1. Volunteers needed for a Web 2.0 and Learning Style Study Random participants will receive a $25 gift certificate from Amazon. Due online by May 5. The study intends to understand the relationship between your learning style and how you utilize Web 2.0 technologies for learning. Your participation is voluntary. If you decide to participate, please visit the link on the EPS 201/202 HOMEPAGE OR as listed below. Contact: Dr. Denice Hood (dwhood@illinois.edu) Dr. W. David Huang (wdhuang@illinois.edu) https://sites.google.com/site/eps202/ Extra copies of Revised Reading List are upfront, also contains Final Exam Information

2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xP11RgMlMU&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xP11RgMlMU&feature=related What is a Mexican? Seward School, Chicago Michie’s Media Class 1990s Youtube see: bestofssn NEXT WEEK Tuesday, April 27 Guest Speaker Mike Woods The Teaching Profession--role of unions, new teacher mentoring, merit pay debate Later today Lecture Response #11 I will collect for Heather Greenhaugh-Spencer, Erin Castro,

3. From last week’s Class Survey What is the meaning of being colorblind in your approach to teaching? Define Colorblind: Can be thought of several ways. As a positive: Not to be prejudiced. Not to see color as a negative status. Not to see white as superior. Not to treat students any differently because of their color. Some said that people “Just pretend not to see color.” As an absolute: Everyone is just the same, no differences. As a negative: Ignore facts of life, not recognizing the significance of race in society and that people are treated differently because of skin color, so that you ignore people’s ethnicity, part of their identity and their differences in life experiences.

4. From last week’s Class Survey What is the meaning of being colorblind in your approach to teaching? Should teachers be colorblind? “Are they treating everyone as white?” Equally SPLIT!! YES and NO, and many BOTH Don’t want to be discriminatory OR wanted to be sensitive. Should teachers modify the curriculum or teaching approaches? Overwhelming YES, you are aware of different learning styles, differences in school experiences, impact of the context of students’ lives.

5. Ladson-Billings believes that teachers should not treat EQUALITY as SAMENESS.

6. Ladson-Billings suggests that all of us learn and understand through cultural filters. Recognize the role that culture plays in how we see the world. “The way we read the world is culturally mediated.” Know thyself, and understand others. RECOGNIZING CULTURE AS PART OF THE PROCESS OF LEARNING

7. If you are mainstream, your cultural filter is mainstream—and your learning filter is mainstream, but doesn’t appear to be filtered, it’s just “normal”.

8. What does this statement mean to you? Ladson-Billings believes that culturally relevant teaching does not represent a kind of separatism, reverse racism, or special privileges to the African American community, but rather compares culturally relevant teaching to middle-class demands on schools to serve their communities.

9. Culturally Relevant Teachers Goals for All Students Academic achievement Willing to figure out how to promote academic success for all. Maintaining and supporting cultural competence. Different cultures are respected, seen as having assets, not viewed negatively, and nurtured along with the teaching of mainstream culture for success. Fostering a sense of sociopolitical critique. Acknowledge injustices, discrimination, need for change in school, the neighborhood and the larger community.

10. Ladson-Billings conducted a one year study of 8 of the most successful teachers in minority schools. What was the cultural reference of the 8 teachers in her study? 5 Black 3 White 8 teachers All 5 African American teachers demonstrated close cultural reference with the African American community 1 white teacher had a bicultural orientation 1 white teacher had a African American orientation 1 white teacher had a white cultural reference BUT in school sought out African American teachers and encouraged students to share their cultural background in the classroom. Cultural reference means--the cultural group that the teacher most closely identified with, who were her friends inside and outside of school, what kinds of social activities did she participate in, which neighborhood and communities did she frequent.

11. What does Ladson Billings mean by the term “dysconsciousness”? In your readings….. Dysconsciousness means, as teachers we recognize privilege of some children and the disadvantage for other children, but we fail to challenge the status quo, or accept given as inevitable (LB, 32). Critical Pedagogy (Critical Theorists) Do not accept present structure as inevitable. (Tozer, Chapter 13)

12. Culturally Relevant Teachers demonstrate broad understandings of: Conceptions of themselves and others. Recognize that culture impacts everyone’s learning. Conceptions of social relations. Like Michie, Dewey and Freire, social relations impact motivation, why were learn, interpretations, community. Conceptions of knowledge. Like Michie, Dewey and Freire, knowledge is constructed, useful, changing, linked to experiences.

13. What are the views of Michie and Ladson-Billings about the culture of minority students? Researchers conclude that students are less likely to fail in school if they feel positive about their culture and majority culture. (Ladson-Billings, 11)

14. Pluralist Approach to Curriculum Example of recent changes in how English, history, and science are taught. More inclusive of diverse experiences, but still room for improvement.

15. Latino Dropouts ”Breaking the Pattern” 4-26-05 You can stream this story from our syllabus or on Lehrer News Hour site: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/education/jan-june05/dropouts_4-26.html 5 minutes http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/education/jan-june05/dropouts_4-26.html “Poverty doesn’t cause dropouts.” “Schools don’t inspire Hispanic students.” These students usually get the: Least qualified teachers Feel disrespected by school Least enriched curriculum We already know a lot about how to create successful intervention programs, like AVID, BRIDGE, THE FOUNDARY. These special programs are being cut as schools experience economic problems and pressures to focus on high stakes testing

16. A culturally relevant teacher--- Seeks ways to change school policies and practices that promote fairness and quality education For example: to reduce tracking in schools that limits assess to high status knowledge (rich academic curriculum for all students) to limit points of competition for scarce resources (allow students to take high level courses) to limit negative messages about the students’ capacity to learn.

17. No simple recipe Culturally Relevant Teachers According to Ladson-Billings ***Two pages in Chapter 13 See Tozer page 430 and 431 “Education that is multicultural and social reconstructionist” Emphasis is on WHAT and HOW we teach. Believe in the intellectual capacity of all students, all students are capable of success. Hold beliefs about minority students that all can learn (and hold them to high expectations). See themselves as part of the community in which the students live. See teaching as giving back to the community.

18. No simple recipe Culturally Relevant Teachers According to Ladson-Billings ***Two pages in Chapter 13 See Tozer page 430 and 431 “Education that is multicultural and social reconstructionist” Emphasis is on WHAT and HOW we teach. Maintain fluid, equitable teacher/students relationships. Demonstrate a connectedness to all students. Develop a community of leaders among students. Encourage students to learn collaboratively Is passionate about learning. View the curriculum critically. Scaffolds or builds bridges that facilitates students’ learning. Believes that assessment needs to be multifaceted. Committed to providing readiness and support necessary for learning.

19. No simple recipe Culturally Relevant Teachers According to Ladson-Billings ***Two pages in Chapter 13 See Tozer page 430 and 431 “Education that is multicultural and social reconstructionist” Emphasis is on WHAT and HOW we teach. Believe that knowledge is like the Freirean notion of MINING OR PULLING KNOWLEDGE OUT, not putting knowledge in like banking. Assist students in making connections between their local, national, racial, global identities. Understands that knowledge is not static, but recreate knowledge through inquiry-based learning that addresses students’ reality. Create a curriculum that is culturally-based (meaningful to their lives [school knowledge is currently linked to norms and values of mainstream culture].

20. Cultural Difference Theory Native Hawaiians learning to read Native Americans Latino Dropouts Culturally Relevant Teaching Gone Wrong…. Nappy Hair by Carolivia Herron