Teaching Emergent Bilingual Students With Dis/Abilities

Patricia Martínez-Álvarez is an associate professor and director of the Bilingual/Bicultural Education program at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Contents


Preface  ix


List of Abbreviations  xv


Acknowledgments  xvii


1.  Tensions Surrounding the Education of Bilingual Children With a Disability  1

Cultural Historical Tensions in Teaching and Learning With Bilingual Children  3

Issues of Disability Identification Disproportionality and Consequences of Labels  4

Lack of Teacher Preparation Programs for Inclusive Education in Bilingual Contexts  6

Lack of Inclusive Approaches for Bilingual Education  8

Bilingual Education: A Space Inclusive of Children With a Disability  10


2.  Assumptions and Theories in the Varied Ways of Knowing Project  13

Assumptions Grounding the Varied Ways of Knowing Project  15

Theoretical Ideas Guiding the Project: A Hybrid Afterschool Program Space  15

The Varied Ways of Knowing Project  22


3.  Documenting the Varied Ways of Knowing Project  25

The Role of the Institution of Higher Education  26

The Varied Ways of Knowing School Context  26

Varied Ways of Knowing Project: Children and Teacher Candidates  27

Documenting Learning With Bilingual Children With and Without a Disability  28

Exploring the Work of the Children and the Teacher Candidates  29

Reflecting on Roles When Working in Bilingual Contexts  30

Relevant Questions and Organization of the Chapters  31


4.  The Issue of Ableism in Bilingual and Bicultural Education  35

Metaphors Driving Bilingual Teachers to Enact Ableist Practices  37

The Learning Identities of Bilingual Children With a Disability  40

Conclusion  51


5.  Teaching Children With Multiple Labels: Manifestations of Assimilation and Turning Points  53

Parallel Processes of Assimilation: Being Bilingual and Having a Disability  53

Assimilationist Processes Impacting Children of Immigrant Background  54

Assimilationist Processes Impacting Children Labeled With a Disability  55

Interrupting Processes of Assimilation  57

Children’s Experience: Expansive Views Crossing Identities and Cultures  58

A Contrasting Experience: Susana’s Agency and Learning Identity  68

A Turning Point: “(Susana) Is a Very Strong Girl for Sharing That With All of Us”  73

Conclusion  76


6.  Humanistic Perspectives in Inclusive Bilingual Education  79

The Significance of Humanistic Perspectives With Bilingual Children With a Disability  79

The Capas y Escudos (Capes and Shields) Project  85

Playful Spaces as Tools for Humanizing Pedagogies  85

Conclusion  96


7.  Exploring Disability With Bilingual Children  98

Identity and Disability  99

Bilingual and Bicultural Identity  100

Multiple Identities and Bilingual Children With a Disability  101

Teaching About Disability and the Disability Rights Movement  103

Learning and Disability Identity Through a CHAT and DSE Lens  104

Exploring the Disability Civil Rights Movement and the Rights of People With a Disability  106

Agency and Collective Learning While Exploring Disability  106

Conclusion  122


8.  Science Learning With Bilingual Children: Learning In-Between Boundaries in a Hybrid Space  126

Science Education and Emergent Bilinguals  127

Science Education and Children With a Disability  129

Exploring Science With Bilingual Children With and Without a Disability  130

The Relevant Contexts for Science and Landforms Unit  131

Learning at the Boundary of Knowledges, Disciplines, and Formal/Less Formal Spaces  132

Conclusion  145


9.  Artifact-Mediated Science Content Learning in Inclusive Bilingual Contexts  148

The Importance of Mediators When Teaching Children With a Disability  150

The Importance of Mediators When Teaching Bilingual Children  152

Mediating Science Content Learning With Bilingual Children With a Disability  153

The Earthquakes, Plate Tectonics, and the Ring of Fire Unit  154

Artifacts and the Way They Mediate Learning in Inclusive Bilingual Contexts  155

Children’s Volitional Actions: Re-mediating Using Artifacts and Various Knowledges  156

Language as an Artifact: Tensions Addressing Content Learning and Language Learning  166

Conclusion  172


10.  The Varied Ways of Knowing Project: Teaching Bilingual Students With a Disability  175

Ableist Practices in Bilingual Education and Implications  177

Historical Assimilationist Practices and Implications for Bilingual Education  179

Humanistic Perspectives for Inclusive Bilingual Education  180

Learning About Disability With Bilingual Children  185

A Hybrid Space for Science Learning In-Between Boundaries  186

Conclusion  189


Epilogue  191


References  193


Index  213


About the Author  222