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2016_DREAM_ACT: What_teachers_can_do

Page history last edited by Nina Liakos 8 years, 4 months ago

DREAM Act: What Teachers Can Do

Art by: Kiera L. when she was 3 years old.

Abstract

If you are a US based PK-12, Adult Ed, or Higher Ed English Language Development professional, join our interactive learning space to explore the DREAM Act alongside colleagues and undocumented students known as DREAMers. Many young people note that their English teacher was their first confidant in the US. What does this mean? What can teachers do to support DREAMers and move others to action?

Session Objectives

By the end of this online session:

1. Participants will have explored the stories of DREAMers, undocumented youth educated in US K-12 schools who wish to pursue their dreams of a college education.

2. Participants will have identified common challenges faced by DREAMers.

3. Participants will have examined the history of the Dream Act policies at the federal and state levels. They will explore challenges faced by DREAMers in their local communities.

4. Participants will have shared legal and educational resources to support undocumented students in their community.

5. Participants will have applied what they learned about DREAMers and the DREAM Act to take action within their community.

Note: To earn a certificate for your achievement of these objectives, you must complete all of the following actions.

Each week, start a new thread in our Google+ Learning Community about what you have learned or a question prompted by the topics discussed each week
Each week, respond to the discussion threads in the Google+ Learning Community.
Interview someone in your neighborhood, a family member, or a good friend about their views on the DREAM Act with the objective of learning about local perspectives in response to the legislation. The person you interview could be an immigrant or a non-immigrant. During Week 3 or 4 share your interview in the Google+ Learning Community.
During Week 5 take action as an advocate. Some ideas are to write a letter to a newspaper, reach out to a legislator, write curriculum for students or write a professional development plan for educators. Share your advocacy action in the Google+ Learning Community.

Target audience

US based PK-12, Adult Ed, or Higher Ed teachers, counselors, and administrators who want to learn about the DREAM Act and how to support DREAMers.

Syllabus

Weekly Content

Week 1 (Jan 10 - 17, 2016)

Participant Introductions & Who are the DREAMers?

Participants will introduce themselves within our Google+ community and explain why they are interested in our session. Week one also introduces the voices of undocumented students and the history of their struggle for the Dream Act. This will include the voices of DREAMers who qualify for DACA, little DREAMers, mixed-status families, and unaccompanied minors. Participants will learn DREAMers' stories through videos, poetry and writing and then discuss what they've learned within the Google+ community.

Week 2 (Jan 18 - 24, 2016)

Challenges Faced By DREAMers

After revisiting Week 1 articles and videos, participants will identify common challenges faced by DREAMers and discuss what teachers can do to support students through these challenges. Throughout this week, DREAMers will participate in the community’s discussion and discuss challenges they faced and ways their teachers helped them.

Week 3 (Jan 25 - 31, 2016)

Dream Act Policies

Participants will have examined the history of the Dream Act policies at the federal and state levels. Through reviewing online resources, participants will explore whether or not the state they live in has passed a Dream Act. During Google+ discussions, participants will compare what they learned about policies at the federal and state level. Participants will discuss the unique challenges faced by mixed-status families, little DREAMers, and DREAMers who qualify for DACA.

Week 4 (Feb 1 - 7, 2016)

Legal, Educational, and Advocacy Resources

Participants will have shared legal, educational, and advocacy resources to support undocumented students in their community. Participants will learn about different advocacy events that have been held throughout the United States to support DREAMers in pursuing their dreams of a higher education. Social media resources will be shared. Participants will discuss resources they found on Google+.

Week 5 (Feb 8-14, 2016)

Advocacy

Participants will have synthesized what they learned about DREAMers and the DREAM Act to take action within their community. During this week, participants can write a letter to a federal, state, or local politician advocating for DREAMers, write an article for a local newspaper to educate their community about DREAMers, write a lesson plan to educate their students about DREAMers, create a workshop to educate co-workers about DREAMers, and/or join the Unafraid Educator/Ally movement. As a group, particiants will meet in Google Handouts to share ways they are supporting DREAMers in their community. Participants will also fill out a session evaluation.

Session Communication Tools

1. Dream Act What Teachers Can Do Wiki: The wiki contains the syllabus, objectives, and weekly tasks.

2. Google Plus Community: This is a private community where participants can discuss the weekly task and share resources with each other.

Sponsors

TESOL Secondary Schools Interest Section, TESOL Social Responsibility Interest Section

Join this session

The action starts on Jan 10, 2016.

To join this group:

From January 3rd :

Create a gmail account so you can join our Google Plus Community.
To join the Google Plus Community, email evodreamact2016@gmail.com. In your email, please include:

A brief description of who you are,
A few sentences about why you are interested in participating in the EVO Session Dream Act: What Teachers Can Do?
Your gmail address (This is so that we can invite you to our discussion sessions in our Google+ community.)

3. Once you are added to our Google Plus Community Dream Act What Teachers Can Do, you can access it here.

For those new to Google Plus, click here to read a tutorial.

Moderators

Foerster Luu, Ann Marie

foersteratgmu@gmail.com

U.S.

Anne Marie Foerster Luu graduated with an MEd from University of Maryland and is currently a National Board Certified ESOL teacher in K-5 public elementary school, a teacher educator, and mom.

Dodson, Lori

lmdods9@gmail.com

U.S.

Lori Dodson graduated with her M.S. in Education (TESOL) from Shenandoah University. She currently teaches ESOL and reading at a K-5 public school and has served on the WATESOL Board.

Saroughi, Maryam

maryamsar703@gmail.com

U.S.

Maryam Saroughi is a doctoral candidate in education and human development. Her research interest includes language learning and teaching, social justice and academic well-being for ESL students including immigrants, refugees and DREAMers. Her native language is Farsi.