...The overall goal for early educational professionals, however, is to provide every child, including children who are linguistically and culturally diverse, with a responsive learning environment. For culturally and linguistically diverse students to reach their full potential, instructions should be provided. As educators, it is imperative that we recognize that all students are cognitively, linguistically, and emotionally connected to the language and culture of their home. A curriculum that is culturally responsive capitalizes on student’s cultural background rather than attempting to override them (Zero to Three, 2008). Cultural, ethnic and racial diversity are important and are valued characteristics of the population of young students currently served by early childhood education programs. According to research, early elementary educators are facing the challenge of creating quality educational programs for young students from diverse cultural...
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...century early childhood classrooms in the United States are filled with culturally diverse students. As an early childhood educator, you can help prepare this future generation of children to succeed in school. Chapter 1 of the textbook describes different strategies educators can use to support children in their classroom success. ECE 405 Week 1 ePortfolio Submission 1 Culturally Relevant Methods ePortfolio Submission 1: Culturally Relevant Methods. Throughout this course you will develop an ePortfolio that includes evidence of your cultural competence in each of the following areas: § CulturallyRelevantMethods § Anti-BiasCurriculum § DiverseFamilyStructures § MulticulturalEducation Using Chapters 1 and 2 of your text and at least one additional scholarly source, compile a list of 20 culturally competent strategies for English language learners (ELLs). At least five of your strategies should be appropriate for infants/toddlers, five strategies should be appropriate for preschool, and five strategies should be appropriate for early elementary age. You may select the age level for the five remaining strategies. ECE 405 Week 2 DQ 1 Culturally Relevant and Anti-Bias Classroom Culturally Relevant and Anti-Bias Classroom. Teachers can be genuine in their efforts to design and provide a culturally relevant and anti-bias classroom, but still fail to foster an environment where children are fully inclusive of others and free of prejudice. Our classrooms are filled with children...
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...My Plan for Creating a Culturally Diverse Classroom Frances Rake AED/204 April 21st, 2013 Anissa Christian My Plan for Creating a Culturally Diverse Classroom All children are entitled to the same quality education regardless of sex, race, religion, cultural or social background, and abilities. An equal education for all children is not only required by law but [For parallel construction, "not only" must be followed by "but also" later in the sentence] morally as well. Not only is providing all children an equal education very important but [Needs "but also"] the environment in which it is provided is as well. In order for all children to reach their highest educational potential, to feel welcome and excepted [Check spelling: "Except" is a preposition meaning to exclude. "Accept" is a verb meaning to receive or to take] , and to gain the self- confidence and skills needed to be successful in life they must be educated in a bias free, accepting, and caring classroom. This is monumental to their education and lifelong success. Without this children who are [Writing suggestion: rewrite the sentence to remove "who are"] different in any way from what is considered the norm will feel shy, and awkward. They will participate less in classroom activities and discussions which will negatively affect their grades. They will have low self-esteem and will carry with them a feeling that...
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...of color, and therefore, there is an increasing need for teachers to exhibit culturally sensitive behaviors in the classroom (Cross, 2003). In order to adapt in such an environment, practitioners must understand that cultural differences do not merely serve as a backdrop- they must be seriously considered in order to achieve success. In fact, key studies have found that individuals who have thrived in these classrooms exhibited a unique combination of personal characteristics (both innate and learned) and were aware of the challenging road ahead of them. Considering the fact that urban schools are made up of such diverse students, the question then arises if teachers of these classroom culturally follow suit. According to one article, 85.6% of urban schoolteachers are white (Cross, 2003). This sort of homogeneous instruction, if not approached properly, could certainly have negative effects towards the effectiveness of equitable education. For example, some students of color may not trust the teacher because they could have been isolated from diversity in their households prior to formal schooling. These urban students may feel an overall sense of detachment from their instructors and this could inevitably harm their enthusiasm and will to learn. Since it is known that most urban teachers are white and most commonly females, how are they supposed to relate to their culturally rich classroom and provide for all students an equitable education? One study examined...
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...Differentiated & Culturally Relevant Instruction EDU 675 Change Leadership for Differentiated Education Environment Dr. Patricia Raney August 13, 2012 Differentiated & Culturally Relevant Instruction American classrooms are full of diverse learners. Some educational practices of the past no longer meet the needs of the ever-changing classroom demographic. As classroom demographics change, so must the perspective of educators charged with educating young people. It is the responsibility of teacher leaders everywhere to find meaningful ways to reach their students. With the growing popularity of professional learning communities on school campuses, teachers can take advantage of professional development prospects enabling them to establish differentiated instructional strategies that give all students equal access and opportunities to learn. Teacher leaders have several roles. To begin with, as lifelong learners these leaders “foster a collaborative culture to support educator development and student learning” (Teachers as leaders, 2011). In other words, teacher leaders are dedicated to improving educational outcomes for students, expanding the professional communities that they work in and creating positive culture. Positive school culture is vital to both students and staff. Roby (2011) offers that “Teacher leaders not only have the ability to shape the culture of the workplace, but if they are operating from a moral mindset...
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...online teacher understands and is able to use a range of technologies, both existing and emerging, that effectively support student learning and engagement in the online environment. Standard E - The online teacher models, guides, and encourages legal, ethical, and safe behavior related to technology use. Standard J - The online teacher interacts in a professional, effective manner with colleagues, parents, and other members of the community to support students’ success. Standard K- The online teacher arranges media and content to help students and teachers transfer knowledge most effectively in the online environment The use of web 2.0 tools appeals to instructors and teachers on a regular brick-and-mortar classroom and also in an online environment. Millions of lesson plans are developed every day around the world that aims to incorporate technology to instruction not only as a medium but also as a focus. In this class, long lists of web 2.0 tools were shared aimed to educate k-12 teachers on the wonders of online teaching and the incorporation of technology to the practice. There is no...
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...Creating a Plan for Diverse Classroom AED/204 6/20/13 Annis York Education has changed over the past decades and has come a long way from the core concepts that were taught to students years ago. Over the decades there has been millions of immigrants that have come to the United States every year in search for a better education and life. Not only are teacher faced with the new expectations and standards in the educational setting but they are now also faced with the challenge of having to instruct each student. Classrooms have become more culturally diverse and contain students of many different cultural backgrounds and it is the job of the teacher to instruct them and make sure they get he best education. Teachers have had to find new way and new techniques to help the learning environment of a multicultural classroom. As I look into the teaching profession I see many challenge that teacher are faced with today. Classrooms have been becoming more and more culturally diverse each day and there are several ways that teacher can make sure that they incorporate activities and lessons for all of the different students regardless of their background. One of those challenges is the diversity in the classrooms from ethintisity, race, religion, gender, language, geographic locations and age. In a multicultural classroom it is important for the teacher to incorporate behavior rules and certain guidelines for her students so that...
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...Culturally Responsive Teaching: Bridging the Gap Michael Warren University of Texas at El Paso Culturally Responsive Teaching: Bridging the Gap The changing demographics in classrooms are not often reflected in the pedagogies, curriculum and strategies used in represented grade levels and content areas by the education professionals that drive our education system. Recent research has considered the idea that culturally responsive or culturally pedagogical teaching may be the answer to closing the achievement gap created by the absence of cultural awareness. The concept of cultural awareness may be simply defined as an understanding and awareness of the diversity in the classroom (Villegas & Lucas, 2002); however, such a simplistic definition does not recognize the many dimensions involved in the pedagogy of culturally responsive teaching, which for students includes seeing germane links between subject matter and lessons and their experiences outside the context of the classroom and how those links influence what and how they learn. The purpose of this literature review is to examine the many facets that make up the term Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) and the impact and implications implementing such a broad concept may have on the education system. While the literature discusses several topics connected to CRT, I will confine this review to the following: (1) CRT Background/Definition (2) The methods of study, the participants involved and the significance...
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...Multicultural education is a complex approach to teaching and learning that includes the movement toward equity in schools and classrooms, the transformation of the curriculum, the process of becoming multicultural competent, and the commitment to address societal injustices. What types of schools are offering multicultural education in the classroom? Segregated schools are bad, desegregated schools are good. The reason for this is that segregated schools have unequal opportunity than desegregated schools. Multicultural education is a term that causes conflicts. Teachers shy away from the use of this word because of the misconception it brings. One of the misconceptions that it brings, is that it has been believed to be harmful to the unity...
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...Multicultural instructional practices by educators who are culturally competent will validate and encourage students from all backgrounds. Abraham Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Needs” illustrates the deep intrinsic need for a sense of belongingness. When students are unable to connect with the curriculum, there becomes a disconnection between the applicability of content to the learners’ lives and learning retention rates. In order to create more meaningful experiences, educators must focus on students needs and interests in a student-centered manner. A researcher, Geneva Gay, addresses today’s diverse student population in her research. Her work encourages culturally responsive teaching, which is ultimately validating, comprehensive, multidimensional,...
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...Reflection to a Personal Philosophy in Early Child Education "It is of the utmost importance that we recognize and nurture all the varied human intelligences, and all of the combinations of intelligences. We are all so different largely because we all have different combinations of intelligences. If we recognize this, I think we will have at least a better chance of dealing appreciatively with the many problems that we face in the world” (Gardner, 1987, first para.). Howard Gardner is recognized for his theory of multiple intelligences in the educational circuit in individualizing the curriculum and assessment for the student. As a teacher molding young minds, you need to understand how to utilize Gardner’s multiple intelligences in the classroom. To make the connection will take hard work, acceptance and the willingness to endure. (Morrison, 2009). In view to early childhood education and development, my philosophies are greatly affected by Howard Garner and his Multiple Intelligences Theory. His theories not only benefit the student and teacher, but also mirror my own philosophies of teaching. Howard Gardner created the concepts of Multiple Intelligences (MI) in 1983. The concepts questioned conventional acceptance in the area of education and cognitive knowledge. Different from the already formed comprehension of information; humans have a consistent cognitive ability that is gauged by answering brief responses to tests. MI opened the door to the scholastic system...
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...& Smith, B. A. (2011). A blueprint for developing culturally proficient/responsive school administrators in special education. Learning Disabilities -- A Contemporary Journal, 9(1), 33-46. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Introduction Nationwide, schools are being faced with a rapid increase in the number of students of color, culturally and linguistically diverse students, students with learning disabilities, students from low-income families, and students from non-traditional and single parent families. As a result, determining how schools can adapt to meet the needs of these vast demographics, as well as how the varied demographics can play a role in the education of these students, has become more than just a topic of conversation and research for academic professionals, educators, researchers, and practitioners. Literature and research point to educational reform by improving school systems to foster multicultural educational environments. Specifically, school leadership and professional development are closely looked at as driving factors in which to achieve this educational reform. In their article “A Blueprint for Developing Culturally Proficient/Responsive School Administrators in Special Education,” Bakken and Smith (2011) focus on the need for school administrators to be culturally responsive/proficient in the special education arena particularly in order to better meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students who have learning disabilities (LD)...
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...Kennedy Western Governor’s University A. Introduction Meridian High School is currently the only public high school in the city of Meridian, Mississippi. MHS has approximately 1,400 students enrolled from 9th grade to 12th grade. Some of the most noticeable demographics of this school is, homosexuality, teen pregnancy, and the dropout rate. A1. Local Demographics Staff and faculty members treat homosexual students differently than they do heterosexual students. Some educators don’t agree with their sexuality, and tend to favor the heterosexual student more. Student homosexuality is an uncomfortable subject to handle in a classroom setting. Some teachers feel LGBT students disrupt the learning experience with their outburst and flamboyant behavior. There are also educators who take pride in maintaining respect for all students in the classroom no matter what their sexual orientation is. (Duncan) curtails that “Just because you’re intervening on a homophobic comment doesn’t mean that you’re necessarily trying to be an activist. You are just trying to make sure each child has a safe and supportive learning environment.” Teen pregnancy seems to be an epidemic this day in age. Mississippi is currently ranked # 2 in the U.S. for teen pregnancy. (Lewis, 2013). Lisa Silliman is the Teen Pregnancy Director for the Meridian Public School District. This program serves as the Teen Parent Academic Liaison. Mrs. Silliman sends out monthly progress reports on attendance, grades,...
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...organizational management, group process and consensus building, learning resources, school law and politics, and ethics. School leaders play a significant role in school culture. Organizations with a positive culture have cohesiveness and responsibility towards maintaining embedded attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors (Ali, Brownson, Kahlert, & Sobel, 2002). It is important for leaders to create cultures that have values, equity, and high expectations. Effective leaders accomplish positive cultures with the use of appropriate dialogue, actions, and symbolic gestures. The overall goal of positive school culture is effective student learning and achievement. Therefore, school leaders must establish a culture that meets the needs of diverse student populations and challenges of accountability-driven education systems. This also involves effective collaborative instruction that is designed to maintain a focus on improving student learning. School leaders are required to ensure that students are meeting performance standards in a collaborative process. The research in this paper offers several suggestions for school leaders to facilitate their responsibilities to student achievement. Organizational development and management are discussed to provide principles and concepts that promote a dynamic continuum of teaching and learning. An organization that is nourished with trust and teamwork further develop group processes and consensus building. Avolio and Gardner (2005) discuss...
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...language. Many things affect students learning such as factors that have to do with the individual, social and societal issues. These factors are language, language distance, native language proficiency, knowledge of the second language, dialect and register, language status, language attitudes, the learner, diverse needs, diverse goals , peer groups , role models, home support the learning process, learning styles, motivation and classroom interaction and quality of instruction(Walqui,2003). As an educator this essay writer needs to know what second language acquisition theories are important to use, knowing the previous afore mentioned theories and factors will help this writer as a teacher be able to meet the needs of my ELL students. We as educators must be able to use scaffolding, sheltered instruction, stages of language proficiency, sociocultural competence, and standard American English(Echevarria, Vogt, & Short, 2004).. By using differentiated instruction it helps students learn most importantly. In reading the article The Impact of Experience and Coursework: Perceptions of Second Language Learners in the Mainstream Classroom written by Mantero McVicker from the journal Radical Pedagogy in the spring of...
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