Culture

• Teaching is fundamentally a human/cultural interaction

• Interaction which takes place within a school and beyond that political/economic culture

• Issues of  how we see ourselves and how we are seen by others

Assignment:

1. From your  SI papers, identify your cultural challenge.

2. From your field experience, identify what you've learned about a) your cultural identity b) what you've learned about students in relation to culture

Why can it be difficult to talk about culture?

Role Model for your students:

Article: Improving the Success in School of Poor Black Children, Gilbert and Gay

Poor black students tend to have different learning styles: relational, stage setting, spoken language, involvement (affective, emotional, physical)

Less than Productive Responses:

1) Argument dismissed outright

2) The argument is out of date/invalid - it was written before 2004

3) The argument is biased. Why blacks? Why not Italian Americans?

4) Need to prepare them for "reality."

Productive Responses:

1) Recognizing limitations - I have had very little experience.... therefore my opinions are very tentative.

 2) Thoughtful assessment - some aspects I agree with some ...

The Importance of being Culturally Aware

Culture and Achievement:

• NC: Math & Reading:

• Social Studies Hoggard High

• Social Studies NC

Teacher/Student Cultural Interactions

Goal of Bi-cultural