Dimensions of Diversity Capstone Example 1

Elements of
Diversity:
Capstone
Project
Ramsey Champagne
Format Credit: Heather Smiles

Part 1: Reflection of
Concepts Learned

Part 1: Synthesis of Concepts
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❖ Social and relational factors are
essential for supporting
language acquisition;
❖ Clear and explicit expectations
support psychological safety
AND language acquisition;
❖ Structures and pedagogical
routines support language
acquisition while dismantling
power- and status-based
inequities in the classroom.
Key Concepts Reflections Implications
❖ Our responsibility as
educators is to incorporate
the funds of knowledge
that each student brings in
a meaningful way;
❖ Through utilizing
inclusive pedagogy, we
can simultaneously
dismantle inequity and
support student
engagement and learning.
➔ Utilize inclusive pedagogy and
routines consistently;
➔ Invite people to call upon their
funds of knowledge as they
develop schemas related to
content;
➔ Peer-supported learning
opportunities will deepen and
broaden understanding in
essential ways;
➔ Explicit expectations allow
students and teachers to
scaffold learning and practice
self-efficacy.

“The people who were learning English with me were what
supported my learning the most, because we could joke with
each other and check in about words we didn’t know or ideas
that were confusing.”
- Interview with an English Language Learner
“Teachers can help ELLs see their native languages and family
cultures as resources that contribute to education rather
than something to be overcome or cast aside. For example,
research shows how students’ extracurricular composing
develops ELLs’ abilities in text comprehension, collaboration
with peers, and construction of a writerly identity.”
-National Council of Teachers of English, 2008, p.5

Part 2:
Communicating
with Others

Communicating with Others
Ask people what their experiences learning about interpersonal harm have
been in the past? Were there things that supported
learning? Things that got in the way of learning?
Discuss strategies that will be used in the learning space
● Opportunities for self-reflection
● Opportunities to apply content to students’ experiences
● Opportunities for peer-to-peer learning
● Explicit instructions
Check in about how people and I can work together to support learning in the most
accessible and productive way possible
● What do I need to strive to do?
● What is theirs to do?

Part 3:
Instructional
Portfolio

Submitted?
Put a ✔ once
completed
Date
What is your goal for
when you will turn in
the assignment?
Assignment
Which personalized
task are you
completing?
Possible Points
How many points is
the assignment worth?
Feedback?
Teacher, Peer, Self?
Link to
Assignment/Slide
✔ 6/19/2019 1R: Objectives - Read
Research
5 Self Slides 10-11
✔ 7/1/2019 1C: Objectives -
Create Materials
10 Teacher, Peers Slides 12-14
✔ 6/28/2019 2A: Discussion -
Analyze Work
10 Self, Teacher Slides 15-18
✔ 6/25/2019 2R: Discussion - Read
Research
✔ 6/25/2019 2P: Discussion - Plan
Lessons
✔ 6/25/2019 2C: Discussion -
Create Materials
✔ 7/9/2019 3T: Vocabulary -
Create Materials

Submitted?
Put a ✔ once
completed
Date
What is your goal for
when you will turn in
the assignment?
Assignment
Which personalized
task are you
completing?
Possible Points
How many points is
the assignment worth?
Feedback?
Teacher, Peer, Self?
Link to
Assignment/Slide
✔ 7/9/2019 4R: Reading - Read
Research
5 Teacher Slides 32-33
✔
7/16/19 Design Your Own:
Writing - Read
Research
✔ 7/17/19 DYO: L&C Read
Research
✔ 7/17/19 DYO: Modality Read
Research
✔ 7/17/19 6C: L&C - Create
Materials
✔ 7/17/19 6P: L&C - Plan Lesson 15 Teacher, Peers Slides 40-48

1R. Objectives - Read Research Reflection
Language Objectives in the Content Area
What you learned or your most significant take away from the assignment.
● I had never written a language objective before nor did I understand the
utility of writing language objectives for both clarifying learning objectives
and shaping instruction.
To learn more, what might your next steps be?
● Practice writing language objectives until I feel fluent incorporating
language terms into all learning objectives.

1R. Objectives - Read Research Reflection
Language Objectives in the Content Area
Explain what you found interesting and useful in this article.
● How language objectives can be used in tandem with content learning objectives to enhance clarity of expectations for students.
What challenges, if any, did you encounter? Describe how you addressed the challenges.
● How to create accessible language as it relates to interpersonal harm, especially because so much of the language that is used in
this field is so loaded or has so many connotations attached. I feel like this can be addressed by creating explicit expectations
through learning and language objectives that support learning and engaging with content.
Reflect on your learning from this assignment. Complete the sentence: I began thinking… and now I think… so next I will (question or
next step action)
● I began thinking Language Objectives weren’t particularly useful for non-EL content, but now I can see Language Objectives as
helpful in clarifying both content and how people might engage with content, so I will begin incorporating Language Objectives
into my pedagogy moving forward.

1C. Objectives - Create Materials Reflection
Create a Tool for Students to Monitor their Own Growth Toward Mastery of a
Language Objective
● Because I take the ability to articulate these concepts for granted at this
point, it was challenging for me to think about how to break the language
objective into measurable and scaffolded parts.
● To look for other strategies people have used to create language objectives
for concepts like intersectionality, social identities, and other abstract but
very real concepts.

1C. Objectives - Create Materials
A language objective for many of the
workshops I facilitate is:
● Participants will be able to identify
and describe how sexual and gender-
based harm interacts with
intersectionality both orally and in
writing.
Because this is a complex task which
necessitates understandings of three
vocabulary words as well as describing
complex and abstract causal links, I’ve
created a scaffold by which participants can
assess their level of understanding.
I can define: sexual harm
and gender-based harm.
I can define:
intersectionality.
I can draw or illustrate
how intersectionality and
sexual/gender-based harm
interact with each other.
I can explain my drawing
of how intersectionality
and sexual/gender-based
harm interact with each
other out loud.
I can explain my drawing
of how intersectionality
and sexual/gender-based
harm interact with each
other in writing.

1C. Objectives - Create Materials Reflection
Create a Tool for Students to Monitor their Own Growth Toward Mastery of a
Language Objective
Explain how the lesson materials support students in monitoring their growth in learning language and content.
● The materials begin with understanding the two more simple terms (sexual and gender-based harm), then adds a more
complexly abstract concept (intersectionality). After that, because these concepts can be difficult to explain, participants are
invited to map concepts visually or kinesthetically, then to use that to explain the concepts and how they interact. This will
support students in using a variety of tools and strategies for developing understanding/competency.
● Breaking this language objective into attainable chunks was a challenge for me, because I spend so much time in this work and
have forgotten how complicated this can feel.
next step action)
● I began taking for granted my ability to articulate these connections, but now I remember how challenging it can be, so next I
will scaffold my workshops more carefully to invite learning for all.

2A. Discussion - Analyze Work Reflection
Interview an ELL
● It didn’t even occur to me, but when the person I interviewed moved to Boston, her
school didn’t have a teacher who was bilingual in French and English, so her
language of instruction (beside English) was Haitian Creole, which she had grown up
immersed in, but wasn’t comfortable speaking herself. Because of that, when she
moved from France, she had to learn English and to encode Creole. I would imagine
that her experience is not an isolated one.
● Read this article: https://www.wgbh.org/news/2017/11/22/local-news/massachusetts-
re-adopts-bilingual-education-teachers-short-supply
● Do more research into the history of SEI in MA and the impacts of SEI on student’s
access to bilingual teachers across MA.
● Advocate for bilingual public schools.

2A Interview Protocol
Profile: Rose is a 34 year old mother of 3. She was born in France and moved to the US when she was 13. At the time, she only spoke
French, but had grown up in a Haitian community in Paris, so understood Haitian Creole. She is fluent in English at this point, although
she occasionally mispronounces words or mistranslates concepts. Her children speak English; Rose and her husband speak French &
Creole to them at home. Added: when in the US, Rose thinks in English and Creole (depending on context); the minute she steps onto
French soil, she begins thinking in French. The transition from France to the US raised a significant amount of anxiety due to language
barriers and concerns about navigating an unfamiliar language and space. To this day, Tier II words can be challenging to Rose.
Step 1: Given the option of any of the three prompts (drawing class setting, best/worst experiences as ELL, or timeline), Rose chose to
make a timeline (image on Reflection Slide).

2A Interview Protocol continued
Steps 2-5: After she drew her timeline, I asked Rose to walk me through it and asked probing questions as she did so. My questions
included:
● Who did you live with in France before coming to the US?
● Can you tell me about your schooling experiences in France?
● What was it like when you first arrived in the US? Who did you live with? How was that for you?
● Will you please tell me more about your bilingual classroom? How did you navigate learning Creole and English?
● Were there subjects that were more challenging than others? What supported your learning in those classes?
● What were the greatest challenges you faced? How did you manage?
● Who gave you support after you arrived? In what ways?
● How did people support your learning experience?
● How would you describe your comfort with the languages you speak?

2A. Discussion - Analyze Work Reflection
Interview an ELL
Explain the features of this work that shows equity for all students in completing/understanding the lesson
● Inviting students to draw or illustrate their experience as an ELL in whatever way is accessible to them before asking interview
questions allows students to organize their thoughts and represent their experiences in a way that doesn’t necessitate the use of
English;
● Keeping those images as anchors and reference points allows students to respond using the scaffolding of their prior work.
● I felt like many of the questions might bring up a lot for the person I interviewed, including the initial visual prompts, so I
invited them to choose how they wanted to represent their experiences. From there, as they talked me through their timeline, I
asked questions to learn more about different pieces of their life.
next step action)
● I began thinking that SEI and the experiences of ELL students might be isolating, depending on the school/community. Now I
think that there are structures that schools and communities can intentionally put in place to support students regardless of
country of origin or first language. As a person with kids in public schools, I will advocate for more access to a wide range of
supports for ELL students.

2R. Discussion - Read Research Reflection
Practical Tips for Small Group Discussions
● My most significant takeaway is how incredibly impactful protocols and
standard group work structures can be, both from a learning perspective and
an equity perspective.
● Identify further small group discussion protocols and types of learning
spaces in which they will be helpful and types of learning spaces where
they might not work as well.
● Investigate further where and how certain protocols are ineffective or
counterproductive and how to strategize accordingly.

2R. Discussion - Read Research Reflection
Practical Tips for Small Group Discussions
● I really liked the student voices describing how they experienced the learning routines, especially since I, too, had experienced
them as a student.
● I had a colleague who told me that dyads can be tricky for people if the people in the dyad don’t get along or have interpersonal
dynamics that get in the way of collaboration. I’m curious about how that might be handled within this structure.
next step action)
● I began thinking group work was important but complicated and took a lot of time. I now believe that familiarizing people with
a certain routine allows teachers to cut time and increase group participation. I’m curious about how to integrate it into my
work where I don’t have as much consistency with groups, so am not sure how I’ll teach the routines.

2 C & P: Discussion - Create Materials & Plan Lesson
● We started by just doing 2C (Creating materials), but it felt like such a
natural progression to build the materials into developing shared agreements
that that was added. Often, for me, planning feels like a dance between
addressing learning objectives and building off of opportunities that arise.
● Develop a tree or wall of each student’s action or values to anchor the class
visually.
● Read more about emergent or student-led lesson planning

2 C & P
WIDA Standards:
Compare/Contrast Language
(Speaking)
Elaboration Language (Speaking)
Collaborated by:
Kenton Shimozaki
Ramsey Champagne
Q Okine

Lesson Plan (2P)
Learning & Language Objectives:
• To learn about how members of the group have come to think about themselves in the face of adversity;
• To identify commonalities across the group;
• To orally compare and contrast factors that shaped group members values.
Preparation (15 minutes):
1. Distribute blank name tents and markers;
2. Ask each participant to write or illustrate:
a. Their name
b. Their favorite place
c. Their favorite person or people
d. How they decompress
e. What words or value keep them going
when things are hard
Discussion (15 minutes):
1. Move through Find & Gather Protocol (3
minutes)
2. Move through Open Exchange Protocol (3
minutes)
3. Move through Find & Report Protocol (3
minutes)
4. Whole class debrief of reporting (6 minutes)
a. What stands out to you?
b. What do you notice about our class?
c. Based on this, what will you do in class
to support everyone’s learning?

Lesson Plan (2P) Continued
• To learn about how members of the group have come to think about themselves in the face of adversity;
• To identify commonalities across the group;
• To orally compare and contrast factors that shaped group members values;
• To negotiate 5 group agreements.
Transition:
1. Distribute blank papers;
2. Invite all participants to write or illustrate 1
action or behavior they will do in order to
support everyone’s learning.
minutes)
minutes)
minutes)
a. Group ideas to similar concepts
b. Identify top 5 actions for group
agreements

Find & Gather
Pick one thing to
share with a
partner from your
name tent!
A: Describe 1 thing
from your name tent
B: Listen for 1 thing
you want to learn
more about
B: Describe 1 thing
from your name
tent
A: Listen for 1 thing
you want to learn
more about

Open Exchange: Discuss & Compare
• Could you tell me more about…?
• Can you give me example of…?

Find & Report
Make a connection.
Find something
shared.
Get ready to
report to the
class
● Both (Partner’s Name) and I....
● Just as I….(Partner’s Name)...

2C. Discussion - Create Materials Reflection
See Examples of Small Group Discussions and Create Directions
Explain how the lesson materials support students in monitoring their growth in learning language and content. Connect your
explanation to examples in the work you are uploading or linking to.
● We ask students to write or illustrate before each sharing task, which gives them time to organize their thoughts and give
themselves a reference that is meaningful when it comes time to discuss with their elbow partner.
● We create a structure that gives each student time and space to share and to discuss what has been shared then to report out, so
that the whole group hears key take-aways and the teacher(s) can assess understanding.
● Describing the steps and expectations fully without being overly wordy. We tried to incorporate images that reflected the
physical practice of each stage in an accessible way.
next step action).
● I began thinking that creating this type of learning protocol didn’t require this level of structure, but I now see how having
Rules, Turns, Roles, and a Time Limit helps students structure their engagement. I will make sure to build those elements into
activities moving forward!

2P. Discussion - Plan Lessons Reflection
Create a Lesson Plan Focused on Learning and Using a Discussion
Routine/Structure
Explain how Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) strategies are used in this lesson plan. Connect your explanation to examples in the
work you are uploading or linking to. Specifically elaborate on SEI in: the mini-lesson or in your explicit instruction
● We anchor the plan in explicit language and learning objectives;
● We utilize “Rhonda’s Routines” to structure participation among all students;
● We anchor group agreements in each student’s particular values/experiences, thus allowing students to bring as much of
themselves and their context into the group space as they choose.
● Again, thinking about describing the steps and expectations fully without being overly wordy. We tried to incorporate images
that reflected the physical practice of each stage in an accessible way.
next step action)
● I began by taking for granted how I gave instruction or asked people to move into shared tasks. I’m now much more aware of a)
how rapidly I talk and b) how I can be much more explicit in giving those directions. I’ll work on giving instruction more
slowly and more clearly moving forward.

3T: Vocabulary - Create Materials
Giftionary
https://docs.google.com/document/d/10P8QZlMczCzfhwmoPG5PkDaXxQLp7HLRgERa
Iwr81ek/edit?usp=sharing
● I appreciated the opportunity to think expansively about visual
representations that communicate ideas related to consent. It was also
interesting to think about how to order the gifs in order to build off each one.
● Find complimentary articles or videos to accompany each GIF.
● Look at other programs using GIFs as a form of education/outreach.
● Look for research about social - media based prevention outreach.
● Keep building this and adding to it!!

3T. Vocabulary - Create Materials Reflection
Giftionary
explanation to examples in the work you are uploading or linking to. Describe how the gif-tionary supports student language
development.
● This gif-tionary begins with low-threshold examples of consent, then builds to more charged instances in which consent can be
negotiated. For instance, the gif of the two adults at the computer allows students to think about small, real-life examples of
types of interactions in which they negotiate consent. By asking students to come up with examples from their own lives, I
invite students to apply their own context. By asking students to apply abstract concepts to images, students are supported in
creating schemas that allow them to connect the concept with an image. Because the complexity of this giftionary increases as
students go through it, the accessibility of the concept is scaffolded.
● There are far fewer gifs out there about consent than I thought. I also found myself trying to think about concrete but varied
examples of consent and then how to link the gif to a description and follow-up prompt or invitation.
next step action)
● I began thinking gif-tionaries are a great tool and was confident it would be easy to make… now I plan to continuously add to
this over the years.

4R. Reading - Read Research Reflection
Current Topics in Reading Instruction and Intervention
● I wasn’t aware of the theory behind using sentence frames to support ELL.
● Sentence frames are a really useful tool to model more complex academic
processes like cause and effect or compare and contrast.
● I plan to practice developing sentence frames and think about how to
integrate them into assessments to measure attitudes and beliefs.

4R. Reading - Read Research Reflection
Current Topics in Reading Instruction and Intervention
● I found the examples of sentence frames to be really useful, especially in tandem with the analysis of how the
text didn’t provide that supportive structure to the students.
● N/A
Reflect on your learning from this assignment. Complete the sentence: I began thinking… and now I think… so next
I will (question or next step action)
● I began thinking that sentence frames don’t have much application to my work, but now I am excited to think
about ways to incorporate them into this work, especially from an outreach perspective.

Design Your Own: Writing - Read Research Reflection
7 Rules of the English Language that Most Native Speakers Don’t Know
● How many grammar rules are unknown or not taught. It’s remarkable!
● Read more about English grammar rules that aren’t taught in schools right
now.

Design Your Own: Writing - Read Research Reflection
7 Rules of the English Language that Most Native Speakers Don’t Know
● As I read, I was reflecting on how many of the rules I wasn’t familiar with. For instance, I don’t think I ever
learned the difference between that and which. Given that I grew up with a parent who taught middle school
ELA and I taught in a self-contained middle-school classroom, how would I expect students who are not
exposed to this to know the intricacies of English.
● I began thinking that English is a tough language to learn and teach. I continue to think that :). I am now
more committed to thinking about how I support others in learning English.

Design Your Own - Read Research Reflection
https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2019/01/09/were-teaching-consent-all-wrong.html
● While this article wasn’t specific to teaching consent with ELLs, I
appreciated the points about decoupling the concept of consent from the
context of sex and about supporting students in finding nonverbal strategies
for understanding consent. This feels parallel to many of the strategies that
support language development for ELLs and I’m excited to think about how
they inform each other.
● Continue seeking articles of this type;
● Identify and develop workshop content that supports participants in
thinking about consent outside of a sexual context AND in through an array
of methods of communication.

● The conversation about consent as a skill rather than concept;
● The points raised in the “Practical Framework” section;
● The idea of supporting skill-building through an array of pedagogical strategies.
● I began thinking that consent was a concept that informs how we engage with each other, now I’m playing
with the idea of consent as a skill in addition to a concept. Now I’ll think about how to integrate that
broadened lens into programming and my work!

https://www.aft.org/periodical/american-educator/summer-2005/contents-best-modality-key
● Having come up believing that people have different learning modalities,
this article was a really helpful reframe. I appreciate the point that, while
students don’t necessarily have A way of learning, it’s best practice to
utilize an array of modalities in teaching in order to break up monotony and
create multiple avenues for understanding.
● Research more about modalities of learning;
● Continue learning about pedagogical strategies and tools to invite multiple
methods of engagement in all workshops!

● Debunking the idea that people have A way of learning (modality);
● Highlighting the importance of offering an array of methods to engage with concepts and demonstrate
understanding.
● I began thinking that people have a certain way of learning, now I’m exploring the idea of people having a
variety of learning modalities, so next I will think about how to invite engagement with a variety of methods
without the messaging about “learning styles.”

6P & C. Language & Culture - Plan Lessons Reflection
Develop a Lesson Plan Aimed at Exploring a Topic in a Global Context or Place
● We started by just doing 2C (Creating materials), but it felt like such a
natural progression to build the materials into developing shared agreements
that that was added. Often, for me, planning feels like a dance between
addressing learning objectives and building off of opportunities that arise.
● Develop a tree or wall of each student’s action or values to anchor the class
visually.
● Read more about emergent or student-led lesson planning

Lesson Plan (6P)
• To learn about how members of the group have come to think about the idea of consent;
• To create written group definitions of consent.
Preparation (15 minutes):
1. Distribute blank paper and markers;
2. Ask each participant to write or illustrate a
not-physical situation or scenario in which
people might give and receive consent.
minutes)
minutes)
minutes)
a. What stands out to you?
b. What patterns do you notice?

Lesson Plan (2P) Continued
• To learn about how members of the group have come to think about the idea of consent;
• To create written group definitions of consent.
.Transition:
1. Distribute post-its;
2. Invite all participants to write or illustrate 1
word that they think defines consent.
1. Move through Rumors Protocol (3 minutes)
minutes)
a. Group ideas to similar concepts
4. Small group work to develop definitions (3
minutes)

Rumors
Grab your post it
and stand up!
A: Describe your
word
B: Listen so you can
describe your
partner’s word
Swap post-its
Repeat protocol 3
times

6P. Language & Culture - Create Materials Reflection
explanation to examples in the work you are uploading or linking to.
● Again, I ask students to write or illustrate before each sharing task, which gives them time to organize their thoughts and give
themselves a reference that is meaningful when it comes time to discuss with their elbow partner.
● I create a structure that gives each student time and space to share and to discuss what has been shared then to report out, so that
the whole group hears key take-aways and the teacher(s) can assess understanding.
● Describing the steps and expectations fully without being overly wordy. We tried to incorporate images that reflected the
physical practice of each stage in an accessible way.
next step action).
● I really appreciate having a slide with the distilled instructions to make protocols quickly accessible and not need to repeat
directions!

6P. Language & Culture - Plan Lessons Reflection
Explain how Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) strategies are used in this lesson plan. Connect your explanation to examples in the
work you are uploading or linking to. Specifically elaborate on SEI in: the mini-lesson or in your explicit instruction
● We anchor the plan in explicit language and learning objectives;
● We utilize “Rhonda’s Routines” to structure participation among all students;
● We anchor our group definitions in each student’s particular examples, thus allowing students to bring as much of themselves
and their context into the group space as they choose.
● Again, thinking about describing the steps and expectations fully without being overly wordy. We tried to incorporate images
that reflected the physical practice of each stage in an accessible way.
next step action)
● I began by taking for granted how I gave instruction or asked people to move into shared tasks. I’m now much more aware of a)
how rapidly I talk and b) how I can be much more explicit in giving those directions. I’ll work on giving instruction more
slowly and more clearly moving forward.

Progression of my Learning
Why I chose what I chose
I felt like I really needed to
develop knowledge and
competence before moving
into application, so I generally
tried to begin sections with
reading research then apply
through materials creation
and/or lesson planning.
How it shows my learning
With each study or article I
read, my breadth and depth of
understanding grew, so the
strategies and protocols that I
incorporated into application
was much more interactive
and explicit than my
application would have been
in the past.
Next steps
I plan to continue
incorporating these routines,
pedagogical tools, and explicit
instructions (especially
language objectives) into my
work, both with groups and
individuals!

References
● Harper, C., & Jong, E. (2004). Misconceptions about teaching English‐language learners. Journal of
Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 48(2), 152-162.
● National Council of Teachers of English. (2008). English language learners. Urbana, IL: Author.
● Sparks, S. D. (2019, February 20). We're Teaching Consent All Wrong. Retrieved from
● Toness, B. V. (2018, May 08). As Massachusetts Re-Adopts Bilingual Education, Teachers In Short
Supply. Retrieved from https://www.wgbh.org/news/2017/11/22/local-news/massachusetts-re-adopts-
bilingual-education-teachers-short-supply
● Willingham, D. T. (2014, August 08). The Content's Best Modality Is Key. Retrieved from

Dimensions of Diversity Capstone Example 1

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