Literacy Matters - Winter 2020

Visual:

Word: represent: to create a sign or symbol that reminds people of the original idea or object; to act or speak for someone; to amount to (Represent, n.d.a) Variations: represent, represents (present tense; singular verb agreement); represented (past tense; already happened); representing (future or happening now); representin’ (hip hop culture vernacular) Latin repraesentār: Prefix: re- to do again; Root: praesentāre to be present, to exist Spanish Cognate: representar Verbal: Math: Algebraic expressions, equations, and inequalities represent relationships between numbers. Social Studies: The International Declaration of Human Rights represents nations’ commitment to address and recognize injustice. Science: The image represents the life cycle of a frog. ELA: Romeo and Juliet are represented as star-crossed lovers, or young people whose fates could not align.

Reading Matters Teaching Matters

Movement: Perform arm signals like “here’s your new car”, to illustrate or represent

Perform as if you are speaking into a microphone to represent a cause Perform as if you are holding up a banner or use a banner in the classroom that represents an idea or issue

Youth Culture, Hip Hop Culture: (also rep, reppin) “go and be good examples to others”; or as a phrase “showing recognition of one’s background, home, social group, or original place of residence” (Hill, 2009) Critical Nuance: “a command that provokes someone to make a sign of or to show their gang symbol affiliation” Represent. (n.d.b). Share: additional nuanced student uses of the term References: Hill, M. L. (2009). Beats rhymes + classroom life . New York, NY: Teachers College Press. Represent. (n.d.a). Retrieved November 9, 2018, from https:// www.dictionary.com/browse/represent Represent. (n.d.b). Retrieved November 9, 2018, from https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=represent&utm_source=search-action

Table 2 . Peer teaching graphic organizer 2.0 designed by (Reeves, 2020) for this publication.

Community Connections as Culturally Responsive Practice Vinlove (2012) designed and implemented a ground- breaking study on context-responsive teaching or “teaching that responds to individual student needs and interests, linguistic backgrounds and family characteristics, the local community and the local natural environment” (p. iii) in Alaska. In addition to using Google Earth to explore and document local and sometimes unknown topography near and around the schools, the project expanded deeper into the community. Content-area teachers focused their energies on making their lessons in science, history, math, and ELA context-specific to the language, culture, and economy of community. Cultural leaders from the community were also invited in to speak and some teachers developed notebooks to document the 90 plus languages spoken in the area (p. 161). While engaging the community at this level, Vinlove indicated there were many opportunities to introduce new words and also to make community-specific connections to tier 2 and tier 3 words: “The opportunities for small integrations on a regular basis are endless but are contingent on both the teacher’s willingness to look for such opportunities and on his/her knowledge of relevant context-based references to incorporate into the curriculum” (p. 31).

Other ways to engage the community in the process of building up academic language skills can include having students conduct thematic interviews with community members (WWII vets, Civil Rights leaders, water protectors, historians, artists/tattoo artists, musicians, and writers among others); curate a local art exhibit or a living art exhibit; plan and implement a family literacy night; plan and implement a cultural festival; or put on a play, open mic, coffee house, or other arts focused gathering for local performers. All of these events create opportunities for students to use and build context-specific language and also to see the school taking action to affirm the life experiences of community members. Conclusion Students come to our schools with all types of experiences, expertise, interests, and ambitions. Extending their skills to include additional access to academic language may better prepare students to confidently meet the demands of the 21st century. Tailoring academic language instruction to include the use of authentic and high interest materials, oral practice and modeling, peer teaching, and community engagement are just a few ways we can acknowledge students’ interests and abilities while extending their skills as they rise to meet – and exceed – college and career ready standards.

| 48 | Literacy Matters | Volume 20 • Winter 2020 | scira.org

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