Cultural,Linguistic and Languge Influences Upon Classroom Success

School success is dependent on many factors and can be influenced by many observable and non-observable factors.  This paper looks at some of those factors as way to limit their interactions and increase student classroom success. Below I explored three questions that are important to understanding their impact and the role they subsequently play in the totality of classroom student success. 

What influence does culture have on a student's school success?   

Nieto and Bode suggest that we use, affirm, and sustain culture and language rather than erase them in our classroom.  As suggested by Nieto and Bode (2008) a key component of this is that cultural, linguistic connections can play a key role in student’s academic success. Nieto and Bode also suggest that in order to successfully develop academic achievement in the classroom, teachers and schools need to take a look at:

•   A redefinition of education and success
•   Pride and conflict in culture and language
•   The role of activities not related to academics in sustaining school success
•   The important support of family, community, and teachers (p.340).

How does linguistic diversity influence classroom performance?   

Linguistic diversity influences classroom performance in influencing the kinds of teachers themes teachers can consideration when beginning to implement activities in the classroom. Activities such as multicultural stories in the student’s native language as away to affirm student’s self identity, role play activities, mini history lessons in which students learn about various cultures other than their own. Encourage discussions that involve all students, foster feelings of emotional well-being by creating an environment that respects all students’ opinions. Because many of these themes translate outside of the classroom, plan field trips to art museums, as a way of learning about other cultures and their own, these trips can be a great way for students to talk and learn about each other.

What impact do culture and language have on a family's involvement in school and on their child's education?  

 Family influences are vitally important in the overall schema of school and community relationships. Parents need to feel like an integral part of their student’s learning so making sure that all parents feel welcome is first with an invitation of an open door policy and welcome to come to class to see what their child is learning.  In addition, because many students culture is closely tied to family, teachers must invite family members in the classroom and send homework home that involves student and parents working together. The parents can also be used as real-life examples by inviting them into the classroom to talk about their experiences.  In addition, language barriers as suggested by Zirpoli (2008)  involve what is known as  “language switching” or “language mixing” which is common for many minority households and teachers need to be aware of the subtle differences between the English language and minority language in carrying on a conversation within the classroom setting (p.73-4). In addition, he adds that teachers must b e aware of traditional values and belief systems in order to gain an appreciation of how and why student’s behaviors are affected (p.80).

References

Nieto, S., & Bode, P. (2008). Affirming diversity: the sociopolitical context of multicultural   education. 

Boston,  MA: Pearson.

Zirpoili, (2008).  Behavior management applications for teachers. (5th Ed.). Upper Saddle River.

The Importance of Successful IEP's

The key to a successful inclusion into the general education classroom is a well developed IEP Individualized Education Program.  An IEP is the development of an individualized program of instruction done by team consisting of teacher, student, and parental support to design the most effective plan of instruction for student with disabilities. The IEP also takes into consideration student outcomes and goals that need to be reached at each level of the IEP. Each IEP is based on a student’s “evaluation and is outcome oriented” (Turnbull, Turnbull, and Wehmeyer 2010, p.16). The IEP process consists of these processes:

• Pre-referral
• Referral
• Identification
• Eligibility
• Development of the IEP
• Implementation of the IEP
• Evaluation and reviews

The importance of an IEP to the education of a student with disability is that at each level of the process, teachers are able to identify and assess the best method of instruction for the student based on the identification of needs, evaluation and reviews teacher is able to design effective lessons and assessments to meet the needs of student.

In addition, as relayed by Turnbull, Turnbull, and Wehmeyer (2010) team members must also consider child’s strengths, child’s parents and their concerns, the results of initial and subsequent nondiscriminatory evaluations, and the child’s academic, developmental and functional needs. Also, within the scope of the IEP plan family involvement is crucial in planning. Family involvement is important because students with disabilities need the support of parental support and parents need to know what their student is learning so that they can continue the reinforcement of skills at home.

Because student success is important, many schools are involving older students in the planning of their own IEP’s. One way this is achieved is that teachers encourage students through class discussions, individual seatwork, one-on- one conference with the teacher or para-educator, and even with homework and parental support. Through various creative formats students are given an opportunity to take an active part in their educational goals. In addition, IEP’s can also help to develop student’s skills, such as self-determination, awareness, and advocacy (www.cec.sped.org).

Council of Exceptional Children  (2010).  Retrieved  from http://www.cec.sped.org

Turnbull, A. Turnbull, R. & Wehmeyer, M. (2010). Exceptional lives: Special education in

today’s schools. (6th ed.). Pearson Education, Inc. ISBN: 9780558847012

Preventing School Violence

 The last couple of years many incidents of violence have shaken the core of most schools. The threat of violence is no longer just a threat, but schools are now seeing students acting on these threats with a very real chance of doing great harm to themselves and others. These concerns have led many schools to begin the process of designing an intervention/prevention program that would help to prevent many of these acts of violence to be neutralized and provide students with a positive way of dealing with any problems that they may encounter. Preventing school violence is a challenge with youths that are considered at risk and in middle school and high schools across the country.  Providing positive solutions in the design of a comprehensive intervention/preventing program is a viable option. 

According to the Indiana Education Policy Center, national data has suggested that middle and high schools, are at risk for more serious violence, and students in urban schools where there is a low socioeconomic ratio of minority students to be victims of a violent crime and an “an effective technology of school safety begins with knowledge and understanding” (http://www.indiana.edu/~safeschl/psv.pdf).

The importance of providing such a program is to reduce acts of student disruptions in the beginning stages to further reduce any escalating violence in student behavior. Early intervention would also provide to student mentoring when needed as well as counseling. According to Zirpoli (2008) an educator’s purpose in initiating interventions in an adolescent’s life is to improve their lives and decrease potential risky behaviors and promote their social skills (p.148). Many of these risky behaviors and negative disruptions commonly begin with student bullying, anger management issues, negative social skills and communication problems.

In addition, students in middle school and high school experience the greatest amount of peer pressure and social problems which tend to lead to behavior management problems and acts of violence (p.146). For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control, risk factors such as a history of violence or aggression, low IQ, learning disabilities involvement with drugs, alcohol and tobacco prevention put students at a higher greater risk for committing or being a victim of violence (http://www.ehow.com_7957358_violence-middle-schools.html).  

An intervention/prevention program that focuses on decreasing these kinds of problems are beneficial to student and school. In the hopes of creating a safe and responsive school climate the design of a comprehensive intervention/prevention program would focus on and include four effective intervention programs, such as bullying prevention aimed at preventing and reducing it’s occurrences and helping students and parents understand it’s awareness and attitudes, anger and management skills, mentoring and counseling programs and conflict resolution skills all are important if schools are to begin the process of helping students at risk for violence.  This program would also include supportive components such as peer mediation, cooperative learning, and school wide behavior management (http://www.indiana.edu/~safeschl/psv.pdf).

According to Furlong, Felix, Sharkey, and Larson (2005) the design of an intervention program requires purposeful planning and organization to build a solid foundation by which these intervention programs can be successful and provide strategies at the building, classroom level, and considers individual student needs (p.11).  Keeping this in mind to ensure maximum student learning and provide a positive outcome for students in high risk situations for violence, this program would be careful to avoid using the intervention strategies as a form of punishment or labeling or stereotyping student. Instead, the intent of the design of the program is to provide early intervention for students that are at a high risk for committing violence, disruptive or violent behavior. In addition, teachers and support staff would be trained in how a child’s emotional and physical development plays a major part in overall emotional triggers and interactions among their peers. So it would be important that teachers avoid any type of overreactions to any single incident or behavior (http://www.indiana.edu/~safeschl/psv.pdf).  

Furthermore, the intervention programs would give careful consideration to making sure teachers and support staff was adequately trained in how to implement these programs and strategies into the daily activities of the students. Because each student is an individual careful attention will also be giving to how to make the program fit student’s individual needs and not take for granted that each student is the same.

In the hopes of changing the school climate by making these changes in student’s attitudes and interactions among their peers is the first step in helping students and teachers have other options by which they can help deter violent acts of disruptions before they become fully escalated. Our schools can make positive progress in the design of intervention/prevention violence programs. In the planning schools must keep in mind that the plan begins with planning and preparation and includes all schools staff coming together with the sole purpose of providing support and to students that are at risk for violence. 

As a first resort in the face of violence, and the threat of deadly violence that threatens the fabric of our schools, schools have viable choices in making sure to put their resources into programs that will keep our students safe and help our student make sound decisions.  Especially since students in middle school are at a greater risk for experiencing increased peer pressure, behavioral problems and be involved in negative social situations such as bullying it is worth putting in the extra effort by schools to be involved in making those needed changes and preventing school violence.

References

Carpenter, Michael, E.  (2011).  Violence at middle schools.  Retrieved March 28, 2011, from 

http://www.ehow.com_7957358_violence-middle-schools.html

Furlong, M., Felix, E. Sharkey, J., & Larson, J.  (2005). Preventing school violence: a plan for

safe and engaging schools.  Retrieved March 28, 2011, from

http://www.nasponline.org/resources/principals/Student%20Counseling%20Violence%20Prevention.pdf

Indiana Education Policy Center. (1999). Preventing school violence: a practical guide to

comprehensive planning. Retrieved March 28, 2011, from

http://www.indiana.edu/~safeschl/psv.pdf.  Bloomington, IN: Author.

Zirpoli, T.J. (2008). Behavior management: Applications for teachers (5th ed.). Upper Saddle

River, NJ: Pearson Education

Theories of Student Learning

Deficit Theories

The premise for this theory lies in the idea that students functioning at less than achievement in schools are due in large part to student’s deficits in language, social development, and intelligence rather than considering school structures, teacher expectations, or parental involvement. This theory further stimulates that the inadequacies presented by a student is a further result of student’s home life, and individual culture. Nieto and Bode (2008) suggest that a complete education both aspects of the norms and canon of the dominant culture and those of the dominated cultures. In addition, they also suggest a student’s cultural experiences should be considered in helping student’s achieve academic success (p.275-6).

Economic and Social Reproduction

Social Reproduction is based on the ideals that the role of schools was to educate the poor students by teaching them to be good workers and educate wealthier students skills required to teach the working classes. Nieto and Bode (2008) critique is that these type of theories fail to take cultural and psychological issues as a response to student failure in school achievement (p.276).

Cultural Incompatibilities Theories

Cultural incapability theory is based on the ideals that school culture and home culture are often at opposing ends of the spectrum, as a result producing student failure. Nieto and Bode (2008) suggest that with this theory differences such as individual and family differences, school conditions, or the greater range of sociopolitical context that can influence learning is not considered (p.279).

Cultural- Ecological Theory

Cultural ecological theory maintains that there are two sets of outside determinants that influence minority school success; cultural influences such as society and community forces.  The theory further states that differences in school function between immigrant and non-immigrant students is also due to differences in community influences. Nieto and Bode (2008) suggest that we should also look at as a way to determine school failure and success, the student’s cultural backgrounds position in the main society and it’s perceptions of opportunities made present by the society presently dwelling in (p.282).

Resistance Theory

Resistance theory is founded on the ideals of scholars such as Henry Giroux, Jim Cummins, and Herbert Kohl.  Makes a conscious decision to try and explain the complex relationship between communities lacking power and schools. They state that school failure can be viewed as a form of political resistance.  Nieto and Bode (2008) say that suggest that this is a good way to discuss academic achievement, but does not address the many issues as to why students become resistant to learning.  For example, boredom, teacher disinterest, student intelligence, teacher’s identities (p.288). 

Complicating Theories of Identities and Cultures Within School Structures

This theory uses as its premise for explaining school failure that students experience many kinds of identities and cultures with the school structures with students often navigating between multiple cultures, including ethnic groups, peer groups, communities, and schools, thereby influencing the students to be able to use their cultural styles as a way to negotiate within the school structures. Nieto and Bode (2008) say this theory totally ignores the cultural framework of why and how culture becomes a social and political response to schooling (p.289-90).

Understanding why some students do well in school and others do not is a crucial issue.  As a teacher we need to be fully aware of all of the many reasons a student may or may not be achieving academic success. Understanding these and other theories is the first step to understanding the dynamics of the many influences that may affect our student’s learning and the way we choose to teach those students. In understanding these many issues, we need to be able to support our students learning by integrating structural equality that will benefit all of our students. According to Nieto and Bode (2008) these theories only provide a partial framework for determining student achievement. Their critiques suggest that we use these theories as away to determine overall school achievement. They suggest as away of incorporating these theories we need to understand school achievement in terms of personal, cultural, familial, interactive, political, and societal issues and its total effect upon the sociopolitical context of a student’s academic success (p.298).

References

Nieto, S, & Bode, P. (2008). Affirming diversity: the sociopolitical context of multicultural education. Boston, MA: Pearson.

The Changing Profession

Because teaching is such an involved component of the overall process of teaching, a teacher must be committed to teaching to a diverse array of students and be aware of changing standards of teaching.  No longer is teaching a one dimensional component. Armstrong, Henson and Savage (2004) have informed us that “change is a constant feature of your professional life as a teacher” (p. 30). It involves a diversity of students and an ever changing landscape of responsibilities.  Because the profession of teaching it is so diverse and ever changing, teachers must be able to deal with its many “mental and physical challenges” (p. 14).  Other changes are also taking place that have affected how the profession of teaching. Some of the things the authors point out are that the teacher’s ability to be able to multi-task, dealing with many situations that may arise in the classroom, responding to changes quickly in the classroom. Other changes is the debate of the purposes of education and standards –based education and many teachers find themselves torn between teaching interesting lessons and trying to adhere to the new changes. In addition, changes such as an ever changing student population challenges teachers to find new ways to incorporate students where English is not the native language.  Because there are so many changes that have taken place, as teachers we need to take advantage of learning in ways that will benefit our future students.  I believe change will always be a part of the teaching profession because our students are always evolving and learning.

In this profession that is forever changing, technology is an added incentive and raises moral, ethical issues, in most of the debates about school changes. While reading this portion of text, I was thinking about when I was in school (my children say back in the day) the technology of today was not prevalent back then.  Technology such as cell phones, lap top computers, iPod, iPhone, mp3 player, kindle, and the list goes on forever.  This new and fascinating technology opens up a whole new world for the teacher and student. Many in the teaching profession even see this as a way to widen the technological opportunities to expand to students who are not accessible to these kinds of technology used in the classroom (Armstrong, Henson and Savage p. 58).  Professionally, I see this new technology as great new way to use in teaching.  As the authors have pointed out, learning is multifaceted.  As I mentioned earlier when I was in school teaching and learning seemed to be one dimensional and mainly focused on a standard way of teaching and learning. Now even though it seemed one dimensional, I believed that I still learned what I needed to learn.  It’s just that in this age of newness, we as teachers can help our students make connections in the world while improving their outlook in future job markets.

Personally I have seen one aspect of our changing profession in my public school system, which recently adopted the full use of technology in the classroom. What it consists of is the use of lap top computers as the mainstay of the curriculum.  In other words the lap top computer would replace the standard book and students would use laptops as their primary source of learning.  I favor the idea of using whatever technology that has the best interest of our students.  Because so many of our students are computer savvy, this kind of curriculum can become limitless and prove to be a good response to students who find sitting in  a classroom uninteresting. The other drawback I see is if the teacher is not computer literate, then being opened to learning new skills would be at his or her disposal. In light of this new technology that will eventually show up in the classroom, James Banks (2001) pointed out in the reading “requires rethinking school curricula” (p. 13). Not only do we need to rethink school curricula but as well rethink how we can best use these and other types of technology in the whole spectrum of our  school’s curriculum.

 

Classrooms with Culture

Nieto and Bode suggest that we use, affirm, and sustain culture and language rather than erase them in our classroom.  As suggested by Nieto and Bode (2008) a key component of this is that cultural, linguistic connections can play a key role in student’s academic success.  I chose  the case study of Savoun Nouch his academic suggestions involved reading sessions in student’s culture, relationships with students, affirming student’s identity, and teacher’s role as a social advocate (p.358).  Nieto and Bode also suggest that in order to successfully develop academic achievement in the classroom, teachers and schools need to take a look at:

ü  A redefinition of education and success

ü  Pride and conflict in culture and language

ü  The role of activities not related to academics in sustaining school success

ü   The important support of family, community, and teachers (p.340).

By taking these themes into consideration teachers can begin to implement activities in the classroom such as multicultural stories in the student’s native language as away to affirm student’s self identity, role play activities, mini history lessons in which students learn about various cultures other than their own. Encourage discussions that involve all students, foster feelings of emotional well-being by creating an environment that respects all students’ opinions. Because many of these themes translate outside of the classroom, plan field trips to art museums, as a way of learning about other cultures and their own, these trips can be a great way for students to talk and learn about each other. In addition, because many students culture is closely tied to family, teachers must invite family members in the classroom and send homework home that involves student and parents working together. The parents can also be used as real-life examples by inviting them into the classroom to talk about their experiences.

Reference

Nieto, S., & Bode, P. (2008). Affirming diversity: the sociopolitical context of multicultural   education. Boston,

MA: Pearson.

Stop Using Foul Language in The Mathematics Classroom. Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School

The association between what words actually mean and its implied meaning is the subject of this article Stop Using Foul Language in The Mathematics Classroom.  Cheryl Hanselman, educator at Ledyard Middle School, gives educators a vital lesson in how we can be more effective in the teaching concepts of mathematics if we began by changing the language that we use in teaching our students.  Language such as; cancels, reduce, and invert and multiply teach students that shortcuts rather than forming their own thought patterns is an acceptable way to learn math. 

Teachers unintentionally use this sort of language in the classroom which can become hurtful and damaging to young mathematical minds.  This sort of language, according to the article does not encourage students to form or develop thought patterns that make sense to them.  It instead makes them dependent on formulas and their attempts to make sense out of numbers without the benefit of real meaning.

Teachers using mathematics in this form, early in a child’s mathematical education, do not allow for the development of number and operation sense.  These procedures of “canceling” for multiplying fractions, “reducing” for giving equivalent an equivalent answer, and “inverting and multiplying” for dividing fractions when these terms introduced should be used only after the ground work and foundation of mathematical concepts are taught.

In light of this information, teaching the short cuts too early will also stunt the students’ mathematical understanding and confidence level of critical thinking, which is vital in solving problems.  Consequently, as the article points out, teachers must make it of great importance in the classroom to seriously consider not teaching shortcuts to our students so that this will not become our students’ first exposure to mathematical concepts. 

As students learn math there should be a conceptual foundation that is continually built upon, too many students, including myself were taught in this fashion to cancel, reduce, invert and multiply.  What happens is that student will base his or her understanding upon a given formula for solving problems with no real or very limited understanding of the true concept of how math principles connect to form connections to each other. 

Now there are instances where some children learn fine this way, because of the diversity of students’ minds and do marvelous in understanding math. 

As educators, let’s give our students every positive opportunity to effectively grasp the meanings and concepts of mathematical problems and not leave another generation of dependent students such as myself, faced with the challenge of relearning math as a second language.