Let us talk about our different cultural experiences and take a critical issue each week to post our comments. This blogging is for constructive stand point to make a difference.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Making a difference: multiculuralism
Hello folks, We are agents of social change and classroom is the place to sow the seeds for social change to make a better world for us and for our future generations to live with dignity. In a culturally diverse world, we are called to respect the diversity of our brothers and sisters in different cultures.
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ReplyDeleteCultural Background
ReplyDeleteAncestors
My mother, Frances Marie Cyrier, was born in Saint Anne, Illinois: a small, French, Catholic farming community. We don’t know when her ancestors came to America, but we suspect they entered America via Quebec, Canada. Mom only spoke French until she went to school, where she was required to speak English. In the home, however, the family continued to speak French and follow French customs. My father, Millard John Cherrstrom, was born on the south side of Chicago. His father was Swedish and his mother was Czechoslovakian. We don’t know when Dad’s ancestors came to America, but some Swedish customs were honored in the family, primarily around holiday foods.
Across America and Around the World
What I may be lacking in ancestral knowledge and experience, I’ve tried to make up for in life experience and travel. I was born in Chicago, Illinois; lived in New York; moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in California; spent many years in New Mexico; briefly lived in Seattle, Washington; returned to California; and now reside in San Diego. I’ve visited 43 of the 50 U.S. States and traveled in 27 countries. Across America and around the world, I’ve enjoyed meeting and getting to know people of other cultures – uncovering an array of commonality and differences.
Other Cultures – Up Close and Personal
I’ve often wondered if my lack of cultural ties led me to seek various cultural experiences. When I was in grade school, my family hosted a Japanese foreign exchange student which opened my eyes to unique customs and experiences. Also while in grade school, my family helped sponsor a Vietnamese family that escaped as Saigon fell in 1975. The summer was spent getting to know our new friends, securing housing, buying clothes, outfitting a house, enrolling in schools, playing, and having fun. We swapped information on customs, language, food, music, literature, art, etc. This was an enriching experience and to this day I feel a special bond with this family – parents and children. In high school, I was blessed to experience my first international travel beyond North America. That international experience began a lifelong love of travel and exploration. After college, I moved to New Mexico where I lived for 15 years, learning and appreciating the unique tri-cultural heritage: Anglo, Hispanic, and Native American. While working and earning a MBA, I participated in a graduate school international immersion trip to Ireland where we studied and experienced the social, economic, and political changes occurring in Ireland at the change of the century.
Summary
I value my few bits and pieces of ancestral background and customs. I recognize and value the strong cultural backgrounds and legacies experienced by other families. What I lack directly, I’ve been blessed to experience through old friends, second families, and new friends met along life’s journey.
An interesting topic that was within the readings this week was the term pluralist education. This term is something that was discussed in the article: Melting Pot or Mosaic? It focuses on the new view of incorporating multicultural education in the classroom. The original view was termed as being a single American culture but has now changed into cultural pluralism. The article continues into defining what cultural pluralism as well as assimilationism. Cultural Pluralism is known as ethic groups will remain intact and that their idiosyncratic way of knowing and acting will be respected and continued. Assimilationism, on the other hand, accepts the importance of understanding multiple beliefs, but has its primary goal the amalgamation of all groups into the American mainstream (Janzen, 1994). The article continues to talk about how these two terms are within contention. The reason for contention is whether or not students and families from other countries should be fully allowed to continue their traditions and cultures or incorporating them fully into the society within the United States. This contention leads to educators having difficulty in teaching lessons as well as planning activities within the classroom. How can an educator attempt to successful incorporate both views in the classroom? Also, how does an educator have a strong viewpoint over cultural pluralism or assimilationism but not allow it to hinder their classroom?
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ReplyDeleteCultural Backrounds
ReplyDeleteMy ancestors come from Ireland. I am Bronx Irish Catholic.I spent a long career in the fashion industry which was predominantly Jewish.
When Jewish immigrants came to America, they felt discrimation, so many started their own businesses. The Jewish people were known to be good merchants. They started making garments and opened up factories and were very successful.
The garment industry was the largest industry in NYC until globalization. I observed how two giant countries, China and India moved in and minimized a giant industry that was controlled by the Jews.
Our texile industry has also been outsourced to China and India. Originally all textile companies were owned by white, Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASP's)from New England and textiles were manufactured in the rural south. The cultural values of hardwork and competitive expertise gave rise to China and India and America lost it's garment and textile industry.
It's interesting to note that many industries have a predominant culture group. The Germans are known for their engineering, the Irish have produced great writers, the Brazilians and the Koreans are very advanced in technology. China is now leading in battery technology, a big need for our "green" future.
Laura Nugent
Overview: My family has a unique heritage and culture. I was born in Pusan, South Korea, but I was adopted by a middle-class family from upstate New York. My dad’s background is strictly Italian-American, while my mom has a cultural combination of English and Irish backgrounds.
ReplyDeleteParents’ history: My dad’s family came to the United States in the 1920’s seeking economic opportunity. They initially struggled to assimilate into the culture because of the language barrier. My dad and aunt were the first college graduates in the family. On the other hand, my mom’s family arrived in America in the 1880’s seeking job opportunities and religious freedoms because of their Protestant beliefs.
My history: I came to the United States about six months after I was born, arriving in April of 1986. Although I was adopted, it was quickly accepted and celebrated by neighbors, family, and friends. While it was difficult because I am different from most, I was able to maintain some of my own culture, while gaining the cultures of my parents. Unfortunately, others may disagree because I do not speak or understand much of the Korean language and do not celebrate customs from my birth country, but I did attend classes and camps to understand my own culture. I know that some adopted children from within the country and foreign countries who struggle with finding their identity. There are many children whose parents or grandparents have recently immigrated to the United States who have difficulty maintaining their language and traditions once here.
Summary: My main culture is “American”; however you want to perceive it. Although my identity may not conform to any standard heritage, I take ownership of it and enjoy the various parts from each culture.
Critical topic 1.
ReplyDeleteOne of the main issues we face in our country is that of literacy. This is a huge factor for America because we are such a melting pot of nations, and each culture has a different way of learning and understanding. When a person immigrates to another country, they do not suddenly develop a full knowledge and understanding of the English language. It is extremely hard for an adult to move to a new country at the age of 30 and immerse him or her herself into a world that is quite different than their own. I think it is important for educators to really focus on being sensitive to the different cultures, and in this way to make these adults feel more comfortable and accepted in an unknown learning setting. Without a large grasp of the English language and technologies, it is difficult for someone to really prosper in a new country. In effect, by them being better equipped in the business world, they will be able to give their families the resources to succeed as well.
One example I would like to give is that of my own grandfather. My entire family immigrated to America from Russia in the 70’s and my grandfather was an extremely successful engineer in Russia at the time. Due to political and religious turmoil my family came to America and suddenly found themselves plopped into an entirely different world. My grandfather knew that in order to succeed in this country he would have to go back to school and start from scratch. I recently had a long discussion with him on what that was like, and he told me that at first he was extremely embarrassed and ashamed that he could not speak English very well. Because of this, he found that many people looked down on him as someone who was uneducated and not as intelligent as they were. This was of course not true however, because of his lack of knowledge of the English language, this was who our culture had interpreted him to be. It took one patient and understanding teacher to change this around for him. He told me that this man made a huge difference in his life, and really took the time to understand him as an individual. When this connection was made, my grandfather was no longer afraid to break out of his shell and fluently learned English. A few years (and a lot more schooling later) my grandfather got his engineering degree in this country and was extremely successful.
The point I wanted to make through this story, was that when teaching in America, you are in effect going to end up teaching multiple cultures, and each of these students may benefit differently from different learning styles. It is important to understand students as individuals and take into account where they came from and what their future goals are.
My Cultural Background as an Italian-American
ReplyDeleteMy mother was born in a town outside Palermo in Italy and my father from Castellamare del Golfo, also in Italy. Both spoke Italian as their first language. My mother came to the United States as a toddler and my father in his late teens. Although they immigrated to the United States at different points in their lives, they both came for the same reason. They wanted a better life and more job opportunities to choose from. At that time it was very difficult to make ends meet in Italy, so they set forth in hope of better opportunities here in the United States. My mother settled in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, while my father resided in Ridgewood, Queens. Their main focus was to search for employment in order to support themselves and their families. They felt that education was an important factor in achieving their goal, so they both completed their education in the United States.
My mother was fortunate enough to adapt to society and quickly receive work after she graduated. My father also began work in an effort to help out his family. Even after immigrating to the United States, my mother and father still take pride in their Italian culture.I believe that my Italian heritage is a part of who I am.
As an Italian-American I will make it a point to pass down our Italian traditions to my children someday. We are family oriented. Because of the love for our heritage, my family decided to incorporate the traditions they celebrated in Italy into my life. As a child, I remember the delicious pasta dishes at our daily Sunday dinners as well as our fish cuisine eaten on Christmas Eve. Most of our customs and traditions are focused around food and quality time with the people we care about. I like to think it’s a symbol of our love for one another as a family.
I vividly remember my grandmother telling me stories of her life as a child in Italy because she too was born in Italy. I carry these stories with me as a memory of my grandmother and know how much they meant to her. I speak the language fluently and hope to visit my mother and father’s town one day. I enjoy celebrating my culture and am happy that I am able to maintain the customs and traditions here in the United States. I take much pride in my ancestry.
Though many people immigrate to the country, I believe some families do not always integrate their cultural background into their lives once they get here. I feel that this has made me into the person I am and have become.
Similar to some of the students in this class, I am the daughter of an immigrant. My father immigrated to America with his family from Italy when he was 13 years old. My father and his family came from a small town in southern Italy that was poor. My mother is the daughter of immigrants; my maternal grandparents also immigrated from Italy shortly before my mother was born. They left a very small town (that made my dad’s southern town look like a city). Both sets of grandparents chose to leave their homes in pursuit of a better life for their children and themselves. It has always been particularly difficult for me to understand the struggle that my father (and his older brother who was 17 at the time of immigration) faced. To put his age and time in perspective, I often think of myself at 13, acclimating to high school, trying to understand myself better, and honestly confused as to who I was and who I wanted to become. For my father, this was particularly hard because at 13 in his town he was considered an adult, not a child. I could not imagine experience all of this all while overcoming a language barrier, acclimating to a completely new lifestyle, working to help contribute to family income, and re-orienting yourself from a more adult lifestyle to that of a child.
ReplyDeleteIt has taken me a long time to fully understand the struggles my father face and his struggle has become more apparent through my work with new students during new student orientation. Through working with international students through this program, common struggles and obstacles become apparent quickly. Aside from orienting to a new way of life and a new learning styles, students suffer from homesickness, familiarizing themselves with a new home, and developing confidence enough to overcome language barriers and open up to other students. This is a topic that needs to be addressed more for adult learners. Intensive programs offered to international adult learners need to be better developed and defined at colleges and universities to address specific needs. I believe that these programs can offer the opportunity to help expand create a positive experience for international adult learners that can allow for a better flow of cultural communication, particularly because by providing this additional programming and service to international adult learners, educators can empower them to be more confident which will intern increase interaction and community building with their fellow students.
Educators of Multicultural Classrooms
ReplyDeleteTaj’ullah X. Sky Lark
One of the priorities in education reform is to address the importance of multicultural curriculum for our growing multicultural classrooms. However, some educators, lack the cultural literacy necessary to develop or facilitate this curriculum because of how intricately woven white privilege is in the education, and because educators have not truly examined or addressed their own racism, prejudices, and biases. Some educators are lacking knowledge in the social foundations of education in the U.S. in addition to education in African American History, Native American History, and course work in Cultural Anthropology or World History.
According to the National Education Association, 2006, nearly 4 out of every 10 students are minority (40.5%) while there is a disproportionate (90%) of teachers are white. 40% of all public schools have no minority teachers, and participation in professional development workshops in multiculturalism is less than half.
While these findings emphasize the need for affirmative action in the enrollment of more minorities into education programs, and importance of diversify faculty at intuitions of education across the board. It is also a call for mandatory course work and multicultural professional development for future and present educators.
Educators in multicultural classrooms may find these books very useful in their quest for becoming facilitators of multicultural education in the 21st century:
* Beyond Heroes and Holiday: A Practical Guide to K-12 Anti-Racist, Multicultural Education and Staff Development, edited by Enid Lee, Deborah Menkart and Margo Okazawa-Rey
*The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children, by Gloria Ladson Billings
* Other People’s Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom, by Lisa Delpit
*Race and Culture in the Classroom: Teaching and Learning Through Multicultural Education, by Mary Dilg
*Understanding White Privilege, by Frances Kendall
*White Teachers/Diverse Classrooms: A Guide to Building Inclusive Schools, Promoting High Expectations, and Eliminating Racism, edited by Julie Landsman and Chance W. Lewis
*The Real Ebonics Debate: Power, Language, and the Education of African-American Children, edited by Theresa Perry and Lisa Delpit
Critical Project 1
ReplyDeleteMy ancestry stems from Trinidad, Grenada, Aruba and Scotland. However the only one I really know in depth about is Grenada. Grenada is a tri-state island that consist of Grenada, Carriacou, & Petite Martinique and numerous small islands. The main Language is English but on some parts of the island you will hear French Patois and Creoles which are other dialects from countries such as Spain, France etc. The reason for this is because of the rich history in the colonizing of Grenada to become an independent state. Britain granted Grenada their independence 1974. However, if you visit the island today you will still see that it remained a British colony in the way that they do their daily functions mainly the police, political and school system.
I was sent to reside in Grenada when I was eight years old. My parents agreed that the teaching method and education was better because it all revolved around the word discipline. I lived there for nine years completing elementary and secondary school. Then in 1997 I returned back to the U.S to complete and further my studies.
Culture
Grenada is one of the island that holds their culture and ancestry to the heart. I would consider them to be a very proud and genuine set of people. It is enforce that every man, woman and child should know where they came from, and know the reason behind every tradition. Throughout the year there are numerous activities that are kept in order to keep their tradition alive. To name a few
Big Drum: Is the nation's African dance where many remember dances from their African Tribes. During Slavery numerous Africans was brought to work on the sugarcane plantations. In performing this ritual it helped in maintaining our tribal knowledge and has help us trace our lineage to different tribes in Africa. It consist of drums and voices singing in harmony.
Quadrille: Is a form of square dance that derived from France and England. It is performed when celebrating the opening of a ceremony, store, Fete etc. It consist of base drums, tambourines, violins, triangle and partner dancers there is no voices only instruments.
Maroon: This activity occurs once per year. This is where every village on the island come together as one and celebrate together by cooking local dishes, performing the nation dances, playing games etc. Some call it keeping tradition alive.
Tombstone: Is the final part associated with death and burial, It takes place when the grave of the dead has settle and the placement of the head stone is going to be laid. The memory of the dead must be honored each year, by a mass, prayer meeting or Big Drum. This ceremony is a form of respect for our ancestors and parents and it unites and reunites all the generations. Once the stone is set, however, the spirit will rest comfortably.
Saraca: This celebration is where we cook the national dish and listen to music, special ritual and Nancy or Ananzi stories these all derive from the African tradition like the Cromanti, Manding, Igbo and others as well as English and French Creole.
Summary
When it comes to tradition it is very important to me, Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique possess such a rich culture that has to be kept alive. That has been the movement from my parents to me and I will have to do the same to my children. It brings a sense of dignity, pride, joy and understanding of one self. It promotes love and unity among each other. I guess this was the main reason why my parents sent us there to grow up. To share in the experience of loving one self and knowing where we come from so that we will know where we are heading and to keep the movement alive.
Felix Cruz posted:
ReplyDeleteReligion and Multicultural Education
Religion can be a two-edged sword when it comes to multiculturalism and promoting diversity. Hardcore religious fundamentalists tend to be segregated and will not conform to multiculturalism and diversity. Fundamentalists will usually relate to persons who follow their tenets in all aspects of their lives and will not reach out or socialize with other individuals of different religious beliefs. For some individuals, their religion takes precedent over all other microcultures. Some of the mainstream religions such as Evangelicals or Christians in general believe that we are all children of God and belief that all cultures can live together in harmony and in love for one another.
The establishment of religious schools that cater to a particular culture or ethnic group is a setback to the movement for multiculturalism and diversity in our schools. The students that attend these schools and continue their education at a school of higher learning may experience a discontinuity in teaching methods which may contribute to discouragement in the educational process. Some religious groups may contribute to a more divisive society rather than being a means to bring people of different cultural backgrounds together and therefore become vehicles that promote ethnocentric individuals.
I have always been envious of friends who had rich heritages and diverse backgrounds. Their parents came from other countries and foreign traditions played a great role in their daily lives. As far as I could tell, my family was from Rhode Island and that "townie" perspective was not nearly exciting enough. Sure, my exceptional and large family has roots and traditions of our own. When considering our ethnicity, like many Americans, the Robinson family has a diverse ancestry.
ReplyDeleteWhen I asked my parents about our ancestry, my mother had told me that we are Swedish, English and Portuguese. My maternal great grandparents had come to New England from Portugal and England. We never practiced the cultures of these countries, but in reflection, the community I grew up in was largely Portuguese. Because of this, there are countless stereotypes about the culture; I was glad that my last name was Robinson and not my mother’s maiden name of Souza!
My paternal grandparents were always more excited to share information regarding our family. They are proud of their Swedish backgrounds, although not entirely certain when the forefathers came to this country. They would take out albums and family trees, some of which trace several ancestors back to the Mayflower. My father recently called and said that we had up to 15 ancestors in Plymouth. He continued that our blood line runs so prevalently through Cape Cod that anyone who has lived there for more than fifty years, we are likely related to. I am not certain of the relevance, but if indeed true, it is a neat fact.
Regardless of the pride of my ethnicity, my family seems to identify greatly with the American culture. I was raised as a child from East Providence, more than I was as a Swedish, Portuguese or English kid. My father worked a blue collar job and we were raised to work hard and appreciate values. We were able to go to the local Catholic school, a bit of a luxury compared to the "wiles" of the public schools that my brothers and I heard about!
My naive upbringing may have led me to yearn to experience a bigger world and to shatter ignorance. I adore travel and experiencing different cultures. I am fascinated by the different ways people live. I was thrilled to have a Japanese student roommate in college, to spend a semester studying theater and traveling through Europe, to spend my summers on the Rocky Mountain Front that borders reservations. As far as I can tell, discovering diversity has nothing but good to offer those who explore.
Marijana Ljutic
ReplyDeleteDr. Perera
Race and Multicultural Education
EDGE-6101
September 16, 2009
Critical Project 1
Hot Topic: Funding For Schools
The initial teacher certification program at Fordham University requires that all candidates complete two semesters of student teaching. Since I am an adolescence educator seeking certification for grades 7-12, I student taught at both a middle school and high school. Both schools were located in the Bronx. The middle school was an old building with classrooms that were not equipped with state of the art technology and resources. The school used traditional blackboard and desks to instruct the students. I observed that my cooperating teacher; who was also a traveling teacher, carried several heavy bags from classroom to classroom to teach. He advised me that if I needed materials I should learn to be self-sufficient. I quickly realized that items such as chalk, erasers, textbooks and maps are my lifelines of survival in the classroom. I asked my cooperating teacher, “Why doesn’t the school provide these items?” The response, “It is not in the school funding and budget was given to me.”
The second school I taught at was a high school that had many available resources for its use and disposal to the students. The classrooms had Apple computers, lab tops, LCD projectors as well as, whiteboards that use color expo-markers, and the newest editions of textbooks and maps. The difference between both schools was astonishing considering that the middle school and high school were relatively close to each other in proximity.
On the issue of race, the middle school reflected a large Latino cultural influence. This in turn meant that the focus was on social skills rather then the issue of teaching as a means of learning. Within the high school, the student population was mostly comprised of Arabic students. Their culture deems that emphasis is placed upon the use of teaching and the teacher as the authoritive figure in class. For Arabs, it is important to listen and read information in order to learn.
Heritage: I am an African American woman from Long Island, New York. Both of my parents were born and raised in New York as well. My family moved to Atlanta, Georgia when I was in the fourth grade. I experienced a culture shift during this time. There was a difference in the dialect, cuisine, and socialization. At an early age I learned how to maintain my own identity while take part in the culture surrounding me. I developed what some would call “southern hospitality”, yet I maintained my northern accent. Through out my childhood and teenage years I spent time between both New York and Georgia. I have always been able to transition between both cultures
ReplyDeleteOur family history has been traced back to the 1830’s in Sumter, South Carolina. My maternal grandparents were born and raised in South Carolina. During their teenage years they moved to the north (New York) for the opportunity to start a new life and to finish their education. My maternal grandparents were active during the civil rights movement. They imparted to me a rich sense of my cultural heritage and a sense of pride for those who fought for freedom and equality. They worked very hard to establish their own restaurant that has been open since 1974. At the age of seventy-six my grandfather is still managing the daily activities of our family eatery. Their lives have served as a source of inspiration for me to achieve my goals and dreams. Their struggles and triumphs are the essence of the fibers that hold my family together.
My Jamaican mother and Trinidadian father emigrated to Canada where they met. They had ties in New York and visited often so I happened to be born in Brooklyn. We relocated to New York when I was 6 years old. They separated when I was 7 and later divorced. Because I saw little of my father and his side of the family I identify most with my Jamaican heritage. I spent most summer vacations in Jamaica and grew up in Queens amongst African Americans, Latinos and West Indians from various islands. We moved to Long Island when I was 14 where I attended a predominantly white high school.
ReplyDeleteMy maternal grandmother lived in the countryside and my maternal grandfather in Kingston, the capital of Jamaica. My mother grew up living with her father, a successful contractor and labor union leader. She and her siblings lead a charmed life in a large home with household servants, tutors, private piano lessons and they were chauffeur driven to school. Whenever my mother shares stories about the opportunity and privilege she enjoyed as a child, she also talks about her disappointment in the fact that she didn't take advantage of it to further her education and obtain a profession. She would say, "I could have been a lawyer, doctor or a nurse but I guess I thought my father would always provide for me. I never gave much thought to my future." She would tell us about how she gave money, shoes and books to her less fortunate schoolmates who ended up working hard and becoming successful professionals, because they hungered for more, she reasoned.
After high school she worked in retail for many years in Jamaica and then relocated to Canada. She worked as a nanny and later she and my father opened a small variety store in Montreal. It was a successful business but my father wanted to move to New York. We moved to Brooklyn and then Queens where she did in-home nursing care. She eventually got a full time position at a hospital where she spent over 25 years as a nurse's aide and continued to do in-home nursing on a part-time basis. At that point she was a single mother working very hard to provide for her two children. Making sure my brother and I got a good education was very important to my mother, especially because she regretted not furthering her own. We went to private school until we moved to Long Island where she felt the public schools met her academic standards.
Based on my experience, many first and second generation immigrants are of the opinion that some Americans don't take advantage of the opportunities that life in The United States has to offer. I would say they are proponents of meritocracy and just don't understand why all Americans, regardless of their circumstances, haven't been able to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and make the American dream a reality, like the voluntary immigrants (largely European) that have been allowed to assimilate on a structural level. Whether they realize it or not, I believe some immigrants assume this position to find common ground with members of the dominant culture, that share their opinion, to better facilitate their own assimilation.
The issue of how race intersects with academic achievement is an issue for educators in general. I am particularly interested in exploring the dynamics and perceptions between and among voluntary and involuntary immigrants, as it relates to race and its impact on academic achievement.
Critical Reflection #2: Tracking
ReplyDeleteTracking is an interesting topic that was addressed in chapter 3 of Gollnick and Chinn. In several schools and classrooms throughout the country, students are placed into grades, academic classes, and groups based on ability. In theory, the practice is beneficial because it places students in a classroom or group that best meets their needs. Teachers can then plan lessons and set expectations that are reasonable for each students. However, studies have shown that tracking tends to serve students based on economic status and parental involvement more than students’ abilities (Gollnick & Chinn, 2009, 113). Oakes (2005) adds that test scores, recommendations, and parent student choice are the typical ways that students are placed in higher tracks, therefore more minority students and those in a low socioeconomic status are in lower tracks (13). We have to be aware of the students we place in these tracks, but also if the way we place them is fair for all.
Additionlly, Oakes interviewed students and found that a majority of them in the low track classes stated they had less motivating lessons and engaging activities, spending more time on discipline than content (2005, 107-109). If we are to continue tracking students, teachers should teach to the needs of their students regardless of how they are grouped. If a low-track class needs to learn how to multiply, the teacher can still teach it in a motivating way. Then, if they learn it, the teacher can move on and continue the curriculum rather than keeping students unengaged and unmotivated.
Tracking is not the best way to meet the student needs. Students are smart and know if they are good at a subject or not. They also know when they are placed into the low, middle, or high groups. This will either fuel or destroy their motivation. If a class is in the low group, they will complete the “self-fulfilling prophecy” where students do what teachers expect them to do (Gollnick & Chinn, 2009, 111). I know from my experience that when teachers know that they will have a bad class or a bad day, it will happen. In addition, there are some students who have a great ability in math, but may not do well in English. Tracking may force some students who are good at one subject to be in several, or create the mentality that they have to be in all of the higher track classes to be successful.
Therefore, tracking should not be used in schools. It creates stereotypes in the minds of students and teachers based on race, gender, and socioeconomic status. Schools can create more positive environments by having smaller class sizes, increase community support and services, and have more professional development opportunities for teachers. Teachers can create a comfortable environment for all students to learn. Training teachers to use differentiated instruction in the classroom will enable them to meet the needs of every student, regardless of his or her ability.
References
Gollnick, D. M. & Chinn, P. C. (2008). Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic Society with
MyEducationLab (8th Edition) (MyEducationLab Series). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Oakes, J. (2005). Keeping Track: How Schools Structure Inequality, Second Edition. New Haven: Yale University Press.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHot Topic: Helping students and parents to appreciate other cultures and races
ReplyDeleteI think it is important for students to learn and appreciate about cultures other than their own. Some students will grow up in an area that is really not what one would consider to be a ‘melting pot.’ I went to college with one girl who only knew people that were 100% Portuguese until she attended middle school. I found this hard to believe until I visited her hometown and realized that mostly everyone was Portuguese. She had learned about other countries and cultures as she progressed in school, but did not really experience them until entering college. After discovering this, I thought more about how my students might be unaware of cultures other than their own. I started to think about ways that I could make my students more aware of who their fellow classmates truly are, and what they value.
Over time, I started to notice that many students knew about other countries, races, ethnicities, languages, etc., but did not really know about cultures other than their own. I think it is important to teach about the cultures of others, especially since most classrooms are highly diverse nowadays. I believe that this will help students to have a better understanding of who their classmates are, and what is important to them. When in school, I was involved something called “Around the World Day.” This called for each student to spend several weeks researching their own culture: food, religious values, language(s), clothing, leisure, sports and much more. By the time “Around the World Day” came around, each student was expected to create a board about their culture and some sort of food that was typically made in their country. Then, on the actual day, family members were invited to the gymnasium to see the classes’ final products. Each student stood at a table with their board and could explain about their country to students from other grade levels, faculty members, and families that had to come to the special event. After some time, everyone was invited to eat the food that students (and their families) had prepared.
This was a great way for the students to learn about other cultures. I feel that if more schools or classrooms did similar things it would be highly beneficial for both the students and their parents. It is a great way for students to learn more about their culture, but also gives them a chance to understand more about the cultures of their fellow classmates. I truly believe that if we know more about others, and who they are, we can be more open and understanding.