1. Cultural Competency Working with Diversity in the Classroom

2. What is culture? Culture is made up of: Values Beliefs and Patterns of Behavior.

3. What we see of culture is just the tip of the iceberg.

4. Value orientations may affect learning… Egalitarian Informal Hierarchical Formal Authority Consider “American” values as they relate to the following:

5. Relational Independence Interdependence Individualism Collectivism Competition Cooperation

6. Activity Doing Being

7. Time Limited! Evolving Abundant Historical, Past-oriented

8. Communication Style High Context Low Context

9. Cultural competence “Developing skills in cultural competence is like learning a language, a sport or an instrument. The learner must learn, re-learn, continuously practice, and develop in an environment of constant change. Cultures and individuals are dynamic — they constantly adapt and evolve..." http://www.k12.wa.us/cisl/eliminatingthegaps /culturalcompetence/default.aspx

10. Framework for dealing with cultural issues that arise in the classroom 1.Describe (to yourself) what you observe. Be objective and stick to the facts. 2.Evaluate what it might mean. What cultural factors might be at play? 3.Interpret how it makes you feel. THEN 4.Think what you might do in the classroom.