The Need for Cultural Sensitivity in Multicultural Special Education Essay Example for Free

The Need for Cultural Sensitivity in Multicultural Special Education Essay Teachers in this changing multicultural society need to be aware of challenges in teaching English Language Learners as well as African-American students. Labeling students immediately as having a learning disability is a disservice not only to the student it is affecting, but also the entire school system. Teachers must learn to incorporate multicultural activities into their teaching style, which would allow them to connect with as many of their diverse students as possible. â€Å"For many multicultural learners, the noble ideal of leaving no child behind has not yielded the desired dividends in general and special education. †(Obiakor 148). I believe that students of all ethnic backgrounds would benefit from their teacher being more sensitive to their diverse cultures and backgrounds. Festus E. Obiakor’s article regarding† Effective Intervention for Today’s Schools† portrays a 9 year-old student named Ricardo whose teacher does not understand his culture and diversity. Ricardo spoke English with an accent, and had a hard time relating to his classmates. The teacher actually had made a note that he was trouble and did not get along with his peers (148). Ricardo was ultimately labeled as having a behavior disorder and was put into a special education classroom. Unfortunately, this is an alarming trend that is occurring in our nations Ramirez 2 schools. â€Å"Students learning English were disproportionately identified as having a disability in the three largest urban districts. †(Turnbull 79). Obiakor notes in his article, that according to the U. S. Department of Education in 2001 that although Hispanic students made up 4% of the general public school enrollments, there was a national average of 14% of these students being placed in special education services(149). This is where teachers need to turn to the theory of cultural relativism. If educators were able to â€Å"know what it is like to be a member of the second culture and to view the world from that point of view,† (Gollnick and Chin 17), teachers would be able to better understand the needs of their students of various ethnic backgrounds. Rather than place them in special education services hastily, by understanding the other culture, teachers perhaps would stop judging the ethnic minority students behaviors as deviant, and put aside their cultural biases (Obiakor 149). If an educator gains an understanding of their students’ background, becoming in-tune with their cultural nuances, they will then begin to turn the tide of stereotyping these students as having special needs. Culturally biased standardized tests are also another factor that affects the student from another culture to be unfairly marked as needing special education. â€Å"Unjustifiable reliance on IQ and other evaluation tools, high-stakes testing, and power differentials between minority parents and schools may also be contributing variables. †(Gollnick and Chin 185). Educators need to recognize that students may fail these tests due to differences in the child’s cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Festus E. Obiakor’s article states that African American learners in special education are continuing to experience â€Å"inadequate general and special education services. †(p. 28) African American students are among the highest ethnic group placed in special education services, due to the process of over-referrals. â€Å"â€Å"With over-referrals, teachers tend to make Ramirez 3 excessive referrals of students of color for placement in special education classes for students with disabilities. †(Gollnick and Chin 183) The disproportionate placement of students of color is one of the most problematic issues facing education (Gollnick and Chin 180). Many students, according to Obiakor’s article who attend urban settings are often labeled â€Å"slow learners† or â€Å"learning disabled†, which in turn takes them out of the running for higher educational opportunities(29). As is the case with Hispanic students, African American culture is not understood by the majority of teachers, most of whom have typically been White. I believe if teachers and administrators take on a culturally responsive aspect to their lessons, they eventually would stop making such rash assessments on these culturally diverse students, eventually allowing these students to be assessed according to their real capabilities, not based on their ethnocentric attitudes and feelings. As a future educator, I realize the need to challenge myself and my peers to become culturally and emotionally sensitive to students of diverse backgrounds. Labeling a child as learning disabled when they are in fact not, is a tragedy that none of us should make. Multicultural students will not only have to deal with discrimination based on their race, but they will also have to deal with the negative connotation a special education label may bring to them. Teachers have such an important role in a child’s life that it is important to try our best not to negatively impact any child. By understanding how a culture learns, the teacher needs to develop a curriculum that is culturally and historically relevant to these children. Educators need to take into account the vast learning styles of these students to make sure that we are not making the mistake of mislabeling a child as having a learning disability, when in fact, one is not present. References Obiakor, Festus E. (2007) Multicultural Special Education: Effective Intervention For Today’s Schools. Intervention In School and Clinic. Volume 42(3), pages 148-155. Obiakor, Festus E. (2010) African American Learners In Special Education: A Close Look at Milwaukee. Intervention In School and Clinic. Volume 5(2), pages28-48. Turnbull, A. (2010) Exceptional Lives: Special Education in Today’s Schools. (R. Turnbull, Michael Wehmeyer, Eds. ) New Jersey: Merrill.

Free Great Gatsby Essays: Social Attitudes :: Great Gatsby Essays

Social Attitudes Represented in The Great Gatsby Fitzgerald  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This novel is in general about middle and upper class American citizens and their lives a few years after the first world war had concluded.   The author, a World War I veteran himself, shows insight into the lives and minds of American soldiers who fought in Europe during the conflict and the interesting experiences some may have had in the years following their return.   Through written conversation, the novel deals with many of the social attitudes and ideas that prevailed during the early 20's.   Historical facts are cleverly infused into the body of the novel that gives the reader an authentic and classic impression of the story.   A clear view of the discrimination that existed in that time period against non-whites and women was evident by the time the conclusion of the book was reached.   For instance, a conversation takes place between characters in the novel in which civilization is said to be going to pieces as a result of "The Rise of the Coloured Empires".   Women are also constantly referred to as "girls".   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Also incorporated, was an interesting but sometimes uneventful sub-plot of a man's extreme love for a woman and the catastrophic events that take place as a result.   This was indicative of many people of the day who had a spouse but also maintained a relationship outside of the marrage.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The plot centres on a fictional World War I army veteran named Nick Carraway.   After his involvement in the war on the allied side with a machine gun battalion, he returned to his home in Chicago. With no clear direction of what he wanted to do with his life, he decided to move to New York to enter into the business of selling bonds.   He settled down on an area of Long Island called West Egg, directly beside a more fashionable area of Long Island called West Egg.   Across from him lived a rich man named Jay Gatsby who also was a World War I vet.   Not far away lived a married couple Daisy and Tom Buchanan which he knew relatively well.   It was at their residence that he met a woman, Jordan Baker, who was to become his good friend and later his girl friend.   Carraway soon became a good friend with his rich neighbour next door, Gatsby, and soon was exposed to many rumours about this man which caused him to question his relationship with him.

Night World : Huntress Chapter 16

I am not,† Claire said. â€Å"Yeah, you are,† Jez said, still gently, as if humoring a child. â€Å"I am not.† â€Å"You don't even know what it is.† Jez looked at Hugh. â€Å"You know what? I just realized something. The Wild Powers are all supposed to be ‘born in the year of the blind Maiden's vision,' right?† â€Å"Yeah†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Well, I was trying to figure that out all yesterday. And now, it just came to me, like that.† She snapped her fingers. â€Å"I was thinking about visions like prophecies, you know? But I think what it meant was vision, like sight. Eyesight. Aradia only had her eyesight for a year-and that's the year. Seventeen years ago.† Hugh looked at Claire. â€Å"And she's â€Å"Seventeen.† â€Å"So what?† Claire yelled. â€Å"So are you! So are lots of people!† â€Å"So am I,† Hugh said with a wry smile. â€Å"But not everybody can stop a train with blue fire.† â€Å"I didn't stop anything,† Claire said with passionate intensity. â€Å"I don't know what a Wild Power is, but I didn't do anything back there. I was just lying there and I knew we were going to die-â€Å" â€Å"And then the blue light came and the train stopped,† Jez said. â€Å"You see?† Claire shook her head. Hugh frowned and looked suddenly doubtful. â€Å"But, Jez-what about the fire at the Marina? Claire wasn't there, was she?† â€Å"No. But she was watching it live on TV. And she was very, very upset about it. I've still got the scars.† Hugh drew in a slow breath. His eyes were unfocused. â€Å"And you think it works across that distance?† â€Å"I don't know. I don't see why it shouldn't.† They were talking around Claire again, Jez gazing into the depths of the garage. â€Å"I think maybe distance is irrelevant to it. I think what happens is that she sees something, and if she's upset enough about it, if she's desperate enough and there's no physical way to do anything, she just-sends out the Power.† â€Å"It's completely unconscious, then,† Hugh said. â€Å"And who knows, maybe she's done it before.† Jez straightened, excited. â€Å"If it's happening far away, and she doesn't see the flash, and she doesn't feel anything†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She turned on Claire. â€Å"You didn't feel anything when you stopped the train?† â€Å"I didn't stop the train,† Claire said, slowly and with shaky patience. â€Å"And I didn't do anything about that fire at the Marina, if that's what you're talking about.† â€Å"Claire, why are you in such total denial about this?† â€Å"Because it's not the truth. I know I didn't do anything, Jez. When you know, you know.† â€Å"Actually, I don't blame her,† Hugh said. â€Å"It's not a great job.† Jez blinked, and then the truth swept over her. Her entire body went cold. Oh, Goddess†¦ Claire. Claire's life as a normal person was over. She was going to have to leave everything, her family, her friends, and go into hiding. From this point on, she would be one of the four most important people in the world-the only of the four Wild Powers who was identified. Constantly hunted. Constantly in danger. Sought after by everyone in the Night World, for a hundred different reasons. And Claire had no experience. She was so innocent. How was she supposed to adjust to a life like that? Jez shut her eyes. Her knees were so weak that she had to sit down. â€Å"Oh, Claire †¦ I'm sorry.† Claire gulped, staring at her. There was fear in her dark eyes. Hugh knelt. His expression was still and sad. Tm sorry, too,† he said, speaking directly to Claire. â€Å"I don't blame you at all for not wanting this. But for right now, I think we'd better think about getting you someplace safe.† Claire now had the look of somebody after an earthquake. How could this happen to me? Why wasn't I paying attention before it hit? â€Å"I†¦ have to go home,† she said. But she said it very slowly, looking at Jez in fear. Jez shook her head. â€Å"Claire-you can't I-† She paused to gather herself, then spoke quietly and firmly. â€Å"Home isn't safe anymore. There are going to be people looking for you-bad people.† She glanced at Hugh. He nodded. â€Å"A werewolf tried to run me down with a car, then jumped me. I think he must have followed me from the station. I knocked him out, but I didn't kill him.† â€Å"And there's the vampire from the platform,† Jez said. â€Å"He got away-did he see the flash?† â€Å"He saw everything. We were both right there, looking down at you. After that, he took off running. I'm sure he's going back to report to whoever sent him.† â€Å"And they'll be putting everything they have on the streets, looking for us.† Jez looked around the garage. â€Å"We need transportation, Hugh.† Hugh gave a tiny grin. â€Å"Why do I have the feeling you don't mean a taxi?† â€Å"If you've got a pocketknife, I can hotwire a car. But we have to make sure nobody's around. The last thing we need is the police.† They both stood up, Jez reaching down absent-mindedly to pull Claire to her feet. Claire whispered, â€Å"Wait. I'm not ready for tins-â€Å" Jez braced herself to be merciless. â€Å"You're never going to be ready, Claire. Nobody is. But you have no idea what these people will do to you if they find you. You†¦ just have no idea.† She located a Mustang across the garage. â€Å"That's a good one. Let's go.† There was a loose brick in the wall near the car. Jez wrapped it in her jacket and broke the window. It only took a moment to get the door open and another few seconds to start the car. And then everybody was inside and Jez was pulling smoothly out â€Å"Take Yanacio Boulevard to the freeway,† Hugh said. â€Å"We've got to head south. There's a safe house in Fremont.† But they never made it out of the garage. Jez saw the Volvo as she turned the first corner toward the exit It had its brights on and it was heading right for them. She twisted the wheel, trying to maneuver, but a Mustang wasn't a motorcycle. She didn't have room. She couldn't slip out and get away. The Volvo never even slowed down. And this time there was no blue light. There was a terrible crashing of metal on metal, and Jez fell into darkness. Everything hurt. Jez woke up slowly. For a long moment she had no idea where she was. Someplace-moving. She was being jolted and jarred, and that wasn't good, because she seemed to be bruised all over. Now, how had that happened†¦ ? She remembered. And sat up so fast that it made her head spin. She found herself looking around the dim interior of a van. Dim because there were no real windows. The one in back had been covered from the outside with duct tape, and only a little light came through at the top and bottom. No light came from the front. The driver's compartment was closed off from the back by a metal wall. There were no seats in back, nothing at all to work with. Only three figures lying motionless on the floor. Claire. Hugh. And†¦ Morgead. Jez stared, crawling forward to look at each of them. Claire looked all right. She had been in the backseat with a seat belt on. Her face was very pale, but she didn't seem to be bleeding and she was breathing evenly. Hugh looked worse. His right arm was twisted oddly under him. Jez touched it gently and determined that it was broken. And I don't have anything to set it with. And I think sbmething else is wrong with him-his breathing's raspy. Finally she looked at Morgead. He looked great. He wasn't scraped or bruised or cut like the rest of them. The only injury she could find was a huge lump on his forehead. Even as she brushed his hair back from it, he stirred. His eyes opened and Jez found herself looking into dark emeralds. â€Å"Jez!† He sat up, too fast. She pushed him back down. He struggled up again. â€Å"Jez, what happened? Where are we?† â€Å"I was hoping you might tell me that.† He was looking around the van, catching up fast Like any vampire, he didn't stay groggy long. â€Å"I got hit. With wood. Somebody got me when I left my apartment.† He looked at her sharply. â€Å"Are you okay?† â€Å"Yeah. I got hit with a car. But it could be worse; it was almost a train.† They were both looking around now, automatically in synch, searching for clues to their situation and ways to get out They didn't have to discuss it The first order of business was always escape. â€Å"Do you have any idea who hit you?† Jez said, running her fingers over the back door. No handles, no way to get out â€Å"No. Pierce called to say he'd come up with something on the Wild Power. I was going to meet him when suddenly I got attacked from behind.† He was going over the metal barrier that separated them from the driver's cabin, but now he glanced at her. â€Å"What do you mean, it was almost a train?† â€Å"Nothing here. Nothing on the sides. This van is stripped.† â€Å"Nothing here, either. What do you mean, a train?† Jez wiggled around to face him. â€Å"You really don't know?† He stared at her for a moment. Either he was a fantastic actor, or he was both innocent and outraged. â€Å"You think I would do something to hurt you?† Jez shrugged. â€Å"It's happened in the past.† He glared, seemed about to get into one of his Excited States. Then he shook his head. â€Å"I have no idea what's going on. And I would not try to hurt you.† â€Å"Then we're both in trouble.† He leaned back against the metal wall. â€Å"I believe you there.† He was silent for a moment, then said in an odd, deliberate tone, â€Å"It's the Council, isn't it? They found out about Hunter's deal with us, and they're moving in.† Jez opened her mouth, shut it. Opened it again. â€Å"Probably,† she said. She needed Morgead. Claire and Hugh weren't fighters. And whoever had them was a formidable enemy. She didn't think it was the Council. The Council wouldn't use hired thugs; it would work through the Elders in San Francisco. And it would have no reason to kidnap Morgead; the deal with Hunter Redfern didn't really exist. Whoever it really was had a good intelligence system, good enough to discover that Morgead knew something about the Wild Power. And had a lot of money, because it had imported a lot of muscle. And had a sense of strategy, because the kidnappings of Jez and Claire and Hugh and Morgead had been beautifully timed and nicely executed. It might be some rogue vampire or werewolf chieftain who wanted to grab power. It might be some rival vampire gang in California. For all Jez knew, it might even be some insane faction of Circle Daybreak. The only thing that was certain was that she was going to have to fight them whenever this van got where it was going, and that she needed all the help she could get. So it was important to lie to Morgead one last time, and hope that he would fight with her. She had to get Claire away safely. That was all that mattered. The world would survive without her and Morgead, and even without Hugh, although it would be a darker place. But it wouldn't survive without Claire. â€Å"Whether it's the Council or not, we're going to have to fight them,† she said out loud. â€Å"How's your energy-blast trick? The one you demonstrated when we were stick-fighting.† He snorted. â€Å"Not good. I used up all my Power fighting the guys who tackled me. It'll be a long time before I recharge.† Jez's heart sank. â€Å"Too bad,† she said unemotionally. â€Å"Because those two aren't going to be able to do much.† â€Å"Those humans? Who are they, by the way?† His voice was so carefully careless again. Jez hesitated. If she said they were unimportant, he might not help her save them. But she couldn't tell the truth, either. â€Å"That's Claire, and this is Hugh. They're-acquaintances. They've helped me in the past.† â€Å"Humans?† â€Å"Even humans can be useful sometimes.† ‘I thought maybe one of them might be the Wild Power.† â€Å"You thought if I found the Wild Power I wouldn't tell you?† ‘It occurred to me.† â€Å"You're so cynical, Morgead.† ‘I prefer to call it observant,† he said. ‘For instance, I can tell you something about your friend Hugh, there. I saw him in the city, just once, but I remember his face. He's a damned Daybreaker.† Jez felt a tension in her chest, but she kept her face expressionless. â€Å"So maybe I'm using him for something.† â€Å"And maybe,† Morgead said, simply and pleasantly, â€Å"you're using me.† Jez lost her breath. She stared at him. His face was shadowed, but she could see its clean tines, the strong but delicate features, the darkness of his eyebrows and the tension in his jaw. And she knew, as he narrowed his eyes, that they were the color of glacier ice. â€Å"You know,† he said, â€Å"there's still a connection between us. I can feel it, sort of like a cord between our minds. It pulls. You can't deny it, Jez. It's there whether you like it or not. And-† He considered, as if thinking of the best way to put this. â€Å"It tells me things. Things about you.† Oh, hell, Jez thought. It's over. I'm just going to have to protect Hugh and Claire myself. From him and whoever's got us. Part of her was scared, but part was just furious, the familiar fury of needing to bash Morgead over the head. He was so certain of himself, so †¦ smug. â€Å"So what's it telling you now?† she said sarcastically before she could stop herself. â€Å"That you're not telling the truth. That there's something you're keeping from me, something you've been keeping from me. And that it has to do with him.† He nodded toward Hugh. He knew. The jerk knew and he was just playing with her. Jez could feel self-control slipping away. â€Å"Something to do with why you want the Wild Power,† Morgead went on, a strange smile playing on his lips. â€Å"And with where you've been for the past year, and with why you suddenly want to protect humans. And why you say ‘Goddess' when you're surprised. No vampire says that. It's a witch thing.† Goddess, I'm going to kill him, Jez thought, clenching her teeth. â€Å"Anything else?† she said evenly. â€Å"And with why you're scared of me reading your thoughts.† He smirked. â€Å"Told you I was observant.† Jez lost it. â€Å"Yeah, Morgead, you're brilliant. So are you smart enough to figure out what it all means? Or just to get suspicious?† â€Å"It means-† He looked uncertain suddenly, as if he hadn't exactly figured out where all this was leading. He frowned. â€Å"It means†¦ that you're †¦Ã¢â‚¬  He looked at her. â€Å"With Circle Daybreak.† It came out as a statement, but a weak one. Almost a question. And he was staring at her with an I-don't-believe-it look. â€Å"Very good,† Jez said nastily. â€Å"Two points. No, one; it took you long enough.† Morgead stared at her. Then he suddenly erupted out of his side of the van. Jez jumped forward, too, in a crouch that would let her move fluidly and protect Hugh and Claire. But Morgead didn't attack. He just tried to grab her shoulders and shake her. â€Å"You little idiot!† he yelled. Jez was startled. â€Å"What?† â€Å"You're a Daybreaker?† â€Å"I thought you had it all figured out.† What was wrong with him? Instead of looking betrayed and bloodthirsty he looked scared and angry. Like a mother whose kid has just run in front of a bus. â€Å"I did-I guess-but I still can't believe it. Jez, why? Don't you know how stupid that is? Don't you realize what's going to happen to them?† â€Å"Look, Morgead-â€Å" â€Å"They're going to lose, Jez. It's not just going to be the Council against them now. Everybody in the Night World is going to be gunning for them. They're going to get wiped out, and anybody who sides with them will be wiped out, too.† His face was two inches from hers. Jez glared at him, refusing to give ground. â€Å"I'm not just siding with them,† she hissed. â€Å"I am one of them. I'm a damned Daybreaker.† â€Å"You're a dead Daybreaker. I can't believe this. How am I supposed to protect you from the whole Night World?† She stared at him. â€Å"What?† He settled back, glaring, but not at her. He was looking around the van, avoiding her eyes. â€Å"You heard me. I don't care who your friends are, Jez. I don't even care that you came back to use me. I'm just glad you came back. We're soulmates, and nothing can change that.† Then he shook his head furiously. â€Å"Even if you won't admit it.† â€Å"Morgead†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Suddenly the ache in Jez's chest was too much to stay inside. It was closing off her throat, making her eyes sting, trying to make her cry. She had misjudged Morgead, too. She'd been so sure that he would hate her, that he could never forgive. But of course, he didn't know the whole truth yet. He probably thought that her being a Daybreaker was something she would grow out of. That it was just a matter of getting her to see the light and change sides again, and she would become the old Jez Redfern. He didn't realize that the old Jez Red-fern had been an illusion. Tm sorry,† she said abruptly, helplessly. â€Å"For all of this, Morgead-I'm sorry. It really wasn't fair to you for me to come back.† He looked irritated. â€Å"I told you; I'm glad you did. We can work things out-if you'll just stop being so stubborn. We'll get out of this-â€Å" â€Å"Even if we do get out of it, nothing's going to change.† She looked up at him. She wasn't frightened of what he might do anymore. The only thing she was frightened of was seeing disgust in his eyes-but she still had to tell him. â€Å"I can't be your soulmate, Morgead.† He hardly seemed to be listening to her. â€Å"Yes, you can. I told you, I don't care who your friends are. Well keep you alive somehow. The only thing I don't understand is why you'd want to ally yourself with stupid humans, when you know they're going to lose.† Jez looked at him. Morgead, the vampire's vampire, whose only interest was in seeing the Night World conquer humanity completely. Who was what she had been a year ago, and what she could never be again. Who thought of her as an ally, a descendent of one of the first families of the lamia. Who thought he loved who he thought she was. Jez kept looking at him steadily, and when she spoke, it was very quietly. And it was the truth. â€Å"Because I'm a human,† she said.

Too Much to Bear a Word for the Mom

Back in 1912 female workers marched through streets of Lawrence, state Massachusetts, with signs â€Å"We want bread, but we want roses, too†. This slogan was rephrased 60 years later in songs, written and performed by Judy Collins and John Denver. Its new form was: â€Å"We need a decent living, but we need a life, too.† Well, it looks like this saying will be popular and actual till the end of the concept of modern worlds setup. Books of Overworked American Moms At the beginning of the 21st century a lot of books appeared, which were dedicated to the topic of working parents (working mothers especially). The alarmingly huge amount of such books brought out an obvious social problem. In 1912, as well as in 1970, women at least had time to think of the possibility of a better life – nowadays, when working over 50 hours a week is considered something normal and when three quarters of mothers with children, who are less than three years old, work outside their homes, women cannot even stop and think of when all their lives have gone wrong. Overwhelmed by Lack of Life Brigid Schulte, journalist and writer, and also a wife and a mother of two children, made an attempt to muse on whether constant time shortage and fragmented life are there for her alone, or if it is something that millions of other women all over the world experience as well. In her book â€Å"Overwhelmed: Work, Love and Play When No One Has the Time† Schulte asks: â€Å"What if not just women, but both men and women, worked smart, more flexible schedules? What if the workplace itself was more fluid than the rigid and narrow ladder to success of the ideal worker? And what if both men and women became responsible for raising children and managing the home, sharing work, love, and play? Could everyone then live whole lives?† Some Traditions Are to Be Broken Unfortunately, while workweeks norms are growing bigger for both men and women, the majority of people still considers women to be the ones, who have to care fully for both children and the household. The historical traditions are strong in minds of those, for whom they make life more comfortable. So is there a way to overcome the nightmare of lack of personal time? So far only on the local level, according to SÃ' hulte. Her advice is to break time into concentrated periods and always find at least little time to play with children. What would be the life without fun, anyways?