6010+and+6032

Kathleen Kent PPS 6032- Fall 2012 Final Paper  When asked to reflect on what we have learned between PPS 6010-Multicultural Children, Adolescents, and Their Families and PPS 6032-Cultural Family Intervention/Collaboration in School Settings I honestly don’t know where to begin. For starters I began to reflect on how many cultures there are to be aware of when working as a school psychologist, and how culture is not the same thing as race. There are cultures based on religions, sexual orientation, and the community in which you were raised; and these are all completely separate from someone’s race, background, or economic status. This is all important to take into account when working for the public school system as you will be working with people from all different cultures.  The books required for these classes were also another aspect of what I have learned. In the book “Other People’s Children” you are encouraged to think and listen from the point of view of someone who has culturally had to overcome a lot to get to where she was educationally. Delpit would discuss the differences in development and expectations for children of different races and the economically disadvantaged. This book was especially interesting to me in the part where it discussed the fact that people may not even be aware that they are holding someone else back, and that those in power don’t often even know that they have this power. Also she discussed the idea that many of the teachers don’t even know that they are using racially unfair materials, such as books, in their lesson plans. This made me reflect on what is expected of us as school psychologists and how important it is to be aware of the assessments we are giving students, and how important it is to use culturally appropriate assessments on a case by case basis.  On the other hand the book that we used for PPS 6032 “A Framework for Understanding Poverty” by Payne discusses how we may not even be aware of the culture we are in, or even fully understand what others have to do to survive. I thought the reflection paper we did on chapter 3 of that book (the quiz to see which class you most fit in) was the most significant to my own understanding of poverty and culture. I had no idea what most of the questions in the poverty class were, and I really thought that I was in tune with the poverty culture and what they had to go through. Apparently I was wrong. The part that was most impactful for me in that book was when they discussed what children who come from poverty have to go through just to do their homework, or work on assignments. The idea that they may not have scissors or a protractor to finish their work was very eye opening, it made me realize just how much these children are forced to adapt and why they can fall so significantly behind while still trying their hardest.  Overall these classes made me aware of what others of different culture or class have to go through to conquer the same educational path as those who have enough to eat and the proper materials to succeed. It made me aware that as a school psychologist I will need to have a number of referral services to assist these children who have to make due with what their family can afford. It also made me aware that just because a child is behind it may not be that they have a learning difficulty, but perhaps it can be as a result of their cultural influences. It will be vital to start community based programs to help my school and the district when issues arise. I now realize that as the psychologist I will need to be the advocate for these children.

References

Delpit, L. D. (1988). The silence dialogue: Power and pedagogy in educating other people's children. //Harvard Educational Review//, //58//(3), 280.

Payne, R. K. (2005). //A framework for understanding poverty// (4th ed.). Highlands, TX: aha Process Inc.

Final Paper Jesse Santana PPS 6032 December 11, 2012 Final Paper During this course, Cultural Families and Interventions/Collaborations in Schools, I have learned a great deal of information in that will assist me in my future job as a school psychologist. We have had very enlightening discussion in class about how different cultures and classes interact with other and their environment. Learning about the difficulties that people can have when stepping outside their culture or class was interesting to learn, because working in a school environment this happens often as not all students come from the same background. What I took away from this course is to understand the hidden rules of classes, understand how different cultured interact with others, and the affects of poverty. Payne (2005) breaks down the classes as that of poverty, the middle class, and the wealthy with each having varied hidden rules. This reading was very informative when learning about what each class does in relation to the other. Payne included a quiz in her chapter on “hidden rules” and I scored in the middle class with a few of my responses landing in the poverty section and wealthy section. Some of the questions that were asked by Payne to determine what class one would categorize were very interesting. For example, she had some questions in the poverty section that asked about being able to obtain a gun or to pay pills when having no money. I may not know how to do those skills, but these are skills that are required to survive in the poverty class and as school psychologist we must understand why individuals engage in the activities they do. Sometimes they engage in behavior not because they want to but because it is the only way to survive. When looking at the questions being asked for the wealthy section I realized that I would not be able to survive in the wealthy class. The “hidden rules” in the wealthy class are rules that I am not accustomed to which would make me seem out of place in the wealthy class. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">The readings from Delpit (1988) made me realize that when working with individuals from different cultures that their culture must be taken in consideration when interacting with these people. “Culture of Power” focuses on the codes or rules that dictate how one talks, writes, dresses, and interacts with others. This lesson is important because in a classroom the teacher may be white and teaching in a “white” way, but all of her students are Hispanic or African American. This is important to understand because when working at a school, as a school psychologist I should be able to consult with teachers about how to they could better teach students so that they learn in a positive environment. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">One of the most important concepts we talked about in this course was that of generational poverty and how it differs from poverty in that it is defined as having 2 or more generations living in poverty. Payne (2005) explains characteristics of generational poverty as families being matriarchal, believing that society owes one a living, the use of casual register, and finding value in entertainment and relationships. I learned that family lineage from a family living from poverty is more complex than that of families living in the middle class. The center of these lineages always tends to revolve around the mother. This is important to know when working as a school psychologist because understanding a student’s background in relation to poverty could be helpful in understanding the dynamics of their home life. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">“Hidden rules”, cultures, and poverty are only a handful of topics that I have learned about in this course, but those 3 seem to me to be important to know and understand when working as a school psychologist. Among other topics that were discussed and important to the role as a school psychologist are that of support systems which Payne (2005) discussed. Support systems are important and should be made available to families in need of assistance. One last topic that was discussed and is also very important to the role of the school psychologist is that of discipline. Knowing correct means of discipline is vital when working as a school psychologist. This course has given me a great deal of knowledge to better apply myself as a school psychologist.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">References <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">Delpit, L. D. (1988). The silence dialogue: Power and pedagogy in educating other people's children. //Harvard Educational Review//, //58//(3), 280. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">Payne, R. K. (2005). //A framework for understanding poverty// (4th ed.). Highlands, TX: aha Process Inc.

Jacquelyn Kent Final Paper PPS 6032 December 11, 2012

To connect both classes, the following summarizes my most valuable lessons from Lisa Delpit, Ruby Payne, my esteemed professors and peers, and the projects that made me think are these:

1. Be goal oriented but flexible for you cannot know what assets and challenges each student is facing on a particular day. Good educators want student achievement and learning. This requires effort and accountability on the part of students, not necessarily that structures and timelines supersede learning.

2. Respect difference but educate for success in the dominant culture. This is an extraordinarily difficult task in self-awareness; goal setting; insightful observation; and compassion.

3. Teaching for success in the dominant culture means breaking down school behavioral and academic expectations to their smallest units. This includes self-organization, self-talk, and time management. It also means teaching the dominant modes of organizing, writing, and speaking while respectfully allowing the local language/dialect to exist and prosper. It also means accepting different forms of story organization because some cultures organize their thoughts and morals differently.

4. A student’s socio-emotional success is just as important as cognitive ability when it comes to achievement. If schools do not address the social emotional needs of students, the achievement will suffer. This means programs and support to help students manage their lives outside of the classroom as well. Neighborhood violence, generational and situation poverty, death or sickness of a family member, and family break-ups have extraordinary implications in student achievement. Schools need to have resources for managing these daily or temporary crises that students face.

5. The communities that have had the most success in turning around low scores generally have a multifaceted comprehensive approach to education that starts in preschool with early literacy and classroom behavior; flexible extensive parent involvement and support; after school programs and tutoring to connect and support students; community support; a discipline system that encourages student awareness of behavior and accountability; college and career preparatory supports; and/or a school wide system for educating in literacy and achievement. 6. I think most relevant for me as a school psychologist who can become overwhelmed by the demand for fast and accurate numbers is to remember to connect with the kids I encounter. On the more obvious level, this means taking the time to see the student who is referred to me as a whole not just a group of scores. See her behavior, passions, pains, challenges, and spirit. On a less obvious but just as important level, be respectful and engaged in each little encounter of the day with all the students on campus. The 40 Developmental Assets and years of other research show that just having positive connections with adults makes for a healthier kid who is less likely to engage in high-risk behavior. Students who feel respected have a better chance of respecting their own bodies, minds, and spirits.

7. The challenges of my job are many, deep, and complex, but worth it.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">Sabrina Cabanilla

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">PPS 6032

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">Professor Coleman

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">December 11, 2012

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">Final Paper

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> As we prepare ourselves for future careers as school psychologists, it is important that we do not get caught up in what I refer to as "the assessment bubble." While it has often been told to us that psycho-educational testing composes about 90% of our workload, this does not mean that we should expect to be stuck in our office, testing student after student. My experience learning about multiculturalism, and cultural collaboration with families and schools has heightened my awareness of what it takes to be a well-rounded professional.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Striving for cultural competence is one of the first steps in being able to effectively communicate with a variety of people. Being culturally competent does not necessarily mean that an individual must know everything there is to know about different cultures. It involves being aware of one's own stereotypes, and preventing those stereotypes from being projected outward toward an individual. <span style="font-family: 'TimesNewRomanPSMT','serif'; font-size: 16px;">In other words, it is important to not let stereotypes cloud one's judgment of the people who seek help, and being aware that one's attitudes and beliefs can influence the way they interact with students, teachers, and families. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Being culturally competent involves having the humility to admit that "I don't know" everything about another person, and that it is okay to ask them about their own experiences and interpretations of events. It involves having the ability to exercise a great deal of empathy, and be authentic. It also involves knowing that being a culturally competent professional in the school setting is an ongoing learning process.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Aside from striving for cultural competence, I have realized that the way I carry myself- the way I dress, speak, or gesture- affect the way a client will perceive me. Using educational jargon and citing data when meeting with affluent parents from Southern Orange County is likely not the most effective way to communicate to migrant parents in Compton. To the latter, speaking as an "expert" might come off as intimidating, stuck-up, uncaring, and untrustworthy. The most important thing to remember as a school psychologist working with a variety of families is to establish a level of rapport. This involves being able to listen, and understand the client's values and "hidden rules." This not only applies to students and their parents, but to teachers. Teachers' have a culture of their own, which school psychologists must also be familiar with. The level of experience, education, subject, grade level, placement- are all factors which can influence the way teachers' perceive a school psychologist. As much as we would like to assume that we deserve respect just because we (will one day) hold a Master's degree, that framed piece of paper hanging on the wall in our office does not communicate to each student, family member, or teacher that I care to help them create or maintain the best possible learning environment.