Diversity in the classroom

1. Diversity in the classroom • Randy A Robbins

2. Expounding on Diversity • Culture • Race • Sexual Orientation • Gender • Ability/Disability • Socio-economics • Appearance

3. Who is MEDT 7465? • https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1UD1i4iQJV1Dvy0nPDxmjOelQAFSik3chQOAFr3w3ar0/viewform

4. Activity 1- The Story of Us • Audience/Time Frame- This activity is geared for students in high school English or Psychology classes. Data gathered by the in-class survey can be used to create data-driven infographics, charts, and graphs in mathematics class. • Purpose/Learning Objectives/Outcomes- The purpose of this activity is to familiarize students with the diversity of their peers and themselves and to understand the role stereotypes in creating prejudices and misconceptions. Through this process, students will understand the value of communication and interaction with peers in developing meaningful relationships. Students will also gain a deeper understanding of their peers and how they are shaped by experience rather than appearance. • Materials/Resources- Computer, projector, pen and paper, ToonDoo. • Several readings will also accompany this activity: • “Black Men in Public Spaces” by Brent Staples • “Being a Chink” by Christine Leong

5. Common Core Standards ELA- ELACC11-12W2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content. ELACC11-12W3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences. ELACC11-12W4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.) ELACC11-12W5: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grades 11-12.) ELACC11-12W6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information. ELACC11-12SL5: Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest. Psychology- SSPBC2: The student will analyze key concepts associated with information processing. a. Explain the phenomena involved in problem solving and decision-making; include heuristics, algorithms, biases, expectancies, and mental set. SSPSP1: The student will analyze the impact of the social environment on behaviors and attitudes. Math- MCC9‐12.F.IF.4 For a function that models a relationship between two quantities, interpret key features of graphs and tables in terms of the quantities, and sketch graphs showing key features given a verbal description of the relationship. Key features include: intercepts; intervals where the function is increasing, decreasing, positive, or negative; relative maximums and minimums; symmetries; end behavior; and periodicity.★

6. Alignment of Standards

7. Day 1- Getting to Know You • Activity 1: The first activity asks students to introspectively identify themselves. This individual activity asks students to write a 20 line poem entitled “Who I Am.” In this poem, students will identify themselves according to interests, appearance, experiences, religion, memories, hobbies, family customs and traditions, et cetera. Students will have thirty minutes to contemplate and write this initial activity.

8. Day 1- Getting to Know You • Activity 2- This integrative activity utilizes flexible grouping and asks students to pair with designated groups of 4 to share their poems. This exercise opens up the dialogue in the classroom and introduces students to peers with whom they might not usually interact. This initial sharing of individual identities will then lead to an open-group discussion and will last for 30 minutes.

9. Day 1- Getting to Know You • Activity 3- Big Group Breakout-The final 30 minutes of the class period on day one will be a chance for students to share what they learned about their peers. Each student should focus on something they learned about a peer that they did not know and debunked preconceptions about a peer.

10. Breakout Session…sort of. • If you were to write a poem about what makes you you, how would your first line read? • Please enter your line into the chat box.

11. Day 2- We’re Not So Different After All • Activity 1- Classes will meet in the computer lab and will be making use of ToonDoo. Each group from the previous day will work together to create a cartoon that tells the stories of their group members. Each group’s cartoon must contain 8 squares. Comparison may contain the criteria used in writing the “Who I Am” poems: interests, appearance, experiences, religion, memories, hobbies, family customs and traditions.

12. Day 3- Presentations and Reflections • Activity 1- Each group will present their ToonDoo using a class computer, projector, and screen. Cartoons will be graded according to the given criteria. Students will also be graded on their overall presentation and preparedness. • Activity 2- This final activity of the lesson will ask students to write a two-page reflection on their experience with meeting their peers in new ways. They will be asked to reflect upon misconceptions they may have had about a particular group member and how the exercise allowed them to see their peer in a new light. This reflection paper will be graded according to MLA/APA format (depending upon the course), content, and conventions.

13. Sample ToonDoo

14. Expectation v. Reality • Native American College Fund- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30lLXkvOYEc

15. Depictions of Race and Culture in Literature: The Native Americans • Audience/Time Frame- • American Literature and U.S. History Students. The lesson will • take place over a five day period. Students will come into the lesson • having read The Last of the Mohicans. • Purpose/Learning Objectives/Outcomes- • The purpose of this activity is to analyze how history and literature • have impacted the depictions and misconceptions of Native Americans • in the U.S. • Materials/Resources- • Students will read several essays and excerpts, including: • The novel The Last of the Mohicans • Three Native American Creation Myths- • “How the World Was Made” • “When Grizzlies Walked Upright” • “The Sky Tree” • Excerpt from The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian • “Indian Education” • Documentary Film Reel Injuns • Print advertisements and promotional videos from the American Indian College Fund • @http://www.collegefund.org/ • Pen and Paper • Infographics Websites • Computer(s) • Projector

16. Native American Activities • Day 1- • After completing the novel The Last of the Mohicans, students will read the three Creation Myths in class and discuss elements that connect the Native Americans culturally, both in the novel and in the myths. • Students will then read the excerpt by Sherman Alexie, which is a contemporary story about life on the Rez.

17. Native American Activities • Day 2- • As a visual connection between historical and contemporary depictions of the Native Americans, students will view the documentary film Reel Injuns which contrasts the film industry’s adaptation of the culture with their reality.

18. Native American Activities • Day 3- • Building upon their understanding of the culture, students will view three promotional videos produced by the Native American College Fund. • The class will separate into groups of 3-4. Each group will be given a separate print advertisement by the Native American College Fund. Each group will be asked to analyze the ad rhetorically and describe cultural elements, including colors, jewelry, and background, as well as font and text, in connecting the fund to the Native American people and its audience. • Each group will present their findings and analysis to the class in a presentation format.

20. Native American Activities • Day 4- • Students will meet in the computer lab to develop infographics that compare/contrast Native American culture with its depiction in literature and film. Students will work in their assigned groups from the previous day. Each infographic must contain no less than ten points of comparison.

21. Native American Activities • Day 5- • Students will present their infographics using a projector. In addition to the visual of the infographic, each group will prepare a written speech that explains their findings. • Reflection- Each student will write a one-page reflection about their experience with their assignment. Reflections should include lessons learned and changes in perception about the Native Americans due to the assignment.

22. Issues and Challenges • Working Alone • Gearing activities to facilitate several subject areas • Time- Compiling and Creating...after 50 hour work weeks • Creating a presentation that appeals to both teachers and students • Packing all of the information into a fifteen minute presentation

23. Reflection Excellent Experience Valuable Resources Tough Decision Making A Lot of Work!

24. Questions? • Thank you for your participation!