Annotated Bibliography Assignment

By Katelyn Hartvigsen, Multiculturalism in Cinderella 

 1. Singh, Ram, Dr. "Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students"Archived: Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. U.S Department of Education, n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2014.

     In this research project, the U.S Department of education aimed to study the effect that technology has on both students and teachers in the classroom. The results show a beneficial change in the roles of students and teachers, allowing students to take on the usually active role of the teacher as opposed to the passive role of receiving the information by hearing, reading from a textbook etc. When the students use technology as opposed to other methods of learning they can define their own goals, make their own decisions, and encourage more active mental work. Instead of the teacher being the center of attention, the teacher can help on a more personal level and go to each student individually or answer questions individually, so students that are more shy can benefit as well.

     “Technology is the ultimate carrot for students. It's something they want to master. Learning to use it enhances their self-esteem and makes them excited about coming to school.” -Fifth grade teacher

     With technology becoming the center of our world, a technology-based learning style teaches them beginning skills of technology early on and therefore are able to handle more complex assignments. Students are also able to learn to work more closely with peers and through certain programs can do group work and projects much more easily. Students are inclined to look at and use much more outside resources and have the ability to look at thousands of other articles or websites to help better the understanding of what they are learning.

     In concern to our project, this article details why, as teachers, it could be helpful and successful to use programs such as storymap to help teach students at any level of education. Students, as well as teachers, benefit from being able to physically complete tasks themselves and learn on a more personal level. There are so many benefits to this technology-based learning that it is important for teachers to at least consider implementing the use of this style of learning. 

2. Picardo, Jose. "Why Students Need a Global Awareness and Understanding of Other Cultures." Teacher-network. Theguardian, 25 Sept. 2012. Web. 17 Nov. 2014.

     In this article, Picardo explains how important it is for students to have a good understanding of other cultures in order to be able to explore new ideas and prospects, and see the world through a new set of eyes. It is much more likely in this day in age that students have travelled abroad or accessed information about other culture on the Internet, but it is very important for teachers to guide students through the process of this discovery. Students come to learn that in many ways people from other cultures react and behave in very similar ways, but it is the small differences that help students learn s much about others as well as themselves.

     “Modern means of communication such as social networks and video conferencing can ensure that our students experience foreign cultures with unprecedented ease.”- Jose Picardo

     Picardo details the use of social media sites such as Twitter, Skype, and Google maps which allows students to sight see and get accustomed to other cultures from the comfort of their own home or classroom. Global awareness, especially in the early years, encourages students to see things from many different perspectives and helps decrease racial or cultural prejudices in the classroom. This awareness leads students to develop skills that will be useful to them for the rest of their life.

     This article contributes to our group’s understanding that global awareness in the classroom is beneficial for students and helps them understand both the similarities and differences of other cultures around the world. The use of technology helps to more easily teach students about these other cultures (Skype, Google maps, etc.). 

3. "StoryMap JS." StoryMap JS - Maps that tell stories. Northwestern University Knight Lab. Web. 15 November 2014.

     StoryMapJS is a free tool on the Internet that could be extremely beneficial for teachers trying to incorporate cross-culture learning into their classrooms. With StoryMapJS, you can tell stories on the web that show the exact locations of different events or places in the story. With this tool, you can include photographs, historic maps, or upload your own images to show or pictures of certain places. You can begin with an overall map and click on different places to see pictures, smaller maps, and descriptions of those certain places in relation to the larger map.

     This tool is very useful in cross-culture teaching because students can visualize the locations of other cultures in relation to were they are and see pictures or descriptions of those other cultures. This tool also helps students by letting them personally interact and click on whatever part of the map they would like, keeping their attention and making learning more personal and fun. Students also get better acquainted with the technology of the modern age and can even learn how to create their own story map, since the process is overall quite simple. 

     "Not only can you establish the location on an interactive map, but you can also use multiple media like videos, photos, blogposts to explain the story further."

4. Pratt-Johnson, Yvonne. "Communicating Cross-Culturally: What Teachers Should Know." Pratt-Johnson-Crosscultural. St. John's University, Feb. 2006. Web. 17 Nov. 2014.

     In this article, Pratt-Johnson talks about how in this day and age, it is essential to understand the role that culture plays within the multi-cultural school setting. Lustig and Koester (2003) define culture as "a learned set of shared interpretations about beliefs, values, and norms, which affect the behaviors of a relatively large group of people."  Similarly, Samovar and Porter (1991) explain culture as "a medium that touches and alters all aspects of human life, including personality, how people express themselves (which includes displays of emotion), the way they think, how they move, and how problems are solved." 

      It is important for students to learn about the many differences possible in different cultures. One example is the way that information is gathered. In some cultures, information is gathered through mainly the Internet or libraries, like in the United States, but in many other cultures this is not an option for them. Other cultures gather information through such things as oral stories, art, their elders, or symbols in their society. Other cultures also have different ways of problem solving such as coming to different conclusions based on their values, philosophies, or beliefs. It also important to understand the non-verbal differences in the classroom, for example some students will not make direct eye contact with the teacher because in their culture, it is considered disrespectful.

     One important example of these differences is shown in this study: “According to survey results, 60% of Americans save their spouse, 40% save their children. The reasons typically offered run along these lines: Save spouse- my spouse is my partner for life and i can have more children. Save Child- children represent the future so it is vital to protect them first." However, among Asian cultures, or Americans of recent Asian descent, nearly 100% of respondents state that they would save the mother.  The rationale I have heard offered is this: "My mother gave me life; I owe her my life.  I can marry again; I can have more children.” 

5. Loyola, Sarah Wike. "The Most Powerful Tool in the Classroom." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 20 Oct. 2014. Web. 15 Nov. 2014.

     In Loyolas' article, she talks about how for centuries the only way students could learn were from their teachers or from their textbooks. She explains how she remembers the dreadful times when she would have to open a textbook and have to fight to stay awake. She explains that as times have changed so has the way of learning, and every classroom should begin to be centered around the student to promote creativity and a more personal learning experience- this is only possible if teachers take advantage of technology. 

     She then goes on to explain the hardest part of this for teachers is letting go of the control of the classroom- but it is necessary to better the learning for their students. The classroom does become more lively and chaotic but it is a small sacrifice for the benefits achieved from this type of learning. 

     She offers this example: "In my AP Spanish class, one of our themes is "World Challenges". I start the unit by simply asking, "What are the greatest challenges facing our world and how do we solve them?" I know the answer to this question, but that is unimportant because I charge them with seeking out the answers. I divide them into small groups and give them time to investigate on their own. Once they have researched the topic, I have them make a poster using the Explain Everything App that demonstrates their results. If your students do not have an iPad, they can use actual poster board. Then, they present their poster and their discoveries to their classmates. I guide them through the process, but they teach themselves and their peers the material."