Content Area Reading: Chapter 3 Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners “ There are so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without significance.” - St. Paul

The Culturally Diverse Learner “more often than not…” Have difficultly interpreting and writing about “academic texts” The cycle: culturally diverse students + school failure = low achievement rates & high drop out rates Students given “watered-down versions of the curriculum” Students leave HS with their hidden talents still hidden Given a negative school experience which forms into a permanent attitude Highly diverse population should equal a high number of diverse texts with equal expectations

1964- Civil Rights Act deeming discrimination of another based on race, color, religion, or national origin to be unconstitutional in service and work places. 1964 Economic Opportunity Act put in place the Head Start program as well as Upward Bound. 1965- Elementary and Secondary Education Act provided federal funding to schools for programs (title 1) that would benefit low-income schools and disadvantaged students. 1967- Bilingual Education Act provided federal funding for schools to benefit non- English speaking students in minority groups. Education & the 60’s The 1954 Brown vs. The Board of Education of Topeka case changed the face of education forever. This cause ended with the ruling that “separate but equal” was not in face equal but quite the opposite. This set the tone for education reform in the 1960’s….

What is Culture? The fish Culture defined… “Most people other than those who study culture, probably don’t think much about what it means to be immersed in a culture, just as fish probably don’t think much about what it means to be immersed in water.” “…the shared beliefs, values, and rule-governed patterns of behavior that define a group and are required for group membership.”

From Peace Corps. To Classroom Started the year with 29 students Ended the year with 18 Most Hispanic students had moved 5 African Americas 2 White 3 Asian (Chinese, Korean, Cambodian) 2 Africans (Ethiopia, Zambia) 1 European (Germany) Teacher views on individual culture Not correcting English in order to encourage exploration Ease allowed for interaction His actions made a difference… “cultural and linguistic sensitivity,”

The 4 Distinct Instructional Approaches CONTRIBUTIONS APPROACH: Paying tribute to cultural holidays, culture figures throughout history , as well as important dates. A surface approach to culture in the classroom. ADDITIVE APPROACH: Related to the Contributions approach. This idea takes it one step further creating unit like study and or taking a more in-depth look at various topics. DECISION-MAKING/SOCIAL ACTION APPROACH: The project based aspect of the Transformative Approach, this allows for students to get into culture more by working with cultures’ key ideals and issues. TRANSFORMATIVE APPROACH: Allowing students to make their own inferences about cultures. Giving ample opportunity to investigate and create their own set of ideals about a culture.

Evidence Based Best Practices Science and Math Teacher actions Read through Family background cards Involvement right away in a unit of study At the end- discuss the ‘others’ Bring in the experts Someone who quit smoking for bio. A cook for chem. A carpenter for math Create Relevance!

The 7 Key characteristics of a culturally responsive classroom High expectations Positive relationships with families and community Cultural sensitivity Active teaching methods Teacher as facilitator Student control of portions of the lesson Instruction around groups and pairs to create low anxiety The 7 Key characteristics of a culturally responsive classroom

Ideas for implementing … Label objects Invite family members Use paired learning Opportunity for student presentation Use visuals often Opportunity for hands-on learning Make schedule visible Maps Choral reading Bilingual dictionaries Non-fiction picture books for key concepts Culture in curriculum Personal journal Assignment pad

Sheltered Instruction for English Learners Adapting instruction in Content Classrooms: Provide comprehensible input Use strategies for Vocabulary development Differentiate between intensive and extensive reading Use the repeated reading strategy Use a variety of instructional materials and trade books Use learning strategies for active engagement Use writing strategies Observation protocol sheet

Thank you! Gracias! Danka! Quyana! The End Thank you! Gracias! Danka! Quyana!