Student Cast Study
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Transcript of Student Cast Study
Alicia HansonEDSC 591
Student Case Study
For this case study I interviewed and observed Jenny, one of my English
Learners, due to the fact that we differ linguistically, ethnically, and culturally. Beyond
that, she stood out to me because she’s a very diligent and hard working student. She
frequently asks questions and, despite her language barrier, she also usually completes
her work and follows instructions more completely than her native English speaking
peers. She presents a good example of the fact that a deficit in English proficiency does
not equate to a deficit in intelligence or ability. Jenny’s native and primary language is
Korean. She emigrated from South Korea to the United States 2 years ago, however she
had been taking English as a foreign language course for several years. Her given
Korean name is actually Hye-soo, but she picked Jenny as her English name to “fit in
better” in America. At home, she uses both Korean and English and she explained that
she sometimes blends the two together when she speaks and when she texts on her phone.
In the classroom she is rather shy, reserved, and soft-spoken. During whole class
discussions/questions she rarely participates, however in small groups she cooperates and
contributes well. She frequently asks me questions in a one-on-one setting. Her shyness
causes her to dislike asking questions of me in a whole class setting. She gets along well
with her classmates and usually appears cheerful. When having to read through the
textbook or questions on an assignment, Jenny usually has some comprehension
difficulties and frequently raises her hand to ask me to help clarify meanings for her. She
has difficulty understanding more abstract Social Science/Economic terms. Once I
explain things in a more easily understandable or relatable way, she is able to work out
the answers on her own. When it comes to writing, she also has trouble incorporating
more complex Economic vocabulary into her sentences. She usually has an electronic
translator/dictionary on her desk to use during lessons and assignments for additional
language support.
In comparing my observations with the readings, I believe the learning
environment is decently supportive for Jenny. One of the main themes Eccles kept
returning to was the lack of student autonomy and opportunities to participate in junior
high and high school environments, which leads to a decline in student motivation at
these ages (Eccles, J., 1996). The learning environment in my class for Jenny and the rest
of the students is supportive because it is the antithesis of that. Whole class discussions
and small group discussions are frequently used in my class, and this allows ample
participation opportunities for Jenny. From my observations, I noticed that Jenny does
much better in small group discussion settings due to her general shyness and lack of
confidence in speaking English. I made adaptations to include more intimate
participation opportunities in my lessons to better support students like Jenny in my
classes.
In drawing comparisons between Jenny and Moises from the short film
Immersion, the most notable is the language barrier in the classroom. Much like Moises,
Jenny also has to rely a lot on a Korean-English dictionary to help her communicate in
writing and reading comprehension. Jenny also struggles sometimes with my
explanations during lessons and needs further clarification. However, that’s about where
the similarities end. Jenny isn’t alienated by her peers in class like Moises usually was,
and I frequently use classwork time to assist Jenny one-on-one when she needs additional
support.
In the end, my ideas about equity and fairness in meeting students’ diverse needs
are still the same after completing this case study and the readings. I’ve always believed
that a teacher mustn’t only focus on a student’s academic abilities when planning
instruction, but that several other factors can play a big role in whether a student is
achieving access to and comprehension of the content being taught. This is very central to
my planning process because I have to make a well-rounded examination of my
students--taking into account their cultural backgrounds, interests, goals, physical,
mental, and emotional health, etc. so that I can begin to plan instruction that addresses all
of these areas. Knowing all of this information makes me very cognizant of tweaking my
instructional strategies so they can cater to a variety of learning styles instead of
designing a “one size fits all” style of lesson. In order to make content meaningful and
achieve effective comprehension, a teacher must constantly change up their strategies,
adaptations, resources, and materials to best suit all aspects of students’ needs.