor here after.

To family members (such as my son who put up with my insanity many times), my sitters, and all relatives who offered moral, emotional, and academic support; I thank you for making time to listen to my side, good and bad. My success is your success.

Quyana From:

Nuraraq Joanne Sundown

Yupik Teacher-Researcher/Linguist, Student, Classmate, Friend,

Daughter, Sister, Aunt, Cousin, and Mother

My Perspective

I am in the midst of writing and completing my Thesis. It has been about 9 months since I have written anything here. With all that has been occurring in the U.S. lately, I wanted to share a thing or two and decided to blog.
Lashing out at the government, particularly the passionate feelings and expressions toward President Obama can be seen as freedom of speech. One of my favorite books is Off White: Readings on Race, Power, and Society (1997)by Michelle Fine, Lois Weis, Linda C. Powell, and L. Mun Wong. This book shares a series of essays, stories, and some accounts on race, power and society. Based on the piece Underground Discourse by Rosenberg(p. 79-89) we always seem to find excuses for what people do. I do say the rhetoric on Obama is racist and further, he may have learned early on to be silent and to ignore these acts. So far he seems to be wearing rose-colored glasses, and seem to be concluding it is anything else but racism.
What does this have to do with my research? I have been reading about Multicultural Education and its goals toward Education and humanity. James A. Banks (1994) suggested the following goals in his book Introduction to Multicultural Education;

• To increase educational equality for students from diverse groups, restructuring needs to provide equal chances for all students
• Help all students to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they will need to survive and function effectively in a future of U.S. society
  
• Help students to develop cross-cultural competency in cultures beyond out national boundaries and the insights and understandings needed to understand how all peoples living on earth have highly interconnected fates (p. 17)

With all that has been occurring in my country and the world, I have to believe in my open-mindedness, my cultural pluralistic ideology, and to channel this toward the betterment of society. I am just one perspective, so it is important to be positive and see the good, on the other hand, I am not one to make excuses. Freedom of speech means one can express whatever they want. When does that freedom become a hate-crime? Please respond.
My advice, learn, care, and do. (More of Banks' advice).

The World At Your Fingertips!

Happy New Year one and all! I just found a site in my junk mail and I wanted to share my junk mail with you all! I don't know how valid the site is but I am looking and looks interesting enough to share. I don't know what your plans are after you have earned your masters here, but I just wanted to show you what may be available to you. I am just visiting the sites to see what they're all about, so far I am just working on here and now. Who knows, sites like these can open doors for you if this is what you are interested in. Here it is:
http://www.justclicklocal.com/local.php?query=teach+abroad&source=ak&adgroupid=TeachAbroad

Good luck to all my classmates this weekend at Bethel!

By the way, in looking at one of the sites, TESOL caught my eye. Looked so familiar! Hmmm.

Content Area Assessment (both readings)

Butler, F. A. & Stevens, R. (2001). Standardized assessment of the content knowledge of English language learners’ k-12: Current trends and old dilemmas. Language Testing, 18 (4), 409-427. Los Angeles, CA.
O’Malley, M. & Pierce, L. V. (1996) Content area assessment
Some of the similarities between the two readings involve ELL’s being tested using the old system of standardized approaches which we have learned and discussed innumerably this quarter is not valid. Some of the reason to test in content areas includes accountability, continued programs for funding, and to see how schools are doing across the board. This process seems helpful in a way that school are accountable for their learners, however the way in which testing is carried out proves invalid for several reasons stated in both readings, such as: students are more diverse that come in speaking another language other than English, testing is usually standardized, little or no accommodations are made to meet individual needs, these assessment are mostly one time deal and so often is not a valid measurement, and do not test in language of the ELL’s.
In Butler’s article some solutions were suggested such as to look into accommodations for the ELL’s and to provide a measure of growth in English. Accommodations would be in the area of test and procedural modifications and Measures of growth is screening students to see if they are proficient enough to participate in high stakes testing.
O’Malley and Pierce suggested authentic means of testing such as scaffolding to show if students can respond to tasks, such as Graphic Organizers to help thinking skills, problem solving, and strategic approaches to learning.
Further it has always been suggested to include the learners in the process through their prior knowledge, self-assessments, and empowerment of their educational process by setting goals. This can mean that the teacher include and not exclude learners in assessing and or creating rubrics so that learners know and understand the criteria.
One thing I will remember from this reading is the differentiated scoring. My district does encourage us to differentiate instruction as we teach in multilevelized classrooms. It does make sense that we should also differentiate scoring. A good example is differentiating writing from the grammatical and the concepts. I will try to include more writing in their Math, which I seem to shy away from as compared to other Content Areas. One example I have begun to use is for them to explain in their own words how they came to this conclusion or to explain their results.