Module+13+Questions

Participants: Ashly Call, Lori Jones, Audra Bull, PJ Parsons - Group 2

Module 13 Questions:

1. What does research say about the topic?

AC - The statistics at the beginning of the chapter reflect information that is widely known. We know that students from diverse backgrounds have difficulty with standardized testing and perform well below their white middle class peers. In regards to effective reading instruction, it is surprisingly similar to quality instruction mentioned in previous chapters. Strategy instruction and higher level thinking skills are recommended to help struggling learners and second language learners.

LJ - The research show that students from different backgrounds can have trouble with standardized testing and getting adjusted to how schools conduct themselves. As I keep finding out more and more ELL students need what all struggling students need. They need the same skills that regular ed studetns need. They will need a lot of prior knowledge and exposure to objects.

AB - Research says there are five steps in instructing students of diverse backgrounds. First, motivate the students by establishing positive relationships with them and showing literacy as powerful and rewarding. Secondly, provide struggling readers with rich instruction through a reading workshop format. Third, in working with ELL students, focus beyond the surface features of language and build upon the life experiences and world view their diversity brings to the classroom. Fourth, teach in a culturally responsive manner using a multitude of instructional strategies and interactional patterns. Lastly, implement various forms of assessment.

PJ--The research says we have a growing population of diversity in our student populations, but only 13% of the teachers in the United States are of diverse backgrounds. I found it a sad commentary that African Americans face ceilings in their work places and getting a higher education may not translate into better paying jobs, so why bother? I wonder if this holds true for diverse adults who could become educators and represent their populations in the educational community. In Fort Smith, Arkansas, the schools there were very diverse in their populations with a mix of Vietnamese, Laotian, Hispanics from El Salvador and Mexico, small Hmong and Cambodian population, and African Americans. In some of the elementaries and in one Junior high, the diverse students outnumber the white students. The school district administration sought out adults from the representative ethnic populations who had been teachers or business people in their own countries and put them to work as ESL teachers of the students. One elementary had three ESL teachers that all spoke different native languages. The school district was progressive in getting the diverse students educated in English, the culture, and gave them a sense of community. The schools also had cultural exchange days throughout the year. The Latino and Laotian communities kept their traditions of dance alive by having schools on the weekends to teach their youth. These dance teams would bring their culture and traditions to the schools and others would cook food and it was a very big deal there. The Vietnamese even have a Chinese Dragon parade! I have first hand experience at working with ELL students and how to make them feel a sense of community in our schools. I agree with the information provided in the textbook. I was a little sketchy on how one would assess older students, but the textbook suggested portfolios as one way.

2. Evaluate your approach to multicultural instruction using the terms in the vocabulary. What approach do you use? What approach should you use and what are a couple of ways to get to the decision-making or transformational levels?


 * Go to the Course Materials page on Blackboard. At the top is a Glossary of Vocabulary Terms. The four approaches to multicultural instruction are listed in this document.

AC - My style of teaching reflect the contribution approach to multicultural instruction. I typically provide instruction about holidays and famous people from different cultures during social studies. I try to emphasize the importance of the people and holidays we study, but it still is at the surface level. I would say that the transformational is appropriate for an elementary classroom. I think students should learn about different cultures and how to use this information to form opinions. To teach using this approach, I would need to provide a variety of ways for my students to learn about different cultures: books, people, videos, events, etc. After experiencing different cultures, students should be given a chance to discuss and formulate opinions about what they have learned.

LJ - I agree with AC I typically make sure I include lots of cultures and activities in my classroom throughout the year. I teach kindergarten and I feel it is necessary to teach this way to expose children to the importance of others culture.

AB - I have been teaching at Thoreau for the past nine years. What happens at Thoreau, how we approach teaching and learning have become the norm for me. I have to remind myself that my norm is not the same norm found in other schools. The very structure of Thoreau is a combination of all four of the approaches to multicultural instruction. We are fundamentally set up with a decision making approach. The transformational and additive approaches run a close second and third. The contribution approach can be found periodically throughout the school year in a variety of classrooms. I like using a combination because I don’t think one particular approach works for everyone. The purpose of the instruction determines what approach I use. For example, during the first couple of weeks of school I am going to ask the students to pick a new event from the summer, do research using a Who, What, When, Where, and Why approach, and put together a prezi presentation for the class including news footage to emphasize their event. The students will be asked to take a stand about the event, share their opinion and support their opinion. This will be transformational and decision-making. Depending upon the news events chosen, and how I facilitate the discussion the contributive and additive approaches could also be included.

PJ--I am accustomed to teaching using the culturally responsive method, but in Pryor, there aren't many students of diversity among us. So, I have brought culture into my classroom, like AC, by teaching the different traditions from different cultures during the holidays. I use FOOD, pictures, Safari Montage clips, and language of other cultures to spark interest and further exploration by my students. This is one of those times I let the students get on the Internet and look at whatever strikes them related to the culture of the week or month and let them teach me. Whenever words come up in the lessons in reading, social studies or science that has a cognate in another language, I point it out to my students. I am surprised at how many words "cross over" into our language from other cultures. The transformational method is what I now use due to the lower accessibility of actual representatives of other cultures in my area. However, I have to say, the teachers in my building do a GREAT job of getting culturally diverse people to come in and teach our students of their culture, they histories, and their food. We have a small Arab community, one chinese lady who comes during art, a Canadian family, and some Hispanics. I don't think we have any African Americans in our building, and the rest are Native Americans and whites.

3. Your questions from your group.

AC - 1. The text mentions that teachers need to show how reading can be rewarding on a daily basis. What ways do you show how reading can be rewarding to your students?

2. If we lived in a fantasy world where we could decide how to assess students, what type of assessments would you choose?

3. How do you provide culturally responsive instruction to students?*

LJ - 1. Do you teach ELL students different than your regular ed students in the primary grades?

AC - I use the same strategies for all my students. I try to incorporate opportunities for oral language and provide opportunities for building background knowledge. I think effective strategies are good because they benefit all students. Of course, for my ELL students I do provide extra support and check their understanding of directions more frequently than regular students.

2. How do you effectively teach ELL students to read? AB- I worked with ELL kids during our extended day tutoring. When began working with them, I really did not know what I was doing so I did repeated reading. That worked wonderfully.


 * 3. Do ELL students work better in the classroom or with pull-outs?

AC - Personally, I think it is the quality of instruction that matters more than where they are receiving it. Generally when students are pulled out, it is to work in small groups. If the classroom teacher uses small groups effectively, I think students can work well in that situation too.

AB - · What has been the biggest shock to you in dealing with students of multi-cultural backgrounds? AC - The biggest shock that came to me has not so much to do with multicultural backgrounds, but rather poverty. I attended Union and many of my classmates were from different cultures from around the world. So when I started teaching I felt that I knew enough about different cultures to be successful. What I realized was that I was accustomed to middle class diversity and that impoverished students are a whole other ballgame. The lack of motivation is what shocks me most even when I taught kindergarten. It is like the kids don't care and their parents care even less if their children receive an education. Motivating students has been my biggest struggle.

· *What roadblocks have you encountered in your interactions with students and/or parents from diverse backgrounds? · What role does respect play in dealing with students of diverse backgrounds?

PJ-- 1. If a student of a different culture starts in my classroom, where do I go to find very real cultural traditions so I can understand about the student's demeanor and behaviors so I don't misinterpret their meaning? I know we have the internet, but it doesn't always have the nuiances of the child's culture.

AC - Asking students is a great way. I have many Hispanic students in my class and they love sharing about their culture. Sometimes I have them write in a journal and sometimes we just have a class discussion. 3. Why are there only 13% of the educators who represent the diverse populations in the United States? We have the most accessible higher education in the world through grants and student loans. Is it because the adults who come here are unable to navigate the language to become proficient enough to go to school to become educators? Or are we not encouraging the diverse youth we teach in becoming educators? Or is it so difficult for the diverse youth to truly absorb another language and culture to the point they just can't see teaching it? Hmmmmm.
 * 2. What was your most memorable experience with inviting cultural exchange into the classroom?

AC - That's a good question. It would be interesting to read any research on this topic. We definitely need more diverse teachers and male teachers as well.