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6.1: What is Inclusion?

By Emily Mitchell

"Inclusion is being a part of what everyone else is, being welcomed and embraced as a member who belongs." (Tomko,1996)

Introduction

After working as a special education aide for a year, I have developed an interest in this topic. Loneliness and fear are something we all feel when we are different from everyone else. When everyone else seems to get along and understand one another, and we are left out, we feel inferior and worthless. We would feel even more worthless if someone told us that we were not good enough to be with everyone else. We cannot talk and play with the other kids because we slow them down. The practice of inclusion attempts to help students with disabilities avoid these feelings of fear, isolation and worthlessness. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), updated in 2004, provides students with disabilities the right to a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment possible. Inclusion attempts to provide this education for students with disabilities and now many school systems throughout the country practice it. Inclusive education comes with benefits as well as downsides.

Definition

Schools are not required to include students with disabilities in the general education classroom, but are required to provide them with the most appropriate education in the least restrictive environment. Including a student in the general education classroom is the best solution, if possible. This means the student is taught with his non-disabled peers and has full access to the general education curriculum, extracurricular activities and other programs available to non-disabled students. If a student is capable of being successful in this environment, it is difficult for schools to justify isolating him in a special classroom or special school. A team of educators, specialists and parents construct an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) to ensure that the student’s educational needs are being met. If the decision is made to keep the student from the general education classroom, this team must have valid reasons why that environment is not appropriate for the student (Stout 2007). In order to allow students to be successful in the least restrictive environment, schools use paraprofessionals or co teaching to help the student integrate into the general education classroom (Scruggs, Mastropieri, & Mcduffie, 2007). The idea of inclusion does not relate to academics alone. Students with disabilities are included in the community of the class and school as well. Inclusion encourages students to be a part of the classroom both academically and socially (Burke & Sutherland, 2004).

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What does Inclusion Look Like?

A student who attends an inclusive school spends the majority of his school day in the general education classroom, with other students his age. Depending on the level of his disability, he will have an aide assigned to shadow him throughout the day and help him when necessary. The job of the aide is to help enable the student to be successful, while allowing the student to gain independence and confidence in the process. The aide helps to adapt materials and find resources that will help the child function well in the general education classroom. A school practicing inclusion seeks to adapt the classroom in order to meet the needs of students with disabilities (Burke & Sutherland, 2004). A student is not thrown into a classroom and expected to function like everyone else. His teachers must adapt their curriculum and practices to ensure his success. In order for inclusion to be successful, teachers must be comfortable teaching students with disabilities. Many general education teachers do not feel equipped to handle the issues associated with these students. In the article, “Attitudes Toward Inclusion: Knowledge vs. Experience”, authors Burke and Sutherland (2004) explain that many teachers will leave the teaching profession after being exposed to an inclusive classroom they feel unequipped to handle. The authors later stated that teachers who received the most intense training to work with students with disabilities were the most successful in an inclusive classroom. The general classroom teacher must be willing to help include the student, for inclusive education, to work. Authors Griffin, Otis-Wilborn and Winn (2005)in their article, “Beginning Special Educators' Forays into General Education”, also stress the importance of preparing teachers to be successful in an inclusive setting. They explain that many special education teachers are not prepared for inclusion either. The article states, “many special education teachers are lacking knowledge of general classroom curriculum and pedagogy, skills to accommodate resources effectively for their students and strategies for clarifying roles and for collaborating with general classroom teachers”. In order for inclusive education to be successful, all members of a student’s educational team must be equipped to deal with that student’s needs.

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Inclusion Impacts all Members of the School Community

Many wonder what effect inclusion has on non-disabled students in an inclusive classroom. In the article “Parent Perception of the Impacts of Inclusion on their Nondisabled Child” authors Gallucci, Peck, and Staub (2004) report a study done to find out what impact inclusion has on non-disabled students. The authors cite a study that surveyed eighty-one parents whose children were in elementary classrooms with students with severe disabilities. Eighty percent of these parents reported that they believed their children were gaining positive social and emotional growth. Over ninety percent believed their child’s experience with a classmate with a disability was positive. Not all parents or community members agree with the parents surveyed, however. While working as an aide I had a student with autism who tended to display extremely aggressive behavior. He began the year in the general classroom, but after biting and scratching the same child twice, he was removed. The parent of the child who had been bitten demanded that the child with autism be separated from his child. The decision was made to remove the child with autism from his general education classroom and place him in the special education classroom alone. For the second half of the year, this child spent the majority of his school day being educated by aides and isolated from his classmates. He spent thirty minutes a day with a licensed teacher. Inclusion causes a problem when the student is unable to function successfully in the general classroom, or when the parents of the non-disabled children are unwilling to cooperate with the efforts of the teachers and aides to include that student.

Issues with Inclusion

Authors Griffin et al. (2005) speak to other issues that arise in an inclusive classroom. Some teachers are unwilling to dedicate the extra energy and work necessary to include a student with disabilities in their classroom. In addition, confusion can arise over who is primarily responsible for the student’s education. General classroom teachers do not necessarily take responsibility for the student and the collaboration of all members of a student’s educational team is crucial to that student’s success. Effective communication between general and special education teachers can be another challenge of inclusion. The student may not feel safe or supported in the classroom and will not be as successful as a result. At the beginning of the school year, one of my students with autism communicated to his teacher that he did not want to do his work because he did not think she believed he was smart. The student learned to trust her, and things improved overall. Students with disabilities need to feel wanted in the general education classroom or they will be less successful. If the teachers involved do not communicate, or if the general education teacher refuses to reach out to the student, he will not be successful in an inclusive environment.According to Margaret Hoban a couple of the problems faced by teachers that teach inclusion classes is the little teacher prep time and limited resources and the need for extra professional development dealing with inclusion. As well as, the officials applying more effort to developing the inclusion model and monitor their success more efficiently.http://escholarship.bc.edu). The states are now requiring more and more standardized and comprehensive testing. Teachers are already overwhelmed and are sometimes unable to meet the schools and states request for academic accountability and achievement. When teacers have an inclusive classroom, they are put under more pressure and strain. Another problem that is dealt with inclusion is labeling. You hear that a child for instance has ADHD the child is automatically seen as a problem child, and the teacher usually has a low learning expectation of the student. This can and does affect the child’s learning and behavior. According yo Deloney and Thompkins, regular students in inclusive classes do not get the full learning time allotted to them. A lot of the time, their education is interrupted because of the students with disabilities. Either the teacher has to stop their teaching process because of behavior problems, outbursts/distractions, or explaining thngs over and over. You also have the teachers that really do not understand or really want to teach in such an environment could do much to undermine the potentially positive benefits of inclusion.

Those Who Like It

Although, there are parents, teachers and administrators who are not in favor of the inclusive classroom, there are those who think that inclusion has a lot of positive benefits. socialization is a key factor to this. Many parents, teachers and administrators feel that students with disabilities that are in inclusive classrooms have higher self concept about themselves and achieve at higher levels when with their peers (Deloney, Thonpkins). They have "normal" role models and therefore, know what age appropriate behavior is supposed to be. Children learn from each other and will learn how to act and how not to act during certain settings and situations. Scholars also think that the regular students benefit from being in an inclusive class. They will learn to accept differences among people, and become more accepting towards peoples differences as they get older. This acceptance may cause them to have a diverse set of friends. Having students with disabilities in their class will encourage cooperation and patience. Traits that will be good to have growing up

Improving the Inclusion Model

Some improvements that can be made on existing models can be made to better the quality of learning for both the special ed and the non special ed students. Such as “increasing, the quality time spent with getting disability children to focus on material through enhanced and stimulating communications”. This can be by using power points. Children are growing up on computers and to just teach via lecture and note taking may not be right for a special needs student. I have found jeopardy websites dealing with topics that I have taught in classes and the students really love these. They are all done via power point. I noticed an increase in test grades dealing with the topics that I have played the jeopardy games with as well as other games. The students really enjoy competing with one another. We have hangman and spelling word whomps with our spelling words every week. This as well has increased the spelling test grades. Teachers can also allow more time for the organization of information just received. It is proven that students with disabilities need more time to organize and apply the information that they just learned.

Conclusion

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requires that a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment be provided to all students with disabilities. As a result, general and special education teachers must work together to provide the best education for their students with disabilities. This process can be rewarding for everyone involved if they are willing to expand their comfort zones and are willing to work at including the student. Inclusion is not an easy process. As with all educational practices, inclusion has strengths and weaknesses. In light of this reality, educators and parents must determine what educational plan will best meet the individual student’s needs and work to successfully implement that plan. Ideally, the student will feel included in the general education classroom both socially and academically and will receive the best education possible.

References

Improvements on Inclusion in Schools retrieved April 14, 2008 from curry.edschool.virginia.edu/go/cise/ose/information/uvald/inclusion.html

Burke, K., & Sutherland, C. (2004). Attitudes Toward Inclusion: Knowledge vs. Experience. Education 125(2). Retrieved January 31, 2008 from WilsonWeb database.

Deloney, Pat, and Richard Thonpkins. Inclusion: The Pros and Cons: Issues About Change 4 (3). Retrieved April 18, 2008 from http://www.sedl.org/pubs/catalog/items/cha05.html.

Gallucci, C., Peck, C. A., & Staub, D. (2004). Parent Perception of the Impacts of Inclusion on their Nondisabled Child. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities 29 (2). Retrieved January 31, 2008 from WilsonWeb database.

Griffin, C., Otis-Wilborn, A., & Winn, J. (2005). Beginning Special Educators' Forays into General Education. Teacher Education and Special Education 28 (3/4). Retrieved January 31, 2008 from WilsonWeb database.

Hoban, Margaret 2007 retrieved April 3, 2008 from (http://escholarship.bc.edu)

Scruggs, T. E., Mastropieri, M. A., & Mcduffie, K. A. (2007). Co-Teaching in Inclusive Classrooms: A Metasynthesis of Qualitative Research. Exceptional Children, 73 (4). Retrieved January 31, 2008 from WilsonWeb database.

Stout, K. S. (2007). Special Education Inclusion. Wisconsin Education Association Council. Retrieved February 15 from www.weac.org/resource/june96/speced.htm

Tomko, C. F. (1996) What is Inclusion? Kids Together Inc. Retrieved February 15 from http://www.kidstogether.org/inclusion.htm.

Wikipedia (2007). Least Restrictive Environment. Retrieved January 31, 2008 from http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Least_Restrictive_Environment.

This page titled 6.1: What is Inclusion? is shared under a CC BY-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Jennfer Kidd, Jamie Kaufman, Peter Baker, Patrick O'Shea, Dwight Allen, & Old Dominion U students.

• 5.1: What is Inclusion? by Jennfer Kidd, Jamie Kaufman, Peter Baker, Patrick O'Shea, Dwight Allen, & Old Dominion U students is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

6.2: What can be done to handle students with ADHD in the classroom?

by Amy B. Williams

Learning Objectives

• Be able to recognize symptoms of ADHD.

• Comprehend the need for behavioral modification to be used in the classroom with an ADHD student.

• Be able to differentiate between positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement.

• Understand the important role of the teacher in making a connection with the ADHD student.

Introduction

It is inevitable in a teacher's career that a student diagnosed with ADHD will be present in their classroom. It will most likely be one of the biggest challenges a teacher can face. They can experience frustration and exhaustion, which will then trickle down to the rest of their students in the classroom. Turning the event of having a student with ADHD into a positive experience, incorporating behavioral modifications, and using classroom techniques will result in success. Success for the teacher, the ADHD student and the entire classroom. Behavior modifications and classroom modifications can be the lifeline for a teacher with an ADHD student, but more importantly, they teach the student very valuable skills to exist within the confines of their diagnosis.

Note

http://www.ed.gov/teachers/needs/speced/adhd/adhd-resource-pt2.pdf

Teaching Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Instructional Strategies And Practices

Written by the U.S Department of Education and covers everything from how to identify ADHD, great teacher strategies to classroom seating plans. It is 32 pages full of everything a teacher needs to survive in the classroom!

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It's Everywhere, It's Everywhere: Statistical Data and Information

Let's begin by briefly looking into the scientific data to allow for a better understanding of ADHD. ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The American Psychiatric Association defines ADHD as a "persistent pattern of inattention or hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more frequently displayed and more severe than is typically observed in individuals at a comparable level of development" (Diagnostics and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 2000, p. 85). ADD stands for Attention Deficit Disorder and is also a form of ADHD. ADD is not accompanied by hyperactivity (Swanson, 2007). Barkley discusses in his book the staggering toll that ADHD has unleashed on society. He conservatively estimates that 1-2 ADHD students will be present in every classroom in the United States. This breaks down to 2.5 million school-age students that are diagnosed with ADHD or 5-8% of all children attending school (Barkley, 2005). So in every classroom there will most likely be two students diagnosed with ADHD. Teachers are going to have to be proactive by understanding the symptoms of ADHD so let's discuss some a teacher might encounter with an ADHD student.

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You're So Smart Now Act Like It: Characteristics of ADHD

Not too uncommon words from a teacher who is frustrated with a student's behavior who they feel is bright and clever, but just can't get to the final stage in a project, sentence or thought. Teachers also witness the impulsive, unorganized, and easily distracted student, along with the fidgety hands, excessive talking, forgetfulness and inability to stay in their seat (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 2000). In Charles's book, he discusses a hidden meaning behind the inappropriate behavior of a student with ADHD. The hidden meaning is a cry for help saying "reach me and their desire for a connection with their teacher and to be accepted" (Charles, 2008, p. 167). Teachers can look at the glass half-full or half-empty when dealing with a student with ADHD. Making a connection with the student and incorporating behavior and classroom modifications will yield a higher success rate.

Dr. Pavlov, May I Use A Dog Or Two?: Behavior Modification

Two words can sum up the teacher's approach to the ADHD student in the classroom: behavior modification. It will be their life preserver when dealing with the student by using both positive and negative reinforcement. Let's look closer into just what positive and negative reinforcement consists of:

Note

http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/learning/teacher.shtml

Classroom Interventions for Children with ADHD

Outstanding website for teachers to use in the classroom that is full of ideas and strategies. It gives different scenarios with appropriate accommodations that should be made.

Don't enter the classroom without it!

Positive Reinforcement

Negative Reinforcement

Behavior modification is a useful and positive tool that emphasizes appropriate behavior instead of inappropriate behavior. In addition to behavior modification, there are some other techniques teachers can also incorporate inside the classroom. Let's take a closer look at some of these techniques in the next section.

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Tricks Of The Trade: Classroom Modifications

Not only is behavioral modification and reinforcement pivotal in dealing with ADHD students, but just as imperative are classroom modifications. One simply cannot have one without the other. This is really what it is all about: surviving and keeping control of the classroom. Let's take a closer look at the following techniques, which can be used as a cheat sheet for teachers in dealing with ADHD students:

It's a great idea to have a copy of these techniques handy, even laminated, to reference them quickly when just beginning to teach a student with ADHD.

Note

user.cybrzn.com/kenyonck/add/teaching_tips.html

Teaching Tips For Those Working With ADHD Kids

Dawn Hogan, a 2nd grade teacher from Connecticut, has a fantastic website for teachers. Her first hand experience and knowledge are priceless.

This is a must see!

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Final Thoughts

As learned in this article, there is no magic pill or ointment to make the symptoms of ADHD disappear. The teacher needs to be able to face this adversity with a smile, words of support and determination. A deep connection with the ADHD student along with both behavior and classroom modifications are more likely to result in a stimulating and positive educational experience. Teamwork involving teachers, the ADHD student, parents, fellow students and administration is the only way to help combat the diagnosis of ADHD. Students who are ADHD must be taught not just from a book, but they also need to hear they are special and discover that their differences are okay. The success rate for ADHD students depends on the teacher, the teacher's attitude, classroom tips and techniques being used, and their knowledge and comfort level of behavior modification involving both positive and negative reinforcements.

References

"Advice for schools teaching children with ADHD.: The Practioner (July 7, 2005): 525. 1-2. Academic OneFile. Gale. Lord Fairfax Community College. 27 May 2008.

Amen, Daniel. (2001). Healing ADD: The Breakthrough Program That Allows You To See and Heal the 6 Types of ADD. New York: Berkley Books.

American Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association, 2000).

Barkley, Russell, A.(2005). Taking Charge of ADHD: The complete, authoritative guide for parents (rev. ed.). New York: Gilford.

Charles, C., M. (2008). Today's Best Classroom Management Strategies: Paths to Positive Discipline. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

Harwell, Joan, M. (2007). Complete Learning Disabilities Handbook. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Nowacek, E., Jane, & Mamlin, Nancy. "General education teachers and students with ADHD: what modifications are made?" Preventing School Failure 51.3 (Spring 2007): 28 (8), 11-14. Academic OneFile. Gale. Lord Fairfax Community College. 27 May 2008. http://www.galegroup.com

Rief, Sandra. (2005). How To Reach And Teach Children With ADD/ADHD: Practical Techniques, Strategies, and Interventions. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Swanson, Carl. "Students with ADHD." Journal of Singing 64.2 (Nov-Dec 2007): 217 (5). Academic OneFile. Gale. Lord Fairfax Community College. 27 May 2008, 1-2, 1-8. http://www.galegroup.com.

user.cybrzn.com/kenyonck/add/teaching_tips.html. Teaching Tips For Those Working With ADHD Kids.

http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/learning/teacher.shtml. Classroom Interventions For Children With ADHD.

http://www.ed.gov/teachers/needs/speced/adhd/adhd-resource-pt2.pdf. Teaching Children With Attention Deficit Disorder Hyperactivity Disorder: Instructional Strategies and Practices 2004.

This page titled 6.2: What can be done to handle students with ADHD in the classroom? is shared under a CC BY-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Jennfer Kidd, Jamie Kaufman, Peter Baker, Patrick O'Shea, Dwight Allen, & Old Dominion U students.

• 5.2: What can be done to handle students with ADHD in the classroom? by Jennfer Kidd, Jamie Kaufman, Peter Baker, Patrick O'Shea, Dwight Allen, & Old Dominion U students is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

6.3: How can we teach English language learners?

By: Tatiana Torres

Teaching English Language Learners can be a very difficult task without any understanding of the issue. However, with the proper knowledge of successful methods and approaches to the matter, it can be a very successful and rewarding experience. There are many different ideas of how to make an experience of teaching ELLs (English Language Learners) a positive one. The main idea to keep in mind is that every situation is different and different people respond well to different things, so there is no right or wrong way to handle English Language Learners. There are however, a few main ideas that have been popularly used throughout diverse classrooms and have had successful end results.

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Helping ELLs Understand the Teacher

It is very commonly said to keep your ELLs in mind when speaking to the class and making special adjustments to the way you speak to make it a little easier on the ELLs to understand basic directions, along with providing additional assistance where it is needed apart from class lecture. The idea is not to single an English Language Learner out from their group of fellow classmates, but rather, allow them to build relationships with the teacher as well as with their classmates by giving them the help that they need on a more personal level. “Diverse children should be part of a learning community where people acknowledge, help, and support one another”.i Using lots of visual aids when teaching ELLs makes their learning easier because it gets rid of the language barrier. Other helpful strategies include activities that are hands on, giving the students the option of participating when they feel comfortable, and understanding that time is needed to master a new language.

Note

“Use visual cues such as posters, overhead pictures, slide shows, videos, and illustrated books. Use active methods of learning such as games, skits, songs, partner interviews and structured conversation with classmates”.

"Teacher development workshop for novice teachers of English “Fundamentals of English Language Teaching Methodology”, July 8 - 12, 2012, Kyiv" by usembassykyiv is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0. 

Alienation

When English Language Learners are put into an environment where they are at a disadvantage because of the language barrier along with a serious culture shock with being in a completely different country that has numerous differences in culture norms, ELLs can become very alienated and depressed.i “Many children are made fun of when they try to speak English and also when they speak their native language; so they end up silent and withdraw from participation. This further interferes with their learning and achievement.”iii This problem can be avoided by making all of the students culturally understanding. Another approach to helping this problem is to seat students with similar backgrounds near each other so they can help each other with instructions and understanding. It is also important to make sure that the English Language Learners culturally understand proper classroom behavior such as when it is appropriate to speak and when it is appropriate to sit and listen. Other cultures may have different norms in this environment and could cause the student to be embarrassed in front of their peers if the difference is not properly understood.

Usage of Translators

The aid of translators can be very useful in a classroom with numerous students that speak the same foreign language. This can be used in communication with non-English speaking parents. In a note going home to the parents, the translator can be used to translate the note into the parents’ language so that foreign parents can also be involved in their children’s school lives and are not less involved because of the language barrier. This is an example where it is also important to remember that parents can also feel alienated and depressed from the same struggles that their children have with a language barrier. However, it is not safe to assume that all of the non-English speaking parents always want to speak in their native language, some parents may be offended by this since they are trying to learn how to speak English and want to practice speaking English as much as they can. It is important to get to know each of the parents and know their preference with speaking and adjust to that in proper manner. If a teacher shows the effort to learn the ELLs native language as well that could be a very flattering and rewarding experience for both the ELL student and their parents. It is easier to have a productive and positive environment in a classroom if everyone is happy and comfortable with the each other; this includes parents of the students.

It is very important for teachers of English Language Learners to remember that their students have a different cultural background then the rest of the class. Good ways to make that factor a positive learning opportunity is to allow the students to do learning activities where they learn about different cultures around the world, including the ones of their classmates.

Note

“Plan assignments that bring student’s cultures, families, languages, and experiences front and center”.

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Cultural Differences

It is recommended that teachers use questions frequently throughout a lesson. Doing this offers ELLs the chance to use English and a chance for the teacher to assess the English Language Learner’s grasp on the information that is being presented to them. “…Teachers must know the stages of language acquisition and be able to determine what stage each ELL is in…By knowing the stages of language acquisition and stage-appropriate questions, a teacher can engage students at the correct level of discourse”.iv It is important as the teacher to make yourself familiar with the students background. Learning about the students culture will not only make you more aware of the student but will also show the student that you care. Because ELL students feel like outcasts this could help stop that feeling of complete isolation. More importantly, “students whose native culture is valued have a greater sense of self-worth and higher academic achievement”. vi

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Things To Remember

There are general standards schools have that can help teachers stay on track of keeping an equal learning environment, which may be forgotten with the challenge of teaching English Language Learners. There must be a supportive, as well as challenging atmosphere in the school. There must be strong instructional leadership in the school. It is necessary to have a special learning environment that tends to the needs of all of the students according to the differences in their needs. There must be a curriculum that balances both basic and higher-order skills. There must be instructional strategies that help understanding of material being learned along with being able to practice those skills. And family involvement to build a strong environment between the home and the school.v

To sum up, teaching English Language Learners is not just a job for ESL (English as a second language) teachers to deal with. Although the aid of ESL teachers and translators can be very helpful when teaching ELLs, a teacher cannot depend on them solely, there are other factors that can and will affect their classroom as well. Therefore, it is key for the teacher to try not just one approach, but several approaches, because each classroom is different as well as each student. What works for most of the classroom may not work for one particular ELL individual, leaving them feeling alienated. Teachers can even get creative and try their own approach they think may work. The idea is to just keep trying until the right one is found and the whole class is happy and able to learn properly.

References

i. Lee, Seungyoun et al. “A Case Study of an Early Childhood Teacher’s Perspective on Working with English Language Learners”. Multicult Educ. Wilson Web.

ii. Peterson, Bob and Dawson Salas, Kelley. “Working Effectively With English Language Learners”. Rethinking Schools, 2002. http://www.rethinkingschools.org/publication/newteacher/NTBilingual.shtml

iii. Pellino, Karen. “Effective Strategies For Teaching English Language Learners”. Teachnology, 2007. http://www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/teaching/esl/print.htm

iv. Hill, Jane and Flynn, Kathleen. “Asking the right questions”. Wilson Web. http://www.NSDC.org

v. Linquanti, Robert. “English language Acquisition and Academic Success: What Do We Know?”. WestEd, 1999. <www.wested.org/policy/pubs/fostering/know.htm>

vi. Christy, Janice. "Helping English Language Learners in the Classroom". Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2005. <www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/subject/help_ELL.phtml>

This page titled 6.3: How can we teach English language learners? is shared under a CC BY-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Jennfer Kidd, Jamie Kaufman, Peter Baker, Patrick O'Shea, Dwight Allen, & Old Dominion U students.

• 5.3: How can we teach English language learners? by Jennfer Kidd, Jamie Kaufman, Peter Baker, Patrick O'Shea, Dwight Allen, & Old Dominion U students is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

6.4: How can we be culturally responsive in our teaching?

by Jenny Pennington

Learning Objectives

• The reader should be able to identify how Culturally Responsive Teaching can be integrated into the classroom

• The reader should be able to recognize examples of different cultural norms that may conflict with standard classroom behavior

• The reader should be able to understand how typical teacher candidate training may create culturally insular educators

The Increasing Need for Cultural Response

As our nation’s cultural diversity continues to evolve, teachers are finding it necessary to adapt their mindset and lesson plans to accommodate students with varying cultural identities and experiences. A common phrase for helping students from different backgrounds adapt to each other is building a cultural bridge. According to the "InTime: Integrating New Technologies Into the Methods of Education" (2002) website, teachers can become proactive in combining “academic abstractions” and “lived sociocultural realities” through Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT). Today's teachers have a greater responsibility to address the growing "melting pot" of students in their classrooms and to adapt lesson plans to respect the varying cultural identities of a heterogeneous group.

Noted scholar Gay describes Culturally Responsive Teaching as "Validating, Comprehensive, Multidimensional, Empowering, Transformative, and Emancipatory" (as cited in Edwards and Kuhlman, 2007)

What Is It?

Culturally Responsive Teaching is “using the cultural knowledge, prior experiences, and performance styles of diverse students to make learning more appropriate and effective for them” ("Intime" par. 1). Being mindful of this type of teaching requires “teach[ing] to and through the strengths of students” ("InTime", 2002, para. 1) by using “multicultural information, resources, and materials in all subjects” (para. 1).

Some characteristics of Culturally Responsive Teaching include:

• “Acknowledg[ing] the legitimacy of the cultural heritages of different ethnic groups, both as legacies that affect students' dispositions, attitudes, and approaches to learning and as worthy content to be taught in the formal curriculum

• Us[ing] a wide variety of instructional strategies that are connected to different learning styles

• Teach[ing] students to know and praise their own and each others’ cultural heritages” ("InTime", 2002, para. 2).

How CRT Affects Teachers

Noted and oft-cited scholar in CRT studies, Gay contends teachers tend to be “culturally insular” (as cited in Edwards and Kuhlman, 2007, para. 3), or narrow-minded, and can learn how to use CRT as a “means for releasing the potential of ethnically diverse students by exploring both the academic and psychosocial abilities of the students” (para. 3). Gay finds teachers “often focus on what their students ‘don’t have and can’t do’ while claiming cultural neutrality, believing that their own personal experiences are normal” (para. 6). Furthermore, Gay explains the reason behind this mentality is that teacher candidates begin their teaching careers “with little preparation for working with children who differ from them racially, culturally, and economically” (para. 7). Obviously, Gay's stance is not true of all teachers and their training. Yet it is worth questioning if teaching in an area where students' backgrounds are similar to each other or similar to the teacher is the fault of either. It is hard to imagine anyone disputing the need for cultural sensitivity whether students experience different cultures firsthand or study them in class. Barnes (2006) notes in her article “Preparing Preservice Teachers to Teach in a Culturally Responsive Way” that the “teaching force remains homogenous—predominantly white, female, and middle class” (para. 1). The perception that the teaching force is not heterogeneous highlights a larger issue that isn't addressed here, but the idea that those who typically choose to enter the teacher profession exhibit similar traits certainly does not mean the teachers are doomed to complacency in their lessons or apathy toward their students. There may be a “cultural discontinuity” between teacher and student (para. 1), but it can be inferred that as the diversity in our population increases, it will be evident among teaching staff, not just students. Diversity is more apparent in urban school settings; however, research indicates that teachers across the nation train through “curricula historically grounded in Euro centric traditional styles of pedagogy” (Barnes, 2006, para. 1). Therefore, until the teacher training curriculum reflects an understanding of different cultures (i.e. reading literature from authors with more diverse backgrounds), new teachers may have to adopt the practice that how they teach is not how they were taught. Respecting and having a passionate curiosity in each other's cultures are ways to break the perceived disconnect in the teacher-student relationship.

Another factor that may account for a lack of Culturally Responsive Teaching in the past is the common “fostering” of individualism in U.S. school systems (Rothstein-Fisch, Greendfield, and Trumbull, 1999, p. 64), which “emphasizes information disengaged from its social context” (p. 64). Educators may recognize collectivistic values in some students, or values that “emphasize the interdependence of family members” (p. 64). Teachers see collectivism in students who tend to join or help others in a task so that they are “contribut[ing] to the success of any group they belong to” (p. 64). Collectivism may also account for students who relate school-based instruction to stories told in their home instead of discussing learned information in more “scientific language” (p. 66). Rothstein-Fisch, Greenfield, and Trumbull (1999) suggest that as part of “advocating cultural sensitivity [. . .] teachers recognize their own practices as cultural in origin rather than as simply the ‘right way’ to do things” (p. 66). Acknowledging cultural differences and how they affect learning is akin to the need to realize that everyone has an accent—everyone has a culture and we all should respect that if we wish to address the needs of all our students.

In “Cultural and Academic Excellence Leaves No Child Behind,” Stickney (2003) states that “[e]ffective educators understand the verbal and nonverbal communication styles of cultures other than their own” (para. 6). Cultural norms may dictate students perform or react in ways anathema to what teachers expect, which is using “eye contact, tak[ing] turns, speak[ing] one at a time, and us[ing] body language that shows they are being attentive” (para. 6). One example of this perceived deviation is in African American cultures in which students “sometimes use call-and-response banter when communicating (a self-explanatory practice in which someone speaks and another replies = banter), [in] Latino cultures [when students] at times talk along with speakers to show support for what is being said, and [in] Hawaiian cultures [when students] communicate more effectively by storytelling than by quick replies” (para. 6). Teachers will need to research the cultural norms of their students—such norms are far too varied and complex to be summarized here, and new norms may emerge each year as new students enter our classrooms. In general, students’ behavior in classrooms will “depend upon cultural norms regarding what is polite or respectful, [even] culturally accepted gender roles” (para. 7). If one is to incorporate cultural sensitivity in his or her teaching, “lesson plans need to blend information on how students can become comfortable with American culture with ways that other students can become culturally responsive to members of diverse cultures” (para. 7). As the U.S. population diversifies, an inspiring definition of American culture will be just that—diversity, the idea of the "melting pot" becoming a lived reality in more and more places.

Note

Ladson-Billings (Education Alliance, 2009) contends that Culturally Responsive Teaching is "an approach that empowers students intellectually, socially, emotionally, and politically by using cultural referents to impart knowledge, skills, and attitudes."

What Can CRT Do?

CRT can capitalize on cooperative learning ("InTime", 2009, para. 11) as students “become social critics” (para. 10) with “more caring, concerned, and humane interpersonal skills” (para. 12). Students can benefit from CRT by gaining a “better understanding of interconnections among individual, local, national, ethnic, global, and human identities” as well as “acceptance of knowledge as something to be continuously shared, critiqued, revised, and renewed” (para. 12). "The Knowledge Loom" (2009), a site created by the Education Alliance at Brown University, maintains CRT is “premised on the idea that culture is central to student learning” (para. 1), and also suggests CRT is a means to “recognize, respect, and use students’ identities and backgrounds as meaningful sources for creating optimal learning environments” (para. 1). One can deduce that the CRT concept negates the groundbreaking notion that students’ minds are a blank slate, or tabula rosa ("The Knowledge Loom", 2009, para. 4), since background and experience are integral factors in the learning environment—and can provide richer learning experiences for student and teacher.

In the Classroom

The premise of a learning community can come to fruition in a culturally responsive classroom. Since CRT can expand to all subjects, teachers can collaborate to make students’ experiences multidimensional through: “curriculum content, learning context, classroom climate, student-teacher relationships, instructional techniques, and performance assessments” ("InTime", 2009, para. 6). In fact, teachers of varied subjects like language arts, science, social studies, and music can collaborate “in teaching a single cultural concept, such as protest” (para. 6). Cooperative learning lends itself not just to student groups but to a group of teachers who can work together to strengthen cultural understanding.

"Cooperative learning" by Institut-Escola Les Vinyes is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. 

CRT and NCLB

A strong correlation between the No Child Left Behind act and Culturally Responsive Teaching is the result of higher test scores because “educators’ integration of cultural nuances and acceptance of different cultural communication styles in classrooms positively correlate with improvements in time on task, attending behaviors, participation in classroom dialogue, concept mastery, recall of factual information with greater accuracy, and more student enthusiasm and confidence in learning” (Stickney, 2003, para. 4). Proponents of the NCLB act promote CRT since they consider “students from less dominant cultures [. . .] to be at particular risk for school failure” (para. 1). Cooperative learning through students working in groups helps students get to know each other's backgrounds while working together to complete a task or meet a goal. If anyone can argue against a student feeling accepted into a diverse group, it may be from a homeogenous mindset a la speaking in Standard English or all people using/speaking the same language.

Conclusion

Studies of Culturally Responsive Teaching indicate that teachers’ “perceptions of culturally relevant teaching varie[s]” (Edwards and Kuhlman, 2007, para. 27), but one can integrate CRT in the classroom in the same vein one works with students “who may have emotional and physical problems” (para. 28)—i.e., by continuing to acknowledge and accommodate diversity among student populations. Edwards and Kuhlman (2007) urge teachers to “know that the process of becoming a culturally responsive teacher is nurtured by living, experimenting, traveling, and reading” (para. 28). Combining teachers’ knowledge of different cultural norms with classroom application creates an “opportunity to insert education into culture rather than culture into education” (para. 11). Imagine a classroom in which the teacher and student stir who they are, where they come from, and what they believe into the collective pot, creating a respectful school culture where diversity is the accepted norm.

References

Barnes, C.J. (2006). Preparing PreService Teachers to Teach in a Culturally Responsive Way. "The Negro Educational Review, 57," 85-100. [Electronic version] retrieved February 5, 2009 from vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.proxy. lib.odu.edu.

Education Alliance at Brown University (2002). Culturally Responsive Teaching. "The Knowledge Loom." Retrieved February 5, 2009 from http://knowledgeloom.org.

Edwards, S., & Kuhlman, W. Culturally Responsive Teaching: Do We Walk Our Talk? "Multicultural Education, 14," 45-49. [Electronic version] Retrieved February 5, 2009 from http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.proxy.lib.odu.edu.

"InTime: Integrating New Technologies Into the Methods of Education" (2009). Retrieved February 5, 2009 from www.intime.uni.edu/multiculture/curriculum/ culture/Teaching.htm.

Rothstein-Fish, C., Greenfield, P., & Trumbull, E. (1999). Bridging Cultures with Classroom Strategies. "Understanding Race, Class, and Culture, 56" (7), 64-67.

This page titled 6.4: How can we be culturally responsive in our teaching? is shared under a CC BY-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Jennfer Kidd, Jamie Kaufman, Peter Baker, Patrick O'Shea, Dwight Allen, & Old Dominion U students.

• 5.4: How can we be culturally responsive in our teaching? by Jennfer Kidd, Jamie Kaufman, Peter Baker, Patrick O'Shea, Dwight Allen, & Old Dominion U students is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

6.5: How can we be sensitive to gender issues?

Learning Objectives

By reading this article, the student should be able to:

1) Identify the general developmental differences between boys and girls

2) Describe how to create an classroom that is fair to both genders

3) Explain Title IX and the push for women’s equality in education

4) Understand the debate over single-sex schooling

"Kids" by jess2284 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. 

Gender Differences and Teaching to Both Genders

The vast majority of public educators will spend their careers in co-educational classrooms. As a result, they get to observe firsthand how “boys and girls create very distinct cultures” (Kommer, 2006, sect. 1, para. 4). The challenge for these teachers is to create a learning environment that is both fair and equal, taking into account differences in gender.

Boys and girls do differ, both socially and intellectually. Generally speaking, boys are more physical and more competitive than girls (Kommer, 2006). They like to move around a lot and learn through “exploratory play” (Geist & King, 2008, No. 5, para. 1). They often enjoy challenges where they can compete individually to see who is “the best” (Geist & King). Girls tend to be less physical – they often find it easier to sit still – and they focus more on cooperation and collaboration (Kommer). Girls are more likely to put the needs of the group first (Geist & King).

If teachers wish to teach both genders effectively, they must learn to use methods that incorporate both competition and cooperation (Geist & King, 2008). They should create both individual and group projects for students. They must also encourage physical exploration, since so many boys are kinesthetic learners (Geist & King).

Teachers must also understand male and female brain development and difference. Although the two genders are essentially equal in intelligence (Raymond, 2008), they are hard-wired for learning differently. Girls tend to use both hemispheres of their brain, while boys are predominantly right-brained (Kommer, 2006). As result, girls tend to excel verbal tasks like language and reading, while boys tend to excel in spatial activities like “mathematics, graphs and maps” (Kommer, sect. 2, para. 7).

Teachers can help close learning gaps by helping students learn language and math in their own ways: for instance, girls may do better by learning math “verbally,” as in having math problems presented in the form of word problems. On the other hand, boys may find it easier to earn language skills “spatially,” such as by means of charts or graphs (Geist & King, 2008). In any event, teachers can draft problems or assignments that can be solved or completed in different ways (Geist & King). This makes it easier for both boys and girls to learn.

As Kommer notes, "Girls mature more quickly than boys" (2006, sect. 2, para. 3). As a result, boys’ language skills, fine motor skills, and handwriting skills take a bit more time to develop (Tyre, 2006). This is not to say that girls are inherently “better” than boys – boys eventually fully catch up with girls (Geist and King, 2008). But it is important for teachers to understand that boys and girls mature on different timetables.

The differences between boy and girls become magnified with age. At the middle school level, children “begin to explore gender roles” (Kommer, 2006, sect. 1, para. 3). Boys feel pressed by society to control their emotions, while girls become more in tune with their seemingly innate “emotional intelligence” (Kommer). Girls are still, of course, maturing more quickly than boys. The onset of puberty arrives sooner; hormones, such as progesterone, help girls develop bonding tendencies (Kommer). Boys soon experience an upsurge in testosterone which is a double-edged sword: while possibly making boys more confident, it can also cause them to engage in risky behaviors (Kommer).

Because their brains mature more quickly, middle-school girls "process information faster" and more accurately than middle-school boys on timed tests (Tyre, 2006, para. 17). Although boys eventually catch up with girls in this respect, it is important for teachers to be aware of this important developmental difference (Tyre). Teachers can, for instance, make sure they are giving students of both genders enough time to finish assignments, especially timed tests.

Although they are outpacing boys in terms of maturity, girls in middle school experience a sudden drop-off in their levels of confidence (Kommer, 2006). It is vastly important that girls of this age be encouraged to keep developing their skills in math and science, since women tend to be underrepresented in these fields.

During adolescence, both boys and girls begin to care deeply about how the opposite sex perceives them, and a cult of appearance or personal beauty develops (Kommer, 2006). Kommer proposes that students of this age be educated in “media literacy,” so they may combat unrealistic media portrayals of how they should look, or how thin they should be. In this way, schools may actually reduce the incidence of eating disorders and body image disorders, which affect boys as well as girls.

Figure 6.5.1: The teacher is new this year. She boards for $7.50 a week, receives an annual salary of $800. Most such teachers don't stay on since if they are well qualified, they can get better paying jobs elsewhere. (Public Domain, USDA, Wikimedia)

"Teen Book Group" by Rapid City Public Library is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0. 

Title IX and Fighting for Gender Parity

In 1972, in response to the civil rights movement, Congress passed the law commonly known as Title IX ("Title IX Legal Manual"). This law stipulates that any school receiving federal funds must allow equal access to educational programs. Although Title IX is most often associated with athletics, because it is written so broadly, it actually paved the way for many improvements in women’s status in academics ("Achieving Success Under Title IX"; Title IX - Gender Equity in Education). It is important to remember that Title IX protects both sexes from discrimination. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, “Title IX benefits both males and females and is the lynchpin of thirty-five years of efforts to promote and establish gender equity in schools” ("Title IX – Gender Equity in Education", para. 1).

Despite the progress initiated by Title IX, many educators still felt women and girls were feeling the pangs of discrimination. In 1992, the American Association of University Women (AAUW) published a major study titled How Schools Shortchange Girls. This study shed light of the ways in which schools consciously or unconsciously discriminated against girls. Among other things, the study noted how girls were often stereotyped or neglected by the educational system. The study claims that curricula and tests were sometimes even biased in favor of males ("How Schools Shortchange Girls"). At times, females are also victims of sexual harassment in schools, which can cause a huge disruption in the learning process("How Schools Shortchange Girls").

How Schools Shortchange Girls elicited national attention and action. However, a popular backlash has recently begun to develop. According to Thomas (2008, para. 7), “In recent years, a number of critics have said that attempts to achieve greater gender equity [are] producing unintended negative effects on boys." In other words, boys may be the ones getting shortchanged now. Boys are now deemed more likely to exhibit behavior problems and to need remedial assistance (Kommer, 2006). Although groups like the AAUW still contend that girls’ advances have not come "at the expense of boys," many feel it would be wise to bolster our support of boys (Thomas, para. 1; Tyre, 2006). We can do this by incorporating methods that specifically appeal to boys: kinesthetic learning, visual learning, and competitive learning.

The Debate Over Single-Sex Schooling

In the wake of the so-called “gender wars,” a new idea has recently come into play: the concept of single-sex schooling. The rewriting of Title IX in 2006 approved the creation of single-sex public schools. In the past, co-educational schools were seen as “more socially appropriate, liberating, and enlightened” (Meyer, 2008, sect. 2, para. 5). The co-educational movement of the 1960s and 1970s vastly improved opportunities for female students, offering them entry into previously closed prestigious institutions (Meyer).

Nowadays, many Americans have come to believe that single-sex classrooms can still be fair and equal for both sexes. In fact, they claim that such students in such classrooms do better because there are fewer distractions, meaning that students can focus more on the material, and because teachers can “[address] gender differences in learning” (Meyer, 2008, sect. 5, para. 2). Rather than catering to both genders at once, a teacher can tailor the instruction for one gender only.

Critics of single-sex classrooms claim that they do not adequately prepare students for the real world. After all, as Kommer notes, “[W]e do not live in a gender segregated world” (2006, Section 1, para. 10). Critics also claim that single-sex classrooms actually undermine the accomplishments of Title IX by making education unequal. (In their view, separate cannot be equal.)

The debate over single-sex classroom will continue to rage. What is clear is that the research about its effectiveness is still not sufficient (Salomone, 2006). In effect, single-sex schooling is still experimental. It remains to be seen whether it should be something implemented on a broader basis.

"With Sacred Hearts Academy students, Educating the Next Generation of Women Leaders" by East-West Center is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0. 

Figure 6.5.2: Japanese school girls (CC-BY,  l'interdit, flickr

Links to an external site.

)

In Brief

‎Within the last century, education has come a long way towards achieving gender equality. It is important that teachers understand the many differences between boys and girls, but children should still be treated as individuals. Gender differences should be recognized as general truths, not specific truths that apply to all children across the board.

In a co-educational classroom, the needs of boys and girls should be balanced. Single sex classrooms remain an interesting option for promoting fairness and teaching specifically to each gender, although critics contend there can be no equality between separate institutions. Only time and further research will prove whether single-sex schooling is in fact superior.

What is fair to say is that all teachers strive for equality and wish the best for their students, whether male or female. Getting there is the hard part.

References

Achieving Success Under Title IX. (1997) Retrieved September 18, 2008, http://www.ed.gov/pubs/TitleIX/part4.html

Geist, E.A.& King, Margaret. (2008) Different Not Better: Gender Differences in Mathematics Learning and Achievement. [Electronic version]. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 35, No. 1, 43-52. Retrieved September 16, 2008, from http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.proxy.lib.odu.edu/hww/results/getResults.jhtml?_DARGS=/hww/results/results_common.jhtml.20

How Schools Shortchange Girls: The AAUW Report (1992). (n.d) Retrieved September 20, 2008, www.aauw.org/research/schoolsShortchange.cfm

Kommer, David. (2006) Boys and Girls Together: A Case for Creating Gender-Friendly Middle School Classrooms. [Electronic version]. The Clearing House, 79, No. 6, 247-251. Retrieved September 15, 2008, from http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.proxy.lib.odu.edu/hww/results/getResults.jhtml?_DARGS=/hww/results/results_common.jhtml.20

Meyer, Peter. (2008) Learning Separately: The Case for Single-Sex Schools. [Electronic version]. Education Next, 8, No. 1.

Raymond, Joan. (2008, January 23). He’s Not as Smart as He Thinks. Newsweek web exclusive. Retrieved September 15, 2008, from http://www.newsweek.com/id/101079

Salomone, Rosemary C. (2006) Single-Sex Programs: Resolving the Research Conundrum [Electronic version of Abstract]. Teacher's College Record, 108, No. 4, 778-802.

Thomas, Jeffrey. (2008) When Girls Do Better in School, So Do Boys, Study Finds. Retrieved September 21, 2008, http://web.archive.org/web/20080611155816/http://www.america.gov/st/educ-english/2008/May/200805221445501CJsamohT0.5239679.html

Title IX – Gender Equity in Education. (n.d.) Retrieved September 20, 2008, http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/edu/titleix.html

Title IX Legal Manual: Overview of Title IX: Interplay with Title VI, Section 504, Title VIII, and the Fourteenth Amendment. (n.d.) Retrieved September 16, 2008, http://www.justia.com/education/docs/title-ix-legal-manual/overview-of-title-ix.html

Tyre, Peg. (2006, January 30). The Trouble With Boys. Newsweek. Retrieved September 21, 2008, from http://www.newsweek.com/id/47522

This page titled 6.5: How can we be sensitive to gender issues? is shared under a CC BY-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Jennfer Kidd, Jamie Kaufman, Peter Baker, Patrick O'Shea, Dwight Allen, & Old Dominion U students.

• 5.5: How can we be sensitive to gender issues? by Jennfer Kidd, Jamie Kaufman, Peter Baker, Patrick O'Shea, Dwight Allen, & Old Dominion U students is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

6.6: How does code-switching come into play in the classroom?

Written By: Trenice Durio

Learning Objectives

Upon reading this article, the reader will be able:

1.) To know the three types of code-switching: borrowing, calque, and intersentential.

2.) To use strategies/ activities to increase their students' abilities to code-switch effectively.

3.) To recognize the negative and positive aspects of code-switching.

What is Code-Switching?

Note

Definitions of Code-Switching

“consciously modifying speech to slip from one culture to another.”

(Haddock, 2008)

“change from lexical register to another”

(McCoy, 2006, p. 24)

“Shift in language that is guided by a shift in context”

(Knestrict & Schoensteadt, 2005, p. 177)

“use of complete sentences, phrases, and borrowed words from another language”

(Hughes, Shaunessy, and Brice, 2006, p. 8)

Code switching is the ability to recognize that different scenarios require a change in speech among multilingual groups. A person must identify that a change in a social situation has occurred in order to switch codes. Codes refer to different contexts of speech, such as formal vs. informal language or Spanish vs. English. Students who are bilingual or who come from different cultural backgrounds are noted for their ability to code switch. Since standard English is not their primary language, it takes these students added efforts to speak according to the standard Some are able to code switch fluently from one language to another, while some are unable to switch back and forth with ease. Unless a proper understanding of when and how to code switch is attained by the student, a lack of understanding will sometimes translate to a lack of knowledge. (Wheeler, 2008) For African-American students this lack of knowledge means “persistent over-representation in special education and remedial basic skills classes to under-representation in honor classes, to lagging SAT scores, to low high school graduation rates” (Wheeler, 2008).

"9Q5A1016" by opentwincities is licensed under CC BY 2.0. 

Types of Code-Switching

There are three types of code-switching: borrowing, calque, and intersentential. The first type refers to using words from the secondary language in the same grammatical format, but words unavailable in the primary language (Hughes et al., 2006). Calque is literally translating a phrase without regard to proper context (Hughes et al., 2006). Third, intersentential is inserting an entire phrase from the secondary language into a conversation using the other language (Hughes et al., 2006). All types refer to switching back and forth from one language to another to communicate to others based on the situation.

Types of Code-Switching

Borrowing: Saying "Bueno bye" (Spanish and English) instead of "Goodbye" (English) or "Buenos dias" (Spanish)

Calque: Saying "El lote deparquear" (Improper Spanish Translation) instead of "Parking lot" (English) or "Campo de estacionamiento" (Proper Spanish Translation)

Intersentential: Saying "Sientense, students" (Spanish and English) instead of "Sit down, students" (English) or "Sientense estudiantes" (Spanish)

Code-Switching As A Valuable Tool

For bilingual speakers, code-switching is a valuable tool for various reasons. It offers another language to use when words in the primary language are insufficient due to the speaker or listener’s limited English proficiency (Hughes et al., 2006). Since code-switching is motivated by situations, the speaker may use it to identify with a particular group of people (Hughes et al., 2006). Also, it can be a sociolinguistic tool, used for clarification, emphasis, separation from feelings, and achievement of a dramatic effect(Hughes et al., 2006). By giving the speaker more ways in which to communicate, code-switching is a useful tool in the bilingual community.

Code-Switching As a Negative Tool

Although code-switching can add to a student’s toolbox, it can also be a sign of delay in language ability. Bilingualism can be viewed as either a subtractive or an additive language process. Subtractive refers to increasing the fluency and vocabulary in one language while the ability in the other decreases(Hughes et al., 2006). Therefore, this process involves the replacement of one language for the other. The additive process is when the speaker holds on to the knowledge of the first language and adds on the skills of the second language(Hughes et al., 2006). Some people view code-switching as negative because they view it from the subtractive perspective, believing that the addition of a second language shows lack of knowledge. Also, a bias of which language is inserted into English is evident. For example, if a French phrase such as “je ne sais quoi” is used it shows academic achievement, while Spanish phrases such as “adios” signifies a lower status (Hughes et al., 2006). If a language is not used at a proper time or place, a student’s ability to communicate effectively may be misunderstood.

They’re Not Speaking Incorrectly!

A child says to his teacher, “I be doing my homework” or “Hola! How are you?” These examples both represent using vernacular language in an improper setting or lack of code switching (Wheeler, 2008). Teachers often identify this as speaking incorrect standard English. However, these students are not in fact making errors, but are simply speaking in their vernacular language. They were not attempting to communicate in Standard English, therefore the problem does not lie in correcting their speech, but teaching students an alternative means of communication (Wheeler, 2008). By knowing the focus of education, teachers are able to more effectively meet the students’ educational needs. To help teachers meet the needs of struggling students, Rebecca S. Wheeler designed a three-step strategy, including: Scientific Inquiry, Comparison and Contrast, and Code-Switching as Metacognition (2008). The first step, Scientific Inquiry, is to build a code-switching chart identifying grammar patterns in the student’s writings. The chart is divided into five sections: examine sentences, seek patterns, define the pattern, test the hypothesis, and write informal English pattern. This step identifies the area of struggle for students and the pattern they use in informal language. For example, instead of using “owner + ‘s + what is owned” (i.e. Leon’s ball) as in formal language, students may use “owner + what is used” (i.e. Leon ball) in their informal language (Wheeler, 2008, p. 56). After the pattern is defined, the next step, is to compare and contrast the Formal English with Informal English, using the chart. Now, the students can visually and audibly know the difference between the two forms of language. Lastly, in Code-Switching as Metacognition, the child practices code switching between the two. Students will identify the appropriate language for a given setting. Students can understand the two choices of formal and informal language and know the appropriate time to use each. (Wheeler, 2008) By giving students an alternative form of language and not changing their primary form of communication, teachers give students an additional tool in their education toolbox.

"Moodle Guide for Teachers" by st0nemas0nry is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. 

From the Perspective of a Teacher

In William McCoy's article, “Helping Students Find A Voice, by Giving Them the Words,” a teacher gives a personal account of how he succeeded at teaching 26 “at risk” students how to code-switch effectively. He believes it is the lack of understanding of their expectations and an insufficient academic vocabulary that causes students to fail in school. The first step in using the right words for a given setting is to know the audience (McCoy, 2006). He uses code-switching activities in his class, such as:

- Simulating a job interview with two applicants, one using slang and the other formal language. Through this activity, students understand that the type of language used has a strong impact on other’s perceptions of that person (McCoy, 2006).

- Writing a conversation in informal language on the board, and asking students to translate into the language used by professionals, such as a lawyer or professor (McCoy, 2006).

McCoy reports that at the beginning this exercise is a struggle for his students, but with practice their performance improves. After identifying the proper audience for a situation, students are to acknowledge the difference in situations and appropriate word usage. To teach this lesson, McCoy gives them a phrase like “I want some money,” and has them discuss how their speech would differ when robbing someone at a bank, asking for a raise at work, and requesting money from a parent. It is easy to see that each situation merits a different set of words by the speaker. Finally the students can use their knowledge and apply it to writing, focusing on having a purpose for their work. The goal is for the writer to have a thesis, support it with details, and recognize the opposing side's argument. As a result of McCoy’s work, he stated “I was reminded that students can succeed when given the tools and experiences to do so” (McCoy, 2006, p. 25). Without first identifying that students did not possess the skills to succeed, he would not be able to give them the tools needed for success.

References

Haddock, Captain. (2008). Obama's "code-switching" on education. Ed News Colorado. Sept. 12, 2008, ednewscolorado.org/blog/index.php/2008-04-15/obamas-code-switching-on-education/

Hughes, C. E., Shaunessy, E. S., & Brice, A.R. (2006). Code switching among bilingual and limited English proficient students: possible indicators of giftedness. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 30 (1), 7-28.

Knestrict, T. & Schoensteadt L. (2005). Teaching social register and code switching in the classroom. Journal of Children & Poverty, 11 (2), 177-185.

McCoy, William. (2006). Helping students find a voice, by giving them the words. California English, 24-25.

Wheeler, R. S. (2008). Becoming adept at code-switching. Educational Leadership, 65 (7), 54-58.

This page titled 6.6: How does code-switching come into play in the classroom? is shared under a CC BY-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Jennfer Kidd, Jamie Kaufman, Peter Baker, Patrick O'Shea, Dwight Allen, & Old Dominion U students.

• 5.6: How does code-switching come into play in the classroom? by Jennfer Kidd, Jamie Kaufman, Peter Baker, Patrick O'Shea, Dwight Allen, & Old Dominion U students is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

6.7: What issues do lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students face in the classroom?

By Jocelyn Carter

Learning Objectives

Students should be able to:

a) Identify Homophobia in Class.

b) Identify the Importance of incorporating GLBT curriculum in the classroom.

c) Describe strategies for creating a safe classroom for GLBT Students.

Introduction

Human diversity is a normal, natural thing. We teach our kids that it is alright to be different, but we don’t tell them how different it is okay to be. Today, the most common place to study differences of the world is in the classroom. If children are to grow up prepared to live in a complex, multicultural society, more issues of diversity need to be discussed in the classroom (Banks 1993). The issue of sexual orientation has become of great importance to today’s children. Researchers and Social scientist suggest that 1 to 3 of every 10 students is either gay or lesbian, or has an immediate family member who is (Wood p. 16). This article will focus on homosexuality and homophobia, GLBT students in the classroom, social bias, and what can be done to provide a safe classroom for GLBT students.

Why is “Homophobia” present in the Schools?

Most people would agree that the topic of homophobia carries very negative undertones; I guess that is unless you are homophobic. Homophobia is the fear, dislike, and hatred of same-sex relationships or those who love and are sexually attracted to those of the same sex. It occurs in schools on personal, institutional, and societal levels (Woods p 14). Homophobia is often based on ignorance, because an individual is so closed-minded that they are not willing to educate themselves on something they know nothing about. When Eric Marcus, a homosexual man and author, addressed the question, “What do students learn about homosexuality in elementary school and high school?” his answer was simply stated. “Students learn plenty about homosexuality in school, almost all of it informally, and nearly all of it bad. The first lesson occurs when one child calls another a fag in elementary school cafeteria, and the lesson continue right on through high school, when a group of students decides to torment a theater teacher they think is gay” (Marcus, 1999 p 173)

We are taught when young that being “gay” is bad. You may not even know what the word gay means, but your parents and everyone else around you have already put in your head that it is wrong and not accepted. Everyone is afraid of what they don’t know. When you are introduced to something new, it is a natural reaction to be skeptical about it. You hesitate to try it, or you state from the beginning; I know that I am not going to like it. How do we teach students about GLBT related topics? How do we protect our GLBT students in the school?

"School Bully" by ihtatho is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0. 

Why is it important to include GLBT related issues into the curriculum?

Imagine this, Lindsey is sitting in her 4th grade class on the first day of school, and everyone is sharing stories about their families. When it’s Lindsey’s turn she tells the class that she has two moms because they are lesbians. The class is confused and Megan asks “What is a Lesbian?” What do you do as a teacher? DO you answer the question or ignore it and change the subject? How do you answer this without overstepping your ethical boundaries? When discussing the inclusion of GLBT it is important to understand the diversity in a classroom. There may be students in your class that are already struggling with understanding their own sexual orientation. One report indicated that lesbian, gay, and bisexual students first come to realization of their sexual orientation at age 10( D’Augelli & Hershbeger, 1993) When you put that age into perspective, that child is in the 3rd or 4th grade. People fear the unknown. They fear what they are unfamiliar with. On the issue of homophobia, Kevin Jennings, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network states, “ If you really want a long-term solution to homophobia, you’d better start when kids are young, and start teaching very early” (Quinlan, 1999).

Note

“Many of us, particularly in the dark days before the Stonewall riots, remember going into libraries to check for references that would give some validity to the vague stirrings inside us we knew marked us out as different” – Curry

Opposition

There are different reasons why incorporating GLBT issues in the classroom may come result in negative results rather than positive. It may not be the best to bring these issues up with children that are 8 or 9, even though some may already be experiencing a feeling of attraction towards the same sex, and not understand why they feel that way. Teachers could feel great discomfort in speaking about this subject in the classroom. Many parents feel that incorporating GLBT curriculum into the classroom, may cause their child to choose a gay lifestyle. When a teacher raises gay and lesbian issues in the classroom, some students respond with intellectual curiosity, but often the consequences are less positive. Some students: become embarrassed and uncomfortable, become hostile, or even question the teacher's sexuality. A lot of times students tend to make homophobic accusations against other students in the class or against other students and staff within the school (Lipkin 1999). Negative results could come about when GLBT issues are raised in the classroom.

Creating a Safe learning environment for GLBT Students

Everyone is entitled to a safe learning environment, no matter what your sexual orientation is. I think it is important to let the GLBT students know that we care, and that they are not alone. It is the duty of a teacher to keep order and command respect for everyone in their classroom, and I am sure many people sincerely would like to create a safer environment for GLBT students. There are ten suggestions that were compiled by Youth Pride, Inc. that would help with reducing homophobia in your environment:

1. Make no assumption about sexuality.

2. Having something gay-related visible in your office or classroom.

3. Support, normalize and validate student’s feelings about their sexuality.

4. Do not advise youth to come out to parents, family and friends as they need to come out at their own safe place.

5. Guarantee confidentiality with students.

6. Challenge homophobia.

7. Combat heterosexism in your classroom.

8. Learn about and refer to community organizations

9. Encourage school administrators to adopt and enforce anti-discrimination policies for their schools or school systems which include sexual orientation

10. Provide role models.

It is important to incorporate this suggestion into the school. GLBT students need to be protected and I think the best way to start that is by educating their classmates and peers on what it means to be GLBT. “Opening these conversations with young children gives us an opportunity to prevent prejudice, discrimination, and violence and to support the lives of all children just as they are” (Chasnoff and Cohen, 1997, p 10)

"Learning is fun!" by ROSS HONG KONG is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. 

Conclusion

An estimated 6 to 11 percent of school children have gay or lesbian parents, and another 5 to 9 percent will at some point realize that they are homosexual (Chasnoff and Cohen, 1997). Even with these statistics, schools are still hesitant to include gay or lesbian curriculum into the school. The fact remains that in the present 21st century, gay and lesbians no longer represent a taboo. Students are choosing to come out while still in school, and they are expecting to be accepted. No matter what a student’s sexual preference is, they deserve to be able to come to school and feel like they are safe. Whether or not it is the teacher’s or school’s responsibility to educate students on GLBT issues, is still to be decided. But in the meantime it is of upmost importance that these students are treated with respect and equality.

References

Banks, J. A. (1993). The canon debate, knowledge construction, and multicultural education. Educational Researcher, 22, 4-14.

Bass, E., & Kaufman, K. (1996). Free your mind. New York: HarperPerennial.

Bullough, V. L. (1979). Homosexuality: A history. New York: New American Library.

Chasnoff, D., & Cohen, H. (Producers). (1997). It’s Elementary: Talking about gay issues in school [Film]. (Available from Women’s Educational Media, San Francisco, CA) Children’s right to a loving family. (1999). Retrieved September 3, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www.pflag.org/press/current/tips_tactics/tips_apr99.htm

Clay, J. W. (1990). Working with lesbian and gay parents and their children. Young Children, 45, 31-35.

D’ Augelli, A. R., & Hershberger, S. L. (1993). Lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth in community settings: Personal challenges and mental health problems. American Journal of Community Psychology, 21, 56-63.

Lipkin, Arthur (1999). Raising Gay/Lesbian Issues in the Classroom Retrieved October 1, 2008 from the World Wide Web: www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/news/record/193.html

This page titled 6.7: What issues do lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students face in the classroom? is shared under a CC BY-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Jennfer Kidd, Jamie Kaufman, Peter Baker, Patrick O'Shea, Dwight Allen, & Old Dominion U students.

• 5.7: What issues do lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students face in the classroom? by Jennfer Kidd, Jamie Kaufman, Peter Baker, Patrick O'Shea, Dwight Allen, & Old Dominion U students is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

6.8: Gifted students can take care of themselves, right?

by Candace Grantz

Introduction

When one hears the phrase "special education," thoughts turn to students with learning disabilities or students who cannot keep up with the pace of the classroom. However, a certain group of special education students is often overlooked. These children are indeed in need of special education but not in the manner to which we are accustomed. These are the gifted students, who, since they do not show traditional signs of academic distress, can be overlooked. Although they are often thought to be relatively self-sustaining in the classroom, gifted students deserve special education to meet their individual needs.

Note

If we were TV sets, some of us would only get five channels. Others are wired for cable (the general population) and some of us (the gifted) are hooked up to a satellite dish. That makes these gifted children capable of making connections that others don't even know exist! Teaching those types of voracious minds in a regular classroom without enhancement is like feeding an elephant one blade of grass at time. You'll starve them. – Elizabeth Meckstroth

"A student with special education aid Elizabeth Lopez at Walt Disney magnet school during CTU strike" by chicagopublicmedia is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0. 

Recognizing Gifted Students in a Classroom

Over the years, as the issue of gifted students in the classroom has earned increased attention, the definition of a gifted student has evolved. As author Sandra Manning investigates, in her article "Recognizing Gifted Students: A Practical Guide for Teachers," in the past, the definition of a gifted student has focused on everything from a student's high IQ test scores to a student's exceptional performance in life situations (Manning, Sandra 2006). Now, the popular use of the title "gifted" is for students with a high academic or intellectual ability (Manning 2006). Although Manning admits that definitions of the word "gifted" carry much ambiguity, she asserts that these gifted students exhibit certain characteristics that can be identified by instructors in the classrooms (Manning 2006).

The first group of characteristics that the author examines is the set of "cognitive characteristics of intellectually gifted children," characteristics in how the students think and learn (Manning 2006). According to Manning, gifted students often exhibit strengths in reception, processing, and retention of information (Manning 2006). They possess the ability to comprehend materials at higher levels, and their abstract thinking skills are usually more developed than those of their peers (Manning 2006). Gifted students not only possess stronger abilities to take in information, but they also have the desire to pursue studies in specific areas that interest them (Manning 2006). These students can see connections and relationships between ideas and are creative in their ideas and problem-solving techniques (Manning 2006). Gifted students tend to be high-energy learners, who can focus longer and investigate deeper into a project (Manning 2006).

Manning goes on to address a second aspect of recognizing gifted students in a classroom: the "affective characteristics of intellectually gifted children," behavioral characteristics of the students (Manning 2006). She explains how gifted students often possess a strong desire to share their knowledge with other students (Manning 2006). They tend to be more conscious of the emotions of others, have an unusual sense of humor, and have a stronger sense of self-awareness (Manning 2006). These students also exhibit advanced emotional depth, moral judgment, and ideas of justice (Manning 2006). All of these characteristics are common in gifted students, but that is not to say that every gifted student will exhibit all of these characteristics.

The last group of characteristics that Manning discusses is "characteristics of atypical gifted students", or students who are gifted but whose talents for some reason have not emerged in the traditional manner (Manning 2006). Characteristics of atypical gifted students include logic skills and an ability to understand and utilize analogies, as well as an easily overlooked ability to manipulate a symbol system (Manning 2006). Atypical gifted students can display their abilities in a broader array of subjects, such as creative arts (Manning 2006). Also, these students tend to be adaptive in their families, be capable of taking on leadership or parenting roles in a troubled family, and possess a strong sense of self-worth and pride (Manning 2006).

"Ambassador Gutman gives a gift to the students of OLV ten Doorn" by U.S. Ambassador Gutman is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. 

Special Needs of Gifted Students

Gifted students may ace the tests and boost up the class average on standardized tests, but are their scores true indicators of their academic success and fulfillment of their learning desires? Although their test scores may be high, gifted students have special needs of their own that possibly cannot be met by the day to day runnings of a classroom. In her article, author Karen B. Rogers introduces five "lessons" about the needs of gifted students (Rogers, Karen B. 2007). First, she explains that in order for gifted students' talents to flourish and grow, they need to be presented with a daily challenge that will enhance their particular strength (Rogers 2007). With progressively more difficult challenges, the students will grow intellectually in their areas of strength and will learn to connect old and new ideas (Rogers 2007). Rogers goes on to assert that gifted students need opportunities for independent work pursuing their specific areas of interest (Rogers 2007). Opportunities like that are not easy to create in the structure of a traditional classroom, depriving gifted students of that need. Another great need of gifted students is advanced instruction in a subject area in which they are exceeding (Rogers 2007). They need the opportunity to learn at their own levels; how can a fifth grader who is reading on an eleventh grade level be appropriately challenged in her fifth grade class? In addition to academic needs, Rogers explains that gifted students need opportunities to spend time with other students with abilities similar to theirs (Rogers 2007). This gives the students an opportunity to work with their peers and spend time with students who think how they do. Gifted students sometimes feel isolated because they are different from the other students in the classroom; this gives them a chance to work with students who are similar to them. Lastly, gifted students need to learn at their own pace. Just like any other students, in order to be academically challenged, they need to work at a pace that matches their learning styles and abilities (Rogers 2007). Gifted children tend to learn and retain information at a much quicker rate. If they experience too much down time while the rest of the class is reviewing, they will become bored and lose focus. They too need to learn at their own rate in order to maximize their learning abilities (Rogers 2007). School systems have many different ways of dealing with their gifted students. One of the most popular ways is grade skipping. Sometimes parents think this is appropriate because their child is smart enough to be moved up a grade or two. Other times it’s the school system that feels grade skipping will benefit the child but is this true? Davis and Rimm identify the two major concerns for grade skipping in their Education of the Gifted and Talented book. The first concern is missing critical basic skills. For example “many teachers feel that if a child is not taught an important math or reading skill, he or she will be at a great disadvantage in later grades”(p. 125) The second problem is social adjustment. It is a myth that gifted children are more adjusted socially and emotionally than average students. The truth is gifted students have a harder time adjusting because others do not relate to them.

In the article Differentiation: Asset or Liability for Gifted Education?, Sandra N. Kaplan examines what she sees as the ubiquitous classification of differentiated learning. Kaplan suggests that a rather broad definition and assignment of the term differentiation has posed a potential problem for gifted education. The author implies that because the definitive idea of differentiated learning has “lost its vitality,” its significance to gifted instruction has consequently waned.

Kaplan states that gifted education programs, falling under the scope of differentiated learning, require explicit and unique curriculums that distinguish them from general education studies. She claims that constantly shifting educational practices and their overreaching classification and application of “differentiated” have resulted in the failure to adequately define unique instruction that specifically addresses the needs of the gifted learner. Says Kaplan, “When differentiation is used to justify educational practices that alter the ends or goals of learning rather than the means to these ends, it has the potential to become a deterrent rather than a facilitator to the education of gifted students.” Problems arise, as Kaplan views it, when teachers categorically allot set tasks for the whole of an identified group without the flexibility and options of projects that assist the abilities and weaknesses of the individual student

The Effects of NCLB on the Gifted

Differentiation is strongly emphasized in the educational system, but the gifted student is often overlooked. These students could be the ones that make that marked invention that changes society and need to be challenged to reach their maximum potential. One problem on the horizon is the No Child Left Behind act. Now teachers are so focused on bringing up scores and differentiating to accommodate the struggling child that the gifted student faces no challenges in his environment. School systems are happy with their scores and feel no need to stretch their abilities further. According to an article by Henley, McBride, Milligan and Nichols, there are three significant problems associated with NCLB and the gifted student. First, the gifted students that had little or no attention before are ignored now; secondly, teachers are being taught that they need to focus on bringing the low end students to proficiency and the average to advanced; therefore, the gifted are not even in the consideration. Thirdly, students that had been receiving gifted services were being retained in the classroom for test preparation and basically eliminating any special services they had been given. It is a great concern for the advanced students to receive little or no formal services due to the emphasis on the lower end child.

Twice Exceptional Students

Some gifted students have additional issues that impede their success. They may be rapid learners who need very little repetition while at the same time they may have a learning disability or physical challenge. These types of learners are known as Twice Exceptional because they sit on both sides of the normal bell curve of students. And it can be a challenge to meet their needs. Educators need to know that these students exist and they must be identified early in order for them to be successful and reach their potential. A young man I know did not learn to read fluently until he was ten years old, in the fourth grade. He said that the letters and words moved around on the page and would not sit still as he tried to read them. He had known all of his letter sounds by the time he entered kindergarten because he was a speech student due to a genetic tongue thrust that caused a mild lisp. Because of this, and the fact that he could remember and recite poems the first time he heard them (a skill that is one of the markers for a reading disability), his learning disability was compensated for by his strengths until he was in the second grade. That was when he was finally identified as having a form of dyslexia, or as stated on his IEP, a nonspecific learning disorder. It is not politically correct to use the term dyslexia on IEPs in the state of California, which is where he was identified. He was and is an excellent listener and could correctly answer all the teacher’s questions during group discussions. But he could not read the tests, they had to be read to him by the resource teacher, and he was placed in a pullout program for reading. His IEP has been modified as necessary through the years as his needs have changed. He has progressed from one on one testing assistance to small group testing to full inclusion. He earned a perfect score on his Earth Science SOL as an eighth grade advanced science student. According to Jean Stropp, this young man may be successful because he had support consistently and early in his school career (Stropp, 2002). This young man is now a 16 year old gifted vocalist and musician currently taking 8 high school classes as a dual strand sophomore in a Performing Arts Academy Program in Virginia Beach. Some of his classes are Algebra II/Trig, Chemistry, Academy Orchestra, Comprehensive Musicianship and the advanced academy chorus, Vox Harmonia. According to Stropp, twice exceptional students face many obstacles to success caused by being gifted and having challenges (2002). With early identification, intervention, guidance, and support, these students can become successful and thrive in a high expectations educational environment.

Conclusion

After outlining some of the major concerns regarding educating gifted students, the question arises of how these issues can be addressed. After outlining some of the major concerns regarding educating gifted students, the question arises of how these issues can be addressed. There are some who will suggest that the best solution is advancing the child ahead in grade level, while those who oppose claim that the student will not necessarily be emotionally and developmentally ready for this advance. Others promote grouping students within the grade level by their academic ability, so they will be in classes with their academic peers. The gifted students will be able to cover the standard material more rapidly and have time to further investigate topics of interest to the students. At the same time, the slower learners will be able to take the material at their own pace, avoiding the stress of not keeping up, and students of all levels will have the comfort of a classroom environment with other students at their own levels. Opponents to this idea fear that the slower and average students will feel bad for not being in the gifted class. A third option is to have an extra program in addition to the normal school day for the gifted students. However, this type of program would not be able to meet frequently, being limited to either during the school day, causing the students to miss instructional time, or after school, which eliminates students who do not have transportation. Some schools unfortunately do not offer any type of gifted education program. However, it is doubtful that any school would be permitted to operate without a Special Education program. In conclusion, due to the specific needs of gifted students, it is up to every school system to make proper accommodations for these students to make sure that they, like every other student, reach their full academic and developmental potential.

References

Davis, G. A. , & Rimm, S. B. (2004). Education of the gifted and talented. Boston, Va: Pearson Education, Inc.

Manning, Sandra. (2006). Recognizing Gifted Students: A Practical Guide for Teachers. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 42. Retrieved February 3, 2008, from http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.proxy.lib.odu.edu/hww/results/getResults.jhtml?_DARGS=/hww/results/results_common.jhtml.7#record_2

Rogers, Karen B. (2007). Lessons Learned About Educating the Gifted and Talented: A Synthesis of the Research on Educational Practice. Gifted Child Quarterly. Retrieved February 3, 2008, from http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.proxy.lib.odu.edu/hww/results/getResults.jhtml?_DARGS=/hww/results/results_common.jhtml.12

Kaplan, Sandra N. "Differentiation: Asset or Liability for Gifted Education?" Gifted Child Today 30 (2007): 23. Wilson Web. Retrieved April 25, 2008.

Kettler, Todd. (2007). Gifted Education Left Behind and Run Over. Gifted Child Today, 30. Retrieved February 3, 2008, from http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.proxy.lib.odu.edu/hww/results/getResults.jhtml?_DARGS=/hww/results/results_common.jhtml.12

Van Tassel-Baska, Joyce, & Brown, Elissa F. (2007). Toward Best Practice: An Analysis of the Efficacy of Curriculum Models in Gifted Education. Gifted Child Quarterly, 51. Retrieved February 3, 2008, from http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.proxy.lib.odu.edu/hww/results/getResults.jhtml?_DARGS=/hww/results/results_common.jhtml.12

Harney, John O. (2007). Helping Smart Kids Get Smarter. Diverse Issues in Higher Education, 24. Retrieved February 3, 2008, from http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.proxy.lib.odu.edu/hww/results/getResults.jhtml?_DARGS=/hww/results/results_common.jhtml.12

K., Carolyn. (2008). Gifted Education Quotes. Hoagies' Gifted Education Page. Retrieved February 3, 2008, from www.hoagiesgifted.org/gifted_quotes.htm

Strop, J. a. (2002, Winter). Counseling, Multiple Exceptionality, and Psychological Issues. Retrieved April 19, 2008, from Supporting Emotional Needs of Gifted (SENG): http://sengifted.org

Henly, J., McBride, J., Milligan, J. Nichols, J. Robbing Elementary Students of Their Childhood: The Perils of No Child Left Behind. Education. 128 no 1 56-63, Fall 2007.

This page titled 6.8: Gifted students can take care of themselves, right? is shared under a CC BY-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Jennfer Kidd, Jamie Kaufman, Peter Baker, Patrick O'Shea, Dwight Allen, & Old Dominion U students.

• 5.8: Gifted students can take care of themselves, right? by Jennfer Kidd, Jamie Kaufman, Peter Baker, Patrick O'Shea, Dwight Allen, & Old Dominion U students is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

In this pivotal chapter, students embark on a comprehensive exploration of diversity in classroom practices and the principles of inclusive education, equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to create welcoming and equitable learning environments. 

• Students not only understand but also apply key principles of inclusive classroom practices, ensuring that their educational spaces cater to all learners, including those with ADHD/ESL backgrounds, culturally diverse origins, and varying gender identities. They delve into the legal frameworks and regulations surrounding education, including the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, to grasp how these policies shape teaching strategies and the rights of students with diverse needs. 

• Culturally responsive teaching takes center stage, empowering students to design and implement methods that celebrate their students' cultural backgrounds and identities, fostering an environment where diversity is embraced. Additionally, students learn to sensitively address gender-related issues and create inclusive spaces for LGBTQ+ students, nurturing an atmosphere of acceptance and respect. 

• The chapter concludes by equipping students with strategies to identify and support gifted students within diverse classrooms, ensuring each learner's unique strengths and needs are recognized and nurtured. This chapter serves as an indispensable guide, empowering aspiring educators to cultivate inclusive classrooms that honor diversity, adhere to legal frameworks, and provide a supportive and enriching educational experience for all students. 

1. How can educators effectively apply the principles of inclusive classroom practices to create a welcoming environment for students with diverse backgrounds, including those with ADHD/ESL, culturally diverse origins, and varying gender identities? Share strategies and experiences that promote inclusivity in the classroom.

2. In what ways do laws and regulations, such as the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, influence teaching strategies and the rights of students with diverse needs? How can educators navigate the intersection of legal requirements and the goal of creating inclusive learning environments?

3. Culturally responsive teaching is essential for celebrating diversity in the classroom. Can you provide examples of culturally responsive teaching methods that acknowledge and celebrate the cultural backgrounds and identities of students? How can educators ensure that cultural responsiveness is integrated into their teaching practices effectively?

Further Reading

https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Courses/Fresno_City_College/Education_30%3A_Introduction_to_Education_(Perez)/06%3A_Diversity_-_Classroom_Practices_and_Law?readerView

• Student Diversity, Social/Emotional 

• Diversity Classroom Practices and Law 6.1-6.8 Kidd et al.  

• Who are Today’s Students? Beasley and Haulmark 

• How do Social Issues Affect Students by Beasley and Haulmark 

• Excellence or Equity Which is more important by Beasley and Haulmark 

• Multicultural Education 6.1-6.8 

• Learning styles, differentiation and special education 7.1-7.8 Foundations of Education Lumen