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Friday, January 6, 2012
Chapter 4- Introduction to Teaching-Kauchak ,Eggen Student Diversity: Culture, Language and Gender
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I really enjoyed reading Chapter 4. I especially enjoyed reading the examples provided in the text, as they illustrated exactly what a teacher may go through in a culturally diverse classroom of today. I thought the statistical evidence that by 2050 no single group will be a majority among adults was very encouraging, as it may eliminate the word “minority” from our vocabulary and the stereotypes that go with it.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to comment on the various programs schools implement for English Language Learners. There programs included: Bilingual Maintenance, Transition, Immersion, and ESL. It was interesting to read about all of these additional programs available in different schools across the country. I am personally only familiar with the ESL program, which, according to the text, is the most common educational response to linguistic diversity. When I started high school here, my biggest challenge was the English language, and the only concern I had was how long would it take me to become fluent. I did not worry about “dropping” my language, as I felt that the sooner I became fluent, the easier my subjects at school would be. I am glad I was immersed into the language, as it took a lot less time for me to learn English. I am fluent in Russian, too, since I had to speak it at home, so I don't feel that my native language or my cultural differences were somehow suppressed or under-emphasized. After all, with so many different languages spoken in this country (the book states 440), shouldn't we have one language we can all agree on as a common language? I think the efforts to retain student's native languages should be the parents' responsibility, as the school system just does not have the resources to address all the linguistic diversity present in this country.
ESL is the only program I was familiar with as well. Teacher with students that have language barriers can be very difficult. I think that this is very difficult when creating lesson plans and working with students that are English learners. The difficult part for me is blended the lesson plan and my teaching style to cover a wide range of students. It’s hard to mold teaching to address the ESL students as well as the other students in the classroom.
DeleteHi Victoria,
DeleteYou make a good point. I think that when decisions are made that will impact learning, the lawmakers should consider opinions from the public who actually have insight into the law being passed. That makes the most sense to me. I'm glad that you didn't feel like you had to choose between cultures. Great post.
Chapter four talks more about student diversity. It's amazing how gender can play a role in how teachers teach and how the students learn. Other major factors that bring about diversity are culture and language. The minority groups such as Hispanics, are growing. This in turn brings about diversity in language. Our schools are pushing everyone to learn a different language, mainly Spanish. There are many children these days who's first language isn't English and need extra help when it comes to speaking, reading, and writing English. I remember in school that we started learning Spanish in the first grade. We would watch videos everyday on how to say different words and when to use them. It is because of those videos and a few classes in high school, that I can have a limited conversation with a Spanish speaking individual. It also comes in handy at work. I can help people find what they need. My only question that I have from the reading is this, will our children or children's children be required to be bilingual?
ReplyDeleteKelly,
DeleteYou bring up a good point, that while schools do want everyone to learn a different language, it's come down to mostly Spanish. It makes sense, of course, since this is the language that can be useful in the workforce, but what about other romance languages, like French or Italian even? Now, in the old days, in Europe, aristocratic children had to learn up to five languages. This of course was useful, since they could just cross the border and practice. The only language students can practice in the United States is Spanish, so you may be right, our children might have to become bilingual in the future to accommodate a growing need.
Growing up in southeastern New Mexico, Hispanics were always a part of our neighborhoods and schools (we always called them Mexicans as kids. Their families always seemed large and they were always celebrating something, but we just accepted them. I had a friend, however, who was part French and her grandmother lived with her and didn't speak English. My friend's father was Hispanic, so she grew up speaking Spanish and French and I was just in awe of that!The earlier a child learns a second language, the longer it will stay with them and yes, that can be quite useful regardless of where you live.
DeleteThe section of chapter four that I find myself still thinking about after closing the book is the discussion of gender. I guess I tend to believe that many of the differences we see in behavior and roles of males and females are produced and encouraged by societal expectations. With that in mind, I wonder how as an educator I could prod students to engage and challenge these expectations. Our textbook lists a few helpful hints such as encouraging equal participation (regardless of hands raised), openly discussing gender issues with students, encouraging girls to pursue their interests in math and science, and pointing out models that dis-confirm our gender stereotypes. In addition to these helpful hints, I plan to be more attentive to how I interact differently with boys and girls in the classroom. Finally, I’m curious, have any of you spent time in an all girls/ all boys school or classroom? The description in our book made me wonder what that would be like.
ReplyDeleteAs a teacher of preschool students I struggle with teaching gender roles on a daily basis. It’s a struggle because you have to make the decision on whether to play “dress up” and have a three year old boy were a dress and how would parents react? It’s hard to explain why it’s okay for a little girl to paint finger nails and a boy cant. I try my best to let my class explore and I feel as if I am a better teacher for letting the children play with what they want. However there are some parents that would be shocked and horrified to see their son playing with dolls or their daughter playing with tools. There is a very fine line when it comes to teacher gender roles.
DeleteI agree that there is a fine line. Sadly, I think that many parents believe that if their children are introduced to the other genders toys or dresses, that their children will end up gay. I don't think this is the case at all. I believe that people are born homosexual or not.
DeleteYes, I agree that there is a fine line when it comes to teacher gender roles. I always try to keep in mind the fact that kids should be allowed to be kids even if it means a 3 year old boy playing with a doll or a girl playing in the mud with a toy truck. There are positive benefits to child pretend/role play such as gaining social skills and learning about different jobs.
DeleteI think that is it is good if you are bilingual but I do not agree with this being mandatory. I believe that you live here in America and our language is English so I believe that you moving her should promote you to learn our language. It is sad when the children have to speak for their mom and dad's because they do not speak English. And I do get offended at work when we have people that know how to speak English but chooses to speak their native language in front of you. To me I think this is a sign of disrespect to me and makes me think that they may be talking about me.
DeleteChapter four highlights the diverse classroom. I think that this is a very important subject matter to complete in our society today. I read online that by the year 2030 that most Americas will be Spanish speakers. I think that with our growing melting pot, our society is changing in a big way. There will soon no longer be divided races and everyone will be of mixed race. I think this is a great thing. I think that without a world of different cultures that there is no growth and no learning. I think that in the coming years we will need to remember to celebrate the culture that each individuals bring to our country. I think that we are so set that everyone knows English that we forget to celebrate the cultures of everyone present in America. Getting to know each other’s background is how we learn.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is very important for everyone to try to learn a different language. I think that America is going through a time of change and in the education system, we as teachers need to learn how to communicate to every student. In able to be a effective teacher we need to always be learning about the cultures and background of our students.
I agree with you, it would be a wonderful thing to loose the race division all together, and have a complete mish-mash of races. Already we have so many individuals with mixed backgrounds in America, and it makes me wonder how long it would take for everyone to accept this.
DeleteAgreed, it would be nice to see the arbitrary distinctions of race become less of a factor in our society. That said, as long as the social construction of race continues to play a large role in who does and does not have access to racecourses in our world, I guess we have to be attentive to the realities of race and racism.
DeleteThe text states that by the year 2020, the school age population will see significant changes in groups. White students will have decreased from more than 60% to be a little more than half of the total school population. By the time we are teachers we will be facing very diverse classroom and need to know how to handle this. One way to do this is by practicing Culturally responsive teaching. Some examples of this are to be accepting and value different cultures, be accommodating to different patterns of cultural interaction and building on students backgrounds. To sum this all up, I think that we need to have a collaborative classroom and embrace what we have. I also think that this is where peer torturing and teaching will play a huge role as well. This will help establish socialization with in the classroom as well as cultural learning.
ReplyDeleteI agree that we will need to know how to handle diversity in the classroom. While reading this chapter I was thinking about various ways I could bring diversity into the classroom of early childhood education students. I think it would be fun to do activiites such as reading cultural diversity books to the kids, make foods that are from different cultures for the children to try, celebrate some holidays that are in other cultures (Cinco de Mayo etc) have various visitors come in and tell about their culture. I remember one time when I was in school we had a family come in that was indian and they did some indian dancing. It was so neat, it was an experience I will never forget. I also remember how beautiful their outfits were.
DeleteI enjoyed chapter 4 and got a lot out of the text readings. The chapter made me more aware of diversity in the classrooms as well as in the society in which we live. My thought after reading chapter 4 stems around the subject of knowledge about different cultures and beliefs. Understanding how a culture believes, celebrates as well as learning about different cultural traditions will not only enhance the atmosphere of the classroom it will in turn bring about questions and a quest for further learning by the students. By being socially acceptable in the classroom of different cultures, society will benefit.
ReplyDeleteSandyr,
DeleteI agree with you, I also thought the text thoroughly addressed the issue of diversity in schools. I also feel like we should celebrate these traditions more and make them more a part of the school atmosphere. Society will benefit in that we will be more aware of other peoples culture and we as a society will be better united than we are now.
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ReplyDeleteI thought it was an interesting comment on page 106 about the Native American student who wouldn't answer a question in class. Living in New Mexico which has many Indian reservations, I have been around many Native Americans. A lot of the children attend schools on the reservations, but it is hard on those attending public schools. Just trying to talk to Native American adults isn't always easy as they don't show much emotion and aren't very talkative usually. The teens especially have a hard time in a public school as their personality is related to their culture and the other kids just don't understand that. Teens are very judgmental.I also grew up around a lot of Hispanics and when they would speak Spanish around me, I would feel left out and wonder if they were talking about me. They probably felt the same way around a group of English speaking kids, I'm sure. New Mexico schools discuss the traditional Hispanic holidays like Cinco de Mayo which helps those students that celebrate this event and enlightens the others. Teachers today have a real challenge in dealing with diversity but can choose to share with all students the many ways that we are all the same. I haven't been in a school with a male only or female only class. Many years ago when I took sewing in high school, there weren't any boys enrolled. However, when my youngest son got to middle school, he took a sewing class and actually enjoyed it although I'm sure the female population enjoyed him being in there as well. In the large high school I worked at in New Mexico there were several girls in the ROTC program which probably at one time was for males only. Just as the military has made changes, so have school classes and programs to allow both males and females to participate.
ReplyDeleteAnalysis of the reading/issue.
ReplyDeleteI was really surprised that; “more than 1 of 10 people in our country is now foreign born, the highest percentage in more than 100 years (105).” “By 2050 no single group will be a majority among adults (105).” That is amazing! That further emphasizes the importance of understanding the cultural background of the students we serve.
The textbook makes a great point. Teachers should not assume or judge a student by their ethnic background. No ethnic group is smarter than another. I agree that a student’s attitude and willingness to work hard will promote success. There is no magic pill that makes you smart. Success is measured in how much effort a person puts into it.
Page 109 states: “The challenge for teachers is to help students learn about the “culture of schooling,” the norms, procedures, and expectations necessary for success in school, while honoring and valuing their home cultures (109).” Once again, reaching out to families is an essential part of being a good teacher. Parents play a key role in their student’s success. If they feel respected and listened to, they are more likely to jump on board with what the teacher is trying to do and will model respect for the teacher. Children are more likely to follow suit, if their parent approves.
2. Questions and/or contradictions about the reading/issue.
I found the new research that boys and girls brains may be wired differently, quite interesting. I had not put a lot of thought into that before, but it makes sense. As a teacher, we are to treat our students equally and give them all an equal opportunity to learn. If the school system is more directed toward the female population, how is that fair? I can see that this is going to be a major challenge.
3. How did the reading reflect you or allow you to look at an issue differently?
It was surprising to learn that the majority of PhD’s received were earned by women, in 2006. This has come a long way from the time period when women were expected to only learn how to be a good housekeeper and mother.
4. Connecting the reading to you.
I have not worked in a classroom environment, but the task at hand seems monumental. I hope to create the kind of classroom that is equal to all students. I hope to encourage everyone and give them the best possible chance to succeed. When I was a student, I learned a little about other cultures, but not enough. I think times have changed and educators are beginning to see the importance of equality and cultural diversity. The more I learn the better I can create the kind of environment my students need to succeed.
Hi Shana,
DeleteI agree with you that the schools tend to give more favor to the female population. In our school it appears as if boys are dealt with more harshly than the girls, and their punishments seem to carry more weight. And as a mother to a boy and a girl, I can tell you that they are definitely wired differently. And as a wife of 17 years, my husband and I may share core values and beliefs, but our brains and way of thinking are very different. Which makes me wonder about my future students. How do you address the differences in the male and female brain? How can I make my lessons stimulating to both genders? This chapter has showed me how much I need to learn to be an effective teacher.
It it hard to believe that the language diversity is becoming a big change in our schools. I remember going to elementary school and only having about two Hispanic children and now you look at school the school systems and you see more foreign speaking children than you do English speaking children. Also over the years we have seen several different educational responses to the diversity in schools. Schools do not celebrate holidays as much especially Halloween. Even now looking at genders girls and boys have changed a lot also in how they do and learn things in school. In today's society as teachers we must be able to deal with this ever changing population and make the best of things
ReplyDeleteI know, Brandy! When I went to school we had zero children who spoke another language! I go back to my hometown and I see more and more each time I return. I think its good for the the english speaking children as well as the foreign speaking children. They all can teach each other something!
DeleteThis chapter was very insightful. I was surprised when I read that considerable increases in the percentages of all groups of students except white, non-hispanic will take place and that the percentage of white students will decrease by more than 60% to a little more than half of the total school population by 2050. This information means one thing to me, that I am going to have to definately learn about these other cultures, so I can help my students the best way I can to succeed. I want to be able to provide an equal learning opportunity for all of my students, no matter what culture they are from. The language diversity section of the text gave me some insight on what kind of programs there are for students who come from non-english speaking countries/backgrounds. I had heard of the ELL and ESL programs, because we have those programs in our local school systems but I had never heard of the transitions program. I am wondering if that has something to do because I live in Nebraska and according to the map on page 113 of the text, Nebraska has a Official English Law (which I didn't know existed), and since Transition programs maintain the first language until student's acquire sufficient English to succeed in English only classrooms and the ESL and ELL programs are more rapid at teaching English, this could be why I had never heard of the Transitions programs. I really enjoyed the section of the text on gender. I feel it is important to treat all students the same no matter if they're male or female. My mom and dad has always taught me that I can do anything that I set my mind too, even when it came to choosing a career. My Mom went to med school and is a Doctor, so she is in a non-traditional career for women, so she has always instilled to that women are just as equal as men, including career choices. I will try my hardest as a teacher to treat girls and boys the same and not be gender biased. I want to make sure that I give children insight on all the different careers choices that are out there and instill in them that it is ok for a man to be a teacher or a nurse and it is ok for a woman to be a doctor or a police officer. The sky is the limit for them as far as career choices are concerned and there choice doesn't need to be based on if it is traditionally a "womans" career or traditionally a "mans" career.
ReplyDeleteMelissa, I enjoyed your post and also enjoyed the section on gender. I also agree it is important to treat all students the same whether they are male or female. No student should feel they can’t or shouldn’t do something simply because of their gender. There is no one occupation that is just for a man or woman. If a woman wants to be a researcher or engineer, she should do it. And I am almost certain one day, we will have a woman president.
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ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this chapter a lot. I am very insecure and concerned about my abilities as a future teacher regarding culture and diversity. I tell myself that this really won't be that big of a deal. Children are children, and they all need to know how to do addition and read. However, there is far more to teaching than adding and reading and this chapter proves that. It's very informative about all the differences in the United States. According to the text, we have nearly 300 ethnic groups in the United States. I found the legislation regarding teaching English to non-native English speakers interesting as well. In May of 2007, Governor Kathleen Sebelius signed legislation making English the official language of Kansas. The new law took effect on July 1, 2007. I also read that by 2050 there will no longer be any single majority group in the United States.
ReplyDeleteI am also very concerned about my teaching education preparing me for dealing with the amount of diversity I will experience. The chapter didn’t give a lot of information on where or how teachers are supposed to learn cultures to connect better with their students. As I thought about this, I wonder how appropriate it would be to ask the families of students for information and education on their culture. I liked the section on culturally responsive teaching; I would just like to have more information on how to become skillful at this.
I also found the section on gender very interesting. I have noticed this difference at the school where I work. I have always assumed that math was for males and the writing and reading arts were more for females. In our middle school, we have one male math teacher and the rest of our math teachers are females. I had stereotyped the math profession to men. Shockingly, most of the male teachers at our school, not all, are language arts teachers, which I had thought was a subject taught more by women than men.
As a mother to a daughter and a son, I have had the opportunity to watch them grow and develop. And I can honestly say, there are big differences between boys and girls that are what I like to call “hardwired”. I remember from previous college classes I took, that some people suggested boys and girls were the way they were because we raised them that way. Given that piece of information, I made a point with my children to watch for these differences. In my opinion, I saw gender differences in my children from a very early age.
I see how you can be concerned and insecure on dealing with the amount of diversity in schools. I think that will be one of the most challenging aspects of teaching but I think it can also be a rewarding one also. When you are able to help a kid who doesn't understand the language well and help him understand something then that can have a feeling of satisfaction. After reading your post I thought a lot about what teachers I see and I realized the males mostly teach history and the females teach English. I thought women mostly taught English also cause even when I was in school the English teachers were women.
DeleteIn reading chapter 4 I thought a lot about what it is going to be like to teach students that don't know what you are saying or you don't know what they are trying to say to you. Language diversity is something you have to deal with in almost any school. The gender roles and how they are stereotyped in a school. I think that anymore you are starting to see gender roles changing such as more guys becoming nurses. There are still going to be more women in the nursing field just as there is going to be more men in computer fields. The different cultures that you will see when teaching and how it makes a child act different. It plays a role in how a student values school and there attitude.
ReplyDeleteOne question I would ask after reading this chapter would be what are the best ways to teach a kid who speaks a different language because you wouldn't want a kid to completely drop his native language. This can make a kid grow distant from his parents or his friends.
I looked at the language diversity in the schools in a different way and thought to myself how that can really make it challenging for teachers and students. I think it is important for schools to have ways to still allow kids to use there native language why learning the English language.
When going to the schools for my job now I see kids that can't speak English well and it makes it challenging to teach them how to write or spell. Also, cultural diversity plays a role in how fast or slow a teacher can teach. I have seen some kids struggle and need to have one on one help just because they don't understand. As a teacher I can't wait to take on the challenge because you can also learn a lot from the students.
I also think it will be challenging trying to teach children who do not speak english. I also have wondered the best way in doing so. I agree with you and think that a child should keep their native language while learning english as well. I also agree that gender roles have been changing over time and it's becoming more and more acceptable for men to take on women's roles and vice versa. As a future educator it will be challenging help our students in these ways.
DeleteJared,
DeleteI, too, agree that we, as educators, need to find ways to help these ELL students be all that they can be! But, after reading the chapter and seeing that there are 86 different languages, I don't know how we can be able to help them continue with their native language. Especially, since the ELL program doesn't deal with them in their language.It helps them with their English so that they can follow along in their classrooms.
Reading chapter 4 connected some real issue of diversity and helped me think about my own teaching style and how I can better teach. I thought that the different programs for ELL students was interesting. The bilingual maintenance program where students continue reading and writing in their first language while English is introduced. This may be difficult to achieve because you need teachers in both languages and students wont be learning English as fast. There is the transition method where students continue reading in their first language and are given instruction in english, and once english is mastered they move to english classroom. The problem with this is that the first language becomes dropped. There is also immersion where students learn english by being placed in classroom where english is used. If this method is effective it's quick, however, there is a loss of the native language. There is also the ESL program where students receive modified instruction in the content area, but this program segregates students. I feel the best program would be one in which the students had full advantages to learning english while maintaining and advancing their native language. This would require teachers with knowledge of the child's native language. That might be harder to find, however, I feel as though it would benefit the child most if they were able to keep up on their native language.
ReplyDeleteChapter 4 talked about student diversity. The graph's that the text showed, really put it in perspective for me. The changes in school-age population from 2000-2020 were not really surprising, as we are already seeing the increases in the percentages of all races, except whites. The culturally responsive teaching was good to read about and help me in the future when I am teaching in the classroom. I already know I will be caring and value each student and their backgrounds, and I will devote time to student and i will throughly enjoy learning about their backgrounds.
ReplyDeleteJ.,
DeleteYou know these statistics really don't surprise me either. I've said for a long time that one day soon we'll be so intermixed with all of the different cultures represented in America that we'll be about the same color and have to change our labels too!
After reading CH4, I was a little shocked about the differences between boys and girls. I’d always wondered why my sister was so good in school and I was a little haphazard…lol. The facts about the gender learning were really true. The statistics about the changes in schools with minorities was also shocking. I had no idea that the rate of increase of minorities was so dramatic.
ReplyDeleteI found the section on gender interesting as well. I remember not liking math and science classes much because of how they catered to the boys in those classes. Today that is not the case. I see kids who come to our campus for our outreach programs and the number of girls usually outweighs the boys. We bring them to campus to spark their interest further in the math, science and technology fields. And the knowledge these kids have today and what they are learning in junior high is far beyond what I was learning in junior high when it comes to the sciences. It is so exciting to see how excited they get when they have been sitting in a classroom learning about the brain, heart, kidneys, etc and not only can we can show them a real one but they can touch it and examine it up close. Their excitement is what gives me excitement. When I graduate as an educator, even if I don’t teach in a typical classroom, if I can continue and expand on outreach education, I will be happy.
DeleteChapter 4 contained a little bit of new and not so new information for me. Cultural diversity in the classroom is not a new concept but to think how quickly they became diverse compared to not so many years ago is quite interesting. Even growing up in Texas we did not have much in the way of diversity in our school. However, today my niece and nephew going to school here in Iowa have a more diverse classroom than I did 20 years ago. They are also learning to speak Spanish so they can communicate with some of their classmates. I think it is great that their school not only teaches the Spanish speaking children English but the English speaking children Spanish. This shows each group how they can each learn from one another and builds trust and friendship. It did make me think about how difficult it might be in a classroom to teach students who do not understand what you are saying and vice versa. The section on gender differences was a little new for me. I know growing up math and science were always classes more for "the boys" but today there are many programs in schools that are helping girls get excited and interested in math, science and technology. We have a program at work called "Junior Mini Medical School" where we bring junior high age and up children onto campus and give them a "half day experience" of the different career paths they might take given their current interest in school. It is exciting to see the number of females coming to campus with the boys and their interest in these areas that were once not so popular with the girls.
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DeleteI think it is wonderful that your niece and nephew's school teaches Spanish to English speaking students. I think we will be seeing more and more of this as we get closer to the 2050 mark that they predict the general "white" population will no longer be the majority. Other languages being taught at younger ages will more than likely happen as well. It seems like things are blending together more and more with cultures of people but genders as well with wanting to encourage girls to do math and science and boys to go into nursing and teaching. This makes me think of Barbie taking on the "non-traditional" roles she does today.
DeleteChapter 4 touched on a couple different subjects that were very interesting to me, one of those being the subject of cultural diversity and its presence in the American school system. It was very interesting to see how culturally diverse we are and what the percentages of race/ethnicity are in public schools today. Being from Junction City, Kansas I grew up going to a very culturally diverse school and I understand the different challenges that it presents to teachers and schools when working with a diverse student population. As a teacher or school administrator one must understand each person’s culture and background. You must accommodate these different cultures by not only accepting them but by involving them in your classroom. A good teacher will make aware of these cultural differences to the class and educate their students on the different backgrounds that make up each and every student in the school. I agreed with the books viewpoint that teachers should get involved with their students culture and ethnicity and devote time to not only learn from the student but also involve them in learning activities. Another subject that chapter 4 talked about that was very interesting to me was that of gender roles in school. Prior to reading this chapter I never really thought about gender bias in schools. I also never heard of the concept of single-sex classes in school and it was interesting to read about how this concept can help with eliminating gender-related problems that can arise in school. An example of this type of gender problem described was that of elementary school environments were a majority of the school faculty are female. This could be seen as a gender problem for boys and before reading this chapter I never really thought of that issue, but looking back at my time in elementary school, this was also the case with me were I had mostly female teachers in my school. This did not affect me in any way in school but I could see how it might affect someone else.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear that Junction City was a diverse city to attend school. In Topeka, it is a little bit of a different story. There were two schools that had most of the diverse population. I did not attend either one, so I grew up with a mostly white school. Although I did, I've always been very open to culture differences, and can share your same respect for them.
DeleteChapter 4 went right along with my Diversity class I am taking. Cultural Diversity can have positive and negative effects depending on the attitudes and values of each student as well as how teachers respond to them. Accepting differences, really valuing and accommodating for learning patterns in the classroom helps overcome some barriers like language and other differences. I like the idea of "Culturally Responsive Teaching" because it gives the students validity of their culture, heritage, and background connecting the experiences they have had, integrating them into the content, and building on them to make a relevant and exciting learning experience that it good for all students in the room. Bilingual Language Maintenance is something I am not familiar with. In our ESL classes, they generally are total immersion with translators who work with the students and parents from time to time. I would like to know what the approach it is that we use. We have a warm, supportive classroom environment with whole and small groups during which ESL students get interaction with a Spanish speaking teacher. Our teacher is great at connecting real life examples to the students’ cultural experiences making learning fun and relating the content to every student. One thing that was brought to my attention was the gender differences that we see every day in our room. It opened my eyes to why the boys act the way they do during “down time” and the girls wanting to interact with the teacher as much as they do. I think same sex small groups can be beneficial to let girls and boys learn the way and speed that is the best for them and at the same time whole groups are important for the students to build off of each other.
ReplyDeleteCulture diversity is something that is very important for a teacher to recognize and understand. Teacher’s need to be able to identify student’s cultural differences and adapt their classroom and teaching styles to promote the most effective learning of each student. Identifying a student’s specific cultural social characteristics could be one way to incorporate the child’s culture into the classroom. This will make the student feel comfortable by making them feel like you are accepting and accommodating of their culture. The knowledge gained by the students through properly stimulated discussions will be lessons learned for the rest of their lives.
ReplyDeleteI very much agree with what you say about teacher being able to identify cultural differences and adapting their classrooms and teaching styles to fit their students. Take our cultural diversity and turn it into an advantage like it should be. It should be a learning tool and not a disadvantage. Having students from various cultures could even teach the teachers. I think that is how we need to look at it.
DeleteChapter 4 talks about how culturally diverse our classrooms have become. The same could be said about everything, but we are talking about classrooms here. I went to a small school in western Kansas. In my 12 years of school there we only had one African American student. We had several Mexican students, but they were all forign exchange students. The last time I visited my uncle there he told me they now have about 30% minority students. Now, I'm not that old, but that is a big increase in 12 years. Cultural diversity can of course cause problems. However, if a teacher handles things in the right way, they could turn the diversity into learning opportunities. Language diversity is another problem that could be turned into a learning environment. I know I wish I'd have learned another language. Students could learn more from other students that already speak another language than they would from the teacher. It's just easier to talk to ones peers.
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