Points of View

What are your reactions or experiences with point of view, perspectives, biases in history? How will you assist and ESL learner in your classroom? (please note, this is not just Spanish speaking children)

I don't remember enough about my Social Studies classes to make comments about my experiences with point of view, perspectives and biases from my own education. What I can talk about, is my own point of view on the subject!

I think that it is imperative that teachers do one of two things when teaching a topic that requires the students to look at opposite points of view. Teachers should either stay completely neural, acting as if they have no opinion either way. This way, the students are presented with just the facts. From the facts, the students can decide their own opinions and rationale. The other options of teachers, and this one some people may disagree with, is that they present both sides of the story with equal spirit and passion. This way, the students have a chance to see each side of the story fought for.

In either situation there is always the issue of students coming into the class with preconceived ideas or things that they might have heard from people the live with. This is especially a problem when debating current events, such as elections. students often come in with strong opinions going this way or that, but if a teacher probes them, they will find that the opinions are not supported by much than exactly what the student must have heard someone else say. For this reason, it is very important that before students are asked to take a side and make an argument, they not only have to know the facts, but they have to understand them. They need to know the background and the understand the after-effects. If the students are well informed, they will be more likely, and better equipped, to form their own opinions and make their own decisions.

We have talked a lot about how to create classrooms and lessons that support ESL learners. For Social Studies, one of the great things I can do is to highlight their culture. By letting them teach us about their culture and their language, that student will feel like a part of the class, and will find their place in the classroom community. If I have two students who speak the same language, I can have them work together on some tasks, especially things that involve reading and comprehension, so that they can work out the meanings of words and ideas together. For other activities I could buddy the ESL student up with a native English speaker who could help them understand the directions for assignments. If it is available, I would like to have copies of books that we read in their native language, especially if they speak or read little or no English. For any assignment or task I would have the directions written on the board or printed out. We learned that always having pictures that describe what the directions say is helpful. For example, if the students are supposed to cut something out, have a picture of a pair of scissors beside that direction. That will help the ESL student associate the word to the action.