BuildingBridges

Building Bridges Toward Educational Excellence: 

Building Bridges Toward Educational Excellence Katherine Sprott Midwest Equity Assistance Center Be Stoney Department of Secondary Education Enhancing Instruction for All Learners November 17, 2006 Kansas State University

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ICEBREAKER

PRIVILEGE: 

PRIVILEGE Is a set of Options Opportunities Opinions White people gain at the expense of non-Whites.

Ethnicity: 

Ethnicity A term which represents social groups with a shared history, sense of identity, geography, and cultural roots which may occur despite racial differences. Pizarro-Eckert, S. (2006). Ethnicity definition of key racial terms. Race Relations, 2 (4).

ETHNICITY: 

ETHNICITY The 1990s has been characterized as the decade of ethnicity, and students and teachers alike have welcomed the increased attention to race and ethnicity issues in the classroom. This enriched focus is the result, in part, of a shift in emphasis away from cultural assimilation toward recognition of the role played by ethnic identity in people’s lives Enriching the focus on ethnicity and race. (1998). APA Task Force on Diversity Issues at the Pre-college and Undergraduate Levels of Education in Psychology. APA Monitor, 29, (3)

ETHNICITY: 

ETHNICITY People in political power usually define their own ethnic group as being superior and others being inferior. Using popular literature, films, and the mass media to portray themselves as good, intelligent, pretty and successful, while others are betrayed negatively. As traits, background, allegiance or association; quality or affiliation resulting from racial or cultural ties Ethnicity has a strong influence on community status relations. O’neil, D. (2005). Ethnic identity process practice quiz. Retrieved on October 27, 2006 from: http://antro.palomar.edu/ethnicity/quizzes

Barriers & Strategies: 

Barriers & Strategies Generate 2 barriers and 2 strategies that impact student learning in the classroom based on the posted definitions EHTNICITY & WHITE PRIVILEGE, and how faculty can prepare undergraduate and graduate students.

Complexity in the Classroom: 

Complexity in the Classroom Become more informed about the history and culture of groups other than your own. Avoid offending out of ignorance. Strive for some measure of "cultural competence" (Institute for the Study of Social Change, 1991): know what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior and speech in cultures different from your own.

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Convey the same level of respect and confidence in the abilities of all your students Research studies show that many instructors/teachers unconsciously base their expectations of student performance on such factors as gender, language proficiency, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, prior achievement, and appearance (Green, 1989). Research has also shown that an instructor's expectations can become self-fulfilling prophecies: students who sense that more is expected of them tend to outperform students who believe that less is expected of them - regardless of the students' actual abilities (Green, 1989; Pemberton, 1988).

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Don't try to "protect" any group of students Don't refrain from criticizing the performance of individual students in your class on account of their ethnicity or gender. If you attempt to favor or protect a given group of students by demanding less of them, you are likely to produce the opposite effect: such treatment undermines students' self-esteem and their view of their abilities and competence (Hall and Sandier, 1982).

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Be evenhanded in how you acknowledge students' good work Let students know that their work is meritorious and praise their accomplishments. But be sure to recognize the achievements of all students.

Recognize the complexity of  diversity : 

Recognize the complexity of diversity Today, demographics require a broader multicultural perspective and efforts to include many underrepresented groups. Although what we know about different ethnic groups is uneven, avoid generalizing students (Smith, 1989).

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Do not assume that all students will recognize cultural literary or historical references familiar to you As the diversity of the student and faculty populations increases, you may find that you and your students have fewer shared cultural experiences, literary allusions, historical references, and metaphors and analogies.

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Bring in guest lecturers As appropriate, you can broaden and enrich your course by asking faculty or off-campus professionals of different ethnic groups to make presentations to your class.

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Encourage all students to participate in class discussion You can prevent any one group of students from monopolizing the discussion by your active solicitation of alternate viewpoints. Encourage students to listen to and value comments made from perspectives other than their own.

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Monitor YOUR OWN behavior in responding to students Research studies show that teachers tend to interact differently with male and female students and students of color (Hall and Sandler, 1982; Sadker and Sadker, 1990; Banks, 2005; Nieto, 2006; Irvine, 2006) and with students who are - or whom the instructor perceives to be - high or low achievers (Green, 1989). More often than not, these patterns of behavior are unconscious, but they can and do demoralize students, making them feel intellectually inadequate or alienated and unwelcome at the institution.

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Reevaluate your pedagogical methods for teaching in a diverse setting Observers note that in discussion classes professors tend to evaluate positively students who question assumptions, challenge points of view, speak out, and participate actively (Collett, 1990; Institute for the Study of Social Change, 1991). Some students may be reluctant to ask questions or participate out of fear of reinforcing stereotypes about their ignorance.

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Speak up promptly If a student makes a distasteful remark even jokingly Don't let disparaging comments pass unnoticed. Explain why a comment is offensive or insensitive. Let your students know that racist, sexist, and other types of discriminatory remarks are unacceptable in class.

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Avoid singling out students as spokespersons It is unfair to ask X student to speak for his or her entire race, culture, or nationality. To do so not only ignores the wide differences in viewpoints among members of any group but also reinforces the mistaken notion that every member of a minority group is an ad hoc authority on his or her group (Pemberton, 1988).

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QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

References: 

References Blackwell, J. E. "Faculty Issues Affecting Minorities in Education." In R. C. Richardson and A. G. de los Santos (Eds.), From Access to Achievement: Strategies for Urban Institutions. Tempe: National Center for Postsecondary Governance and Finance, Arizona State University, 1987. Broder, L. L. B. and Chism, N. V. N. "The Future is Now: A Call For Action and List of Resources." In L. L. B. Broder and N. V. N. Chism (Eds.), Teaching for Diversity. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, no. 49. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1992. Chism, N. V., Cano, J., and Pruitt, A. S. "Teaching in a Diverse Environment: Knowledge and Skills Needed by TAs." In J. D. Nyquist, R. D. Abbott, and D. H. Wulff (Eds.), Teaching Assistant Training in the 1990s. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, no. 39. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1989. Coleman, L. The Influence of Attitudes, Feeling and Behavior Toward Diversity on Teaching and Learning. Boulder: University of Colorado, Faculty Teaching Excellence Program, n.d. Collett, J. "Reaching African-American Students in the Classroom." In L. Hilsen (Ed.), To Improve the Academy. Vol. 9. Stillwater, Okla.: New Forums Press, 1990. Cones, J. H., Janha, D., Noonan, J. F. "Exploring Racial Assumptions With Faculty." In J. H. Cones, J. F. Noonan, and D. Janha (Eds.), Teaching Minority Students. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, no. 16. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1983. Fleming, J. Blacks in College. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1988.

References: 

References Green, M.F. (ed.). Minorities on Campus: A Handbook for Enriching Diversity. Washington, D. C.: American Council on Education, 1989. Hall, R. M., and Sandler, B. R. The Classroom Climate: A Chilly One for Women? Washington, D. C.: Association of American Colleges, 1982. Institute for the Study of Social Change. The Diversity Project: Final Report. Berkeley: University of California, 1991. Jenkins, M. L., Gappa, J. M., and Pearce, J. Removing Bias: Guidelines for Student- Faculty Communication. Annandale, Virg.: Speech Communication Association, 1983. Levine, A. and Associates. Shaping Higher Education's Future. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1990. Pascarella, E. T. "A Program for Research and Policy Development on Student Persistence at the Institutional Level." Journal of College Student Personnel, March 1986, pp. 100-107. Pemberton, G. On Teaching Minority Students: Problems and Strategies. Brunswick, Maine: Bowdoin College, 1988.

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Sadker, M. and Sadker, D. "Confronting Sexism in the College Classroom." In S. L. Gabriel and I. Smithson (Eds.), Gender in the Classroom: Power and Pedagogy. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1990. Sadker, M. and Sadker, D. "Ensuring Equitable Participation in College Classes." In L. L. B. Border and N. V. N. Chism (Eds.), Teaching for Diversity. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, no. 49. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1992. Simpson, J. C. "Black College Students Are Viewed as Victims of a Subtle Racism." Wall Street Journal, April 3, 1987, p. 1. Smith, D. G. The Challenge of Diversity: Involvement or Alienation in the Academy? Report No. 5. Washington, D. C.: School of Education and Human Development, The George Washington University, 1989. Solomon, B. B. "Impediments to Teaching a Culturally Diverse Undergraduate Population." In J. D. Nyquist, R. D. Abbott, D. H. Wulff, and J. Sprague (Eds.), Preparing the Professoriate of Tomorrow to Teach: Selected Readings for TA Training. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing, 1991. Tinto, V. "Principles of Effective Retention." Paper presented at the University of California Student Research Conference, Asilomar, Calif., April 23-24, 1989. Woolbright, C. (Ed.). Valuing Diversity on Campus: A Multicultural Approach. Bloomington, Ind.: Association of College Unions-International, 1989.