Learner Center Model Paper

Gloria Ladson-Billings spent time observing teachers in public schools that were located in predominately low-socioeconomic school districts to figure out what makes them successful with typically low performing students. Some of the things she observed are all the teachers “shared pride in and commitment to their profession and had an underlying belief that all children could be successful” (learnnc). Furthermore, these teachers established trusting relationships with their students that allowed the students to take responsibility for their own learning. Lastly, these teachers also went beyond the classroom to show support for their students such as attending community events. These observations led Ladson-Billings to realize that in order for “teachers to use culturally relevant pedagogy successfully, they must also show respect for students, and understand the need for the students to operate in the dual worlds of their home community and the

Jean Anyon’s article, “Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work” (1980) has been powerful guide for me in thinking about differentiated instruction, especially when considering the instruction of variance learners in the classroom. Her important contribution notes that the way in which urbane students are typically instructed is through rote memorization by a strict and dominating teacher. While this style might work to get worksheets completed or to get students to behave properly, it does nothing to foster a natural growth of their selves into learning – thinking individually. This does little to foster high-level thinking or intrinsic motivation toward learning. As a current educator in South Los Angeles – Global Education Academy

The argument Tyrone C. Howard tries to make in his article, Powerful Pedagogy for African American Students A Case of Four Teachers, is that effective learning occurs when different cultural background and experiences are incorporated in teaching. He shares that the rate at which African-American students learn is fifty fifty on part of the teachers as well as the students. While Howard believes that there are many quandaries to be addressed in the schooling system, only a part of it is reflected in the academic underachievement of African-American students. Howard states, “socially and emotionally, African American students struggle to adjust in US schools” (page 180, paragraph 2). This is not to say that African-American students have learning disabilities, but more so the teachers. The problems faced by African-Americans, too often are identified, but not addressed. Perhaps, the reason for this lies in the cultural and racial disparities in the US education system. A lot of African American children are sent to elite white schools because parents believe this is a better way for their children to obtain a good chance of moving up the social ladder. However, often times, these schools fail to supply such need and the children struggle because of the difference in ethnicity. People typically tend to believe that their way of life is better than others. What is worse is when children are taught that their culture is inferior in comparison to others. Being submerged in one 's

Allen, Ms. Chursenoff and Ms. Diaz were able to overcome many of the previously mentioned challenges by desiring to understand their student's challenges and realizing the responsibility that they hold in their education. Ms. Chursenoff observed that it was important to "become familiar with a variety of cooperative learning strategies" (Ariza – Whelan, Eileen N., p. 4, 2010). She also realized the importance of always "implementing instructional strategies that are congruent with Hispanic cultural traits" (Ariza – Whelan, Eileen N., p. 5, 2010), in her situation, but those strategies can be utilized for all cultural traits, as well. Ms. Diaz "realized the only way she could help her students become successful in learning a second language was by learning what she did not know about their culture" (Ariza – Whelan, Eileen N., p. 7, 2010). That excites me! I would love to study and research other cultures. I strongly believe teachers do "have the clearest understanding of what needs to be done to successfully educate students in today's world" (Ariza – Whelan, Eileen N., p. 7, 2010), contrary to what the majority of people may surmise. I absolutely love how Ms. Allen advocates for her students. She stands firm against the ideas of policy makers to be the ones who make the laws for the children in her classroom. She shares the same beliefs and values that I have as a teacher. I truly admire

The educator and learner are both vital to the learning process in order to perform new ways that enable them to see the real world as their field of experience

In my last paper, I discussed the achievement gaps within the low-income African American community at Steele School in Galesburg, IL. Now that I have looked into the history of low-income African American students, I am now going to research even more by exploring trends, issues, evidence-based remediation practices, the preferred learning styles and the identified achievement gap of low-income African American students. Through the chart I am going to display, this will show various ways that low-income African American students are struggling at Steele School. However, I am hoping with the information below I can use this to display to others how certain multicultural education, learning styles, and culturally responsive teaching can enhance learning environments for all underachieving students.

Lisa Delpit’s book, Multiplication is for White People, she outlines different reform strategies that will change African American education in the 21st century. The first reform strategy Delpit outlines is to recognize and build on children’s strengths. When teaching in an urban school, teachers should begin by understanding the children and their home lives. Using the knowledge that the children already have, and building on that will help students succeed. Believing that African American students are not worth being taught, plays a major role in the way students react to their educator. I believe that once an educator begins at a specific school, they should survey the student's knowledge to use that to go forward. Then using that to build on everyone’s strengths throughout the year will help in class participation and build a sense of community in the class. Recognizing a student's strengths, will make the student believe that he or she has someone on their side who cares. Once they feel that someone cares, they will want to do

If there is no hope to enhance their education there is the hope that it can give the students a support system, they were lacking and decrease the chances of students forming unhealthy habits and behaviors. If the system doesn’t work in the academic sense it can still work in the behavioral aspect. Using MTSS can diminish and replace problematic behaviors, thus creating more time on task and teacher involvement to help the whole student body learn. Education continues to work on “Closing the achievement gap using multi-tiered academic supports requires best practices for universal screening and diagnostic assessment to understand youth academic needs (Benner, Kutash and Nelson)”. The key word in that sentence is focusing on student’s needs. Thus, creating more teachers who work to emphasize and understand the lives of their students and creating the “Down Teacher” that Dance describes and implores teachers to strive to be to meet the needs of their students. This is the best system that has been created yet to work with students. Placing this pedagogy in the hands of teachers and psychologists who work in urban education could change urban education for the better. Focusing on the students’ needs is at the fore front of a student-centered approach. To accommodate and adapt has and will always be a student-centered approach. Teachers who do not adapt and ignore the needs of student to teach required material fall under the teacher centered approach which doesn’t

In the fourth paragraph Gutierrez states the point of her review of her own study and other studies which is how learning styles approaches that use “narrow assumptions of cultural communities” (paragraph three) “minimize variation and focus on perceived or over generalized regularities”. In the fifth paragraph Gutierrez addresses the issue of using this form of method further. She states “ attribution of learning style or difference based on group membership can serve to buttress( reinforce) persistent deficit model orientations to teaching students from nondominant communities” and she also says that “without acknowledging both the

Every classroom in America is made up of multiple cultures with many different believes; however, regardless of culture or beliefs all students should receive the best education possible without losing their identities while in the process. Culture is a way of life of a group. Culture and learning are connected in significant ways and for this reason having an understanding of different cultures and learning processes should provide an outline for instructional decisions (Guild, 2001). The first step a teacher must take is to gain an understanding of each child culture. This paper will examine the Hispanic culture, discuss how a teacher could build global awareness and understanding, and incorporate diverse social and cultural views to create innovative methods to solving problems in his or her classroom.

Yet even with these realizations that delve into the deeper meaning of education, modern education is still calling for simple measurable outcomes and continues to be geared towards specific employment ideas. This model of education is blatantly inadequate though. Many students today will end up holding jobs not yet invented in fields not yet discovered, so the teaching of answers to today’s questions is utterly useless. Albert Einstein once said, “Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.” and this statement reigns true throughout time. To continue academic success, the education system needs to impart a mastery of one’s own mind that allows students to not only answer current questions but also to pose questions that will shape the future world.

In order for teachers to create a learning environment that is culturally responsive to each individual student, a teacher must learn the student’s funds of knowledge. The importance of learning the funds of knowledge of your students is crucial. A teacher can approach learning more about a student’s prior knowledge and culture in a variety of ways, including, instructing personal interviews with questions about their personal life such as what are the most important things in your life. Another way to discover your student’s funds of knowledge is by placing yourself in their shoes and doing a school and community walk through. You can also be provided with more insight into your student’s lives by conducting an adult interview from someone that also lives in the same community. In order for me to create lessons and classroom practices that are culturally responsive is by discovering my student’s funds of knowledge. I am at Blackwell Elementary School, which is located in Marietta and is apart of the Cobb County District. After having the students create heart maps and interviewing them, doing a school and community walkthrough, and talking with an adult, I was greatly impacted by all the new information and perspectives I learned. Without going through this process to obtain the information, I would have no knowledge on my students or the community surrounding Blackwell besides what meets the eye. This experience impacted my own thinking about the school I am working in for

Teachers should advocate for all students’ backgrounds and cultures to better their students’ learning. To accomplish this, teachers should be informed about their students’ home lives, be conscious of how and what they should be taught, and ultimately make their education a priority. Students from poverty in a multicultural classroom need the correct tools and teaching approaches from their teachers.

Education is a process of transferring knowledge, habits or skills from one person to another by a practice of well-informed systematic instruction. Any kind of experience that has a formative effect on the way a person thinks, feels or acts may be considered as educational. Today we live in a world that is constantly changing, with an increasingly diverse and globalized media-driven society, so it is important now more than ever for educators to properly prepare students to handle such changes. 21st century learning is drastically different from traditional learning where, rather than classrooms being teacher-centered, students are encouraged to take on a more self-directed approach to learning and gaining new skills. Knowledge is no longer about the memorization of details and facts, but is more geared

Teaching children of poverty can be very challenging. These children are more likely than their peers to experience poor nutrition, parents with low educational attainment and underemployment, broken families, child abuse and neglect, drug abuse, teen-age pregnancies and high rates of dropping out (Holt & Garcia, 2016). It has been my experience that these students are a little rough around the edges which may cause an educator the inability to see beyond the exterior of the child thus treating them more harshly than their peers. Being employed in a Title 1 school, I have had the pleasure of working with students and families whose major source of income is welfare. They often came from a single-parent household and arrived at school improperly dressed and usually hungry. I found that meeting the child’s basic needs helped them focus on school and took some of the stress off of their parents as they knew their child was in a safe, caring place. One thing that was vital in our classroom was firmness and consistency. Unfortunately, many teachers and schools do not possess the knowledge and experience required for success in these more challenging schools. Impoverished students often do not care about their education nor did their parents seem to care how their children perform in school (Holt & Garcia, 2016). I feel this can be attributed to distraction from just trying to survive. In order to have greater success in the classroom of impoverished students, teachers need to