From W. S. The book quotes,”Educators need different learning goals, school programs, different pedagogical approaches; flexible curricula and varied educational environments to address the needs of all students”. A curriculum that fosters knowledge, nurture, enlightens and empowers students to be active participants in society today and the future. Students who attend schools with a diverse population can develop an understanding of the perspectives of children from different backgrounds and learn to function in a multicultural, multiethnic environment. Yet, as public schools become more diverse, demands increase to find the most effective ways to help all students succeed academically as well as learn to get along with each other. Teachers are faced with the challenge of making instruction "culturally responsive" Teachers should structure their teaching to acknowledge different perspectives. For example, in a history lesson about the Vietnam War, they should draw attention to the perspectives of North as well as South Vietnamese citizens, the feelings of the soldiers and diverse views of Americans. In a classroom the teacher can structure learning groups that are diverse and devise activities that require each student to contribute to the group. In this way students learn that each person in a group can contribute and has something of value to say. I believe the principal has a huge role in creating an environment where people respect the opinions of others and are open to multiple perspectives on any issue. This should be modeled for students, and in relations with faculty and staff, as well.
The current student population is more culturally diverse than ever before. With all the changes, the challenge for educators is generating curriculum that is both responsive to student’s diversity and helps to bind civic culture for America. The current curriculum does not meet the demands of diverse population. As educators we need to design a curriculum that will weave the diverse cultural threads into an inclusive fabric. Schools need to implement a curriculum that fosters a variety of instructional methods such as social constructivism, the multiple intelligence theory, and various learning styles. This will prepare students for an ever changing society.
Krustin "weave the diverse cultural threads", how beautifully put. Not having a regular classroom curriculum to follow in my situation as each child has their own IEP, I try to bring something to acknowledge a culture celebration, for example, Cinco De Mayo, St Partick, Islamic New Year, Kwanzaa, etc. I try to let them that their culture is important and they should embrace it. As their teacher I recognize and respect it.
According to the book, our society has always had a “plurality of cultures”. Although we began as an English colony, the thousands of immigrants that have arrived such as Germans, Italians, Irish, Africans, Mexicans, Central and South Americans, Asians, as well as Eastern Europeans have shaped the diversity of our country and our school systems. As educators, the book states the mistake of our country boxing all Hispanics into one group, clustering all Native American groups into one, and not recognizing the differences amongst Asian groups. Our country has clustered these groups together, without realizing the negative implications within the educational arena. Our schools have never reflected a more diverse population with immigrant groups continually arriving, shaping, and re-shaping our schools. Some of the major challenges educators confront in dealing with diversity is the practice of trying to organize and homogenize students into one standard or average group. The book states that educators even homogenize “white students” such as lumping all Eastern Europeans together. African students are not being carefully screened to realize that many are of a different religious background (i.e. Islam). The book calls for educators to rid themselves of practices such as whole class grouping, tracking and common pedagogies. Educators must formulate a smart curriculum that meets student needs and be reflective of their diverse backgrounds. Educators must also inject civic culture into their curricula in order to provide unity. The book also states that the curriculum should allow for infusion of the diverse social and cultural aspects of students to make it all inclusive. Marginalizing students culturally, economically or socially is unacceptable. Educators must provide different educational programs, various pedagogical approaches and a flexible curriculum to address the needs of all students.
I have personally witnessed the common practice of boxing groups of students under one label (i.e. Hispanics). Educators and the public in general do not realize that there are 21 countries in the world whereby the primary language is Spanish. Although language is their commonality, every country and its peoples are vastly different. You cannot lump Mexicans, Cubans, Argentineans and Costa Ricans under one banner. They are vastly different peoples. Even within countries such as Mexico, you find different dialects, customs, and cuisine. The problem for educators is that it is easy to whole class group, track and use common pedagogy for all. Educators do not have the time to travel to each student’s country and learn about their culture, language and customs. However, that is not an excuse. It is critically important that educators infuse their curriculum with different methods and approaches, as well as the use of ESOL strategies (i.e. peer tutors, translating documents, extra tutoring and assistance, technology based assistance). Teachers need to seek out and utilize different resources (i.e. FDLRS, ESE Departments) and use a healthy dose of common sense when teaching students from diverse backgrounds.
A major challenge has been the need to change the school mindset of using school practices that try to organize and homogenize students into one standard or average group. Curriculum workers have to generate curriculum that is receptive to students’ diversity, while at the same time transferring and transforming the civic culture that serves as the binding for the American nation. Educators need different learning goals, different school programs, and different pedagogical approaches; flexible curricula; and even different educational environments to address the needs of all students. I think learning how to deal with students of different cultures, race, class, gender, and sexual orientation has been a major challenge for educators because it has required a change in how we do things. And most people don’t like change, especially change that deals with people who are different from oneself. I still think we need to do a better job of incorporating and teaching our ESOL students because they make up a large amount of our diversity in schools. I dislike it when schools are compared for AYP and school grade, but their populations are completely different. I suppose LFS has been put into place to try and deal with the diversity of schools and help them reach the necessary standards.
I agree with Wanda that the school principal plays a huge role in setting the climate within a school. If students see respect modeled from their elders, then they will be more apt to show it to each other, hopefully. As our school populations change, it does become increasingly hard for teachers to design lessons that are culturally diverse and meet the needs of all groups within the classroom. However, it so important that educators seek out the necessary resources that will make the job easier to meet the needs of our diverse students and build communities within the school setting.
The challenges confronting educators are varied and numerous. Curricularists must generate curricula that are both responsive to students; diversity, while at the same time transferring and transforming the civic culture that serves as the binding for the American nation. Educators need different learning goals, different school programs, and different pedagogical approaches; flexible curricula; and even varied educational environments to address the needs of all students. We cannot afford to socially or economically marginalize any students. The curriculum must promote in students a knowing-in-action as recommended by Schon. The curriculum must nurture in students those perspectives that enlighten and empower students to be active participants in a dynamic, emerging society. One of the major challenges with diversity this year, involved a new student from Haiti. He had just arrived from Haiti to the US about a month ago. He was a new student that came in Mid-March. He was so fascinated with technology that he would touch everything while I was attempting to teach. Fortunately, I had another student that spoke Creole and she would translate for me and that’s how we would communicate. In the beginning, the student that spoke English and Creole was embarrassed and did not want to translate. I explained to the whole class that speaking another language is beneficial and it helps others communicate. In the beginning, it was challenging to assist a student that only spoke Creole. Fortunately, with time he began to write and spoke English to the students. The students learned to accept him and he became friends with everyone. It was beautiful to watch him grow and to see students embracing and accepting him in the classroom. However, the ESOL paraprofessional came in to see him once every three weeks. I believe that we do not have the sufficient training or tools to teach a student that does not understand the language. It is difficult to teach fifteen students with one being ESE and another not knowing the language. Additionally, two weeks before school ended, they added a new student to my class because she would run away from her teacher and hide around campus. Fortunately, she ran only once from my classroom and she quickly changed her behavior and all went well. In the end it is extremely difficult for a teacher to adapt to all of the needs and behavior problems which arise in the classroom.
From W. S.
ReplyDeleteThe book quotes,”Educators need different learning goals, school programs, different pedagogical approaches; flexible curricula and varied educational environments to address the needs of all students”. A curriculum that fosters knowledge, nurture, enlightens and empowers students to be active participants in society today and the future.
Students who attend schools with a diverse population can develop an understanding of the perspectives of children from different backgrounds and learn to function in a multicultural, multiethnic environment. Yet, as public schools become more diverse, demands increase to find the most effective ways to help all students succeed academically as well as learn to get along with each other. Teachers are faced with the challenge of making instruction "culturally responsive"
Teachers should structure their teaching to acknowledge different perspectives. For example, in a history lesson about the Vietnam War, they should draw attention to the perspectives of North as well as South Vietnamese citizens, the feelings of the soldiers and diverse views of Americans. In a classroom the teacher can structure learning groups that are diverse and devise activities that require each student to contribute to the group. In this way students learn that each person in a group can contribute and has something of value to say.
I believe the principal has a huge role in creating an environment where people respect the opinions of others and are open to multiple perspectives on any issue. This should be modeled for students, and in relations with faculty and staff, as well.
The current student population is more culturally diverse than ever before. With all the changes, the challenge for educators is generating curriculum that is both responsive to student’s diversity and helps to bind civic culture for America. The current curriculum does not meet the demands of diverse population. As educators we need to design a curriculum that will weave the diverse cultural threads into an inclusive fabric. Schools need to implement a curriculum that fosters a variety of instructional methods such as social constructivism, the multiple intelligence theory, and various learning styles. This will prepare students for an ever changing society.
ReplyDeleteKrustin
ReplyDelete"weave the diverse cultural threads", how beautifully put.
Not having a regular classroom curriculum to follow in my situation as each child has their own IEP, I try to bring something to acknowledge a culture celebration, for example, Cinco De Mayo, St Partick, Islamic New Year, Kwanzaa, etc. I try to let them that their culture is important and they should embrace it. As their teacher I recognize and respect it.
W.S
According to the book, our society has always had a “plurality of cultures”. Although we began as an English colony, the thousands of immigrants that have arrived such as Germans, Italians, Irish, Africans, Mexicans, Central and South Americans, Asians, as well as Eastern Europeans have shaped the diversity of our country and our school systems. As educators, the book states the mistake of our country boxing all Hispanics into one group, clustering all Native American groups into one, and not recognizing the differences amongst Asian groups. Our country has clustered these groups together, without realizing the negative implications within the educational arena. Our schools have never reflected a more diverse population with immigrant groups continually arriving, shaping, and re-shaping our schools. Some of the major challenges educators confront in dealing with diversity is the practice of trying to organize and homogenize students into one standard or average group. The book states that educators even homogenize “white students” such as lumping all Eastern Europeans together. African students are not being carefully screened to realize that many are of a different religious background (i.e. Islam). The book calls for educators to rid themselves of practices such as whole class grouping, tracking and common pedagogies. Educators must formulate a smart curriculum that meets student needs and be reflective of their diverse backgrounds. Educators must also inject civic culture into their curricula in order to provide unity. The book also states that the curriculum should allow for infusion of the diverse social and cultural aspects of students to make it all inclusive. Marginalizing students culturally, economically or socially is unacceptable. Educators must provide different educational programs, various pedagogical approaches and a flexible curriculum to address the needs of all students.
ReplyDeleteI have personally witnessed the common practice of boxing groups of students under one label (i.e. Hispanics). Educators and the public in general do not realize that there are 21 countries in the world whereby the primary language is Spanish. Although language is their commonality, every country and its peoples are vastly different. You cannot lump Mexicans, Cubans, Argentineans and Costa Ricans under one banner. They are vastly different peoples. Even within countries such as Mexico, you find different dialects, customs, and cuisine. The problem for educators is that it is easy to whole class group, track and use common pedagogy for all. Educators do not have the time to travel to each student’s country and learn about their culture, language and customs. However, that is not an excuse. It is critically important that educators infuse their curriculum with different methods and approaches, as well as the use of ESOL strategies (i.e. peer tutors, translating documents, extra tutoring and assistance, technology based assistance). Teachers need to seek out and utilize different resources (i.e. FDLRS, ESE Departments) and use a healthy dose of common sense when teaching students from diverse backgrounds.
A major challenge has been the need to change the school mindset of using school practices that try to organize and homogenize students into one standard or average group. Curriculum workers have to generate curriculum that is receptive to students’ diversity, while at the same time transferring and transforming the civic culture that serves as the binding for the American nation. Educators need different learning goals, different school programs, and different pedagogical approaches; flexible curricula; and even different educational environments to address the needs of all students. I think learning how to deal with students of different cultures, race, class, gender, and sexual orientation has been a major challenge for educators because it has required a change in how we do things. And most people don’t like change, especially change that deals with people who are different from oneself. I still think we need to do a better job of incorporating and teaching our ESOL students because they make up a large amount of our diversity in schools. I dislike it when schools are compared for AYP and school grade, but their populations are completely different. I suppose LFS has been put into place to try and deal with the diversity of schools and help them reach the necessary standards.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Wanda that the school principal plays a huge role in setting the climate within a school. If students see respect modeled from their elders, then they will be more apt to show it to each other, hopefully. As our school populations change, it does become increasingly hard for teachers to design lessons that are culturally diverse and meet the needs of all groups within the classroom. However, it so important that educators seek out the necessary resources that will make the job easier to meet the needs of our diverse students and build communities within the school setting.
ReplyDeleteThe challenges confronting educators are varied and numerous. Curricularists must generate curricula that are both responsive to students; diversity, while at the same time transferring and transforming the civic culture that serves as the binding for the American nation. Educators need different learning goals, different school programs, and different pedagogical approaches; flexible curricula; and even varied educational environments to address the needs of all students. We cannot afford to socially or economically marginalize any students. The curriculum must promote in students a knowing-in-action as recommended by Schon. The curriculum must nurture in students those perspectives that enlighten and empower students to be active participants in a dynamic, emerging society.
ReplyDeleteOne of the major challenges with diversity this year, involved a new student from Haiti. He had just arrived from Haiti to the US about a month ago. He was a new student that came in Mid-March. He was so fascinated with technology that he would touch everything while I was attempting to teach. Fortunately, I had another student that spoke Creole and she would translate for me and that’s how we would communicate. In the beginning, the student that spoke English and Creole was embarrassed and did not want to translate. I explained to the whole class that speaking another language is beneficial and it helps others communicate. In the beginning, it was challenging to assist a student that only spoke Creole. Fortunately, with time he began to write and spoke English to the students. The students learned to accept him and he became friends with everyone. It was beautiful to watch him grow and to see students embracing and accepting him in the classroom. However, the ESOL paraprofessional came in to see him once every three weeks. I believe that we do not have the sufficient training or tools to teach a student that does not understand the language. It is difficult to teach fifteen students with one being ESE and another not knowing the language. Additionally, two weeks before school ended, they added a new student to my class because she would run away from her teacher and hide around campus. Fortunately, she ran only once from my classroom and she quickly changed her behavior and all went well. In the end it is extremely difficult for a teacher to adapt to all of the needs and behavior problems which arise in the classroom.