Summary
The Brenner article emphasizes the use of language in
mathematics classrooms and how the proper use and different uses of language can
benefit culturally and linguistically diverse students. The role of language in
math classrooms is first discussed, followed by its importance seen in recent
studies and educational theories from past and present. Finally, an overview of the Communication
Framework for Mathematics is given that highlights various ways in which all
students and teachers can participate and use language in the classroom.
Questions
1.
What issues/ questions about teaching English
learners do the readings raise?
One of the most striking facts that Brenner brings out
includes: “most research on educational innovation in mathematics has been done
with relatively advantaged groups of students while classroom practice and
research with less advantaged groups continues to stress mastery of basic
skills,” (243). The disparity in the type of education that less advantaged
groups, many being English Learners, is great compared to other populations.
Some questions that this prompted me to think about included: Why is basic
skill mastery over-emphasized in less advantaged groups? and Is it assumed that
less advantaged students cannot perform at a higher level, or are these
students so behind that basic skills need to be practiced repeatedly?
The article also touches upon student participation within
the English Learner population in any given classroom. The idea that culture
directly effects how students act in participate was demonstrated in multiple
examples. For instance, some students are uncomfortable speaking in a class
discussion, but do well in small groups. Often, if students are paired with
another student with the same first language, students are more willing to
explain their reasoning and insight. However, in the instance where “pairs
constituted of an English monolingual student and a student with very limited
proficiency in English resulted in very passive behavior on the part of the
latter students,” (Brenner 257). These findings made me wonder how I could
encourage participation in a classroom full of culturally diverse students.
Knowing every students’ personal histories seems somewhat impossible, so
developing a strategy that would ultimately help me with student participation
is something I would want to look into.
2 How does the reading suggest you can promote
these in your classroom:
a. Intellectual growth/academic excellence in
mathematics and b. equity.
The reading supports me, in my beliefs, that all students should have the opportunity to learn at a higher level; certain populations should not only have a procedural education. So many students are taught that the final answer of any math problem is all that matters, this type of thinking is the driving force of many basic skill mastery classrooms. Brenner emphasizes “class discussion should focus on why ideas are correct, not whether they are correct or incorrect,” (244).
Intellectual growth will come when students are able to
demonstrate and justify their thinking. This article’s main purpose was to
support a mathematical framework that utilizes communication and highlights the
importance in creating opportunities for all students to communicate and
participate in the classroom. Justifying their thoughts and actions, through
academic language in English, can be terrifying to any student, even more so to
an English Learner. Growth and academic excellence is achieved through
justification; as it has been said many times before, one truly knows the
material when one can teach it to another. Thus, teachers must create
opportunities for all students to demonstrate and justify their thinking. I
believe the best advice the article gave was “as the content of classroom
discourse changes, some students will need the support of changed participant
structures to develop the new communicative competence,” (Brenner 24).
