Ethnographers

=How do people react to changing demographics?=

Task:
Read the information in the links below, and discuss it. Bullet point a list of the hopes, joys, and concerns as we face the changing demographics.

Steps

 * 1) Divide the links below among your group.
 * 2) Each person report back to your group.
 * 3) One person records the Hopes, Joys, and Concerns voiced in this page or CREATE a short skit showing the name. You may add your own thoughts.
 * 4) Presentation: Summarize for the group of the page or skit.


 * District & Blog that talks about dealing with change. May want to read the comments: http://blogs.chron.com/woodlands/archives/2007/03/changing_colleg.html
 * Nashvillepost.com - http://politics.nashvillepost.com/2009/04/27/not-your-daddy-public-schools/
 * Teacher in Sudan - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7115400.stm
 * Illegal immigrants - http://texasedequity.blogspot.com/2009/04/migrant-numbers-reflect-shift.html
 * Article Abstract of Teacher Prejudice in Italy - http://spi.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/27/1/79
 * Latino Blog - voicing a positive aspect about the shift: http://thelatinojournal.blogspot.com/2009/04/suburban-public-schools-see-hispanic.html

When it comes down to providing meaningful education in a culturally diverse classroom, people are afraid of what they don't know. A teacher's ultimate hope is that stereotypes can be broken by exposure to different cultures. The key is awareness. However, taking that step to make students aware raises concern; what will parents say if I use the wrong term? What if a comment about one's religion is taken out of context? Could I lose my job if I don't explore cultural awareness "properly"? And how do you define "proper?" One answer? Adaptation.

Extension Review the other pages and glean information from them. All your reactions to the page.