Context: The culture report and the case study were class assignments for CI3000, Learner Diversity. They were made during the spring of 2007 under the advisement of Dr. Nancy Mamlin, the course’s instructor.

Impact: The case study was done during practicum at Moravian Falls Elementary School. My focus was on a Hispanic 5th grade boy living in poverty. From this, I was able to learn a lot about Hispanic students, as well as children living in poverty. Through this assignment, I am more prepared to meet the needs of diverse learners, as well as better understand these cuture types.

The culture report is one way for teachers to learn more about the various types of students that might be in their classroom. Latinos and the Latino culture was the focus of my group. This is especially relevant for us in North Carolina because of the large Latino population in the state. There are Latino students in many of the school systems around the state. By having a better understanding of Latinos and their culture, I feel that I will be able to relate and help Latino students. The report focused mostly on Latino statistics and current research, classroom practices, common stereotypes and assumptions, accomplished Latinos around the world, and children’s literature. The statistics and current research helps put the Latino community into focus so one can understand some of their background, where they are located, how Latino’s tend to do on tests, and much more. The classroom practices offer many ideas and tips to help the classroom be more beneficial for the leaner, as well as the teacher. The stereotypes and assumptions provide new insight into the Latino community. All of the accomplished Latinos are worthy of studying in the classroom at all different grade levels. The Latino books included in the children’s literature section are great to read in the classroom and to learn from. The report also includes a resource bank that provides a plethora of information and resources for the Latino community. This is something that teachers, students, and parents can use to access different resources. Studying another’s culture is a great way of showing how much you value them. It allows teachers to connect with their students and to include the student in many aspects of the classroom.

Students who make their own culture reports meet the following Language Arts Standards for the 5th grade from the North Carolina Standard Course of Study:

Competency Goal 2

-Objectives 2.01, 2.02, 2.03, 2.05, 2.06, 2.09

Competency Goal 3

-Objectives 3.01, 3.02, 3.04, 3.05, 3.06, 3.07

Competency Goal 4

-Objectives 4.02, 4.03, 4.10

Alignment: See attachment