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When students do not speak the same language as the teacher, it usually ends with miscommunication in the classroom and confidence issues with the student. 

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When students do not speak the same language as the teacher, it usually ends with miscommunication in the classroom and confidence issues with the student. 

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Addressing Language Barriers In A Multicultural Classroom | Alandis Travel

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Addressing language barriers in a multicultural classroom is crucial for fostering an inclusive and effective learning environment. Language barriers can significantly interfere with both teaching and learning, manifesting in various ways such as miscommunication, limited vocabulary, difficulty with cultural nuances, and confidence issues. In this article, we explore common language barriers faced by teachers and students and outline practical techniques to overcome these obstacles, highlighting the benefits of bilingual teaching approaches and offering effective implementation tips.

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Students who only speak one langauge that isnt english have harder times at school events which leads to them not going at all and missing out.

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Students who only speak one langauge that isnt english have harder times at school events which leads to them not going at all and missing out.

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Language Barriers Keep Parents From Attending School Activities, New Data Show

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New data show how big the gap in parental involvement is between Spanish- and English-speaking parents.

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Many families can not afford school supplies like textbooks or electronic to help them with their education. 

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Many families can not afford school supplies like textbooks or electronic to help them with their education. 

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Making the Case for Supporting Low-Income Students

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The perception of the “typical” American college student – an 18- to 22-year-old who lives in a residence hall and studies full time in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree – is no longer a reality. Times have changed.

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Many students do not have access to technology or Wi-Fi at home, which prevents them from completing their schoolwork. 

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Many students do not have access to technology or Wi-Fi at home, which prevents them from completing their schoolwork. 

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The Apple I personal computer first hit stores in 1976, and from 1984 to 2015, the number of people who had a household computer increased by 72 percent, according to ThoughtCo. With the increase in internet capabilities and in the number of people who had access to computers and the internet in their homes, educators began relying heavily on digital technology. This is how the digital divide in education began.

While 87 percent of households in the US currently have access to a computer, smartphone, tablet, or other internet-enabled device and 73 percent have access to the internet, a digital divide remains. The issue lies mostly with access to high-speed broadband, which is required for individuals to be able to make use of much of what's available on the internet.

Marginalized communities including people of color, low-income individuals, English-language learners, people with disabilities, and populations experiencing homelessness are among those most likely to lack access to high-speed internet. The impact of the digital divide on these students has been significant and-due to transition to online learning during the coronavirus pandemic-continues to worsen.

What Is the Digital Divide?

The digital divide in education is the gap between those with sufficient knowledge of and access to technology and those without, according to the ACT Center for Equity in Learning. To examine the divide requires looking at who can connect to what and how they do so. For example, a student who has multiple laptops in their home and has access to high-speed broadband likely will have better educational success than someone who has one computer to share with their entire family and only has dial-up internet access.

As teachers use more technology in their courses, this divide increases and continues to perpetuate socioeconomic disparities for underserved populations, according to the ACT Center for Equity in Learning. About 17 percent of students are unable to complete their homework due to their limited access to the internet. Additionally, 50 percent of low-income families and 42 percent of families of color don't have the technology required for online education, according to the Education Trust.

To fully understand the impact of the digital divide, looking at the rise of technology in the classroom is an important first step.

History of Technology in Education

The integration of technology into the classroom began during the Cold War era with the Soviet Union's launch of the Sputnik satellite into space. With America's initial loss in the race to space, the federal government began pushing math and science education and embracing technology. In 1963, the Vocational Education Act provided funding for technology in schools, according to Classcraft. In the early 1980s, computers made their way into the classroom. By the mid-1980s, Apple computers became common in classrooms.

While the initial funding for technology in schools came from the government, schools had to continue to fund technological advancements once the federal money ran out. Since schools are funded through local property taxes, the schools in low-income areas didn't have as much money to spend on technology as those in high-income communities.

In the next two decades, technology began to advance rapidly. The introduction of email, video, and other digital media made two-way digital communications possible, including between teachers and students. The increased emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in the 2000s brought about an even greater implementation of technology in education. But, as technology advanced and computers became the norm in most American classrooms and households, school budgets couldn't keep up, increasing the digital divide in education and creating resource gaps among students.

How Did the Digital Divide Affect Education in the US?

The impacts of the digital divide in education have been significant. The digital divide has affected individual students in the same school as well as groups of students across districts, lowering the academic outcomes of low-income, underserved students and districts.

Impact of Individuals in the Same School

Digital disparities are seen within individuals in schools. A school can implement technology and teach every student how to use it, but if a student doesn't have access to a device or high-speed internet at home, they won't show the same academic results. A study by the National Center for Education Statistics found that students who didn't have access to the internet or only had dial-up in their home could be broken down as follows:

27 percent were American Indian

19 percent were Black

17 percent were Hispanic

12 percent were Pacific Islander

7 percent were two or more races

7 percent were white

3 percent were Asian

Students from marginalized communities are disproportionately impacted by the digital divide. In addition to limited access to the internet, 19 percent of underserved students have only one device at home-a rate that is three times higher than it is for more privileged students.

Unequal access to high-speed internet and home devices in conjunction with the increase in teachers assigning homework assignments that require internet use-in 2009, seven out of 10 teachers assigned homework that required using the internet-has made for an expanding digital divide in education. This inhibits students from completing homework, putting them behind in their classes. The result is a disadvantaged educational and socioeconomic outcome for underserved groups of students.

Impact of Student Groups in a District

The disparities between underserved and privileged students in a school are also seen between districts. Rural school districts are more likely to have no or only dial-up internet, and their students are less likely to have multiple devices at home.

Additionally, districts in different areas of a state experience a digital divide due to the socioeconomic status of that area. For example, the Sto-Rox district of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was ranked one of the worst districts in the area. The area's low socioeconomic status has resulted in limited funding for education. The district has only 30 to 60 laptops to share among 1,300 students. This has resulted in students leaving for other districts where they will have more technology and academic opportunity.

Another district near Pittsburgh is on the opposite end of the digital divide because of its partnership with a local university: Carnegie Mellon. The college is helping develop the computer science curriculum in the district as well as training teachers at the school to prepare students for a better digital education.

The same thing is seen at schools in districts in Silicon Valley versus other districts in California. These districts partner with major corporations like Google to provide every student with a Chromebook to use at home and in class, according to EqOpTech. Their socioeconomic status in conjunction with the technological support they receive sets up these students for academic success.

Overall Impact of the Digital Divide

Students experience the digital divide in education across the US. Four major outcomes can result from less access to digital technology, according to the Digital Divide Council:

1. Low performance: Low-income families have less access to information that will advance their education.

2. Competitive edge: Students with access to the internet will do better when they enter college due to universities embracing technology at an increasing rate.

3. Convenience in learning: Privileged students have access to better devices and face less hurdles to complete their education.

4. Different learning experiences: Students from low socioeconomic areas face more disadvantages and have to spend more hours to complete learning objectives.

These outcomes most impact students of color and those in low-income families. They also inhibit the long-term success of students.

Equality in Online Learning

The digital divide has been growing for years, but the global pandemic has accelerated its growth. Moving to remote learning in the spring of 2020, students in low-income areas and students of color experienced a disadvantage over other students. Additionally, the factor of childcare has been added to the digital divide in education. Parents in low-income areas who are more likely to work multiple jobs have struggled to find the time to help their children with their schoolwork, whereas high-income parents have the flexibility to take time off of work and the resources to hire tutors to aid their student's education. As students have gone back to school in the fall-some fully remote, some fully in person, and others in a hybrid model-reaching equality in online learning has been the primary goal.

As of September 2, 2020, 73 percent of the 100 largest districts in America have chosen to instruct fully online, according to Education Week. This affects over eight million students. A study done by the Pew Research Center in the spring of 2020 found that 36 percent of low-income students couldn't complete their schoolwork because they didn't have a computer compared to 14 percent of middle-income and 4 percent of upper-income students.

While schools in more affluent districts are able to provide laptops to all students in need, others don't have the funding. To help increase equity, some districts have held fundraising events. For example, Chicago public schools received $50 million to provide high-speed internet to 100,000 students. Whereas other districts who lack funding, such as Palo Verde Unified School District in California, provided learning packets every two weeks instead of holding online classes.

To aid in device and internet equity, some states are ensuring every student has access to Wi-Fi and a computer. The California Department of Education confirmed it will provide both of these resources to all students in need.

Bridging the Digital Divide in Education

As the global pandemic has thrown the digital divide into the spotlight, many educational leaders have made headway in bridging the digital divide in education. From providing internet to students with the most need, to ensuring every student has their own computer, leaders are beginning to increase equity among districts and students.

The California Bridging the Digital Divide Fund has raised $12.3 million to help allocate supplies to students, and a California digital divide task force and fund collected donations that bought 56,700 laptops and provided 94,000 hot spots, according to EdSource.

Chicago public schools have also made headway, providing free high-speed internet to 100,000 students. Additionally, they have begun building a permanent support system for Chicago families known as Chicago Connected. This effort works with philanthropic partners to bridge initial costs and will provide internet access to families who need it most.

To further help, the Education Trust recommends educational leaders and policy makers do the following:

Survey the needs of families most impacted by the digital divide.

Create conversations with leaders about how to fund additional resources.

Connect with potential donors and technology companies about digital resource partnerships.

Look at the school and evaluate the present digital divide, then allocate resources to bridge the gap.

Provide training and information technology support to educators and parents in the most impacted districts.

Create a plan with education agencies on how to bridge the gap long term.

By following these steps, leaders can help increase student academic outcomes and lessen the digital divide for future generations of students.

Become an Advocate for Equitable Education

Bridging the digital divide requires educational leaders and policy makers to advocate for educational equality. American University's Online Master of Education in Policy Leadership and Online Doctorate in Education Policy Leadership help individuals looking to bridge the digital divide in education as well as promote equality in education receive the knowledge they need to do so. Prepare to promote equity in education at American University.

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Understanding the Digital Divide in Education

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The digital divide in education creates worse academic outcomes for underserved students. Discover what this is and how educational leaders bridge the gap.

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Diversity in classrooms is very important. Without diversity in rooms, students may feel like they do not belong. 

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Diversity in classrooms is very important. Without diversity in rooms, students may feel like they do not belong. 

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Diversity is a term that can have many different meanings depending on context. This module will not offer a comprehensive definition of the term, instead, this module will highlight two key areas related to diversity:

Identify how diversity affects the classroom

Provide practical tips for promoting an inclusive classroom

How Diversity Aﬀects the Classroom

Much discussion about diversity focuses on the following forms of marginalization: race, class, gender, and sexual orientation - and rightfully so, given the importance of these forms of difference. In fact, students come to the university classroom with different backgrounds, sets of experiences, cultural contexts, and world views.

Additionally, issues of diversity play a role in how students and teachers view the importance of the classroom and what should happen there. For example, assumptions about what a typical student should know, the resources they have and their prior knowledge are extremely important.

Students may perceive that they do not "belong" in the classroom setting - a feeling that can lead to decreased participation, feelings of inadequacy, and other distractions. Teachers may make flawed assumptions of students' capabilities or assume a uniform standard of student performance. Teachers may themselves feel out of place based on their own ascriptive traits (i.e. differences based on class, privilege, etc.).

Identifying and thinking through notions of difference and how they affect the classroom allow both students and teachers to see the classroom as an inclusive place.

Practical Tips for Promoting an Inclusive Classroom

While many discussions concerning diversity focus on talking about the importance of diversity and recognizing difference, it is equally important to move to the next step: incorporating specific tips for addressing differences and how they play out.

One way to form strategies for promoting an inclusive classroom is to use self-reflection and think of potential classroom scenarios and how one might address them. The solutions to such scenarios are ones that each teacher should consider for him- or herself, since there are no immediate right or wrong answers.

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Diversity is a term that can have many different meanings depending on context. This module will not offer a comprehensive definition of the term, instead, this module will highlight two key areas related to diversity: Identify how diversity affects the classroom Provide practical tips for promoting an inclusive classroom Much discussion about diversity focuses on the following forms of marginalization: race, class, gender, and sexual orientation - and rightfully so, given the importance of these forms of difference.

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It is hard for teachers to manage diversity in classrooms. Whether it is because of communication or things like holidays. 

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It is hard for teachers to manage diversity in classrooms. Whether it is because of communication or things like holidays. 

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Challenges Faced by Teachers in Diverse Classrooms

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Diversity in the classroom is an excellent avenue for teaching the immensity of the world we live in. When students are introduced to the vastness of the world we live in, they learn to embrace differences at the personal, regional, national, and global levels. They also attain better insights and skills. In today’s blog post, Kiara Miller from The Speakingnerd describes how educators can successfully deal with the unique issues that diverse classrooms present. | Richard James Rogers’ blog for teachers | richardjamesrogers.com

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Many immigrant students are scared to go to school and get an education because they are not US citizens. 

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Many immigrant students are scared to go to school and get an education because they are not US citizens. 

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‘I don’t feel safe anywhere.’ California moves to aid undocumented students as fears surge

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Schools and colleges move to protect undocumented students amid President-elect Donald Trump’s threat of mass deportations.

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Teachers and students now have to prepare if ICE were to show up to their schools looking for immigrants to deport.

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Teachers and students now have to prepare if ICE were to show up to their schools looking for immigrants to deport.

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What if ICE Agents Show Up? Schools Prepare Teachers and Parents.

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Across the country, educators described widespread anxiety about President-elect Donald J. Trump’s promises to deport immigrants and what it could mean for their students.

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When the majority of the staff is white, and the majority of their students are not, it can lead to issues of racism and affect student learning. 

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When the majority of the staff is white, and the majority of their students are not, it can lead to issues of racism and affect student learning. 

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Between 2017 and 2020, I spent most of my weekdays inside 4th, 5th, and 6th grade classrooms in one of the nation's largest school districts.

Over the three years, I followed a 4th grade cohort of 80 into 6th grade, sat inside 15 classrooms with them, spoke with their teachers, and heard from admins across the district. The district and schools where I spent my time served primarily Black, Latinx, and immigrant students.

I had embarked upon this immersive field research anticipating writing a book on resource-strapped school districts, overwhelmed teachers, tyrannical testing regimes, and other such conversations that dominate media, public, and policy discourse on schools.

Instead, I feel compelled to tell a story about schools that is deeply uncomfortable for many and nearly dangerous in a moment when we are witnessing a resurgence of right-wing anti-public education movement: the "slow violence" of everyday teacher racism in American classrooms.

For my project, titled "Violent Schools: Slow Death in the American Classroom," I was recently named a finalist for the Lukas Prize for nonfiction works in progress.

I feel compelled to tell a story about the "slow violence" of everyday teacher racism.

I was not surprised by the presence of teacher racism and harassment against marginalized students in a district where over 75% of teachers are white (and over 80% of students are racially marginalized).

But the regularity and magnitude signaled to me that I urgently needed to bring this conversation into the academic, public, and policy discourse.

Issues of teacher racism and everyday, wide-ranging harassment of marginalized kids - Black, immigrant, trans, fat, disabled children - do not get the coverage they urgently need.

There is occasional news coverage and X discourse, but teacher racism is rarely given the gravity we assign to other issues.

Teacher racism is rarely given the gravity we assign to other issues.

What do I mean by pervasive teacher racism? Harassment that is against students from racially oppressed groups and that draws upon and perpetuates racist discourses and ideologies.

My research revealed that teacher racism cannot be simply understood as implicit or unconscious bias or institutional failings - the most common ways we are urged to think about racism.

What does teacher racism look like in real life?

A fourth-grade teacher who openly resents the multicultural training required of teachers and argues for a white history month.

An academically capable Black 5th grader who is denigrated simply because she likes to dress up.

A Black boy who is shamed and becomes a subject of disgust because he gave affectionate hugs to his teachers (who, ironically, regularly hug their students).

An English learner who is told she doesn't speak well enough to participate in the class discussion.

Teachers who berate Colin Kaepernick and other contemporary Black activists when teaching about the history of Civil Rights.

However, my media story searches on the topic of teacher racism came up severely short. Serious and thoughtful coverage of this is largely absent.

There is occasional coverage of egregious racial harassment - a teacher walking on the backs of Black children during a lesson on slavery or teachers dressing up as a "wall" for Halloween or teachers physically harming a disabled child. There are also instances of children resisting teacher racism and protesting.

Yet a serious, ongoing, and in-depth conversation on the topic is rare from what I have seen and read.

A serious conversation on the topic is rare.

This doesn't surprise me because part of the story of everyday racial violence is one of its erasures from public consciousness through overwhelming silence from both journalists and scholars, or through writing on the topic in passive ways.

For instance, whenever I tell the story of teacher racism inside academic settings, the responses are generally predictable. A large portion of the white audience, whether I am doing a talk at a university or socializing at a bar, tend to stiffen up and become emotional and uncomfortable. A senior white faculty member at a well-renowned university questioned my intentions behind talking about teacher racism when teachers are often attacked and neglected.

Often, the only way to talk about teacher racism is through intuitional racism or implicit bias. Legal scholar Jonathan Kahn suggested in his book that implicit bias is a palatable way to talk about racism, hence its popularity. In my other academic writing, I have talked about the rise of a race-conscious racism where teachers and admins mobilize antiracist and implicit bias language to perpetuate racial harm.

Scholarly analyses of the classroom, like journalistic accounts of schools, is overwhelmingly devoid of direct conversations around teacher racism and racial and gender harassment against marginalized public school students from a largely white teaching force and administrators. There are, of course, exceptions, such as Michael Dumas's work.

But when there is talk of racial inequality inside schools, there is a tendency to think about racism only at the institutional level - like how school protocols and policy funnel white students into AP classes or how funding creates resource obstacles for marginalized students or how teachers unknowingly interpret rules and regulations to reproduce racial hierarchy.

There is pressure to never talk about white teachers as agentic beings who make decisions to cause harm, demean and harass students, remain silent on issues of racial harassment, or even feel resentful toward multicultural curriculum and other antiracist pedagogical approaches.

On the other hand, the Black, brown, immigrant, trans, and fat audience nod their heads in agreement when I talk about the topic. They tell me a story they remember when a teacher harassed them or demeaned them.

Above: Ray described "rampant racism, cruelty, and indifference from teachers working inside public schools" in this 2022 Slate article.
When I wrote a piece on teacher racism for Slate (above), well-renowned Black journalist Jamelle Bouie circulated it via his newsletter, and the discourse on X reflected my experience in the non-virtual world.

Many Black, brown, immigrant, and some white readers (including a few teachers who wrote to me bemoaning how their own school is replete with this problem) commiserated.

But the narrative is not something that generated widespread interest or attention.

Not unlike socio-cultural scholars studying schools, journalists covering education tend to be overwhelmingly white.

They may feel personally implicated when the topic of teacher racism comes up, especially when it is pervasive.

Many know or love someone - a wife, mother, sibling, cousin, best friend - who is a teacher. That person is probably also white.

After all, nearly 80% of the U.S. public school teaching force is also white.

Journalists may feel personally implicated when the topic of teacher racism comes up.

Since I left the children I had spent nearly every day with for three years, two defining global and national events - the COVID-19 pandemic and the resurgence of right-wing attack on public education - have unfolded and thrown into sharp relief the media's silence and complicity on teacher racism.

When COVID shut down schools, conversations underlined the dangers that staying at home and in their neighborhoods all day posed for racially and economically marginalized students. Casting schools as the safe haven, journalists, scholars, and policymakers bemoaned the rising suicide rates, descending grades, and child abuse that would befall the children in the absence of peering eyes of white teachers.

Of course, I don't disagree that many children (and adults) suffered when they were suddenly pulled away from their daily routine. On the other hand, many parents of Black children, for example, witnessed teachers' anti-Black harassment when classes were held via Zoom or when teachers and admins forgot to turn off their mic.

Many Black and other people of color began to notice the improved emotional wellbeing of their children when they were home and took up homeschooling in response. In fact, there is also research on the experiences of racial harassment against Black and Latinx teachers, which partly keeps the teaching force white - something that I also found in my own research.

Yet this side of marginalized children's school experience was overshadowed by the pressure to refrain from criticizing teachers. A conversation on the topic could have allowed us to take COVID school closures as an opportunity to rethink how we teach our children.

Many parents of Black children witnessed teachers' anti-Black harassment when classes were held via Zoom.

Once again, as right-wing attacks on schools and public educators resurge, there is a push to remain silent on the issue of teacher racism.

These days, when I deliver talks on the topic of school violence perpetuated every day against children by teachers and admins, I am warned to be careful. I am interrogated on what steps I would take to ensure teachers are not attacked.

Indeed, I am afraid that my work has the potential to be mobilized to attack teachers and attack unions. But the truth is that this culture war that we think has entered our schools now was already raging inside.

The list is endless, but it was clear during my research that there is a need to talk about how teachers are teaching (our nation's history and contemporary realities) and treating children of color behind closed classroom doors. We need to examine how antiracism training and multicultural pedagogical approaches are playing out inside the classroom.

The current urgent need to fight against book bans and attacks on educators is indeed a devastating derailment, but it can also be envisioned as a moment to rethink schooling and see the connection between growing attacks on public education and the internal cultural war that was already raging.
Ranita Ray is an author, ethnographer, and sociologist who is currently Associate Professor and Baca Zinn Professor of Sociology at the University of New Mexico. For "Violent Schools: Slow Death in the American Classroom," she was recently named a finalist for the Lukas Prize for nonfiction works in progress. Read more about her work here. Follow her at @ranitaray1.

Previously from The Grade

Fear, complicity, and guilt get in the way of covering school segregation
Why education reporters need antibias training
No, asking questions about remote learning isn't 'teacher bashing'
Lessons from the media's coverage of the 1996 Ebonics controversy
New York City 1968 was a community insurrection, not a teachers strike
White media barely noticed when 100,000 Black educators were displaced

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Why's there so little coverage of everyday teacher racism? - Kappan Online

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Ranita Ray: Journalists may feel personally implicated when the topic of teacher racism comes up.

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Many school districts only have white staff instead of having diversity, which would be able to help students. 

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Many school districts only have white staff instead of having diversity, which would be able to help students. 

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Teacher Diversity Dashboard - Teacher Diversity

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A diverse teacher workforce benefits all students, yet achieving this remains a persistent challenge. NCTQ launched this dashboard to benchmark where we are and illuminate trends to advance our collective goal of a more diverse teacher workforce.