Week 3: Cultures and Identities in the Classroom
How can we get our students to incorporate their cultures and identities in the classroom? Growing up in a bicultural household to an American mother and a Mexican father I was able to experience two cultures first hand. Although I was gaining this experience in my own household, there was not much talk on diversity anywhere else around me (e.g. school, church, etc). In Chapter 1 of Rethinking Early Literacies, the author discussed how identity and culture play a major role in children’s educational skills but especially literacy.
How exactly does identity and culture play a role in bettering children’s literacy? “Children who are bilingual and biliterate need opportunities and spaces to use hybrid language practices to convey these important cultural and familial identities” (Manning, 13). An example of this would be a second-grader named Juan who did an interview about his father who experienced the 9/11 attacks. In this interview, Juan showed more sophisticated language when speaking Spanish rather than English.
Debbie White, the teacher from Chapter 1 of Rethinking Early Literacy, utilizes the identities of her own students to help them perform better and excel in the classroom. She used a technique of placing the students at tables labeled by numbers who shared similar abilities, interest and relational connections. For example, Tonea was a student in White’s classroom who was disengaged and uninterested during the first part of the year due to her tablemates demeaning and demoralizing the way she worked and wrote. However, once Tonea was moved to table one which the students called the best table she no longer suppressed her identity, she flourished and did much better in class, something “clicked”.
Questions:
- As future educators how can we learn and incorporate our student's identities and cultures in the classroom?
- How can we as teachers allow students to express their cultures and identities in the classroom?
- How can teachers be accommodating to their students' identities and cultures?
- How can we as teachers do Debbie White’s technique of placing students at tables without having the students themselves labeling each table (e.g. the smart table, the loud table, the best table, the cool table, etc)?
- How can the location of where someone sits provide the push to come out of their shell and allow “the click” to happen?
As teachers, we have to learn our student's strengths and weaknesses in the classroom. With this information, we will be able to better understand how to teach each one of our students. In Reading Lessons from Martin: A Case Study of One African American Student, the teacher, Ms. Paten focused on using her strengths to teach Martin instead of his own. If Ms. Paten educated herself on Martin’s culture and identity do you think she would have a better understanding of how to teach Martin?
When discovering what type of learner I am through classes and tests, I found out that I am a visual and kinesthetic learner. This really benefited me by being able to study in ways that suited me best resulting in success. All throughout school I never felt like my teachers incorporate different learning/ teaching styles. It seemed like the same thing every day. I believe if my teachers would have changed the way they taught and incorporated different types of learning styles my peers and I would have benefited more. Not all students learn the same way, so teachers should not teach everything one way. Teachers should teach to enhance the students in the most beneficial way to their students, not themselves.
Questions:
- Are learning styles apart of someone's identity?
- Can culture play a role in someone's learning style? If so, how?
- How can we as future educators learn our student's struggles and weaknesses?
- As teachers, how can we incorporate multiple learning/ teaching styles into our classroom?
- How could Ms. Paten have better helped Martin’s literacy skills based on his identity and cultural background?
The way that I understand identity, culture, and literacy is that they’re all directly intertwined with each other, although one’s identity and culture are not always cherished and affirmed. It’s how we are able to make meaning and construct our own beliefs, ideas, values, etc.. In Ch. 1 it talks about where language was a part of Jolene’s (a kindergartener) livelihood, “Her literacy was inextricably tied to her linguistic, ethnic, and religious identity...” (p.15). The reading also mentions that literacies are always changing, and children take up literacies from school, peers, communities, etc. that are important for their cultural and social identities. When you mentioned the story about Juan, who used translanguaging in his interview with his father and how often such practices are dismissed in the classroom, it became clear that this was mentioned in the article by Paris & Alim as a deficit approach. The deficit approach in the article “views the languages, literacies, and cultural ways of being of many students and communities of color as deficiencies to be overcome if they are to learn the dominant language, literacy, and cultural ways of being demanded in schools” (Paris, D., Alim. H.S., 2014, p.87). So to your questions, I think, as I mentioned in one of the previous posts, just getting to know your student’s learning abilities and what works for them by actually putting in the effort, because just as you & I, they have their own methods to demonstrate their learning and understanding, to express themselves, and to generate and share ideas.
ReplyDeleteDora, I really like your insight on this topic. I completely agree that identity, culture and literacy are all intertwined. I believe that our culture plays a huge role in how we see ourselves and how we identify. Our culture and identity then can determine how we read, write and interrupt literacy. As teachers we have to make an effort to get to know our students and learn where they come from, how they grew up, their interests, etc. All these factors play a role into who our students are. If we want our students to succeed we have to be aware of their cultural backgrounds and identities.
DeleteWhile reading "Reading Lessons from Martin: A Case Study of One African American Student" the part that stood out to me was when it was stated "Martin revealed clues about instructional strategies that might have been helpful. Several times during my observations, Martin incorporated movement and song into his reading and writing activities." This part stood out to me because in that moment if his teacher would have noticed, she would have been able to make a breakthrough when it came to Martin and his struggle of reading, his lack of attention, and the avoidance behaviors he started to portray. This example takes me to the question you present, "As teachers, how can we incorporate multiple learning/teaching styles into our classroom?" To answer that question all students learn different ways, and as teachers it's our job to notice that. Students are either visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learners. And it was clear from the reading that Martin possibility could have been a auditory learner. Martin's teacher could have incorporated music into his lessons, since her way wasn't working for him. As teachers we have to realize that not all of our students will learn the exact same way, and that's when modifying the lesson comes into play. Teaching the lesson in a different way can make all the difference. If noticing a student is more into movement then incorporating dance into the lesson may be the way to get the information to click into their brains. It's all about noticing what the student needs in the classroom, and as teachers how we can relate the lesson to them.
ReplyDeleteDesiree, I really enjoyed reading your response! You are exactly right, Martin revealed clues to his teacher about different strategies that may have been more helpful to him and how he better understands and retains information. As teachers, it is our responsibility to take time to learn who our students are. This will make all the difference in their academic performance. As teachers we can not group all of our students into the same category because they are all different and require different needs. One student might learn best by listening to a lecture and another by actually doing a hands on activity. We need to be able to provide our students with the most effective way of learning based on their needs.
DeleteI feel like in today's society if you are not a white male then school and standardized tests can go pretty poorly for you. As Paris and Alim explain that not only students of color but students who learn different "our lives have no meaning and no depth without the White gaze." Specially in standardized tests if you are a visual learner or a hands on person you are not going to do well in sitting down staring at a computer for 1 or 2 hours. Speaking from experience I am horrible at test taking because I am more of a hands on student, all of those standardized tests I would do poorly on but as soon as the teacher would give me something to do hands on I would understand the material perfectly and I would ace it. Most teachers that I had in elementary school would also test what you know by giving students a sheet of paper and making them sit there for a long time. If a student is a different kind of learner they won't do as well as they are capable of doing. I think that teachers should encourage their students to help them come up with some ideas on how to test them to be able to see what they truly know; maybe by having them read to the teacher and having a conversation about what the book or article was about instead of the students having a worksheet in front of them and then answering questions about the reading.
ReplyDeleteAriana, I really like your ideas! For as long as I can remember I have always struggled and disliked standardized tests. It was very tough for me to sit down for hours reading and answering questions back to back. I did not feel as if I was able to show what I actually knew. In Reading Lessons from Martin: A Case Study of One African American Student, I also feel like Martin was not able to show his teacher what he knew and was capable of doing. She wanted to do what was best for her but in reality she should have been helping Martin based on what he needed. The problem in this case is that Ms. Paten did not take the time to get to know Martin. Maybe if she took the time to learn about Martin's identity, learning style and culture he would have been able to do better.
DeleteAs future educators I believe we can learn and incorporate students identities and cultures in the classroom by trying to get to know the student. Having a better understanding of them helps them strive because every student has a way of learning so approaching it in that manner is effective. In the reading by Paris and Alim, I found a quote that stood out to me. "For too long, schol-arship on “access” and “equity” has centered implicitly or explicitly around the question of how to get working-class students of color to speak and write more like middle-class White ones". This quote is a good example not incorporating students identity and culture in the classroom. It is saying that for a long time there was one type of learning pushed forward which does not work for every student. Students have different ways of learning and for me I am a visual learner, I have to have something to go from otherwise it will be a bit difficult for me to begin the task. I think culture can play a part in someones learning style because if a teacher grew up learning in a particular way then they will pass it on to their students thats why it is important to introduce different teaching methods.
ReplyDeleteGreat response, Sidney! The quote you stated above from Paris and Alim stood out to me too. I really like your interpretation of this quote, I could not have said it better myself. I also believe you are exactly right about teachers passing down what they already know to their students. I have seen this a lot throughout my eduction. As a future teacher, it is my mission to educate myself on different types of learnings so that I can accommodate as many of my students as possible.
DeleteAs a future educator, I believe we have to see how our students learn. Not all students learn the same way as others. In chapter one of Rethinking Early Literacy, the teacher Debbie White used her student's identities to help them perform better and excel in the classroom. To answer one of your questions as to future educators how can we learn and incorporate our student's identities and culture in the classroom? Well, we already did an assignment that we can use in our classroom, for example, our identities help us brainstorm who we are and where we came from. We can have our students maybe share their identities with their classmates. This will help students to learn about each other and also learn what they may have in common. I believe our learning style is apart of our identity. The way we are going to teach can influence our students from our identity. Everyone has an identity and we all learn differently and at different speeds.
ReplyDeleteI think creating an identity map is a great way to learn about who our students are! This gives the students an opportunity to reflect on who they are and what they identify as. Identity maps also allow students the opportunity to learn about their peers, different cultures, interest, etc. Our identities for sure influence the way we go about, how we teach, study, communicate, etc. I believe it is extremely important to make getting to know each one of our students a main priority.
DeleteI also had a similar idea as you, Julissa. As a student you want to be comfortable in the classroom. So by creating a space where they can share their identity and culture, is a very good idea. I like how you talked about using identity maps as a means of use. I think it would be fun for them to use that and share their different identities. Debbie White also did a good job at creating a safe space for her students and I think that's important as future educators to make sure all the students in your class are as comfortable as possible.
DeleteCulture does play a lot into learning styles, because it proves that since no one was grown up the exact same way, it would be impossible for each student to learn things in the same way. In some households school is incredibly important, and parents help their kids out and work on extra work for them. In other instances, it is not always feasible to do that sort of thing. Our goal as educators is to be able to reach every student in many ways. I think a great and easy way to use multiple learning styles, is to do stations. One station you could be with the teacher, the next a game with the lesson in it, the next could be only work, and the last one could be group work. I used to love doing my work by myself, but I know a lot of people do prefer group work. Using that easy method, would give multiple ways for a student to learn the lesson. The best way for a teacher to accommodate all their students I think is to get to know them and know their culture. A teacher should ask them what learning preference they prefer.
ReplyDeleteHayley, I really like your first sentence! I think that is a great way to look at learning styles. I completely agree with the fact that as educators we have to be able to reach our students in several ways. I also think stations are a great way to incorporate multiple learning styles into the classroom. I was subbing a couple weeks ago in a kindergarten classroom and for a portion of the day they did stations. One group would be with the teacher, another group doing a worksheet, some were coloring, others were doing puzzles, etc. The students absolutely loved the stations and they were the most behaved during this time! In my future classroom, I will for sure have stations.
DeleteI also got the best of both world by being multiracial in my family. I have a white mother and a black father that have been separated since I was a toddler. Growing up, I definitely saw the differences between the two environments and to me, I feel like it was a good learning opportunity. But also like you, outside of my family, I was not taught or talked to about the word “diversity.” In all honesty, i wasn’t taught that this concept was important until I got to college which is kind of
ReplyDeletesad. So going off what you were talking about; how it is important to know each individual student in our classroom is essential is something I agree with. I feel like noticing the differences in each student helps us teachers learn how to teach them in the best way possible for the student to be engaged and successful. I think when i was in school, my teachers did not do this well & that’s why i struggle to this day with reading and comprehension.
A students culture should not just be taken into consideration on the superficial level, but also at a deeper level. When thinking of a students culture, one may typically think of the food they eat, what they wear or holidays... its much more than that. A students culture impacts their day to day life. It consists of feelings, ideas, attitudes and beliefs. For example, teachers may think that some Latino parents are uninterested in their students academics since they do not attend parent-teacher conferences. In reality, if they got to learn more about their students home life, they would realize that the parents probably work a lot in order to support their family and the hours do not coincide with the time they have to be at parent-teacher conferences. Some ways that we as teachers can incorporate our students identities and cultures into the classroom is by expressing interest in their background and trying to be the facilitator in most occasions. Allowing students to speak the language they are most comfortable in during class time as long as they are doing their work will help them feel more at home. A project that you may do with your classroom in order to get to know their families cultural background more is having a classroom quilt. On that quilt, it would have a picture of their family, where they are from, the students favorite food along with a picture of an object that has some special significance to them. This will help the class as a whole feel comfortable with one another and allow them to share some things that make them who they are.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement Eva on the idea of insulating projects and themes about students cultures and ethnicities. The relationship with the student and the educator shouldn't allow either one to be out of touch with ones background. This could lead to false judgment and played out stereotypes that all of us still face today. I remember back in fourth grade when Black History Month came along the only things my teacher didn't just celebrate the regulars like MLK, Rosa Parks and Malcom X. She gave us a Black History Project to research of the list of 26 names pulled out of her hat. I got W.E.B DuBois. Not only that we also had to dress up like those figures too. I gained a lot of knowledge about my project and so did my classmates. I believe as future educators that in order to culturally sustain students backgrounds is to teach about famous innovators of all ethnicities everyday instead of just giving them only a moth to celebrate it. I personally think its unfair, insulting and demeaning for America to say when and why we can teach certain cultures at certain time slots.
DeleteI like how you put in your blog that you are a visual learner, I am also and I agree with you that not all teacher teach for kids who are visual learners. For example, I did really well in geometry because I could visualize the shapes and solve the problems. I feel that my geometry teacher was the only teacher I had in high school that taught for visual learners. I think as future educators we need to incorporate different teaching strategies into our classrooms to help every student in our classroom.
ReplyDelete-Taylor Hall
I think just being aware of your students backgrounds and cultures could help so much. Letting them talk about their cultures and letting them express themselves is so important. I really like Evas' ideas above about the quilt. I was going to mention that they can bring objects that represent "home" to them or something that represents their cultures into the classrooms. We as teachers need to connect to all of the students, and if we don't have the same culture as them? We need to research and get familiar with it and ask questions.
ReplyDeleteWe learned in class that we need to find something with everyone of our students to connect with them. Whether it sports, arts, background, race, culture, etc. we have to find that. We need to learn about our students and learn the best way to teach them and the best way to get them to learn. When knowing the different backgrounds and cultures in our classrooms, we need to do our own research to learn more about the different cultures and their different interest to then connect with your students. When looking at culture, we could have our students go home and learn more about their culture. They could Google it, ask their parents, and go to the library to find different things on their culture. We could then have them teach a lesson over their culture or we could have them do research over their friends culture and then teach about that. That then helps them learn about one another and it also helps us to learn about them. I like that you connected to yourself, you being able to have the experience of two cultures will really help you in your future classroom to connect with your students!
ReplyDeleteI like how you ask the questions "How can we as teachers do Debbie White’s technique of placing students at tables without having the students themselves labeling each table?" and
ReplyDelete"How can the location of where someone sits provide the push to come out of their shell and allow “the click” to happen?". I remember when I transferred schools, I was put in a very noisy and chaotic math class. After a few weeks, I was moved out and into the honors class. It was better, I could hear the teacher, focus, take notes, and could give my undivided attention to my schoolwork. In this case, my seat affected my learning as well. I like the idea of seating arrangements that are based on your interests and culture. As future educators I believe we need to know and understand our students. We need to be able to understand their capabilities and figure out what helps them "click".
Identity and culture are extremely important to a student's literacy becuase it is who they are. Before they were in our classroom they were with their parents and their parents taugut them what they knew, which is their identity and culture. So, when a student only knows who they are and where they come from we can't just strip that away from them and expect them to learn. For example, students whose parents first language isn't English probably won't be that great at English but really good in their parents native language. They're literate but just not in the language that they're expected to be literate in. I feel that as an future educator it is my responsibility to help my students achieve greatness no matter their identity or culture. In my classroom, I want my students to feel apart of a family. So to do this I would like to do what Debbie White did in her classroom and group students together with similar likes and backgrounds. On the other hand though, I would try to mix things up so that the students are aware of each others differences but then talk about them so that everyone is accepted for who they are. I think when a student feels that they are good enough just the way they are it encourages them to be open to learn and the "click" can happen.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you completely about teachers not using different types of learning styles. I believe as future educators we should incorporate all the students needs and styles of learning so we can give the best outcome of the lesson. I think White's technique of grouping kids together with similar interests is great because they can bond more and be more comfortable when interacting and engaging in the classroom. I wanted to answer your question, How can we as teachers allow students to express their cultures and identities in the classroom? As teachers we need to understand not all kids are willing to speak up. So, I think letting them write on a piece of paper about their culture and identity is good and then if they want to share they can. They can then get into small groups and talk about what they wrote and then keep rotating groups until they've gotten to everyone. We need to understand not everyone is comfortable sharing out loud and we can learn about kids without putting them on the spot.
ReplyDeleteAs a teacher I think there are so many ways to help everyone learn. That's one thing I look forward to and that is incorporating arts into learning. I am a visual, auditory, and tactile learner. I do not do well if I'm not shown how to do it and I need to ask questions that reassure me. I am more of a creative person so I think I can incorporate a lot of different things to help majority of the students. As a child I was so embarrassed to ask questions in front of the class or to ask the teacher because I've had teachers who made me feel stupid for asking a certain question. I want to be a teacher who can acknowledge when a child needs help and go to them without them having to ask. That is one of my main goals as a teacher. At the school corporation I work for all the classes go through "stations". In the stations they get to play on an iPad, work with the teacher, color and cut out a worksheet, draw in sand, etc. This is a great way to trigger everyone's ability to learn.
ReplyDeleteI really like your idea of incorporating art into the curriculum. I think that it is a great way for people to be more creative. I also believe that it is a great way for someone who is uncomfortable in the class to become more comfortable and to express themselves in a way that they want to. I would have them draw and paint, but also have them write poems and maybe instead of writing a paper, have them write it in a song or rap instead so they can express themselves the way they want to.
DeleteGreat post, you came up with some really interesting questions!
ReplyDeleteYou asked "If Ms. Paten educated herself on Martin’s culture and identity do you think she would have a better understanding of how to teach Martin?" The answer is yes. As stated in the reading, Ms. Paten was an above average reading teacher, but I feel like their was a barrier created from the fact that she did not take time to understand where she could improve and learn new ways to teach Martin. She might have believed her way was the correct way, and did not take into account new ways that could help the student. The readings also stated that Martin incorporated music while he was reading, and Ms. Paten failed to realize that she could have used books related to music or find ways to put music into the readings as new strategies in which would have potentially altered martins motivation to read without getting easily frustrated and possibly be fond of the readings. In our music class, we just learned that music can make reading and learning more fun. One way of incorporating music that I found really unique was how the teacher made a piece of reading more interesting by adding instruments for certain words. (EX. drums for the word thunder)
I really enjoyed your blog! When i become a teacher I don't plan on not focusing on others cultures and identities. In my little library i will have MANY different books with different people in them, not just the typical white person. I also will focus on other cultures in my classroom. I think it'd be a good idea though for the parents to come in because i am not that culture therefore it'd make more sense for the facts and stories to come from someone of that culture. I think getting parents involved in the classroom is a great idea. I think that we can teach the same subject but do it in different ways making sure we cover each learning style.
ReplyDeleteI think if you reached out to the parents of your colored and cultured background students some would really love to help. Some may not always be able to be physically present during school hours. Like my mom for example, but she would always share her stories with me for homework assignments. Interviewing projects were her favorite. Especially when we got to bring in "show and tell" items to back up her stories! Brining in things from home is so cherishing to some kids! For the students who have parents that are not so involved or helpful when it comes to homework, I think if we send out our "newsletters" or "classroom information" in a more colorful, more inviting way more parents or guardians would be more interested in knowing whats going on in the classroom and would try to reach out to help.
DeleteGreat ideas, Hannah! I think encouraging parents to come in is an excellent idea for the exact reason you said! I remember in elementary school my parents had come in on a few occasions and incorporated Mexican culture and traditions into our lessons. For example, I went to a Catholic school so before Christmas break, my parents had come in to teach us the tradition of Posada which in Mexico is a re-enactment of Mary and Joseph looking for an inn before Mary gave birth to Jesus. In Mexico people will do this with their neighbors but in my first grade classroom we walked around the hallway. I remember thinking it was so cool to have my Mexican culture incorporated into my classroom. I remember feeling so proud.
DeleteFirst I would like to touch on your first question in the first group of questions about how we can incorporate our students’ cultures into our classroom. I think one of the best ways to ensure we are educated on our students’ cultures is to be involved in their community and events that take place around their communities. I think a great way to incorporate their cultures into the classroom is to have flags from different countries around, bulletin boards that display the different cultures each of the students come from, and to have a set time for students to share their cultures and about themselves. When I was in elementary school we had a student of the week each week who would get to bring in pictures they wanted to share and things that they wanted to show the class, so I think that’s a good way to allow the students to share about themselves and feel involved in the classroom. Secondly, I would like to touch on your first question in the second group of questions. I definitely think a students learning style is a part of their identity and culture because the way they learn is something that’s really important for the teachers to know about them. We are aware of Individuals learning style we aren’t going to have the best ability to teach them.
ReplyDeleteKirsten, I really like your idea about being involved in our students communities. I think this is a great way to be able to get to know our students better one on one and to see where they come from. I think just being apart of their lives like going to their sporting games, choir performances, art shows, etc can make a huge difference in their lives. This will show our students that we truly care about them, their cultures, identities and interests. We can also encourage their peers to go out and see what their classmates do for fun like going to their science fairs, dance preferences, etc.
DeleteMia thank you for the blog and your thoughts! The questions really got me thinking.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up, my mom nor my dad spoke Spanish to me. All of my grandparents know Spanish fluently and to this day make snarky comments about me not knowing Spanish. But Spanish is for sure part of me and something I have always been around. This is something my teachers wouldn't know without doing some more digging. I think our job as educators is to also get to know our students on a better level. Learning what their household is like. What kind of things they eat or do on the weekends. This information can help us incorporate things into our lesson plans that will allow our students to affectively learn because they have a connection and they are interested. For me, talking about my household was sometimes fun but then sometimes hard. But when I got to share things it made me feel better and more comfortable around my teacher.
I am also a visual learner. Seeing things drawn out, posters/pictures/charts, or adding color to things help me. So, having creative assignments and group projects is a great way to get a lot of information and knowledge out of anyone.
Analis, I can relate! Growing up my parents didn't speak much Spanish to me either even though most of my immediate family is fluent minus one of my sisters and me. Even though it is really frustrating to me that I don't speak much Spanish I understand that it was hard to incorporate two languages when both of my parents were constantly working, raising four other kids and we didn't hear it around us because everyone on my dads side of the family still lives in Mexico. This being said, I still get really annoyed when people make remarks about me not knowing Spanish. I remember in grade school kids would say "but you're Mexican, you should speak Spanish?". This made me feel very uncomfortable on so many levels and on top of everything I was one of the few hispanics in my school. I think that if teachers would have discussed diversity in the classroom then I would not have felt so worried about my own identity.
DeleteI believe it is very important to incorporate a students culture within a classroom. Learning styles could be apart of ones identity in many ways and learning those styles could help students that may struggle in school understand it a bit more. They will be able to learn the material a bit better if they use the learning style given to them that they are used to using. I believe doing projects such as the identity map would help other students understand the cultures, but maybe a family tree project. I know growing up I always wanted someone to be able to relate to me in a way teacher figure wise and I never got that due to the fact they just never tried to. I believe getting to know your student more than just one of your students, but really get to know what they like, what they don't like, what they do during free time, and etc. you could really relate to your student in that way and you can see what their strengths and weakness are not just academically, but in general.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point of view with the reading, In Reading Lessons from Martin: A Case Study of One African American Student. If Ms. Paten had taken the time to learn about Martin she could have done a better job connecting with him. I feel there were moments where she wasn't really interested in teaching him but pitting him and trying to rescue him. What struck me as odd was when she was being interviewed and she said she knew she was supporting him too much but she wasn't going to take a step back or stop. Instead of wanting to try and succeed by himself she was letting him use her as a crutch but I wonder if this was for him...or her. I hope she got a chance to look at this study once it was complete and felt that she needed to change how she approaches her teaching methods so she can better educate her students, especially her students of color.
ReplyDeleteAs a future educator, I want to incorporate every student's identities and cultures. I would love to see my students come up with a mini lesson on where they come from and who they are. Not only would it help me learn about my students, but it would give the other children a chance to learn more about a culture they may not know much about. How I would let students express their cultures and identities would be by not telling them they must act a certain way or do things a certain way just because it isn't my culture. Teachers can be accommodating to their student's by trying to incorporate things from that child's life into the lessons of the day. To try and do Debbie White's technique, I would try to put kids of different learning levels at each table. Sometimes all a kid needs is to be around someone who can help them with their work.
ReplyDeleteI love your powerpoint idea! With this idea, each student is able to educate the teacher and their peers about who they are. This also allows questions and discussions to come about. Having a powerpoint can be very useful for many students because it can incorporate a couple different learning styles such as visual and auditory. Students would be able to add pictures and videos so that their peers will be able to get to see into their lives.
DeleteTricia, I forgot to mention the part you said about incorporating things from each students lives into our lessons. I absolutely love that idea! I know that I would have thought it was so cool to see something in the classroom that related to me whether it was talking about Mexican culture or heritage, seeing a question on a test that related to soccer, or discussing how to make one of my favorite meals.
DeleteBeing able to incorporate our student’s identities and cultures in the classroom is extremely important. Students will be more engaged and prone to learn when they can relate. I like how your brought up bilingual students because a lot of Spanish is taken out of classrooms when it should really be integrated for the students that need it. Adding books into the classroom that relate to all different cultures is extremely important. Showing students examples of people like them in position of power can push them in many ways.
ReplyDelete- Deja Shelton