We the STAT team have reviewed the information, and have agreed on a solution for Tomoko Tadeshi. It seems that Tomoko and her parents disagree with the methods that Tomoko’s teacher is using in the classroom. There are apparent cultural differences that are affecting Tomoko’s ability to do well in school. Tomoko comes from a culture where speed is not the best way of learning. She seems to be frustrated by the teacher’s pace of instruction, and by the teacher’s feedback to Tomoko’s responses. Tomoko is also frustrated with the group work. She doesn’t understand the importance of group collaboration. She feels that the other children will take her answers. Tomoko seems to work best under these three settings: Rote-Memorization, Passive learning, and Individual work. Here are some solutions that we have come up with:

• Tomoko will be allowed more time to complete her assignments.
• The teacher will randomly choose students to call on by pulling names from a box.
• The teacher will minimize the size of the groups to motivate Tomoko’s participation. The group should consist of no more than three individuals. This will help Tomoko feel more comfortable working in group situations.
• Instead of interrupting Tomoko, the teacher will give a time limit for every student to think before answering the question (no less than 30 seconds). With this method, the teacher is able to keep the class moving, but still allow Tomoko ample time to compile her response before verbalizing it.
• The teacher should provide opportunities for the students to write their answers as opposed to always verbalizing them. This activity will allow Tomoko time to work alone, and at her own pace.
• The teacher should supply weekly progress notes for Tomoko’s family. These notes should include information on Tomoko’s scholastic and social success.

Tomoko does not seem to be struggling with the content of the assignments, rather, the administration. Tomoko is a very bright girl. Tomoko and the teacher must work together to create and personalize a plan of success!

Reflective Questions: (Rachel Russell)

1. How could the teacher make Tomoko more successful in the classroom?
2. Can you describe the learning environment in Tomoko's homeland?
3. Is a bilingual education being encouraged for Tomoko?
4. Would Tomoko fare better on an intelligence test administered in Japanese or English? Explain.
5. How has the Tadeshi’s involvement in Tomoko’s education impacted her learning?
6. Are there any other possible causes of Tomoko’s stagnation in her English education?
7. How does Tomoko’s lack of social relationships with other children affect her schooling/education?

Bloom’s Taxonomy of Critical Thought: (Rachel Larson)

Level 1- Knowledge: Learn the information.
Sample Verbs: Define, find, follow directions, identify, know, label, list, memorize, name.
1. What is the history of Tomoko Tadeshi’s family with regards to the English language?
2. List the key developmental stages of language learners, and label Tomoko’s progress is association with those stages.
3. How does Tomoko’s family encourage her development with English?
4. Name some activities or characteristics of Tomoko’s family life that might aid her in her attainment of the English language.
5. Identify the situations in which Tomoko uses her native language. Her home language.

Level 2- Comprehension: Understand the information.
Sample Verbs: Account for, explain, express in other terms, give examples, retell, show.
1. Please give specific examples of Tomoko’s language situation before moving to America.
2. Should we assume that because Tomoko began her formal education in America, she should quickly adapt to American schools and the English language? Explain.
3. Describe some of the advancements that Tomoko made with regards to pronunciation.
4. In your own words, explain what “passive learning” means and how it relates to Tomoko’s education.
5. Explain any cultural characteristics of Japanese culture that may have a significant impact on Tomoko’s linguistic development.
6. Is it possible that Tomoko's learning difficulties are stemming from social maladaptation or culture shock rather than the teaching method?

Level 3- Application: Use the information.
Sample Verbs: Apply, compute, construct, convert, demonstrate, derive, develop, solve.
1. Does Tomoko’s situation require parental and faculty intervention?
2. What are some activities that Tomoko's family could do at home to encourage more social interaction at school?
3. Construct a timeline to show Tomoko’s progress with Japanese and with English.
4. Using your knowledge of Tomoko’s linguistic development, construct a learning activity to help her in a specific language area (i.e. pronunciation, grammar, sentence structure, negation, etc.).
5. Research the rules and expectations of Japanese schools. Develop of list of classroom rules that integrate Japanese behavior expectations with American behavior expectations.

Level 4- Analysis Level: Break the information down into its component parts.
Sample Verbs: Analyze, compare, contrast, criticize, debate, determine, diagram, discover.
1. How does Tomoko’s language development compare with that of other ELL students? Is she progressing sufficiently?
2. How does Tomoko’s social development compare with that of other Asian ELL students? Are there any notable characteristics?
3. From the information given, determine whether Tomoko is bilingual, semi-lingual, or neither.
4. Draw a conclusion about the type of ESOL program, if any, in which Tomoko should participate.
5. Compare and contrast the expectations of Tomoko in her home environment, with the expectations of the school.

Level 5- Synthesis: Put information together in new and different ways.
Sample Verbs: Build, combine, create, design, imagine, invent, make up, present.
1. Does Tomoko’s withdraw in social situations warrant psychological advice?
2. What might the results be if Tomoko continued her education without any outside intervention?
3. Is it possible that Tomoko’s struggles are a result of the teaching approach of the instructor?
4. What are some alternative explanations of Tomoko’s change in behavior?
5. Pretend that you have an interview with Tomoko Tadeshi. Create a list of questions to ask her at the meeting.

Level 6- Evaluation: Judge the information.
Sample Verbs: Assess, defend, evaluate, grade, judge, measure, rank, recommend, select.
1. Is Tomoko’s scenario common among all ELLs?
2. Is it specific among ELLs from a certain region?
3. Should Tomoko’s situation be addressed academically? Socially?
4. Is it the duty of the general education teacher to accommodate ELLs such as Tomoko?
5. Is Tomoko’s behavior atypical for the school?
6. Evaluate the perceptions and misperceptions that school faculty members might have about Tomoko’s (as an Asian ELL) ability to adapt to American language and culture.

Letter From Home: (Carolynn Pearson)

This is a note from the Tadeshi family. In it, they have made a few suggestions about some possible solutions to aid Tomoko’s education.

I have been told that the way the classroom runs will be changed. My Tomoko has never been so unhappy about school in her life. I will make sure that several of the solutions that we discussed will be followed as well as my solutions that I would like to see progress.
I recommend that:
• The teacher allow my Tomoko plenty of time to complete classroom activities.
• The school educate the teacher with the skills that are needed for an ESOL student.
• The teacher let Tomoko know that group settings are OK.
• The teacher send progress notes home on a weekly basis.
• Tomoko is given an equal amount of time when answering a question.

Teacher Note (Carolynn Pearson):

Tomoko is a very smart girl with a lot of potential. Meeting the need of an ESOL child does not come easy for me. With that in mind, there will be a few things that I will change in my classroom to facilitate Tomoko's needs. The first thing that I will change is her learning environment. For example, I will give Tomoko more time to complete her work, I will put fewer children in group discussions, and I will attempt to meet any other needs that might come up in the future. I will also attend ESOL courses to educate myself with ESOL students, so that I can understand and meet their needs at a higher education level. Finally, I will provide a progress update each week for her parent's. As her teacher, I want to make sure that she receives an education at the highest level.

Resources:

List of Linux User Groups in Japan. “List of Linguistic Example Sentences”. Retrieved on September 5, 2004 from http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/List%20of%20Linux%20User%20Groups%2 in%20Japan.

The Languages of the World By Computers and the Internet. “Japanese”. Retrieved on September 5, 2004 from http://www.threeweb.ad.jp/logos/japanese.html.

Japan-Guide.com. “Etiquette”. Retrieved on September 9, 2004 from http://www.japan guide.com/e/e622.html.
New York Statistics and Demographics. “Census 2000”. Retrieved on September 9, 2004 from http://newyork.areaconnect.com/statistics.htm.