Context:

I presented this powerpoint on Appalachian culture with the help of Krystle Lowery to my CI-3000 class and my instructor, Ann-Marie Clark.  This is a requirement for the CI-3000 course and can be used to teach other teachers about the Appalachian culture.  I included a handout along with the presentation on Appalachian literature, so everyone could use it for a tool to use in the future.  I went through the powerpoint presenting each slide and also asking opinions of our class on the information given such as "Does this surprise you?" or "What other ways can you help your students?" You can see more information about the presentation and handout by looking at my attachments.

Impact:

This report I did on Appalachian culture opened my eyes to a culture I did not know much about at all. I never knew they gave us so many contributions in art and music. I feel more confident in my ability to teach children about the Appalachian culture and be able to use the teaching practices that I have learned. This is important because now teachers can be aware of the stereotypes and not treat their students based off the stereotype. They can talk about the culture, provide a wealth of literature in the classroom, and use this to discuss the culture with the class.

Alignment:

This culture report aligns with the following program standards:

Standard 1,

Indicator 2: This report talks about the different dialect in Appalachian culture and the literature books include the difference in dialect. Teachers need to realize that students are going to use different words and it will sound different, but they do not need to be punished for this. The students do need to understand they may use their dialect, but during writing and reading they will be graded on correct grammar.

 Standard 14,

Indicator 1: My Appalachian reports on statistics about those who graduated high school and college which address the importance of education. The percentage of those that graduated from college is low, so they may not put education before family. Family and land is important to the Appalachian culture opposed to education being the most important thing to them. As teachers, we have to respect that, but also at the same stress how much education can help a family.

Indicator 5:  This presentation talks about the stereotypes and how teachers should not fall into those stereotypes. Teachers should not assume the child cannot read, therefore that student should be given the same treatment and materials in the classroom. Also that student should not be corrected for their dialect used unless grammar is being graded especially in reading or writing class.

Indicator 6:  There is a list of teacher practices that teachers need to follow in order for the diverse student to learn. They really need to incorporate materials such as the list of Appalachian literature which is given in an attachment. There is also a resource page for teachers to learn more about the culture and a video that is very helpful.