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Here Comes Everyone—Teaching in the
Culturally Diverse Classroom
Presenter: Jessica ScalzoEducatorAssociation InstructorPerpetual VolunteerBook NerdTravellerSeeker of Truth and BeautyContact: [email protected]
Who Is Here Today?
Graffiti something about yourself!
Essential Question
How can we capitalize on teaching and learning opportunities in an intercultural classroom?
Workshop Goals
• Explore the changing face of Alberta’s diverse landscape.
• Explore the concept of culture.
• Consider approaches and strategies to build inclusive classrooms.
Do You See What I See?
• Using a word or phrase only, write your response or interpretation of this image:
Do You See What I See?
Do You See What I See?
• What are possible reasons for different interpretations of the images?
• What does this mean to you as a teacher?
Why is Diversity an Asset?
a) The more you learn about people, the less you fear them or what they stand for.
b) Acknowledging different world views helps us develop better solutions for complex problems.
c) Diversity makes a learning community more interesting.
d) People who respect diversity can be more self-confident and healthier.
Why is Diversity an Asset?
How can diversity be an asset in the
classroom?
The Changing Face of Alberta
Immigration• Two-thirds of Canada’s population growth over
the last five years was created by immigration alone.
• Immigrant students who come to Canada as teenagers drop out of high school about twice the rate of Canadian born students (Watt and Roessingh, 2001).
On Mother Tongues
“...the number of people whose mother tongue is neither English nor French would be between 6,872,000 and 9,044,000 in 2017, or between 21% and 25% of the total population. That number was 5,273,000 in 2001, or 17 per cent of the population.”
Population Projections for Canada, Provinces and Territories 2005-2031. Statistics Canada. Catalogue no 91-520-XIE
• 388,200 Albertans identify as Francophone.Statistics Canada, 2006.
On Religion
• In 2001 “...6.3% of the population (1,922,000 people) declared its religion as Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh or other non Christian religions...that will rise to 11.2% of the Canadian population in 2017, or up to 4,107,000 people...”
• Forecasted increases: “Muslim (145%), Hindu (92%) and Sikh (72%)”
“Population Projections for Canada, Provinces and Territories 2005-2031”. Statistics Canada. Catalogue no 91-520-XIE.
On FNMI Populations
• 40,000 Albertans identify with an Aboriginal identity and 50% of them are under 15 years of age.
• By 2017, Alberta’s Aboriginal population is expected to grow by 39%.
• 44% of Alberta’s Aboriginal population aged 15 and older have not completed high school.
“Our Children Keepers of the Sacred Knowledge”
Final Report of the Minister’s National Working Group on Education http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ps/edu/finre/bac_e.html
Sexual Diversity and Gender Variance (SDGV)
• Out of 30,000 students from Grades 7–12 from randomly-selected schools in BC, 11% of males and 18% of females identified as LQBTQ. (2007, McCreary)
• 75% of sexually diverse and 95% of transgendered students felt unsafe at schools compared to 20% of straight students, and 28% of suicides are completed by SDGV people.
(Egale Canada, 2009)
Socio-Economic Diversity
• According to Statistics Canada, in 2011, the pre-tax low income cut off (commonly called the poverty line) for a family of four living in a city with more than 500,000 people is $43,292. For a rural family of four, it is $29,802.
• The number of children living below the poverty line in 2009 was 73,000.
Where Diversities Intersect…
• In Calgary, one-third of all persons with disabilities, one-half of all Aboriginal persons, almost one-half of all recent immigrants, close to one-third of all visible minority persons, over one-half of all single-parent families, over one-quarter of seniors, and one-fifth of all children live in poverty.
—Alberta Health Services Quick Facts
The Face of Alberta Teachers
According to the ATA Member Opinion survey (2012), our teaching population is not representative of our student population.• 1.3% self identify as Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual,
Transgendered• 4.7% self identify as Visible Minority• 1.0% self identify as Disabled• 1.8% self identify as Aboriginal
Consider Your School’s Demographics
Is there a cultural disconnect between the staff and students? If so, what are the implications?
Students Staff
What is Culture?
Individually brainstorm all of the terms that describe what you understand to be the elements of culture.
Broadly categorize each of these elements in ways that are meaningful to you.
What is Culture?
Culture refers to a group or community with which we share common experiences that shape the way we understand the world. It includes groups we are born into and groups that we join.
—DuPraw and Axner
Another Definition of Culture
An integrated pattern of human behaviour that includes thoughts, communication, languages, practices, beliefs, values, customs, courtesies, rituals, manners of interacting and roles, relationships and expected behaviours of social groups.
—Berry, 2004
Beyond The Tip of the Iceberg (Gary Weaver)
• Surface Culture• LANGUAGE
• ARTS, LITERATURE • RELIGIONS, MUSIC, DRESS
• DANCE, GAMES, SPORTS, COOKING
• Folk Culture • ////\\\\\\//////\\\\\////\\\\\///////\\\//////////////// awareness level boundary/////\\\\\\/////////////\\\\\///\///////\\\////////////////
• NOTIONS OF MODESTY CONCEPTS OF BEAUTY• EDUCATION CHILD RAISING RULES OF DESCENT
• COSMOLOGY RELATIONSHIP TO THINGS, ANIMALS & PLANTS • COURTSHIP PRACTICES CONCEPT OF JUSTICE MOTIVATION TO WORK
• CRITERIA FOR LEADERSHIP DECISION MAKING PROCESSES DEITIES DEATH • IDEAS OF CLEANLINESS LOCUS OF CONTROL THEORY OF DISEASE PHYSICAL SPACE
• DEFINITION OF SANITY, FRIENDSHIP, LOVE, MURDER, LIFE, GENDER, FACIAL EXPRESSIONS • ROLES IN RELATION TO STATUS BY AGE, GENDER, CLASS, KINSHIP, OCCUPATION, RELIGION,
• CONVERSATIONAL PATTERNS IN VARIOUS SOCIAL CONTEXTS, CONCEPTION OF TIME & SPACE • PREFERENCES FOR COMPETITION, COOPERATION, INDIVIDUALISM OR GROUP NORMS, SIN, GRACE • NOTION OF ADULTHOOD, NOTION OF LOGIC AND VALIDITY, PHYSICAL SPACE ARRANGEMENTS, LIFE
What you knowWhat some might know (and most really need to know)
What you really should know
What you may never know
The UNKNOWN
Dee
p C
ultu
reSu
rfac
e C
ult
ure
Elements That Make Up Our Culture
Ethnicity
Gender
Marital Status
Occupation/Vocation
Religion/Spirituality
Sexual Orientation
Class
Language
Nationality
Physical (Dis)ability
Political Ideology
Region
And so on…
Cultural Self-Awareness“Give It Up!”
List three or four cultural groups with whom you identify.1. 2. 3. 4.
If a powerful dictator took control of your country and demanded that you must give up two of these, which would they be?
Give It Up!?
• What do we ask students to give up when they enter our classrooms and schools?
• When we ask others to give something up, is it for us or is it for them?
Understanding Culture
What Does This Mean for teachers?
• Culture is not static• Culture is not hereditary• Culture is determined by the diversity of
individuals in a community
Cultural Difference
Cultural differences are generally manifested in: • the way we communicate, • attitudes toward conflict, • how we complete tasks, • how we make decisions, • what we reveal or disclose to others, and • how we approach knowing.
What is Interculture?
“Interculture is interactions between cultures where each group values the traditions, perspectives and contributions of the others.”
—Here Comes Everyone, 2010.
Here Comes Everyone: Teaching in the Intercultural Classroom
The Alberta Teachers’ Association is committed to ensuring that Alberta schools are safe, caring and inclusive. This practical guide for teachers and administrators provides:• advice• activities• approaches• stories
Chapters in Here Comes Everyone
1. Understand Yourself
2. Build Inclusive Classrooms
3. Confront Inequity and Assumptions
4. Transform Instructional Practices
5. Engage Families and the Community
6. Tips for Administrators* Plus resources, websites and agency listings
10 General Strategies to Build Cultural Competence
1. Build an inclusive learning environment.2. Integrate cultural concepts, content and
pedagogies into curriculum.3. Promote positive role models.4. Capitalize on teachable moments.5. Understand the importance of focusing
on the social, as well as the academic curriculum.
10 General Strategies to Build Cultural Competence (cont’d)
6. Listen to students. 7. Be sensitive to displaying visuals that
represent everyone.8. Search for resources that assist in
addressing curricular outcomes on diversity.
9. Address put-downs and slurs.10. Develop positive attitudes.
ATA Support
• Committee work (DEHR)• Specialist Councils• Teacher resources• Assistance with policy development• Workshops• ATA Library
3-2-1 Reflection
• 3 things you have learned.
• 2 actions you will take.
• 1 question you still have.
Thank you
• Please complete a session evaluation.• Information on workshops and other
services is located on the ATA website—[email protected]
