Common Beliefs Log Reflection and Diversity Activity Log

Walden University

Enhancing Learning for Diverse Populations – EDUC 6616j

April 8, 2019

Reflecting on Diversity Activity Log

Module 2:

Race, Ethnicity, To Complete

Culture, and

Learning

1. Rate items 1, 3, 4, 9, 12, and 13 from the Common Beliefs Survey and record your initial thoughts for each in the Activity Results column.
2. Review the background information for each item in the Common Beliefs document and record in the Activity Results column whether your opinion on

Activity Results

Common Belief #1: I don’t think of my students in terms of their race or ethnicity. I am color blind when it comes to my teaching.

Initial Rating: My initial rating was (1) strongly disagree. I feel everyone is different and as individuals we need to embrace and accept differences such as Personal Reflection

I feel it is crucial to acknowledge individual cultures and traditions with an open mind. The term interculturality refers to the process of accepting differences, respecting personal values and different cultures. According to Eftimie, “it is essential to promote the cultural differences, resulting in supporting children and their learning environments resulting in the sense of security (2016). The more students display an understanding for each other, the quicker they will value each other ‘s differences when students have a feeling of acceptance their sense of

each changed after reading the background information.

1. Select 1-2 Questions to Consider from the Common Beliefs document to answer for each item. Conduct your own research on the topic and identify 1-2 peerreviewed resources to reference in your response.
2. Compose a cohesive answer to your selected questions which includes citations from your peer-reviewed resources, and specific reference to your own classroom and/or the underserved population you identified in your Module 1 Assignment. Record your answer in the Personal Reflection column.

cultures, languages, different traditions, and ways of life. My personal opinion is everyone is capable of accepting individual differences by remaining unbiased while recognizes personal differences.

Post Rating: My post rating is (1) strongly disagree. I feel it is crucial for teachers to accept student differences and beliefs with an understanding of those makes the individual. We should never discriminate instead of recognizing different cultures.

Questions to Consider:

1. Why is it important to incorporate their identities into the curriculum?
2. What happens when teachers don’t validate their students’ racial and ethnic identities?

Common Belief #3: Teachers must adapt their instructional practices with distinctive cultures including African Americans, Latino, Asian, and Native American students.

Initial Rating: (3) Neutral. It is crucial for teachers to adapt appropriately to all learners.

Post Rating: (3) Neutral. It is critical for teachers to take the time and learn about the safety while at school increases.

My school is made up of a diverse group of students. In my opinion, the English Language Learners (ELL) are the largest subgroup being underserved. Majority of my ELL students this school year are Spanish. This subgroup changes each year.

I teach mathematics to all the ELL students in third-grade. Teaching ELL students can be a challenge and have learned to be open-minded while supporting them when needed. My colleagues and I collaboratively plan weekly looking for ways to grab their attention and interest. My grade level is fortunate to have an ESOL teacher for half of the day. The ELA teacher has exposed students to not only the American culture through comprehension passages but, other countries as well. My ELL students share with me the traditions of their cultures. Being able to talk about their different cultures is a sign of engagement.

I feel it is imperative for teachers to learn and know their students not as subgroups but as individuals. Studies have proven teachers need to be more culturally responsive with their students. Getting to know students can be accomplished in many ways. Some examples are taking the time to learn about different cultures, changing the curriculum to integrate cultures or personally sharing their own culture to display support resulting in students be more open about their lifestyles (Schulz, Hurt, & Lindo, 2014). It is vital for all students to feel they can express themselves. As a teacher, I believe it is critical to get to know my students and build motivational relationships. The more I know about my students, the better I can support them in making connections within their learning.

cultures of their students and take information learned and incorporate into lessons. It is essential not to generalize and different mix-up subgroups.

Questions to Consider:

1. What are some ways in which teachers can view the cultures of their students without stereotyping them?

3. What is culturally relevant pedagogy?

Common Belief # 4: In some cultures, students are embarrassed to speak in front of others, so I take this into account and don’t call on these students in the class.

Initial Rating: (4) Agree. Cultures are very different, and teachers should not hold every student to a certain standard such as eye contact or forcing them to speak to a whole class. A teacher at my school shared at a faculty meeting about a student who often doesn’t look at authority figures in the eyes and this because it is not a norm in their culture.

Post Rating: (3) Neutral. It is crucial to value the cultures and know the differences. It is just as essential to help students grow socially by expressing themselves. If students do not share their ideas, it causes The curriculum must be relevant to the different cultures to ensure students understand themselves as individuals. Parker states that integrating learning within teaching encourages students to critical think of their own culture and can produce more independent responses and perspectives (2016). Two of my ESOL students refer to themselves as Mexicans. It is my goal to incorporate reading materials that represent Mexican culture; I am curious to see how it engages students and what responses they construct. My colleagues and I differentiate instruction by integrating students’ backgrounds and cultures into daily teaching. We have witnessed much discourse when students are capable of making connections.

them to have lower self-confidence, learning or development.

Questions to consider:

1. How does a culturally relevant curriculum validate the cultural identity of students?

Common Belief # 9: Students of different races and ethnicities often have different learning styles, and good teachers will match their instruction to these learning styles.

Initial Rating: (4) Agree. I believe the needs of children must be met to support their learning.

Post Rating: (3) Neutral. It is crucial for teachers to adapt and modify instruction based on the needs of the students. However, expectations should not be lowered.

Questions to Consider: What are some ways that educators can have high expectations of their students while acknowledging their individual needs?

Common Belief # 12: With all the pressures to raise student achievement, finding and

It is crucial for educators to support individual students and their needs to enhance their academic growth while not taking away the high expectations. The following subgroups are underserved within my school, ESOL students, Special Education students, 504 students, and students who need a little extra support. When working with these groups of students, it is imperative the expectations are clear and repeated often. High expectations are practiced by stating clear expectations for students to understand and follow, allow students to work in flexible groups (Rubie-Davies, Peterson, Sibley, and Rosenthal, 2015). I use flexible grouping in my Mathematics classroom when creating my station rotation groups. I form groups who will support each other, can discuss their ideas, are eager to learn from each other, and learn to work together cooperatively.

According to Russell, it is essential to make connections with students and provide students the opportunity to express their voice and ideas (2018). A goal for me at the beginning of each school year is to build motivational relationships with each of my students. I feel each student using examples of the cultural, historic and everyday lived experiences of my students takes valuable away (or could take away) time from teaching and learning what matters most.

Initial Rating: (2) Disagree. For students to make connections, they must build on what they already know. Different cultural, historical, and everyday experiences present valuable lessons students need to advance their learning.

Post Rating: (2) Disagree. Students disengage when they do not make connections or do not have a clear understanding. I am not an advocate for standardized testing. I do not feel it is right to identify students by numbers representing their knowledge or capability.

Questions to Consider: How might you make time to better understand your students, even in a climate that favors high-stakes test preparation over student-teacher relationships?

Common Belief # 13: Talking about race with my colleagues could open up a can of worms- little good is likely to come from it. is valuable and it excites me to learn what makes them tick. As I pre-assess my students, I learn what they know and what areas they need assistance. I incorporate realworld situations in my daily instruction. I provide my student’s lots of opportunities to communicate with me one-on-one. I have a mailbox where they can write me notes, have an open-door policy where they can come before school or after dismissal if they need to talk. I feel providing time for my students to speak and share their feelings is important because it builds our relationship as well as it helps me understand their background knowledge.

I believe it is essential to feel comfortable to discuss issues around race openly. Having open conversations about race gives teachers and students the feeling of safety and acceptance. Many teachers at my school are Caucasian while the student population is eighty-five percent African American or other races. One of the responsibilities of being a teacher is to maintain an unbiased opinion of different cultures, be aware of thoughts, gestures, and

Initial Rating: (3) Neutral. I am on a six words that may impact others. Buchanan explained the person team. One of my teammates is importance for teachers to be mindful of their cultural African American, one is a male, and the understandings. A study revealed some teachers were other four are Caucasian females. closed minded due to the influences in their personal life such as experiences, family, and friends (2015). During a Discussions about race are nonexistent meet and greet professional development meeting at the among my team. The vision of my school beginning of the year one of the new teachers at my is everyone is the same, and no one should school described the missionary work they had completed be treated differently based on age, race or with children in another country. He explained how he sex. We are going through the process to has knowledge of the challenges of teaching students with become a Leader and Me school. When different backgrounds but, it excited him to learn about the different cultures as well as share with his students his looking at the paradigm of what makes a experiences working with children from a different

leader, the topic of race came up making country and culture. the discussion uncomfortable.

Post Rating: (2) Disagree. The discussion of race can be uncomfortable and cause people anxiety. The study of race is not always a negative topic. Having conversations on race allows individuals to become more culturally aware.

Question to Consider:

1. Why is it important to openly discuss issues that are seen as having racial dimensions?

Module 3:

Socioeconomic To Complete Activity Results Personal Reflection status, immigrant

status, linguistic 1. Rate items 2, 5, and 6 from Common Belief #2: The gap in the According to Kohli, to help dismantle misconceptions and diversity, and the Common Beliefs Survey achievement among students of different racial bias, we can educate ourselves through discussion and record your initial

learning thoughts for each in the

Activity Results column.

1. Review the background information for each item in the Common Beliefs document and record in the Activity Results column whether your opinion on each changed after reading the background information.
2. Select 1-2 Questions to Consider from the Common Beliefs document to answer for each item. Conduct your own research on the topic and identify 1-2 peer reviewed resources to reference in your response.
3. Compose a cohesive answer to your selected questions which includes citations from your peer reviewed resources, and specific reference to your own classroom and/or the underserved population you identified in your Module 1 Assignment. Record your answer in the Personal Reflection column.

races is about poverty, not race.

Initial Rating: (3) Neutral. There are many different reasons to explain whether a student is academically proficiency or not. Examples of those reasons are different languages, life circumstances, or specific disability. I feel it is not fair to assume race and poverty are the only factors affecting the academic performance of individual students.

Post Rating: (3) Neutral. I feel it is crucial to factor different racial influences when looking at the academic growth of students. It is vital to highlight and recognize the academic growth of all different races.

Questions to Consider:

1. How does “stereotype threat” bring race to the surface in (a) understanding student achievement and (b) fostering productive student-teacher relationships?

3. What can be done to dismantle racial bias and misconceptions in the American educational system?

Common Belief # 5: When students come from homes where educational achievement is not a high priority, they often don’t do their homework, and their parents don’t come to school events. This lack of parental support undermines my efforts to teach these students.

and experiences. While it is uncomfortable, it is essential the community and leaders stand up to cultural prejudices and racism (2008). Interviews, conferences, professional development meetings, and actively seeking ways for cultures to be expressed are ways teachers and leaders can educate themselves on different cultures. Teachers with open minds and create opportunities to showcase different cultures to empower students. Majority of our special education students are African American. I often hear them putting themselves down and say they can’t complete a task. Most of the time they tell me their parents didn’t understand a mathematics question on nightly homework. The influences which surround our students are uncontrollable, but once a motivational relationship occurs between the student and teacher confidence can be created within the student.

There are many challenges as to why parents have a hard time getting involved in their students’ school. Some of those challenges could include time, work, transportation or language barriers. The use of technology has been an easy, effective way for teachers and parents to communicate (Olmstead, 2013). My school uses dojo for

Initial Rating: (3) Neutral. It does not matter the lack of support my students receive; I still believe students need to provide an opportunity to display their best. For some of my students who earn very little help at home with homework will come to school early and do their homework while eating breakfast.

Post Rating: (2) Disagree. Students who come from different cultures may speak English as a second language at home. The lack of parental support can make teaching a little more challenging, but that doesn’t mean these students should be given up on because they aren’t receiving parental support at home. I see it as a challenge which drives my want to be a better teacher and give these students what they are missing at home. I take on the role of mommy as well as the teacher.

Question to Consider:

2 . How can educators invite and encourage the involvement of families? Common Belief #6: It is not fair to ask students who are struggling with English to take on challenging academic assignments.

Initial Rating: (4) Agree. I agree students who struggle with English are more likely to struggle with assignments requiring them to read. The downfall of having ESOL students complete fewer challenging assignments is they have the possibility of falling behind and staying behind.

95% of their parent communication. I send out weekly newsletters, last minute reminders, and assignments through dojo. Using dojo as a means of communicating with parents allows information accessible at home. Our county gives parents access to their student’s grades and attendance through Infinite Campus Parent Portal. Our digital marquee also offers parents and the community informed of currents events happening within the school. Any resource that goes home via paper has a Spanish version for our ESOL families.

Goldsmith validates the importance of providing time and opportunities for students to express themselves through class meetings, think-pair-share, and group discussions (2013). I have implemented each of the opportunities Goldsmith describes in my classroom instruction. The strategy think-pair-share has shown to be the most effective strategy in my classroom. When using the strategy think-pair-share, I must take into consideration which I partner together for the best results. I usually pair students in groups of three. I always match my ESOL

students with another ESOL student so, they feel confident Post Rating: (3) Neutral. Teachers should enough to participate in the group’s discussion. Having a have high expectations and engage all third person in the group keeps the focus on the topic they student learners. ESOL students need extra are discussing. Listening to think-pair-share groups allow support for them to have the same learning me to hear my student’s critical thinking and reasoning for opportunities as their classmates. solving presented problems.

Questions to Consider:

1. How can teachers both view and utilize students’ home language in a positive manner?

Module 4:

Diverse abilities To Complete Activity Results Personal Reflection and learning

1. Rate items 7, 8, 10, and 11 from the Common Beliefs Survey and record your initial thoughts for each in the Activity Results column.
2. Review the background information for each item in the Common Beliefs document and record in the Activity Results column whether your opinion on each changed after reading the background information.
3. Select 1-2 Questions to Consider from the Common Beliefs document to answer for each item. Conduct your own research on the topic and identify 1-2 peer reviewed resources to reference in your response.

Common Belief # 7: I believe that I should reward students who try hard, even if they are not doing well in school because building their self-esteem is important.

Initial Rating: (4) Agree. I feel it is essential for students to be motivated and encouraged to grow their academic knowledge. Even as an adult, there have been times where I got an incorrect answer. Getting the wrong answer makes me feel upset and unintelligent. I know my students feel the same way when they get the wrong answers. I try to spotlight excellent student work to build confidence among my students as well as teaching them the importance of encouraging each other.

Post Rating: (3) Neutral. I believe it is vital Teachers need to keep in mind how they are motivating students while increasing academic expectations. Positive reinforcement helps students tremendously when given effectively. There are different ways to provide positive recognition and feedback such as focusing on the student’s accomplishments and not the intelligence of the student (Dweck, 2007). When students are working towards a common goal, specific feedback on tasks completed correctly gives the student an understanding of what they have mastered as well as what they need to continue working at to meet mastery. I hear my co-teacher repeatedly praises the special education students by saying “You are so smart” and “Wow, brilliant work and use of your brain.” Witnessing the happy faces and smiles on students faces when being praised as well as their eagerness to go the extra mile excites me as a teacher. For example, my students were required to complete a Geometry Photography Project, taking pictures of geometric vocabulary all around us, wrote explanations for why they chose the picture they did in relations to

1. Compose a cohesive answer to your selected questions which includes citations from your peer reviewed resources, and specific reference to your own classroom and/or the underserved population you identified in your Module 1 Assignment. Record your answer in the Personal Reflection column.

to build each student’s confidence and access their understanding of the message I am giving them. I never want a student to feel like I lowered the expectation for them individually. It is a process to guide students toward meeting challenging academic goals.

Questions to Consider:

1. What do teachers need to keep in mind as they raise the learning expectations for students who are not as confident in their capabilities as learners?

Common Belief # 8: I try and keep in mind the limits of my students’ abilities and give them assignments that I know they can do so that they do not become discouraged.

Initial Rating: (4) Agree. I never want my students to feel discouraged. My goal is for them to understand and master the standard taught. If students are motivated and follow the standards taught they would have the ability to continue growing their academic knowledge.

Post Rating: (4) Agree. I know the effects of lowering expectations. My students believe me when I tell them they are capable of success in completing tasks. When I start each unit, I always remind students they are at the beginning and will continue to grow as we master the standards within the unit. I also set the expectations and introduce the objectives Geometry, and bind it together in scrapbook form. Part of the grading rubric included a class presentation of their projects. Watching my special education, ESOL students, gifted students, and others present their projects gave me a sense of pride. Nothing tops the peer feedback and encouragement to present in front of the class they gave each other was priceless.

Each student has a different level of abilities. As a teacher, it is essential for me to maintain high expectations to challenge my students resulting in students reaching their highest academic achievement. Mockler explained how important collaboration with a team is to guarantee high hopes held for all students (2014). Students may need a variety of support to achieve high academic expectations. Examples of support may include communication, scaffolding, aids, or special education services. These supports are put in place to help the individual student with their learning needs. The special education students I teach have an understanding that my co-teacher and I are present to aid in the assistance they need to be academically successful. When support is given to the special education students, my co-teacher and I are also providing skills they need to be independent learners. When students become more independent and responsible for their learning, they become more excited about their academic achievement and growth. They start to take ownership of their abilities.

for the unit.

Questions to Consider:

1. What are some ways that educators can simultaneously have high expectations of their students and acknowledge their individual needs?

Common Belief # 10: Grouping students of different levels of achievement for instruction may benefit some students, but it can undermine the progress that could otherwise be made by higher-achieving students.

Initial Rating: (2) Disagree. In my classroom, I group students by academic levels, mastery of skills, abilities, personalities, flexible grouping, and randomly. I arrange the students depending on the outcome I want my students to achieve.

Post Rating: (3) Neutral. I believe students can be cooperatively grouped based on their different academic levels or abilities. Using flexible grouping can create challenges but, the problems are resolved by giving specific instruction to individual students.

Questions to Consider:

1. What are some strategic approaches to using group learning in the classroom?

Common Belief # 11: Before students are asked to engage in complex learning tasks, Student groups should be created based on the lesson topic or the desired objective outcome. Most of my groups are generated based on their STAR Math grade equivalency scores. It would not be fair for me to expect a child who is performing at the beginning of third-grade level math, fourth-grade standard tasks. The use of flexible grouping generates many positives because students of different abilities are pair-sharing their thoughts and ideas. I have seen students who effectively work together learn from each other. According to Freitas & et al., providing specific instructions can help enhance individuals learning with their groups which are mapped out using different concepts and identifying students’ individual skills (2016). I use this strategy in my classroom by giving my students a pre-assessment at the beginning of each unit. I then create my center groups based on the evidence collected from the pre-assessment. I pair students who know the standard with students who need more instruction. Pairing students this way allows some students the ability to take on more of a leadership role and help guide one’s in their group who needs more instruction.

they need to have a solid grasp of basic skills.

Initial Rating: (4) Agree. I feel it is essential for students to have a foundation and the necessary skills to increase their academic knowledge.

Post Rating: (3) Neural. I feel it is vital to cover basic skills. However, it is equally important to present challenging tasks as well. Students must have basic skills, but they need to be able to apply them when working on completing a complex learning assignment.

Questions to Consider:

1. What are some ways to incorporate complex problem-solving in basic-skills assignments?

It is essential for students to have a solid understanding of basic and foundational skills. Students need exposure to complex problem-solving tasks. The teacher can integrate higher thinking and basic skills. Examples of ways teachers can incorporate higher thinking, and basic skills are allowing peer support, give problems that engage their interest, and assign problems that are self- directed (Samson, 2015). A couple of my ESOL students have difficulties understanding mathematics vocabulary. They feel comfortable enough to ask their peers for clarification when in stations working on the standards. After their peers correct their misconceptions, they can adjust their mistakes and apply their new knowledge.