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Title: The New York City Classroom - An increasingly diverse population
It is important for teachers to realize that their classrooms are becoming increasingly diverse. Nowhere is this more evident that in the schools of New York City. Many of the students come from a plethora of backgrounds and in fact, there are as many as 800 languages spoken in New York City, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world. Approximately 36% of the city’s population is foreign-born, substantiating the fact that the students in NYC classrooms will not have had the same cultural experiences as their teacher (Hernandez et al, 2013). In order to be successful in this setting, a teacher must create a positive, welcoming, and engaging environment. To do so, one may employ what is referred to as a culturally responsive education. Culturally responsive education emphasizes the link between culture and classroom instruction (The Knowledge Alliance: Brown University, 2008). It recognizes and respects students of varying backgrounds by acknowledging their differences in language, culture, life experiences, and values. In order to achieve this, teachers must implement the following strategies: communicate high expectations, use active teaching methods, act as a facilitator, create positive ties with community members, possess cultural sensitivity and reshape curriculum to address students’ backgrounds. In addition, situated learning or learning in an authentic context that focuses on problem-solving skills, is vital for the acquisition of content knowledge (Altomonte, et al, 2016). Each component is pivotal to creating an atmosphere where students are willing to learn and are engaged in the learning process.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1440869
PAR ID:
10074618
Author(s) / Creator(s):
;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
American international journal of humanities and social science
Volume:
3
Issue:
2
ISSN:
2415-1270
Page Range / eLocation ID:
37-40
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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