Diversity in the Classroom

Diversity in the Classroom Schools are the places where the children shape their personalities and behavior. Like a child who shapes his or her personal outlook, even the school will be shaped by diverse cultural practices and values of the society. In essence, schools also reflect the existing norms of the society for which they set up. Interrelated and closely bonded beliefs and values are very common the culture of the schooling. In this chapter, an attempt was made to relate the basic ideology that underlines the culture in the US with many core values and beliefs. In addition, a link was made to relate the basic ideology as a means of divulging the deeper meaning of culture. Child rearing is a very meaningful approach that one can use to reveal the deeper meaning of the culture. Rearing children in a classroom has a strong link with the underlying culture of diverse ethnic groups. Several authors in the past have tried to explain what childrearing is, especially in the context of existing cultural practices. Almost all authors believe that childrearing is a mirror of different cultural ideologies along with practices and values of different cultures. Ogbu (Ogbu, 1981) believes that parents prepare their children for the society and the world as they know and experience it. Society can easily influence and shape our schools. The core values and practices of the society are some of the critical factors that shape our schools. Educators, students and parents may never understand the deeper meaning of culture within the ambience of school learning. Traditional definitions of culture given by noted anthropologists may not be sufficient for designing and executing school learning experiences that are so common in culturally different settings. In this section, we will treat objectifying culture as the basic step in the process of designing and constructing a simple and workable definition of culture. This simple working definition will help us streamline planning school learning experiences among different people. What is objectifying culture? A simple depersonalization process that helps us in conducting critical examination of the ideologies that support accepted and acknowledged social behavior and cultural practices. Ideologies and beliefs can reflect different aspects of deep meaning of culture. Schools are the learning centers that also reflect the cultural norms of a larger sized society. Deeper meaning of the culture can also be revealed through inspecting and evaluating ideologies and any interconnected beliefs and values. One can also reveal the deep meaning of culture by including communication among parents, teachers and students, and different social interaction patterns, as well as childrearing methods and practices. The Culture of Practice in a Struggling School Every teacher is different. Each one of them has own ideological stance and understanding of culture. In fact, these two viewpoints shape how they see school curriculum, learning process, pedagogy and social context that allow learning in school. In nutshell, the way and manner in which a teacher understands the culture influences in the school, will ultimately influence his or her ability to provide meaningful and productive learning experiences to the students. This chapter will provide two main benefits: It provides you a solid groundwork to comprehend cultural diversity in a classroom; It also helps you learn how to teach traditionally underserved students, who come from diverse and experiential backgrounds. Hollins (Hollins, 2006) reported about an approach, which was identified as a structured dialogue, playing an important tool to assist convert the culture of practice followed in a low performing school. In such schools, teachers also learned how to teach traditionally underserved urban students. The first part of this chapter presents you the study as reported by Hollins. On the other hand, the second section of this chapter deals with the things that teachers learned in their classroom, in the form of a structure that is planned at divulging the deeper meaning of culture within the ambience of a school. The most critical components of this framework are: Culturally mediated cognition and Culturally mediated instruction The main goal of this dedicated discussion is to bring an awareness of the culture of practice in very low performing urban schools. This expertise will empower you to evaluate your own progress as a dedicated classroom teacher and shun possible scenarios where you will be introduced unconsciously to the prevailing practice of culture. What is a structured dialogue? It is an intricate process of learning, where all teachers come together in a study group styled format, to discuss and learn more about their classroom dialogues. In the process of conducting a series of dialogues, teachers can describe the unique successes and special challenges they encounter in their classrooms along with evidences and testimonies from each of the participating teacher. The most significant benefit of a structured dialogue process is the teachers ability to learn from other on different methods that can help in improving classroom practices and student learning outcomes. Identifying a Developmental Trajectory Hollins (Hollins, 2006) also worked on developing a developmental trajectory for modifications in the culture of practices in many of the underperforming urban schools. This trajectory involved three positions and three markers. The positions were: A Natal or initial culture identified in many of the underperforming schools just at the initiation of the study. A transitional position, when old practices and values were replaced or changed with new ones by the participating teachers A transformed culture, where all participating teachers adapted new and fresh values, practices and perceptions On the other hand, three important markers suggested for changes in the teachers culture of practices are: Teachers perceived perceptions and opinions about students, Teachers perceived perceptions and opinions about instruction and Interrelationship among different teachers Learning more about different positions The natal position is a simple, yet effective approach to structured dialogue. The teachers of a school join as a group, in low performing schools, to hold a deficit viewpoint of their students to focus on a number of issues like: Lack of skills, knowledge and information among students A perceived negative view of a students conditions of living An attitude that parents show disinterest in their childrens education In fact, every classroom is bound to lead to differences in learning outcomes. These differences could be due to a number of reasons like: Students effort and dedication towards studies, Intelligence, skills and perceived smartness Familys social status in the society In a natal position, teachers may or may not visit each others classroom or they may or may not talk to each other regarding their teaching methods. In fact, classroom instruction delivered by teachers was private and confidential. School authorities ensured that new teacher inductees were formally socialized into this new culture. Next, will be the transitional position. During this position, teachers may never talk negative about a student. However, it is quite difficult to realize similar outcomes with all the instructional approaches used by the teachers. This issue resulted in a serious discussion about the existing relationship between the teaching approach and the student-learning outcome. Dialogues about individual teaching practices veered towards personal, although individual teachers were careful about assuming responsibility for learning outcome among students. Senior teachers started giving better attention to the induction of new teachers by setting up informal and personal mentoring sessions. These sessions always included provision of guidance and help about teaching methods and approaches. On the other hand, transformational position is the last position that emerges during the third year of the study. The positive aspect of this position was that teachers always talked positive about their stu dents. In fact, positive outcome was the most significant benefit of this position. With the initiation of this position, teachers talked more about: The information students know and understand What should they know more about What instructional methods appeal them the most Teachers also found time to discuss many other issues like: The existing relationship among teaching methods and approaches Attributes of the student community Learning outcomes and results Teachers become more responsive by taking full responsibilities for their students learning outcomes. Teachers also start talking more about their students strengths, weaknesses and other related issues. In fact, everyone in the pubic knew about what students are doing and how they are performing. Teachers took each others suggestions seriously, visited others classrooms and later assumed full responsibility for their own classroom actions. All senior teachers started taking additional responsibilities about the new inductee teachers. Hollins (Hollins, 2006) presented the concept of developmental trajectory that is closely related to the typology subject discussed in Chapter I. The trajectory and typology discussed here gives you three important positions with relating categories of indicators for conceptualizing teaching methods. When you compare positions and indicators in the typology highlighted erstwhile in the first chapter of the book, with those of Hollins, many similarities may exist between the indicators, across many positions in the typology and the trajectory. For example, You can observe that the Type I teachers mentioned in the typology are almost similar to the teachers that were mentioned in the natal position, especially in the trajectory on indicators for teachers viewpoint on students and instruction. On the other hand, many indicators in the transformational position lying on the developmental trajectory and in the Type III in the domain of typology indicate towards the application of a teachers knowledge and awareness about: The intricate relationship between many student attributes and experiences Instructional and teaching practices adapted by the teacher Learning outcome as a meaningful support for teaching that is productive and result oriented. As mentioned elsewhere in the book, a structured dialogue is an efficient tool for assisting the complete transformation of a community of teaching practice and practices of individual teachers. If you are a beginning teacher, who is just starting to interact with your students, you can use this tool to improve your teaching methods and practices. The typology and the trajectory are very beneficial to teachers, old or new, in many different ways. The term typology is descriptive; it tries to explain the perceptual position, and response of teachers who are hired to teach in K-12 schools. It is a very convenient tool for analysis, evaluation and introspection for planned personal growth. On the other hand, developmental trajectory means the transformation of the practice of culture in an underperforming school with that of a learning community that focuses on enhancing student learning outcomes. Tip: When you recognize different indicators of position in a culture of practice followed in a school, you can easily understand how to interact and converse with colleagues and in what manner you can monitor and evaluate your own individual growth after participating in a community of practice. Both trajectory and typology are very beneficial to teachers in many ways. However, the typology model presented before in the first chapter, only detected the basic characteristics of teachers perception and practices along the lines of three positions, and it did not provide a structure for comprehending the existing relationship between different culture and school practices. Hence, the remainder part of this chapter will provide a platform for understanding the existing association between learners cultural backgrounds, classroom learning mode and learning outcomes. Cultural Diversity in a Classroom This course framework will provide you a theoretical perspective for culling knowledge base from other chapters and elucidate the structure to assist application to practice. The main concepts embedded in the framework will give a broader meaning for locating self-identity within the ambits of a culturally diverse society for Making an inquiry into students cultural and experiential background, Undoing sensitive elements from purposeful learning for students who from diverse communities and study in elementary and secondary schools The other objective of this chapter is to make clear the existing relationship between culture, cognition, pedagogical practices and many learning outcomes. The underlying structure for comprehending cultural diversity in a typical classroom consists of two major parts, namely: Culturally intervened cognition and Culturally intervened instruction The former refers to the manner in which a students brain, memory structures and critical intellectual processes enhance, support and develop within a given cultural context. On the other hand, the latter includes a number of important components like culturally intervened cognition and prized knowledge and skills in school curriculum and culturally correct social scenarios for learning experience (see Table 7.2). Bransford, Brown, and Cocking (1999) pointed out that, all learning involves transfer from previous experiences (p. 56). The monumental work of Piaget and Vygptsky provides a theoretical ground for understanding cultural diversity in a classroom. This theory draws on available information processing to explain different structural components among different cultures, cognition, and pedagogy and learning experience for different cultural backgrounds. Note that you can find structural components among the participating individuals and groups, who are studying under different school settings. On the other hand, culture is unique and dynamic with constant changes and modifications. Journal Activity How do you handle a culturally diverse classroom? Explain how you want to teach and train your children, especially in the context of existing cultural practices. Explain how you will develop an ability to provide meaningful and productive learning experiences to the students, who are studying in a culturally struggling school. Differentiate between culturally mediated cognition and culturally mediated instruction. Explain your plan of action to make structural dialogue a success. Pause and Reflect As a teacher, why do think that a structured dialogue is an efficient tool for assisting the complete transformation of a community of teaching practice and practices of individual teachers. Provide reasons for your argument. What are the possible bottlenecks and potential problems that are likely to crop up, when you are using structured dialogues? Think of some strategies and plans to use different perceptions.

Assess the View That Life in a ‘State of Nature’

The state of nature Is the term used to describe a lawless state of human behavior, wherein all people are free of legal and moral restraint. It would create a state where all people would be able to act on their wants and desires without fear of punishment from a governing body, as there wouldn't be one, and that man would only have to fear the retaliation from other people against their actions. In this essay, I will be outlining the views of both Hobbes and Locke on the state of nature and drawing a conclusion from their opinions.Hobbes' view on the state of nature is that such a thing would lead only to a state of war. He believed that without moral or legal constraints, mankind will simply pillage, murder, and plunder In order to get what they desire, regardless of the views of others. In a state of war, man will use power as he sees fit In order to survive and with no clear definition of rights or duty, each Individual will be free to Judge the rights and duties of others and of themselves.There will be no duty to keep other people safe and out of harm and no-one will have the explicit right to live or to keep heir property. If another claims that you hold something he needs to survive, you would have no right to deny him as there is no law or right outlining that it was yours and yours alone. As our desires are never satisfied and we have a continuous want of things, man will continue to overturn others if it means he gets what he wants in life, whether or not he truly needs it.He believes in the state of nature translating to a state of anarchy, as no human will ever be satisfied with what they have and will always strive for more. Hobbes claims that In a lawless state, we may not wish direct arm onto others, but we will be constantly aware that other people may wish to harm us. In order to prevent being the volt, we would attack first In order to stay alive, thus becoming the aggressor. Self-preservation In a lawless state, In Hobbes' opinion, would o nly ever lead to conflict as man turns on man In order to keep themselves alive.Due to this, we would never trust another person and the lack of alliance or allegiance would lead to us all being equally vulnerable. So despite the lack of rights or duty, each of us are equal in a state of nature, as we are all equally able to be pushed over by the person beside us, whether they are friend or otherwise. Hobbes is very much in agreement that living in a state of nature would be truly awful. Locke, however, doesn't completely agree.He doesn't believe – as Hobbes does – that scarcity In society and living in a state lawlessness would lead to man killing man In order to stay alive. He believes that people will provide themselves with natural moral principles that we are all inclined towards. Locke drew this belief from his belief in God and the creation of Man and all things on the Earth. By this logic, we have a duty to protect others from harm. We are therefore obligated, as God's creations, to punish those that cause harm to others, and those principals would be our natural obligations.He also believes that we cannot claim property unless our labor helped create what is on the land, but we still have no lawful right to it and the supposed right to it is not dependable. He proposed that removal from a state of law would create a form of democracy among men where they would govern themselves and keep themselves in equal measure in order to create a fair semblance of society. Locke thinks that society can exist in a state of nature and exist informally, so he disagrees with the statement that living in a state of nature would be awful in any sense.He believes that people can and will work together to protect themselves and each other as we have an obligation to care for other people as a natural instinct. By Locker's reasoning, man would eventually enter into an unspoken social contract and form a crude government to better protect their rights and pro mote organization in their society. I believe that although a state of nature would initially lead to man taking whatever he pleased from others and doing what he had been previously unable to do, eventually a form of society would emerge.People cannot continue without governing themselves and eventually they would create some form of law in order to govern themselves and protect their rights and duties. Initially living in a state of nature would be awful because there would be the breakaway from lawful restraint and that new freedom would lead to complete uproar as the population of the world indulged in all they had been unable to do. I still, however, believe that Locker's state of things would prevail and that man would find a way to organize themselves in order to survive and beat the inevitable scarcity.

A Hypothesis Is a Claim

A hypothesis is a claim Population mean The mean monthly cell phone bill in this city is ? = $42 Population proportion Example: The proportion of adults in this city with cell phones is ? = 0. 68 States the claim or assertion to be tested Is always about a population parameter, not about a sample statistic Is the opposite of the null hypothesis e. g. , The average diameter of a manufactured bolt is not equal to 30mm ( H1: ? ? 30 ) Challenges the status quo Alternative never contains the â€Å"=†sign May or may not be provenIs generally the hypothesis that the researcher is trying to prove Is the opposite of the null hypothesis e. g. , The average diameter of a manufactured bolt is not equal to 30mm ( H1: ? ? 30 ) Challenges the status quo Alternative never contains the â€Å"=†sign May or may not be proven Is generally the hypothesis that the researcher is trying to prove Is the opposite of the null hypothesis e. g. , The average diameter of a manufactured bolt is not e qual to 30mm ( H1: ? ? 30 ) Challenges the status quo Alternative never contains the â€Å"=†sign May or may not be provenIs generally the hypothesis that the researcher is trying to prove If the sample mean is close to the stated population mean, the null hypothesis is not rejected. If the sample mean is far from the stated population mean, the null hypothesis is rejected. How far is â€Å"far enough† to reject H0? The critical value of a test statistic creates a â€Å"line in the sand† for decision making — it answers the question of how far is far enough. Type I Error Reject a true null hypothesis Considered a serious type of error The probability of a Type I Error is ? Called level of significance of the testSet by researcher in advance Type II Error Failure to reject a false null hypothesis The probability of a Type II Error is ? Type I and Type II errors cannot happen at the same time A Type I error can only occur if H0 is true A Type II error can o nly occur if H0 is false Critical Value Approach to Testing For a two-tail test for the mean, ? known: Determine the critical Z values for a specified level of significance ? from a table or computer Decision Rule: If the test statistic falls in the rejection region, reject H0 ; otherwise do not reject H0State the null hypothesis, H0 and the alternative hypothesis, H1 Determine the appropriate test statistic and sampling distribution Determine the critical values that divide the rejection and nonrejection regions Collect data and compute the value of the test statistic Make the statistical decision and state the managerial conclusion. If the test statistic falls into the nonrejection region, do not reject the null hypothesis H0. If the test statistic falls into the rejection region, reject the null hypothesis. Express the managerial conclusion in the context of the problem p-Value Approach to Testing -value: Probability of obtaining a test statistic equal to or more extreme than the observed sample value given H0 is true The p-value is also called the observed level of significance H0 can be rejected if the p-value is less than ? Hypothesis Testing: ? Unknown If the population standard deviation is unknown, you instead use the sample standard deviation S. Because of this change, you use the t distribution instead of the Z distribution to test the null hypothesis about the mean. When using the t distribution you must assume the population you are sampling from follows a normal distribution.All other steps, concepts, and conclusions are the same. One-Tail Tests In many cases, the alternative hypothesis focuses on a particular direction H0: ? ? 3 H1: ? < 3 This is a lower-tail test since the alternative hypothesis is focused on the lower tail below the mean of 3 H0: ? ? 3 H1: ? > 3 This is an upper-tail test since the alternative hypothesis is focused on the upper tail above the mean of 3 Proportions Sample proportion in the category of interest is denoted by p W hen both X and n – X are at least 5, p can be approximated by a normal distribution with mean and standard deviationPotential Pitfalls and Ethical Considerations Use randomly collected data to reduce selection biases Do not use human subjects without informed consent Choose the level of significance, ? , and the type of test (one-tail or two-tail) before data collection Do not employ â€Å"data snooping† to choose between one-tail and two-tail test, or to determine the level of significance Do not practice â€Å"data cleansing† to hide observations that do not support a stated hypothesis Report all pertinent findings including both statistical significance and practical importance

Do You Need a Bachelors Degree to Get a Journalism Job

Youve probably heard that generally speaking, college graduates earn more money and are more likely to be employed than those without college degrees. But what about journalism in particular? Now, its not impossible to get a journalism job without a BA, but eventually, if you want to move to bigger and more prestigious papers and websites, the lack of a bachelors degree will start to hurt you. These days, at medium-sized to large news organizations, a bachelors degree is seen as a minimum requirement. Many reporters are entering the field with masters degrees, either in journalism or a specialized area of interest. Remember, in a tough economy, in a competitive field like journalism, you want to give yourself every advantage, not saddle yourself with a liability. And the lack of a bachelors degree will eventually become a liability. Employment Prospects Speaking of the economy, a number of studies have shown that college grads generally have much lower unemployment rates than those with just a high school degree. The Economic Policy Institute reports that for recent college graduates, the unemployment rate is 7.2 percent (compared with 5.5 percent in 2007), and the underemployment rate is 14.9 percent (compared with 9.6 percent in 2007). But for recent high school graduates, the unemployment rate is 19.5 percent (compared with 15.9 percent in 2007), and the underemployment rate is 37.0 percent (compared with 26.8 percent in 2007). Make More Money Income is also affected by education. A number of studies have found that college grads in any field invariably earn more than those with just a high school degree. And if you have a masters degree or higher, you can earn even more. A Georgetown study found that the average income for a recent college grad in journalism or communications was $33,000; for graduate degree holders it was $64,000 Across all fields, a masters degree is worth $1.3 million more in lifetime earnings than a high school diploma, according to a report from the U.S. Census Bureau. Over an adults working life, high school graduates can expect, on average, to earn $1.2 million; those with a bachelors degree, $2.1 million; and people with a masters degree, $2.5 million, the Census Bureau report found. At most ages, more education equates with higher earnings, and the payoff is most notable at the highest educational levels, said Jennifer Cheeseman Day, co-author of the Census Bureau report. If youre wondering whether a college degree is worth it, the writing is on the wall: The more education you have, the more money youll make, and the less likely it is that youll be unemployed.