The first IRIS module I completed for this assignment was titled Cultural and Linguistic Differences: What Teachers Should Know. This module looks at the differences in communication patterns and styles across different cultures; and examines the effects that these differences have in the interactions of students in the school setting. Taking about an hour to complete, this module is very thorough and includes interviews from experts in the field.
There were a few things in this module that really caught my attention. This included the effect that linguistic diversity can have on the classroom. The module explains that the typical interaction in the classroom consists of a teacher providing information while the students are seated and actively listening. After the teacher is done they call of students to answer specific questions about the content covered. The students are expected to make eye contact, answer using precise language, control their emotions, and control their physical movements. While this is typical, teaching in this manner fails to consider the linguistic and cultural diversity of the students. We see this problem in Farmington, with our Navajo students in particular. In the Navajo culture, it is considered rude to look directly into someone’s eyes while they are speaking. Doing so is a sign of challenge. The module points out other behaviors that are typical of some cultures that differ from the norm in the school setting. This includes differences in storytelling. We tend to tell stories in a very linear pattern. There is a beginning, a middle and an ending. This is not true in every culture, and expecting all students to tell stories in this manner is culturally unresponsive. The module asks teachers to keep in mind, “Teachers who do not recognize that communicative styles differ might consider interactive styles of communication to be rude and disruptive, requiring disciplinary action. Teachers who judge their way of speaking English to be more correct than the way their students speak (e.g., due to their dialect) might hold inaccurate beliefs about their intelligence and abilities” (The IRIS Center 4). This is important information for teachers to keep in mind. We do not want to be ethnocentric teachers. We want to value our students, which includes their backgrounds and cultures.
There are ways to help support students from linguistically diverse backgrounds. The module includes using manipulatives, word walls, real objects, pictures, graphics, cooperative learning, building on background knowledge, reading aloud interactively, labeling items in the classroom, and using technology, in their recommendations for supporting linguistically diverse students (The IRIS Center 6). This list of supports is similar to those suggested by our textbook, Fundamentals of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, in K-12 Mainstream Classrooms. This shows that these supports are not just good for working with math or science, but that they work for all subjects. These supports are also beneficial for all the students in the classroom, and not just the ones that are learning to speak English. While it is vital that teachers are aware of how the needs of linguistically diverse students are different, it is also vital that we provide the best education possible for all students. These supports and resources give us the tools to do both.
The second module that I looked at for this assignment was a video on The Common Core State Standards for Math. This video is 14 minutes long, and covers the key features and differences of the new standards. The Common Core State Standards have been adopted in more than 40 states, which will affect millions of students are teachers. Before the creation of these standards, the states were charged with creating their own standards, and controlling education at the state level. This did not work the way that everyone in the ‘80’s hoped it would. While some states created rigorous standards that were clear, most did not. The biggest problem being that the standards were vague, unclear, and confusing. This left the education of students all over the place. Some of the standards set by the states were impossible to cover in a one year time frame. This led to a very surface exploration of the topic, and a lack of true understanding of the material.
The video also mentions that we are no longer in competition with just our neighbors for jobs. We are now competing in a global job market. With our educational system suffering from unclear and impossible standards we are losing jobs. This led to the creation of the Common Core State Standards. These standards are meant to help our students be more successful in early education, be more successful in college, and give students the skills that are needed to compete in the global job market.
These standards were created by a team of about 75 teachers and specialists, who were led by three experts in the field. The team worked together to set standards that would allow our students to graduate ready for college, or the job market. They did this by looking at what colleges expected and looking at what other countries were doing.
The IRIS modules are a great resource for teachers. While the module and video I watched for this assignment were of interest to me, there are hundreds more available. I plan to use these modules to help be develop as a teacher long after I am in the field. I think that they would benefit educators and parents regardless of the ages that they work with. I also plan to introduce these modules to friends that are teaching at the early childhood level. If you are looking to learn and develop start with a module or two. You will be surprised with the topics available, and the amount you can learn in an hour or two.
Common Core State Standards for Math. 2011. Video. https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/common-core-state-standards-for-math?fd=1
The IRIS Center. (2009). Cultural and linguistic differences: What teachers should know. Retrieved from https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/clde/