Category: 680Final

ED 680 Multicultural Education Final Reflection

Rather then going to school to become a doctor or a lawyer, I chose to go to school and to study these two very things, culture and power. I spent my days studying how people have survived in various environments around the world and the role(s) that colonialism, power, race, and privilege have played in the oppression of people on all continents. One of my degrees is in Africana Studies (yes, that is spelled correctly). Africana Studies is a social field that allows people to examine history, anthropology, narrative, science, and various other fields from a non-western perspective. I think that by understanding that history is written by the victors is very limiting and that all people would benefit in their understanding of equity if they would go beyond trying to use limited understandings and narratives to comprehend the world around them. The world is so much bigger then a social studies book and multiple viewpoints do not always supply us with the narratives that we need if they are all coming from the same school of thought.

Sapir and Whorf gave us an interesting theory in Anthropology. They said that a person’s worldview is determined by the language that they speak. This theory is known as, linguistic relativity. Since establishing this theory, many have poked holes in it, but certain elements remain clear to me such as cultural elements that have been introduced by privileged cultures to those that have become victimized due to colonialism. There are many cultures that do not have words for suicide, starvation, poverty, racism, etc. These are values that did not exist among their people or as norms in their cultures. Despite the non-existence of theses elements, they have become common place in less privileged communities. As an educator I do not want to create an environment where my students are hidden from the truth. I want to empower them with useful knowledge and not with fairy tales, heroes and holidays-so that the world is not so foreign to them when they are no longer within the safe confines of a classroom or a school. I know that youth are not absent to the presence of unfortunate happenings in their lives and communities-and that harsh realities are not reserved for mature adults. Many of the youth that we will be facilitating knowledge to have plenty of experiences that they can share with us and I plan to be open to that.

The three sets of words that I chose from our word wall are cultural humility, critical thinking, and privilege. I think that these three terms are beneficial when one is finding the need to engage in critical dialogues about race, multiculturalism, or even critical pedagogues involving breaking down dominant cultural barriers. I also think that these are important practices that one must participate in. While acknowledging ones privilege is the first step in bringing about equity, being humble and asking for a place at the table is the second step, not just taking up space in these dialogues.

cultural humility- Cultural humility is the “ability to maintain an interpersonal stance that is other-oriented (or open to the other) in relation to aspects of cultural identity that are most important to the [person].” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_humility)
critical thinking-noun the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment. (https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=critical%20thinking%20definition)
privilege-a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group of people. (https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=privilege%20definition)

In order to teach in a culturally responsive way, I plan to utilize resources such as elders, artists, the SLAM, and the natural environment. I am going to call upon my students to become as familiar with the resources that are available to them as possible and to share that understanding with others. I am hoping to plan self directed learning units with my mentor/teacher so that my students can shine as independent learners and to be able to garner achievement that is truly their own. Ideas of ownership over knowledge content and community are important to people that have been historically disenfranchised. This may be a reality that holds true for the student population that I will be working with at Yaakoosge Daakahidi Alternative High School. Within the realm of social studies, students have an opportunity to learn about societies all around the world and how they might fit into them as youth and as adults. I want to take it a step further and help them understand that they have the power to shift social norms in their own quests for empowerment.

Gunalchéesh

Final 680- Reflections

  1. How does understanding culture and power impact your teaching?

Culture is integral to the core of a person, and our students are no different. The history of education has neglected to importance of an individual’s culture, and subsequently removed some of the power that the individual felt. As educators in the current age, we are called on to provide a holistic plan pf learning for our students. Part of this plan has to take into account the importance and value of the culture that our students bring into classroom. By recognizing the cultural relevancy of our students, we can empower them to realize the importance that they bring to the world around them.

2.  Pick three terms that resonate with you from the Multicultural Education word wall. Define the terms and discuss why you chose these three terms.

As a teacher, we have the power to influence our student in a myriad of ways. We can change how our students view the world, impact the lifestyle decisions they make, and adjust their perception of self. Students are influence in a variety of ways, and in some case they are not positive. In the most tragic cases, some students may not have a single positive influence in their life. It is our duty to try and be as positive an influence as positive.

As a positive influence, our students can gain a sense of empowerment. Empowerment is such an important part to a person’s self-confidence. And self-confidence is key to a person’s success.

The last word on our Culture Term Wall that spoke to me is Hope. This class has given me a huge amount of hope for the future. It has opened my eyes to issues in society that I hadn’t considered, but it has also exposed me to 40+ individuals that are all excited about creating change. And change can be a very good thing.

3.  Describe your plan to teach in a culturally responsive way in the coming year. Include teaching strategies you might employ as well as content/units you will implement

Teaching in a culturally responsive way requires the employment of several tactics to get students excited about learning. One of the first tasks as a teacher is to understand the background that each student comes from. Our students will bring with them a variety of experiences, and each one is valuable in its own, unique way. Being a culturally responsive teacher requires that we acknowledge those values and experiences, and we do our best to incorporate them into the lessons.

Along with recognizing students’ previous experiences, the content of the lessons needs to be put into a context that is relatable and understandable. The context that we frame our lessons needs to be accessible for all of our students in order to insure that no one group or individual is left out of the learning opportunity. By using project-based learning, expert/elder involvement, place-based education, and cultural identity recognition, I hope to be successful in teaching in a culturally responsive way for my students.

Final Reflections

Culture is a multifaceted object that takes continuous learning to understand. Knowing that about culture can definitely help you as a teacher grow, and when you grow as a teacher, so do your students. The benefits of a multicultural classroom  are major. Instead of having a day or a unit where you learn about a culture, you can mix it in the school year curriculum.  It’s so important knowing about multiple cultures, it really supplies a base for learning.

Background Knowledge, Community Gap, and Parental Involvement are the words that I chose from the Multicultural Education word wall. I chose them because I feel that they are thinks will be very important in the classroom. They are also things that I feel directly apply to the teaching strategies that I learned in this class. Its important to know that not every student has the same background knowledge about a subject that you may have. It may be important to assess that background knowledge before you assume that they have it. The community gap that exists in a school system is a really important issue. The fact that a community gap exists is something that I never really experienced until reading BH&H. I come from such a small town that the entire town is involved in nearly every aspect of schools. From becoming members of the school board, to attending basketball games. I believe that with such a strong community engagement, the students will feel more in-tune with their school and community. Parental involvement is something that I feel could strengthen the bond between students and schools. In BH&H, the parent wasn’t sending their student to extracurricular activities because they didn’t know about them. With parental involvement, that wouldn’t happen (or at least not for that reason).

I plan on teaching my lesson plan this upcoming year. The content is really based on the knowledge of a culture bearer and having them involved in the classroom. I feel like it will be so beneficial for the students to be involved with elders. They are a vat of knowledge that the students could definitely utilize.

Making Children Dance: Final Reflection for 680

  1. How does understanding culture and power impact your teaching?

This question is a strong one. It can be read with such ease at a first glance, inviting many different keywords to the mind instantly. However, when I stop to really read the words and think about what this question means to me, it is a much deeper notion. Culture is a part of who we are. It affects so many things about us: the way we view ourselves and others, the way we see ourselves in relation to the world, the way we function in everyday life. Culture is at our core; we cannot change that. Power is something we can, change, though. We are all born with certain amounts of power in society, and much of that depends on the ethnic and socioeconomic classes to which we belong. Once we recognize that, we have the ability to fight against the uneven spread of power. But ultimately, we as teachers must recognize that each person has power; power to change themselves, power to move people, power to fight against injustices. And we each have the opportunity to do that, grasping onto the colorful and beautiful clothing, tools, decorations, and instruments our culture has given us.

2.  Three terms on our word wall have really stuck with me:

Barriers
Barriers are all around our students. They come into the classroom with baggage and pain, prejudices and fears. Barriers come between us. They isolate us. This word stuck with me because one of my main jobs as a teacher is to pound at those barriers with everything that I have and bring my students together as a strong, diverse family.

Determination
Breaking down barriers requires a lot of determination. A huge word that has stuck with me this year reminds me of this term: grit. It takes a lot of grit and determination to achieve the things we want. When I am determined, I don’t give up, even when it seems hopeless. This kind of force and energy is what I hold with me as I invest in breaking down barriers and bringing my students together.

Safe place
Creating a safe place is my main desire when I think about the classroom environment I want to create. When someone is in a safe place, he or she feels loved, cared for, invested in, listened to, and free to be who they are. That is exactly what a classroom full of wonderful, brilliant minds should be. I want every student to feel these things from me and their peers. I want them to know that they belong in our family.

3. After this class, I feel even more compelled to teach in a culturally responsive way. The first tactic I will use is creating an environment for students to have open discussions when needed. I want my students to feel free to speak their minds and feel protected in our conversations. I will make an effort to address key issues going on in our world and community. I will also introduce units and activities that allow students to research about their own cultures and others’ and present them to the class. I envision doing something similar to the iBook project with my class, except on a smaller scale, so that students take ownership of their cultures as they share about them to their classmates.

Side note: enjoy my featured image; it is from a 50-student cello ensemble concert Meghan and I helped put on this past year in Juneau. 🙂

Final Reflection

I think understanding culture and recognizing disparaging power structures is crucial to being an effective teacher. If we are blind to these issues we will consistently see failure where there’s simply a lack of scaffolding or support, and we will do a disservice to our students and ourselves.

The three worlds that especially resonated with me from our word wall are:

White privilege: A lot of people underestimate the extent of their own privilege, and don’t pay attention to the ways their lives are made easier simply by existing in a recognizable and highly prized demographic. It’s necessary for us to acknowledge the places where we succeed due to our race, but more importantly it is our duty to use our place of privilege to fight these injustices and bring these problems into the light.

Boot straps: Until this class I hadn’t thought of this phrase as anything but a positive–the concept of being able to pull yourself up again after being knocked down has always seemed very self-empowering. But it’s again a point of recognizing that bootstraps are a privilege–I might have them but someone else might not, or mine might be made of steel cable and someone else’s might be made of spaghetti. It’s foolish and harmful to expect someone with spaghetti bootstraps to be able to accomplish the same as someone with steel. There’s also nothing in this analogy that speaks to helping other people after they’ve fallen, or allowing yourself to be helped. My job as an educator is to lend a helping hand and/or spare bootstraps to my students, helping them navigate the pitfalls of a society that is often willfully blind in regards to metaphorical footwear.

Influence: Influence comes from all aspects of life. People are influenced by the music they listen to and the movies they watch, the advertisements they see and the way their culture is (or often isn’t) represented in society. Kids are influenced by parents, friends, and teachers–my job is to make sure I am a positive influence in their lives and provide them with opportunities to make up their own minds for themselves.

3.  Describe your plan to teach in a culturally responsive way in the coming year. Include teaching strategies you might employ as well as content/units you will implement.

My plan of how to teach in the coming year boils down to making sure my students are aware of the ways society wants to control them–not in necessarily a negative way, but just to shine a light on situations so they can make conscious and informed decisions about what they want to do and why. I think especially in the Mat Su valley where there is no strong Alaska Native influence it’s especially crucial to remind students of the respect they need to show to these cultures that are grounded in the state they live in. I’ll definitely be using the lesson plan I created for this class and many more to incorporate Alaska Native culture into my classroom to keep working on their understanding and respect of cultures that are potentially different from their own.

Final Reflection 680

Please reflect on the following Essential Question that has been posted on the front wall for the last three weeks:

1. How does understanding culture and power impact your teaching?

2. Pick three terms that resonate with you from the Multicultural Education word wall. Define the terms and discuss why you chose these three terms.

3. Describe your plan to teach in a culturally responsive way in the coming year. Include teaching strategies you might employ as well as content/units you will implement.

  1. Culture is the lens through which one views and makes sense of the world. Everything around one makes up culture: language, place, habits, beliefs, values, food, clothing, attitudes, spirituality, etc. Understanding culture enables a teacher to be able to understand how students perceive the world around them. It is less likely that students will grab ahold of topics and issues presented if the material is not related to their culture; if it is irrelevant.
  2. Three words that stand out for me off the world wall are “critical thinking,” “fragmentation,” and “hope.”

Critical thinking is the process of thinking and of thinking about how to think. It is observing and analyzing and creating something (e.g. ideas) from said information. It sticks out to me as it is, in my opinion, the main end goal in all aspects of education, regardless of subject. More than anything, I as a teacher want my students to be able to look at the world and all the information it contains and be able to think about everything and how it all interrelates. I want them to be able to make sense of the world and to create new things with existing information.

Fragmentation is the idea of splitting a society into distinct cultures and partaking in an intersociety battle of whose culture is more important or whose culture has suffered the most. To me, it’s a term that needs to be remembered about and referenced to frequently enough to not forget that it exists; that peoples everywhere bring things to the table and have lived through different struggles. No one cultures struggles are greater or less than anyone else’s, and all cultures are to be recognized and valued.

Hope is an expectation or desire for something to happen. Everyone has hope, but for different things, and there is lots of hope around. Students may hope to learn something or pass a class, and teachers hope students exceed expectations.

3. My plan is to include as many cultures as are present and wish to be represented in my classroom. A big section of culture is place, which will be used in my French classroom; using the locale of Juneau to describe the students’ world in French. An idea I have to extend French outside the classroom is to introduce students to other French speakers in the community and create an extra-credit system of having students speak with these people outside of class in French. It may even work within the school proper, having students talk to each other across experience levels.

 

ED680 Reflection

  1. How does understanding culture and power impact your teaching?
    Understanding culture helps me reflect on how unseen influences can impact my students and how my lens influences how I see things as well. The way I see things influences the way I interact with others and I need to be aware of that especially when with my students so  I can make sure everyone feels safe and welcome in my room.

2.  Pick three terms that resonate with you from the Multicultural Education word wall. Define the terms and discuss why you chose these three terms.

Meritocracy: Meritocracy is a word that resonates with me because its what I had previously believed was the system we had. I thought that anyone who worked hard enough could move up in the world but now i see that is not the case. Meritocracy works best for people like me, white middle class people. However meritocracy does not work well for suppressed people.

Tolerance: Tolerance is a word that resonates with me because it is what I thought we were trying to achieve. Acceptance for all cultures and a mind set of “you do your thing and I’ll do mine”, was the plan, now I see that there is way more to a multicultural education.

Celebration: This is not a word on the wall but it should be. I think this is what we should strive for in our classrooms. Everyone celebrating and embracing the cultures of the room. everyone seeing the value of the individual differences

3.  Describe your plan to teach in a culturally responsive way in the coming year. Include teaching strategies you might employ as well as content/units you will implement.

My plan is to conduct lessons that are relevant to the area i’m in, to conduct myself in a way that conveys love and patience to each and everyone of my students, and to build a classroom environment in which all students have the opportunity to succeed.

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