In this article Andrew Latham states that children of ethnic minorities
often have a learning style that is part of their culture. I chose this
article because I am familiar with audio, visual, kinesthetic learners,
etc. but had not yet heard about cultural
learning styles.
Andrew Latham comments on a 1995 study (Garera)which states that currently 70% of all American students are Caucasian, but within 30 years that percentage will be reversed. This major demographic change necessitatesan equally major change for our education system and in our teacher training system.
Latham also cites Project KEEP. The results of this project demonstrate two important steps towards meeting the above challenge. The first step is to have a teaching method which respects cultural variations towards learning. The second pedagogy demands that classrooms maintain elements of "high achieving classrooms"i. e. high expectations, a structured curriculum and a challenging academic focus. The article concludes with a caveat that wanting to meet the educational needs of a diverse student body and actually meeting those needs are two very different things.
This was an interesting article and a good reminder that schools of our past do not always represent the goals of our future.
Questions:
1. Why do you think there are a disproportionate number of minorities in remedial classes?
2. Can intelligence transfer from one culture to another? i. e. if a child is viewed as being smart in one culture, doesn't that confidence and intelligence transfer to an educational environment?
3. Do we want to teach students to assimilate the American value of school if it is not part of their culture?
4. If a child does not value education, can that child succeed in school?
5. Where will the anticipated increase of minority children in school come from?
Submitted by David Anderson