Diversity

International Literacy International Dyslexia Course / Artifact

Association Association

Standard 4: Diversity Standard A: Foundation SPED 639 / Writing Unit:

Concepts about Oral and Sirena: A Mermaid Legend
Written Learning A-2 A-3 From Guam

Synthesis of Standards
ILA Standard 4 and IDA Standards A-2 and A-3 have been paired together as they both

address the idea that environmental and cultural factors have a profound effect on the literacy

acquisition of students. Literacy specialists are able to recognize these factors and tailor

instruction to meet the needs of the individual. ILA Standard 4 expands on the idea that it is not

only instruction in the classroom that requires advocacy of equity, but also at the school, district,

and community levels. IDA Standard A-2 and A-3 are explicit that Literacy Specialists are not to

only attend to the environmental, social, and cultural factors, but also to take into account other

aspects of cognition that affect reading and writing development such as memory, processing

speed, and attention. These can also be affected by the diverse backgrounds and expectations

the student experiences as a child.

Sometimes it feels as though those in charge have a “one size fits all” attitude towards

education. Specifically, the idea that there is a single method that will ensure all students

achieve proficiency. These standards combined debunk this theory. It is the combination of

basic aspects of language acquisition along with the idea that each child has an individual story

with individual needs that leads to explicit instruction fine-tuned for the particular child. Literacy

specialists must attend to the outside factors that the student brings into the classroom. These

include but are not limited to: primary language at home, exposure to literacy at home, value

placed on education at home, cultural expectations, etc.

Summary of Artifacts

Artifact #1 Culturally Relevant Writing Unit

In SPED 639, this assignment required critical thinking in planning a writing unit based on a

novel from a different culture than our own. We were required to think about what

accommodations would be appropriate and how to design the unit in a culturally sensitive

manner. The result is a writing until from introduction to assessment.

Evidence of Application

ILA Standard 4 requires literacy specialists to use fundamental knowledge in practical

pedagogical application. This unit accomplishes that end goal. IDA Standards A-2 and A-3

discuss not only the environmental and cultural factors, but also the other factors such as

memory and executive function. In our unit, we were cognizant of this. We had students drawing

in the planning stage to allow access to students to demonstrate knowledge without the need of

specific vocabulary. We used videos to allow visual learners to access information about our

topic. Themes were created that were not only applicable within the culture and context of the

book but could be applied to multiple cultures – most importantly to the culture of school – to

create a shared language and understanding of the themes. These themes could also be

applied to the community in general (specifically the idea of contemplating consequence for

actions / cause and effect). When it came to assessment, we tiered the writing prompt to allow

all students an opportunity to demonstrate proficiency. We were able to introduce students to a

different culture respectfully as well as have them identify cross-cultural connections through the

use of themes while in the end producing writing linked to Common Core Standards.