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Motivation in motion
Learning walks benefit teachers and students in a dual-language primary school
By Olimpia Bahena, Jessica Kertz, Iysha Jones and Margery Ginsberg
June 2018
Vol. 38 No. 3
This article describes an approach to learning walks that focuses on enhancing student intrinsic motivation and learning at a dual-language pre-K-8 urban public school. The descriptions and ideas in this case study are a composite based on the real-life experiences of the authors as well as ideas from literature and experiences at other schools. Talcott Fine Arts and Museum Academy’s commitment to the dreams and challenges of the Chicago, Illinois, school’s diverse families is evident in its well-maintained historic facade, vibrant hallways, colorful displays of student work, and dual-language classrooms. In these classrooms, students who are dominant in English learn Spanish, and students who are dominant in Spanish learn English. The goal of this two-way process is for students to become bilingual global citizens whose
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GETTING STARTED
Our work typically begins with a set of considerations that have been informed by literature and experience.
- What should we name our approach?
- What are our purposes, and how will we communicate them?
- Who should participate in developing our process?
- Who would participate in the visits?
- What are the assumptions that will guide our work as adult learners?
- How will we ensure respect for teachers and students?
- What should educators look for or notice that aligns with our instructional and social-emotional priorities?
- What tools do we need, and how should they look?
- What kinds of feedback will teachers appreciate and apply?
- How will teachers use feedback?
- Who should participate, and in what roles?
- With attention to time constraints and other logistics, what routines align with our purposes?
- How will school leaders maintain learning walks as a priority?
- How will we assess and improve upon this work?
LEARN MORE
- A U.S. Department of Education-funded video demonstrates some of the ideas in this article: www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBmILyxYCzs.
- See lesson study at a dual-language school in action at www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hz0-8qFrbGY&t=1s).
Olimpia Bahena has served as principal at Talcott Fine Arts and Museum Academy, one of the few Chicago Public Schools with a Dual Language Program, for eleven years.
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