Running Head: NEWCOMERS FINAL PROJECT 1

Newcomers Final Project

Andrew Hill

The University of Texas at San Antonio

NEWCOMERS FINAL PROJECT 2

Option 1.2: Program Design

Herein I describe the City of Angels Center for Newcomers. I serve as this

programs designer and Executive Director. The term newcomer denotes immigrants and

refugees with emergent levels of English proficiency who have lived in the United States for

three to five years (Lindahl, 2017). Angels Center provides quality education, cultural

awareness, and socioemotional support to North Korean refugees living in Los Angeles.

These newcomers fled poverty, drought, and dictatorship, and resettled in California, some by

way of China. Approximately 200 documented (and many more undocumented) reside in the

City of Angels. They all blend among the larger South Korean-American community, within

and outside Koreatown. The aroma of piquant kimchi drifts from one food truck to the next

and reminds these refugees of another more familiar world. Still, this fermented radish is

different in L.A. Certain restaurants obscure its richness by offering only chic fusion cuisine:

bulgogi kimchi tacos and caramelized kimchi fries. Others offer South-Korean style, a bit

crunchier, a bit blander than traditional Chongjin fare. Koreatown isnt home and likeness

aside, North and South Korean-Americans are not the same. These northern newcomers have

unique backgrounds, experiences, and needs distinct from their Chosn counterparts that

City of Angels Center for Newcomers will consider and address.

Angels Center supports thirty students, eighteen female and twelve male, aged

eighteen to twenty-five. These newcomers have limited experience with alphabetic print-

based literacy. Familiar orthographies include non-alphabetic scripts, Korean (the Hangeul

alphabet) and Chinese (traditional characters1). They speak various North Korean dialects.

Roughly two-thirds speak conversational Chinese. These facts were taken into consideration

as we developed our centers program, expounded subsequently.

1
Some students have had limited exposure to pinyin, Romanized Chinese.
NEWCOMERS FINAL PROJECT 3

In hiring staff, we sought individuals with experience 1) working with vulnerable

and/or diverse populations and, 2) teaching English as a second language. Familiarity with

Korean language and culture was a plus. Financial realities in mind, we hired two part-time

ESL certified teachers with requisite experience and four ancillary AmeriCorps Members2.

That stated, our people-power extends beyond the classroom. We have relationships with

sundry organizations at the local, state, and national level. We engage in a litany of trainings3

and workshops organized by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Los Angeles,

Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Services, Episcopal Migration Ministries, Lutheran

Immigration and Refugee Service, and the Church World Service. Angels Center staff have

been trained in Trauma-Informed Care. Per The University of Texass Hogg Foundation,

Trauma-informed care is a form of mental health intervention that specifically addresses the

consequences of trauma for an individual and facilitates healing (Trauma-Informed Care).

Our staff is taught to avoid re-triggering student traumas. We have also been fortunate to

secure city government support. Mayor Eric Garcetti4 has toured our facility twice and

ardently supports refugee rights and the work of Angels Center. In response to President

Trumps travel ban, he declared: Our country is not made safer by turning away from values

and traditions that speak to the best of who we are as a nation, and what we believe as a

people (STATEMENT: Mayor Garcetti on the Presidents Executive Order on immigration

and refugees).

2
AmeriCorps is a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service
(CNCS), an independent federal agency whose mission is to improve lives, strengthen
communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering (What is
AmeriCorps?)
3
Workshops reflect those provided by the Refugee Council: Age assessment awareness
and working with age-disputed young people, An introduction to working with
unaccompanied children, and Emotional well-being of refugee children and young
people (Complete list of training courses).
4
In fact, he encouraged our May 3rd presentation before the City Council.
NEWCOMERS FINAL PROJECT 4

Regarding cultural and educational needs: our students require, among other things.

language socialization; what Duff (2010) defines as the acquisition of linguistic,

pragmatic, and other cultural knowledge through social experience often equated with the

development of cultural and communicative competence [emphasis added] (Duff, p. 427).

Fifty plus percent of our students fled North Korea mid compulsory primary/secondary

school. They made new homes in China, whereat they declined to attend school for fear of

arrest and deportation. Consequently, their education has been formally interrupted (Lindahl,

2017). They have limited understanding of classroom practices and literacy and numeracy

skills. Our curriculum addresses these realities and needs. We offer two types of courses (and

we expect these to expand and diversify next year). The first: a Social Studies course Tuesday

and Thursday evenings from 6pm to 7pm (students attend after work has concluded for the

day). Our instructors also cover important concepts unheard of, or even illegal, in North

Korea: Capitalism and Democracy as applicable to daily life, and general key components of

social studies that may acclimate newcomers to the United States and California. We also

offer two distinct but concurrent English courses, beginning (20 students) and intermediate

(10 students), Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for one hour. Classes occur after school, five

days a week. We are considering bilingual classes next year, contingent on increased funding

and a partnership with UCLAs Center for Korean Studies (Custodio, 2011, p. 25). At present,

however, we are an English as a second language (ESL) program. In keeping with Custodio,

if a district has a large group of students who speak [the same language] for which material

and teachers are available, bilingual programming is recommended (p. 25). In keeping with

Custodio, some of our students with the least formal education upon arrival are now staying

for three years before they are ready to move on (p. 23). We are, however, consistently

challenged by the fact that students do not attend classes with regularity.
NEWCOMERS FINAL PROJECT 5

Our instructors and AmeriCorps volunteers are experienced, creative, and dedicated.

Instructors tap into students funds of knowledge, historically accumulated and culturally

developed bodies of knowledge and skills essential for household or individual functioning or

well-being (Greenberg, 1989; Tapia, 1991; Velez-Ibanez, 1988 as cited in Moll, Amanti,

Neff, & Gonzalez, 1992, p. 133) and act as border crossers by helping students develop

counternarratives to the dominant culture (Giroux, 1997 as cited in Hones, 2002, p. 29).

We do offer experiential learning classes one Saturday each month. Students take field trips

and experience meaningful social, cultural and language-oriented activities. Students recently

volunteered at the Boys and Girls Club, helping to reorganize and paint the facility. This

directly connected to a social studies lesson on civic engagement. Programming and

educational materials are free of charge courtesy of a block grant from the federal

government. Per the Office of Civil Rights for all second language programs, newcomer

centers require a definite exit plan5 (Custodio, 2011, p. 23). My team and I have designed

and utilize a standardized, formal assessment combined with staff recommendations (p. 23).

There is also a simple placement test new students take at the outset.

Angels Center is located in an area convenient and central to our student population.

Prior to curriculum development, we engaged in community asset mapping. We also sought

to determine available facilities. A high school in Koreatown, the L.A. Unified Robert F.

Kennedy Community School, opened their doors to us each evening. Most of our students

families live around Koreatown. Consequently, we designed a single school instead of a

relatively centralized location. Per Custodio, by combining forces a larger program could be

offered with targeted resources. (p. 22).

5
Regarding placement tests: we provide a basic diagnostic coupled with a relaxed entry
interview.
NEWCOMERS FINAL PROJECT 6

In closing, we are sensitive to the fact that the Koreatown newcomer population,

heavily North Korean, may change in makeup based on international events. In the 1980s, a

wave of Southeast Asian Refugees was the impetus for creating the Sacramento Newcomer

School, which serves only newly arrived immigrants (Chang, 1990, p. 14). In time, the

influx of Southeast Asians had worked their way through the school [and] most of the

students arriving at the newcomer school were Spanish speakers (Chang, 1990, p. 14). We

must be ready and willing to change if events necessitate.

NEWCOMERS FINAL PROJECT 7

Works Cited

Chang, H. (1990). Newcomer Programs: Innovative Efforts to Meet the Educational

Challenges of Immigrant Students . San Francisco, CA: California Tomorrow.

Complete list of training courses. (n.d.). Retrieved April 29, 2017, from

https://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/training_conferences/training/complete_list

Custodio, B. (2011). How to design and implement a newcomer program. Boston: Pearson.

Hones, D. F. (2002). American dreams, global visions: dialogic teacher research with

refugee and immigrant families. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Lindahl, K. Defining Newcomer Populations. Retrieved from Blackboard.

Lindahl, K. Interruped Formal Schooling. Retrieved from Blackboard.

Moll, L. C., Amanti, C., Neff, D., & Gonzalez, N. (1992). Funds of knowledge for teaching:

Using a qualitative approach to connect homes and classrooms. Theory Into Practice,31(2),

132-141.
NEWCOMERS FINAL PROJECT 8

STATEMENT: Mayor Garcetti on the President's Executive Order on immigration and

refugees. (2017, January 27). STATEMENT: Mayor Garcetti on the President's Executive

Order on immigration and refugees. Retrieved May 02, 2017, from

https://www.lamayor.org/statement-mayor-garcetti-presidents-executive-order-immigration-

and-refugees

Trauma-Informed Care. (n.d.). Retrieved April 29, 2017, from http://hogg.utexas.edu/what-

we-do/trauma-informed-care

What is AmeriCorps? (n.d.). Retrieved April 29, 2017, from

https://www.nationalservice.gov/node/2873
NEWCOMERS FINAL PROJECT 9

Project 2.3: Organizational Profiles

Herein I profile five newcomer programs situated in San Antonio: [1] Refugee and

Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES), [2] San Antonio Mennonite

Church (SAMC), [3] Catholic Charities Refugees and Immigration Services [4] The Center

for Refugee Services (CRS), and [5] The Immigration Service and Aid Center of San Antonio

(ISAAC). In preparing these profiles I discovered the crucial role each plays in serving

immigrant and refugee populations that have resettled in San Antonio.

RAICES, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was founded in 1986 in response to an

influx of Central American refugees displaced by war in their native countries. This was

shortly after President Jimmy Carter signed The Refugee Act into law (Refugee Act of

1980). RAICES offers a spectrum of services: helping newcomers attain residency,

procuring political asylum status for refugees already stateside, assisting persons fearful of

persecution in their native countries; securing protection and reprieve for unaccompanied

minors, among the most vulnerable; and proffering legal assistance to newcomers who fear

contacting law enforcement, even under the direst of circumstances, might jeopardize the

well-being of their families. They also offer provisional shelter to newly arrived newcomer

families (Stop the Raids! Sponsor a Family!). I spoke via phone with the staff receptionist

who informed me that RAICES offers no ESL services. I was unable to locate specific

funding information (I contacted the organization several times but received no reply).

In seeking SAMC info, I discovered a powerful article dated December 12, 2016: A

Crisis Lands on San Antonios Doorstep. On December 4th, ICE had released several

hundred newcomers, women and children, at the citys Greyhound Station. RAICES was at

capacity and could not feasibly assist every person. They sought community assistance.

SAMC answered that call and took many in (Barajas, 2017). SAMC strive[s] to model a
NEWCOMERS FINAL PROJECT 10

community of faith and spirit that works toward openness and understanding, offering justice,

healing, and wholeness of life for all people (SAMC). Per my correspondence with this

organization, they offer no language classes at present but hope to in the future (Unnamed,

personal communication, April 26, 2017). I was unable to locate information regarding

funding but presume private donations play a substantial role.

Catholic Charities Refugees and Immigration Services, founded circa 1973 in

response to the Vietnam conflict-triggered influx in immigration, seeks to address the needs

of individuals and families, [while] emphasizing social justice, social teaching and

community service (Home). First: they offer two modes of educational support to ESL

students. They offer ESL services to refugees aged 16+ and provide educational materials at

no cost to the learner. Students are provided bus passes, a product of partnership with San

Antonios VIA transit services. Second, they also offer services to SAISD. English as a

Second Language instruction, after-school tutoring, activities encouraging high school

completion and full participation in school activities, summer programs and club activities,

parental involvement activities and interpreting services (Refugee & Immigration Services).

I sought additional information regarding language resources but was unable to locate.

Catholic Charities good work is thanks in large part to a federal grant channeled

through the Texas government. This has proven troublesome as Governor Greg Abbot, one of

countless politicians who have reduced the refugee issue to fearmongering, has threatened

to block funding and bar refugees from being resettled in Texas (Ura, 2016). Per Hones:

Why is it when almost everyone living in the United States has descended from immigrant

ancestors, American continues to be a land of inequity with emphasis on individualism rather

than community responsibility [emphasis added]? (Hones, p. 44). A government absent the

latter may run interference for bigotry. Refugees may look different, practice different faiths,
NEWCOMERS FINAL PROJECT 11

speak different languages and dialects. These differences may engender fear and hate. That

ethnocentrism is something we should all combat. I applaud Catholic Charities (among other

organizations) for making positive change.

CRS, yet another indispensable organization, was founded in 2010 to help refugee

parents understand and navigate the American school system, and to promote success of their

children in school (SA Refugees). They proffer myriad newcomer services:

transportation assistance children and youth activities [a] food pantry employment

assistance health and wellness support [and] English classes [emphasis added] (SA

Refugees). Each is central to newcomers success and acclimation as they navigate their first

few years in the United States. ESL education is particularly important in the long term. First,

it ideally offers newcomer-specific services tailored to SIFE students with low literacy and

numeracy skills. Education is a multiplier right as it enhances other human rights such as

civil, economic, social, cultural, and linguistic rights (Bigelow, p. 119). As we observed in

God Grew Tired of Us a documentary about the Lost Boys of the Susan refugees are

challenged time and again. They may feel a duty to send money earned back to the family.

This, and other reasons, may make students feel as though they cannot focus on their

education, so necessary for social and economic mobility. Quality education is critical. Also

important: providing a safe haven to students, Per Chang (1990), newcomers initial harsh

experiences are clearly damaging to self esteem and have provided an impetus for creation

of separate programs for newcomers (Chang, 1990, p. 18). CRS, among others, offers that

safe space.

Per my correspondence with Margaret Constantino, Director of CRS, they offer two

levels of ESL programming: basic and intermediate. They serve fifty adults. Teachers are

ESL certified. These students are legally resettled from a slew of countries: Africa, Congo,
NEWCOMERS FINAL PROJECT 12

Rwanda, Central African Republic, Nepal, Burma, Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan. A few

students are taught ESL at their homes as they are mothers of very young children. Student

progress is slow as their work schedules are demanding and they dont attend class

consistently (M. Constantino, personal communication, April 25, 2017). CRS serves

newcomers thanks to private donations from area churches and community members and

volunteers offer their services free of charge. CRS works in concert with terrific partner

organizations. Among these: UT Nursing School University Health Clinic, the Assistance

League of San Antonio and multiple area churches.

I researched one more newcomer program: ISAAC (mentioned in my introduction).

ISAAC is not a single newcomer program, it is a San Antonio-based organization that

supports [churches] service ministries such as ESL, citizenship, or other literacy programs.

Through its relationship with community literacy organizations, ISAAC [helps churches]

find the training and resources it needs to set up these types of ministries (Isaac Project).

In other words, this organization helps churches and faith-based groups who have the

willpower but not necessarily the know-how to craft and deliver services to Newcomer

populations. This brings up a critical issue alluded to earlier in this paper and in our course

readings. It is also something I have observed in my own community work. In some cities, a

bevy of nonprofit organizations will serve the same populations but these organization wont

talk to each other. Key opportunities to build coalitions, tap into each others strengths and

skill sets, and share resources are lost, all to the disadvantage of the populations that are being

served. Each of the aforementioned organizations works in partnership with other community

organizations: SAMC with RAICES, for example. Even better when local high schools,

community colleges, universities have a voice in the process. When researchers can observe,

participate, and volunteer in these community efforts, they may engage in engaged
NEWCOMERS FINAL PROJECT 13

scholarship, wherein academics becomes advocates for the communities they study and even

activists as they seek to effect change (Bigelow, 2010, p. 22). If each community asset comes

together and works in concert on behalf of newcomer populations then we can help so many.

We can even influence our local, state, and federal governments for the better.
NEWCOMERS FINAL PROJECT 14

Works Cited

Barajas, M. (2017, February 22). A Refugee Crisis Lands on San Antonio's Doorstep.

Retrieved April 25, 2017, from http://www.sacurrent.com/the-daily/archives/2016/12/12/a-

refugee-crisis-lands-on-san-antonios-doorstep

Bigelow, M. (2010). Mogadishu on the Mississippi: language, racialized identity, and

education in a new land. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.

Chang, H. (1990). Newcomer Programs: Innovative Efforts to Meet the Educational

Challenges of Immigrant Students . San Francisco, CA: California Tomorrow.

Home. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2017, from http://ccaosa.org/

Hones, D. F. (2002). American dreams, global visions: dialogic teacher research with

refugee and immigrant families. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

(n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2017, from http://www.sarefugees.org/About_us.php

(n.d.). Retrieved April 25, 2017, from http://isaacproject.org/

Our Present Mission. (n.d.). Retrieved April 25, 2017, from

http://www.sanantoniomennonite.org/our-mission
NEWCOMERS FINAL PROJECT 15

Refugee Act of 1980. (n.d.). Retrieved May 02, 2017, from

https://www.archivesfoundation.org/documents/refugee-act-1980/

Refugee & Immigration Services. (n.d.). Retrieved April 25, 2017, from

http://ccaosa.org/refugee-immigration-services

Stop the Raids! Sponsor a Family. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2017, from

https://www.raicestexas.org/

Ura, A. (2016, September 30). Texas Officially Withdraws from Refugee Resettlement

Program. Retrieved May 02, 2017, from https://www.texastribune.org/2016/09/30/texas-

officially-withdraws-refugee-resettlement-pr/
NEWCOMERS FINAL PROJECT 16

Project 3.3: Lesson Plan Rationale

This lesson plan will be implemented within an Intermediate Literacy course (in the

context of City of Angels Center for Newcomers). This lesson is a quasi-extension of the

previous Thursdays Social Studies class and previous Saturdays field trip to the Boys and

Girls Club of LA (see Option 1.2 and subsequent lesson for context). It is built on myriad

critical concepts covered in class and elucidated in scholarly literature. The first concept:

instructor as border crosser. In essence: the teacher helps students build counter-narratives to

the prevailing American and Californian meta-narratives. Course content is not better than,

nor is it preferable to, students preexisting knowledge base. These skills are simply new,

albeit necessary (Hones, 2010, p. 22). This approach must be kept in mind during the

duration of the lesson (and is apparent in the Warm Up, see below).

In the class Warm Up, instructor activates student schemata by reviewing not only

significant American Social Studies concepts, but also events and figures that touch on

students own experiences with Korean and Chinese history, government6 and culture (thus

acting as border crosser). Teacher must guide conversation and exemplify the value of

student experience and identity. There exist teachable moments wherein teachers may tap

into students funds of knowledge (our second critical concept), home and/or community

knowledge, critical to students well-being, that has been collected over time. The material is

made more meaningful for the student (Moll, Amanti, Neff, & Gonzales, p.132). For example,

students have general understanding of various Asian governments (particularly the

leadership roles of Kim Il-Sung, Kim Jong-Il, and Kim Jong-Un, same for Xi Jin Ping,

president of China). By showing that their knowledge is directly applicable (if, of course,

6
In the past, students may have been intimidated by these issues (tied to law enforcement)
but they will, potentially, be empowered by their own understanding of them.
NEWCOMERS FINAL PROJECT 17

different in key and important ways) to the United States context (the concept of leadership

may be easily understood), the teacher is showing the value of their funds of knowledge.

In Activity 1, the teacher again taps into students funds of knowledge. North Korean

refugees residing in the United States feel a certain kinship to South Korean-Americans

living in Koreatown (after all, there is shared culture, history and language). KakaoTalk is a

popular South Korean messaging application that Angels Center students use (and is the app

of choice in Koreatown). By incorporating this messaging tool into class coursework (an app

crucial to their home life and well-being in the Koreatown community, and then sharing its

similarity to other popular messaging tools like Facebook Messenger), the teacher may show

that life outside that community values the skills they bring to the table and that, moreover,

these skills may be used to communicate in English with most anyone.

In Activity 2, the class engages in the third critical concept: the language experience

approach, a whole language approach that promotes reading and writing through the use of

personal experiences and oral language [emphases added] (CAELA: ESL Resources:

Digests). Students consider their Saturday experiential learning through the lens of a

literacy-based concept. In this lesson, they use past-tense verbs to describe their service

learning activities at the Boys and Girls Club of LA. This is an activity students are familiar

with and has proven effective.

In Activity 3, the instructor again taps into students preexisting knowledge base, but

this time: linguistic funds of knowledge. Custodio recommends classes be taught bilingually

when there are many students who share the same language (Custodio, 2011, p. 25).

Unfortunately, we do not have the means (as far as instruction is concerned) a true bilingual

class. That stated, we want to empower students to discuss and analyze classroom material in

their L1. Students are tasked with filming (using Activity 2s smartphones) each other
NEWCOMERS FINAL PROJECT 18

explaining, in Korean past-tense, activities they performed on their field trip. This will give

them more expansive vocabulary to explain, in class, what they have been learning while

concurrently speaking in the past tense. The clips filmed are then uploaded to Google Drive

and will eventually be added to students end of year e-portfolio.

Finally: as weve discussed in class, its important that students have ambassadors

that can help ingratiate them into their new community and school. This directly connects to

the Buddy System, a final critical concept. Ambassadors, or stronger language learners, guide

newer/less advanced newcomers during class. This buddy may also reteach and

communicate specific concepts in the L1 (Hornberger, & McKay, 2010, p. 129), another

connection to linguistic funds of knowledge.

NEWCOMERS FINAL PROJECT 19

Project 3.3 (contd): Lesson Plan

Date/Time M/W/F, 6pm 7pm Teacher Andrew Hill

Grade/Age 18 - 25 years old Students 10 (5 female, 5 male)

Students L1 Korean (N. Korean Dialects) Students Motivation Participate in US/CA culture.

ESL classroom,
Duration 60 minutes Place
Angels Center for Newcomers
Past Tense Verbs: The
Class Literacy (Intermediate) Lesson
Language Experience Approach

Terminal
Objective Students will be able to describe volunteer activities using past tense verbs.

Students will independently analyze six meaningful and historical pictures.

Enabling Students will verbalize in pairs their Boys and Girls Club volunteer activities using
Objectives past tense verbs.

Students will explain last Saturdays field trip in their L1, using past-tense verbs.

Q: What did [Proper Noun] do at the Boys and Girls Club?

Target
R1: [Proper Noun] [Past Tense Verb] at the Boys and Girls Club.
Expressions

R2: I [Past Tense Verb] at the Boys and Girls Club.

Funds of Knowledge: Tap into students funds of cultural and familial knowledge.
Empower pupils, make their studies more meaningful (Moll, Amanti, Neff, &
Key Gonzales, p.132).
Info,
Border Crosser: Help students build counter-narrative to dominant American
Classroom cultures meta-narrative (connect American social studies content to pre-existing
Culture schema). Course content is not better than or preferable to students preexisting
knowledge base, they are simply new, if necessary, skills (Hones, 2010, p. 22)
&

Teachable Buddy System: Strong and struggling students are paired (thankfully we have an
Moments equal ten). The former serve as ambassador that guide newer/less advanced
newcomers during class. This buddy may also reteach and communicate specific
concepts in the L1 (Hornberger, & McKay, 2010, p. 129).
NEWCOMERS FINAL PROJECT 20

Materials Technology: Students Smart Phones (10), Smart Board (1)

Steps
ESL Teaching
Stage Time Activity Materials
Components
(Minute)

Into Greeting As students enter classroom, teacher plays

Angels Playlist 1. At semesters start, each
5
student named and contributed two favorite Angels
songs (traditional Korean, K-Pop, Chinese, Playlist 1
English language, etc.). Students enjoy walking
into class and hearing music play, lowers
affective filter.

As clock strikes 6pm, greet class.

Remind that classroom is a safe space.

Students should be comfortable taking cultural
and linguistic risks.

Into Warm Up Every Picture Tells a Story

(Hook)
Via classroom smartboard, show five pictures
20
in succession. Each is relevant to student
experience and the current T/Th Social Studies
unit (Civics) and will, ultimately, be applicable
to this literacy lesson. Pictures first depict Art Smart Board
important events and figures in world (Connect
history. Also depicted: single example of Students
volunteerism, picture of students attending Backgroun
Pictures
previous Saturday service-learning field trip to d
LA Boys and Girls Club, an experiential Knowledge
to Content
learning activity (and extension of last in the ELL
Thursdays SS lesson on civic engagement and Teacher
Classroom
Graphic
community service). )
Organizer

Show each picture briefly without comment:

What is happening in this picture?

Show each photo a second time. Ask students,

this time, to verbalize what they believe is
occurring in each picture after it is shown. Ask
also how it may connect to civic engagement or
community service. Add student responses to
teachers graphic organizer five boxes
NEWCOMERS FINAL PROJECT 21

sketched out and prepared on classroom chart Graphic

paper that helps newcomers to visualize Org.
text organization. Teacher guides discussion. (Lidahl,
2017)
o Picture 1 Koreas King Sejong,
composed of English sentences.
Funds of
o Picture 2 Chinese Legislature. Knowledge
(Moll,
o Picture 3 George Washington, Amanti,
American president. Neff, &
Gonzales,
p. 132)
o Picture 4 Peaceful protest before the
US Capitol..

o Picture 5 Students volunteering on

Saturdays service learning field trip.

The benefits of this activity are many. First, it

activates schemata with regard to social studies
concepts learned in prior classes. It also taps
into funds of knowledge, showing students that
their prior civics knowledge may be, to some
degree, cross-cultural and applicable to
different contexts and Discourses. Second, it
triggers students reading, writing, listening, and
speaking (all while thinking critically). It also
asks that students reflect on social studies
classes and a Saturday service project.

Th- Activity 1 Reflect on, and use past-tense verbs to describe,

rough Saturdays Field Trip
20
Refocus class

Explain that Warm-Up photos and discussion

connect with days lesson topic: past-tense
verbs (students have already learned and
mastered present-tense verbs).

Write target expressions on White Board (not

Smart Board).

Summon eleven new pictures to Smart Board:

contextualize past-tense concept by exhibiting
photos of current students (and teacher!)
volunteering at Boys and Girls Club.

Model teachers volunteer activity, using target

expressions, on White Board: [Teacher]
NEWCOMERS FINAL PROJECT 22

cleaned at the Boys and Girls Club. Teacher

models several more on White Board, then Language
seeks student volunteers, they model as well Experience
(thus scaffolding occurs). Teacher tells students Approach
remainder of activity will not be written via pen (CAELA:
and paper. Students will instead use smart ESL
phone messaging app KakaoTalk (each student Resources:
has smartphone). During this activity, teacher Digests)
pays special attention to phonemic awareness as
displayed by students in activity (phoneme
reversal, non-words, etc.) and find teachable
moments if necessary.

Students will work with their buddies to Buddy

verbalize and send their answers, via System
KakaoTalk, to their buddies. (Hornberg
er, &
KakaoTalk is a popular messaging service (like McKay,
Chinas WeChat and Japans Line) South 1996, p.
Koreans use to communicate with one another. 129, 130)
When this class of North Korean newcomers
relocated to the U.S. and joined Koreatowns
South Korean-American community, they
began to use (and enjoy they have said so!) Funds of
KakaoTalk. This form may also be more Knowledge
appropriate for this specific group as they (Moll,
feel comfortable sending each other messages Amanti,
electronically, they have meaningful practice Neff, &
doing so outside the classroom. Gonzales,
p. 132)

Beyond Activity 2 Make Bilingual Video

15
Refocus class (callback).
Tell students they will make bilingual video, Funds of
with partner, discussing, in Korean, their field Knowledge
trip. They have done these videos before but it (Moll,
is okay. Classes at Angels Center are not Amanti,
typically bilingual but we strongly believe that Neff, &
Gonzales,
students use have opportunities to meaningfully
p. 132)
discuss their experiences in the US using their
linguistic funds of knowledge.
Recounting, in Korean past-tense, what they did
on field trip (using linguistic funds of
knowledge)
Save to classroom google drive account, to
student e-portfolio they will create at end of
program
NEWCOMERS FINAL PROJECT 23
NEWCOMERS FINAL PROJECT 24

Assessment Terminal (and enabling) objectives will be assessed during class.

NEWCOMERS FINAL PROJECT 25

Self-Evaluation

Funds of Knowledge = 10

High degree or oral language use = 9

Cultural Consideration = 10

Language skills integrated = 9

Scaffolding = 10

Research supported strategies = 10

Higher demands on cognition = 9

Extensive visuals and supporting materials = 7

Clear and error-free formatting = 10

Professors choice = hopefully 10!

Total = 94

I believe I deserve a 94 (A) given my incorporation of each of the aforementioned. I

felt I was particularly strong in my use of research supported strategies, particularly the

Language Experience Approach. Moreover, I felt my lesson at least contextually was

made strong in that it occurs in the City of Angels Center for Newcomers. I feel that this

gave my lesson some additional depth. I also feel I took many cultural aspects into

considerations. My lesson is, admittedly, lacking in extensive realia. This is, in part,

because the in-class activities are performed digitally. The single exception was

construction and inclusion of a Spotify playlist, mentioned in the greeting section. I

included music that my hypothetical students would listen to. Over all I really enjoyed

this assignment. In retrospect, I wish I had completed the Into-Through-Beyond sections

individually, well ahead of time, and met with you for feedback. That would have helped
NEWCOMERS FINAL PROJECT 26

me ultimately construct a stronger assignment. I also feel like I have much more to learn

with regard to building and developing a lesson plan. I picked up some great best

practices from classmates in-class this semester.

NEWCOMERS FINAL PROJECT 27

Works Cited

CAELA: ESL Resources: Digests. (n.d.). Retrieved May 03, 2017, from

http://www.cal.org/caela/esl_resources/digests/LEA.html

Connect Students' Background Knowledge to Content in the ELL Classroom. (n.d.).

Retrieved May 03, 2017, from http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/connect-students-

background-knowledge-content-ell-classroom

Custodio, B. (2011). How to design and implement a newcomer program. Boston: Pearson.

Hones, D. F. (2002). American dreams, global visions: dialogic teacher research with

refugee and immigrant families. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Hornberger, N. H., & McKay, S. L. (1996). Sociolinguistics and language teaching.

Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press.

Lindahl, K. Multilingualism, Multiliteracy, Funds of Knowledge, Identity Development.

Retrieved from Blackboard.

Moll, L. C., Amanti, C., Neff, D., & Gonzalez, N. (1992). Funds of knowledge for teaching:

Using a qualitative approach to connect homes and classrooms. Theory Into Practice,31(2),

132-141.