Individuals and organizations can measure their competence on a continuum developed by James Mason (1993). The five (5) progressive steps in his continuum are:
1. Cultural destructiveness (cd): The most negative end of the continuum is indicated by attitudes, policies, and practices that are ruinous to individuals and their cultures. (lowest)
(eg: Active policies and practices reflect disproportionate high expulsion rate for male students, minority students, tracking within the school along class, race, and gender. Teachers and administrators “target” certain students. Very few female students in higher level math classes. Segregated proms and other social/academic activities. overt racial, ethnic and gender bias language and practices permissible. Bullying among diverse groups ignored. Biased textbooks and curriculum (omission of contributions of various diverse groups in curriculum) are selected. No home-school connections.
2. Incapacity (ic): The system or agency does not intentionally seek to be culturally ruinous or destructive; however, the system may lack the capacity to assist different cultures of individuals and/or communities. Overt practices are not as obvious or intentional but similar outcomes in level 1 quite common. Limited home-school connections which reflect stronger connections with the dominant privileged group.
3. Blindness (b): At the midpoint of the continuum, the system and its agencies provide services with the expressed intent of being unbiased. They function as if the culture makes no difference and all the people are the same. (Most organizations) Teachers and administrators “don’t see color.” (gender, class, ethnicity) Fail to see strengths of students as a result. Diverse students are socially isolated. Possibly have one big “Multicultural Fair” which represents the extent of diversity. S\
4. Pre-competence (p): Individuals and organizations move toward the positive end of the continuum by acknowledging cultural differences and making documented efforts to improve.
Mission statement, policies and procedures begin to address diversity and try to create more inclusive environments. Student differences are not masked but built on to create an inclusive community. High achievement and participation of all students are encouraged and documented in order to improve outcomes socially and academically for students. Based on documented evidence, teachers and administrators engage students in ways that promote diversity and achievement. Diversity awareness and social justice ideas taught explicitly and implicitly. Buddy groups, peer mediation , counseling, role models, community group s, home-school connections etc are in place to support community. Examples of various cultures which represent the diversity of society is included routinely in curriculum. Textbooks and curriculum are evaluated for bias. May determine the great work has been done and the active process begins to recede.
5. Competence (c): The most positive end of the continuum is indicated by acceptance and respect of cultural differences, continual expansion of cultural knowledge, continued cultural self-assessment, attention to the dynamics of cultural differences, and adoption of culturally
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Consider a school (do not give the name!) that you have spent considerable time in teaching and or observing and identify which practices are evident along the cultural continuum. Explain the demographics of the school. Provide examples and or nonexamples of culturally responsive education. Try to be specific in your explanations incorporating readings. Based on the readings provide a specific suggestion that the school/ district or county might implement. End your post with a question. Be sure to include your readings from the text and outside research if needed to support your response.
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ReplyDeleteBecause our students attend school the majority of the day, most of the week, what they learn there will be ingrained throughout much of their lives. Sheets reiterates that we must understand the “invisible culture” present in our schools and classrooms in order to read the “classroom context” that exists (2005, p.83). It is at this level we can impact how our students think and act toward others. At the high school I was placed in, the student population is 91% white, 4% black and Hispanic, 1% Asian and other (greatschools.org). Yet, I did not meet any faculty member who was anything other than white. This leads me to wonder about the students’ levels of confidence in their education because of the lack of visible role models surrounding them. However, I did encounter examples of positive efforts to acknowledge and improve cultural differences. For instance, the teacher I observed took great care to create assignments that promoted multiple intelligences for her students, from painting and collage, to writing about various artists, historical periods, and cultures. She used photographs and posters from many backgrounds, and kept a library of her own private references for the students to use, rather than rely on the textbooks the school provided. One of my favorite projects had students partnered (chosen by the teacher,) and required the partners to both eat at the others’ lunch table one day. She was willing to ask the students to leave their comfort levels and interact with members of another group. I was not there for the discussion that followed, but was told by her that some students were very hesitant and even scared to sit with students they did not normally associate with. One even said “but I’ll be the only white person at the table,” to which she responded “Well, that is how some other students feel every day.” I felt this was a fantastic, proactive way to encourage discussion and promote connections to others. I feel this teacher was in the Pre-Competence stage, even if the entire school was not. The school was closer to the Blindness category on the spectrum, even though I did see some multicultural initiatives, including a fair, a show, and a dance performance. This teacher was well aware of the disadvantages others face, and tried to identify, observe, and promote the cultural balance in her classroom (Sheets, 2005, 84-85).
ReplyDeleteThe school could possibly implement a “buddy system” or “study group” approach during the school year, meaning the students would be assigned partners or groups and be provided time to meet with them. They could learn with or from each other: Either way, it would immerse and connect students to each other and their school.
Have any of you had experiences with study buddies or groups, and were they positive or negative events in your lives?
Great Schools, Inc . (1998-2010). Retrieved March 1, 2010 from http://www.greatschools.org/cgi-bin/wv/other/25#students
Sheets, R. H. (2005). Diversity pedagogy: Examining the role of culture in the teaching-learning process. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.
I have spent a lot of time in an elementary school in West Virgnia observing all grades of physical education. The school was a very diverse school in sense of race (white, african american and spanish students). Most of the students were for low socioeconomic backgrounds also. The teacher I did observe did a good job of promoting self control in classroom management decisions and disciplinary actions(Sheets pg85). He had very clear expectations for all students when it came to this and he stuck to it. Throughout the year though, there was no connection to different cultures. They played the same games as i've seen in every other school whether it be predominantly one race or a diverse school. The one time they really went out and touched on culture was when they brought in a Zumba teacher. It is dance fitness which was created through spanish, african, and south american dances. It was like what we talked about in class, touching on culture for one day and then that being it for the year. Another thing through speech was that my teacher was about in his late 60's and could only speak english. He had all these bilingual students who would speak spanish to peers and have to talk to him in english. Sheets talks about how if one is bilingual and english starts to dominate conversation even at home, there is a chance to lose their heritage language(Sheets pg 115). I think the school was at the blindness stage for the most part in the continuumof cultural competence. I think a suggestion the school to take in the physical education class is maybe just play different cultures music during warm ups instead of just old caucasians from the 70's. This will give all the students to hear different music from all the cultures of their classroom.
ReplyDeleteAfter finding what part of the cultural continuum your class or school was on, do you think its possible for a quick change to be made to help move up to the competence level and how?
Katie,
ReplyDeleteI've experienced study groups quite a few times through my education. I feel like its a big help to all students. It got me to work with students I wouldn't normally socialize with and on the learning up, got me to answer questions to peers that you might be embarrassed to ask in front of the whole class. Students are good at explaining to eachother how to complete tasks. To me these study groups or buddies were a very positive part of education.
John,
ReplyDeleteI don’t think a quick change is at all possible mostly because a way of thinking/living/being is already ingrained in the heads of both the students and faculty. Sheets affirms that through experience “students can become aware of the importance of their thinking, the power of their word, and the consequences of their actions” (2005, 151). So it would take time for the students to reframe their thoughts, but it is possible. I think change must be conscious, though, and it also takes time to make a plan of action, set goals, implement a strategy, and analyze the results. There is actually a lot of politics at work also: Every plan must be approved, go through the round of committees, be under the scrutiny of the parents, etc. So, the quickest way to move up the continuum would be to realize that problems exist and be willing to address them head-on.
Sheets, R. H. (2005). Diversity pedagogy: Examining the role of culture in the teaching-learning process. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.
I have been at a middle school in a rural area of West Virginia for most of my observations. This schools primary diversity factor is along the lines of socio-economic status rather than of ethnic origin, although there are some students of diverse ethnicity in the school. This school is made up of mostly middle-class to poverty level students with some students of diverse backgrounds as well.
ReplyDeleteWhile the Sheets text says “students generally choose to self-segregate racially during adolescence,” I have not seen this to be the case in the school. (Sheets, 75) The few African-American and Hispanic students I observed were not shunned or ignored by other classmates. The teacher provided ample opportunity for the students to work together in groups, and the students from diverse backgrounds did not get ignored, but rather were included in all aspects of the class. In my observations, I have seen no instance of racial or cultural discrimination. It is as if race doesn’t exist at all.
The classroom environment itself was not culturally inclusive at all. The walls of the classroom were almost bare, with examples of graphic organizers being the main thing on the walls. There was also a map of West Virginia with the state flag, motto, bird, etc… posted. I think it would be in this area where I would implement a little more culture into the classroom environment. Putting up pictures of minorities who have helped to shape the West Virginia Economy by being entrepreneurs or politicians would inspire students to see what minorities and others have done for the state. There are many examples of minorities who have done great things for the state, and putting these on the walls would enlighten the students about the diverse nature of our state. Also including these people into the lesson structure so that the students learn about the background of the people and understand why and how they are important to the evolution of the state.
While I do not see any cultural destructiveness evident at the school, I feel the school is still at the “blindness level” on the Continuum of Cultural Competence. The school does not discriminate based on culture or race or socio-economic status, but they also aren’t moving forward with a plan to incorporate culture into the curriculum. I think that a lot of schools would fall into this category, whether it is due to lack of funding or lack of motivation by the board.
In response to Johns Question: After finding what part of the cultural continuum your class or school was on, do you think its possible for a quick change to be made to help move up to the competence level and how?
I think that with good communication on a team of teachers, a plan could be implemented rather quickly to help improve on the cultural competence. If all teachers are on the same page with the plan, then implementing it would be as easy as a quick discussion in the morning to talk about what aspect of culture they will all be going over in their classes today. For instance, during Black History Month, the team could include a different African-American each day that had some kind of contribution to their subject matter. This wouldn’t have to stop at the end of the month. The teachers could choose a different culture each week and include the contributions of that culture into their lessons. I think for teachers, it is easier to include culture into the classroom than it is for administrators to include into the entire school atmosphere. This is where teachers can really make a difference in the level of cultural competence a school has achieved.
Question:
What are some examples of topics that teachers can raise to promote a class discussion on culture and diversity?
If you lived in Texas, would you continue to teach the content that the state decided to take out of the textbooks? Would there be any repercussions for doing so?
I obtained demographic statistics for the school in which I observed and two factors were immediately striking. First, the racial characteristics of the faculty and staff were in no way similar to that of the student body, and second, the overwhelming majority of students lived in poverty (a conclusion drawn from the percentage of students enrolled in the free and reduced lunch program). This was also obvious in the classroom I observed. The teacher was upper-middle class and white; her students represented moderate diversity in terms of race. While social class is hard to determine based on appearance, I would say that few, if any, students shared her socioeconomic status. This relates to what Sheets (2005) calls cultural discontinuity, in that the culture of the students and the culture of teachers and administration were a mismatch (94).
ReplyDeleteThis teacher definitely made efforts to connect with her students, develop individual approaches and adaptations for students, and incorporate elements of multiculturalism into her classroom. (On a personal note, I thought she was an excellent teacher who definitely had “withitness” – I learned a lot.) But, like we’ve spoken about before, she simply incorporated “elements” of multiculturalism into the classroom. For example, in February she honored black leaders on a bulletin board, then in March changed it to ‘Women in History’ and discussed females who made contributions to society. Additionally, there were absolutely no overt biases in any part of her management style, although if I had to place the class on the continuum, I would rank them at ‘Blindness’.
James Banks, a distinguished professor at the University of Washington, has developed something related to the continuum we saw in class. His Goals and Dimensions of Multicultural Education involve altering the entire environment of a school to become more culturally-inclusive and describe this adjustment as a process (dimensions). The first of the dimensions is called Content Integration wherein teachers simply use examples and content from a variety of cultures (like Black History Month or Cinco de Mayo). So the curriculum doesn’t change and minority group culture is still presented on the margin of the mainstream curriculum (Banks, 2009). This is the type of structure that I saw in place in the classroom I observed.
I know funding is always an issue, but why can’t districts keep a multicultural specialist on staff to coordinate curriculum integration and resource selection? I was happy to hear Rusty say McGraw-Hill hires someone to oversee illustrations in their texts, but that’s just illustrations. Textbook publishers have extreme influence over curricular content, but a multicultural specialist could review textbooks, identify biased material and create and distribute supplemental material for teachers to use.
Banks, J.A. (2009). Multicultural education: Goals and dimensions. Retrieved June 15, 2010 from the Center for Multicultural Education at the University of Washington Web site: http://education.washington.edu/cme/view.htm.
Sheets, R.H. (2005). Diversity pedagogy: Examining the role of culture in the teaching-learning process. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
What are some of the links or correlations between Banks’ Dimensions of Multicultural Education and the Continuum of Cultural Competence? (I linked his website in my sources listed above.)
The preschool I observed serves an ethnically diverse student population by West Virginia standards – 70 percent European American; 10 percent Latino American; 10 percent Asian American; 10 percent African American. All students come from comparable socioeconomic class – middle class households with both parents in the home. At such a tender age, it is somewhat difficult to ascertain the ability and learning styles of the students although I can say the instruction clearly ran the gamut from linguistic, kinesthetic, spatial and musical. In fact, most lessons employed a variety of teaching styles to keep student engagement at a high level.
ReplyDeleteThe school’s décor, books, software programs and select student work adorning the walls were strong indicators of the ethnicity of the students served. The preschoolers are submerged in the diversity of the world and student body is reflected in dolls, geography lessons, international games, language study and food choices.
An area for improvement is in the teaching staff which was represented by 50% African American and 50% European American. I learned that what isn’t reflected in staffing is deliberately pursued through a guest speakers and surrogate readers program. There are no detectable differences in physical ability although there are accessibility conventions (ramps to steps, slides and other areas on the playground). Books and pictures of children with varying ability are present in the environment but recessive in comparison. In the library, flags hand-drawn and colored by the students themselves represent the countries from which the children’s families trace their heritage. The history and geography section of the library has maps, puzzles, games, inflatable globes, posters and even currency from some of the countries studied. Families that travel abroad for vacation are asked to bring back cultural memorabilia for the students to enjoy and explore. Previous trips include: Denmark, Korea, Mexico, Ecuador, Barbados, China, England and Nigeria. Introductory second and third language acquisition lessons include conversational Spanish (colors, numbers, greetings, household items, family members) and sign language (alphabet, family members, feelings/emotions and food items); and is carried over into environmental print. I would rate this program at a pre-competence stage in that it has made a conscious decision (and has written policies) to make this first educational experience for youngsters an inclusive one; this is evident from the moment you set foot in the door.
Question: If we understand that students will begin to self-segregate and choose friendships along ethnic lines by adolescence, should preschool teachers educate parents of this reality and try to offset through play groups that which looms inevitable? Remember at this stage, Sheets says “children use friendship as a convenience to facilitate bonding and to promote access to play” (Sheets 70). The youngsters I’ve observed will head to kindergarten this fall and they will attend schools far and wide. Should any effort be made to sustain those early ties purely for the sake of diversity?
My first substituting jobs was at a school with a very large minority population, on the "wrong side of town." Excited about my first substitute teacher call, I took it, not finding out until late the night before my job that this school had the worst reputation in the county it is located in. Looking back, this school appears to operate between and 2 and 3 on the continuum. After hearing terrible stories about the school, I arrived still somewhat idealistic (aren't we supposed to, as teachers?). I told the secretaries (who were white, like most of the staff) that it was my first substitute teaching job. They looked at me, sighed and asked if I wanted to see if they could find another position for me in the county. Talk about a warm welcome.
ReplyDeleteTo say it was my most challenging day of substituting to date would be an extreme understatement. Students threw things around the classroom, one asked why he should have to listen to a little white girl, and other students were accusing each other of insulting other students in Spanish (something I couldn't even begin to verify). I spent the entire day yelling, trying to calm the students down. A few times during the day, a teacher (who was one of the few teachers of a minority group) stopped by the classroom and brought the room to some sort of control. He told me that since no fights had broken out I was doing a good job. He told me he tried his hardest to challenge the students and rough them around a little bit because it was what they needed, but they never had any respect for the substitutes.
Other teachers (white teachers), however, expressed a great deal of frustration with the entire environment of the school. One went as far as to tell me she was only waiting for another job in the county to open up so she could "get out as fast as possible." The students were described using some of those negative adjectives we've talked about - "lazy," "aggressive," and "disrespectful." One student, at the end of the day, came into my room to get his backpack and had a short conversation with me. He said he needed to get home as soon as possible to finish his homework before basketball and football practice. I said he sounded busy and he said, "I have to be, if I want to play in high school in a few years. Mr. (the teacher who helped me out that day) said I can't joke around with my grades if I want to play sports."
My final analysis of my day at this school was that a large number of the majority faculty and staff at this school simply have given up on these students. While there is some light, as in the case of the teacher who helped me throughout the day, most of the teachers have let these students fall into the school's reputation of being the "bad school" in the county. A reputation the school has gotten because of it's high population of minority students and students from low-income housing. It's simply a lack of hope and entirely too much weight on cultural and socioeconomic stereotypes. The students, too, know about the stereotypes and feed off of them because they don't know what else to do.
So, my question is: if we are put into a situation like this, as teachers, what can we do to make sure our students can start to rise above the stereotypes that the community has placed on them so heavily?
To answer Devon:
ReplyDeleteIf you lived in Texas, would you continue to teach the content that the state decided to take out of the textbooks? Would there be any repercussions for doing so?
What is happening in Texas is terrifying for a number of reasons. Beyond the general re-writing the history of this country to make it "look better," Texas is one of the biggest consumers of textbooks...a demand for these crazy changes could eventually effect other states.
I feel that there are some things that just should be taught. Slavery, in all of it's gruesome realities, is one of those things I just don't think should be sugar coated. My eighth grade history teacher was a big supporter of the idea of "we learn history so we don't repeat it." Textbooks, however, are a tricky thing.
I know that when a school purchases textbooks, that's what you use. I think I would be willing to go far, however, to teach that textbook, as well as the alternative point of view. I would also be prepared, however, to stand up for myself and be able to cite specific reasons why I am teaching beyond the pages of the assigned textbook (my mother told me never to start a fight until you have done the research). I think that, even more valuable than teaching students a multi-cultural view of history, is seeing a teacher willing to stand up for what he or she believes is right. In that case, I believe the lessons are two-fold.
The high school that I have spent a considerable amount of time in I honestly feel is currently in the Pre-competence level. The school is fairly diverse. The faculty is not as diverse as the student body. It is made up of about an equal amount of male and female faculty. The student body is made up of students of different ethnicities, students with disabilities, and students of different socioeconomic status. I could not find any specific data, but from my time there it is very evident that the population is very diverse.
ReplyDeleteThe school has a mission statement that reads: “By emphasizing individual strengths in a positive learning environment, this high school’s staff members will help students to become proficient in 21st Century content, learning skills, and tools based on our core beliefs that enhance staff performance on behalf of all students.” The school also has in place eight core beliefs which include: We Believe: “parents and community members are respected partners in creating conditions for student success,” “that the school environment should be welcoming, safe, nurturing, and supportive,” “in and respect the diverse and unique abilities of all students,” and “that all students deserve equal opportunities to learn.” These beliefs are just not put in writing for people to read. They are really stressed throughout the school by the administration and the faculty.
There are several organizations and clubs that are sponsored by the school and its faculty that promote diversity and culture awareness. These groups are made up of many students from different cultures. The school has a multicultural committee for its faculty that also pushes culture awareness.
The school is working to promote the achievement of all students as well. Faculty members are provided data about individual students that informs us of weaknesses and strengths as determined by standardized testing. I have worked together with guidance counselors to promote honors and AP classes to all students, not just the typical white, middle-class student.
I think where this school can improve is with its instruction to the faculty on how to use the data, promote the diversity in the classroom, and incorporate the core beliefs in the classroom. Teachers write and teach lessons, but if they do not plan or teach with the students’ differences in mind, then it will probably not be carried out successfully (Sheets, p. 132). Professional development would go a long way for preparing all teachers.
Sheets, R. H. (2005). Diversity pedagogy: Examining the role of culture in the teaching-learning process. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.
Question: For schools that are at a lower level, who takes the stand to promote the issues, the faculty, administration, community, or the district? Does it have to be a combination of all?
In response to Katie’s question regarding study groups or buddy systems:
ReplyDeleteI am the advisor to my school’s National Honor Society. One of our students put together a tutoring program with peer tutors. I think some high school students are more comfortable working with peers than they are working with teachers. And some students are better at explaining the information to their peers than teachers. The program we started was comprised of five students who were well liked by their peers and very successful in the classroom. As a result they lived up to Sheets’ expectations of being confident, emphatic, and cooperative (Sheets, p. 69). I followed up on each of the students receiving tutoring, and every single student increased their grade. It was so cool to witness these students that really didn’t know each other and that were so different based on ability level work together to better themselves. It was a totally positive experience!
I have been obsereving in elementary school where I feel is the setting stone for knowledge of other cultures and backgrounds. The schools I have observed have a majority white population. all of the teachers are white. However we may still have those one or two minorities in a classroom. Sheets says that it is our job as teachers to "create a culturally safe classroom, a classroom environment where students feel secure and comfortable culturally, linguistically, academically, emotionally, and physically" (2005, p91). The schools I have observed seem to do a great job incorporating readings from other countries and cultures and have a wide variety of posters and information on the walls about diversity. Holidays are even celebrated depending on student involvement and culture. Students have been invited to share what they know, no matter where they come from, about any topic of culture being studied. One day while observing, the students were reading outloud a Rodeo book with Spanish words. The teacher was encouraging the students to share what they knew about this topic. Many students raised their hands to explain what all of the Spanish words meant and how they were pronounced.
ReplyDeleteWhat I would like to see more of is a day set aside to to do possibly heritage biographies. Here all students no matter where their families are from would do research on where their families on both the mom and dad's side came from and present it. Students could learn so much from this about culture and diversity and also learn how much they have in common.
What are some ways Sheets says that we can promote a culturally safe classroom?
In response to Dawn's question, When I read your question, it made me think of what Bethany read to us in class the other night. "Students in your classroom have memberships in multiple groups" (Sheets, 2005, p29). Your students are going to be fine and develop many relationships with commonalities along their lifetime. I feel that if parents want to keep their kids together because they get along and play well together than that is a great thing. It is always nice to say, "this is my friend whom I've know since we were in diapers." I don't know if I would just do it for diversity's sake. This is a good question. I am just stating my opinion. I am sure there are many parents out there who do make strong efforts to keep those relationships intact.
ReplyDeleteI have observed over 40 hours at the same elementary school in WV. I have also spent many years living in this area and deliviring pizza in this town. I have an understanding of the cultural there. The school is very diverse with 60% white, 25% black and 12% hispanic(greatschools.org). I did most observation in the Physical education room. However i did some in the reading room. The readings that the children were doing were about white people. The majority of the faculty are white women. And i did not see any type of cultural diversity instruction. However with the population being so diverse the children are all around other races. This in its self is very good for breaking down barriers. I did observes some racial tension between two students. but for the most part the children did not seem to act differntly around a differnt race. On a positive note the school had an after school picnic to get the parents involved in the school community. It was very successful and they had a hard time getting parents to leave. Having the parents of differnt cultures interacting is a great model for the children. And the best thing for culture diversity acceptance at this school is that the principle is a black women. This makes for a very strong roll model; to have her in such a strong position is good for the children to see and look up to. overall i would put the school in between blindness and pre competence.
ReplyDeleteMy question is what are some ways for teachers to get past the blindness stage without stepping over the line?
Katie,
ReplyDeleteI routinely use buddy systems and cooperative learning groups with the preschoolers I serve. Our seniors (generally 5 year olds) are separated from the other students for the second half of the day for Kindergarten Boot-camp. It’s their special time to demonstrate how clever they are and practice kindergarten skills – penmanship, using a pass to use the restroom, raising their hands before speaking, letter and number recognition, and phonic exercises with their peers. They savor this time of the day along with the additional freedoms and responsibilities that comes with it. The parents tell me that the children are “proud” of their kindergarten club. Now of course I have a theory to better explain what I’ve observed -- William Glasser’s Choice Theory (Charles, 2008).
Charles, C.M. (2008). Building Classroom Discipline, 9th edition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Bethany,
ReplyDeleteI’m sure you could go all “Dangerous Minds” on students and come in with a real hard attitude (and see where it gets you), but there is a lesson we can learn from that movie. Like you said in your description of the school, kids sometimes feel like no one cares about them and that they are doomed to fail just like everyone says. Think about it – if no one thinks you’re going to do anything, who are you accountable to? No one. In the movie, the teacher gets through to students academically by showing them that she cared about them; learning what they were interested in, letting them talk about their feelings in class, visiting their homes, offering her home and her classroom as a safe refuge. Sometimes, offering students a sense of trust and security may be what it takes.
Besides building trusting relationships, we should articulate to students that regardless of what they think about themselves, we have high expectations for them and will not lower the bar just because of their label or stereotype. Sheets (2005) says to use day-to-day achievement and validation of experiential backgrounds to create a culturally-inclusive classroom (63). To relate these two ideas with the previous one, we have to recognize that reinforcing student experience and achievement may be what it takes for them to trust us and create a meaningful relationship that will lead to academic and social success.
Sheets, R.H. (2005). Diversity pedagogy: Examining the role of culture in the teaching-learning process. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
I have substituted and observed at several different schools in Berkeley County, WV. One school in particular had student population breakdowns as follows:
ReplyDeleteWhite 73%
Black 19%
Hispanic 5%
Asian /Pacific Islander1%
American Indian/Alaskan Native 1%
Unspecified 1%
Free and Reduced Lunch 47%
Data obtained from (http://www.greatschools.org)
The teacher population was predominately white. From the schools website I could count that 18 teachers were male and 42 were female. During my time spent at this particular school I can recall only meeting two teachers who were minorities.
The teacher I observed did an excellent job connecting with the students. This teacher talked with the students for the first five minutes of class about what was going on in the community and their lives (usually related to something from Channel 1). This teacher would also provide experiences they had as a child and encouraged the students all the time. Sheets (2005) tells us that it is important for the teacher to know the students for whom the curriculum is being adapted for and to know the context of where the instruction will take place. This teacher by talking with the students was getting to know their characteristics and gain understanding of the context of the school.
With that said, I believe this school is operating at the Blindness level. My main reason is although this teacher was getting to know the students, they failed to incorporate any of that gained knowledge into the curriculum. My feeling was that the school was trying to avoid biases, but at the same time not acknowledging differences.
One suggestion I would make is to take that knowledge that you gain from being connected with the students and apply it to what you are doing in the classroom. I am a huge believer that it is easy to find ways to incorporate diversity into your curriculum. Mathematics is full of contributions from many different cultures. Highlighting contributions from each of the cultures represented in you classroom would be almost effortless.
Question: Why aren’t the book publishers doing more to incorporate culture into the texts other than with pictures? How can schools put pressure on them to do so?
Great Schools (2010). Retrieved on 19 June 2010 from www.greatschools.org
Sheets, R. H. (2005). Diversity pedagogy: Examining the role of culture in the teaching-learning process. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
In response to Katie,
ReplyDeleteI have always had positive experiences from study groups that I have been involved with as a student. I have been the one leading the study group, and I have been the one needing help in the study group. Both experiences have been beneficial to me. When leading the study group I always found that I try harder so that I don't let the others down. When in need of help, I always found that my fellow students were best because I was not nervous around them and didn't mind admitting I needed direction. As the leader of a group I often felt that I did nothing different than the teacher, but often I was told that I explained it much better that the teacher. However, I feel that it is the fellow students are more comfortable listening to one of their own than to an outsider (teacher).
Working in groups in the classroom is a great way to build community, and is also culturally responsive. It gives students of different backgrounds opportunities to create friendships. I am going to be a math teacher and according to Lloyd (2008) the current trend in mathematics instruction is to place more emphasis on small group and whole group activities. Because of my experiences and what we have learned about building classroom communities it is my full intention to use groups in my classroom regularly.
Lloyd, G. M. (2008). Teaching mathematics with a new curriculum: Changes to classroom organization and interactions. Mathematical Thinking and Learning: An International Journal, 10(2), 163-195. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ792645&site=ehost-live; http://www.informaworld.com/openurl?genre=article&id=doi:10.1080/10986060701854482
Katie- Quite an enlightening approach by the teacher. Excellent job of describing some specific approaches related to cultural competence.
ReplyDeleteBethany,
ReplyDeleteYour final blog will be to research best practices for schools in high poverty minority areas. What specific suggestions are provided? Provide specific examples of at least 2 model schools who have students from the backgrounds you described and how the school environment adapted to meet the needs of the students and encourage high achievement. Include a discussion of "stereotype threat" a research study on achievement of women and minorities.
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