Mod 13 Discussion: SIOP discussion

The SIOP model can be considered a cross cultural practice because it places importance on the cultural background of the students you are teaching. The second component of the SIOP model, “Building Background,” demands that the teacher “explicitly link concepts” to the background experience of the students. No matter who your students are, this means linking the lesson (which often reflects one particular culture)  to the cultural background and experiences, values and norms of the students. In the case of ELL students, this is making a link or connection between one culture or another, or cross cultural.  You could add to this the fact that the many of the steps embedded in the SIOP model, from teacher preparation (in which one of the goal’s is to adapt the material for all levels of proficiency, which in terms of ELL students could mean creating or using a modified version of the text) to making content comprehensible (using graphic organizers to create a visual schematic that aids in student understanding; or using scaffolding strategies - small groups, partnering, etc.) - all of these steps have at their core an effort to remove barriers, including cultural barriers, to student understanding, which is what teaching ELL students is all about.