Blog 1
1) What our your beliefs about the relationship between culture, teaching and learning? How do these beliefs reflect the assigned readings? (specific examples)
2) Have you begun to think about the relationship differently why? why not? Will this relationship influence your practice as a teacher/ why? why not? Provie examples. End your post with a question. Respond to at least two peers.
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3) Explain the theory of "stereotype threat." http://reducingstereotypethreat.org/
How might this knowledge influence your thinking and practice as a teacher? What are some examples of schools who have positive achievement outcomes for students from poverty and minority groups?
http://www.hcz.org/ You can use this site- Harlem Zone or identify your own example.
End your post with a question. Respond to at least two peers. (different from blog 1)
Blog 2
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5) White Privilege http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~rjensen/freelance/whiteprivilege.htm
The issue of race is often viewed as seperate from schooling practice. How does race relate to privilege for some groups and not others? What are some examples (facts) that help understandings of race within the context of power and privilege as opposed to biological or social constucts of race? End your post with a question. Respond to at least two peers. (different from blog 2)
Blog 3
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The Relationship Between Culture and the Teaching-Learning Process
ReplyDeleteIt is my belief that culture is the most influential external factor of human development. Having studied social sciences for a few years now, I know how significant culture is to not only identity development but every aspect of an individual’s psyche. But the examination of child development theories last semester combined with the study of diversity pedagogy in several classes (a common theme actually) has increased the extent to which I believe culture influences the way we learn. The reasoning behind my belief is multifaceted; but to make an analogy I’ll say that our culture is like our “thinking cap” – it formed the cognitive structures through which we construct knowledge, it determines what we value, therefore what we learn, it is the lens through which we view everything that passes us by – the teaching-learning process is the product of our culture…and that’s the relationship.
So I have begun to think about the relationship differently; or, more specifically, I’ve extended my pattern of thinking to other realms. For example, when I first learned of diversity pedagogy when I started in the program I thought about it in terms of making my curriculum more multicultural. I was determined to present more than a single story for any historical event. But now I see that my cultural awareness involves more than my curriculum. It should also inform my classroom management. There are so many subtleties and underlying cultural features of an American classroom that a teacher should think about. Those things have become illuminated for me and have helped me see what it really involves to be a culturally competent educator.
Now that teachers are being held accountable for standardized test scores, are you honestly willing to sacrifice time targeting test objectives to teach social awareness in your classroom?
The Relationship Between Culture, Learning and Teaching
ReplyDeleteAs I came in with the mind set that I was pretty diverse person when it came to classroom thinking. After going through the chapters this past 5 weeks, it turns out I had the wrong mindset. Like Brett I kind of thought of incorporating diversity as adding more multicultural projects to whatever you were teaching. Culture relates to both teaching and learning in a heavy way. In the Diversity Pedagogy book by Sheets, it shows how teaching, culture and learning are all intertwined every day of the school year. Its about where you put children in the classroom, classroom management, ways to explain content and progress as a class.
Now I know that every day when I go in to teach, diversity and culture are going to be things we need to start incorporating into lessons and every day activities to maximize our abilities to teach along with giving the students the best chance to learn the material we are trying to give them.
What is one thing from Sheets's book that you will incorporate in your classroom dealing with diversity/culture?
Brett,
ReplyDeleteI think I'd allow some time during the class to teach social awareness in the classrom. It will not only make students feel more comfortable while in class and may help them participate more if we are building community in the classroom. I know it's a tough thing to teach around now because there is lots of pressure on the teachers to now just teach towards the test. We could find ways to mix in some social awareness in the warmup or as we have closure in class. I feel for the student to get the whole experience in school, social awareness needs to be touched on in the classroom.
Relationship Between Culture, Teaching and Learning
ReplyDeleteThroughout the course we have talked at great lengths about how much culture really does to skew the way we look at the world around us. Incorporating this diversity into the classroom ties into all aspects of teaching - the curriculum, the way the classroom is managed, and the relationships the students have with each other and with you as an instructor. It is important to understand the sensitive nature of these topics but also incorporate the topics naturally and frequently into classroom instruction. This may involve extra work on our part as teachers, but it will be worth it in the long run.
Sheets talked a great deal about the self-esteem of our students from minority groups. If anything has changed in my perception of diversity it is that. I suppose that, while I consider myself a tolerant, welcoming person, the thought of how much diversity pedagogy could do to increase a student's self-esteem really crossed my mind. If we can work to help a student gain more self-esteem in learning then we have not only helped that student in our class, but in classes to come in his or her educational future. I think that, if nothing else, is the biggest benefit of diversity pedagogy.
One thing that I'm not sure has come up - what do you think some of your personal challenges will be when you try and apply more diversity pedagogy into your classroom?
Regarding the Stereotype Threat
ReplyDeleteI had never heard of the stereotype threat until two semesters ago, and it was really curious to me. I don’t think a lot of teens have high self-confidence – of course, there are some – but with all the pressures of society in a time when they are developing their identity can take a temporary toll on their self-esteem. Knowing of the stereotype threat will influence me to simply take the intense pressure out of testing in general. For example, I may give students an assignment but not “call it a test”. I will design it to be comprehensive, and I will weight it more heavily; it will measure the same thing and serve the same purpose without being called a test, no need for disclaimers.
I may actually do some research on that…
So anyway, I watching CNN one morning last semester and saw something that really touched my heart (you’ll see why). I shared it with Dr. Wright and the rest of the class, so some of you may have seen this before – it is a perfect example of a program that has provided opportunity for the young people of Detroit’s dangerous city streets. Take a look; it’s only four minutes long –
http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2009/10/13/n_detroit_education_mathcorps_wsu.cnnmoney/
The professor in the video said that the students “discover their greatness” and “that people care about them” which is what we’ve been talking about this summer. I liked the analogy about “planting a seed in them”. It must work since 80 percent of campers go on to attend college.
The professor in the video also mentioned the importance of getting the students on a college campus. To what extent do you think being in that environment will influence students to go to on to pursue a degree?
I believe that the relationship between culture, teaching and learning is something that requires careful observation in order to fully understand the dynamics it presents in the classroom. Culture affects all aspects of our lives and therefore our learning. The readings in the Sheets text really examine the effects of culture in a diverse classroom setting. One thing that really resonated with me was the fact that even though you have a diverse student population with students of many cultural and ethnic backgrounds present, cultural acceptance is still not a guarantee. Segregation still goes on in the schools as students separate themselves into groups. By developing a diversity pedagogy, a teacher can break down some of the walls that separate these students to provide a more open and understanding relationship between students of diverse backgrounds. This, I think, is the real way in which culture affects teaching. Teachers must understand the culture of their students in order to better teach them.
ReplyDeleteThe readings in the Sheets text have really opened my eyes to the nature of culture in the classroom. I had previously thought that culture was not that big of an issue, just another aspect of the classroom that teachers would encounter. I primarily thought of it as being in reference to non-English speaking students in the classroom. After reading the text, I realize that there is a lot of research showing how culture affects the learning of all students, regardless of language or race or ethnicity. Best practice tells us to inform our teaching with research, so by reading the Sheets text, I now feel as though I have a better grasp on some of the ways culture can be embraced in the classroom. I feel as though the knowledge I have gained about culture and ethnicity in the classroom in this class will greatly help inform my teaching in the future.
Question
Do you think that push for cultural assimilation in schools will lead to the loss of cultural identity in students. How would parents react to the assimilation of their children into the mainstream culture vs. their own culture. Is there a balance that can be achieved between the two?
In response to Bethany's question -- What do you think some of your personal challenges will be when you try and apply more diversity pedagogy into your classroom?
ReplyDeleteI think that the main difficulty will be student acceptance of your attempt. Some students may find your attempt at connecting with them through their culture to be offensive or silly. This then leads to my personal fear that I will be unable to find the right method in which to connect with the students. Self reflection of my diversity pedagogy will allow me to change my approach to adapt to the students levels of acceptance. This, I think, will be a long process until the right method is found and can be used on a regular basis. Although developing a diversity pedagogy may be difficult to put on paper, I think that the actual application of the pedagogy will be 100 times more difficult to put into action. This is where perseverance and self-reflection can help to make the process easier.
In response to Brett’s question: Now that teachers are being held accountable for standardized test scores, are you honestly willing to sacrifice time targeting test objectives to teach social awareness in your classroom?
ReplyDeleteI think that finding a way to include the social awareness aspect into your lessons on things that will be presented on standardized tests is the best way to go about fulfilling both needs. Granted this task may be harder than just teaching to the test, but the benefits of finding a method that will allow you to do this are numerous. Teaching your students to be socially aware of culture and diversity allows them to become more broad minded citizens of our country, and that is exactly what this country needs. If students are brought up learning about culture and diversity, the future will be filled with less racism and stereotyping. While knowledge that is on standardized tests is important for the students to know and use, the knowledge of how to be socially aware of your surroundings and the ability to be open minded to different cultures is just as important. By incorporating social awareness activities into your lessons on material that will be presented on standardized tests, you kill two birds with one stone.
In response to Devon's question -
ReplyDeleteDo you think that push for cultural assimilation in schools will lead to the loss of cultural identity in students. How would parents react to the assimilation of their children into the mainstream culture vs. their own culture. Is there a balance that can be achieved between the two?
As we've seen and discussed students spend a great deal of time in school, more time in school than anywhere else, actually. Cultural assimilation in schools is definitely a danger to students' culture. The reaction of the parents obviously would depend on how involved they are in their home culture, but I can't imagine that, if i were a parent in this situation I would want my child's personal culture to be "taught out." It would probably force me to work extra hard at home to continue to teach those cultural values. I would imagine, however, that this would create a great deal of "right and wrong" cultural confusion for the child. I think that a balance can be taught through what we have discussed in regards to cultural pedagogy. Teaching about all cultures equally will begin to combat assimilation.
In response to Brett's question -
ReplyDeleteNow that teachers are being held accountable for standardized test scores, are you honestly willing to sacrifice time targeting test objectives to teach social awareness in your classroom?
Ah. The standardized test question. The answer I have trained myself to give would be a thesis-sized response regarding how much I really hate standardized testing and the fact that "teaching to the test" is what I fear the most for when I have my own classroom. I'll spare you all, though. This is a question I can't believe didn't come up in the class. In the age of "will this be on the test," it's so easy to simply teach what will be on those tests at the end of the year - especially if school resources and funding are riding on the end result. Obviously it is easier in some subjects to integrate cultural knowledge with the information on the test. I would imagine, however, that I would try to find a healthy balance of both. To teach what is on the test, and throw in my own cultural lessons would be my ultimate goal. In an idealistic world, I would teach that regardless of how much time I had or didn't have to teach the test topics. In the real world, however, I honestly think that a time constraint would force me to teach the test, if nothing else but to know that my students are prepared.
To John,
ReplyDeleteSomething that I am going to be able incorporate into my classroom more readily is the ability to observe student response to instruction, to each other, and to me as their teacher. By examining how the students learn in the environment I create for them, I will be able to then adapt my instruction according to their individual needs. I must assume that their learning is my responsibility, and also must enable the students to take skills from my classroom and be able to use them proficiently later in life. To do this, I must continue to look at education from their angle: What matters to them should matter to me. Their concerns should become mine as we work to make meaning of the role of education in their lives. By continually examining how I think and act, I will be able to model the behaviors I wish of them.
To respond to Brett, Now that teachers are being held accountable for standardized test scores, are you honestly willing to sacrifice time targeting test objectives to teach social awareness in your classroom?
ReplyDeleteI have the privilege of being in an art classroom, and the focus becomes slightly different for me. I do not have to teach to a test. In fact, the subject of art is not considered important enough to be on test, and for that reason it is also one of the first subjects removed from school curriculums altogether. So, when the time for budget cuts comes around I have to prove how art can positively influence the students to do well in other subjects. I will attempt to do this by integrating subjects; even working in collaboration with other departments so that the students are better able to understand how the creative process can help them in other areas. For instance, it becomes necessary to work through a geometry problem with art elements, such as lines and space. These same elements we find later in our lives: Lines help us to estimate driving distances when reading maps on a trip; understanding space helps us to parallel park once we arrive. My time must instead be spent trying to save a subject that some powers that be deem not worth saving. Not much better.
Relationship between culture, teaching, and learning
ReplyDeleteLearning styles differ; as do cultures, norms, and attitudes. Therefore, teachers must be able to teach differently as well. This means, we must be able to adapt to the continually changing needs of our students, and not just teach our subject, but teach our subject in a way the children understand it. That’s the relationship: Students must understand us, and we in turn must understand them. This starts through very close examination of what we believe as individuals, and that is most often what we have been taught about others through cultural concurrence. Like John, I also believed that adding lessons about other cultures would fit the description of a culturally inclusive classroom. However, reading the Sheets book has allowed me the opportunity to realize I do not need to teach about different things, I really need to teach about things differently. This means practicing empathy and literally thinking about things from the perspective of somebody else. Of course, this may mean reaching out of our comfort level in order to meet the students in theirs or doing things that are out of the box to grab students’ attention. Effort is necessary, and sometimes taken for granted, but- let’s face it- we don’t do this for the recognition. We aren’t winning any gold medals; but, we are making a difference. The best resource I have found to change the way I think, and will influence the way I teach, is the Internet. I found this story I wanted to share. It is a great example of the teacher leaving his comfort box in order to meet the needs of his student.I will have to place it next because I am exceeding our word count here.
My question is: How did leaving the school environment help the teacher to realize the different experience of the student? And how can we do the same for our students from the classroom?
OK, so we're breaking it up 2 ways...
ReplyDeleteTitle - Belinda
By - Danny Brassell
On the first day of school, Belinda stuck a pencil in Rory's eye and called him a name not suitable to be heard by most adults, let alone by a classroom full of seven-year-olds. That earned her a place in "time-out."
"Time-out is like jail, Mistuh Buhsell," she said, and she would know, as she had spent the majority of her time there that day. "You should call this jail."
Belinda was right. From that time forward when students misbehaved and ignored their first two warnings, they were sent to an isolated desk in a corner near my desk known as "jail."
My first year of teaching was probably not too different from any other teacher's first year. I drew praise for my enthusiasm and hard work while secretly realizing I hadn't a clue what I was doing. "And the nominees for best actor in a teaching performance are: Danny Brassell, second grade, inner-city school," I kept telling myself. Belinda knew.
"Mistuh Buhsell, you too young to be a teacher," she said on the second day.
We were getting to know each other well. Belinda, like many of my students, had grown up "street-smart," with very little use for schools and books. She was one of only three African-American girls I had in my predominantly Spanish-speaking class, and she was not too fond of her Latino classmates conversing in Spanish around her. Belinda was easily the smallest person in my class, and in the past many of her teachers had fallen into the trap of believing she was "too small and precious to hurt anyone." They might as well have thought the same about a bumblebee.
Jail was not working, so I kept Belinda in at recess. I made her wash all the desks and pick up all the garbage from the floor. That'll teach her, I thought to myself. Belinda, though, was smarter than me.
"I like cleanin', Mistuh Buhsell," she said. "Can I do this every day?"
On the third day I caught Belinda fighting with José. I walked over to their table and asked what the problem was.
ReplyDelete"She keeps on calling me a bad word," José said, and, after I pressed her for the truth, Belinda finally nodded that she had. Being the smart, perfect-resolution-minded new teacher, I asked José to whisper the bad word into my ear.
"She said I'm stupid," he said, and I was relieved to hear that at least Belinda had toned down her language. Baby steps toward improvement, I told myself. Belinda wrote standards after school while I gave her another lecture on behavior.
"Belinda, no matter what happens today, just remember that tomorrow is a new day," I said. "Make sure you always keep your head up and try your hardest, and you're bound to improve."
The next day I caught her fighting with José again. Exasperated by this time, I shouted across the room why they were fighting. Again, José said that Belinda had called him a bad word.
"Stop calling José stupid, Belinda," I yelled across the room.
"I didn't call him stupid, Mistuh Buhsell," she yelled back. "I called him a (expletive) (expletive)!"
That was it. Belinda had finally earned a nasty call home to her mother, but Belinda informed me that her mama did not have a phone. She even smiled when she said it. Determined to win this battle, I told Belinda that I would walk her home after school and talk to her mother in person.
And for the first time all week, Belinda became silent.
The rest of the day she just sat still in her chair. Eerily still. The calm before the storm, I thought. At any moment I anticipated Belinda to smack somebody next to her or throw something across the room, but she just sat in a trance.
"It's not going to work, young lady," I told her. "You already earned a walk home, and behaving now isn't going to change that."
Belinda just sat quietly, even with the kids around her teasing her. For the first time since I first set my eyes on her, Belinda was just a cute little girl sitting subdued in her seat. I could not help but feel a bit of sympathy for her, but I had been told that the only way I would survive as a teacher was to stand firmly by my decisions. So I simply ignored her drooping eyes and frowning lips.
When the final bell sounded, Belinda made a dash for the door, but I reminded her of our appointment. Her shoulders slumped in defeat. She gathered her things, I took her by the hand and we began the arduous two-block journey to her house. Along the way it seemed like all of the neighborhood knew Belinda, and this did not appear to be the first time they had seen a teacher walking home with her.
"You in trouble, Belinda?" an old man yelled from his lawn chair on a porch.
Belinda dropped her head.
"Oh, Belinda," said a woman breast-feeding a baby and trying to hold on to two other little ones by her waist side. "Yo mama's gonna whup yo behind."
That remark got to me almost as much as it got to Belinda. She just continued to lead me along the sidewalk with her face focused on any weeds or cracks disrupting the surface. Meanwhile, I was nervous as could be. "What kind of teacher am I?" I thought. Here it was only four days into the school year, and I had lost control of a three and a half foot seven-year-old. What on Earth was I going to say to her mother?
I was trying to reassure myself that I was doing the right thing when Belinda took me through the gate to her yard, which looked more like a trash heap. The bark of a dog the size of a big rig could be heard from inside the house. I let Belinda go inside to get her mother while I waited on the porch. Curious onlookers watched me as if I were an alien who had just landed in a spaceship. I politely smiled, nodded and waved before focusing again on Belinda's front door like a struggling insurance salesman.
ReplyDelete"Where the hell you been, girl?" a nasty voice screamed from somewhere in the vicinity of the direction Belinda had just gone. Babies began crying loudly inside the house.
"My teachu's here," Belinda said softly, and I still could not see inside through the heavily-barred front door.
There I stood on the doorstep, feeling totally helpless and uncomfortable. What was I doing here? Everything about this situation felt like a scene from "Cops." I was going in uncharted waters and had no idea how to handle these circumstances. I still wanted to stick to my morals, though, and show Belinda that I meant business.
"Hello," I heard the burly voice say from behind the door, and it sounded more like a "What do you want?" than a salutation. I could barely make out the outline of a disfigured shadow behind the door speaking.
"Uh, I'm Mr. Brassell, Belinda's teacher."
"What'd she do this time?"
All I could envision in my head was a picture of Belinda getting a "whupping." Now, I had visualized this with pleasure before, as I thought a spanking could do Belinda some good. Hearing the anger in her mother's voice, though, I feared Belinda might be in for more than the fanny whacks my father had delivered to me when I misbehaved as a boy. Could I bear to be responsible for Belinda's whuppin'?
"Well," I stumbled. "I did not come to tell you what Belinda is doing wrong. I came to tell you what she is doing right."
I had decided to try a different approach. There was no response from behind the door, so I continued.
"Belinda really likes to participate in class," I said, searching for whatever true, positive comments I could find for Belinda.
Still no response.
"Belinda is also always at school on time, and I wanted to thank you for that," I said. "I really appreciate your support."
The door opened, and a rather skinny, short woman smiled at me. She was in her thirties but looked like she was in her fifties and had scars all over her arms and face. I could finally catch a glimpse at the inside of the cramped little house's floor décor: used 40-ounce malt liquor bottles, crumpled newspapers and fresh "doggie deposits." The most unique odor invaded my nostrils, and, for the first time since I had been on the porch, the dog-barking and baby-crying subsided to a minimal tone.
"I'm Ms. Johnson," she said, and she offered me her hand to shake. She was practically blushing as she began fidgeting with the curlers in her hair.
ReplyDeleteShe apologized for not offering me to come inside, but my unannounced visit had caught her on a "cleaning day." I smiled and tried to ignore the stench of liquor on Ms. Johnson's breath. I simply stood in her doorway and described every positive thing that Belinda had done over the past week - from sitting quietly as she did her independent work to helping clean the room. I failed to mention that Belinda only sat quietly when I put her alone in "jail" or that she cleaned the room during recess as a punishment for bad behavior. It seemed to me that Ms. Johnson had heard those stories about her daughter too many times in the past.
"Well," I concluded, "It was really nice to meet you, Ms. Johnson, and I hope you feel free to come visit our classroom anytime."
Now it was Ms. Johnson standing uncomfortably in the doorway with the neighbors staring at her.
"My Belinda's helpin' other students in her class," I could hear Ms. Johnson yell to an old lady next door as I walked away. "Her teacher says she's really improving."
The next day at school Belinda gave my knees a big hug.
"My mama bought me a new backpack," she said with a smile bigger than her tiny face could hold. "And she said she'd get me a new dolly if I get good grades in your class."
"Are you going to try harder to get along with other people in here?" I asked.
"Yes sir," Belinda said, and she continued to hug my knees. "You the best teacher."
That made me smile. I had completed my first week of teaching, and despite all of the questions I had in my head, one positive comment from one little seven-year-old made all the difference in the world to me.
This was what I would come to know as the inner-city teaching experience
Stereotype Threat
ReplyDeleteThe stereotype threat goes much beyond what I initially thought. The web site we were linked to also went on to describe stereotypes against men and women, not just stereotypes based on race. I thought that was interesting, and definitely saw right away how stereotypes can hurt so much of our instruction time. As if the stereotype of the "underachieving black male" weren't enough, we also have boys who fall into the stereotype that states they cannot achieve as high academically because it "isn't tough" and the stereotype that girls should not achieve in math and science and other "boy things." Understanding exactly how stereotypes can impact a student is very important not only for teaching to diversity, but also for classroom management. A student's lack of motivation in a class may be related to a number of stereotype threats.
I explored a little more of the HCZ web site, and it's a fantastic program. It appears that the program's success is directly related to nipping the stereotype problem in the bud before it even happens. The students given the opportunity to start in a program so focused on achievement probably never have the chance to really put the stereotype of underachievement into perspective. The students are taught that they can from day one, which is the most important thing any student can be taught.
As teachers, it is incredibly important to always give students this encouragement, regardless of their background.
Why do you think incredibly involved programs like HCZ work better, as compared to the regular public school system?
In response to Katie's question-
ReplyDeleteHow did leaving the school environment help the teacher to realize the different experience of the student? And how can we do the same for our students from the classroom?
All it took for Mr. Brassell to understand Belinda's home experience was to take one walk in her shoes, so to speak. It is clear from the reading that Mr. Brassell did not grow up in a circumstance even remotely close to Belinda's and while telling the parent something she has clearly already heard - that Belinda is a problem in the classroom - would only have kept the behavior coming. Belinda's mother had never before heard positive things about her daughter and, for Belinda, the punishment she received for such teacher comments clearly only fuels her anger. The quick thinking on Mr. Brassell's part, to give a parent something they have never before heard about their child certainly saved Belinda from this type of negative discipline. I'm extremely impressed.
I think that we can all learn a lot about how Mr. Brassell treated Belinda's situation. We read a lot about getting into a student's life if he or she is a discipline problem, but we rarely see it in a form other than calling the parents to discuss negative behavior. I think we can learn that being close with students and trying to understand their personal experience will help us in dealing with discipline problems and also help students from diverse backgrounds improve self-esteem and motivation. Belinda was clearly seeking praise, and I think Ms. Johnson was also doing the same. We need to remember that we really don't know what our students go home to at the end of the day, and that if behavior is a problem, we may want to learn more about their home situation.
STEREO TYPE THREAT
ReplyDeleteStereo type threat refers to being at risk of conforming,as self characteristic, a negative stereotype about ones group. When most people think of stereo type, the really think of race. As Bethany said before, boys and girls both get stereotyped as genders. They give a good example of women being stereotyped as high acheivers in the classroom and looked upon negatively if they don't do well on standardized tests. They also mention how whites are compared to blacks and hispanics in sporting events, a very common stereotype I found alot from following sports. This was a great website that helps you navigate through the problems of stereotype threats. The site gives background information, and different views and perspectives to help individuals look at stereotypes from.
Question : After observing our classes for the last part of the year, can you remember if you saw any stereotyping during your observations and in what way?
In response to Bethany's question -- What do you think some of your personal challenges will be when you try and apply more diversity pedagogy into your classroom?
ReplyDeleteI think getting the children to be comfortable talking about difference and accepting them will be a difficult thing to do at first. They are used to pointing out difference out loud as a class and putting them out in the open. I think it will build community if you found exercises on really involved diversity content. I think personally it will be trial and error to see what work with your class. There will need to be reflection and evaluation after each time to see if you got through to the students the way you wanted to.
In response to bethanys question: Why do you think incredibly involved programs like HCZ work better, as compared to the regular public school system?
ReplyDeleteJust as you posted in the question, because this program is incredily involved. I know in public schoool, if you like, you can coast through it under the radar. In the HCZ program, their slogan of "whatever it takes" shows they are dedicated to students bettering themselves. It also helps focus on family and community which sometimes aren't touched on in public school settings. The goal of the program is to have a rich environment with college oriented peers and supportive adults. Alone with those two factors, you are well aheaad of the game.
White Privilege
ReplyDeleteThe issue of white privilege is that elephant in the room that the white majority doesn't want to acknowledge and minority groups know is there. Since the majority race in the United States is white, unfortunately and since there is a history of deep racism in this country, the idea of white privilege still lingers. I think that some of the things that have contributed to this idea of "power" for the white race and not to other races simply dates back to how the country was settled. It was sort of taken by force by white Europeans, following that, during slavery and the Civil War and even through the Civil Rights movement, other races were seen as "inferior" simply because there weren't as many people of other races. Safety in numbers perhaps. I am not sure people in races in positions of majority in any given culture particularly intend to take advantages of the privileges of being the "norm" in a country, but I think that, especially in the case of affirmative action, when that idea of privilege is tested people tend to see it as "unfair" simply because they see themselves as generally fair and understanding.
Do you think students of minority backgrounds are aware of white privilege? If so, do you think that this makes it more difficult for minority students to learn from teachers of the majority?
In response to John's question-
ReplyDeleteAfter observing our classes for the last part of the year, can you remember if you saw any stereotyping during your observations and in what way?
I went into my observation placement actually expecting a lot of stereotyping, simply because of the age group I was with (talk about stereotyping, myself...). I wasn't necessarily expecting stereotyping of races, but rather stereotyping of different "groups" within the school. I was sort of amazed that both of the classes I watched seemed to mix well together. All of the students seemed to be friends and seemed to be supportive of one another, even though there were students of a number of different backgrounds in each. It stunned me. I'm not sure if it is because the students had the whole year together in class, or not. I'll be interested to see if that dynamic is different at the beginning of a school year.
Katie's question: How did leaving the school environment help the teacher to realize the different experience of the student? And how can we do the same for our students from the classroom?
ReplyDeleteAll it took was two blocks to realize the struggles that belinda went through. After he heard different comments while walking to her house, about taking a whuppin when she got home. You see children in a different light when they are out of a classroom environment. Right when he hit the door step he knew he couldn't tell her mother the bad things belinda had be doing or she might have to take some physical abuse from it. We have to understand as teachers, school life and home life are very different. We don't all come from a well brought up family. So when we meet with parents or try to understand why students act a certain way in school its because we are all come from ssuch different backgrounds.
WHITE PRIVILEDGE
ReplyDeleteI like how in this article he states that the student he is talking to has unearned white priviledge, which is the worst kind. he has no reason why his race is better than someone elses, he thinks it just is. I've never really thought of white priviledge in depth until this article. It really makes me feel bad about some of the things we take for granted and are so oblivious too. When the man was talking about a job interview and we live in a white society and relating to eachother and not feeling threatened. I agree with the authors last paragraph about how we need to start being honest with ourselves and act morally. As a society we need to get past color and as a for "white priviledge" if it continues to exist, to do something powerful with it that could help change the world.
Question:
After reading this article, do you think you'd ever been out in a real world situation where you can look back to now and think white priviledge helped you or on the other side have you seen white priviledge used against you?
Relationship between culture, teaching, and learning.
ReplyDeleteI never really thought too much about the relationship between culture, teaching, and learning before this class. I believed everyone was equal and it didn’t matter what a student’s background was. While this is true when it comes down to a student’s treatment, the background a student is something that should be taken into consideration.
After our selected readings and class discussions I have thought about our practices as teachers. As educators it is our job to address the cultural needs of diverse students (Sheets, pg. 125). We need to learn about our students and learn their diversities. By doing this we will be able to use meaningful instructional examples applicable to the experiential background of all students (Sheets, pg. 125). This will make all students feel like a part of the classroom environment. And by addressing the different cultures, other students will understand the multiple cultural perspectives that are present in the classroom.
Question: Without prying too much into a students personal life, what are different methods of learning about our students’ cultural backgrounds?
Stereotype Threat
ReplyDeleteThe stereotype threat I think is just as important of an issue as teaching diversity in the classroom. As a teacher I think these stereotypes need to be addressed in class. If we give the students a chance to address these issues, then as a class we can unveil the problem with these stereotypes. I think by making students aware that these are not true will let them put anything that they once heard or believed behind them. The students can then focus on the task at hand and then be more motivated to succeed now that they believe they can.
I think as teachers we have to push ALL of our students as well. We need to have high, but attainable, expectations for all of our students. Just because little Johnny or Susie is from a lower socioeconomic background and they do not have time to do all of their work because they have to work, that is no reason for teachers to have lower expectations. It is our job to go the extra step to help these students. A teacher settling for less because it is easier is the most common problem that I witness in the school setting.
Question: As we witnessed tonight, humor, if used correctly, has a way of teaching. Do you feel it would be appropriate to use humor in the classroom to address stereotypes?
White Privilege
ReplyDeleteThis article did strike a chord with me. I do not agree with this author. This may be one of two reasons. One, we are from different generations. Although in my generation race has always been brought up, I have never noticed any “privileges” I received because I was white. Two, the other reason, could be that I am white; therefore, I do not see anything that I have received as a privilege. Especially an unearned privilege. I believe that I have worked hard for what I have received and that I didn’t get it just because I am white.
As a teacher, I have never even though about the concept of White Privilege. I don’t see my students by color. I work hard to get to know my students for who they are and how they are different.
Question: My question is similar to our proposed question. Has anyone encountered examples of privilege due to race in a classroom/school setting?
In response to Brett’s question:
ReplyDeleteNow that teachers are being held accountable for standardized test scores, are you honestly willing to sacrifice time targeting test objectives to teach social awareness in your classroom?
I think there are ways that teachers can teach social awareness without losing that valuable class time. The key is to incorporate these issues into the curriculum. Ask questions or have projects that tackle the content, but also address the social issues that we face in today’s society. For example, Dr. Ayanru and I discussed how I could use the data gathered from the human genome project in my Statistics class. This is a way to slide in that social awareness concept without sidetracking from a specific content lesson. I do think it will take some great planning. Good Luck!
In response to Bethany’s question:
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I'm not sure has come up - what do you think some of your personal challenges will be when you try and apply more diversity pedagogy into your classroom?
This relates to my response to Brett’s question. I think time is going to be the toughest challenge. Not the time in my classroom, but the time I will be spending to plan. With our ever-changing curriculum, we are constantly changing lesson plans to add more content and rigor. This means more time incorporating new ideas of diversity into our plans. Time is a valuable item for teachers and we have little of it! That is why I think this is the biggest challenge.
In response to John’s question:
ReplyDeleteAfter observing our classes for the last part of the year, can you remember if you saw any stereotyping during your observations and in what way?
I would notice some mentioning of stereotypes, but never in a negative tone. As I have mentioned in class I have a pretty nice rapport with my students and some of them are very comfortable in class. I have had a few students in the past from a minority group that would make humor about the stereotypes and make comments like “oh because I’m black.” I understood that this was out of humor, but it also provided the class with opportunities to address these stereotypes as well as understand the harm that stereotypes could cause. It is important to raise the attention of students and make them aware of the diverse groups and the truths about them.
In response to Bethany’s question:
ReplyDeleteDo you think students of minority backgrounds are aware of white privilege? If so, do you think that this makes it more difficult for minority students to learn from teachers of the majority?
If white privilege does exist (I’m not saying it does or does not), then I think the students of minority backgrounds would be more aware of it than white students. I think white students, like me, are not seeing that they are “receiving” anything extra because of their color. I think white students do not think that what they receive is unearned.
As a teacher, I hope that all my students understand that I do not look at a student’s color. I am not going to “give” a student a grade or a break because of her/his color. Even though I am from the majority, I would hope that all my students know that I will have the same expectations and provide the same learning opportunities to all of my students regardless of race/color.
To respond to Rusty's question -
ReplyDeleteHas anyone encountered examples of privilege due to race in a classroom/school setting?
Since, with the exception of elementary school in North Carolina, I have been in environments that seriously lack in diversity (which may be a product of white privilege in and of itself), I think the only time I ever really felt any sort of "difference" because of my race was the instance I believe I shared at the beginning of the class. The elementary school I went to was somewhere around 60% African American to 40% Caucasian, so, I had a number of friends of different races. When it came to in-school activities this was never a problem. However, thinking back on it, when it came to sleepovers and out-of-school events, I only did things with my other white friends. My mom told me later that any plans my African American friends and I wanted to make (as much as elementary school children can make plans) were ended by parent comments of not wanting their children to see the way my family lived, and them not wanting me to see the way they lived. I obviously was completely unaware that this was happening at the time, but the areas I lived in were dominated by the majority ideal - white, middle class families in a suburban environment. The areas my friends were in, however, were not and adults did not see it fit that we share in those experiences in those environments.
The relationship between culture, teaching and learning are undeniable. Each one influences the other two. The one aspect should be empowered by the other two. But unfortunately, often times they can be detrimental to one another. Learning is the response to teaching hopefully but this can be hindered by a cultural difference. but it can also be empowered and enriched through culture. For example, if the teacher creates classroom conditions through curricular planning, instructional strategies, and interpersonal relationships where students can openly express aspects of their ethnic identity, then students are more likely to openly display signs of developing a psychological, social, and cultural dimension of self, as an individual and group member of a particular ethnic group or groups. (Sheets p.15) It is best to not just sit back and pretend that we are all the same but to openly express are differences to understand ourselves and each other. This understanding of self and others is not necessarily part of the curriculum but is an important aspect of growing and learning.
ReplyDeleteI Have begun to think about the relationship differently in that the diversity is not something to sit back and ignore but rather something to explore and enjoy openly. I think this will influence my practice by making me more aware of how important it is use the diversity as an advantage in setting up classroom instructional planning as well as instructional strategies to help students develop a better sense of self and a sense of belonging to a group.
my question: Give an example of a basic lesson that could be enriched by using diversity pedagogy.
Blog 1 above
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In response to Deevo,
ReplyDeleteQuestion
Do you think that push for cultural assimilation in schools will lead to the loss of cultural identity in students. How would parents react to the assimilation of their children into the mainstream culture vs. their own culture. Is there a balance that can be achieved between the two?
I Think that over time it is inevitable for people to live in the same place and pretend that they are not the same people. Every generation that passes with people being born in the united states comes more diversity deceptiveness. More and more families are interracial. I believe that since the average American blood line is only two hundred years old. Thus country of origin will fade with the melting pot of America. Perhaps after another hundred years we will all be considered Americans. But action must be taken now because it only takes one generation to spoil years and years of progression towards acceptance and understanding of diversity. I believe that parents will want to hold on to traditions that were passed down to them. but over time it will not be about what people do because of what country they are from or what "race" they belong to or what religion they practice rather than what family they are from. Teachers have the responsibility of maintaining acceptive attitudes and practices toward all cultures, races (pigment of are imagination or not), regions and beliefs of all students and their families. I would say that cultural assimilation will lead to loss of cultural identity in students but it will take a long time. This is because of peoples sense of pride with family and values which I believe is important to ones sense of self and sense of belonging to a group.
In Regards to Stereotype threat
ReplyDeleteMy interpretation of this theory is that when minorities feel as though they are being judged or regarded based on a stereotype rather than anything else, performance is diminished. I think that this idea is something that teachers should always think about when they have students who are not performing at the level the teacher feels they should. Having a open and welcoming classroom can help reduce the feelings of stereotype threat and open discussion about stereotypes and racism can help students to realize that your classroom is a place where these two things are not present. Stereotype threat is something that students and teachers need to be made aware of if it is to be overcome so that students can succeed. I think that as teachers we need to develop communication with our students to combat this idea.
I really liked to HCZ website and the information on the program that it gave. One quote from the site really struck home with me and that is “For children to do well, their families have to do well. And for families to do well, their community must do well. That is why HCZ works to strengthen families as well as empowering them to have a positive impact on their children's development.” I really think that this is one of the keys to student achievement. Community and family involvement in student’s success is key in the cognitive development of children. Having that kind of support system in place allows students to achieve very high levels of knowledge. I think that programs like this need to be implemented all across the country to better the lives of students everywhere.
Question: Do you think that stereotype threat is only happening to minorities, or can you see some instances where white children would be subject to this as well.
In response to Rusty's question : Question: As we witnessed tonight, humor, if used correctly, has a way of teaching. Do you feel it would be appropriate to use humor in the classroom to address stereotypes?
ReplyDeleteI really think that this is one of the BEST ways to combat stereotypes. By incorporating humor into the situation, you are freeing up the students to talk about tough subjects in a lighthearted manner. This makes the discussions less intimidating and overwhelming for the students. Plus, with humor, you may have students who can connect with the humor of the situation and share a personal story about how a stereotype has been used on them. This opens up a wonderful possibility for classroom discussion. The power of humor is undeniable in its ability to help diffuse uncomfortable situations.
In response to John’s question: After observing our classes for the last part of the year, can you remember if you saw any stereotyping during your observations and in what way?
ReplyDeleteI really did not see any stereotyping when I was observing over this past semester. That does not mean that the student’s did not feel the push of stereotype threat during that period. I think that a close relationship with your students must be obtained before you can determine if the push of stereotype threat is having an impact on their studies. Only through careful observation and data collection can we really determine the impact of students learning. Once I am in the classroom, I hope to develop a system that will help me to determine if students are impacted by this threat. I think that having a lesson on what stereotype threat is and asking students if they have felt like they have been in a situation that caused this will help the students become aware of what it is and how they can overcome it. I think the Sheets texts’ ideas on developing interpersonal relationships and good relationships between students and teachers can help to overcome stereotype threat in the classroom.
I think that the idea of race has impacts on schooling for minorities, especially where there is a large group of minorities in the school system. These minorities may feel burdened with the fact that they are a minority and that the stereotype that is linked to them will have a negative impact on their ability to be equal in the school. Just the idea that white people have the power and privilege over minorities is enough to scare them into not even trying to succeed. If you were brought up in a world where you were always around white people who were in power, the task of achieving greatness for yourself would seem a very daunting task and may dissuade you from even trying to achieve. This, I think, is linked to the idea of stereotype threat. Minorities are daunted by the fact that the society they are living in is run by mostly white male people. To overcome this, lessons on minority achievement, success, and contribution to society can help students and parents strive to achieve greater things. Race in the context of power and privilege relies heavily on stereotype threat, so to reduce this threat upon students and parents, open communication and collaboration between all parties can help achieve a more equalized playing field, even if it is only in the construct of the mind.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: How would you go about helping a student who does not strive to achieve due to feelings of inferiority because of his race? How can we encourage students to achieve?
Stereotype Threat
ReplyDeleteStereotype threat refers to students conforming to a negative outlook from others regarding ones group. If a negative characteristic is stressed about one’s group then students of that group may confine themselves to what is said about them. For instance, if a teacher assumes a student will do poorly just because of skin color, then he or she may feel that negative pressure and actually do poorly.
Reducing stereotype threat in the classroom can be done by reframing the task so that if the student did not understand the assignment at first, he or she is given another chance. I also want to make sure that I am encouraging of self-affirmation and hope of success.
When thinking about stereotype threat, do you think that one group is affected more than others, or all groups equally?
Relationship between culture, teaching, and learning
ReplyDeleteLike many of you I also thought that I was accepting of others and aware of other cultures and diversity. I still feel this way, yet I have expanded my outlook a little bit more. When I look at culture and how it reflects teaching now I see that people from different cultures learn differently and that me as the teacher has to observe and be aware of these differences. Sheets says, “teachers who succeed with culturally diverse children recognize diverse children’s cultural strengths and skills” (2005, p.5). Since it will affect their learning, I may need to teach in many different ways to help the students be successful. I need to reflect on myself and my hidden views and also learn more about other cultures in order to teach in a way that all students can learn from. “Acquiring knowledge of cultural groups that differ from self is needed to enhance and develop the types of pedagogical tools needed to teach diverse students” (Sheets, 2005, p11).
How do we relate to parents of students from different cultures who may speak another language than us or may just not understand the school procedures.
IN response to Devon's question: Do you think that stereotype threat is only happening to minorities, or can you see some instances where white children would be subject to this as well.
ReplyDeleteI think that this does happen to white students. People are often even stereotyped for their social-economic status. Surprisingly many people feel that if you are "poor" than you will never be successful academically. This is a threat to those students who are not as fortunate money wise. If a teacher feels this way than those students may not have any hope to succeed in that classroom.
In response to Rusty's question: As we witnessed tonight, humor, if used correctly, has a way of teaching. Do you feel it would be appropriate to use humor in the classroom to address stereotypes?
ReplyDeleteYes, I think that we can use humor to address stereotypes as long as we are careful and maybe after we have gotten to know our students. I think we really have to be careful because something that we may find funny, our students may find offensive. For example, duing the videos last night, While I thought most of them were funny, I particularly did not care for the comments about drugs heroine and cocaine. I do not think drugs are anything to joke about especially with students. So that was offensive to me. I do think humor can make things lighter and less tense.
In response to Bethany's question: what do you think some of your personal challenges will be when you try and apply more diversity pedagogy into your classroom?
ReplyDeleteI think that the biggest challenge for me will be realizing that not everyone uses the words that I do to describe things and that I may not be clear when stating assignments. The video we watched about different dialects and how there are so many words used to describe one thing really opened my eyes to this. I will have to be careful and make sure that my students always understand what I mean.
White privilege
ReplyDeleteI disagree with this author. Things have changed. I do not think that I am succeeding in life simply because I am white. Maybe it is because I am white that I feel this way. Although, I almost feel that this author is saying that being white is a bad thing, just like people use to say being black was a bad thing. I don't think color matters as much anymore and we are slowly moving out of that era. Our country has changed so much. It is so much more diverse that I do not feel that white people are the majority anymore.
Has anyone experienced any form what white privilege?
In response to Bethany's question: Do you think students of minority backgrounds are aware of white privilege? If so, do you think that this makes it more difficult for minority students to learn from teachers of the majority?
ReplyDeleteYes I do think that students of minority backgrouds are aware of white privilige. I almost sometimes feels like a grudge. Seeing a white teacher students may feel like the teacher has everything because of being white and does not understand them and their culture. I strongly feel that whites had privilege in the past, but think are different now. I really feel everyone is equal. I think that we can change this way of thinking by teaching children that we are all the same. I really liked Dawn's book "Whoever you are" What a great message to send to our children.
In response to Devon’s question:
ReplyDeleteDo you think that stereotype threat is only happening to minorities, or can you see some instances where white children would be subject to this as well?
I don’t think that minorities are the one people who are subject to stereotypes. I have seen several gender stereotypes in high school. One being a female who answered a problem incorrectly and I have heard “you can tell she’s blonde.” So the blonde stereotype is one I have encountered. Like we have talked about as long as it is used appropriately humor could be a good way to defuse the situation and make everyone feel comfortable. I think there are stereotypes placed on all cultures and as educators we need to make students aware of these and prove to them they are not true.
IN response to Devon's question: Do you think that stereotype threat is only happening to minorities, or can you see some instances where white children would be subject to this as well.
ReplyDeleteStudents don't even realize its happening sometimes but it is. They may be getting more help than normal and the minority children may be neglected when it comes to receiving extra help. Like dawn said, even socio economic status is looked at in this sense, if they student is well off, he'll be given more chances to succeed and if the child is "poor" they are more likely looked over and written off faster.
In response to Melissa’s question and blog:
ReplyDeleteHas anyone experienced any form what white privilege?
As I have mentioned I have not experienced any form of white privilege, at least I don’t think I have. I agree with your blog. I think we are in a new era where this is not evident any more. Yes, from readings and history, I do believe there was a time when this existed; however, I do not think it does today, at least in the areas where I am familiar. I totally agree that the diversity of our country has eliminated this “bias.” This county is a melting pot of cultures and I think that has put an end to any favoring of the majority.
In response to Melissa's question: Has anyone experienced any form what white privilege?
ReplyDeleteI agree with the author that white privilege is among us whether we like it or not or whether we realize it or not. I think my experiences of white privilege occur every day when I am looked upon by other people. It is this unseen white privilege that I experience. Just like a security guard chooses to follow the minority person in the store instead of me, just like I would not be questioned crossing the border from Mexico to the United states. This white privilege is everywhere, we just have to open our eyes to see the instances in which it takes form in our lives.
In response to Rusty's question: As we witnessed tonight, humor, if used correctly, has a way of teaching. Do you feel it would be appropriate to use humor in the classroom to address stereotypes?
ReplyDeleteI think this could be one of the best ways to approach stereotypes. We watched many clips that eased to the issue of stereotypes. You could learn alot from humor and not realize it. The guy in the video was making fun of persians and arabs in a very funny way but nothing that offended people. As long as teachers throughout the year you touch on all stereotypes then it can be used as a good humor tool.
The Theory of the Stereotype Threat
ReplyDeleteWhile I have heard the theory before I was not actually aware of the term “stereotype threat” until now. What reverberated to me is the fact that performance is actually directly affected by the way one sees himself. Meaning, someone must be aware of his group membership, as well as the perceived stereotype, in order to become influenced by the threat. As teachers we can combat this by showing students that we all belong to multiple groups and pointing out the similarities among us, rather than the differences. The use of multicultural guest speakers from a variety of circumstances may also help the students respond to the threat in different ways. By witnessing examples of successful people from the same backgrounds as them, they may begin to hear their own stories and decide to change them, something the study referred to as showing reactance. By being aware of the stereotype, they can then show initiative to improve their performance in order to change it.
As for influential schools, in this area they do have night school and alternative schools to provide more options to students who may need them. At night school, students still attend daily classes, but are at least aware of the chance they are receiving to make a positive change. Then, at the alternative school students attend evening classes, but in a much different environment. They are not permitted to speak and must sit the entire time and do work. I feel these are the kids who have already given up and been given second, third, even fourth chances to change their behaviors. These are on two sides of the spectrum.
So, my question is: Should the students with the worst behavior issues be given a chance to flourish in a different environment, and would some discussion and variation be a better solution than sterility? Or, for the sake of graduating, should the students be mandated to complete work instead? Book work or life skills, which needs to be taught at this stage? (High school)
To Bethany,
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think some of your personal challenges will be when you try and apply more diversity pedagogy into your classroom?
One challenge for me will simply be to find the time for discussion. With classes so short already, there is not much leniency for straying off topic or allowing discussion about every topic I will probably wish to. This mean, then, that I will have to tie much of this relevance into my lesson material by giving the background information of projects, such as why it was important in history and why it is important today. Sheets provides us four basic guidelines for making our material more culturally inclusive: Message, Authenticity, Language, and Illustrations. For a clear message, be responsible and use relevant, age-appropriate materials. For authenticity, make sure content is valid and includes multiple viewpoints. For language, make sure language use supports the intent of the message. Lastly, illustrations must be accurate and support the message.
The relationship between culture, teaching, and learning
ReplyDeleteI too believe that culture is all around us; it shapes who we are, what we believe, and how we process information. I really like Brett’s analogy of culture being “the lens through which we view everything that passes us by”; however, I would take it a step further and say that culture is not only the lens, but all five senses rolled into one. It does effect how we view things, but at the same time it is so much more. Culture is the ear through which we hear, it is the mouth through which we taste, the nose through which we smell, the skin through which we feel, and the eyes through which we see. Every facet of our lives has been formed through the culture we were raised. I believe that culture is the “senses” through which we learn, and in return how we teach. Sheets helped me further develop my understanding of culture by causing me to realize that the way we teach is shaped by our culture, and the way students learn are shaped by their culture. In order to be the most effective teacher we have to take both into consideration. We cannot rely on what we believe alone, it should be a partnership with our students.
Have I begun to think about the relationship differently?
I have definitely reshaped my thought on the relationship. Like John pointed out, before our classes together I too thought that the relationship was that we incorporate culture into our curriculum so the students could learn about culture. In a sense I viewed culture as something tangible. Our readings, not only Sheets but all of them together, from the cognitive theorists to the behavioral theorists, have enabled me to see that culture is like an outside force that is acting upon each of us. This force is effects each of us differently, and has a distinct influence over us.
Will this relationship influence my practice as a teacher?
My practice as a teacher will be influenced by this relationship. I will constantly have to re-evaluate how I will deliver my lessons to the students. I will have to take into account their culture, and their norms to maximize their experience in learning. If a student is having trouble learning the material because they are leaning English as a second language, I cannot ignore that fact and continue teaching the way I always have. I will need to make necessary modifications to include that student or students into the learning community of the classroom. My culture dictates how I learn and how I teach; it does not dictate how students learn.
Question: Do you think that standardized tests are culturally biased? Why or why not?
To Melissa:
ReplyDeleteWhen thinking about stereotype threat, do you think that one group is affected more than others, or all groups equally?
Almost certainly it affects one group more than the other, but how would we ever prove it? A teacher would not willingly admit to being guilty of this, if she realizes it is even happening at all. It seems more rational that people are attempting to be “blinded” to color, or fair to every child despite their circumstance, but are most likely subtly managing to still fuel a stereotype. This is why Sheets says it is necessary for us as teachers to constantly reflect on both our attitudes outside of and our practices inside of the classroom, and, if necessary, adjust both for the betterment of all.
In response to Devon's question -
ReplyDeleteHow would you go about helping a student who does not strive to achieve due to feelings of inferiority because of his race? How can we encourage students to achieve?
I think it is important to make sure the students in question feel included in all classroom activities. I would definitely try and find out what aspects of my subject excited the student or were the student's strengths and try and call on them and ask their opinion when discussing those aspects of the class. I would possibly try and talk to the student outside of class as well, finding out what the student is interested in, maybe talking to them about games and practice if they are on a school sports team or how things were going in any club or artistic event they were involved in. I think it important to let the student know as subtly as possible that I see and support his or her abilities and individual talents. We should encourage students to talk to us about their classwork, their extracurricular activities, and about what they want with their future, always encouraging them to go above and beyond what is expected of them simply because they have the ability to.
To answer Ben’s question” Do you think that standardized tests are culturally biased? Why or why not?”
ReplyDeleteThe data says yes. There is definitely a disparity in testing results between races and economic classes. Gender aside, when these tests are created, they seem to focus on the single story of the American child: One that has the tools and support necessary at home to succeed at school and throughout life. In reality, there are many stories, rich with customs and tradition that do not show up on the test because they are a subculture. Subculture is part of American life, yes, but not always part of what some may consider the “right” part of the American dream. It is these people that make up the tests. They may be cultured, but not schooled. The street lingo that is pervasive today may never be deemed appropriate for use on paper, and may leave a whole group of the population without a voice. So, what do standardized tests prove? Only that we are not as cultured as we thought.
White Privilege
ReplyDeleteDr. Ayanru said that Robert Jensen’s article may get under our skin a little bit, but I didn’t feel that way at all. I thought he did a good job of relating his point of view without being even a bit pushy. What Jensen says is true, and I also liked that he told his white readers not to feel guilty about it – just acknowledge it.
How does race relate to privilege for some groups and not others?
Race is related to privilege for whites because, in this country, whites created the social systems and institutions we still use today. And, as Peggy McIntosh (1988) puts it, “whites are taught to think of their lives as morally neutral, normative, and average, and also ideal, so that when we work to benefit others, this is seen as work that will allow "them" to be more like "us."” (1)
Doesn’t the truth in the last bit of that statement just make you cringe?
What are some examples (facts) that help understandings of race within the context of power and privilege as opposed to biological or social constucts of race?
This question made me think of Jonathan Kozol’s infamous Savage Inequalities (1991) immediately. In it, he makes the case against state and local governments concerning taxation and education funding, since local property taxes are used to fund public schools. So, poverty-stricken areas with high minority populations have under-funded school systems based on the very nature of the system. White middle- and upper-class neighborhoods are ‘privileged’ to have nicer, well-equipped schools with well-paid, high-quality teachers because they have the tax base to support it.
Kozol, J. (1991). Savage inequalities: Children in American’s schools. New York: Harper Collins.
McIntosh, P. (1988). White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack. Retrieved June 23, 2010 from: http://www.case.edu/president/aaction/UnpackingTheKnapsack.pdf.
In your opinion, is power and privilege related more to race or class? For example, did President Obama face less of a power struggle than other African Americans because he comes from an upper-middle class family?
White Privilege
ReplyDeleteRacism exists whether any of us agrees with it or not and people are always going to fear what they do not know. Jensen is merely acknowledging that these forces play out in our world daily and impact different people in a variety of ways. Though I cannot place a time when I can remember being given something based on race rather than merit does not mean it has never happened. While I may be blind to it- a fact that’s hard to admit- it exists all around me, whether or not I would like it there. Jensen is asking us to look beyond our own pre-existing group and into the viewpoint of another. I must not speak for them until I have lived through their experiences. Also, I can not assume that everybody in my own group/race/class has the same opinion as I do because we have also lived through different experiences, and therefore have diverse factors that influence our judgements. Jensen simply wants our pattern of thinking to change; it is not necessary to continue to follow a precedent we don’t agree with. He wants our thinking to begin to influence our actions, and not our actions to follow incorrect assumptions. He is reminding us that we have to make that choice rather than allow others to control our thinking and our actions. And that is not a racial issue; it affects each of us as individuals who must reach a common interest.
What are some ways it may be possible to encourage us as teachers to reach beyond the barriers of race and class and just make everyone’s story one of an individual?
In response to Brett,
ReplyDeleteNow that teachers are being held accountable for standardized test scores, are you honestly willing to sacrifice time targeting test objectives to teach social awareness in your classroom?
I think that the test objectives could be worked on using issues of social awareness. If you can get the children fired up on a subject that deals with social awareness you can channel that into writing, reading and math problems that can have real world relevance to them. Easier said than done, but it is possible. However when tests are the main goal of teachers issues of social awareness are easier overlooked than plugged into the curriculum.
To Brett,
ReplyDeleteI firmly believe that class has more of an effect on who has the power, and in turn, the privilege. President Obama seems to be a good example of this theory, although I also believe he faced a more difficult journey than those before him due to his race. I sometimes get annoyed when I hear of a petty issue where somebody has ‘pulled the race card’ in order to make their point. I feel I won’t be so quick to doubt after this card, because the race issue has become more clear to me- and it is definitely real to them. I can no longer ignore issues in hopes they will disappear: Instead, I must educate myself in order to understand others. I will also hold a position of power, one that can impact another’s life greatly. I also know the road that I took to get here was one that was extremely long and difficult, not handed to me on a platter. But I also know that doors were already opened from all those who have come before me, and there are those that do not feel they have so many options. I attribute that to the way I was raised and not the color of my skin, though. That to me is the ultimate deciding factor. We are all products of what we see, and I had positive role models in my life to show me how to achieve and supported me while I did it. For those that do not, it will probably be harder in every accomplishment, because they have to pave their own road, rather than walk on the already-beaten path.
Response to Brett
ReplyDeleteI think that whole idea about teaching social justice is to integrate it into what we are already using. Sheets (2005) says in chapter eight that educators must “understand how to adapt, change, reframe, or modify the resources available to them” (pp 123). Rusty provided us with a good example of one such modification this week in his microteaching lesson where he explains how he will collect data from the students to use throughout the year. This allows the students to identify with the instructional content of the classroom (Sheets, 2005).
Sheets, R. H. (2005). Diversity pedagogy: Examining the role of culture in the teaching-learning process. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.
Response to John
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I will take from Sheets is how culture can shape our learning. I will have to remember that not everyone will learn how I think they should, or even in the same way that I learn. That is why it is important for us to get to know our students. Their needs may not be the same needs that I experienced as a student, and I will have to adapt my teaching style to include everyone in the classroom. If I refuse to change I might not get that student to engage in the content, thus not allowing him to experience the best opportunity to learn.
BLOG 3)
ReplyDelete"Stereotype threat" is when a person is at risk to conforming to a negative stereo type about ones group.
This theory reminds of black students who do not want to "act white" and keep it real as black person. This can change how a person wants to act behaviorally, the demeanor they carry, their speech and their academic performance. They want to remember that they are different and don't want to sell out. I have heard such comments as that person is straight up bojangling.
This knowledge may influence my thinking and practice in that students need to be reminded that they can fit in anywhere by just being themselves. In physical education there are a lot of stigmas about what color people play certain sports. Black people don't swim, play hockey, kickers or the foot ball team. black people usually don't play baseball, wrestle, play badminton or lacrosse. Black people dominate basketball and football and thats about it. However if black people did play the other sports and were accepted to be cool to play them by the black community they would probably dominate those as well. Some of these sports require more equipment and are more expensive to play. however i believe the main reason for blacks not participating is that it would be considered a white mans sport and that would be "acting white" to participate. A lot of white people are turned off to playing basketball because they are not one of the brothers. The reality of it is that sport is the equalizer of race. When someone picks you to be on their team it's not because of what color you are, it is how good you are. A great example of this would be James Stewart the fastest motocross racer in the world who happens to be a black guy from Florida. Motocross is probably 99% white people. Coming from the south James and his family experience resistance from fellow racist motocross families. And even a couple years ago there was incident at a pro race in Massachusetts. There is great story on it Check it out: http://espn.go.com/action/fmx/blog/_/post/4113373
Students need to be not just reminded but informed that they can do whatever they want and don't have fit into any category or type just because thats what the society expects of them.
The Promise Academy middle school program began with 100 sixth-graders in 2004, many of whom were far below grade level. Despite some initial struggles (chronicled in the book "Whatever It Takes"), the school has coalesced and the students have been thriving. In 2009, 87.3 percent of the school's eighth-graders were on or above grade level in math on the New York Statewide exam. The middle school has a longer school day and year, and offers students a wide-ranging education as well as many "wrap-around services" such as free medical and dental care, freshly made healthy meals and an enriching after school program.
http://www.hcz.org/programs/middle-school
My question: Give one example of first hand experience with "stereotype threat".
In response to Katie’s question: What are some ways it may be possible to encourage us as teachers to reach beyond the barriers of race and class and just make everyone’s story one of an individual?
ReplyDeleteI think that interest inventories are a good way to get the idea of mutual interests and sameness into the minds of the students. Having them fill out this kind of survey or have a lesson on things of this nature, would allow the students to see that they have a lot of things in common with each other, whether they are from the same culture or not.
If we as teachers can train ourselves to look past the issue of race and instead look at the students as merely members of society as a whole, the benefit would be great. Students would be judged merely on ability and achievement, not race or privilege. Imagine a world with no race or social issues. This is what we as teachers can instill into the minds of our students who may one day grown up to promote these same ideas. That would be a great future to live in.
response to Katie
ReplyDeleteSo, my question is: Should the students with the worst behavior issues be given a chance to flourish in a different environment, and would some discussion and variation be a better solution than sterility? Or, for the sake of graduating, should the students be mandated to complete work instead? Book work or life skills, which needs to be taught at this stage? (High school)
I think the children with the worst behaviors have to given another chance to flourish in a different environment. and often times given second, third and fourth chances because if we give up on them as teachers they will give up on them selves as students which could lead to them giving up on themselves in life in general. Some discussion and variation would be very beneficial however these students have proved unable to work with one another. For the sake of getting any thing relevant done sterility may be the only answer. I believe in very small groups or even pairs that discussion could be a very powerful tool and can help the students develop verbal and listening skills. Life skills definitely need to be taught at the high school level. life skills such as speeching and listening. Being able to understand what is being asked of you and having the ability to clearly articulate back to someone what you understand is critical in getting and keeping a job. Book work needs to be taught as well for the sake of the self discipline, patience and persistence needed to deal with bureaucratic society that we live in.
Stereotype threat
ReplyDeleteStereotype threat refers to someone living up to the stereotype that was placed on them or their group. I have never heard of this phenomenon before, but I totally understand what they are talking about. This has dredged up a lot of emotion inside of me because I feel that I have experienced exactly what they are explaining.
All my life I have struggles with my weight. My brother was always thinner than me and never overweight. Throughout our childhood I can remember my Mom, Step-dad, and Grandfather ridiculing / harassing me about my weight. I was told things like “keep eating and you are going to end up just like your fathers side of the family”. I felt like an outcast in my own family because I wasn’t “skinny”. There was so much pressure placed on me about eating that it made me want to eat more. I wanted to rebel and fight what they were telling me by not eating less. If I ate more, I wasn’t giving them the pleasure of me being skinny. It took me several years to realize that there is nothing wrong with being overweight.
In a way I feel that I lived up to the negative stereotype of being overweight like literally everyone on my Dad’s side of the family. The in your face tactics of my family constantly reminded me of the stereotype until I accepted it as inevitable.
How this will influence me as a teacher
I will have to make sure not to fall into the trap of making stereotypical judgments about students. I cannot expect my students who are of Asian descent to be my top performers; likewise, I cannot expect my students who are females to be my lowest performers. This would be unfair to them. I believe Bethany made a very valid point that a student’s lack of interest or misbehavior in class might be the result of a stereotype threat. I believe you could relate this to Dreikurs’ theory on mistaken goals; where a student’s need is not being fulfilled so they turn to a mistaken goal to take its place. In this case the mistaken goals arise as a result of a stereotype threat. To meet their needs the students accept the stereotype as their mistaken goal to fulfill their need.
resonse to mprasc
ReplyDeleteWhen thinking about stereotype threat, do you think that one group is affected more than others, or all groups equally?
I believe that Blacks and Hispanics are affected the most by stereotype threat, this is because of all of the very negative stereotypes that surround them. Asians most common stereotype is that they are smart. I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing. However Hispanics and African Americans just like all races are lumped together in one story. Even though there are many differences big and small between everybody regardless of race or skin color. i think that Hispanics are generalized as slow. I think this is not true but rather a cultural difference of knowledge and less resources. "they are less likely than AA and white students to have had early childhood education including preschool or Head Start" (strategies for Teaching Minorities, 2004) (sheets) African American students are often left behind early as well. The education trust reported in 2003 that 61 percent of AA 4th graders were lagging behind the established standards for reading proficiency and mathematics. low achieving students seldom catch up with their peers, but fall farther behind.(sheets) I think the groups that are statistically more at risk have it worse than other groups.
Positive Achievement
ReplyDeleteI found a PDF file that discusses a study of 121 middle schools from the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi and how implementing common planning time and interdisciplinary teaming affect student achievement scores in high poverty schools. The study was conducted by the Center for Prevention Research and Development (CPRD) at the University of Illinois. They found that common planning and interdisciplinary teaming are critical to improving achievement scores. When teachers are given enough time to plan and are engaged in teaming for several years (three or more), then achievement scores will increase (http://www.nmsa.org/portals/0/pdf/publications/On_Target/achievement/achievement_1.pdf).
Question: With more and more responsibilities being placed on educators, do you feel that they have adequate planning time already or do they need more time?
Response to Rusty
ReplyDeleteI totally feel that humor if used correctly can be a powerful tool. There are many examples of this from television: George Jefferson, Archie Bunker, Dave Chappelle, and George Lopez. Each of these actors/comedians used humor to point out the ridiculousness of racism. However, you have to be careful. First, you need to have a certain rapport with the students so they feel comfortable with you. Otherwise it could lead to an awkward situation that might do more harm than good. Personally I would only use it after having discussions on stereotypes, and getting the students comfortable talking about it. The humor might be a way to further engage the students in conversations and get them out of their shells.
Response to Bethany
ReplyDeleteI feel that programs like HCZ work better than public schools because of their level of cultural competence. Programs like HCZ are operating at level five (Competence) where they accept and respect cultural differences. On the other hand, public schools are operating at level three (Blindness) where they don’t accept nor deny the differences. Most of us agreed that the schools we observed at were at or around level three (Blindness), and until they move beyond that they will not be as successful as programs such as HCZ.
Blog 4)
ReplyDeleteRace privilege relates to the group that is not the minority or is the most wealthy. Whenever you are the minority you are at a disadvantage because you can be easily stereotyped. You are more likely to get pulled over driving a car while black. It is a proven fact. That the proportion of African American pulled over every year is not in proportion to the % of the population they take up. Racial profiling is a real thing supported by research. A black person driving a car is more suspicious looking to a cop because of the officer thinking that the car is stolen or the black driver has drugs in the vehicle. There are many instances that white privileged can be documented. For example: renting an apartment, buying a house, court systems have been know to be more lenient to whites and more harsh on blacks, DWB driving while black is a real thing, Most politicians are white are black president is half white, segregated proms in the south, The NBA has a very high percentage of black players but only one or two black team owners. Black people have privileged where they are not the minority. If white student comes into an all black school he would get just as much static as a new black student in an all white school. The power and privileged of being white is not something that you can always put your finger on but is certainly there. However, i believe the tides are turning and there is a lot of reverse discrimination as if it is a injustice to be white. and that to be white means that you have done something wrong. I am from Irish decent on my fathers side and my great grand father and grand father grew up in Stanton Island ghettos where there was tons of discrimination towards Irish people. And my comedic relief is that we paid for are boat ride over. Honestly would you rather live new York freezing to death and working for pennies or be a slave in the south working for nothing. either way it has not been easy for most that have come to America.
my question: What do you think about reverse discrimination?
Culture, Teaching and Learning
ReplyDeleteCulture, teaching and learning are inextricably linked in education and to think otherwise would be self-deceiving. Our approaches to learning and teaching are influenced not only by the way we think but also by what we believe. How we interpret, internalize and then package information choreographs the way that we teach and our reach students. While we know and understand that it is human nature to default to what is familiar, as teachers we have to drag ourselves from our comfort zones to meet the needs of students whose frame of reference may be unlike our own.
Now that I have taken this class, I have actual scholarship to support my long-held opinion that teaching and learning is a subjective process influenced by a host of outside factors – class, gender, race, ability, geography, value system, etc. Carter G. Woodson’s iconic The Mis-education of the Negro still serves as a relevant critique of the American educational system and our elusive goal of equity and full inclusion in the classroom. His theory… American classrooms are bastions of cultural indoctrination versus reservoirs of knowledge. Ouch!
My Question: How much of a role do you think teacher discomfort plays in not having more inclusion reflected in lesson plans?
Peer Question:
Brett’s
Now that teachers are being held accountable for standardized test scores, are you honestly willing to sacrifice time targeting test objectives to teach social awareness in your classroom?
Short answer, yes. I do not think these are or should be mutually exclusive goals. As we learned through a recent class exercise, finding culturally inclusive material in content area is thoughtful process but not a difficult one. Depending on the age of your students, you can even recruit them to help in the effort.
What is one thing from Sheets' book that you will incorporate in your classroom dealing with diversity/culture?
I will make an even stronger effort to incorporate the native/ethnic languages of my students into my classroom. In addition to literature, I will explore ways to incorporate relevant audio to support student heritage. For example, my Spanish works beautifully in Barcelona but not as well in Buenos Aires.
Devon’s
Do you think that push for cultural assimilation in schools will lead to the loss of cultural identity in students. How would parents react to the assimilation of their children into the mainstream culture vs. their own culture. Is there a balance that can be achieved between the two?
I am happy to report that yes there is a balance that can be achieved. I have been African-American and female for quite sometime and not one iota of my identity has been lost while exploring virtually every area of study ( math, science, history, language, arts) from a perspective that may be vastly different from my own. Furthermore, culture and heritage are those tangible gifts that can be strengthened in school but they are not birthed there…they begin at home. If you think our classrooms have a long way to go today, try turning back the clock a decade or so more. I made it through okay.
Stereotype Threat
ReplyDeleteThis is deeply personal to me because I know it to be a game-changer.
The stereotype threat is a tragic phenomenon that occurs when a group inadvertently reinforces a stereotype when a “trigger” is present. While my life has had its share of these episodes (usually under testing GMAT, ACT conditions), reactance, the ability to overcome the threat, has also come into play but not with nearly the force. Reducing the stereotype threat is within our grasp as educators. By augmenting our teaching practices and widening our lens, we can help transform dreams deferred into potential actualized.
Harlem Children’s Zone is one of several examples of turning underachievement into excellence. My other personal favorites include - The Seed School (Washington, DC) and Urban Prep Academy (Chicago, IL). As in the HCZ, each of these school targets root causes of underachievement and have high academic success.
My question: How can mainstream schools adopt some of these practices to replicate similar success in their programs?
Peer Questions:
Mpracs01’s
When thinking about stereotype threat, do you think that one group is affected more than others, or all groups equally?
Well naturally if you fall in more than one category, it seems as if you have this plague lurking at you from all sides. But the truth is we are all susceptible to the trauma as anyone can encounter a stereotype-based expectation of performing poorly (ex. Women in math, whites on racial bias,). A few of us have a few more bumps and bruises than others but it certainly gives us a great source for empathy.
Katie’s
So, my question is: Should the students with the worst behavior issues be given a chance to flourish in a different environment, and would some discussion and variation be a better solution than sterility? Or, for the sake of graduating, should the students be mandated to complete work instead? Book work or life skills, which needs to be taught at this stage?
All students deserve an opportunity to thrive. As educators, we have to help students identify their niche and then create platforms so their goals can be achieved. Charter schools, magnet programs, and alternative schools balance our current educational structure and are essential for students who don’t fit the generic cookie-cutter /one-size-fits-all model. Not to say that book work isn’t important but for the student who has demonstrated a need for a decidedly different approach, a decidedly different approach is needed indeed.
Response to Ben:
ReplyDeleteQuestion: With more and more responsibilities being placed on educators, do you feel that they have adequate planning time already or do they need more time?
I think that teachers need more time to plan. Giving the teachers more time to plan will allow them to be better prepared to teach diversity acceptance and to better reach a diverse population of students. Teachers should also be given more training to help them deal with changing populations and the growing challenges they face. Teachers should also be given more money for their efforts especially those who spend lots of extra hours before after and out of school working to be a better teacher for their students. I don't think that there is any extra time for extra planning in the day. Teachers are responsible for so many different things that they are often spread to thin. I think that more teachers aids and more co teaching strategies should be implemented to give students the attention they need.
Inequities exist in education and can be traced to a myriad of factors, paramount among them race. I know race is a loaded term and with it comes a range of emotions that foster images of privilege for some and obstacles for others; high expectations for some groups and lower expectations for others. The fact remains these are hard and ugly truths. Race permeates every facet of the American psyche including– entertainment, economics, housing, politics, employment, and sadly religion. The old saying that Sunday is the most segregated day in America is ironically true. To think that race can factor into nearly every other endeavor of our lives and not reach into the classroom is not only unrealistic, it is dishonest.
ReplyDeleteMy Question: Is there an area of American life that you think is immune to the scrutiny of race?
Response to Dawn
ReplyDeleteMy Question: How much of a role do you think teacher discomfort plays in not having more inclusion reflected in lesson plans?
I think that teacher discomfort plays a huge role in the amount of inclusion reflected in lesson plans. Race is a very touchy/sensitive subject as we all know. When a child has a question that you can't answer or you don't want to answer for fear you might offend some one is very possible. You don't want to have to deal with angry parents that get a twisted story from the kids. If you send the wrong message home you could have huge implications and consequences to your actions. Race and inclusion are stressful subjects and are more easily looked over than looked into. After a teacher has taught for five years they are pretty much set in a certain way of doing things. For a teacher to change their mastered lesson plan to have more inclusion could be a lot of work and a lot of stress because of the discomfort on the person.
White Privilege
ReplyDeleteI do agree with Mr. Jensen that white privilege is something that is evident in our lives whether we want to admit it or not. In West Virginia this is often referred to as “The Good Ole Boy” system. If your white, a male, and know someone, you have an advantage over anyone else. The position we start off in life is based on the decisions and actions of our ancestors. So by default I am a product of white privilege whether I like it or not.
One example of race relating to privilege for one group and not others is happening as we speak; I’m talking about the Arizona law on illegal immigration. White and Black Americans (power and privilege group) do not have to carry immigration documents to prove we are legal citizens, but Hispanic Americans (minority group) must now carry immigration documents in Arizona or face criminal prosecution. I could not believe what was going on when I heard about it on the news. For one did anyone enter the United States legally, I recall a lot of Europeans murdering and stealing land from Native Americans several hundred years ago; but, I will save that for another day.
Response to Melissa
ReplyDeleteI feel that I have benefited from white privilege. In particular when I was hired at the jail it was because as a child I went to church with the Administrator (who is white), sat with him and his wife while my mother taught Sunday School, and I was a male. The majority of the staff at the jail are white males.
Response to Dawn
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I don’t see any aspect of American life that is immune to race. With the election of President Obama I finally thought that racism was coming to an end; then, I see how he has been treated since taking office and my hopes are squandering. I think that it is still too earl in our history to see racism completely erased. I hope that I see it by the end of my life, but I am not confident that I will be able to.
Prior to my entrepreneurial venture as preschool owner/teacher, I was a marketing and public relations executive. After a series of early successes, I grew bored in my career and decided to shift gears and get my MBA. I enrolled in a GMAT prep class and on my first night of class upon entering the room I was dismissively told by the instructor that the trash had already been picked up for the evening. Nothing in life prepares you for this level of humiliation. NOTHING! My classmates were all white and male. If you think I look young now (smile), imagine 13 years ago when this occurred. Needless to say, not only was I made to feel unwelcomed, but also very unprivileged (young, female and Black). Unfortunately, scenarios like these litter an otherwise perfectly amazing personal and professional life.
ReplyDeleteThat was a reply to Rusty’s
ReplyDeleteHas anyone encountered examples of privilege due to race in a classroom/school setting?
Mpracs01’s
ReplyDeleteHas anyone experienced any form what white privilege?
While I cannot speak from personal experience, I have a perspective on this you may find interesting. Throughout college I was an English (composition) tutor. I tutored fellow students on campus on Monday and Wednesday. On Tuesday and Thursdays, I tutored off campus at a faith-based center. Whether on campus or off, the students I worked with were largely male and a few had diagnosed learning disabilities. The difference -- the white young men with learning disabilities went to college and the black young men with learning disabilities went to prison. I couldn’t help but wonder why such a disparity in outcome with young men about the same age and ability. I still ponder how different their futures will be.
In response to Dawn Is there an area of American life that you think is immune to the scrutiny of race?
ReplyDeleteI think that it is hard to find an area that would be immune to the idea of race. It is so ingrained into our society nowadays that it is hard to find something that is not influenced by race. As teachers we can strive to make our classrooms race free to try and promote equality, but students still come into our classrooms with preconceived notions of race. It is these notions that are difficult to change in students. External factors in their lives such as social media and peer pressure make it difficult for us to change their thinking. It is in these external factors that we must look to see what is the cause of their notions about race.