Chapter 5: Who Are Today’s Students?

EDU221

Name: Maria Gamez

*Make sure you answer ALL parts of a question.

1. Using demographic information presented in your text:

a. Describe the current student landscape in public schools in the United States (ethnic diversity, ELLs,

religious diversity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic disparities, etc.—cite your source).

I think especially today's society has become more open, and people are more likely to listen. I think

american public school are definitely more diverse than what the were 80 years ago. With today immigration,

different ethnicities have created the new landscape. I think that is a beautiful thing. In my eyes, have diversity

will bring culture in the class. Students will be open to other ideas. Like the book mention there has been a

spike in hispanic children in schools. Forty-five percent of the public school were made of racial or ethnic

minority groups in 2012. The downside some the increase has created a division between causian children and

other minorities. The urbanization of new community brings wealthier children. While minorities are left with

old schools, because taxpayer decided to spend their money somewhere else. Which is heartbreaking to me. I

grew up in a majority hispanic elementary, and I was too young to remember the hardships. I do remember

being happy, I do believe the elementary school did have some sort of funding because there was after school

programs that gave out snacks to kids, and they would give out school supply. It is hard to say honestly. Sexual

orientation will make a big part of today’s landscape. People are becoming open minded, but it’s important to

keep in mind that not everyone agrees. So school must become that safe haven. Unfortunately not always, so

teachers should talk to their students. Get them familiar with the idea, because people won’t hide who they are

anymore. ELL students made up of 10 percent of students according to the textbook. I really enjoyed to hear
that schools are incorporating a second language curriculum. I know that in Kyrene school district they

incorporated spanish into their curriculum. I think having that skill especially here in Arizona is important.

b. Which areas of student diversity pose the most challenges for you as a future teacher? Why? How

will you meet those challenges?

I think some challenges teachers might face is being careful what they might say in their classroom. I

think it is important to take everyone into consideration, and all these different factors will make it hard to take

everyone into consideration. I don’t want to say I’m not happy that people are becoming true to themselves, but

I think it will make it hard to stay on top of that. I feel like I am not making any sense, but it’s hard to explain. I

guess what I am trying to say is that I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. One example I could think of is

gender identification. Now a days people don’t see themselves as the standard genders. People have specific

pronouns, I think that will be a huge thing that teachers will have to pay attention to. One way to overcome this

is by asking the students there pronouns, and having the other students respect that. One issue I see in this is the

parent beliefs rubbing on their children. There’s that religion aspect of the conversation. Some people don’t

follow these liberal beliefs. As a future teacher I see these factors and to be frank I am scared. I think respect

will have to be something that future children will have to learn. There are so many uprisings problems, and

they will affect future classrooms. As a future teacher, to overcome this you’ll have to keep on top of it to

address in the classrooms.

2. As a teacher, you may wonder what is the best predictor of success in a person’s life. You might think it

is IQ or some other factor.

a. Watch this video (6 min.): ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H14bBuluwB8&t=7s

b. Then take this Grit Test: ​https://angeladuckworth.com/grit-scale/

c. What was your grit score?

My grit score was 2.7, which I am not surprised to score low. I know myself and they amount of I have

given up. One thing I do have is growth mindset, I want to better myself. I don’t want to be stuck I want to

consistently grow. I don’t want to sound pessimistic but… I might give up, but not so easily.
 d. According to the research presented, does grit play a role in a person’s success?

A successful personal doesn’t think they are limited in what they can do. They know that if they want to

be successful but they will have to grow. They do not believe that success is just going to come to them, they

know that they will have to work for it. A successful is willing to take that negative criticism and turn it into

something they can take and make it better. I think a successful person wants to be successful. I think they want

to grow, and they don’t want to be stuck in this one tracked mindset. I think everything that makes a person

successful, is what it means to have grit. Grit is believing that you can do it, and not giving up so easily. It is to

have that drive that you have that you tell yourself that you can do it.

e. According to the research presented, does talent make one “gritty”?

No, I think that you can be talented but not be gritty. Like Duckworth said she had students in her class

that had high IQ scores, but would do poorly in the test. These students were gifted, but if they didn’t have that

grit to do well in there test. Talent can only take you so far, it is up to the person to do something with it. A

person has to have that passion to make that talent shine.

f. How are “grit” and “growth mindset” related?

“Grit” and “growth mindset” are related in the way that both have that motivation. In grit there is that

motivation, where in growth mindset one is trying to reach success. If we look at the negative were on has a

fixed mindset, they might not motivation. They believe that they will forever be the way they are. People with a

fixed mindset will not change, or do they want to. (2018) It’s almost as if they are in a little box with their own

thoughts. They will avoid challenges, and give up easily. So one might say that this person doesn’t have grit. A

person with a growth mindset might not give up so easily, they want to succeed, and they are motivated. A

person with a growth mindset has grit.

3. Read the following article:

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/09/23/carol-dweck-revisits-the-growth-mindset.html
 a. Take this Growth Mindset Interactive Quiz:

http://www.londonacademyofit.co.uk/learning-blog/learning/interactive-quiz-fixed-vs-growth-minds

et/

b. According to the article, why would individuals have a “false growth mindset”?

An individual might have “false growth mindset” when in their classroom they might be preaching

“growth mindset” but their actions show different values. A person might also have a “false growth mindset”

are parents, who might want the best for their children, but get them in angry at them when they make a

mistake, or error. (2015) In the article she talked about how everyone wants to have this “growth mindset”, so

when they are presented with are you this or that they will say they have the growth mindset. Since they don’t

want to be undelied for having the “fixed mindset”.

c. In what ways are you a mixture of fixed and growth mindsets?

Like I previously mentioned, I give up… eventually. It’s it really upset me, because I really get in my

head and I destroy everything in that moment. It is hard to explain, but I can be very self- destructive.

Especially when I am stressed, I lost control and I quite even when I am about to finish. I guess that is a fixed

mindset of mine. When I calm down, and I had time to collect myself. I reflect on what I did and see how I can

fix it. I’ve learned from that action I did and I try to come up with solutions so that I can avoid that happening

again. I guess in that way I have that “growth mindset” trait.

d. What, if anything, can you do to develop a growth mindset?

I think you can absolutely develop a growth mindset, but I think one has to believe in themselves. I think

how Dweck said that if we want to grow, we have to listen to the fixed side too. She said, if we all aim to have a

growth mindset we would be aiming for “false growth mindset.” I found this statement truly impactful. I agree

with this, and I realized that we all can’t have “growth mindset”. I do think we can have characteristics of a

growth mindset. If a person wants to change they will change, but it is important to also realizes that a person

with fixed believes will always have those believed, growth or fixed.
 References

Dweck, C. (2019, May 8). Carol Dweck Revisits the 'Growth Mindset'. Retrieved from ​https://www​.edweek

.org/ew/articles/2015/09/23/carol-dweck-revisits-the-growth-mindset.html.

Koch, J. (2016). ​Teach 3​rd​ Edition: Introduction to Education.​ ​ B

Popova, M. (2018, September 23). Fixed vs. Growth: The Two Basic Mindsets That Shape Our Lives.

Retrieved

from ​https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/01/29/carol-dweck-mindset/​.

TED. (2013, May 9). Grit: the power of passion and perseverance | Angela Lee Duckworth

Retrieved October 1, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H14bBuluwB8&t=7s.