REC Diversity
Lindsay Bell
Brittain Johnson
Elayne Monjar
John Mullen
Molly Spessert
Nacirema
1. Where do you think the
Nacirema live?
2. List at least ten adjectives to
describe this tribe’s
customs. How many were
positive? Negative?
3. If you were a teacher, how
would you deal with
Nacirema children in your
classroom who insisted on
maintaining their tribal
customs?
What is REC?
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Race: a human population distinguished as a distinct
group by genetically transmitted physical characteristics.
Culture: socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts,
beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work
and thought.
Ethnicity: a group of people sharing a common and
distinctive racial, national, religious, linguistic, or cultural
heritage.
"Preparing for Culturally Responsive
Teaching"
By Geneva Gay
Knowledge
Designing lecture plans
Media plans
Community
Stereotypes
Blog
1. Share your blog posts (e.g. experiences)
2. Discuss differences and similarities within your posts
3. How do you think your school experience would have
been different if the situation was opposite (i.e., less
diversity if your school had a lot)?
Stereotypes
Study of White Teachers
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Many teachers return "home"
Opinions of community often impact teachers
Unconscious stereotypes do not go undetected by students
Study of African American Students
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presumptions on academic ability and behavior
no room for error
the issues are at home not in the classroom
Statistics of REC Diversity
Achievement Gap
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Achievement Gap
Effect of the misunderstandings between the various
diverse REC groups on the achievement gap (Woolfolk, 2009)
No Child Left Behind & AYPs
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Subgroups- White, African American, Hispanic,
Asian/Pacific Islanders, Native American, Multiracial,
Students with Disabilities, Limited English Proficiency, and
Economically Disadvantaged
Learning Differences
Individualism vs. Groupism
Pluralism
Diversity within Diversity (Generalizations)
Lack of Teacher Preparation
http://www.tandfonline.com/action/showPopup?citid=citart1&id=T0001&doi=1
0.1080/10665684.2010.510048&
Multiculturalism
“The purpose of multicultural education is to teach students
to value cultural differences, to understand the meaning of
the culture concept, and to accept others’ right to be
different” (Gibson, 98)
Multiculturalism
Goals of Multicultural Education:
• Offer equal educational opportunities to
REC minorities
• Break down barriers of ignorance and
stereotypes by exposing all students to
different cultures from their own
• Draw from students’ own backgrounds to
educate
Multiculturalism
Benefits:
• Not just social studies education – can be
implemented across the curriculum
• Global education – introduces other
cultures to students who may be otherwise
sheltered
• Ties school with community
Multiculturalism in Popular Media
Mexican American Studies Program in
Tucson
• Suspended the controversial class to avoid
losing $14 Million in state aid
• removal of textbooks because they had not
been through the “required district approval
process”
• TUSD (2011) 60% of students Native
American
Daily Show Video
Misuse of Research on Cultural
Differences
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Field-dependent: African American, Latino,
and Native American
Field-independent: Anglo-American
Leadership roles
Books
Hani, M. (2010)
Cultural Diversity
Power-relations in the community reflected in the classroom
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"White cultural superiority"
REC diverse students forced to conform
Caught between two cultures
Phelan’s (1993) experiences in urban high schools in
California “reminds us that schools, as microcosms of
society, mirror many of society’s issues. We find that
cultural diversity, perhaps more than any other topic, is a
matter of concern to teachers and students” (p. 3).
Teacher Accommodations
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Multicultural or ethnic assemblies and special events.
After-school programs and other opportunities for
students to mix.
Conflict-resolution training.
Recruitment of diverse staff.
Teacher-driven professional development on issues of
equity.
Teaming between classrooms, usually a bilingual class
with a traditional
Wrap Up
Groups:
• Social Studies
• Math/Science
• English
• Music/Foreign Language
Wiki Overview
REC Diversity Wiki
Exit Slip
1. What are the differences between race,
ethnicity, and culture?
2. Did this presentation change your
perception of REC diversity in the schools? If
yes, how so?
3. What strategies are you going to use to
create a multicultural learning environment?
"The Sneetches"
Images
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Mountainside Medical Equipment. Shaving. 2012. Jpeg. Retrieved from:
http://www.mountainside-medical.com/products/Barbasol-Soothing-Aloe-Shaving-Cream11-oz.html
Dentist Appointments. Dentist. 2011. Jpeg. Retrieved from:
http://www.dentistappointments.com/what-is-a-dentist.php
Society for Humanistic Psychology. Psychotherapy. 2011. Jpeg. Retrieved from:
http://societyforhumanisticpsychology.blogspot.com/2011/07/time-on-couch.html
AfricaPictures.org. African Tribe. 2012. Jpeg. Retrieved from: http://africapictures.org/Africantribe.html
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Organized Woman. Children Reading. 2011. Jpeg. Retrieved from: http://thewellorganizedwoman.com/
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Thor's Unwise Ideas. Individualism or the Group?. 2001. Retrieved from:
http://thorsunwiseideas.byeways.net/2001/03/01/16-individualism-or-the-group/