Reflection: Standard 5.a. ESL Research and History.

The artifact I chose for Standard 5a is from the Course ESC 759- Foundations of
Bilingual/Bicultural Education. It is based on a discussion board based on James Crawfords
book Educating English language learners: Language diversity in the classroom. Within the
discussion board we were to list 5-10 new concepts and their definitions, list three provoking
quotes and analyze his position on No Child Left Behind (NCLB).
I will focus mainly on Crawford and NCLB because I feel it addresses ELLs and how
they dont quite fit in to NCLB. For instance, ELLs have an added layer of struggle because
theyre trying to acquire a new language. Not only are they trying to learn academic concepts,
but a new language as well. Crawford points out that teachers shouldnt view ELLs as less
capable or intelligent because of these challenges.
Another concept not covered in NCLB is what Crawford calls a problematic construct.
What is problematic is the ELLs living and educational situation before arriving in the US. If
they lived in a rural area, they probably arent accustomed to a formal classroom setting. This
can be frustrating for a teacher who expects them to have some type of etiquette. Also, if the
students are SIFE (Students with Interrupted Formal Education), there will be gaps in his/her
academics. On the contrary, an ESL student with high level literacy in their first language and
solid education, will fare better than their classmates. NCLB doesnt fully address these students
either.
This artifact meets the Standard in that teachers understand the impact of NCLB on
ELLs. They realize that this also affects and informs instruction. A teacher cant instruct ELLs
in the same manner of English-dominant students. That methodology will certainly be

disadvantageous and faulty. Scaffolding and repetition need to be enforced more as it pertains to
ELLs.
I need to grow in this artifact in becoming more of an advocate for ELLs and inform my
colleagues of my findings. I think my knowledge of ELLs background challenges whether
they come from a rural background or are SIFE students, they need a different type of
instruction. And they shouldnt be left behind because theyre not learning at the same pace as
others.