Group+9+Module+13

1. What does research say about the topic? SUSANNAH: Students of diverse backgrounds are " student who differ from the mainstream in term of ethnicity, primary language, and social class". That covers 100% of the students at Cooper Elementary, where I teach. Research says that poverty is the factor most associated with low reading achievement, and I would agree with that. Constructivism says that "learning takes place as people construct their own understandings of the world, based on what they have experienced. I would agree with that too. This leads to the idea that children's social interactions, and experiences with their environment, play a crucial role in how they learn to read and acquire literacy skills. So, too, a student's lack of motivation becomes a complicated problem to address because it is interlinked with the student's perception of and interaction with life. The belief that cooperating with teachers will not "do them any good" in the long run, is an example of a perspective constructed by the student due to interaction with his/her environment and social interaction with people in his/her life. It is the constructed understanding of their world, not necessarily "the facts, ma'am". MANDY: It focuses on students of diverse backgrounds and what teachers and other educators might do to improve their reading achievement. Poverty appears to be the factor most highly associated with low reading achievement. Only 13% of the United States teachers are from a diverse ethnic backgrounds.

RENEE: According to research: "4th, 8th and 12th grade white students had higher average reading scores than African American, Hispanic, and Native american students. This difference is notable, because the average reading scores of African American and Hispanic students at grade 12 were roughly the same level as white students at grade 8." I did not realize the gap was so big.

PEGGY: The text also states literature-based instruction and the readers' workshop, the continuum of strategies, and intensive instrucion to develop reading skills and strategies are all valuable in assisting English language learners in learning to read and write in English. Also, the purpose of culturally responsive instruction is to promote academic achievement, not just to build self-esteem or cultural identity. Although many approaches have been used new systems are needed to help solve the problems facing students of diverse backgrounds. Research appears to offer educators the best opportunity to narrow the literacy gap through the constructivist approach.

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

SUSANNAH: FYI: The definitions for this vocabulary are found in the Vocabulary print out that is at the very top of the Course documents Modules page that has OPENING, VOCABULARY, METAGOGNITIVE and CLOSING strategies. It is at the top. Took me hours to figure this out. There is little information in the text and nothing in the articles form "external links". Wish they had mentioned something about it - only just figured it out today with the help of a fellow peer in another group.. Anyhow, now I can finish Module 13 and then will come back and respond to this question. RENEE: Susannah thanks for the tip.

SUSANNAH's response to question 2: I use a contributions approach and am moving toward an additive approach, but it takes time to research and integrate cultures into the lessons. Each year I will add more and more to my curriculum, and each year I will have more and more ELL students. I do the decision-making approach, but mostly after testing and students pick a country and culture that they want to study. I guess it would be better if the class would learn more about the culture of the students already in the class. To include transformational approaches, I had a bulletin board where students could bring in newspaper and magazine articles that they thought were interesting and we would put them under "entertainment", "news", "history", or "pop culture". I could do thos again, but emphasize that I want to hear about more different cultures, and give bonus points for a cultural contribution that was not mainstream white America. MANDY: I don't want to seem wierd but I don't teach any students of a different ethnic background. All my students are white/ native american like myself. Even when I did my full internship I only taught white children. I know you guys are thinking that's crazy, but that's rural Oklahoma. I haven't worked with any student's with ethnic backgrounds since 2004. RENEE: I work with mostly students with diverse backgrounds, African Americans. I also use a contributions approach. To reach the transformational approach I need to make links between the students' culture and academic leartning. I need to build positive relationships with students, SUSANNAH: I love working with Hispanic kids - they are highly verbal and fun-loving. Easy to joke with if you ignore their complains about how hard everything is. They do have good parental support if you can find a translator and keep in touch with them.

PEGGY: I work with a large population of African American, Latino, and Native American. My situation isn't the cultural as much as the gang related culture issues. For this reason, a combination of the transformational approach and dicision-making/social action approach is what I used in my classroom.

MANDY: Sorry girl. I don't have any experience in this area. RENEE: I have not worked with ELL students either, but one thing you could try is use index cards to make labels for the student's bedroom with words like; //bed, door, wall, closet, light switch// etc..then ask the student to place the labels in his bedroom with his parents help. You could add different labels or add labels for different rooms in the house. The words could be in English and the students native language both. SUSANNAH: Yes! Thank you! PEGGY: I haven't any experience in that area either, but I do remember my granddaughter doing what Renee suggested when she was learning Spanish. It helped her and the other children learned the words as well.
 * SUSANNAH's question: I mostly encourage the parents of my ELL kids to have them read as much as possible, and that it is equally helpful for the students to read in their native language as in English. The students still don't read at home because I find most parents are basically illiterate even in their native tongue. Have any of you come up with successful things for ELL students to do at home, with or without their parent's help?

MANDY: Some students or parents get mad when we have taught about Martin Luther King for his birthday week. They say that he doesn't have anything to do with them. What should we tell parents and students? RENEE: WOW! I am speechless. He was such a powerful civil rights leader in the U.S.that he won a Nobel Peace Prize. They don't just give those to anybody. I would tell your students and parents that there is so much that we all learn that has nothing to do with us, but it is still important to learn. You and I teach in two totally different worlds. SUSANNAH: I try to emphasise that he preached that everyone is equal and deserves to be treated fairly. I fit it in with our anti-bullying program. No matter what color your kids are, most of them have been buillied at one time of another because of their differences. MLK was saying that we should embrase (sp?) our differences and unite together against oppression. I imagine their are parents who wish they were higher valued in their jobs, paid more - women are still paid less than men in many jobs. Anyhow, something like that. What would they have liked MLK to stand up about for them? Is it OK that only rich kids get to choose the college of their choice?

PEGGY: Well to begin with, with our high population of African American students that is all they want to study about. So needless to say I have no problem there.**

PEGGY'S QUESTION: Where do teachers start to communicate with students when they have no background knowledge about a student's language? Example: The teacher doesn't speak any other language other than English and the student only speaks Spanish, Cherokee, German, etc.?**