Practicum in Behavioral Assessment and Management of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Young Children

with Special Needs

• Group Presentation• EDS 703- Chapter 3• Patricia West• April 5, 2011

• ARIANNY SAVINON• GISSEL BENCOSME• KRISTINA FLORES• LADI OSMANI• LISSETTE GIL• Lissette Melendez-Vega

DIVERSITY IN THE CLASSROOM

I. CHAPTER OVERVIEW

• This chapter examines the five categories of worldview and how a teacher’s worldview is likely to influence how he/she responds to specific behavioral challenges within the classroom.

• Specific definitions of terms are provided. Cultural influences on behaviors are examined and discussed. Recommendations for schools and teachers on how to integrate and celebrate diversity are provided.

• Recognize and value individual differences

• Acknowledge diverse cultural roots as strengths

• Acquire knowledge about diverse cultural identities: gender, language, racial,

ethnic, etc.• Cultural background and biases of teachers• Lack of knowledge• Stereotyping• Respecting & appreciating each student• Prejudiced and biased management

techniques

.

I. CHAPTER OUTLINE

a. Cultural Differences

b. values

c. gender

d. Experiences

e. race

f. religious groups

g. language

Educator’s Attitude Towards Diversity

Prejudice and biased management techniquesMisunderstanding & Misinterpretation of behaviors

DIVERSE LEARNERS

Definition of Diverse Learners

The Diverse Learners committee defined

diverse learners as those students who,

because of gender, ethnic background,

socioeconomic status, differing ability levels,

learning styles or disabilities, may have

academic needs that require varied

instructional strategies to help them learn.

Cultural identities that affect students’ behavior:

•Health•Ability/disability•Religion•Sexual orientation•Language•Race•Ethnicity

•Exceptional learners•Disabled learners

The Traits & Characteristics of Diverse Learners

1. Learning Disabilities

2. Behavioral/Emotional Disabilities

3. Mental Retardation

4. Autism

5. Gifted and Talented

6. Speech and Language Disorders

7. Blindness and Low Vision

8. Kinesthetic Learners

Learning Styles

Learning Styles• Howard Gardner of Harvard has identified seven distinct

intelligences. This theory has states that students possess

different kinds of minds and therefore learn, remember, perform,

and understand in different ways,"

• according to Gardner (1991). According to this theory, "we are all

able to know the world through language, logical-mathematical

analysis, spatial representation, musical thinking, the use of the

body to solve problems or to make things, an understanding of

other individuals, and an understanding of ourselves.

• Where individuals differ is in the strength of these intelligences -

the so-called profile of intelligences -and in the ways in which such

intelligences are invoked and combined to carry out different

tasks, solve diverse problems, and progress in various domains."

Definition

This approach to learning emphasizes the fact that individuals perceive and process information in very different ways.

The learning styles theory implies that how much individuals learn has more to do with whether the educational experience is geared toward their particular style of learning than whether or not they are “smart.”

In fact, educators should not ask, “Is this student smart?” but rather “How is this student smart?”

Multiple Intelligences

Multiple Intelligences

Multiple Intelligences

Bilingual and Minority students in Special Education

•Inappropriate assessment

•Neglect

•Fear of litigation

•Overrepresentation

•Underrepresentation of bilingual and

minority students

III. Worldview• The five categories of worldview

• -1.Nature : • People vs. nature.

• -People subjugate and control nature.

• -Live in harmony with nature.

• -Accept the power an control of nature over

people.

• -Control over nature at one end those who

believe that whatever will happen will happen

are at the other end .

• -Native Americans (distrustful of technology? or

those who will only live in the city).

2.Time orientation American school culture values

being on time• US. Follow the plan – set goals – and

moving on

• Some cultures may think that promptness is a goal – others believe that plans should be flexible, subject to change and personal relationships are more important.

• A meeting at school that is only for a certain time may send a message of disrespect to a family.

• Multitasking or doing many things at once

• Is the person concerned with the past, present or future? Is life viewed as finite or eternal? Latin Americans consider that being late is a sign of respect. African Americans are polychronic.

– 3.Activity Orientation

• Behavior – Action oriented

• Cognitions – detached meditative

• Affect – expressive –emotional

• This may cause conflict because a teacher may be in one domain while the family is in another. Development and gender differences may need to be considered

4.Human

Relationships

-Individualism vs. collectivism

-Schools need to be part of the culture

-Small high schools versus large high schools

-African Americans –collective?

5.Human nature

• Some believe that all humans are good while others believe that they are evil

• Children who are traumatized may learn to distrust the world

• A student who has not met with academic success may view the world as a bad place

IV. Cultural Influence on Behavior

A. Collectivism vs. individualism

• 1. Mexican Americans do better in solving problems together.

• African Americans engage in collateral-mutual and emphasize cooperation, kinship, rituals standards, and that operate from closed social systems.

• Deficiency model use to study the culture but there is an extended family of neighbors, friends, godparents, step relatives, etc. May be difficult for multi-racial students.

B. Verbal and nonverbal communication

• 1. Parents translate for children – embarrassing for the

parent – pressure on the child.

• 2. Mexican Americans are animated when speaking

• 3. Some Latinos believe that it is ok to interrupt

• 4. Navajos – verbalization should not be hurried

• 5. Girls were more adept at speaking to adults

C. Respectful behavior

• 1. Native Americans – Children look down. Adults look away. Eye contact can be a sign of hostility.

• 2. Native Americans do not confront. Their feelings may be expressed in subtle ways.

• D. Child rearing and discipline practices• 1. American children are trained to stand up for their

own rights• 2. Chinese and Confucian – think of themselves as part of

the group• 3. Young children may not be disciplined in Asian cultures• 4. African American children learn how to be assertive at

a young age, take on significant responsibilities, high energy fast –paced home environments

E. Acculturation and enculturation

1. African Americans become aware of

hostility towards their race at a young age

2. some cultures clash with the

culture of school

a. drop outs – intellectually,

emotionally, and physically

F. Relationships

1. Confucian culture – boys are

separate from girls

2. Mexican – students help each

other instead of listening to the teacher .

cooperative learning may be better

V. Recommendations for Schools and Teachers

Recommendations for Schools and Teachers

• “if teachers expect all individuals to behave the way or interpret everyone’s behavior from a single culturally determined point of view, they may fail to respond to the unique needs of many of their ethnic minority students” (Grossman, 1995)

• Educators must be familiar with the traditional values and belief systems so that they appreciate the various effects that they may have on children’s behaviors in order to best respond to each student.

•

Dealing with feelings of alienation

• – some groups report higher alienation and isolation in their relationship with the school.

• Take into consideration: • - School culture• - Parents perception of that culture • -Understand parents previous experiences

within the school system• Ex. parents of color may view school

regulations as arbitrarily determined and applied according to the prevailing white, middle class culture. They may identify luck of “friendliness”

•

• There is evidence that African American children are suspended much more than whites

• More suspensions than other children• Suggestion for teachers : Call before there

is a problem

Value extended family

B. Value extended family

• 1. non blood relatives often play a significant role (neighbors, godparents, members of the church family, etc)

• 2.Teachers are encouraged the bonds of the extended family and the adaptability of the family roles

C. Facilitate positive parent-school relationships

• Teacher need to learn how to balance comments about a child’s inappropriate behavior with positive remarks that will communicate to the parent that the teacher recognizes the good things about them.

• 1. Call (not only when the child is in trouble)2. Active and effective parent –community involvement

• 3. Encourage people of poverty to participate

Maintain high expectations for all students

• The authors outline some behaviors frequently associated with different cultures and misinterpreted by teachers:

African American culture:

African American culture:

• look away while listening

• Stand close when talking

• Reluctant to talk about family problems and personal relationship

• Concerned with present more than with future goals (ex Nevila)

• Express their emotions more intensely than other students

• Believe that most individuals within the white culture do not understand or want to understand their culture.

Hispanic/Latino culture

Behaviors associated with Hispanic/Latino culture

• Touching people with whom they are speaking; (embrace, kissing in the cheek, slapping on the back)

• Standing close to people with whom they are speaking• Keeping personal or family information from strangers• Interpreting prolonged eye contact as disrespectful• Treating their elders with respect• Helping other members and friends with child care (ex when ----Keneta) • Expressing emotions strongly• Expressing emotions strongly • Consulting the parents on important issues• Recommendations for teachers – establishing personal reports, working in

groups and having group discussions – this behavior is culturally based. First students must understand the group goal then he or she can be asked to perform something in totality and then proceed with smaller units in lesson

Asian children

Asian children

• Teachers frequently describe the behavior of Asian children as respectful and obedient, as well as highly motivated to learn. Because many Asian students may not be as assertive as other students some teachers may perceive them as unmotivated or unresponsive

• Conflict: between values learned at school and those taught at home. – at home be quite, polite, modest and humble – at school it is appropriate to participate to class discussion and ask the teacher questions, express opinion.

• When talking to the parents, the teacher should explain to Asian parents:

• Parent involvement is a tradition in American education

• Child’s psychological or academic problems are not a source of shame

• Regarding Asian culture the book reminds us to understand:

• The Asian parents and students may regard eye-to-eye contact between strangers as shameful

• Asian culture consider emotional restraint, formality, and politeness as essential for appropriate behavior

• Some Asians may view time as flexible and may not show up for meetings on time

• A reprimanded student may believe that he/she brings shame to the family.

VI. Integrating a Multicultural Approach in the Classroom

VI. Integrating a Multicultural Approach in the Classroom

•Appropriate Behavior is reflected through children’s positive self esteem as well as positive messages from teachers

and peers.

•Positive Messages must reinforce child’s culture, language, customs, family traditions, behaviors related to child’s

culture.

•Teacher’s role is to teach respect for diversity by also teaching commonality; we need to maintain high expectations

for ALL our students regardless of their race, culture, religion, etc.; treat diversity as an asset to the classroom; learn

effective practices and curriculum development on issues that include cultural and linguistic diversity in the classroom.

•Teacher’s need to be fair and objective- reflect on own attitudes and prejudices regarding other cultures, customs

and their beliefs.

•Unfortunately, research indicates that teachers and school administrators “have low expectations for language

minority students, low income students, and students of color” (Banks, 2004, p.17)

•Educational practitioners have gone through training requiring only one course in multicultural education

•Majority of teacher education students believe that low-income and minority learners are incapable of learning high

level concepts they are preparing to teach.

•Over 1/3 of student population are of color and bilingual; majority of the country’s teachers are European American

white females; many of which say that there is a lack of role models and teachers for students of diverse cultures.

•There is a developing concern for professional teaching standards in states with vastly increasing numbers of

language minority students; uneven progress.

•Half of these states are not offering professional credentialing to teachers of culturally diverse learners.

•Educators must evaluate effectiveness of classrooms, activities and curriculum for all learners.

Eight Characteristics of the Multicultural School (Banks, 2004):

• Teachers and administrators have high expectations, positive attitudes, and respond with positive/caring ways towards ALL students.

• Formalized curriculums reflect cultural and ethnic group’s experiences, cultures, perspectives and genders.

• Teacher’s teaching styles match students’ learning, cultural, and motivational styles.

• Teachers and Administrators show respect for first languages and dialects of the students.

• School instructional materials contain events, situations, and concepts from diverse perspectives of cultural, ethnic and racial groups.

• Assessment and testing procedures are culturally sensitive; children of color are represented proportionately in classes for talented and gifted students.

• School culture and hidden curriculum reflect cultural and ethnic diversity.• School counselors also have high expectations for students of diverse races,

cultures, and ethnic and language groups; help them set and realize positive career goals.

• There are many ways in which teachers and other school staff can help students to recognize and celebrate differences in cultures allowing for positivity and high self-esteem.

• Many of these methods can be incorporated into daily activities and materials used and practiced in the schools. By infusing multicultural concepts in our curriculum and lesson plans in all subjects, we are exposing our students to diversity in cultures; teaching them to respect themselves and others; motivating and inspiring students that everyone is unique and special in their own ways.

A. Celebrate diversity

• Recommendations made in this chapter are:• Creating an environment celebrating

diversity (wall collages of diverse young children participating in a common activity)

• Play music and sing songs of diverse ethnic groups as well as in different languages

• Provide activities such as self-portraits for young children to explore their skin color; have skin –colored crayons available

• Provide different learning materials such as books and picture cards that depict diverse images (sensitive to gender roles, diverse racial and cultural backgrounds, students with special needs, different family compositions)

• Model your own value of a student’s culture by talking positively about it

• Talk about unacceptable behavior such as teasing and rejecting other students based on culture or identity

• Provide activities and interactions between students who are racially or culturally different (Invite African American parents to talk about and celebrate MLK Day)

• Invite role models, community workers that represent diversity in the community (Doctors, police officers, firefighters, mailman, etc.)

• Look for “teachable moments” while listening to and answering questions about themselves and others.

• Teach students to recognize stereotypes in the movies, media, TV, books; discuss how these stereotypes may make some people feel about self and others

• Invite students to talk about special family traditions, customs, foods, etc.

A. Celebrate diversity

VII. Exploring Your Cultural Identify and That of Your School Community –

Internet resources

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VIII. Summary

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