Title: How to expand the Classroom Environment for Minority Learners and its impact on Achievement.
1How to expand the Classroom Environment for
Minority Learners and its impact on Achievement.
Cattina Greathouse Slippery Rock University
2Main Thrust
After watching this presentation educators will
be able to better understand the relationship
between the educational environment and minority
students under achievement. The presentation will
provide ideas for implementation to benefit
minority and non- minority children in the
classroom.
3One of the challenges facing faculty committed to
creating a transformative curriculum is how to
design a learning community that is reflective
of both our multicultural society and individual
differences among citizens. To teach students to
participate effectively in a democratic and
pluralistic society, one needs to respond to the
needs of various groups within our classes as
well as to individual students. Thus, the
pedagogical challenge of individualism and
diversity within the classroom mirrors that same
challenge within the larger American society.
Effective Teaching for the Multicultural
Classroom Lee Knefelkamp, Professor of Higher and
Adult Education, Teachers College, Columbia
University
4 Teacher Expectations
- Teacher expectations can become self-fulfilling
prophecies. - Positive teacher expectations can improve student
behavior - and increase achievement.
- Every major research study conducted on teacher
effectiveness - has identified high expectation as one of the
correlates associated - with student achievement.
- Source Gollnick,D.M Chinn,C.P.(1998).
Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic Society
5th edition. Columbus, OH Merrill. - Source Good, T.L Brophy, J.E. (1990).
Analyzing Classroom InteractionsA More Powerful
Alternative, Education vol.11 issue3 p.36-42.
5Model for Understanding FactorsInfluencing
Teacher Expectation
Teacher expectations research helps us to
understand the interaction between the affective
and the cognitive domains of learning.
6Behaviors that Communicate Expectations
- The following behaviors that communicate
expectations can be - used in ways to encourage the participation of
all students in the - teaching and learning process.
- Using wait time
- Discussing wrong answers
- Giving appropriate rewards
- Using praise
- Giving unambiguous feedback
- Giving more attention
- Providing role models
- Calling on minority students in a variety of ways
- Changing seating arrangements
- Providing challenges
- Varying types of question
- Encouraging independence
- Establishing rules
- Source Good, T.L Brophy, J.E. (1990).
Analyzing Classroom InteractionsA More Powerful
Alternative, Education vol.11 issue3 p.36-42.
7- Using wait time
- After calling on students, mentally count to
- eight between 3-5 seconds. Give them plenty
- of time to respond to the question asked.
- Discussing wrong answers
- When students give incorrect or incomplete
answers to the - questions asked, probe further with a series
of questions to - help students correct the error.
- Giving appropriate rewards
- Practice rewarding the behavior you want to
encourage. - Focus on the intellectual quality and
demonstrated - performance.
8- Using praise
- Use praise to reinforce academic performance.
- Use praise equally among all of the students
- in the class.
- Avoid overuse of praise
- Provide specific praise for academic skills
- Giving Unambiguous feedback
- When commenting on students performance, give
clear and specific - feedback. State what is right or wrong and
avoid overuse of phrases - like O.K., good, nice try, not quite. These
phrases suggest that the - student is not expected to improve.
9- Giving more attention
- Focus on the students who have received
- less attention from you in the past and
initiate - additional high quality interactions both on a
- one-to-one basis and in groups.
- Provide role models
- Use volunteers and or other school personnel in
the class - who can model positive qualities or
characteristics which - are different from yours. People who are
representative of a different - race, culture, language, sex, interests or
skills to increase students - exposure to others.
10- Calling on minority students in a variety of ways
- Try a variety of question and answer
- responses in the classroom
- Try varying the way you call on all students
- so that you present many opportunities for
- learners to participate.
- Suggestions to include all students are
- ask for volunteers
- choose respondents
- Have one student select respondents
- Pair students and have them respond to each other
- Have one group develop answers while another
groups works on responses -
11- Changing seating arrangements
- Try changing the seating pattern in
- your classroom. A monthly rotation will give
- each student the opportunity to be close to the
teacher. - Provide challenges
- Evaluate the assignments given to students and
make sure - there is an element of challenge for all
learners. - Varying types of questions
- Assess the type of questions you are asking and
concentrate on - asking open-ended, thought provoking question,
which incorporate - a higher level of thinking.
12- Encouraging Independence
- When introducing an activity give each student
the - opportunity to do the task themselves.
- Demonstrate the task again or rephrase
instruction - rather than doing the task for them. Scaffold
portions - of the lesson with them.
- Establishing rules
- Establish classroom rules early on in the school
year. - Have student assist with constructing classroom
rules. - Students who take part in developing classroom
rules - have a sense of ownership to the rules and
follow - the rules.
- Hold all students accountable for following
13Creating a positive classroom environment
- Highly Effective PracticesClassroom Environment
- Arranging the physical environment of the
classroom to support and - teaching learning to benefit all learners in
the classroom. - Arranging the physical environment of the
classroom is one way to improve the learning
environment and to prevent problem behaviors
before they occur. - Research on the classroom environment has shown
that the physical arrangement can affect the
behavior of both students and teachers and that a
well-structured classroom tends to improve
student academic and behavioral outcomes. - Sourcehttp//education.odu.edu/esse/docs/classro
omenvironments.pdf.
14Creating an effective physical classroom
environment
- Every teacher knows that a safe, clean,
comfortable and attractive classroom can
stimulate learning and help build a classroom
community. - You can make the most of your classroom
environment by carefully considering your needs
and the needs of your students.
http//www.teachervision.fen.com/classroom-managem
ent/decorative-arts/6506.html?page1
15Survey your classroom Looking at the basics
- Room dividers should be low so that all areas are
visible to you. - Areas that invite group work should not be next
to quiet areas where students read or study
independently. - Art or other messy areas are best located near a
sink. - You should always be able to make eye contact
with all students. - Many of these guidelines hold true for the middle
and upper grades, too. However, older students
often spend more time seated in one area. Take
your teaching style and lesson plans into
consideration as you consider the different types
of seating arrangements you might employ.
http//www.teachervision.fen.com/classroom-managem
ent/decorative-arts/6506.html?page1
16Seating arrangements
- When setting up a floor plan for students,
consider your teaching style and lesson plans and
make seating arrangements accordingly. Here are a
few options
http//www.teachervision.fen.com/classroom-managem
ent/decorative-arts/6506.html?page1
17By the year 2020 forty percent of the nation will
be African American, Latino, Asian American, and
Native American meaning the United States is
becoming less white and more multicultural.
- Multicultural Education is an educational
strategy that builds on the students culture to
create an effective classroom instruction and
school environment. - Source Gollnick,D.M Chinn,C.P.(1998).
Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic Society
5th edition. Columbus, OH Merrill.
Multicultural Education is an educational
strategy that builds on the students culture to
create an effective classroom instruction and
school environment.
Multicultural Education is an educational
strategy that builds on the students culture to
create an effective classroom instruction and
school environment.
Multicultural Education is an educational
strategy that builds on the students culture to
create an effective classroom instruction and
school environment.
18Cultural awareness in the classroom
- The teacher must create an open classroom and
must not be afraid to discuss cultural
differences. - An open classroom will create communication and
in turn will establish a positive learning
environment. - The teacher should introduce the language and
culture of all their students for this
demonstrates that their culture is important. - Source www.edchange.org/multicultural/papers/bu
ildingblocks.html
19Discovering diversity
- Takes creativity
- Extra effort
- Diligence
- Courage on the teacher's part
- Source www.edchange.org/multicultural/papers/bui
ldingblocks.html
20Foundation for a multicultural classroom
- A multicultural classroom must thrive on these
differences and use them as a foundation for
growth and development. - Differences command work, resolution, openness,
and understanding. - Teachers who address these differences and add
them to the curriculum will succeed in creating a
multicultural classroom that will advance the
educational goals of all students. - Source www.edchange.org/multicultural/papers/bui
ldingblocks.html
21Accepting differences in the classroom
- Teachers in multicultural classrooms must be open
to their students and put forth the effort needed
to get to know their students inside and outside
of the class. - Teachers must be interested in their students,
fearless, willing to try new - and different things, sure of themselves in
order to avoid taking things personally,
an non-judgmental of his or her students. - Teachers must be open to what the students are
doing and find out why they do what they do. This
openness will create communication in the class,
which will ultimately develop into a classroom
that is learning, understanding, and culturally
fluent. - Source www.edchange.org/multicultural/papers/bui
ldingblocks.html -
22Learning patterns
- Teachers must be familiar with the learning
patterns of the students in their - class.
- They must be able to understand the learning
patterns of the students who - grew up in a culture other than their own.
- Israeli children, for example, are taught to
readily criticize an instructor who they feel is
saying something that is incorrect while
Vietnamese children will not say a word during
class unless called upon to regurgitate memorized
material. - An open teacher will create an open class and an
open class will have open lines of communication.
That will create a positive and beneficial
learning environment for everyone. - Source www.edchange.org/multicultural/papers/bui
ldingblocks.html
23Expanding the classroom
.
- Multicultural classrooms incorporate content from
different - cultures EVERYDAY so that all cultures are
considered - valuable and wonderful.
- Howard M. Miller suggests that one very simple
way for ALL teachers to add multicultural ideas
and content to his or her curriculum is to build
a classroom library of multicultural literature.
No matter what subject you teach you can build a
library of books by and/or about different
cultures. A math book written by an
African-American man or woman will send good
messages to a population of students that has
seen math books that exclusively features the
writing style and craftsmanship of a
European-American. Incorporating multicultural
literature in to the class is very important. - Source www.edchange.org/multicultural/papers/bui
ldingblocks.html
24Classroom bulletin boards
- Interesting and attractive visual aids, such as
bulletin boards and posters, are key components
of an effective classroom. Wall decorations
should be colorful, appealing and relevant to
current class work. They should be rotated and
refreshed frequently. - Be sure to think about the cultural backgrounds
of your students when dressing the walls. Try to
represent your students' diversity on posters or
bulletin boards. - Source http//www.teachervision.fen.com/classroom
-management/decorative-arts/6506.html?page2
25 A multicultural classroom is one in which both
the students and the teacher are accepting of
all races, culture, and religions. This
acceptance is evident by the books that read,
the activities that are completed, and the
lessons that are taught. Source
www.pages.com/multicultural/.html
26Bibliography
- Gollnick, D.M. Chinn, P.C. (1998).
Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic Society.
- (5thed.). Columbus, OH Merrill
- Wan, G. (2006). Teaching Diversity And Tolerance
In The Classroom A Thematic - Storybook Approach. Education vol. 127,
issue 1 p. 140-154. - Boutte, Gloria S. and Christine McCormick.
(1992). Authentic Multicultural - ActivitiesAvoiding Pseudomulticulturalism.
Childhood Education vol. 68 issue 2 p.140 -144. - Source Good, T.L Brophy, J.E. (1990).
Analyzing Classroom InteractionsA More Powerful
Alternative, Education vol.11 issue3 p.36-42.
27Bibliography
- www.edchange.org/multicultural/papers/
buidingblocks.html - http//www.teachervision.fen.com/classroom-managem
ent/decorative-arts/6506.html?page1 - http//www.teachervision.fen.com/classroom-managem
ent/decorative-arts/6506.html?page2 - http//www.teachervision.fen.com/classroom-managem
ent/teaching-methods-and-management/6507.html - http//www.diversityweb.org/Digest/F97/curriculum.
html - www.pages.com/multicultural/.html
- http//education.odu.edu/esse/docs/classroomenviro
nments.pdf.