Breaking Down the Multicultural Barriers in the Classroom

Breaking Down the Multicultural Barriers in the Classroom Free Online Research Papers This article provides a detailed lesson plan, which helps students from diverse backgrounds to assimilate in the classroom. It also provides students with opportunities to demonstrate written and oral communication skills. The teacher collects the written work, which is then used as a guideline for any remedial action that is needed to assist students with communication skills development. Teachers may follow the directions or adapt them to their teaching situation. General Directions The first step in working within the group process involves students from different cultural backgrounds and disciplines sharing common interests and developing confidence in oral presentation before a group (Alsop, 2002). The assignment, an ‘icebreaker’, occurs during the first tutorial meeting. At the beginning of the class the students are informed that since they will be together for a semester, it would be of interest for members of the class to know something about other members. Students have 15 minutes to complete the questions and are then informed that they will have five minutes to stand and tell the class a few things about themselves. Well, if the subject was not mandatory, students would bolt en masse at the first instance. So amid much grumbling, frowning, and ‘evil eye’ directed at the teacher, the task is completed. Using a stopwatch, keep a record of presentation times. To the students’ surprise they find that when talking about an interesting subject, namely themselves, that five minutes was nowhere near enough time to say everything they have to say. It is very important that you do not stop students during this initial presentation because they might feel intimidated and unresponsive during other presentations. Depending on class size, allow eight minutes per student per presentation. As students begin presentations keep a record of where they and their parents were born. At the end of the session tally the responses and share these with the students. In a 2004 survey conducted in Marketing Principles, a first-year subject, it was found that although 80% of students were born in Australia, 58% of parents were born overseas representing twenty-two countries (Ryan, 2004). These results seem to indicate that for many students English is a second language in the home environment even though they are Australian citizens. When the answers to the ‘Getting To Know You’ exercise were tabulated, it was found that 16 per cent of students stated public speaking as one of their greatest fears, 14 per cent were concerned with failure in general as they see themselves as perfectionists, and 7 per cent were worried that they would not find employment after graduation. These results seem to indicate that students lack confidence in interpersonal communication skills and are worried about their lack of skills. At the end of the class session collect the students ‘Getting to Know You’ forms. These will enable you to evaluate students’ communication competency and to target students needing assistance. This is a substantial benefit to both you and the student in that help will be provided early in the semester instead of waiting until end-of-semester projects are submitted when no help is available. The benefits of this exercise are that students overcome their fears of speaking before a group. Even though students come from culturally diverse backgrounds they become aware of shared common interests; so in effect individual students now become involved in the first step in working within the group process (Clark, 2004). The materials needed for the activity are listed below. Student Handout Getting To Know You Instructional Aids Overhead Projector and Transparencies Screen Student Handout Stopwatch Performance Objectives Teacher: 1. Identify students with verbal communication skills problems. 2. Identify students with grammar, spelling, and punctuation problems. Students: 1. Develop awareness of students from different cultural backgrounds and disciplines that share common interests. 2. Demonstrate the ability to organise their thoughts and write in a concise, yet interesting manner. 3. Develop confidence in oral presentation before a small group. Lesson Plan â€Å"Today’s universities are truly multicultural and global in nature in that students may come from as many as ninety or more ethnic backgrounds representing many countries.† Preview â€Å"Since many of the activities in this class call for teamwork, today you will have the opportunity to become acquainted with members of the class by answering questions and telling others about yourself. It is difficult to work effectively as a group if the group members do not know each other well and are not aware or each other’s strengths and weaknesses, styles of working, past experiences, attitudes, and the like. Thus, the first task of most new groups is to get to know one another.† (Bertalan, 2004). â€Å"Your first assignment is an ‘icebreaker’. Since we will be together for a semester, it would be of interest for members of the class to know something about you (Bertalan, 2004). To make this an easy task, here is a list of questions. You have fifteen minutes to answer the questions and then you will have five minutes to stand and tell the class a few things about yourself (Steeler, Torres Laughlin, 2004). At the end of the class you will submit your answers so that I can learn a little about you as well.† Summary â€Å"This exercise has created awareness that even though you are from different cultural backgrounds and disciplines you share common interests (Gewertz, 2004; Quezada Romo, 2004). It has also helped you to organise your thoughts and write in a concise, yet interesting manner. But, probably most important to you, is that it helped you to develop confidence in oral presentation before a small group.† Student Handout Getting To Know You Name: .. Day: .. Time: . Major: Full/Part-time: .. Student ID: . Gender: . Age: .. In essay form, answer the following questions. 1. Where were you born? 2. If born outside of Australia, how long have you lived in Australia? 3. Where were your parents born? Father . Mother .. 4. a. Are you working? b. Where? c. What type of job? d. How long have you worked for the company? e. What other jobs have you held? 5. What are your favourite hobbies? 6. Do you participate in sports? Which ones? 7. What type of books do you like to read? 8. What do you like to do in your spare time? 9. What was one of the most exciting events in your life? 10.What is one of your biggest fears? 11. What type of job do you hope to find after graduation? 12.What is your favourite holiday? 13.What type of music or groups do you like? 14. What is your favourite food? References Allen, J. and Hermann-Wilmarth J. (2004) ‘Cultural construction zones’ in Journal of Teacher Education, 55 (3) (May/June): 214. Alsop, R. (2002) ‘The Top Business Schools (A Special Report)- Playing Well With Others: Recruiters say the ‘soft’ skills- such as leadership, communication and the ability to work in teams- are just as important as the hard stuff; And a lot harder to teach’ in Wall Street Journal,(9 September): R.11. Banks, J.A. (2004) ‘Teaching for Social Justice, Diversity, and Citizenship in a Global World) in The Educational Forum, 68 (4) (Summer): 296 Bertalan, J. (2004) ‘Student Diversity Projects’ in Multicultural Education, 11 (3) (Spring): 45-48. Bhargava, A., Hawley, L.D., Scott, C.L., Stein, M. and Phelps, A. (2004) ‘An investigation of students’ perceptions of multicultural education experiences in a school of education’ in Multicultural Education, 22 (4) (Summer): 18-22. Clark, C. (2004) ‘Diversity Initiatives in Higher Education’ in Multicultural Education, 11 (3) (Spring): 50-54. Gewertz, C. (2004) ‘Mixed Messages’ in Education Week, 23 (31) (April): 36-40. Golemon, P. (2003) ‘Communicating in the intercultural classroom’ in IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 46 (3) (September): 231. Hannon, K. (2003) ‘The graduate’ in ASEE Prism, 12 (9) (May/June): 16. Hernandez Sheets, R. (2003) ‘Cultural Experiences of Teachers of Diverse Populations in Multicultural Education, 11 (1) (Fall): 58. Jackson, M.G. (2003) ‘Internationalising the university curriculum’ in Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 27 (3) (November): 325. Jones, W.H. (2003) ‘Over the wall: Experiences with multicultural literacy’ in Journal of Marketing Education, 25 (3) (December): 231. Lau, L.K. (2003) ‘Institutional factors affecting student retention’ in Education, 124 (1) (Fall): 126. Ludlum, M. and Mascaloinov, S. (2004) ‘Right and Wrong and Cultural Diversity: Replication of the 2002 NAS/Zogby Poll on Business Ethics’ in Journal of Education for Business, 79 (5) (May/June): 294-298. McInnis, C. (2003) ‘From Marginal to Mainstream Strategies: responding to student diversity in Australian universities’ in European Journal of Education, 38 (4) (December): 387-401. Occupational Outlook Quarterly (2002) ‘Futurework: Trends and challenges for work in the 21st century’ 44, (2) (Summer): 31-36. Office of Planning and Quality (2004) ‘Strategic Plan 2002-2005 College of Law and Business’ Australia: University of Western Sydney. Pewawardy, C. (2003) ‘100 defensive tactics and attributions: Dodging the dialog on cultural diversity’ in Multicultural Education 11 (1) (Fall): 23. Quezada, R. and Romo, J. J. (2004) ‘Multiculturalism, Peace Education Social Justice in Teacher Education’ in Multicultural Education, 11 (3) (Spring): 2-11. Ryan, A.E. (2004) ‘Getting to Know You’ Unpublished raw data, School of Marketing and International Business. Australia: University of Western Sydney. Shaw, J. (2004) ‘A fair go for all? The impact of intragroup diversity and diversity-management skills on student experiences and outcomes in team-based class projects’ in. Journal of Management Education, 28 (2) (April): 139-160. Sleeter, C., Torres, M.N. and Laughlin, P. (2004) ‘Scaffolding Conscientization Through Inquiry in Teacher Education’ in Teaching Education Quarterly, 31 (1) (Winter): 81. Wilson, A. (2004) ‘Windows to the World’ in Voices From the Middle, 12 (1) (September): 23-25. 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Do You Need to Take Both the ACT and SAT

Do You Need to Take Both the ACT and SAT SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips As a high school student, I took both the SAT and the ACT. I’d been taking the SAT every couple of years since I was in middle school, so I planned to focus primarily on it. However, as a public school student in Colorado, I was required to take the ACT by my school. My scores on the two tests were relatively similar and I ended up submitting both. Taking both tests, whether because of school requirementsor personal preference, has become an increasingly common choice for students, especiallythose applying to top colleges. Though itisn’t necessary to take both the ACT and SAT, doing somight be the right plan for you. This guide will walk you through the pro and cons of taking both tests. Key Fact: Schools Only Require the ACT or the SAT,Not Both No school will require you to submit scores from both tests, so you definitely don’t need to take both the ACT and the SAT. Keep in mindthat, regardless of what you might have heard to the contrary, all schools accept both the ACT and the SAT. Though in the past selective colleges on the coasts generally preferred the SAT, this hasn't been the case for decades. I would say that for most students it’s not worth the time investment to prepare for both tests,but read on for all the information you need to make the best decisionfor yourself. 4 Reasons You Might Want to Take Both Tests There are four potential benefits to taking both the ACT and the SAT: you'll have an extra chance to excel, prepping for one can help you do better on the other, some schools might appreciate seeing both scores, and you'll get more test dates to choose from. #1: You'll Have More Opportunities to Do Well The most common reason students take both the ACT and the SATis in case they can score much better on one than the other. The majority of students will score similarly on both tests,but it can be tricky to determine whether you're one of the exceptions without trying both tests. Nonetheless, there are some general patterns to which students prefer which tests. Students who have a strong affinity for the ACT generally: Aren't stressed by time pressures Excel at skimming passages for information Enjoyscience, or at least aren't intimidated by it Are comfortable with geometryand trigonometry Students who prefer the SAT, on the other hand, usually: Aren't confused by complicated question phrasings Can do basic calculations by hand Can easilyexplain the logic behind their answers One benefit of this approach is that if you do score much higher on either the ACT or the SAT, you can always choose to send only the scores fromthetest you did better on- even if a school doesn't use SAT/ACT Score Choice. #2: The Tests Are Similar, so Preparing for One Will Help You on the Other The SAT redesign madethe two tests more similar than ever. Because there's a lot of overlap between content and strategies for the ACT and the SAT,prepping for one willhelp you on the other as well. For example, studying for the ACT Science section will help you hone graph-reading skills that will come in handy on the SAT's quantitative reasoning and data representation questions. On the other hand, reviewing the grammar rules you need for SAT Writing will be equally good preparation for ACT English. However, if you do plan to prepare for both, be sure to start studying well ahead of when you want to be done with testing.You'll need to spend some extra time learning about whichever test you decide to take second. #3: Taking Both Tests Can Provide Extra Information for Schools As I mentioned above, most students who take both tests are applying to more selective schools, which sometimes appreciate the extra information. Doing extremely well on both tests is slightly more impressive than doing equallywell on just one. Janet Rapelye, Princeton's dean of admissions, told the New York Times that submitting both tests isn't necessary but can be helpful: "For us, more information is always better. If students choose one or the other, that’s fine, because both tests have value. But if they submit both, that generally gives us a little more information." Though the tests are very similar, and treated the same by admissions committees, they do test slightly different ideas and concepts. Taking both gives schools the fullest sense of your capabilities; however, keep in mind that any advantage submitting both tests gives you will be relatively minor. #4: You'll Get More Test Dates to Choose From The SAT and ACT are each offered seven times a year but on different dates. Thus, by taking both tests,you'll essentially get double the number of test dates to choose from. This can be helpful if you're worried about finding time to take a test and have a pretty stringent schedule at certain times of year. For example, if you're super busy in the winter and would rather take a test in the spring or early summer, this gives you three SAT dates (March, May, and June) plustwo ACT dates (April and June) to choose from. 2 Reasons TakingBoth TestsMight Not Be Worth It While there are some potential upsides to taking both the SAT and the ACT, there are also some pretty significant drawbacks. #1: You'll Need More Prep Time If you want to prep for both the ACT and the SAT, you’ll have to spend a fair amount of extra time preparing. Even with the overlap between the tests, you’ll need to take a few practice tests for the second test you focus on, and take the time to make sure you fully understand the differences between the two tests. This will amount to roughly 10-20 hours of extra test prep. These hours might be better spent pursuing an activity you're excited about or working on your college essay. #2: Trying to Do Both Can Be Overwhelming and Confusing The tests are similar, but not the same. As such, trying to prepare for both can end up being very overwhelming if you're the type of person who has trouble juggling a lot of different ideas at once. Ultimately, for some students,trying to studyfor both the ACT and the SATcan lead to lower scores than focusing on just one test would. How to Choose Betweenthe SAT and the ACT: 4 Factors If you do settleon taking just one of the tests, there are four factors you'll want toconsider when deciding between them. #1: Do You Have a Particular Affinity for the SATor the ACT? As I mentioned above, most students score similarly on both tests, but some find one significantly easier than the other. In additionto the brief guidelines I've laid out in this post, you can use this guide to determine whether you’re likely to have strong preference for the ACT or the SAT. You might also try taking a practice test of each and comparing your scores- this approachis more accuratebut also more of a time commitment. #2: Are You Required to Take One of the Tests at School? Roughly half of the states in the US will require all public school juniors to take either the ACT or the SAT. If your school requires you to take one of them, you might benefit from focusing on the required test. What's more, your school might offer free or discounted test-prep resources, ultimately making you more familiar with just one of the two tests. #3: Does One Test Better Suit Your Strengths? Though the SAT and ACT have a lot in common these days, they still have a few big differences that you can use to determine which test might be a better fit for your particular strengths. Some of the biggest differences between the two tests are as follows: Science Section? % Geometry Qs on Math Section Avg Time per Question No-Calculator Section? Math Formulas Chart? Grid-in Math Qs? SAT No 10% 1 minute Yes Yes Yes ACT Yes 35-45% 1 minute No No No As you can see, if you're not too good at geometry and need more time per question, the SAT will likely be a better fit for your skills. On the other hand, if you hate doing math without a calculator but love science, the ACT might work better for you. Look atwhat's on each test and then decide whether one might be a better fit for you.And don't just think about your strengths- consider your weaknesses, too. For example, if you're not good at grid-in math questions, you might have a better shot at getting a high Math score on the ACT than you would on the SAT. #4: Which Test Offers More Convenient Test Dates? The last big factor to consider is which test offers more convenient test dates that work with your schedule. As I mentioned above, both the SAT and ACT are administered seven times a year (excluding school-day testing); however, these test dates are not the same. The chart below shows what months the SAT and ACT are administered each school year: Testing Month SAT ACT August X September X October X X November X December X X January February X March X April X May X June X X July X As the chart indicates, some months offer both the SAT and ACT while others only offer one or the other (note that January is the only month that offers neither test). Ultimately, it's important toconsider whichtest can give you more flexibility and fits better with your schedule. For example, if you have the whole summer to study, you might want to take the SAT since it offers an August test date. Or, if you have winter to study and want to get the test over with before spring activities start, the February ACT might be an ideal fit. Still Want to Take Both the ACT and SAT? 3 Tips If, after lots of consideration, you still want to take both the ACT and SAT, you'll need to know how to prepare accordingly so that you don't get overwhelmed or make any mistakes on test day. Here are our top three tips for keeping your brain in check as you prep for the SAT and ACT. #1: Focus on One Test at a Time The most important point is to focus on one test at a time in your prep. This means you shouldn't take both tests in the same month or even in back-to-back months, as doing this can confuse and overwhelm you. Ideally, you'll take one test and then the other at least three months later.We typically advise prepping for at least three to six months before the SAT/ACT, so giving yourself this amount of time in-between test dates should allow you to take one test and then completely transition your mindset to prepping for the other. Taking both the ACT and SAT around the same time might sound like a smart idea, but in the end all it's going to do is mix up information in your head and exhaust you. So take our advice and spread out your dates! #2: Use Resources Specific to Your Test While some resources can work for both the SAT and ACT, most target just one of the two tests. As a result, don't try to use SAT resources for your ACT prep, or ACT resources for your SAT prep. Doingthis will ultimately end up confusing you, and you'll learn the wrong strategies and content. Instead, separate your resources into two piles: one for the SAT, and one for the ACT. For tips on what prep books to use for the SAT and ACT, check out our individual guides. The only high-quality resource I recommend using for both tests isKhan Academy. This free website has partnered with the College Board to offer tons of video tutorials and official SAT practice questions. While it doesn't specifically cater to the ACT, it's got a lot of helpful strategies and explanations for math, reading, and writingthat you can apply to your ACT prep as well. #3: Come Up With Separate Study Plans Lastly, you'll need to spend some time coming up with two separate study plans for the SAT and ACT. Even if you plan to give yourself the same amount of time to study for both tests (say, four months for each test), how you spend that time will likely vary slightly depending on which test you're taking. The main reason for this is the content differences on the tests. Remember, the ACT has a whole section the SAT doesn't have- Science! That fact alone should be reason enough to come up with a different study schedule. Another reason is your own goals. What score are you aiming for on the SAT? The ACT? Where are you currently scoring on each test? Once you've answered these questions, you can begin to figure out how to structure and customize your study schedules. For tips on how to build the best SAT or ACT study plan for you, take a look at our guides. What's Next? When studying for the ACT or SAT, it's helpful to have a specific goal in mind.Learn how to determine what a great score for you will be on the SAT or the ACT. If you have more questions about the redesigned 2016 SAT,check out our full breakdown of the test. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT and ACT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160+ points or your ACT score by 4+ points. Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by experts. If you liked this article, you'll love our classes. Along with expert-led classes, you'll get personalized homework with thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step, custom program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Try it risk-free today: