Transformative education for culturally diverse learners through narrative and ethnography

This article presents a study of the effects of creating a bridge between the narrative and ethnographic methods and writing processes as a means to more effectively educate teachers of culturally diverse learners. Ten teacher participants from a Masters of Education (M.Ed.) degree program in Bilingual Education at a university in the northwestern United States took a sequence of courses in which instructor-researchers taught them narrative and ethnographic pedagogy, theory, and methodology. Through qualitative methods, instructor-researchers analyzed teacher participants’ personal narratives and ethnographic case studies for generative themes. In discovering the commonalities of themes between these two methods of inquiry, the research reveals the value and transformative nature of building a bridge between narrative and ethnographic methods. The following overlapping generative themes were voiced by teacher participants: (1) awareness of self and others; (2) consciousness of educational issues and their implications; (3) transformative action and advocacy. These themes are substantiated with related literature and further elucidated upon in the paper.     

Decision making in determining eligibility of culturally and linguistically diverse learners: Reasons given by assessment personnel

Assessment personnel from the southern borderlands area of Texas participated in analyzing one of four different hypothetical cases. Respondents were expected to defer making eligibility decisions due to language proficiency, environment, culture, or lack of data. When data were lacking, the investigators proposed that respondents would recognize the need for additional information and defer making a decision. Differences in eligibility decisions were found when the respondents analyzed cases in which a significant discrepancy existed and in cases in which language proficiency information was provided. Experience in assessment was significant in the determination that additional information was needed to reach a decision, F(2, 87) = 3.99, p < .05. A majority of the respondents (83%) made an eligibility decision using insufficient data.     

Guidelines for serving linguistically and culturally diverse young children

Demographic trends indicate that all early childhod educators must anticipate and plan for a more linguistically and culturally diverse student population. This article will serve as a guide for creating more effective early childhood programs serving linguistically and culturally diverse young children. The discussion includes demographic trends, second language acquisition research, historical trends in bilingual education, ESL and bilingual programs, controversies, assessment and ESL students, and program recommendations.     

Preparing pre-service teachers for culturally diverse classrooms: a conceptual model

Society in the USA has become increasingly diverse, with schools across the nation serving student populations that are culturally and linguistically very different from the European-American majority of the past. It is imperative that pre-service teachers are effectively prepared for diverse learning environments. This article describes a conceptual framework that has been found to be invaluable towards achieving that end.     

Early reading instruction for children with reading difficulties: meeting the needs of diverse learners

Several multiple-probe-across-participants design studies were employed to evaluate the effectiveness of a supplemental tutoring intervention using Read Well (Sprick, Howard, & Fidanque, 1998-2000). In Year 1, we conducted two studies with 7 first-, second-, and third-grade children (1 girl and 6 boys), who were classified as having learning disabilities, having attention-deficit disorder, or being English language learners and were identified by their teachers as poor readers. The results of the two studies indicated that 3 of the 5 children who received Read Well instruction showed improvement in passage fluency. Student performance on other measures of reading and comprehension was varied. Differences in student characteristics and in the amount of Read Well instruction received (2 to 7 weeks) seemed to account for the differences in performance. In Year 2, we implemented the same tutoring intervention for a longer duration (up to 16 weeks) and included 5 children in second and third grades (2 girls and 3 boys) with reading difficulties. Two of these children had previously participated in the Year 1 studies. The results indicated growth in reading, spelling, and comprehension for most children. Overall, the findings from Year 1 and 2 studies indicate the benefits of increased instructional intensity and duration for children who struggle with emerging reading skills.     

Teachers working in culturally diverse classrooms: implications for the development of professional standards and for teacher education

This paper reports the outcomes of a survey to investigate the level of cultural understanding and confidence for teachers working in culturally diverse classrooms. The survey was administered to teachers in primary and secondary schools in an Australian regional city. The aim of analysis was to determine the direction and strength of association of six demographic variables with measures of cultural awareness among teachers and confidence in supporting the learning of students. It found that teacher responses to working in culturally diverse classrooms varied according to levels of familiarity with the cultural groups concerned and with the level of schooling within which the teacher worked. The paper outlines the implications of these findings for the development of professional standards and for teacher education. It discusses how these findings contribute to further investigations into the extent to which teachers understand cultural diversity and their confidence as literacy instructors.     

Fostering complex problem solving for diverse learners: engaging an ethos of intentionality toward equitable access

Complex problem solving is an effective means to engage students in disciplinary content while also furnishing critical non-cognitive and life skills. Despite increased adoption of complex problem-solving methods in K-12 classrooms today (e.g., case-, project-, or problem-based learning), we know little about how to make these approaches accessible to linguistically and culturally diverse (LCD) students. In this paper, we promote a conceptual framework, based on an ethos of intentionality, that supports culturally responsive teaching (CRT). We provide specific questions to guide teachers’ implementation of an ethos of intentionality, through critical reflection and meaningful action, and discuss a framework for culturally relevant practice that operationalizes key central tenets (e.g., high expectations, cultural competence, and critical consciousness). Finally, we include strategies that can help teachers and designers translate the principles of the CRT framework into action with a specific focus on complex problem solving in classrooms.

     

Clinical utility of the Devereux Behavior Rating Scale—School Form among culturally diverse children

Two hundred sixty-seven children from three ethnic samples (95 Caucasians, 95 African Americans, and 77 Hispanics) were rated by their teachers on the Devereux Behavior Rating Scale-School Form (DSF). The data were analyzed by univariate and multivariate ANOVAs, discriminant analysis, and sensitivity and specificity analysis. Results indicate the DSF has utility in screening children for serious emotional disturbance in the present sample. The findings also suggest that the criterion-related validity of the DSF found for the general population can be generalized to Caucasian, African American, and Hispanic children. In addition, the cutoff score of 1 SD above the mean on the DSF Total scale was found to yield the highest true positive and negative hit rates for the total and Caucasian samples. The optimum cutoff scores were slightly lower for the African American and Hispanic samples. Usefulness and limitation of the DSF as a screening instrument with school children are discussed. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Exploring individual and item factors that affect assessment validity for diverse learners: Results from a large-scale cognitive lab

A cognitive lab technique (n = 156) was used to investigate interactions between individual factors and item factors presumed to affect assessment validity for diverse students, including English language learners. Findings support the concept of access — an interaction between specific construct-irrelevant item features and individual characteristics that either permits or inhibits student response to the targeted measurement content of an assessment item. Access issues of 3rd and 5th grade students were explored at three stages during problem solving on mathematics items: 1) apprehension of task demands; 2) formulation of a solution; and 3) articulation of a solution. Adequacy of access at these levels appears to affect student performance. In particular, where students were able to experience increased apprehension in the first stage through the provision of item variations consistent with their individual access needs, they were more likely to formulate correct solution strategies. The implications of these findings are discussed and suggestions for future research are offered.     

Impact of the social construction of LD on culturally diverse families: a response to Reid and Valle

This response focuses on the effects of the current construction of learning disabilities (LD) on families of children from devalued racial/ethnic groups. Agreeing with the arguments of Reid and Valle, we add that parents from such groups are further disenfranchised because they are not participants in the critical discourse surrounding LD and because of the persistent belief that their parenting skills are deficient. We also suggest that the expectation of parental advocacy may be alien to parents whose cultures do not embrace an individualist perspective. Professionals can improve their responses to such parents by an understanding of the principle of cultural reciprocity.     

EFL中为学习者而纠错

学习英语的过程,就是不断出现错误,不断纠正错误的过程。本文在综述国内外关于错误研究的理论和方法以及错误纠正的研究的基础上,研究了教师纠错的时机、纠错的模式以及学生对错误的认识、对错误纠正的态度和对错误纠正方法的喜好。本项研究对我国大学英语教学有如下启示:科学纠错是英语教学中一个重要环节,课堂纠错技巧运用得如何,直接影响着学生的学习积极性,影响着课堂教学的效率、效果。教师当“以学习者为本”科学纠错。     

把学习的选择权还给学生

教育规划纲要提出要改革人才培养模式,这就要求充分发挥学生在学习中的主体作用,改变现在学生被教育、被学习的状况。给每个学生提供适合的教育,就要把学习的选择权还给学生。学校要减少必修课,增加选修课,为学生的学习选择创造条件。     

论曹氏父子的乐府情结

曹氏父子现存的130首乐府诗,是文人乐府诗史上的第一座丰碑。曹氏父子之所以创作了如此多的乐府诗,与其均雅好音乐等关系密切。曹氏父子对乐府诗所产生的情结虽各有别,但对王权的向往、追求与依恋,乃为其共性。     

电大学员远程管理模式创新的探讨

电大开放教育学员来自各行各业,分布面广、差异显著、需求各异.借助现代通讯技术与网络信息技术实现对电大学员的远程管理,具体管理模式有利用网络的远程管理模式和利用电信及移动通讯技术的远程管理模式.     

现代远程开放学员思想政治教育的内容

依据现代远程开放学员学习的特殊性:网络环境和成人特点,远程网络思想政治教育的内容设置应该突出理想信念教育和历史国情教育、社会主义核心价值观教育、法律素质教育和网络行为规范教育、心理健康教育等。     

The Fourfold Gap: preparing teachers for educating the culturally different

In many countries teachers belonging to the dominant group, either by descent or through enculturation, confront children and youth whose ethnic, cultural, religious or social background is partly or totally different. To teach teachers to deal effectively with the problems caused by these differences, it is proposed to make use of the model of a ‘Fourfold Gap’ between the teacher and the student who belongs to another community: linguistic, cognitive, cultural and social. Within the framework of this model, concrete examples should be used, of the type usually encountered in the daily work of a teacher. A sample of these, taken from Israeli schools, is presented. Measures should be taken to counteract possible negative effects of this method: the emphasis on differences, neglecting similarities; and apprehensions about this ability to deal with situations which seem to require a very high level of knowledge. Use of the model in teacher training and inservice education in Israel has shown its potential for improving teaching in multicultural classrooms.     

以信息化为抓手推进欠发达地区农村民生建设

随着经济体制改革和社会主义建设的进一步深入,以民生为重点的社会建设摆在了更加突出的位置,关注民生、重视民生、保障民生、改善民生,已经成为贯彻落实科学发展观的重要内容。目前,广大欠发达地区农村的信息化建设还比较薄弱,必须以信息化为主导来推进欠发达地区农村的民生建设。