Searching for Equality: The Education of Cultural Minorities

5.1 What are the similarities and differences in different minority groups' struggles for educational equality?

• All minority groups started off in mission schools and/or segregated schools. Most of them struggle with language and cultural barriers in public schools. Some groups struggle with resistance and drop out rates more than others. Native Americans and Hispanics especially struggle in this area, while Asian Americans actually have higher achievement test scores and college attendance rates than other minorities and whites. Asian American have fared better overall than other minority groups, but still have problems in school and run into language and poverty obstacles. Considerable differences also exist between the educational experiences of different Asian American groups.

Learners with Exceptionalities

4.1 Define the concept of intelligence, and explain how the idea of multiple intelligences changes this definition.

• Intelligence: The ability to acquire and use knowledge, solve problems, and reason in the abstract, and adapt to new situations in our environments.
• Multiple intelligences suggests that overall intelligence is composed of eight relatively independent dimensions. This theory supports the idea that students can be intelligent in some areas, but may not excel in others. In addition to Gardner's dimensions of intelligence (linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist), there is also the idea of emotional intelligence.
• So, the definition of general intelligence is kind of an all-encompassing view of the multiple intelligences. Having any one intelligence may make it easy to acquire and use information related to that dimension, while acquiring and using it in another may be really challenging. The same can be applied to solving problems and reasoning in the abstract. Adapting to new situations is often a skill of emotional intelligence because that's often the part of us that is challenged by changes in our environments.

Gender

3.1 Explain how society influences gender differences in our students.

• From the day we're born, girls and boys are treated differently. Girls are picked up more, talked to more often, and treated more delicately than boys on average. They're given pink blankets, called cute and pretty, and offered toys such as dolls and stuffed animals. Boys are dressed in blue, regarded as handsome, and are seen as tougher, more coordinated, and hardier. Play with them is usually rougher and more physically stimulating. Naturally, each gender grows up acting much differently as a result of how they're treated very early on.
• As boys and girls get older, there begins to be emphasis on what they should and should not do. Mathematics, computers, and science occupations are deemed as male occupations, where nursing and teaching is more often seen as careers for women.
• Even schools are thought to perhaps be more compatible with girls genetically. In girls, components of the brain that focus on words and fine-motor skills are a year ahead of boys, and emotional centers are also more advanced. This gives them a head start in school and also allows them to sit still for the long periods of time that schools demand in order to teach them.

Language Diversity

2.1 What has been the government's response to language diversity in our nation's schools?

• 1968 - Congress passed the Bilingual Education Act, which provided funds for educating non-native English learners through bilingual approaches intending to maintain the first language while learning English.
• 1998 - California passed Proposition 227 to replace bilingual education programs with one year immersion programs. Students were then transferred into mainstream English-only classrooms.
• 29 states have also passed legislation making English the official state language.
• Under public pressure, the government has changed gears, advocating for schools to teach English with little emphasis on preserving minority languages. The federal Office of Bilingual Education has become the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA). The government's goal is to teach ELs English as fast as possible.

Cultural Diversity

1.1 Explain how cultural diversity influences learning.

• Different cultures have different attitudes and values about learning - some are beneficial to learning and others are not. 
• Language can be a huge barrier. Many students are hesitant to drop their use of non-standard English or to primarily use English at all out of fear of alienation from their peers and parents.
• Members of some minorities view succeeding in school as rejecting their native culture. Students who choose to succeed academically may risk losing the friendship of peers. Students who hold to this view may form "resistance cultures" where learning is not supported or is even opposed.
• Some cultures, such as the Vietnamese and other Asian cultures, strongly emphasize hard work, perseverance, and pride in their homes which can be seen in their academic studies.
• Indian cultures also have a high work ethic and determination.

This I Believe: Student Diversity and Me

On a scale of 1-4, 1 strongly disagreeing and 4 strongly agreeing, rate the following:

1. Culturally sensitive teachers treat all students the same way. 1
   Definitely not. Just like any other difference between people (girls don't have the same needs as boys), students of different cultures are going to have different needs, ideas, and desires than others. It is not culturally sensitive to treat all students the same; in fact, it's extremely insensitive and tells students that you don't recognize their individual identity.
2. Students who aren't native English speakers learn English most effectively by hearing the teacher use correct English. 1
   Well, duh. If a non-English speaker is being taught English, they obviously need to hear correct English. Interacting with someone who speaks the language you want to learn is the fastest and easiest way to learn a new language.
3. Boy generally get better grades in school than girls. 3
   I could either see this as being true or both genders are equal, but I don't think boys get better grades than girls. Girls generally tend to be more motivated, in my opinion, but there are also factors like teen mothers that could affect the average.
4. It is important for me to adapt my instruction to the individual learning styles of my students. 4
5. Experts in special education advocate the creation of special classrooms to meet the needs of students with exceptionalities. 3
   I could see the usefulness in having a separate environment for special education students because they have different needs and learn at different rates than other students. If it's not advocated, it's probably because of education politics and not based on the actual needs of the students.

Teaching Students Who Are at Risk

1. Classroom management is a perennial concern for beginning teachers. Which approach to classroom management makes the most sense? What about instruction?

• I think Emma's approach makes the most sense. Allowing students to move around the room, get into groups, interact with the teacher, and take some responsibility in their own education leads to more successful students who retain more of what they've learned. They also learn valuable skills in working with others and expressing their own thoughts and ideas. It's important for them to be treated like people and not lined up in quiet, little rows by an authoritarian teacher, and it's also important for them to know that you're a human being too. So, like, smile and provide feedback. Don't tell them what to do and what to think at every turn. (:

Diversity: The Changing Face of American Classrooms

3.1 Identify the different dimensions of student diversity. Explain how these dimensions will influence your work as a teacher.

• Culture and ethnicity, Socioeconomic status, Physical and emotional maturity, Personality, Gender, Learning capability, Location (rural, urban, suburban), Language, Religion, Learner exceptionalities
• These dimensions will create many opportunities and challenges as a teacher. It will provide a means of personal growth as a teacher and impose opportunities for understanding and compassion. It will garner chances to teach students about commonality and difference and gain a better sense of it myself. It will teach me to appreciate diversity even more and perhaps even appreciate the challenge in working among such diversity. There will be many challenges. Some students may not be willing to learn or have other things to worry about. Political correctness could become an issue. Choosing where to place my focus or staying on task could be difficult if some students need a lot of extra help. Learning how to respond to all these differences will influence how well the students learn, how they feel about school, and my own enjoyment of teaching.

3.2 Why is an understanding of different teaching and learning environments important for beginning teachers?

• Understanding the differences between different environments will be beneficial in choosing the best suited place to teach for individual teachers. It will also help prepare them for the challengesnand give them a general understanding of what to expect when they step into the classroom for the first time.