Journal of Scholastic Inquiry: Education

CENTER FOR SCHOLASTIC

Journal of Scholastic Inquiry: Education

Education Edition, Volume 1, Issue 2 Fall2013


Volume 1, Page 2 ISSN: 2330-6556

J oumal of Scholastic Inquiry: Education

Fall2013

Volume 1. Issue 2

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Publication Agreement and Assurance oflntegrity Ethical Standards in Publishing Disclaimer of Liability

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9-172

Research Manuscripts The Professional Exploration Program: An Alternative Law School Admission Process Linda K. Kisabeth, Thomas M. Cooley Law School

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The Impact ofSensemaking and Socialization on the Retention of Novice Teachers Joan M. Berry, University ofMary Hardin-Baylor

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Rural Field Experiences with Urban Pre-Service Teachers Miguel Fernandez, Chicago State University Cynthia Valenciano, Chicago State University Timothy Harrington, Chicago State University Mark Wesolowski, Chicago State University Angela Logwood, Chicago State University Diana Carrasco, Chicago State University

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Instructional Impact on Achievement of Economically and Learning Disadvantaged Students at Two Ohio Middle Schools Sherry A. Long, Alice Lloyd College

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Exploring Inquiry Principles of Art to Teach Mathematics Lisa Douglass, Ohio University Matthew Conley, Ohio Dominican University Rachel Trinkley, Columbus Museum of Art

107

Ethically Constructing Common Grounds One Cyber Latte' at a Time: A Thought Leadership Examination of Emergent Ethical Dilemmas in Designing Technologically Based Nontraditional Graduate Student Social Support Kelli L. Fellows, Pfeiffer University

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Building a Pathway to Optimal Academic Achievement and Educational Attainment for Our Children: Values and Expectations of Rum I African American Parents Sonja Harrington, Alabama State University Shirley Barnes, Alabama State University Drusilla C. Caudle, Alabama State University

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Teaching Critical Skills: The Influence of 3D Virtual World Simulation Lisa G. Smith, lndian R iver State College

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Manuscript Submission Guide

174

Why Purchase Our Journals

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Library Recommendation Form

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Journal Purchase Form

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.Journal of Scholastic Inquiry: Education

Rural Field Experiences with Urban Preservice Teachers Miguel Fernandez Chicago State University Cynthia Valenciano Chicago State University Timothy Harrington Chicago State University Mark Wesolowski Chicago State University Angela Logwood Chicago State University Diana Carrasco Chicago State University

Abstract Urban preservice teachers often only have experiences in classrooms and schools that are very similar to the ones they attended as P-12 students. This lack of diverse experiences leads preservice teachers to see elementary education in a very limited scope. Most existing studies examining education systems arc focused on urban education systems. While this is still an area for research, the lack of meaningful multicultural preparation and the fact that most teachers come from isolated ethnic groups create problems for functional multicultural understanding. The partnership between two universities from different states (one rural and the other urban) allowed preservice teachers from both areas to spend one week within the other state's P-12 schools tutoring, observing, and teaching in order to understand the differences and similarities between urban education and rural education. The collaboration helped better define learning outcomes that urban preservice teachers experience when exposed to varied field experiences. Qualitative data have been collected through student discussions and reflective journals, and the data show that urban preservice teachers' beliefs and practices fundamentally changed due to the experience. They were exposed to a variety of pedagogics and disciplinary measures that were

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both new and effective. Findings include the students' initial biases prior to the experience and how they evolved. Empirical evidence is presented to support recommendations for program improvement and preservice teacher learning in the area of diversity.

Keywords: Rural and urban education, teacher preparation, cultural awareness, bias.

According to Melnick and Zeichner ( 1995), most teacher preparation programs seek a pluralistic view of education, yet they provide their candidates with only a single view. In other words, teacher preparation programs believe in providing multicultural education from various perspectives (i.e., urban, suburban, and rural) yet only have their candidates complete fieldwork in one setting. Because of current economic challenges, this phenomenon continues. Few colleges of education can offer their preservice teachers cultural exchanges as a part of their training without an established funding source, which requires institutions to substantiate their practices with research. Most of the existing studies examining the education system are focused on urban education systems. Therefore, the state of rural education systems is greatly under researched. Very few attempts to close the rural and urban educational achievement gap have been made (Whittle & Denaux, 2007). The lack of meaningful multicultural preparation and the fact that most teachers come from isolated ethnic groups usually exclude direct, meaningful interaction with different cultures, and this creates problems for functional multicultural understanding (Cannella & Reiff, 1994; Fereshteh, 1995; Gay, 1993; Russo & Talbert-Johnson, 1997). Meaningful interaction entails sufficient exposure to other types of students so that teacher trainees gain an understanding that there are cultural differences and commonalities between themselves and other students in terms of general worldviews and how families are organized and disciplined. Having this knowledge of others can surely facilitate communication between teachers and students of other cultures, which may lead to healthy relationships, student satisfaction, and positive learning climates for both teachers and students. This article presents recommendations for effective teacher preparation in the area of diversity, and it will enhance the ability to describe practices for program approvals to gain National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCA TE) accreditation, and Specialty Professional Association recognition for standards concerned with diversity. The methodology and outcomes originate from an appreciation of multiple perspectives that arc shaped by the active role of each subject in the project.

Background Several years ago the College of Education of Institution I, where the authors of the present article work and study, established a partnership with another institution from a rural

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environment (Institution 2). The partnership concept originated while discussing diversity issues at an NCATE conference in the fall of2006. During one of the discussions, it was noted that one aspect of diversity that may have been overlooked was the location (urban, suburban, or rural) of schools. Most of the teacher candidates from the urban institution had gone to school and done their fieldwork in an urban environment, and they were not as well rounded as they could have been. They had limited exposure to different populations from suburban and rural locations. Institution 1 proposed that their candidates might have preconceived biases about rural populations, rural teaching, and rural schools that should be explored. Institution 2 had, at that time, been bringing their teacher candidates from the rural environment to the city where Institution 1 is located in order for the teacher candidates to have an urban experience during their teacher preparation program. Through this partnership, a program was developed in which teacher candidates were offered an opportunity to participate in field experiences in a different setting. lt was decided that Institution 1 would explore sending teacher candidates to a rural area to engage in a weeklong immersion model as well. This would conclude with the candidates teaching a lesson within the school(s) and classroom(s) they were placed in. Consequently, Institution I sent several administrators to the area where Institution 2 is located to look at schools and develop partnerships that could lead to such an experience. The representatives initially looked at three sc~ools, and they selected two for the candidates to begin the program. lt was decided to hold th.e ftrst experience over spring break in 2007 so there would be little disruption to the candidates' coursework. As a result, a fall exchange was established in which rural preserviceteachers come to Institution 1 to discuss their experiences in urban schools, and a spring immersion week at rural/tribal schools has occurred each year since 2007,

Literature Review There are three essential concepts that have guided this study: (1) rural education versus urban education, (2) bias, and (3) diversity, cultural awareness, and acceptance. A discussion of the three areas is presented below.

Rural Education versus Urban Education Does it make sense to take urban preservice teachers to rural schools to become better teachers who develop the capacity to meet the needs of diverse learners? The precursory answer may seem to be an easy, "No." After all, rural schools face unique student populations (Barley & Bringham, 2008). Their unique set of circumstances are high poverty, low-education levels of parents, a need for teachers to have expertise in several subject areas, and an economic difficulty in offering varied content courses.


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However, McCracken and Barcenas ( 1991) conclude that it might be wise to require preservice teachers to have clinical field experiences in rural schools. After studying responses of seniors and high school administrators from 10 rural schools and five urban schools in Ohio, they note: It appears that there are disadvantages to being either very large or very small. The challenge is to provide stimulating learning environments with the broad educational programs characteristic of large urban schools along with the supportive social structure characteristic of small rural schools. (p. 39) Both rural and urban schools claim difficulties in the recruitment of highly trained teachers. Teacher turnover and economic hardships are major obstacles for providing quality education to their students (Barley & Bringham, 2008; Ingersol & Merrill, 201 0). It appears that the struggle to provide meaningful teacher training or the purview of a particular location is not new. In a report about the annual convention of the New England Educator3 published in the Journal of Education (Winship, 1920), conclusions were made that rural teachers need specialized training to meet their students' needs. Truscott and Roden (2006) claim that the need for specialized training to meet themismatch of urban students and their teachers as one measure is needed to offset high teacher attrition rates in urban schools. A common conclusion is the call for preservice teachers to spend more time in the classroom in order to know the students, their parents, and the communities despite the school's location (Barley & Bringham, 2008; Ingersol & Merrill, 20 I 0). A study from the U.S. Department of Education released in 2012 discusses survey results of over 15,000 first-year teachers in 2009. Data breakdowns by rural, urban, and suburban schoo1locations demonstrate that urban teachers (52.3%) are less likely to be teaching subjects that they are certified to teach than their rural (68.9%) and suburban (63.1 %) counterparts. Grade point averages show no discernible difference at 3.4 for urban and rural teachers, while 39% of urban teachers (and only 21% of rural teachers) reported attending a highly selective university. The literature seems to point to a long-standing need for teacher training in the field, and even though there are differences in rural and urban education, there are also commonalities that are still worth exploring. Worldview Development and Bias According to Koppelman (20 14, p. 9), bias is "a feeling in favor of-or opposed toanything or anyone." This is contrasted with stereotypes that "always refer to people." Therefore, an educator could be biased towards any aspect of education: pedagogy, curriculum, geographical region, standards, classroom setup, management techniques, and/or students, to name a few. Biases contribute to a person's outlook. Coben and Ratner ( 1983, p. 5) correlate bias and cultural tendencies when they indicate:

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Members of a society share the prevailing cultural tendencies in different degrees. These differences can be traced to factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, nationality, and social class ... cultural variations in the United States can also be traced to distinctions between urban and rural life and between geographical areas. Hence, a myriad of diverse and complex factors interact to influence how people view the world. Both environments and various constructs (i.e., religion, culture) shape a person's reality. As Schlitz, Vieten, and Miller (20 I 0, p. 18) state, "genetic tendencies, religion, culture, and geographic region, together with all the experiences people have both internally and in relationship to their environments, give rise to their worldview, or their general way of viewing themselves and the world around them." Worldview, then, is a construct of biases from one's own reality. For instance, an educator from a minority group in an urban environment will have a different worldview (set of biases) than a Caucasian educator from a rural environment. Grey indicates that teachers often "have great difficulty understanding the community and the social or academic settings in which they find themselves" (20 I 0, pp. 1-2 ), and teachers' beliefs greatly affect how and what material is delivered to students (Reys, Lindquist, Lambdin & Smith, 2009; Richardson, Anders, Tidwell, & Lloyd, 1991 ). Therefore, biases formed from a worldview towards rural or urban education can very easily exist, and they can dramatically affect what a teacher expects to see as well as what is delivered to students in these settings.

Diversity, Cultural Awareness and Acceptance ln his work, Koppelman defines diversity as "The presence of human beings with perceived or actual differences based on a variety of human characteristics" (20 14, p. 15). Traditionally, diversity has been associated with ethnicity and nationality (Naisbitt, 1984). However, diversity can be viewed from a more functional perspective that may have implications about how school cultures work and learn together. Other individual differences are age, marital status, parental status, educational status, geographic location, physical characteristics, and factors that inl1uence individual personality and behavior. Two crucial concepts connected to diversity are cultural awareness and acceptance. According to Kimmel (2006 ), there are four different levels of cultural awareness: cultural chauvinism, tolerance, minimization, and understanding. Conflict occurs at the cultural chauvinism level because at that stage people think that their own culture is superior, and they are reluctant to learn about other cultures. Disagreement may also occur at the tolerance and minimization stages to a certain degree. Only at the understanding level do people become open to sharing their own beliefs, or they learn and accept other cultures. Acceptance is one of the key elements (together with tolerance, respect, affirmation, solidarity and critique) of multicultural education according to Nieto and Bode (20 12). The concept of acceptance can be perceived from two different perspectives: self-acceptance and acceptance of others. On the one hand, self-acceptance is a common problem that minority students face at some point in their lives. Their own perception of their differences creates some


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conflict that prevents them from identifying with the rest of their peers in the classroom, and, in many cases, they deny their background in order to accept the mainstream culture as their own. When referring to ethnicity in particular, Aronowitz (1997, 201 0) views it as "a temporary condition on the way to assimilation." On the other hand, acceptance of others is highly influenced by our own beliefs and values. For Kniker (1977), beliefs are inferences about reality that are descriptive, evaluative, or prescriptive, and a set of beliefs shapes our attitude. He further states that values are "combinations of attitudes which generate action or deliberate choice to avoid action" (Kniker, 1997, p. 33). Hence, a positive or negative attitude influences the ways in which people perceive cultural differences in their acceptance of others. There is evidence that attitudes and perceptions vary depending not only on individual personalities, but also on the setting (urban, suburban, or rural) where people were raised. In a study about service learning as a pedagogical strategy for developing preservice students' dispositions for urban teaching, Andrews (2009) describes how the action-reflection process differs for students from urban home and schooling backgrounds in comparison to students from suburban home and schooling backgrounds. An importantelement of the process is effective communication, which is influenced by ( 1) attitudes toward people or groups, (2) observations and assumptions, (3) conclusions and judgments, and (4) verbal and nonverbal actions (Koppelman, 2014, p. 52). First, individual attitudestoward people and groups guide the interactions. People behave differently with different groups depending on factors such as relationship, ethnicity, or prejudice. Second, observations and assumptions about other people also affect communication with them, which may be influenced by their appearance or behavior. Third, people use their values and judgments to draw conclusions about others. Based on these values, people have different opinions about others, which may be based on shallow assumptions. Finally, the last step includes both verbal and nonverbal communication, which is affected by the three first stages. Diversity in the classroom. Diversity has become a matter of great importance for educators in the classroom, who are facing new challenges as they serve children from many different backgrounds. Consequently, teacher preparation programs are now confronting the task of preparing their candidates in this area because they need to ensure that candidates ( 1) encounter diversity from many different standpoints and (2) accept and 'understand' (using Kimmel ' s definition) cultural differences. A study conducted in 2010 by Lee, Eckrich, Lackey, and Showalter revealed that participation in a course redesigned to focus on urban education significantly increased or enhanced participating preservice teachers' intentions to teach in an urban setting, their perceptions of urban education, their attitudes toward diversity and multiculturalism, and their efficacy toward urban teaching. However, it is important to guarantee that preservice teachers not only participate in courses designed to address diversity issues, but also complete field hours in settings with diverse populations. The public school system in the United States is characterized by many inequalities, and it is our obligation to provide an equal opportunity for all children to learn (Banks & Banks,


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2003). Proper teacher preparation can have a positive impact in closing the so-called 'achievement gap' between students from racially, culturally, and linguistically marginalized low-income families and the rest of the country's mainstream students. One of the approaches presented in the literature is culturally responsive teaching, which "addresses the goal of changing school practices that marginalize nontraditional students" (Koppelman, 2014, p. 334). It contributes to building a strong foundation for all students to engage and learn, and it provides teachers with the necessary tools to learn about a student's backgrounds, promote positive perspectives on parents and families, and bridge cultural differences through effective communication. Research Questions

As stated by Barley (2009), research is needed to evaluate the success of programs intended to prepare teaching candidates who accept positions in rural areas. Additionally, there is evidence for the need to investigate preservice teacher preparation as a means to begin combating the variety of racial and cultural issues currently confronting the field of education (Smiley, 2006). The need for research in the area of diversity on teacher preparation programs and the researchers' interest in preteachers field experiences in urban and rural settings prompted Institution 1 to conduct this study. The research questions emerged from experiences with prior preservice teacher exchanges and the theories presented above. 1. What do faculty and students from the urban setting believe about the rural/tribal school setting .before the learning experience? 2. What do faculty and students from the urban setting believe about the rural/tribal school setting as a result of learning and teaching in the rural school setting? 3. In what respects do these preconceived notions facilitate and/or hinder the ability for the subjects to have an impact on K-12 student learning? 4. Can a weeklong immersion into a diverse setting produce detectible, positive learning that makes it feasible and fiscally responsible to continue offering cultural exchange opportunities to our students? 5. What recommendations emerge for teaching in urban and rural settings as a result of a comparative view of the two settings? Methodology

This qualitative study sought to capture the perceptions of urban preservice teachers who self-selected the weeklong immersion into rural school environments as a method to potentially give them experiential learning to become more effective teachers in urban school settings. Its design attempts to give a voice to the preservice teachers and their professors who collected data together by using several tools, shared daily-guided reflections, and sifted through the qualitative artifacts upon their return. The constructivist methodology of epistemology, through the


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autobiographical sketches of subjects, stems from several researchers who wish to tell stories with informants, not for informants. Therefore, constructivist methodology often triangulates data by searching. for similar answers from different perspectives (Freire, 1973; Green, 1992; Willis, 1995). Quintero and Rummel state that "Personal narrative lets us listen to the voices of the participants -students and authors in their cultural contexts- as they tell about their experiences and explain ongoing efforts at agency and transformation" ( 1998, p. 5). The data collection/analysis process, tools, setting, and findings used in this study are based upon the assumption that preservice teachers have the capacity to help improve teacher preparation programming. Data Collection Process Qualitative data were collected following the four methods identified by Marshall and Gretchen (2006): (a) participating in the setting, (b) observing directly. (c) interviewing in depth, and (d) analyzing documents and material culture. The process was f':lcilitated by the following: • Daily Seminars. Preservice teachers attended an interactive seminar class taught by the university professors each evening. These seminars focused on specific topics for reflection. • Moodie. Preservice teachers used Moodie to upload daily assignments and participate in discussion forums with their colleagues. • Email. Communication before; during, and after the weeklong immersion experience was enhanced and documented through the use of email to collect personal narratives, reflections, and field notes. • Dropbox. The article's development was shared through Dropbox, a file hosting service, to hold literature review sources and written contributions to the final article. Instruments As a means to triangulate the data from different points in time and varied perspectives, researchers utilized multiple instruments to address the research questions. These instruments included the following: My Stories. Prior to embarking on the trip, preservice teachers provided a personal narrative of their own educational experiences, stating what pushed them to be a teacher and why they wanted to be part of the research. Reflection Prompts. Each evening, following classroom observations and engagement but prior to the seminar class, preservice teachers engaged in free-form reflection on topics

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identified by the group as important, including cultural diversity, bias, management, differences between urban and rural education and pedagogy.

Discussion Forums. Preservice teachers were assigned a small group in order to reflect and interact with their colleagues when presented with various topics, pedagogical and multicultural research, and shared experiences. Field Notes. University professors, cooperating teachers, and prescrvice teachers took notes during the school day as both the cooperating teachers and the preservicc teachers taught the lessons. Setting Field experiences occurred in March 2012 in four schools located in three different settings. Two of the schools are located in a university town (population 5000). The third school is in a town of300 residents, and the last school is on a tribal reservation. Each student was placed with a cooperating teacher and given the opportunity to see the school and classroom and reflect upon the school and classroom culture prior to teaching. The preservice teacher candidates were required to be tutors/teacher aides and teach a lesson during their weeklong experience. Every evening, a seminar was held at the hotel conference room to discuss the day's events and identify trends that were similar and different from the urban environment. Biases were identified as preservice teachers wrote papers describing what they thought they would see and experience. A faculty member from Institution 2 joined one of these seminars, and she was central in making the placements at Schools 1 and 2.

School 1. This elementary school was recently built after many years of trying to pass a referendum. lt is attached to the high school (School 2), and it is a main meeting area in town. It has a "pod" design with all students of the same grade in one specific area of the school. Lower grades are downstairs and upper grades are upstairs. There are approximately two to three teachers per grade. Three to five candidates could be initially placed at School 2. There is very little diversity, and most students come from Midwest farming communities that are historically white/Scandinavian. School 2. lt is the high school that is attached to School 1. The two schools are separated by a series of hallways, classrooms, and a practice space set aside for the music program. The elementary school and high school have an extensive music program that is shared in this space. The students in the high school mostly come from the attached elementary school, so the demographic population is similar to School l .


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School 3. It is located in a very small town. This school, which includes K through 6th grade, is made up of approximately 80 students and four teachers. Consequently, the teachers teach multiple grades in one classroom. It was decided that no more than two candidates would be placed here as to not disrupt the standard routines. The students in School 3 are similar to the students in Schools 1 and 2 in terms of demographics. This school has no permanent principal, and the teachers gave up their health-care benefits to keep the school open. School 4. It is a tribal school. It is on a reservation, and it services Native American children that live on the reservation. This school takes the architectural form of an eagle, which is representative of the school's culture and philosophy tied to nature and human growth. One wing is the elementary school, and the other wing is the high school. Students are bussed in from great distances to attend this school. There are very few native language speakers left in the community. Consequently, the heritage language center requires all employees, students, volunteers, and visitors to participate in language lessons taught by tribal elders each day. The elementary school's principal, a tribal member, is concerned that the language and, therefore, the cultural heritage, could be lost forever without this requirement. Subjects

In. the fall of 2011, candidates from five different programs (bilingual education, early childhood, elementary education, secondary education, and special education) in the College of Education at Institution 1 were informed about the opportunity to participate in a weeklong immersion experience in rural schools and a tribal school in another state. Each program went through a selection process, and applicants were interviewed. Once the preservice teachers were identified, an initial meeting was held to provide information about the research and the expectations. Ultimately, 10 students, two from each program, were selected to participate. Student 1. He has a master's degree in special education as well as a bachelor's degree in public relations. His daughter was born 7 weeks premature and was eventually diagnosed with sensory perception disorder, which motivated him to enter the special needs field. His hobbies include photography and writing, and he has travelled to a number of countries for the enjoyment and learning that foreign cultures can bring. He continues to pursue professional and foreign experiences in order to develop increased understanding of human cognitive development tied to one's culture. Student 2. She is a special education graduate student. She is a mother vf four children, and one of her children has been diagnosed as special needs. Her child's negative experiences in education prompted her to pursue a career in the special needs field. She homeschooled two of her children for three years before returning to school. She has utilized all of her observations to


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have an impact in special education in the urban environment, which is why she decided to be part of the program. Student 3. She grew up in the countryside of South America. In her early teens, she moved to the United States and lived in an urban area. She did a lot of transii:ioning in her schooling, and she received certificates in accounting as well as an Associate Degree of Arts. She then decided to become a bilingual teacher based on her own experience dealing with the issues that she experienced in school. She wants to motivate and help students to succeed, particularly bilingual students. She wanted to participate in the immersion program because she thought the experience would take her out of her comfort zone. Student 4. Certified as a paraprofessional for the past 12 years, Student 4 has worked with both culturally and linguistically diverse students in a number of settings including traditional schools, residential facilities, and rescue care. These professional experiences, as well as her ongoing educational experience in early childhood, drive her interest in becoming a fulltime teacher. As she pursues her undergraduate degree, she continues to work with children and adults aged 5 through 21 years old on the development of life skills. Student 5. His interest in teaching young children physical education (PE) comes from his own youth experiences as a basketball assistant and tutor. As a young man, his basketball coach took him to an elementary school to tutor children in sports. This experience led him to appreciate the art ofleading others. It has translated into his professional pursuit of teaching young children and coaching children's sports. He decided to participate in the immersion program to see the contrast between urban and rural settings in PE in order to increase his pedagogical knowledge. Student 6. She was born in an African country. When she was six, her mother moved to the United States, and she followed her mother one year later. She began her education in the United States in a private, religious educational setting. She had difficulty with English in school and was often teased by her peers. As a result, she began acting out until one day she met a special teacher that created a safe and supportive environment. That transformative experience made her want to also be a teacher. Student 7. A native speaker of Spanish, Student 7 is pursuing a BA in Bilingual Education. She came from a homogenous ethnic neighborhood within an urban city. Her parents immigrated to the United States from another country and were not afforded many educational opportunities. Their lack of educational opportunities, the continuous growth of English language learners, and the high need for qualified bilingual educators prompted her to go into teaching. She has worked with diverse populations since she started working as a special

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education teacher's assistant in a large urban school system. This has allowed her to understand the varying levels of student abilities. Student 8. She is an early childhood major. Upon completion of her degree, she will be a second-generation teacher. Her mother has been a teacher for more than 20 years, and she has volunteered in her mother's classroom for many of those years. She tutors many of her friends' children nearly every day, and she wanted to participate in the program to have experience in a

Student 9. He grew up in a suburban area, and upon graduation he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force as an active-duty, in which he served for six years. After his return, he enrolled in a Bachelor of Music Education program. His experiences working with children are based on observations in elementary, middle, and high school classrooms. He has also taught individual guitar lessons. He decided to participate in the program to take advantage of opportunities in which he could gain experience as a music educator. StudentlO. She has been a motivator since she was a child. She began working in accountiJig and began mentoring girls afterwards. She started teaching workshops once a month and tha.t;was the ammunition she needed in order to .change her career path. She wanted to participate in the imm,ersion program.to engage in classrooms that she did not have access to becausethe experience would open one ofmany doors on her road to being a good teacher, serving. all types of children in all types of settings.

Data Analysis During the trip, the attending university professors went through the assigned "My Stories" and field notes in order to create reflection topics, seminar discussion points, and discussion board agendas. The majority of the analysis was done after the trip. All the data were reviewed by three of the 10 pre service teachers who decided to continue working on the research project along with the university professors. As the data was analyzed, the student researchers looked for patterns and continuous or discontinuous trends that relate to their own experiences. This yielded the student researchers personal case studies. The trend data and the case studies were analyzed with respect to the five research questions. During the process, researchers had biweekly meetings to interpret data, present results, and draw conclusions. Results

This section presents an analysis of the qualitative data collected in the study. The first part focuses Oil three case studies written by three of the preservice teachers who participated in

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the study. The second part attempts to answer the five research questions identified for this investigation. Case Study 1 No individual, regardless of their experiences, can resist the natural urge and inclination toward self-preservation. For example, the reader of this text, an "observer," brings his or her own comprehensive experiences and preferences that have been shaped by (creating) life experiences that are pleasant, comfortable, and/or agreeable to his or her own nature. This also produces observational outcomes for the observer to generate future inclinations and bias. Science recognizes that self-preserving bias exists in the natural world of biology, physics, and chemistry, of which all humans are a part. These are the biophysiological reactions at the most basic levels of life that have existed since the dawn of time. Long before human beings populated the Earth, communication tied to self-preservation occurred between microorganisms, amoebas, electrons, atoms, and quantum-level energy sources just as they do today (Urry, Cain, Wasserman, Minorsky, & Jackson, 2011 ). For humans, inclinations in the form of"bias" have evolved along with all of nature and tie us to emotion-stirring biological reflexes, which can be accepted or rejected depending upon our psychological patience and willingness to look past foreign stimuli-all of which happen within the context of self-preservation. In the same sense, it is up to each individual to recognize how they themselves arc viewed, how people "like them" are viewed, and how they can rise above these perceptions. Student l was prompted to do both pre- and postreflections in reference to visiting a rural, Native American school outside his comfort zone. Pre-reflections featured cognitive biases derived from typical "Hollywood" stereotypes, media-driven images of "drunken," destitute natives, and personal experiences in formative history education. It is important to note that Student I was a preservice special education teacher who, as part of his master's program, participated in activities and coursework that prepare teacher candidates to engage diverse student populations. Expectations and preconceived notions consistently emerge as powerful frames of reference when preparing and planning educational experiences with diverse populations (Smiley, 2006). Student l 's pre-reflection contained the same elements and deficit views found consistently in preservice (as well as seasoned) educators, which can hinder student outcomes while perpetuating the same bias-driving dynamics. Within the context of communication are complex and consistent cause-effect relationships that bind like elements together while simultaneously pushing undesirable elements apart. Cause-effect relationships include dynamics related to aspects such as past experience, emotion, preferred expectations, and biologically-driven self-preservati,)n. During the experiential reflection portion of the weeklong experience, Student 1 reported on "reverse bias" and stereotypes that were thrust upon him by the population being engaged and observed. Student 1 felt an obligation to dispel such reverse bias by learning about the community beforehand and by exuding openness and humility within their presence while remaining open to

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pleasantly surprised. One member of the community communicated their own nn~co>nc1et·ved notions about Student 1 and the visiting preservice group, sharing ideas and feelings that turned out to be, as they said, 'untrue.' As discussed, what is "true" within human inclinations is often the result of dynamics to emotion, experience, and expectations. Moving minds beyond these dynamics and em10t11Dns is the challenge of educators and learners, because they hinder both personal and outcomes. Student I worked to dispel his hosts' preconceived notions and bias by himself with information and naturally conveying an "excited" openness to the It is important to note that Student 1 is a Hispanic male who expressed his own about being stereotyped while growing up in a predominantly Caucasian environment. He discussed being the subject of certain stereotypes that still drive his efforts to overcome and dispel others by taking control of his own "image." Student 1 feels strongly that it is as much his responsibility to act "above" (Hispanic) stereotypes as it is for others to rise above their own bias-driving inclinations. Student 1 wrote the following reflection, which includes the elei'1ents discussed above: Prior to departing for our t:rip we w-ere asked to reflect on our biases and/or perceptions. My preferred placement on the tribal school was granted, and I was left to consider a ''Hollywood" imaged atmosphereofwarring Native Americans, varying degrees of destitution, drunkenness, and history stories of 21st century olive branches from the F.ederal Govet:nment to the Sjgux, }Vhich always exude a certain level of mystery and distrust. I knew, :from a "general.experience" and reflective point of view that things are rarelyasrol1lantic, a.wful, or wonderful as we think (orremember) themto be, so I willingly and patiently kept a "know nothing mind", open to being pleasantly surprised. From a personal point of view, my own bio-physiological inclinations toward selfpreservation keep me from being overly judgmental, although I can be quite critical of others when engaged with them in "real time." That is, I "wait" to see what is communicated to me by others before initiating certain "biases." That's not to say that l don't also generate them beforehand, but I also leave myself open to learning something new. This "ability" may or may not have been learned, yet I know that it exists within me without knowing which comes first: the innate or experience driven ability to be open minded, or having an open mind which allows me to pursue new people and experiences despite my initial fears. One thing I can say for sure, which was supported by my experiences on tribal reservation, is that the more people and experiences I pursue and encounter, the better prepared I am the "next time" I am presented with something new or foreign, outside of my comfort zone. (Student 1, personal communication, March 13, 2012) Studeni I went on to reflect upon similar emotional struggles, which drift from the realm of"education" and into "business" in which the same dynamics are driven by comprehensive experiences, fears, and psychological processes (decision making). These are elements that are continuously tugged at by biophysiological reflexes, and they cause initial "fight-or-flight"

Journal

(~{Scholastic

Inquiry: Education

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responses within nature. These may be realized on a superficial level as bias, stereotyping, and/or racism, which, interestingly, cause humans to gravitate toward those who "look like us," "act like us," and "agree with the things we believe." Because this has not been comprehensively addressed on the educational level, learners become the adults who perpetuate these superficial levels of classism and bias, which have their roots deeply engrained within our human biological sphere. Student I went on to reflect: Upon meeting the residents, this was all too clear. Not only did I bring bias to the encounter, so did they! There is a certain level of humor to knowing this, yet it is "dangerous" in that while my (our) stereotypes may have included thinking of them as destitute, poorly educated, and/or strange, they initially viewed me (us) as slick, untrustworthy, and snobbish (community member personal communication). Without actually having the opportunity and pleasure of experiencing each other, we may have never ventured outside of our comfort zones and "in to each other's lives." Therefore, while bio-physiological processes rightfully work toward (our) self-preservation, they may hinder us if we don't al-;o couple them with psychological processes- all of which can be learned and nurtured within the context of education and experiential opportunities. (Student I, personal communication, March 15, 2012) The impact on one's teaching philosophy, pedagogy, and student outcomes cannot be understated. Because experience and outlook are comprehensive in nature, educators, candidates, and, indeed, all humans can benefit exponentially when they rise above hindering inclinations tied to bias. Psychological processes are the next steps beyond emotion and physiological processes that personally, professionally, and culturally stagnate our progress and growth. Today's cultures that are haphazardly tied together by competing elements of need, bias, expectation, and experience can be caused to evolve into cultures tied together by shared experiences, interaction, and participation in activities that bring diverse communities together. This includes taking personal responsibility for one's image, what one displays, and what one can "do" about what others perceive them to be. Student I found that as he participates in bias so do others. In the same regard, Student I works to dispel others' preconceived notions of him, expecting (perhaps hoping) others do likewise. Student I considers this to be a vital cog in the dynamic in which individuals take control of their own image, what one can do about others' perceptions, and how they prepare for foreign experiences, which can spur either growth or stagnation. As an extension, Student I states that greater opportunities for shared experiences will systematically reduce stagnating levels of bias driven by preconceived notions that hinder human cognition, emotion, and growth.

Case Study 2 One never knows what to expect when entering unfamiliar territory. Student 2 was assigned to a special education resource room in School I. On her first day, she was introduced to the students and given the opportunity to answer any questions they wanted to ask. They were

of Scholastic Inquiry: Education

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about where Student 2 came from and why she was at their school. The students did not to have prior knowledge of her reason for visiting the school. They asked her several , such as, "Did you come here in an airplane?" Then one question puzzled Student 2, you know Harriet Tubman?" Although Student 2 responded to the student, she could not thinlcing about the question for the remainder of the visit: Now that I have had time to think about why the student asked me that question, I realize that the student related me to a character she may have read about in a book or seen in a movie because they may have been her only exposure to African Americans. At the time I thought the school could have possibly studied slavery in the month prior to my visit because it was Black History Month. I feel that her question was very honest because the student had no idea she would sec me that day . In fact, I was originally assigned to another classroom; however, the teacher was absent on the first day of my visit and I was sent to the resource room as a last minute decision . Therefore, the teacher had no time to prepare the students in her class for my visit. (Student 2, personal communication, March 14, 2012) Student 2's expectation for the opportunity to teach in a rural environment was to have an experience outside a familiar environment. She was excited to be able to meet and learn from teachers from a different atmosphere. She went into the experience with a mix of fear and excitement. She thought the rural education system would be much different than the urban education system especially concerning student attendance. She was under the impression that student enrollment would be low and that the students would be unruly. Being a special education major, she was hopeful that there would be special education classrooms within the school building. She also thought the school would be lacking technology both inside and outside the classroom. To her surprise, Student 2 found a very well-populated school. In addition, the school had computers in every classroom, a computer lab, and a utilized projector for lesson implementation in most classrooms. She did not find any self-contained classrooms within the school; however, there were three special education resource rooms in the building for students to visit for various subjects throughout the day. The school population was predominantly Caucasian with the majority of staff members also being Caucasian . There was one African American family, and a small population of Hispanic students. Student 2 noticed that there were similarities and differences within the rura l and urban school settings. For example, one similarity was the classroom size in the rural school, which was consistent with urban schools. The curriculum was also very similar because it is driven by state standards and is slowly moving toward the Common Core. One of the differences in the settings was student behavior. Although the teacher felt that the school had more student behavior problems than in the past, the comparison to the urban schools system seriously overshadowed the behavior problems of the students in the rural setting. Student 2 did not witness nor hear about any major behavior issues or fights throughout her entire vis it, and students were very well-mannered compared to students in urban schools. The curriculum also


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varied in the rural setting because students received music instruction every day . Music had been taken out of many of the schools in the urban city where Student 2 lived. Student 2 imagined that the transition from elementary school to high school is also much smoother in the rural setting than it is in the urban setting because the elementary schools in urban settings are K-8, housed in different buildings from high schools, and located in different areas. The rural school building housed K-12 grades in different sections within the same school building. It would be very easy for elementary school teachers and high school teachers to communicate about students, whereas elementary and high school teachers in the urban setting rarely meet or have the opportunity to discuss students transitioning from one location to the next. In conclusion, after the experience, Student 2 felt that opportunities such as having the ability to visit unfamiliar environments should be taken advantage of whenever available. If possible, students should attend schools where there are a variety of students and staff so that they are familiar with other cultures. In addition, preservice teachers should have the opportunity to visit and work with a diverse population of students. A diverse experience prepares students for college because they are likely to attend a university with a diverse population. Likewise, a preservice teacher may have a future position in a school populated with a culture that is not consistent with his or her own; therefore, he or she must prepare for the situation. Student 2's recommendation for teaching in urban and rural settings is that each atmosphere provides a valuable experience. She felt that the experience had an impact on her future career as an educator because she learned new teclmiques to utilize in the classroom. For example,.she learned to differentiate instruction by using the learning environment to create unique learning experiences for individual students. As aresult, she is considering teaching in an environment other than the urban setting in which she was raised. Case Study 3 Student 3 grew up in a rural area outside the United States. She came to the United States when she was 13 years old, leaving behind her parents, siblings, and the country where she grew up. Being in a country with different customs, traditions, and language was not easy for her. As a minority and bilingual student, she faced many obstacles in the process of adapting and assimilating into the new culture. It took her several years to acculturate in the United States. Student 3 remembered that the first time she registered in a community college that she was very excited to start this new episode in her life. However, at that time she did not know what she wanted to major in, and the simple fact of being in college was a big accomplishment for her. She went to register for classes, and the man who worked in admissions asked her "What is your major?" She responded, "I don't know," undecided. He looked at her transcripts and laughed saying "I don't think that with [English as a second language] ESL classes you should be in college," but he continued to register her. About two years ago, Student 3 went back to that college for some records she needed for her university, and there stood the same man who did not believe that an ESL student could obtain a college degree because her first language

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was not English. Yet, he, who spoke English "perfectly," was still doing the same job while the ESL student kept moving forward. When Student 3 found out about the internship in a rural/tribal school, she decided to take part in this learning opportunity. She thought that this experience would be similar to her childhood living in a rural area outside the United States and her adolescence as a bilingual student in the United States. She thought that the school setting in a tribal school was going to be very similar to what she experienced in her home country: a small school with some grade levels, overpopulation, while others have a few students; scarce resources that hinder students' learning, and prevalent poverty issues. In her home country, students call teachers by their first names and tend to have very close relationships with them. Students treat teachers with care and respect as if they were family members . Student 3 remembered that her teachers went to her house many times to visit her and have dinner with her family. Teachers' roles were to teach and disciphne students. In some cases, teachers even used physical force to correct students ' behavior with the parents' approval. At the same time, she thought that a tribal school environment would be similar to a bilingual classroom where students' cultures, traditions, beliefs, and nativelangtlages are valued and celebrated. She also expected that the tribal school curriculum would promote bilingualism and value the importance in preserving students' native langtlage. In her learning and teaching experience in a tribal school setting, Student 3 saw that the education system there was to some extent similar to some urban schools and culturally diverse. Some urban schools offer special programs such as bilingual and ESL pullout programs to support students' needs; she discovered that the tribal school offered heritage language classes as an attempt to conserve the tribe's native language. ln both heritage language and bilingual programs, students' culture, language, and traditions are respected and accepted, but there are also some differences. Student 3 found it interesting that boys and girls were segregated during their heritage language and physical education classes. According to one of the tribal schoolteachers, boys and girls are segregated during their heritage language classes because there is a difference at the end of each word if the word is pronounced by a girl or boy. Cultural traditions have a great impact in the physical education classes. Boys and girls are segregated, and girls have a female teacher while boys have a male teacher. During the physical education class, boys practice playing the drums and singing for the morning ceremonies. On the other hand, girls are not allowed to play the drums nor sing in the ceremonies. Although Student 3's preconceived notions about the tribal school setting were, to some extent, different than what she expected, she never predicted that a tribal or rural school would have better technology than an urban school. In the tribal school, all classrooms had smart boards and at least two computers for students. She noticed that most of the students are technology wise, and they even helped the teacher when she was having difficulties with the smart boards. She also observed that the locals are very united and supportive within their own people. She did not see the same imminence, sympathy, and respect toward the teachers and herself from some of the staff members and students at school. As a bilingual, and a minority


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student to a certain point, she felt more vulnerable to discrimination and rejection by the dominant group. On the other hand, she sympathized with some of the local people's point of view. Native Americans might see immigrants as invaders of their land to which she did not condemn them for this reaction because they have been rejected by society in their own country for many decades. In the end, Native Americans and immigrants are trying to be accepted in a culture in which prejudices among dominant groups will always exist. At the same time, Student 3 believes that her background experiences and culture will facilitate her ability to have an impact on student learning. She believes that the fact that she comes from a minority group will facilitate her ability to teach other minorities because she can identify with them. On the other hand, she thinks that her culture also facilitates her ability to teach to a dominant group, but it would be a little challenging because prejudices among people will always exist. Many times, teachers will be asked to work in fields where they do not feel comfortable or in areas out of their comfort zones. Having the experience of being part of the tribal/rural school internship allowed Student 3 to be less orthodox, change, and be more open to new challenges. According to Student 3, each student that participates in the learning experience at the tribal/rural schools can benefit from it, and this will be reflected in their teaching philosophy and pedagogy. A weeklong immersion into a diverse setting seems to be a short period of time, but it is enough to have a positive outcome and create awareness among preservice teachers. Experiences outside of their comfort zone could help preservice teachers reduce bias and be more sensible with people from other cultures. Preservice teachers should be exposed to different settings and work in schools that are culturally diverse. Having the experience to work with students from different cultures and be more knowledgeable about cultures helps preservice teachers reduce biases and have higher expectations for students. Research Question 1 Preservice teachers attending the immersion trip were consistent in their personal narratives captured prior to departure. Patterns emerged when preservice teachers wrote that they sought 'new experiences' or wanted to see an environment 'outside' of their comprehensive experiences to date. Most of the subjects expected to find small classroom sizes and limited resources including a lack of technology infused into the lessons. Student 6 stated that she had been to rural areas when she visited relatives in her native country, where there are dirt roads and families living in huts. Student 6's reflection are somehow similar to Student 3, who believed the rural school setting could be similar to her early school years outside the United States. According to Student 3, students in rural school settings have a closer relationship ~ith their teacher, are exposed to nature, and have a greater knowledge of their surroundings. Some of the preservice teachers were going to student teach in the fall semester; therefore, they were looking forward to using this experience as a step towards student teaching. Before participating in the program, some of the pre service teachers had limited experience in


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the classroom, and they were very nervous about speaking in front of people. They were equally eager to learn from the experience. Student 2 indicated her openness when she commented, "I also feel that learning can go both ways" (Student 2, personal communication, March 14, 20 12). She went on to discuss the ways people can learn from each other. Student 7 also expected to see something completely new and different from the urban school setting, but she also expressed a desire to know a new culture and compare that culture to her own by focusing on the students, their families, and strategies teachers use to teach in tribal schools. She also set expectations for herself as a student by placing learning in the students' hands: Students must set goals for themselves, whether they live in rural or urban areas. I always believed that there is no such thing as a bad school; I think it is within the student whether they desire and have the hunger to learn. (Student 7, personal communication, March 11, 2012 Preservice teachers did express a philosophy that students are the common denominator in the urban/rural exchange: I believe that when yoJ;l.get to the root of it children are children. Although names, races andthe location inwhich they live.may vary greatly, they pretty much behave the same no matter if it's good or bad. Education has never been about location or the funds your school can procure. Tt is m.ore about exposure. (Student 4, personal communication, March 14, 2012) Student 8, while equally enthusiastic, indicated a hope to "see something completely different, which could be brought back to (her) classroom." The emergence of expectations that are both open and contrastingly expectant of "something" that is not yet known is evident here. While "openness" is a favorable characteristic, "expectations" may predispose someone to both surprise and regret depending on the ultimate experience itself. What was ultimately found in the end were dramatically contrasting feelings , which depended almost entirely upon the expectations set by each participating individual. A number of students commented that they had never been outside of Illinois or experienced a rural setting (Student 8). Prior to departure, all preservice teachers communicated their enthusiasm for the experience, although each indicated some predispositions that fell in categories ranging from "stereotypical" to "open" depending on their personal range of experiences with various cultures. Research Question 2 Attending prescrvice teachers indicated a range of opinions regarding their mid-week conclusions. However, many of them felt that teaching in the rural setting was not much different than teaching in the urban setting. Some of them had already completed observation hours in the suburbs, and they related their experiences in those schools to that of the rural school they visited.


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Student 10, for example, indicated her pleasant surprise of having " students "cling" to (her)" because she initially felt they might not work with her due to her African American background. She felt that exposure in an exclusively Caucasian environment would spur resistance in the students, which turned out to be completely false. She went on to say, "They have clung to me like glue. They are so caring and sweet. I am really enjoying working with them" (Student I 0, personal communication, March 15, 20 12). She went on to comment that her rural students were "not much different" than students she had worked with at home in the urban environment. Another insight was garnered when she stated, lnitially l said that rural education is very involved and calculated. l was correct! The community and parental involvement, immensely surpasses that of the urban schools I have visited. Everyone knows one another. I can tell that they care about their children and community. (Student 10, personal communication, March 16, 2012) Here, the urban preservice teacher experienced something concrete, which can be "brought home" to the urban setting and perhaps translated to her classroom, making positive, long-term effects. On the other hand, Stud~nt 5 indicates how his biases changed throughout the week. He initially felt that the rural setting would be far behind that of the urban, and he goes on to state: Based on my previous expectations my biases have changed. I wanted to come to this trip to find out if there is a significant difference in student behavior. Based on my findings over the past two days, the student's behavior and mannerisms are similar to those of suburban students around the city where I come from . Students appear to get along with their peers and teachers ... students deal with divorces, family dysfunction, and struggle with social status. All of these issues are similar to those around the city where I live. ln addition, I originally thought that the physical education program would be different. However, I found that they follow the same NASPE national standards used in our schools. Overall, my biases were incorrect and the school exceeded my expectations. (Student 5, personal communication, March 15, 20 12) Again, a pattern is seen here in which initial expectations (bias) can reach a positive conclusion based on experience and willingness to understand something "new." Students 3 and 7 faced opposition from the students. They expected to feel at home with the students as they initially met their classes. Student 7 wrote this reflection: The school is similar to what I expected. People are very humble and very friendly. Their culture is not similar to mine but I can tell that the school itself is very prideful of their Native American culture just like some schools in my city are very prideful of our Hispanic culture. (Student 7, personal communication, March 14, 2012) Students 3 and 7 found the teaching environment to be very challenging because the grade school students were not accepting of these two outsiders, while Student 1 was accepted by his male, special needs students. Some preservice teachers were surprised to notice greater parental involvement in the school than in some urban areas. Other students made references to school environment and


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students' behavior. However, when it comes to educating children, Student 8, in one or her reflections, mentioned that "teachers in rural schools go to the same lengths to do what's best for their children as urban teachers" (Student 8, personal communication, March 13, 20 12).

Research Question 3 Almost everyone went into the experience thinking that they were from a big city that was different from the rural setting. Therefore, they expected to bring a lot of information and experience to the students because they were from a more advanced setting. However, some of the preservice teachers learned that the rural school was not different from the suburban schools in their state. Some participating preservice teachers were disappointed after the first two days because they felt that this experience was not as unique as they had hoped. Some of them had unrealistic expectations that resulted in negative attitudes, therefore, hindering their ability to have an effective learning experience from the students, teachers, and the environment. Student 1 did research on the setting where he would be placed, so he may have been more prepared about what he would see and experience than many of the pre service teachers. As a result, he made a connection with his teacher and his students that many of the preservice teachers were unable to obtain. Those students who wanted to see educational settings that were completely different were the least satisfied with the time and effort spent in the rural setting. Many preservice teachers had obligations to family and other courses at home, which heightened their desire to have an experience that had a high impact and immediacy of applicable learning strategies. Student 6 hails from South Africa (Nigeria), and, as such, she spoke often of her appreciation for diversity and life experiences that keep her open to new cultures and ideas. Interestingly, she considers her "own culture" to be a mixture of American and Nigerian influences, which predisposes her to working with students of all backgrounds. In this regard, she considers herself a 'human first' working to quickly learn each student 's name and something about them before jumping to conclusions about their character or background. She states, "I quickly learned the student's names - and I realized that all those little things made it possible for them to open up to me and accept me. I noticed that when I did not involve myself with the students they were also distant" (Student 6, personal communication, March 16, 20 12). Here, preconceived notions can also hinder the preservice teacher with little to no exposure of diverse cultures. On the other hand, a range of cultural experiences and immersions can benefit the preservice teacher immensely when getting to know new students and gaining their trust. While some preconceived notions could hinder the ability to have an impact on students' learning, other students' preconceived notions could facilitate it. Preservice teachers with an open mind had a more positive attitude toward what they could get out of this learning experience. As Student 4 said, "This has allowed me to experience different aspects of life with optimism. Having the ability to accept differences has impacted my ability to teach" (Student 4, personal communication, March 15, 20 12).


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Research Question 4

There was a wide range of responses when preservice teachers were asked the relevance of a weeklong immersion experience in the rural setting. In fact, 70% of the subjects found little to no relevance when debriefed at the week's conclusion. Thirty percent of the subjects found a range of relevance with the experience to include ideas and experiences that could be translated to their careers. On the surface, this is important regarding respondents who found little value in the experience because it can be seen that their opinions evolve as their teaching experience continues. In other words, they may have been affected in ways they do not yet realize. Here, their willingness to "know new things" by experiencing them (cognitively or physically) may also grow over time. As Student 1 points out in his reflection, As they say, the grass is not greener, it just exists in varying shades ... as for my future as an instructor, this experience has been immense for both my short and long term goals. If I'd not come here to the tribal school, I would not have truly known the 'shades of green' that exist. (Student 1, personal communication, March 15, 20 12) This speaks to gaining from one's experience with new people and new places. Without going there, one will likely never truly "know." It can be concluded that a weeklong immersion into a diverse setting can be beneficial to all preservice teachers if they go into the experience with the willingness to learn. If one thing does not fit the preservice teachers' expectations, they must learn to find other things that they may not have considered at all so that they are looking at the big picture. Students generally do not enter the teacher certification program with a contingency contract for hire; thus, they do not know where their careers may take them. This experience can prepare students to work in diverse settings where things may vary from the norm. Some preservice teachers learned from their cooperating teachers, and they were able to pick up new teaching techniques to use in the classroom. For some prescrvice teachers, a weeklong immersion into a diverse setting seems to be a short period of time. On t11e other hand, there were some subjects who were subjugated by their bias and emotions that prevented themselves from getting a positive learning experience, and they considered it a waste of time as Student 5 specified in one of the debriefing seminars. Experiences outside of their comfort zone could help preservice teachers reduce bias, have higher expectations for students, and be more sensible with people from other cultures. Student 7 mentioned that the experience helped her to be very open minded toward her students or anything in the school and that, as educators, they need to learn how to fit not only in their cultures, but also in other cultures. Other students thought that it was a lifetime of experiences that will have an impact in students' learning and that it will be reflected in their teaching philosophies and pedagogics.


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Research Question 5 Student recommendations were to let go of any biases when teaching in any setting. In order to teach in any setting, teachers must have an open mind. Students must learn not to set their expectations too high prior to the experience, so they will not find themselves disappointed in the middle of the experience. Student 2 recommends that all preservice teachers have an experience in a different setting than what they are familiar with. Student 4 indicates what one may conclude as a "closed perspective" when she states that teachers should 'simply use techniques which they are comfortable with in an environment that is suitable to them.' Although her statement was not a pervasive conclusion or indicative of the entire group, it indicates that teachers can be very resistant to change even if they self-select an experience dedicated to contextualizing perspectives. Student 4 seems to feel comfortable doing what suits her in ways that are easy for her as well. Students cannot excel under these guidelines of professionalism when the "use whatever is close by" attitude prevails. On the other hand, Student 10 communicated that the "feeling of being needed" motivated her to go above and beyond for her students. She exudes a sentiment that needs to pervade education when she says, l recommend that future teachers in either setting come into the experience with an open mind. I also think that they should be able to adapt to the environment, and find ways to have students share their concerns and express their fears. Most of all make sure you know what the experience entails and be a willing party to participate. (Student I0, personal communication, March 17, 20 12) This is indicative ofthe wide range of responses garnered on this experience when debriefing the group of preservice teachers. In the concluding roundtable discussion, Student 5 indicated that the experience was "a waste of time", and a number of others communicated the same sentiment. A smaller group, on the other hand, communicated the positive ways the experience would impact them and continue to impact them as they grow deeper into their careers. Here, expectations void of previous experience can also produce dramatically positive or negative results. The subjects with greater cultural experiences and/or openness to learning new things seemed to gain more from the immersion program than those who did not share the same openness. Student 1 indicated that he had gained new layers of insight based on the experience, and he had initially spoken of his enthusiasm and openness to the experience, void of expectations, and his eagerness to be pleasantly surprised. From a practical sense, the professors recommend a need to have a required set of seminars scheduled a few weeks and a few months after the weeklong immersion in order to help the preservice teachers appreciate what they learn from their experiences. Field supervisors need to understand that while schools are highly regulated in their schedules, many unforeseen occurrences happen, and helping preservice teachers expect the unexpected is important. Having personal relationships with people from host schools is important because these ties help to


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navigate the unexpected. For instance, while preservice teacher biographies were sent to schools and teachers ahead of time, not all placements went according to plan due to illness and the passing of a loved one in an administrator's immediate family. The partners persevered in helping researchers make adjustments to make the most of the weeklong immersion. Conclusions and Limitations The findings underscore a number of elements that exist in varying degrees, depending upon each subject's background. Although this may seem like an axiom, there is invariably "more to the story." For example, each subject's background includes past cultural experiences, including the desire for cultural experiences, which to date have been met or unmet. The elements that were found included natural bias and inclinations. They were based on shallow variables, which could not necessarily be quantified but were mined using qualitative evidence. A subject's willingness to experience "new things" outside of their comfort zone could be quantified in future studies in order to understand the degrees of bias that exist and under what circumstances. Wb((R an urb~t¢act:Jer ~ay feel open to foreign experiences, understanding "why" they are open to it may be analyze~ to discover whether their openness is tied to learning about concepts such as people, places, an(:l things or experiences that exist in varying levels of excitement. Perhaps i,l "thrill-s¢ek~r" is ''most open" to discovering new ideas, whereas an "intellect" is also open\"yet to a somewhat ;J~sser degree. A preservice educator who has an acquiescent attitude may be open to new e~periences, and he or she gains no personal or professiqnal benefit iQ.: a ,settiQ.:gp\lt~i~e oftheir own sphere. In other words, their "openness" does not translate to elevated level~ of pedagogy. Questionnaires may be fashioned to measure "interconnectedness" between factors such as ( 1) attitudes toward people or groups, (2) observations and assumptions, (3) conclusions and judgments, and (4) verbal and nonverbal action (Koppelman, 2014, p. 52). Factors may be added to include real-life experiences with the same 4 categories to include written reflections and anecdotes, which support each subject's reflective and attitudinal relevance. While data were not analyzed by themes of learning in regard to preservice teachers' psychological, sociological, and anthropological growth of understandings for this article, there are plans to dip back into data to ask these questions. These understandings will pinpoint preimmersion and postimmersion seminar topics. Limitations also include elements such as misrepresentation, subject fallout, and cognitive variables ranging from extreme bias to extreme passivity. In addition, comprehensive forces acting upon individuals complicate ongoing experiences and reflections in "real time." As it was found with a number of subjects in this experience, many may have "tuned out" in a matter of one to two days into the weeklong experience. The mined information was, for the most part, "leveled out" and weighted toward the negative. On the other hand, subjects who were deeply engaged generated the most qualitative evidence that can skew quantitative findings if not fully analyzed. Here, however, it is also found that the analysis is being mined by .,.:.:

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individuals (humans) with their own sets of biases and preferences that can further dilute the process. For these reasons, each detail must be attended to as a group prior to being agreed upon as being relevant. Other limitations include the time frame and the inability to visit more than one school. A longer immersion program would be ideal for a richer learning experience for both the students and the teacher candidates. In the future, perhaps teacher candidates will be able to complete student teaching in a rural setting. This opportunity could allow teacher candidates to build a relationship with students so that preservice teachers can have a richer learning expenence.

Implications for Future Research Future studies may also include perceived implications of teacher beliefs. Preservice teachers may analyze their own image, what they display, and whether they themselves "act" counter to negative stereotypes of their own culture (or region). They may also consider the ways they "counter" what others perceive of them, how they counter it, and why (or why not) they counter it. In this regard, they may gamer a third party point of view that can be translated to the classroom. Gaining understanding about "why" individuals and groups "act" certain ways, "do" certain things, or use mannerisms tied to such ideas as self-preservation, groupthink, or "just because (it's the way things have always been done)" can offer great insight with the potential for reducing bias and stereotypes through self-awareness. Using internal and external validity, the varying degrees in which bias exists and under what circumstances, which can range from benign to destructive, can be discovered. It can be concluded that to teach is a human act and to be a humane teacher takes extra "effort" and "experiences" that might not be appreciated by preservice teachers wherever they come from, but that is what we aspire to do. The immersion program is expected to improve because students' voices are being collected ami analyzed "with" them and nl)t "for" them. Immersion experiences are expensive and time-consuming endeavors, but they have the potential to help preservice teachers develop dispositions, knowledge, and skills to better meet the needs of the diverse learners they will encounter. References Andrews, D. (2009). "The hardest thing to turn from": The effects of service-learning on preparing urban educators. Equity & txcellence in Education, 42(3), 272-293. Aronowitz, S. ( 1997). Between nationality and class. Harvard Educational Review, 6 7(2 ), 188207. Aronowitz, S. (20 I 0). Class: The anthology. Boston, MA: Blackwell. Banks, J. A., & Banks, C. M. (2003). Multicultural education: Issues and perspectives (4th ed.). New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.

Barley, Z. A. (2009). Preparing teachers for rural appointments: Lessons from the mid-continent.

Rural Educator, 30(3), I 0-15. Barley, Z. A., & Brigham, N. (2008). Preparing teachers to teach in rural schools. Issues & Answers REL 2008-No. 045 U. S. Department of Education. Cannella, G. S., & Reiff, J. C. (1994). Individual constructivist teacher education: Teachers as empowered learners. Teacher Education Quarterly, 21(3), 27-38. Coben, S., & Ratner, L. (Eds.). (1983). The development ofan American (2nd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Fereshteh, M. H. (1995) . Multicultural education in the United States: A historical review. Multicultural Review, 4(2), 38-45. Freire, P. (1973) . Educationforcritical consciousness. New York, NY : Seabury. Gay, G. ( 1993). Building cultural bridges: A bold proposal for teacher education. Education and Urban Society, 25(3), 285-299. Green, M. ( 1992). The passions of pluralism: Multiculturalism and the expanding community. Educational Researcher, 22( 1), 13-18. Grey, R. E. (2010). A study of the relationship between multicultural teaching training methods and teacher attitudes about diversity in rural schools. (Doctoral dissertation) . Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. (Accession Order No. 117) Ingersoll, R., & Merrill, L. (2010). Who's Teaching Our Children? Educational Leadership, 67(8), 14-20. Kimmel, P.R. (2006). Culture and conflict. In M. Deutsch, P. Coleman, & E . C. Marcus (Eds.), The handbook of conflict resolution. San Francisco, CA : Jossey-Bass . Kniker, C. R. (1977). You and values education. Columbus, OH: Charles E. Merrill. Koppelman, K. L. (20 14). Understanding human differences:Multicultural education for a diverse America (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Kuder, S. J . (2008). Teaching students with language and communication disabilities (3rd ed.) . Boston, MA: Pearson. Lee, R. E., Eckrich, L. T., Lackey, C., & Showalter, B. D. (20 I 0). Pre-service teacher pathways to urban teaching: A partnership model for nurturing community-based urban teacher preparation. Teacher Education Quarterly, 3 7(3 ), I 01-122. Marshall, C., & Gretchen, B. R. (2006). Designing qualitative research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. McCracken, J. D., & Barcenas, J. D. (1991 ). Differences between rural and urban schools, student characteristics and student aspirations in Ohio. Journal of Research in Rural Education , 7(2), 29-40. Melnick, S. L., & Zeichner, K. M. ( 1995). Teacher education for cultural diversity: Enhancing the capacity a_[ teacher education institutions to address diversity issues. East Lansing, MI : National Center for Research on Teacher Learning.


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Moore, F. M. (2008). Preparing elementary preservice teachers for urban elementary Science classrooms: Challenging cultural biases toward diverse students. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 19( 1), 85-1 09. Naisbitt, J. (1984). Megatrends: Ten new directions transforming our lives. New York, NY: William Morrow. Nieto, S., & Bode, P. (2012). Affirming diversity: The sociopolitical context of multicultural education (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson. Quintero, E., & Rummel, M. K. ( 1998). American Voices: Webs of diveristy. Columbus, OH: Prentice HalL Reys, R. E., Lindquist, M., Lambdin, D. V., & Smith, N. L. (2009) . Helping children learn mathematics (9th ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Richardson, V., Anders, P. , Tidwell, D., & Lloyd, C. (1991 ). The relationship between teachers' beliefs and practices in reading comprehension Instruction. American Educational Research Journal, 28(3), 559-586. Robbins, R., Colmant, S., Dorton, 1. , Schultz, L., Colmant, Y., & Ciali, P. (2006). Colonial instillatiops in Americai) Indian boarding school students. Educational Foundations , 20(3-4), 69-88. Russo, C. J., & Talbert-Johnson, C. (1997). The ovetTepresentation of African-American childl'en in special education: The re-s~gregation of educational programming? Education andUrban Society, 29(2) , 136-148. Schlitz, M. M., Vieten, C., & Miller, E. M. (201 0). Worldview transformation and the development of social consciousness. Journal of Consciousness Studies, 17(7-8), 18-36. Smiley, A. (2006). Urban legend in teacher education. Journal of Urban Learning, Teaching and Research, 2, 244-253. Truscott, D., & Roden, J. (2006). Perceptions about urban schools: Changes in preservice teachers after working in a city school. Journal of Urban Learning, Teaching, and Research, 2, 192-202. Urry, L.A., Cain, M. L. , Wasserman, S. A. , Minorsky, P. V., & Jackson, R. B. (2011). Campbell biology (9th ed.). Harlow: Pearson . .S. Department of Education (2012) . Beginning K- 12 Teacher Characteristics and Preparation by School Type, 2009. NCES 2013-153 . V. E., & Denaux, Z. S. (2007). Closing the rural and urban educational achievement gap: A study of the state of Georgia. Review a./Business Research, 7(5), 60-66. lis, A. I. (1995). Reading the world of school literacy: Contextualizing the experiences of a young African American male. Harvard Educational Review, 65(1 ), 30-49. ·~..,.. .u. A. E. ( 1920). The Annual Convention of the New England Educators. Journal of Education, 92(21 ), 569.