A
Changing
Society
EDUC 2301: Introduction to Special Populations
Immigrants in America
Implications for Our Schools and Society
Immigration Eras
• Classic Period 1880-1930
– Assimilated by 3rd or 4th generation
– 1924 racial restrictions and quotas
– 5% of population foreign-born in 1970
• Contemporary Era
– Immigration Act 1965, preferences to:
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Family-sponsored
Employment-based,
Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens
Diversity
Refugees and asylees
Immigrant Diversity
• Classic Era – majority from Europe
• Contemporary Era – 85% from Asian and
Latin populations
• 95% of newcomers live in large cities
– Dallas, Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville,
Denver, Phoenix, Seattle
• Socio-economic Diversity
– 60% of foreign-born adults from India,
college degrees
– Less than 5% from Mexico & El Salvador
with college degrees
Nation of Diverse Cultures
• 22.5 million Legal Permanent Residents
– Naturalized Citizens
– Refugees
– Asylees
– Non-immigrant residents (students and
temporary workers)
• 11.5 Unauthorized Immigrants
– California 2.8 million
– Texas 1.8 million
– Florida 740,000
The Lost Boys of Sudan
http://vimeo.com/26288723
Will the New Immigrants Assimilate?
• Preserving language and culture
– Higher level of residential concentration
– Stronger connections to home country
– Advances in international travel and
communication
– Selective assimilation
Immigrant Scenarios Group Activity
• Read the scenario.
• Discuss issues the student might face
when he/she first enrolls in school.
• List strategies you could use to be a
culturally responsive teacher of this
student?
• What accomodations might be needed?
• What guidelines might you use in working
with the family of this student?
• Be prepared to discuss with class.
Guidelines for Working with Culturally
Diverse Students
• Develop cultural consciousness, aware of
your own cultural background.
• Develop knowledge of cultural variability
and become knowledgeable about how
culture influences the teaching/learning
process.
• Hold high expectations for all students.
• Spend time reflecting about teaching
practices.
• Build trust with students and parents.
Working with Linguistically Diverse
Students
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Work from the students’ knowledge base.
Use demonstrations and gestures.
Connect concepts and home cultures.
Encourage students to share the new
vocabulary in their first language.
• Pair proficient second language learned
with less proficient peers.
• Highlight key words, repeat and write
them.
• Use simple sentence structure.
Working with Parents from Diverse
Backgrounds
• Be inviting and welcoming.
• Pronounce names correctly, learn a few
words in child’s native language.
• Reflect students’ heritage in curriculum.
• Show respect to the parents.
• Enlist support of translators.
• Do your best to provide written
communication in the parents’ native
language.
• Use parents as resources.
Implement Culturally Responsive
Assessment
• Consider testing environment and how it
related to students’ prior experiences.
• Keep students’ language level in mind.
• Implement appropriate accomodations.
• Use variety of authentic assessments
(checklists, performance tasks, groups)
• Provide specific and frequent feedback.
• Involve students and families as active
participants in the assessment process.
Software and Web Resources
• Zip Zoom Into English
http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/zip
zoom/overview.htm
• A+ Rise: Research-based Instructional
Strategies
http://20www.arisek12.com/index.php/sit
e/
• Little Explorers Picture Dictionary
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/Home
.html
60 Second Lesson
• Teaching a Concept to a ELL
– Draw a picture.
– Have students with the same first language
explain it in that language.
– Re-explain, but simplify the language.
– Demonstrate it.
– Provide examples and, if necessary, nonexamples (i.e., use of non-examples is
typical language used in teaching concepts).