Coming to America

1. Coming to America Sept 20, 2010

2. Agenda • Housekeeping • Word Agreements • What is Learning? • What are some ways to examine or think critically about culture? BREAK • Immigration Patterns: Push and Pull Factors • Assimilation, Acculturation, and Culture Status • Multicultural education

3. Objectives (SWBAT): Content: Language: Contribute, through writing, one word to a class list. Create, in a group, a statement that describes learning. Tell a partner, in a conga line, how one frame for culture resonates with you. Research and list push and pull factors for a specific cultural group. Complete a Venn diagram with a partner, about two cultural immigration experiences. Take a stand on acculturation and assimilation, explaining why you choose to stand where you do. • Agree upon words we should use in challenging discussions. • Generate an idea of what learning entails. • Identify theoretical views about framing culture • Compare and contrast the immigration experiences of diverse groups in the US. • Examine their own thoughts/feelings/ideas about acculturation, assimilation and culture status.

4. Objectives (SWBAT): Content: Language: Contribute, through writing, one word to a class list. Create, in a group, a statement that describes learning. Tell a partner, in a conga line, how one frame for culture resonates with you. Research and list push and pull factors for a specific cultural group. Complete a Venn diagram with a partner, about two cultural immigration experiences. Take a stand on acculturation and assimilation, explaining why you choose to stand where you do. • Agree upon words we should use in challenging discussions. • Generate an idea of what learning entails. • Identify theoretical views about framing culture • Compare and contrast the immigration experiences of diverse groups in the US. • Examine their own thoughts/feelings/ideas about acculturation, assimilation and culture status.

5. Housekeeping: • Updated website • Video capabilities! • PTE assignments/reading guidelines • Notifying Lara about which culture you are studying…

6. As a group of 4, create a statement about what you think learning is. Each voice must be heard. You must have consensus. The statement can be no more than 25 words long. Write your statement on the paper in the front of the class.

7. Culture: Ideas to Consider… • Cultural Relativism: Boas • Judging other cultures by their own standards • Setting aside own cultural values and norms • Cultural Relevance: Ladson-Billings • Applicability of materials, methods, or programs to one's own ethnicity, social status, gender, religion, home and community environment, and/or personal experiences • Cultural Responsiveness: Gay • Legitimacy of cultural heritage • Bridges of meaning • Learning styles • Know and praise all cultural heritage • Incorporates multicultural artifacts into schooling • Cultural Citizenship: Rosaldo • Group specific cultural capital • Understanding the goals, purposes and points of view of marginalized groups

8. Culture Conga Line! Consider how you think about learning. What perspective on culture fits into your idea best? Write one sentence that describes why you like that view. Be prepared to share that sentence and follow the professor’s directions!

9. BREAK

10. Coming to the USA • Push Factors What makes people leave their nation? • War • Poverty • Oppression • Religion • Pull Factors Why do people want to come to the USA? • Opportunity • Freedom • Education

11. Why did your cultural group come here? • Think of your cultural group. • Do a quick (no more than 5 minutes) search for reasons. • Fill in the push and pull factors chart with reasons.

12. Venn Diagram: • With someone who did NOT choose the same cultural group as you… • Fill in the Venn Diagram. • What is individual to each cultural group goes in the outside areas, what is similar goes in the overlapping section.

13. Quick Discussion What similarities did you find? What will help you as a teacher?

14. “Fitting in” Assimilation Acculturation Language Beliefs Behaviors Loss of separate political or ethnic identity OR accommodating both cultures somehow Stressful when norms collide • Becoming part of the dominant culture • Giving up home culture/language • Benefits of acceptance? • Disassociation from ethnic group • Seen as “selling out”

15. Attitude is everything…when it comes to acculturation Culture Status Bicultural/multicultural/global Integrated culture “Code switching” for situations Transnational communication of ideas, culture, etc. English as the “Lingua Franca” • How you see your culture • How the mainstream sees your culture • “Model minority” • Group Threat • “Us and them” • English ONLY

16. What should teachers do? • “Take a Stand” • One side of the room will represent cultural relativism/cultural relevance. The other side will represent “assimilation” or the idea of a “melting pot.” • Decide where in the spectrum you would stand and be prepared to defend your position!

17. Multicultural Education (from the text) Concepts: Goals: Tackling inequity Promoting access to an equal education Raising the achievement of all students and providing them with an equitable and high-quality education Giving students an apprenticeship in the opportunity to become critical and productive members of a democratic society (p. 10) • Affirmation • Inclusion • Equal and Equitable • Social Justice • Challenge • Resources • Recognition • Environment • “Achievement Gap” • NCLB

18. Objectives (SWBAT): Content: Language: Contribute, through writing, one word to a class list. Create, in a group, a statement that describes learning. Tell a partner, in a conga line, how one frame for culture resonates with you. Research and list push and pull factors for a specific cultural group. Complete a Venn diagram with a partner, about two cultural immigration experiences. Take a stand on acculturation and assimilation, explaining why you choose to stand where you do. • Agree upon words we should use in challenging discussions. • Generate an idea of what learning entails. • Identify theoretical views about framing culture • Compare and contrast the immigration experiences of diverse groups in the US. • Examine their own thoughts/feelings/ideas about acculturation, assimilation and culture status.