TEPC5600 iTeach Section 1 Racial and Socioeconomic Diversity Book Report Write a book report comparing the information in this book with the information le

TEPC5600 iTeach Section 1 Racial and Socioeconomic Diversity Book Report Write a book report comparing the information in this book with the information learned in your prior courses, Section 1 of this course, and your own experience. You must address the following:What did you agree with in the book?What did you disagree with?Based on what you have learned about teaching and student development, what challenges do you foresee in implementing the author’s recommendations? Section 1. Racial and Socioeconomic Diversity
This course will cover several topics that can be considered “taboo”—race, religion,
socioeconomic status and poverty, and sexual orientation. These can be sensitive
topics. You will notice that this course, more than any other, includes articles
written by a diverse authorship to bring varied perspectives to the table.
As you read the course text, you will probably agree strongly with some
perspectives and disagree with others. If you disagree or you feel offended, ask
yourself why. The first step in creating a classroom where diversity is embraced is to
acknowledge your own perspective, bias, and culture.
If you are part of a minority culture—whether a racial minority, religious minority,
sexual orientation minority, or a combination of these–you may already feel aware
of how your own experience differs from the mainstream culture.
However, if you are part of the majority culture, which in the U.S. is racially white,
religiously Christian, and of heterosexual orientation, it may be harder to recognize
that you do, indeed, have distinct cultural experiences that are not common to
everyone. This becomes a problem when you assume that all your students have the
same frame of reference that you do. Even if the majority of people have a similar
background to you, that does not mean that everyone does.
Pause now and ask yourself the following tough questions. You may want to revisit
these questions as you progress through the coursework.
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Of what culture(s) am I a part?
What culture has the greatest impact on my self-identity?
Do I perceive any advantages because of my membership in a specific
culture?
Do I perceive any disadvantages because of my membership in a specific
culture?
What experiences have shaped my perception of other cultures?
Do I think members of any other culture are inferior to me? If so, why?
Do I think members of any other culture are superior to me? If so, why?
Note that everyone is part of more than one culture. Maybe you are black—a racial
minority—but also Christian—a religious majority. Or Hispanic but atheist. Or
biracial, Jewish and gay. And of course, you are probably part of many sub-cultures,
too. The experience of being a poor, immigrant Hispanic child in South Texas is
different than coming from an affluent Hispanic family that has lived in Dallas for
several generations. This is proof that not everyone’s experience of race (or insert
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any cultural category) is the same.
Because the issues related to sexuality involve a complex tangle of emerging legal
recommendations, they are discussed in a later section of this course. The next
section focuses on providing profiles—each written by scholars and experts–of
typical cultural characteristics of different student groups. As you read, keep in mind
that every student, and each student’s experience, will be different, which is why it
is so important to get to know your students as individuals. At the same time, it is
beneficial to know about prevailing cultural norms. These are not truisms that apply
to every student.
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Cultural Characteristics
The ability to understand the motives behind student reactions is critical to
a teacher’s success. As you read the following essays, you are encouraged
to highlight the cultural characteristics of specific cultures. As you read
these published articles, please remember that the articles present
generalized characteristics of a culture and do not represent the opinions of
iteachU.S.
School Practices for Equitable Discipline of African
American Students
ERIC Digest
Wendy Schwartz, Ed.
ED455343
Providing African Americans, males especially, with an effective public school
education has proven to be a nearly intractable problem. Frequently attending
underresourced, overcrowded schools, they are apt to feel alienated from, rather
than engaged in, the education process. Some do indeed express their discontent
through antisocial behavior (Hrabowski, Maton, & Greif, 1998). Still, African
American students believe they are triply disadvantaged: “Unjustly accused, unfairly
silenced, and unnecessarily punished” (Sheets & Gay, 1996, p. 89). They are, in fact,
far more likely than whites to be suspended (Gordon, Della Piana, & Keleher, 2000).
Schools are now realizing that the consequences of discipline disparities based on
race can prevent the educational success of an entire category of young people.
Thus, many employ a range of strategies to ensure the equitable treatment of
African American students specifically, and the fairness and educative value of their
discipline procedures in general. This digest presents a brief review of the practices
whose success has been demonstrated.
The Role of Cross-Cultural Competence in the Student-School Relationship
The Perception of Difference
U.S. society has long been characterized by ignorance about African American social
styles, denigration of African American traditions, and persistent negative and fearinducing media images of African Americans. Thus, as products of this society,
educators may project negative attitudes about African American students and
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avoid, rather than mentor, them. Teachers may try to control black males more
tightly than whites, believing that they are not sufficiently disciplined at home
(McCadden, 1998). School practices may fail to account for the knowledge,
cognitive abilities, culture, and values of African American students. The reasons for
the differential treatment of students of color and white students are many and
complex, but the result is often the same: African American students may feel
encouraged to act out. Moreover, the bad conduct of a white male student is likely
to be excused as a one-time slip while an African American youth who similarly
misbehaves is labeled a perpetual troublemaker and severely punished, thought by
the school that he has nothing to lose by being so classified (Fremon & Hamilton,
1997).
Sadly, many African American youth, males in particular, believe that should they
manage to excel in school, despite the obstacles, racism will limit their ability to reap
the advantages available to white achievers. So, the students, males in particular,
often manage their anxiety by being resistant to cultural norms or even dropping
out, thereby confirming for schools the legitimacy of their low expectations for the
students (Mahiri, 1998).
The Development of Cross-Cultural Competence
Schools can transform their programs and culture to create a hospitable
environment for African Americans by communicating the expectation that all
students can succeed; providing them with the opportunity to do so; fostering their
development of social skills and self-control strategies; setting criterion-based
achievement objectives; and evaluating students for their strengths, not their
weaknesses. They can also try to increase the number of African Americans on their
teaching staffs, and train existing staff, regardless of race, to master cross-cultural
communication skills and teaching strategies and change entrenched ways of
dealing with students of color (Brookover, Erickson, & McEvoy, 1996; Dandy, 1990;
Ferguson, 2000; Sheets & Gay, 1996).
Behavior Management
Obviously, school disruptions cannot be tolerated. But racial and cultural differences
in the definition of good behavior, along with miscommunications, frequently lead
to the inequitable punishment of students of color by school personnel who do not
respect their style of classroom participation.
Further, arbitrary and excessive consequences for minor offenses can develop in all
students a sense of powerlessness, dependence on authority, and anger that leads
to further misbehavior (Gathercoal, 1998).
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Schools are beginning to use a number of strategies to prevent many discipline
problems and to deal with those that arise while still respecting students’ rights and
individual differences. In fact, some districts and schools have successfully adopted
one of the several research-based comprehensive programs for maintaining a safe
and effective school. They include the Gottfredsons’ Program Development
Evaluation, the Canters’ Assertive Discipline classroom management program,
Glasser’s Reality Therapy program for teachers (all reviewed in Gottfredson, 1990),
and Gathercoal’s Judicious Discipline (Gathercoal, 1998). The practices described
below incorporate principles of these programs and additional strategies shown to
be successful.
Good Conduct Policies
Schools need a written and widely circulated code of conduct that all students,
staff, and parents understand. A classroom code established by teachers is also
useful. Rules should be culturally sensitive and developmentally appropriate; they
should promote student safety, allow adults to model responsibility and respect,
reflect democratic principles, and provide for positive reinforcement of good
behavior as well as suitable and neutrally-applied sanctions for misbehavior. The
message should be clear that students are responsible for their actions (Beyer, 1998;
Brookover, Erickson, & McEvoy, 1996).
Contextualization of Misbehavior
Before disciplining students, educators should elicit and consider the reasons for
their perceived misbehavior, particularly as they relate to racial differences between
teachers and students. Doing so demonstrates a teacher’s respect for student
concerns. It can even uncover information about a problem that the school might
help solve, such as the need for educational supports; assistance in securing food
and shelter; relief from victimization through bullying; and counseling for trauma,
depression, and family difficulties (Gathercoal, 1998).
For example, in class, many African American students speak out loudly and
interrupt as a way of showing their interest, or even argue as they press their point;
their intention is to participate, not misbehave, although some teachers may
consider them disrespectful. Students may engage in certain challenging behaviors
common to the African American male adolescent community, not because they
want to disrupt the classroom but because they want to demonstrate their rebellion
against what they consider a teacher’s “power tripping”; lessons they consider
irrelevant, racist, or too simplistic; their perception that teachers believe them
incapable of achievement; or their inability to keep up with white classmates
because of learning or developmental differences (Dandy, 1990; Sheets & Gay,
1996).
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Discipline
The goals of discipline, once the need for it is determined, should be to help
students accept personal responsibility for their actions, understand why a behavior
change is necessary, and commit themselves to change. The discipline measure
should model good behavior, not retribution and humiliation, and students should
have some control over its nature. Students can help determine discipline policies in
general, but specific punishments should be customized (Gathercoal, 1998;
Gottfredson, 1990).
Punishment for misbehavior should fit both the infraction and the student’s selfesteem, academic, and personal development needs. It should involve restitution
and an apology. For example, a graffiti-writing student should be helped to
understand why he should clean the dirty wall, and be able to do so when it would
not interfere with a school activity nor be seen by other students; should a
custodian clean the wall before the student can, the student should offer thanks. A
student who is disrespectful to a teacher should be helped to understand why an
apology is necessary and devise a personal way of expressing regret. A student who
fails to do a homework assignment should be given an opportunity to explain why
and develop a plan with his teacher for doing the work as soon as possible.
A great many, but not all, incidents of misbehavior can be dealt with by such
student-centered strategies. Rules of conduct should be specific about incidents
whose seriousness requires immediate action. An immediate step, designed to
maintain classroom order, might be for the teacher to summon an on-site crisis
team carefully trained to handle the misbehaving student, probably by removing
him for a private discussion (Nimmo, 1998).
An option for students who cannot be helped to assimilate into a regular school is
an alternative school with both good academic and counseling programs
(Gottfredson, 1990).
Parent Involvement Strategies
Schools need to keep parents apprised of their children’s behavior, both good and
bad, so they can work together when improvement is needed. The staff can provide
African American parents with ideas for promoting their children’s development
through: (1) encouraging their children’s learning and self respect; (2) setting
behavior limits and disciplining appropriately; (3) establishing high expectations; (4)
maintaining strong communication lines; (5) promoting positive identification as a
male or female and as an African American; (6) teaching them to resist violence and
other urban temptations; and (7) taking advantage of community resources
(Hrabowski et al., 1998).
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References
Beyer, L.E. (1998). “Uncontrolled students eventually become unmanageable”: The
politics of classroom discipline. In R.E. Butchart & B. McEwan (Eds.), Classroom
discipline in American schools: Problems and possibilities for democratic education
(pp. 51-84). Albany: State University of New York Press. (ED 423 584)
Brookover, W.B., Erickson, F.J., & McEvoy, A.W. (1996). Creating effective schools:
An in-service program for enhancing school learning climate and achievement.
Holmes Beach, FL: Learning Publications.
Dandy, E.B. (1990, March). Sensitizing teachers to cultural differences: An AfricanAmerican perspective. Paper presented at the National Dropout Prevention
Conference, Nashville. (ED 323 479)
Ferguson, A.A. (2000). Bad boys: Public schools in the making of black masculinity.
Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press. (ED 443 902)
Fremon, C., & Hamilton, S.R. (1997, April). Are schools failing black boys?
Parenting, p. 116-32. (EJ 541 637)
Gathercoal. F. (1998). Judicious discipline. In R.E. Butchart & B. McEwan (Eds.),
Classroom discipline in American schools: Problems and possibilities for democratic
education (pp. 197-216). Albany: State University of New York Press. (ED 423 584)
Gottfredson, D.C. (1990). Developing effective organizations to reduce school
disorder. In O.C. Moles (Ed.), Student discipline strategies: Research and practice
(pp. 47-62). Albany: State University of New York Press.
Gordon, R., Della Piana, L., & Keleher, T. (2000, March). Facing the consequences:
An examination of racial discrimination in U.S. public schools. Oakland: Applied
Research Center.
Hrabowski, F.A., III, Maton, K.I., & Greif, G.L.(1998). Beating the odds: Raising
academically successful African American males. New York: Oxford University Press.
(ED 422 432)
McCadden, B.M. (1998). Why is Michael always getting timed out? Race, class and
disciplining other people’s children. In R.E. Butchart & B. McEwan (Eds.), Classroom
discipline in American schools: Problems and possibilities for democratic education
(pp. 109-134). Albany: State University of New York Press. (ED 423 584)
Mahiri, J. (1998). Shooting for excellence: African American and youth culture in
new century schools. New York: National Council of Teachers of English and
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Teachers College Press. (ED 423 542)
Nimmo, V.L. (1998). But will it work? The practice of judicious discipline in Southern
Minnesota schools. In R.E. Butchart & B. McEwan (Eds.), Classroom discipline in
American schools: Problems and possibilities for democratic education (pp. 217-36).
Albany: State University of New York Press. (ED 423 584)
Sheets, R. H., & Gay, G. (1996, May). Student perceptions of disciplinary conflict in
ethnically diverse classrooms. NASSP Bulletin, 80(580), 84-94. (EJ 524 399)
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The following digest identifies cultural values that may impact the learning
processes of Hispanic-American students. It also includes research on the
learning styles of Hispanic-American students and discusses implications for
counseling and teaching Hispanic youth.
Hispanic-American Students and Learning Style
ERIC Digest
Shirley Griggs and Rita Dunn
ED393607
Cultural Values of Hispanic Americans
Hispanic-Americans are united by customs, language, religion, and values. There is,
however, an extensive diversity of traits among Hispanic-Americans. One
characteristic that is of paramount importance in most Hispanic cultures is family
commitment, which involves loyalty, a strong support system, a belief that a child’s
behavior reflects on the honor of the family, a hierarchical order among siblings,
and a duty to care for family members. This strong sense of other-directedness
conflicts with the United States’ mainstream emphasis on individualism (Vasquez,
1990). Indeed, Hispanic culture’s emphasis on cooperation in the attainment of
goals can result in Hispanic students’ discomfort with this nation’s conventional
classroom competition.
Hispanic adolescents are more inclined than Anglo adolescents to adopt their
parents’ commitment to religious and political beliefs, occupational preferences,
and lifestyle (Black et al., 1991). Spirituality, the dignity of each individual, and
respect for authority figures are valued throughout Hispanic culture. Stereotyped
sex roles tend to exist among many Latinos: the male is perceived as dominant and
strong, whereas the female is perceived as nurturing and self-sacrificing. Note,
however, that in Latino cultures, the term “machismo” (used by Anglos to refer to
male chauvinism) refers to a concept of chivalry that encompasses gallantry,
courtesy, charity, and courage (Baron, 1991). Hispanic male adolescents display
more and earlier independence than the male adolescents of the general U.S.
population. However, some researchers (Black et al., 1991) have found that Chicano
secondary school students often exhibit lower levels of self-esteem than their Anglo
counterparts.
Learning Styles Research
An expanding body of research affirms that teaching and counseling students with
interventions that are congruent with the students’ learning-style preferences result
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in their increased academic achievement and more positive attitudes toward
learning. Research on the learning styles of Hispanic-Americans in particular,
however, is limited. Within the Latino groups, the majority of studies have focused
on the learning styles of Mexican-American elementary school children. Several
investigations (Dunn, Griggs, & Price, 1993; Jalali, 1988; Sims, 1988; Yong and
Ewing, 1992) have compared various ethnic groups of students in elementary
school through college levels using a measure that identifies 21 elements of
learning style grouped into five categories.
Environmental learning style elements include sound, temperature, design, and
light. A cool temperature and formal design were identified as important elements
for Mexican-American elementary and middle school students (Dunn, Griggs, &
Price,1993; Jalali,1988; Yong & Ewing,1992).
Emotional learning style elements include responsibility, structure, persistence, and
motivation. Sims (1988) reported that Mexican-American third- and fourth-graders
were the least conforming of three ethnic groups studied. Yong and Ewing (1992),
however, found that Mexican-American middle-school adolescents were
conforming. The disparities between these data may result from subjects’ age,
lifestyle, and urban/rural differences in the two studies. Both of these studies
reported that Mexican-Americans required a higher degree of structure than did
other groups.
Sociological le…
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