Running head: DIVERSITY CASE STUDY

Assignment 1: Diversity Case Study

National University
Laura Jetton

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for TED 667

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Professor Mbuva
June 10, 2013
Abstract

This paper outlines an interview conducted with a student named Scott, who has been
marginalized by his language and culture. The long history that the Chinese have endured in the
United States presents several factors that influence how this particular student is marginalized in
modern society. As an immigrant from China, Scott discusses his experiences as an English
Language Learner (ELL) and his obstacles in assimilating to American culture.. Also, a variety
of articles and text are analyzed to establish background information on the models of pedagogy.
This paper further explores several modifications and adaptations, incorporating ideals of the
models of pedagogy, to instruction that could be utilized in meeting the students needs.

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Diversity Case Study
Introduction

America has long been known as the melting pot of the world. Migration is closely
tied to the roots of this country and has established a largely diverse society. According to
Sleeter, Both historically and in contemporary society, the relationships between racial and
ethnic groups in this country are framed within a context of unequal power. People of European
descent generally assume the power to claim the land, claim the resources, claim the
language (Au, 2009, p. 37). Society illustrated by this statement has been built on the unequal
power of races. This type of social stratification has been at play throughout history and into
modern day.
People of European descent have held privileged ranking within society compared to those of
differing races, and as Sleeter stated claim much of the power over American culture.
American culture consists of several different faucets, including language. English was adopted
as the language of the land. According to Chaika (2008), There have been so many different
languages brought to the United States, that it has been a practical necessity for newcomers to
learn English. Obviously, a unified country stretching over 3,000 miles could not be run in fifty
or more different languages (p. 321). While the English language could be viewed as a
necessity within America in acquiring the ability to communicate with others, the unequal power
of race created a culture that made minorities ashamed of their native languages and cultures.
The education system has unfortunately mirrored the unequal powers of society and
many groups of minority students have suffered because of it. Bonvillain (2008) states that
during the late nineteenth century, Educators and public figures stressed the necessity for all to

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learn correct, standard English. Many states enacted laws requiring sole use of English in
schools and mandated fines for teachers who spoke other languages in the classroom (p. 295).
Teaching English to those foreign to the language became more of lessons in diminishing their
past backgrounds and cultures and marginalizing them into a weaker class of society. Students
were learning to forget the roots where they came from and completely adopt the culture and
language of those in power.
Over the course of time, educators have realized the importance of diversity and the
detriment that can occur when the appreciation for diversity is lost. Hatred, racism, bullying,
intolerance, and ignorance all stem from creating only one acceptable culture. By incorporating
the history and culture of the minorities, tolerance and even acceptance can be achieved. This
new attitude is reflective of the late eighteenth to the mid-nineteenth century where Bonvillain
(2008) describes a society where, Americans [were] encouraged to learn English but not be
hindered from maintaining whatever languages they spoke (p. 294). Minorities can find more
confidence and self worth by maintaining their identities regardless of how their identities differ
from the majority. Educators can play a key role in assisting students to embrace their identities
by learning more about these students, incorporating their cultures into the classroom, and
utilizing specific models of pedagogy.
Students Background
On June 8, 2013, I interviewed a ten-year old boy by the name of Scott. I chose to
interview Scott for this diversity case study due to the fact that he is a student marginalized by
his culture and language. Scott was born in China and moved to Sacramento, California at the
age of six years old. He initially attended a school called Elk Grove Elementary school, but later

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transferred to another local elementary school. He currently attends the school called Beitzel
Elementary School and is currently in the fourth grade. According to the schools School
Accountability Report Card (SARC) provided by the California Department of Education,
Beitzel Elementary Schools population can be broken down as follows: 1% American Indian,
26% Asian, 1% Pacific Islander, 4% Filipino, 28% Hispanic, 13% African American, 19%
White, and 9% two or more races. Considering the diversity of the school, there are eighteen
languages spoken and 191 students are considered to be English Learners. Scott is one of those
English Learners.
When Scott came to America and he was enrolled into mainstream classes; however, he
knew very little English. When asked if he remembered how he felt the first time going to
school, he said, I felt like all the kids were staring at me, like I was different from everyone
else. Due to the feeling of being different and isolated, Scott struggled English acquisition and
struggled with his grades. This type of marginalization is caused by Scotts peers being
unfamiliar with his culture and language, and can be avoided by teaching those students more
about Scotts background. Teaching students more about a minority group such as the Chinese
enables Scott to feel more validated for his differences while simultaneously helping students
become more tolerant and understanding of others differences.
Both of Scotts parents too spoke very little English when they arrived to American soil.
Therefore, support from the school and the educators in his acquisition of the English language
was necessary. Bonvillain (2008) states that, Pressures toward English are ubiquitous within
the bilingual community. The use of English is predominant in school, entertainment and other
media, and much of public discourse (p. 297). Moreover, lacking knowledge of the English

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language can handicap a person from participating in several aspects of American society. When
he would be present at school, the teachers required Scott to speak in English. Instruction was
also given solely in the English language. In the words of Christenson, "by bringing students'
languages from their homes into the classroom, we validate their culture and their history as
topics worthy of study" (Au, 2009, p. 90).
Scotts parents accompanied him in his journey of acquiring a new language. At home,
his parents would encourage him to speak as much English as possible when communicating.
His parents choice of using English in the home could be considered what Bonvillain calls
school speech acts. She describes such acts as,
includ[ing] positive reinforcements (e.g., praise, ratifications, and agreement),
corrections, and continuations. Since these are features of speech that occur in school,
their use at home familiarizes the child with behaviors that will be expected of them in
the school context (p. 222).
By practicing English in the home it enabled Scott, as well as his parents, a chance to further
their knowledge and acquisition of the English language. It set standards similar to what was
expected of him at school; therefore, Scott was prepared to fulfill the schools expectations.
Keeping in mind the importance of maintaining ones identity, Scotts current teacher expects
him to speak English, but offers Scott opportunities to share stories and ideas from his native
culture. Christensen states that, "by bringing students' languages from their homes into the
classroom, we validate their culture and their history as topics worthy of study" (Au, 2009, p.
90). This further supports the idea that minority students can achieve validation and worth by
incorporating their native cultures into education. Scotts grades have dramatically increased and

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he has become more fluent in the English language, though he still struggles with writing. In
addition to strategies such as the one utilized by Scotts teacher, there are several models of
pedagogy that can help facilitate education of marginalized classes.

Models of Pedagogy
Several models of pedagogy have been created to better educate students. Two of those
models have been reviewed for this paper including teaching urban students pedagogy and . The
first being teaching urban student was developed by Wayne Powell of the department of Geology
at Brooklyn College, and is defined by the SERC Pedagogic Service (2012) as teaching students
who live in a community that:

Hosts a population that is highly diverse in its ethnic, cultural, and economic
characteristics

Have a landscape that is dominated by the constructed environment

Are regional economic and cultural centers

This model is appropriate due to the fact that urban areas mostly consist of highly diverse student
populations based on race and economic status. According to Diaz-Rico and Weed (2010), In
the past, schools were designed for native speakers of English. Todays students come from
diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds (p. 347). This is clearly accurate for what could be
considered urban areas and further stresses the need for the education system to design schools to
better serve those from differing cultures and languages. SERC continues by explaining the
reasons for teaching urban students differently than what would be considered a school designed
for native speakers for English, and they are as follows:

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They are a different population and they live in a different environment. Students build
understanding by connecting new information to their personal knowledge-base and
experiences. Urban students bring a rich set of experiences to the classroom that may be
significantly different than those of students in small-town settings, including cultural
perspectives and intimate knowledge of foreign environments. Effective teaching
requires instructors to tap into these rich experiences, cultural customs, and practical
skills sets
In order to reach these students, it is clear that their differences can be the most effective tool. As
SERC states, students learn best when they can build off of their past knowledge and
experiences; therefore, incorporating their cultures not only validates their differences, but helps
foster a better learning environment.
Teaching urban students incorporates a few strategies that can be utilized in the
classroom. Some of these strategies are involving the community and family in activities,
drawing examples from the native countries and cultures of the students, and providing
contextually varied and rich activities. Johnson, Dupuis, Musial, Hall, & Gollnick (2005)
consider multicultural education such as this pedagogical model to be an educational strategy
that incorporates the teaching of students from diverse backgrounds, human relations, and
cultural groups in a school environment that supports diversity and equity (p. 112). This model
accomplishes a supportive environment of diversity and equity by going beyond the students
education and incorporating their families, cultures, and providing varied activities to ensure that
every student is reached. In addition to teaching urban students, there are other effective
pedagogical models that can be utilized in a multicultural classroom.

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The second type of pedagogy reviewed is called critical pedagogy. According to Hayati,
Critical pedagogy is a teaching approach that aims to develop students critical thinking,
political and social awareness, and self esteem through dialogue learning and reflection (p. 78).
Each of these characteristics that this model aims to achieve ultimately equips the student to
overcome marginalization by becoming politically and socially aware and more confident.
Christensen states that, If we hope to create positive communities in which students from
diverse background can thrive academically, we need to examine how our approach to students
linguistic diversity either includes or pushes out our most vulnerable learners (Au, 2009, p. 91).
This model reaches the most vulnerable of learners by examining and changing the curriculum in
order to enable those students to become active in their learning experiences. These models
assist and prepare students who are marginalized by society to become more confident and aware
of who they are and what they have to offer.
Recommendations for Modifications and Adaptations
When reflecting on the case study about Scott and taking into consideration the scholarly
text that was reviewed, there are several modifications and adaptations that can be recommended
to help facilitate his educational experience. One modification that would be important for not
only Scott, but the entire class, would be establishing a safe environment where students feel
welcome and free to be themselves. Being a role model in acceptance and tolerance of diversity
is an important responsibility that teachers must accomplish. The teacher can also modify his or
her speech to a slower rate with more articulation and writing large and clear can also be
effective in modeling for an English Learner. Another adaptation that could be made to everyday
lessons is incorporating ideas or facts about Scotts cultural background or language. This could

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be done by doing research or even allowing Scott to share his ideas or experiences. This give the
class insight to a different way of life and culture, while validating the importance of Scotts
diverse background. Because it is clear that teaching in a diverse class is not only to help the
students acquire the English language, but to acquire a sense of pride in the diversity that they
offer. When students find confidence in their differences, schools and society as a whole will be
changed for the better.

Conclusion
Diversity in society and in the classroom is ever growing. Students from different
countries, backgrounds, cultures, races, gender, sexual preferences, languages, and economic
classes enter the classroom everyday, and it is the responsibility of the education system to
ensure that each of those students have every opportunity to succeed academically. In the case
study outlined in this paper, the student failed academically but this does not accurately reflect
his intelligence. The low grades are reflective, however, of the marginalization that the student
experienced from the other students because of his culture and language. Once a particular
teacher stepped in and provided Scott with validation and fostered his confidence in being
different, the student was able to find success. Evidently, a teacher can play a large role in a
students life in determining their success regardless of their culture or background.

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References

Au, W. (2009). Rethinking Multicultural Education. Teaching for racial and cultural
justice. Milwaukee, WI: Rethinking Schools Publication
Bonvillain, N. (2008). Language, culture, and communication: The meaning of messages. (5th
ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
California Department of Education. (2013). SARC. Retrieved from: http://www.egusd.net/
schools/sarcs/short/Beitzel.pdf.
Chaika, E. (2008). Language, the Social Mirror. (4th ed.). Heilne Cengage Learning.
Diaz-Rico, L., T.;. Weed, K, Z.. (2010). The crosscultural, language, and academic development
handbook: A complete K-12 reference guide (4th Edition). Pearson HE, Inc.
Johnson, J.A., Dupuis, V.L., Musial, D., Hall, G.E., & Gollnick, D. (2005). Introduction to the
foundations of American education (13th ed.).Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Hayati, N. (2010). Empowering non-native English speaking teachers through critical pedagogy
(21) 1. TEFLIN Journal.
SERC Pedagogic Service. (2012). Teaching Urban Students. Retrieved from: http://
serc.carleton.edu/sp/library/urban/index.html.