Classroom-BasedSession 1

Benedictine University1

Welcome to Benedictine University’s

Reading Specialist Masters Program

Cultural Diversity and the English

Language Learner

Session 1Classroom

Benedictine University2

EDUC 601Exploring Cultural

Diversity

Classroom-BasedSession 1

Required Text

Benedictine University3

Kramsch, C. (1998). Language and Culture Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-437214-5

Nieto, S. (2010) The Light in their Eyes: Creating Multicultural Learning Communities. New York N.Y.: Teachers College Press. ISBN 978-0-8077-5054-4

Rothstein-Fisch, C. (2003) Readings for Bridging Cultures: Teacher Education Module Mahwah NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum ISBN 0-8058-4567-4

Classroom-BasedSession 1Required Articles

Benedictine University4

How to do ethnographic research: a simplified guidehttp://www.sas.upenn.edu/anthro/anthro/cpiamethods

The New Demography of America’s Schools: Immigration and the No Child Left Behind Acthttp://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/311230_new_demo

graphy.pdf

Classroom-BasedSession 1

IDEA Objectives

Benedictine University5

Gaining factual knowledge (terminology, classifications, methods, trends) (E)

Learning fundamental principles, generalizations, or theories (I)

Learning to apply course material (to improve thinking, problem solving, and decisions) (E)

Developing specific skills, competencies, and points of view needed by professionals in the field most closely related to this course (E)

Developing skill in expressing oneself orally or in writing (E)

Classroom-BasedSession 1

APA CitationPlease adhere to the APA format for stylistic and

reference guidelines. When using information from another source you

must cite the source according to APA guidelines.Please refer to the APA Overview PowerPoint

located in the Pre-Work folder.

Classroom-BasedSession 1Session 1 Objectives

Benedictine University7

In Session 1, you will:Gain an overview of course format, clarify member

responsibilities and assessmentsExplore different ways of talking about cultureAnalyze/discuss existing ideas about cultureDevelop a more nuanced definition of cultureReview the concept of ethnographic research

Classroom-BasedSession 1

What is Culture?

Benedictine University8

Culture is a term that has different meaningsIt is derived from the Latin word cultura, which

stems from colere which means to "cultivate"Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn (1952)

compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in their book A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions

Harper, Douglas (2001). Online Etymology Dictionary Kroeber, A. L. and C. Kluckhohn, 1952. Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions.

Classroom-BasedSession 1

What is Culture?

Benedictine University9

The word "culture" is most commonly used in three basic senses:1. Excellence of taste in the fine arts and humanities2. An integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief,

and behavior that depends upon the capacity for symbolic thought and social learning

3. The set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution, organization or group

For the purposes of this course, we will discuss culture from the perspectives of the last two definitions

Harper, Douglas (2001). Online Etymology Dictionary Kroeber, A. L. and C. Kluckhohn, 1952. Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions.

Classroom-BasedSession 1

10

The Iceberg Concept of Culture

Benedictine University

Session 1Classroom

Benedictine University11

Education 601Developing a Working Definition of Culture

Classroom-BasedSession 1The Light In Their Eyes

Benedictine University12

Dr. Sonia Nieto makes learning the primary objective of multicultural education in her book

She cites a variety of research in the areas of learning styles, multiple intelligences and cognitive theories to describe how students learn

Dr. Nieto emphasizes the social context of learning, the history and manifestations of educational equity, the influence of culture on learning and critical pedagogy in her discussion of student learning

Classroom-BasedSession 1American Perspective

Benedictine University13

How do we talk about culture in the US? Does mainstream America have culture,

or is it something only “ethnic” groups have? What experiences do you have

of cultural days, festivals, etc. in schools?

Who is involved? What activities, learning take place?

Session 1Classroom

Benedictine University14

Education 601What is

Ethnographic Research?

Classroom-BasedSession 1Ethnographic Research

Benedictine University15

Ethnography was originally developed in the field of anthropology to describe the “ways of living” of social groups (Heath, 1982)

Ethnography is the study of people’s behavior in naturally occurring, ongoing settings, with a focus on the cultural interpretation of behavior (Firth, 1961; Hymes, 1982)

The ethnographer's goal is to provide a description and an interpretive-explanatory account of

What people do in a setting (such as a classroom, neighborhood, or community)

The outcome of their interactions and the way they understand what they are doing (the meaning interactions)

Watson-Gegeo, K. A. (in press). Ethnography in ESL Defining the Essentials,.Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. (TESOL).

Classroom-BasedSession 13 Principles of Ethnographic Research

Benedictine University16

1.Ethnography focuses on people’s behavior in groups and on cultural patterns in that behavior

2.Ethnography is holistic; any aspect of a culture or a behavior has to be described and explained in relation to the whole system of which it is a part (Diesing, 1971; Firth, 1961)

3.Ethnography data collection begins with a theoretical framework directing the research’s attention to certain aspects of situations and certain kinds of research questions

Watson-Gegeo, K. A. (in press). Ethnography in ESL Defining the Essentials.Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. (TESOL).

Classroom-BasedSession 1The Use of Ethnography in ELL

Benedictine University17

Ethnographic methods offer education an approach for systematically documenting teaching-learning interactions in rich, contextualized detail with the aim of developing grounded theory

This is an alternative to “top-down” research approaches based on preexisting models that may obscure important characteristics of previously unstudied settings (Glaser & Strauss, 1967)

The long-term nature of ethnographic research allows for an examination of how teaching and other interactional patterns develop and change over time in a given setting

Watson-Gegeo, K. A. (in press). Ethnography in ESL Defining the Essentials.Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. (TESOL).

Classroom-BasedSession 1The Use of Ethnography in ELL

Benedictine University18

Ethnographic research highlights the important role of culture in second language teaching and learning and gives educators a way of addressing this issue

Ethnography can draw attention to the analysis of the institutional context of schooling, together with societal pressures on teachers and students (e.g. Ogbul, 1974, 1978)

The combination of intensive ethnographic research in classrooms and of teachers’ ethnographic observations of their own practice can potentially produce a multilevel understanding of good teaching

Watson-Gegeo, K. A. (in press). Ethnography in ESL Defining the Essentials.Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. (TESOL).