EXCEPTIONAL AND CULTURALLY DIFFERENT

APPROACH

This approach attempts to assist exceptional and culturally different students to acquire the knowledge and skills expected of the so-called average white middle-class student.

GOALS

To equip students with the cognitive skills, concepts,

information, language, and values traditionally required by U.S.

society, and eventually to enable them to obtain a job and to

function well within the existing institutions and culture of the

nation.

APPLICATION

Teachers begin using this approach by first determining the achievement levels of the

students, comparing their achievement to grade level

norms, then working to help those who are behind to catch

up.

Human Capital Theory

Education is an investment Students acquire skill & knowledge Earn more money by getting better job

Poor are poor because they never developed the capital Poor do not have access to quality education

DEFICIENCY ORIENTATION

“The deficiency orientation focuses on what we believe members of

another group lack, usually based on a comparison to the abilities and

cultural resources we have and with which we are familiar.”

DEFICIENCY ORIENTATION

•Lack of proper educational exposure•Language not “advanced” enough to allow learning to take place•Lack of moral stability and integrity

DIFFERENCE ORIENTATION

“Rather than focusing on deficiencies that need to be

remediated, advocates of the difference orientation focus on

strengths to build on so as to help children assimilate into the

American mainstream.”

DIFFERENCE ORIENTATION

• Differences between cultural groups can cause problems between home and school• Schools need to provide cultural

continuity for students• Learning styles need to be considered• Use of L1 to assist in early stages• Gender differences come into play

CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION

CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION:Learning Styles

Information Processing

Multiple Intelligences

Learning Styles

CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION:

Background Knowledge and Experiences

CultureFamily Structure

Personal and Group HistoryIndividual Identity

CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION:Skill Level

Classroom, school, state literacy standards

Classroom, school, state academic content standards

CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION:LANGUAGE

Issues:

BilingualismUse of nonstandard dialects

Code switching

CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION:

Cultural (Human) Capital

“Some types of knowledge bring a greater return in our society than do

other types of knowledge.”P. 16

CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION:

Motivation

Positive ReinforcementUnderstanding the TaskExpectation of SuccessAchievement of Success

CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION:

Home and Community

Parents’ goals for their children’s education

School/home communicationsAssistance to parents

SUPPORT SERVICES

Special Education

Transitional Bilingual Education

English as a Second Language

Other remedial programs

This information from:

Grant and Sleeter. Turning on Learning. Second Edition. Merrill.

Grant and Sleeter. Making Choices for Multicultural Education. Third Edition.Merrill.