Creating Successful Learning Environments for African American Learners with Exceptionalities by Obiakor Festus E.;Ford Bridgie Alexis;

Author:Obiakor, Festus E.;Ford, Bridgie Alexis; [Ford, Bridgie Alexis; Obiakor, Festus E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 1994871
Publisher: Corwin Press
Published: 2002-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

CONCLUSION

Key Points to Remember

Following are 10 key points that general and special educators should remember as they work with African Americans with communication disorders:

1. It is important to develop a genuine relationship with students. When many African American students perceive the teacher-student relationship to be “fake,” they may refuse to learn. Conversely, teachers can positively affect these students’ achievement when they make a concerted effort to form real relationships with them.

2. Educators must create a learning environment that fosters the use of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Teachers should display their excitement for teaching communication skills to promote students’ growth of positive attitudes toward learning. Modeling the communication behavior they expect of their students is essential. The classroom environment should be structured in such a way that students feel at ease in participating in various instructional arrangements (e.g., large and small groups).

3. Identifying current issues and concerns of African American students and their families is essential in the teaching-learning process. Effective and proactive teachers become familiar with what is meaningful in the lives of their students and the lives of their students’ families. Information of this type will assist teachers in identifying and developing suitable, practical examples for use in the classroom.

4. Educators should use storytelling skills to facilitate communication skills. In the African American culture, the passing down of family traditions, values, and beliefs through storytelling is a very rich tradition. Accordingly, these students are inclined to remember a concept or a construct when given a story to make the connection. Details including who, what, when, where, how, and why should be given. After the story, teachers should check the students’ comprehension by having them suggest alternative options to produce the same results.

5. Reinforcing skills in diverse ways and settings is essential. After students have been taught concepts and skills, the teacher should engage them in reinforcement activities in diverse ways and across settings. For example, field trips to local historical sites can reinforce students’ communication skills. Other ways to reinforce these students’ skills may include the use of communication software, games, and brainteasers.

6. Educators must participate in professional development training. To integrate “professional development opportunities for teachers” is one of the objectives of the Goals 2000 Educate America Act (1994, § 231). Professional development training can positively impact teachers because they have the freedom to become learners again in a cooperative and collaborative environment.

7. It is important to use the enrichment activities listed in the language arts teachers’ guides as the norm and not the exception. Because enrichment activities are often viewed as too time-consuming and too much extra work, some teachers tend to omit them. Since many of these activities correlate with practical experiences, there is an inherent need to include them within instructional delivery.

8. Technology must be infused into the school curriculum at all levels. Researchers (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2000) measured the extent of digital inclusion and concluded that while African Americans and Hispanics have made impressive gains in Internet access, they still lag behind other groups.

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