IRIS MODULES

1. Student diversity in U.S. schools exists in many forms. List four ways in which students are diverse in today’s classrooms.

Students are diverse in today’s classrooms by being different races, some have disabilities, their socioeconomic statuses vary, and they speak different languages.

2. Imagine you are an eighth-grade social studies teacher whose students are learning about the voting process in the United States. What are four ways you could make sure your lesson is culturally responsive?

1. Teach students about who were allowed to vote first and who were not

2. Explain the requirements for voting today

3. Show videos/ interviews of people of different races and their experiences in voting

4. Teach students why voting is important for all different cultures in the United States

3. Zahara, a sixth-grade student who recently moved to the United States from Kazakhstan, seems able to express her needs and desires socially with her new peers and teachers. However, she struggles to understand the content presented in class and in the text.

a. Explain why Zahara might be more successful in social situations than in academic ones.

Zahara may not be able to completely understand English and might have a hard time reading and following directions that are presented in English. Zahara could be using body language in order to be more successful in social situations.

b. Describe at least three effective supports and strategies Zahara’s teacher might use to strengthen her learning outcomes.

1. Sit Zahara near someone that speaks the same language she does as well as English

2. Allow Zahara to listen to audio repeatedly in order to strengthen her learning

3. Engage with Zahara and try to have small conversations

4. You have just learned that you will have three students with disabilities in your classroom. List three ways you could better meet their needs.

1. Recognize individual learning strategies

2. Develop individualized plans

3. Include students interest to engage them in lessons

5. Arlene is a ninth-grade student from a low-SES household. Though capable academically, she is not performing on grade level, does not complete or turn in her homework, and has difficulty staying engaged during her classes.

a. Identify at least three challenges related to low SES that might explain why Arlene is having difficulty in school.

1. Her parents may want her to work instead of doing homework

2. Her parents are working and cannot help her with school work

3. She may have a lot of responsibilities at home like taking care of younger siblings or grandparents

*Overall, when working with the module Classroom Diversity, I thought it was interesting how many teachers do not think of white students as being very diverse. We need to remember that being diverse does not only mean being of different races, but it also means coming from different familial situations, having disabilities, and speaking different languages.

Interview: Working with High Poverty Children

The main point that I got from this interview was that children who are in poverty still have parents that care. Those parents maybe thinking that their job is to put food on the table and a roof over their heads and school is meant to teach while they are doing that. .

Video Vignette: Define American: Jose's Story

The main point I took away from this video was how Jose was a very good student and had a lot of inspirations and dreams. Although he always did well in school he felt like his citizenship status would always hold him back and not allow him to pursue his dream of being a successful writer. This makes me think of the worry immigrant students have in the classroom. Their citizenship status might also discourage them to do well because they feel like they are trying hard for nothing.