NIUSI

part of the Education Reform Networks

Friendship

• Safeguarding Our Children: An Action Guide
  This jointly developed Action Guide to help schools and communities prevent school violence was produced by the U.S. Department of Education and Department of Justice released.
• Motivating People from Privileged Groups to Support Social Justice
  The author presents a theoretical perspective for understanding what may motivate people from privileged groups to support diversity and social justice, discussing and examining the complexities and limitations of three main sources of motivation: empathy, moral and spiritual values, and self-interest. Educational strategies are suggested to address these sources of motivation.
• Moving Marginalized Students Inside the Lines: Cultural Differences in Classrooms
  The author discussed what she has learned in her job at an elementary school in Northeast Mississippi as liaison between English-speaking school personnel and Spanish-speaking students and parents, most of whom are recent immigrants from Mexico. Also, the author discussed what she learned, through extensive talking and questioning of students and parents, about how cultural differences affect classroom activities and interaction.
• Differentiating cooperative learning
  Effective cooperative learning methods help students grow academically, socially, and emotionally. The authors of this article encourage teachers to implement cooperative learning more thoughtfully and differentiate tasks within the group to personalize learning for each student.
• Meeting the Needs of English Language Learners
  The authors discuss key questions reflecting research in first/second language acquisition and whole language principles: is curriculum organized around "big" questions?; are students involved in authentic reading and writing?; are students given choices?; is content meaningful?; do students work collaboratively?; do students read, write, speak, and listen during learning?; are students' primary languages and cultures valued?; and do learning activities build self-esteem? .
• Culturally Sensitive Strategies for Violence Prevention
  The author discusses cultural influences on behavior, theoretical assumptions about culturally diverse students, and culturally sensitive behavior management strategies that educators might consider in their efforts to curtail school violence. The strategies are intended to be culture-specific and culture-fair, to humanize school environments, and to encourage a sense of community and collective responsibility.
• Prejudice and Pride: Japanese Americans in the Young Adult Novels of Yoshiko Uchida
  The author discusses five books for young adults by author Yoshiko Uchida. He notes that these books, accessible to children in grades 5 and above, describe the prejudice against Japanese Americans, internment camps, and upheaval, sorrow, and anger spawned by the American government's racist actions.
• Examining the Relationship among Opportunity, Inclusion, and Choice
  The authors describe the multicultural language practices used at Western Hills Elementary School in Denver, Colorado. They discuss social and cultural dimensions of learning and their relationships to second language acquisition.