Multicultural Education in 2010

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Kara Herrguth Theorist Paper Affiliation UNM Alexa Parker 11/17/2010 Theorist Paper 2,

Title: Why Assess Teachers? The controversy of assessing teachers for the wrong reasons.

Introduction: As congress get together to determine ways to save themselves money they rack their brains about education reforms and budget cuts. In this article Michael Apple talks about the how assessing teachers is not the best form of decision making that congress has made. High stakes assessments based on how well a teacher performs. The problem to “fix” the educational system. Michael Apple writes this article to inform people of his beliefs of the contradictory proposals to fix education. Why Assess Teachers talks about how small private schools are so much better then the public schools. Not that Michael Apple agrees he is more discussing his awareness of it. The article also discusses how there is a second proposal to fix schools and that is to give the state and federal government almost total control of public schools where they establish a national standards list and testing. This law

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views that public education can only be good if the only if the government has complete control over the curriculum and teaching. This is where the assessment of teachers comes into play. This is where teachers start losing jobs for not meeting the requirements of the state and federal government regulations. Multicultural Education: I feel that multicultural education can be very beneficial to students and to teachers. To learn about other cultures and societies opens up a whole new world of opportunities for people. Teachers can’t expect to go to college get their degree and never learn anything ever again. As humans we are learning new things about people everyday. If a teacher has a classroom where there are students of different backgrounds it really makes them a better teacher. The author talked more about the assessment of teachers and how it’s not right to hold such high standards for them. Will I can’t agree with that because teachers need to keep their teaching fresh and new. When you teach you are also suppose to be learning. You don’t get out of college and just stop learning. The teachers that are stuck Theorist paper 4, in their ways and never want to change anything and don’t want to take other ideas are better off not teaching at all. I do agree with how Apple says that there is “no universal agreement on what makes a good teacher”. I feel very strongly about this statement because what congress feels makes a good teacher isn’t always the case. Congress feels that a good teacher is a teacher who’s class meets AYP each year rather than looking at a teacher’s gains from the year. You can take a small private school which are the best according to some and put them up against a large public school which is not as good. You will get completely different results. It doesn’t mean that one teacher is better than the other chances are the one in the public school just might be better than the one from the “better” school. Teachers need to be assessed when it comes to are they doing their jobs the way they are suppose to be done. According to Apple the reason a lot of these teachers maybe failing is because of the lack of resources they have at their disposal. The schools that do well tend to get all of the money. If you have money then you can buy resources you need to make the gains that congress wants to see. Private schools are housed mostly by Theorist Paper 5, students from wealthy families who can afford to be involved in the education of their children where a lot of the time the students who come from some public schools have 1 parent households or households where both parents work full time and there is no one home for them when they get home from school. There is a huge difference when parents are home to guide their children after school toward the right activities. Students who have parents at home are more likely to get their homework completed rather than just sit in front of a television or videogame until bed time. Final Thought: Maybe it should be the parents that are the ones who are assessed instead of putting all of the blame on the teachers, or maybe we could point a finger at congress for giving constantly cutting the educational budget and making it harder to get dedicated teachers that want to work for minimal pay and loss of resources. As teachers we are molding our future congressmen and women, doctors, lawyers, administrators, governors and even presidents yet we get cut after cut in our budgets for educations. It is no wonder the budget is as screwed up as it is because the education that the

Theorist Paper 6, people received is getting of lower quality. The teachers are not getting worse the budget is.

Recommendations: Anyone who is a parent, educator or students needs to really think about how hard teachers really have to work. In public schools teachers see the students more than the parents who work full time do and teachers need 100% support from parents when it comes to discipline and education. The more of a team that parents and teachers are the better in the long run students will do. The congress needs to stop trying to come up with new ideas for education give us our funding back and stop setting our children up to fail. Use the teachers for what they were trained for to teach not as long term babysitters to teach children how to do well on standardized tests.

Henry Louis Gates Jr. From IAE-Pedia Jump to: navigation, search

The Mirror Without My Reflection

The Negation of Multi-Cultural America in the Literary Canon

In his essay, "The Master's Pieces: On Canon Formation and the African-American Tradition", Henry Louis Gates Jr. writes about giving his "Piece" as a four year old in front of his family and the congregation of his church. It's an eloquent story about how each child recites parts of a master work to which everyone belongs. Belonging in the literary canon is what Gates' essay is about. In his portrayal, Gates finds that he is reflected in the master work of the writing they are to recite. He is respected and accepted as a valued member of society.

But in his essay Gates also writes how the larger literary canon has been written for and by white men. And that men like, Allan Bloom and William Bennett, are keepers of what literary masterpieces end up in the compilation called the canon. As Gates puts it, they are "the Keepers of the Master's Pieces". Gates shows how the canon is rigid and non-reflective of multicultural American experience. It is an adoption of European English literature. And because it does not reflect African American, (or Asian American, Hispanic American etc.) experience, American students are not finding themselves in literature in their own classrooms. This matters because in literature we find "...those passages of books that named for us what we had for so long deeply felt, but could not say...". In other words if we don't find ourselves reflected in print how do we know we matter or even exist to the rest of society. How will anyone else in the future know? How will our children or their children know?

The essay, "Canon Confidential: A Sam Slade Caper" is a funny essay by Gates, mocking the unwritten rules of entry into the literary canon, (no minorities need apply), and the inability to get out of the canon even if one wants to. It's written as a mystery, which makes complete sense, because how a literary work becomes part of the canon is a mystery. The story portrays a detective going into the recesses of society no one ever goes to, (the literati), finding out awful secrets that people want to hide, (who gets into the canon and why). Gates reveals how so many authors are not even considered for acceptance into the literary canon because they are women or black or both.

The message I get from the essays in "Loose Canons: Notes on the Culture Wars" by Gates, is that literature reflects culture, and if the literary canon of a society ignores writings of much of its society, what is it reflecting? It's reflecting it's negation of huge portions of society, and that's not good for anybody within the society. How will students learn about literature and authors of their society? Will it be forever from the point of view of the majority class? It reminds me of the notion of "High Art", which is art made by and for the elite few who can make it and "understand" it. As an art student I was shocked and insulted when I heard of the concept that such a notion existed and worse, that there were many, many, people who bought into it. And while the acceptance of the notion has changed somewhat, it's still accepted by many.

Gates is taking action by working on an African American Literary Canon. It's awful that a separate canon has to be formed; it makes me think it's a "separate but equal" literary canon. Yet, what are we to do? If the canon won't accept, promote, write about, or teach other works than those that are on the accepted list, then someone has to get on the "soapbox" and shout out the rest of the works by all the other authors not listed, because it exists and is valid, and valuable and meaningful and reflects the plurality of America. So what should we do, future teachers like myself? Research and include works of literature that are not listed in the canon, works that reflect the cultural makeup of our students. And maybe even write some works ourselves.

Cindy Carson The University Of New Mexico October 25, 2010

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==Brief Overview==

This entry examines the rationale for and the implementation of various multicultural curricula developed by critical educational reformers and classroom teachers who share a belief that the “absolute certainties and universal truths as mined from the depths of white, Western culture – are weak and limiting guidelines for deciding what and how students will learn in the twenty-first century (Oakes & Lipton, 2007, p, 95).

==Multicultural and Sociocultural Perspectives==

Advocates for curricula that embraces both multicultural and sociocultural perspectives,

Press for reform with two main principles in mind: that the curriculum should be culturally democratic, and that the contents of the curriculum should suit what we know about learning and cognition. It follows from these principles that social justice in schools and society is a powerful guide for developing curricula that are useful, intellectually rigorous, culturally cohesive and accessible to all. (ibid., p. 95)

For example, Jane Addams’s writing encourages the developers of multicultural and bilingual curriculum to include the “handicrafts and occupations, their traditions, their folksongs and folk lore, the beautiful stories which every immigrant colony is ready to tell and translate” (Addams in Calhoun, 1969, pp. 421-423) of first generation Americans. W. E. B. DuBois cautions that,

We should fight to the last ditch to keep open the right to learn, the right to have examined in our schools not only what we believe, not only what our leaders say, but what the leaders of other groups and nations, and the leaders of other centuries have said. We must insist upon this to give our children the fairness of a start which will equip them with such an array of facts and such an attitude toward truth that they can have a real chance to judge what the world is and what its greater minds have thought it might be. (DuBois in Foner, 1970, pp. 230-231)

Researcher Ladson-Billings (1994) addresses the role of language and culture as a factor in children’s academic success. She examines the connection between the content and structure of schools and the social class and race of the students. “Cultural capital” or that which a society most values when awarding high-paying jobs, entrée to most professions, or even high-status colleges, aligns with white, middle or upper class knowledge, values and dispositions. Delpit (1995), in her seminal work Other Peoples’ Children, insists that all children, regardless of race or economic status, “should have access to the knowledge and skills they will need to participate fully in the culture – as long as they understand that they are learning a particular code of power and not simply the ‘right’ or ‘best’ culture or language” (p. 46).

Nieto (1996) advocates for classroom teachers to employ a “critical pedagogy” or social critique when examining the cultural content of their school’s curriculum. Critical pedagogy,

Links knowledge of diversity and inequality with actions that can make the culture more socially just…the goals is not merely to expose injustice (or to generate guilt among white affluent Americans). Rather, it is to help students see that the possibility for liberation exists side by side with oppression. (Oakes & Lipton, p. 100)

Brazilian educator Freire suggests that “students reflect on what they learn by examining its history and politics, by generating alternative explanations, by acting on what they learn…Applying these ideas to American culture…is a curriculum that teaches students the knowledge and skills of recognizing and combating racism and discrimination” (ibid. p. 101).

Banks, who is credited as being the seminal thinker in multicultural education, identifies five dimensions of an effective multicultural curriculum: content integration, the knowledge construction process, prejudice reduction, an equity pedagogy, and an empowering school culture and social structure. Some of the ideas embedded in the tenets of multicultural education embrace the teachings of Dewey (see John Dewey - The Child and The Curriculum ) over one hundred years ago. The ideas that knowledge is constructed, that knowledge becomes meaningful when presented in context, and that new knowledge is best learned when it is connected to what the student already knows.

Other researchers, like Moll (1992), view students as “funds of knowledge…that provide a rich and valid basis for learning” (in Oakes & Lipton, p. 108). Unlike traditional curricula that might “enrich” content by including examples from diverse cultures, a multicultural unit places the children, their families, and the local community at the heart of a democratic and inclusive curricula that celebrates multiple perspectives.

Almost immediately, advocates for multicultural education came under fire from political conservatives who touted an essentialist curriculum that did not challenge dominant cultural values. Declining SAT scores and American students’ poor performance on international test comparisons led to the publication of the A Nation at Risk report which strongly recommended a return to basics in the curriculum. Hirsch (1992) argues that the emphasis on “discovery learning” and teachers embracing a constructivist, social justice perspective caused the nation’s educational problems.

Most recently, social leaders are waging a cultural war against speakers of other languages by maintaining that our national unity requires using the public school system to perpetuate the assimilation of students’ home languages and traditions into an “unambiguous, ‘correct’ curriculum that students acquire rather than construct” (Oakes & Lipton, p. 111). Another roadblock to the continued implementation of a multicultural curriculum is the state standards movement of the past ten years. Rather than promote a meaningful curriculum matched to students’ cognitive and sociocultural learning styles, NCLB legislation reinforces a “one size fits all” view of teaching and learning.

Apple (2001) documents the privatization of our educational system through “vouchers” and a move toward a new more conservative mainstream ideology. The disparity in state standards and the overall lack of student achievement is leading to yet another call for educational reform. Today’s teachers,

Stand at the center of a curriculum battle – a battle shaped by traditional American understandings of merit, efficiency, competition and progress – that extend far deeper than their classrooms. The traditional curriculum does not match the way students learn, and it favors Americans of wealth, and power. (ibid. p. 114).

Tiff Peterson

Educ 593

Alexa Parker

Theorist Review

Transformative Knowledge + Action = A Better Democracy

The article I read and studied from Race, Ethnicity and Education was distinct because it is one in a series of documents put out by the University of Washington’s Center for Multicultural Education as part of a research project unearthing the history of multicultural education. The purpose of the project is to help educators and leaders learn from the past so as to inform school reform efforts currently connected to diversity issues. The reason I think this article is insightful is because it gives so much historical evidence of past reform efforts as well as the philosophical obstacles to continuing reform. It is written by James Banks, professor at the University of Washington and longtime reformer and pioneer in the area of multicultural curriculum.

This particular article analyzes reform efforts and what was going on historically, politically and sociologically from the years 1911 to 2000.

Due to massive immigration at the beginning of the twentieth century, the U.S. was experiencing an influx not only of ‘old’ European immigration, but also ‘new’ Europeans: those hailing from southern, eastern and central Europe. This was unsettling to many since these immigrants differed from ‘native Americans’ (the old Europeans). Many were Catholics, Jews, Italians and Poles. At the time, many also came from China and Japan, but all were considered to be less than and separate from the previous ‘old’ European immigrants. These newer immigrants became targets since they threatened the prevailing native paradigm and way of life. Eventually, a small group of this marginalized group, mainly Jewish and African-American scholars, created a transformative paradigm, whereby they began to challenge this native paradigm. The interesting thing to me is that through the creation of this new knowledge or paradigm, these scholars were actually acting as part of a well-working democracy, as people who are entitled to certain rights and have responsibilities under the Constitution, they were asserting these same rights.

As Banks and the PBS series, “Race: The Power of Illusion,” also makes clear, due to the dominant prejudices and perceptions of these ‘native’ Americans, many of the newer immigrants began to slowly release their traditional ways of living in order to assimilate into the larger ‘white’ culture. Through direct acts of Congress, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the Immigration Act of 1917 and the Immigration Act of 1924, immigration from these marginalized areas of the world was curtailed.

Many immigrants, including people of color, couldn’t assimilate into ‘white’ culture and, though they entered the U.S., weren’t able to thrive due to the exclusion they experienced in society. Again, though, some of these same marginalized groups were able to give voice to their rights violations and pointed to the core philosophy of democracy as the reason they spoke up. Unfortunately, not many of these important voices were heard. Banks mentions social scientists W.E.B. DuBois, Carter Woodson and Kelly Miller as being individuals who gave voice to this transformative paradigm. “… it is ‘outsiders’ and groups and individuals in the margins who frequently keep democratic ideals and practices alive in democratic nation states because they are among the first people to take actions to defend these ideals when they are most seriously challenged.” (Banks, 2002)

In order to escape the rampant discrimination that occurred during and after WWII, the Great Migration to northern and western cities began for many African-Americans. Yet, as many discovered, the culture of prejudice was there too. Throughout this time on many U.S. college campuses, what came to be known as intergroup education flowered. The efforts of this type of reform were marked to diffuse ethnic individualities and help mainstream all Americans, as well as to teach tolerance. Much of the best literature and research done during this era was initiated by ethnic groups that were not part of this mainstreaming effort. Again, Jewish American scholars were at the cusp of these developments. Two important works: The Authoritarian Personality and The Nature of Prejudice were the basis for many studies and research that followed. In fact, The Nature of Prejudice has been used in many works since that time postulating that interracial contact in schools innumerably increases the positive effects. Other works, particularly by African-American scholars, were not as widely read or disseminated. Banks points out that the sole exception was The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. DuBois.

During the intergroup education period of the 1940s and 1950s, studies done found that curriculum about African-Americans had positive effects on students’ attitudes. “… these studies indicate that curriculum interventions can help students develop more positive racial attitudes if certain conditions exist in the interventions.” (Banks, 2002) Though this part of the article was short, I thought this held the most promise and was the most curious about these interventions. I wondered if studies like these are being done today and if so, what the results are. I was heartened that despite the risks and non-readership, there were many, particularly in these marginalized groups, who pursued finding their voices and actually pointed the way ahead.

It wasn’t until the Civil Rights Movement that many American institutions were changed to any significant degree. With desegregation, race riots, influential leaders such as John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, there was the slow, slow impetus for change. People of color entered white schools, colleges and universities for the first time as both students and teachers. Much research done during this era produced critiques of previous studies done by white researchers. “They revealed ways in which many white scholars described their histories and cultures from deficit perspectives. These scholars developed and published a group of studies that presented their histories and cultures from ‘insider’ perspectives that were more accurate, complex and compassionate.” (Banks, 2002)

Though this era was hopeful and promising, much of what was done during this time was put on the backburner during the 1980s. Two seemingly polar groups have developed throughout these post-Civil rights years: progressive and neo-conservative. Both groups heavily influence curriculum, philosophy, research and teaching today. One thing Banks articulated very clearly in his article and that I came away understanding much better was that in every historical period, opposite or competing paradigms rise up. Much of the time the transformative knowledge paradigm has given birth to major shifts and change in the structure of the majority culture, but it has taken time and action. Largely, though, this makes for a good democracy. Banks argues, and I wholeheartedly agree, that transformative knowledge has the potential, and always has, for holistic change in social, political and educational realms. This is and has always been change for the common good.

Works Cited

Banks, James A. (2002). Race, Knowledge Construction, and Education in the USA: lessons from history. Race Ethnicity and Education, 5(1), 7-27.

Author: Tiff Peterson

University of New Mexico

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Improve Student Relations Among Race

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Introduction

This document is written in order to synthesize the article Improving Race Relations in Schools: From Theory and Research to Practice written by James A. Banks. The article discusses Banks’ research from the past about racial friendships among students and what helped/hurt the relationship. Banks goes on to demonstrating a couple of proven techniques to improve the intergroup relations in a classroom. From the article, and on the University of Washington’s website, one can easily find out that James Banks was born in an era of much racial diversity. This diversity was not portrayed as it really happened throughout the story of history. Banks has been president and director of many multicultural, social studies, and research associations. On top of his teaching and researching, he has written a number of books.

Body

The stage is being set by demonstrating the brutality that takes place in a school setting due to the lack of involvement by the teacher. Banks’ claim is that curriculum intervention by teachers will help the students have positive influences and materials that allow the students opportunity to behave positive towards individuals of other ethnic groups. At first when I read this I though it was a little steep to say that the teacher must intervene and teach the correct racial attitudes. I will say this is not my belief now because of what follows.

Banks goes onto stating his research of curriculum interventions and materials. Some of his claims are that research proves that using multicultural textbooks and teaching materials helps students to have a positive racial attitude. Other researchers’ evidence is used similar to that stated of a study of the multicultural television show, Sesame Street. This show was proven to help students have a better attitude towards peers of a different race. Positive impacts were also found when the students had experienced discrimination themselves. Another positive impact has been proven to occur when the student is immersed in plays, folk dances, music and role playing. I have to agree with these claims mostly because I have not reviewed them myself and they seem ideologically sound. A parallel to ethnic issues was given to students with disabilities. The idea is that childhood contact has a long-term positive influence on racial attitudes and attitudes towards students that have disabilities. This I have to agree with because I have experienced sympathy for students with disabilities first hand.

The next research presented is on cooperative learning and interracial contact. Bank referred to many studies where cooperative learning groups in a safe environment were used and found to be effective. Most of this research can be summed up by saying: after conducting learning exercises as integrated racial teams, both whites and blacks are tending to make cross-racial friendships, and academic achievement of students with color are increased when cooperative learning activities are used. Again came the idea that I was still a little shaky on; these interactions depend on the way the teacher arranges the groups and the activities that will be completed. I still wasn’t convinced at this point that the teacher needed to do this, but it became more clear. Banks says that a lack of teacher interventions will actually hurt the racial friendships. So, doing nothing is actually worse that just trying to make the learning environment safe and secure for everyone. A shift in this research as to what the students needed to feel to be “left in” is presented as having their needs just as important as those in the dominant culture. When the attitude is changed, as directed by the educator, these students tend to have more meaningful friendships with their ethnic counterparts.

In the same section of research the article comes up to its main point: that some people believe that prejudice is caused by ignorance of the other culture, and that it can be reduced by interventions that include information of the other races. I would have to agree that this would make a positive impact on students sitting on both sides of the fence. Many of the “myths” that cause so much racial tension are typically created because of a belief or guess that one ethnicity has towards the other. I do believe that this can be reduced because of a certain amount of information that can be passed between all parties involved. Furthermore, even in racial groups, beliefs and attitudes vary widely. The teacher must be able to get a feel for the beliefs of their students in every class and every year, and be willing to change what they bring into the class.

A suggestion given after the research was conducted is to create crosscutting superordinate groups. These groups consist of groups similar to sports teams, cub scouts, etc. Banks states that research and theory indicate that cross cultural groups in these situations will create a large superordinate group of students. I believe that Banks is on track because these groups take students’ minds off of race an focus them on a higher goal. The team groups are great because the members need assistance from the other teammates and this is a great way to get it and become more cross-cultural.

Summary

In an ever changing world, teachers and students must work to become ethnically sensitive so that race is not keeping students back. The teacher must take action and intervene to make the learning environment safe for all parties. This must not be overlooked because doing nothing is actually worse in this case than trying something. This is an issue that has hurt many students in the past and can be made positive from a few simple steps of intervening lessons and groups that allow cross-cultural students to work together.

Author: William Barbour University of New Mexico

Works Cited

Banks, James A. (2006). Improving Race Relations in Schools: From Theory and Research to Practice. Journal of Social Issues. 62(3), 607-614.

Theorist Research Paper:

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.5in;line-height:normal">Trust and Betrayal: The Effects of Betrayal Among Teachers Within the Schools

The purpose of the article “Teaching and Betrayal” by Andy Hargreaves is to examine how trust in the work place, specifically among teachers in schools, is a necessity for creating positive relationships between colleagues as well as improving the teaching abilities of teachers, and the learning abilities of students. In turn, the article illustrates how betrayal in teaching can lead to a lack of respect and decreased interactions among colleagues, thereby, affecting their ability to learn from others and teach this acquired knowledge to students. Trust, as viewed by the author, can lead to increased teacher collaboration or, a better “professional learning community” (Hargreaves, 2002, p. 393). It may be implied then, that betrayal can cause teachers to avoid interaction and conflict, thus, leading to the deterioration of the learning community.

In the article, the author defines and describes three forms of trust and betrayal among teachers. The first form, known as “’contractual trust,’ refers to people’s ability to meet their obligations, complete their contracts and keep their promises” (Hargreaves, 2002, p. 398). The second form which is referred to as “’competence trust’ involves trusting and having regard for one’s own and others’ capability, knowledge, skills and judgment, as expressed in effective delegation and the provision of professional growth opportunities” (Hargreaves, 2002, p. 398). The final form of trust and betrayal is known as ‘communication trust’ which “concerns the quality, clarity and openness of communication among colleagues in terms of disclosing information, telling the truth, admitting mistakes, keeping confidences and refraining from gossip” (Hargreaves, 2002, p. 398). The article presents a study of the negative emotions of teachers related to one of the three forms of trust and betrayal. The study was conducted among fifty teachers at fifteen varied elementary and secondary schools across Ontario, Canada. The feedback provided by these various teachers indicates that a lack of trust or betrayal of trust can lead to significant consequences in building a stronger “professional learning community.” Teachers who experienced betrayal, especially those faced with intense or continuous situations of betrayal, tended to “withdraw to their own classrooms, stay away from difficult colleagues, avoid interaction with them, and distance themselves psychologically from what they are experiencing” (Hargreaves, 2002, p. 404).

The negative feelings and experiences of teachers that coincide with a betrayal of trust in the schools can also be true of other organizations. I too, have experienced a betrayal of trust, specifically betrayal of ‘competence trust’, in the workplace. Like the teachers in the article who described their experiences of betrayal by colleagues, I have felt betrayed by one of my supervisors. I felt that no matter how hard I worked or what I did to improve my skills, I was never going to be good enough in the eyes of this particular person. This person seemed to discover the negative in every situation and would find the one fault amongst the ten strengths in anything I did. I felt that this person lacked tact and could not help me to improve my knowledge and skills in a constructive manner. This person was supposed to be in a position to help and listen to others and yet, I felt as though I could never confide in her or confront her with any problems, questions or suggestions to improve myself or the organization. To this day, I avoid conflict with my supervisor and I would rather stay away from her than engage in conversation that could potentially lead to a disagreement.

The benefits of a professional learning community as described in the article include “increased satisfaction in teaching, stronger senses of teaching efficacy…increased moral support and lessened feelings of guilt and inadequacy, lowered stress levels, enhanced capacity for coping with change and, most importantly, improvements in student achievement” (Hargreaves, 2002, pp. 393-394). If the learning community becomes weakened by betrayal of trust, then these components are less likely to exist. Similarly, if betrayal thrives in other organizations, then job satisfaction becomes significantly less, stress increases, job performance decreases etc. Success in the schools as well as any other organization depends on the ability of its colleagues to work together to form a healthy environment enriched with positivity, integrity, honesty and dedication. In order to improve student achievement that is sustainable within the schools, teachers must “blend commitment with doubt and a shared passion for improving learning and achievement, along with healthy disagreements…” (Hargreaves, 2002, 404). If trust is lacking or betrayed, then these components which help to create a strong learning environment begin to deteriorate. Teachers who feel betrayed by other teachers will avoid interactions with these teachers and thus, will lose out on opportunities for increased knowledge and understanding, thereby leading to “lessened chances of school improvement” (Hargreaves, 2002, 405).

Teachers as well as colleagues of all organizations need to better understand how betrayal can lead to lack of improvement and stability in any environment and work to correct this negative agent. Teachers must learn to set aside their differences and essentially “grow-up” and be professional in the work place. Educators possess knowledge and skills that could potentially improve schools and the students who attend them. Although one person may not agree with or like another person’s opinion, a level of respect should still be displayed. Changes within the school should benefit the greater good rather than the individual and dedication towards improvement of the school should be a priority among all. It is only when professionals learn how to alleviate the negative effects of betrayal and build and sustain trust that the schools and their students can improve.

Reference

Hargreaves, Andy. (2002). Teaching and betrayal. Teachers and Teaching: theory and practice, 8,

393-405.

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Becoming Culturally Responsive

Sonia Nieto was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. As a child and adolescent she attended New York City Public Schools for her elementary and high school education. After graduating from high school, Nieto attended St. Johns University and, in 1965, received her Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education. Continuing on with her education, Nieto attended a Graduate Program in Madrid, Spain through New York University. She later received a Master’s Degree in Spanish and Hispanic Literature. Nieto has taught in a variety of places and grade levels including teaching at the first bilingual (completely bilingual) school in the Northeast in the Bronx, where she met many inspirational people who have had an influence on her teaching and her studies. She also taught in a teacher preparation program for bilingual education in Brooklyn College. After spending some time working in the classroom in 1975 Nieto moved to Massachusetts to work on her Doctoral Studies. There she specialized in bilingual education, curriculum studies, and multicultural education. In an interview in the North American Journal of Psychology, Nieto speaks of her many mentors in Massachusetts including Paulo Freire:

When I read his books, or heard him speak, it was just like lightning. Ideas that I had thought about but hadn’t been able to articulate began to make sense: that education is always political, that the decisions we makes teachers can have consequences for our classrooms and for the students we teach, that education serves either to liberate or to domesticate students. (Gaedke, & Shaughnessy, 2002)

In addition to teaching, conducting seminars, participating in and speaking in many education programs, Nieto has also written a variety of books, among them including, What Keeps Teachers Going, Affirming Diversity, Why We Teach, and The Light in Their Eyes.

           In the beginning of chapter three of The Light in Their Eyes, Nieto discusses and defines what culture means, and how the definition can vary from individual to individual.  Nieto presents a definition of culture as “the ever-changing values, traditions, social and political relationships, and worldview created, shared, and transformed by a group of people bound together by a combination of factors that can include a common history, geographic location, language, social class, and religion” (Nieto, 1999).  Throughout the chapter Nieto discusses how teachers can be culturally responsive and create positive learning communities to enhance learning.  One change Nieto would like to see in education is for teachers to present culture to their students as something that exists in the present day.  Teachers should try and avoid reinforcing common cultural stereotypes and discuss culture as it is seen in the daily lives of people in the present.  Another change Nieto believes would enhance student learning and help students understand culture and diversity is for teachers to give their students the opportunity to bring their home languages and cultures into the classroom.   

The curriculum in most schools reflects the culture capital of the upper class English speaking Whites, which presents unequal and unfair privileges to children who are members of that group. Many children who have not grown up as upper class Whites speak other native languages at home, and instead of trying to erase that language, teachers should build on that discourse. Sometimes teachers are so focused on teaching the mainstream language, they neglect to see the benefits of incorporating other languages and cultures in their classrooms. A diverse classroom provides many opportunities to enhance learning and studies have been done to prove just that, “Research in the past 2 decades consistently has found that students who are allowed and encouraged to identify with their native languages and cultures in their schools and communities can improve their learning” (Nieto, 1999). In addition to bringing diversity into the classroom it is also crucial that teachers act as cultural mediators and help students learn according to their learning preference, and to be understanding and patient with students who are trying to learn a new language and a new culture, while also being young, perhaps feeling secluded, and in general trying to adjust in a new environment.

These are just a few of the many ways Nieto presents on how teachers can become more culturally responsive in their classrooms. If we can at least try and implement some of these changes in our classrooms our students’ learning can be positively enhanced. Sonia Nieto has been an inspiration to many and is continuing to influence teachers today through her teaching, speeches, journals, interviews, and books.

Author

Erika Sommer

University of New Mexico College of Education

References

1. Nieto, S. (1999). The light in their eyes. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

2. Gaedke, B., & Shaughnessy, M. (2002). An Interview with Sonia Nieto about Multiculturalism. North American Journal of Psychology, 4(3), 479-488.

3. Nieto, Sonia. (2009). Welcome to sonia nieto's web page. Retrieved from http://sonianieto.com/

Author: Sarah K. Lindborg

University of New Mexico College of Education

==Sonia Nieto: The Role of the Teacher Leader==

Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Sonia Nieto is a graduate of, and an advocate for, the public school system (Nieto, 2009). Upon graduating high school, she attended St. John’s University in Brooklyn where she earned a degree in Elementary Education. Nieto continued her studies, completing a graduate degree in Spanish and Hispanic Literature from New York University, the following year. She began her teaching career as a junior high English, Spanish, and English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher in an inner-city school in Brooklyn and later in the Bronx at the first fully bilingual school of the northeast. As an Instructor at Brooklyn College, Nieto taught in a bilingual education teacher preparation program before moving with her family to Massachusetts. Several years later she completed her doctoral studies with specializations in curriculum studies, bilingual education, and multicultural education (Nieto, 2009). After nearly twenty-five years teaching in the School of Education at University of Massachusetts – Amherst, Nieto is now Professor Emerita of Language, Literacy, and Culture and continues to be an active advocate for multicultural education.

Nieto (2005) believes in the potential teachers have as leaders of change – not only in their classrooms, but in their schools and communities. In order to understand the roles teachers can play she says we must first consider the current sociopolitical context in which issues of inequality exist and come from. One important context to consider is changing demographics. Today, the number of students of color, who speak other languages beside English, and/or who live in poverty has increased (Nieto, 2005). Despite the growing diversity we see in our schools today, segregation is on the rise. According to Nieto (2005), “Students in U.S. schools are now more likely to be segregated from students of other races and backgrounds than at any time in the recent past” (p. 6). The segregation we see in our schools is largely an outcome of persistent social ideologies, laws, and traditions that maintain inequalities by limiting access to basic rights such as quality education, healthcare, and housing, among others (Nieto, 2007).

The sociopolitical context influences all levels of education. Take, for example, school policies and practices around curriculum. What makes it into a curriculum and how it is presented is largely determined by the sociopolitical context (Nieto, 2007). In addition, individual teachers are not immune to the influences of the current sociopolitical context. Perhaps the best example of this is the ideology of racism.

Tatum likens this to “smog in the air”:

Sometimes it is so thick it is visible, other times it is less apparent, but always, day in and day out, we are breathing it in. None of us would introduce ourselves as “smog-breathers” (and most of us don’t want to be described as prejudiced), but if we live in a smoggy place, how can we avoid breathing the air? (as cited in Nieto, 2007, p. 301)

Recognition of the complex sociopolitical context is necessary if teachers are to move beyond inequalities and towards systemic change in their schools, communities, and beyond.

Despite the dim discussion of the current sociopolitical context, Nieto (2007) reminds us of the mounting evidence that good teachers make the greatest difference in advancing student achievement. These ‘good’ teachers are effective at meeting the learning needs of all students and thus, are successful at teaching students of diverse backgrounds.

Nieto (2007) offers five roles that these teacher leaders exemplify in their classroom. First, teacher leaders in diverse classrooms believe in, and advocate for, public education. Second, they challenge conventional wisdom. Teachers do this by believing in their students and setting high expectations in spite of contrary expectations. In a nutshell, this means “developing a sense of trust” (Nieto, 2007, p. 304). The third role teacher leaders take on is that of the improviser. This means taking advantage of the moment and being courageous enough to detour from the lesson plan or the rubric.

The fourth role is to model social justice. Teacher leaders recognize the value that individual student resources, such as their languages, cultures, and experiences, bring to the table and use them as a foundation for their learning. Social justice also means providing students will all the necessary resources to learn to their full potential. Nieto (2007) recognizes several categories of resources. Material resources are those such as books, curriculum, or financial support. This is different than emotional resources which include such things as believing in individual students’ worth and caring for them as individuals and students. Outside of the classroom, teacher leaders also advocate for school reform so that all students have an equal opportunity to learn. The final role relates to this last point about external responsibilities. Teacher leaders use their power inside and outside the classroom. By consciously incorporating topics related to social justice into your curriculum, you are inspiring your students to take this knowledge into their own lives. The lasting effect of a teacher’s influence is unlimited.

References

Nieto, S. (2005). Public schools and the work of teachers. In S. Nieto (Ed.), Why we teach (pp. 3-11). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Nieto, S. (2007). The color of innovative and sustainable leadership: Learning from teacher leaders. Journal of Education Change, 8, 299-309.

Nieto, S. (2009). About Sonia Nieto. Retrieved from http://sonianieto.com/aboutsonia.html.

Author: Elizabeth Bush

Affiliation: UNM

==References==

Addams, J., “The Public Schools and the Immigrant Child” in Calhoun, D. Ed. (1969). The educating of Americans. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Apple, M. (2001). Educating the “right” way: Markets, standards, god, and inequality. New York: Routledge-Falmer.

Delpit, L. (1995). Other people’s children: Cultural conflict in the classroom. New York: The New Press.

DuBois, W.E.B., “The Freedom to Learn” in Foner, P.S. Ed. (1970), W.E.B. DuBois speaks. New York: Pathfinder.

Hirsch, E. D., (1992). Toward a centrist curriculum: Two kinds of Multiculturalism in elementary school. Charlottesville, VA: Core Knowledge Foundations. Also available at http://www.coreknowledge.org

Ladson-Billings, G., (1994). The dreamkeepers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Moll, L., (1992). “Funds of knowledge for teaching: Using a qualitative approach to connect homes and classrooms”. Theory into practice, v. 31, no.2, pp.132-141.

Nieto, S, (1996). Affirming diversity: The sociopolitical context of multicultural education. White Plains, NY: Longman.

Oakes, J. & Lipton, M. (2007). Teaching to change the world (3rd ed). New York: McGraw Hill.

==Author or Authors==

The original version of this document was written and posted by Alexa Parker.

Cultural Assimilation is Anything but Inclusive

James Albert Banks grew up in the Arkansas Delta during the Jim Crow years. Being an African American himself, he felt what it was like to be different and began his commitment to social justice. Through his education around the nation and his extreme perseverance, Banks not only became the first African American professor at the University of Washington, his works have also leaded the way in educating teachers about multiculturalism. His initial motivation for studying multiculturalism came at a very young age, when he was struck by images of “happy slaves” in his social studies books. He knew from experience the reality of racial segregation and began his works to educate and ultimately fight for his cause (Mysore, 2008). In his article “Human Rights, Diversity, and Citizenship Education” Banks critically analyzes the way we see these three intertwined aspects of our education system.

Human rights are something that we inherently believe we are born with. That is ideal, however not realistic. While the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was highly regarded and influential, the components of it have proved to be extremely hard to implement in schools. As Banks (2009) argues, “For students to internalize the concept of human rights, they must have experiences in the school, as well as in the larger society, that validate them as human beings” (p. 101).

While diversity and immigration have increased globally, the idea of cultural assimilation has not disappeared. Historically, ethic groups have been taught to detach from their homeland culture and values, and assimilate to their new nation state. It was argued, that “Ethnic attachments and traditionalism… are inconsistent with a modernized society and a civic culture” (Banks, 2009, p. 103). It is believed by liberal assimilationists that the only way to function as a cohesive group of diverse people is to surrender past beliefs and culture and to become one with the culture of the new home place.

The result of the idea of assimilation has been the rise of ethnic revitilization movements. As Banks (2009) describes, it “caused ethnic groups to demand structural inclusion and the right to retain important aspects of their cultures (p. 104). Among these were the Civil Rights movements of the African Americans and the Canadian First Nations, as well as many more. Besides the reality of racism and the gap between ideals and the realities of ethnic groups, these movements served to bring a sense of community to its members.

Clearly, there is a lot of disagreement between cultural assimilation and loyalty to one’s own culture. While ethnic groups strive to stay attached to their ideals, the country believes it is in everyone’s best interest to assimilate. Banks (2009) argues that “Assimilationist notions of citizenship are ineffective today because of the deepening diversity throughout the world and the quests by marginalized groups for cultural recognition and rights” (p. 106). The only way to educate a student effectively about citizenship is in a multicultural fashion. A student must find a balance and be equally loyal to their homeland, as well as their nation state.

As challenging as it may be, Banks (2009) illustrates that “Students should develop a delicate balance of cultural, national, regional, and global identifications” (p. 107). They need to be equally educated and aware of each aspect of their citizenship and be able to see the big picture. Globally, we are one, and are each responsible for doing our part to help each other. Without each characteristic of citizenship education, we are failing as citizens of any country.

It is easy to see how ethnic groups historically and still today have been influenced in a way that has undermined their true cultural values and beliefs. America in particular has forced the idea on immigrants and other minority groups that our way is the only way. As we have seen through history, this has only caused hostility between the nations of our world. Ultimately, the world is everyone’s home and our actions should prove that. In schools we need to teach children to be the best citizens they can be, culturally, nationally, regionally, and globally. If we could do that, there is no telling what incredible progress the world could make as a whole.

Author

Chelsea Morriss

University of New Mexico College of Education

References

Banks, J. A., (2009). Human rights, diversity, and citizenship education. The Educational Forum, 73, 100-110.

Mysore, A.R. (2008). James Albert Banks. In The encyclopedia of Arkansas history and culture.

==Multicultural Curriculum==

Christine Sleeter's Study Standardizing Knowledge in a Multicultural Society

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Introduction

Christine E. Sleeter is a professor in the College of Professional Studies at California State University, Monterey Bay. Her main study is on multicultural education and multicultural teacher education. She brought out over 100 articles in edited books and journals related to her study. I chose her work, Standardizing Knowledge in a Multicultural Society. Through the study, Christine Sleeter (2005) critically examined the standardized curriculum of California. She focused on reading/language art and history-social science. She shows “how the standard movement has reconfigured codes of power, and in whose interests”(Sleeter, p.27). The study illuminated that “the state’s curriculum standards fit within a political movement to reconfigure power relations among racial, ethnic, language, and social class groupings” (Sleeter, p.27).

Changes of American Curriculum

The beginning of the study talks about curriculum history and shows how curriculums changed by the trends of the times. In 1960, the beginning of the Civil Right Movement, non-white European ethnic groups demand that the curriculum include their communities, and the same level of academic learning as white children. Historically the curriculum was not inclusive of the culture and language of other ethnic groups. By the 1980’s multicultural and bilingual curriculums had been developed. Mid 1980’s a new global economy required, the United States to produce more technologically developed workers, so the curriculum needed focus more on technology. This influence required changes to the curriculum that included traditional multiculturalism and bilingual education. By the mid-1990’s Sleeter commented that most states were compelled to design a standardized curriculum that focused on reading and math test scores to receive federal funds after No Child Left Behind passed by Congress.

Analyzing the Curriculum in California

The author analyzed reading/language art and history-social science in California’s curriculum. Reading/language art requires acquiring skills sequentially and in English. Also, the thinking and literary analysis in ELL student’s first language did not count. Therefore, ELL student may face greater difficulty in higher-order thinking than native English speakers. History–social science requires learning detailed story focused on the dominant group’s history and culture. One example that the author found in the documents referred to nonwhite, non-English speaking students as “these students” and “they”. It seems to me this is very serious because California consists of a diverse population and this must be considered when curriculums are designed.

The analysis shows that the teachers and students are guided by state’s guidelines and they are compelled to follow the statewide standardized testing in English, and adopt the state recommended textbook. Teachers and administrators’ are overly focused on achieving the best scores rather than focusing on teaching to meet the needs of students. Also, she reported that the phrases “state adopted academic content standards” are repeatedly appeared, but the phrases about “multicultural” or “justice” did not appear at all.

After reading this article, I realized that the needs of society and political power influence the curriculum. In a multicultural society the curriculum should be designed to consider each student’s interests, needs, language and culture. Teaching only for the test is just producing test machine. It is hard to meet the true meaning of education. Educating for high scores narrows the students’ point of view, which will disturb their critical thinking when they are needed in the real world. Schools should provide them opportunities to broaden experience and knowledge.

Conclusion

I agree with Christine’s study. Although the curriculum is designed by those put in political power, it should consider the other ethnic groups culture, history, and language. It is not easy to ignore the dominant group’s power or the requirement of any society, but schools must provide the proper education to fit the individual’s need and interest.

Lastly, the objective of a multicultural education is to give students from diverse cultures equal opportunities of learning. A critical multicultural education “helps students know and value the diverse traditions that enrich and dignify the nation’s heritage, and it engages students in learning and maintaining their own heritage and language” (Oakes & Lipton, 2007, p. 95). The advantages of American education are diversity and creativity, and I believe it emerged from its diverse population and culture. American power comes from the harmony of diversity, so the educators must consider the diverse people and culture when designing curriculums.

Author: Jooyoung Han

University of New Mexico College of Education

==References==

Christinesleeter.org, Retrieved sep. 24, 2010 from http://www.christinesteeler.org/

Oakes, Jeannie, and Martine Lipton. (2007). Teaching to Change the World. McGraw-Hill, Inc

Sleeter, Christine. (2005). Curriculum Inquiry. 35. (1), March 2005. P.27-45.

Ideas on How to Implement Successful Curriculum Intervention Targeted on Improving Race Relations in Schools

James Banks, wrote an article titled "Improving Race Relations in Schools:From Theory and Research to Practice." His article is one of many featured in the Journal of Social Issues, which all look at ways to improve race relations in our schools. From an early age, Banks was aware of the racial inequalities and has devoted his life to exploring ways, in which to implement effective curriculum in order to improve inter-group relations in schools. In this article, Banks looks at ways to transform theories and research into successful practices in the classroom that will create positive growth in the racial attitudes of students.

In order to improve the race relations in schools, teachers need to be proactive and try to address the issues before student's "stereotypes, misconceptions, and negative attitudes toward outside racial, ethnic, and social-class groups (Banks, 2006)" cause problems in the future. Banks (2006), addresses many different approaches that have been researched since the 1940's. The research shows that the use of multicultural textbooks, multicultural television (Sesame Street), simulation, plays, folk dances, music, role playing, childhood interracial contact, and cooperative interracial contact situations all can improve the race relations among students. Some of the approaches have more effect than others and have been known to, not only improve the race relations but also show positive growth in other areas.

In 2006, Banks concludes that multicultural textbooks and television (Sesame Street), simulation, plays, folk dances, music, and role playing all help students to develop more positive racial attitudes. Bank's (2006) article also stated that these methods of instruction could also result in increased friendships from outside racial, ethnic, and cultural groups. I agree with Banks that these teaching strategies can develop positive race relations in students but I would focus on creating and implementing cooperative interracial contact situations.

Cooperative interracial contact situations have been effective in creating positive interracial behavior, as well as increasing student's academic achievement, motivation, self-esteem, and developing empahty (Banks, 2006). I think it would be most effective and help students overall for teachers to concentrate on this teaching strategy. Banks (2006) emphasizes how important the planning of the interracial groups is for the positive outcomes. The crucial steps in creating the interracial contact situations are; equal status between groups, deliberately structured and they must be meaningful and impactful to the diversity of participants. These interracial contact situations "must be nurtured and deepened to move from simple exposure to meaningful engagement and empowerment (Banks, 2006)." If a teacher is committed to improving their students' race relations, I believe that this is the most effective and behavior altering approach.

Banks (2006) does an excellent job of briefly explaining the various teaching strategies and then listing the results of each strategy. All of the strategies have positive outcomes as far as improving race relations in schools but cooperative interracial contact situations improves race relations, as well as social aspects and their academic achievement. In my classroom I am going to focus on creating effective interracial contact situations that will be implemented and continued throughout the year.

Author: Jennifer Autio of the University of New Mexico

References:

Banks, J. (2006). Improving race relations in schools: from theory and research to practice. "Journal of Social Issues," 62, 607-614.

Who Am I? Looking at Family History, Identity and Historical Memory

Christine Sleeter, teaches at California State University, Monterey Bay. She works with pre-service and in-

service teachers to understand their cultural and ethnic background and the importance of this information to formulate

one’s identity from a multicultural framework. She found that teachers, especially white teachers, were having

difficulty looking at education through a multicultural lens. Through researching her own history she found this process

to be beneficial and began to use this activity in her teacher education classes. Sleeter’s students research their

family history to discover how their view of race, ethnicity, and white privilege has evolved to their present day

understanding of these terms, and how these definitions have shaped their identity.

In Sleeter’s experience, she has found that many of her white students do not connect to the idea of white privilege and multicultural education. These students seem to forget their past and the memories of their beginnings. The activity of researching family history is to bring a “pedagogy of possibilities”. She does not see the product as an end but the beginning of reforming ideas and growing as students learn more about their history and acknowledging their history and past memories.

As Americans of European descent intermarried, they more or less forgot their ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Sleeter (2008) writes “most Whites—particularly those of mixed European backgrounds—view White ethnicity as cultureless.” I found this statement quite interesting. It brought to mind a previous mediation workshop that I attended during previous employment for a Native non-profit organization. When each employee was asked what they liked about their ethnicity, the Native employees described their cultural ties, but the white employees did not describe anything cultural. One of the white employees did comment that what was being described was from a cultural perspective. So I do agree that many whites see their background as cultureless. Most whites have forgotten that they have European ancestors.

Sleeter remembers her mother telling her that her nationality was “German, Scots-Irish, French, English, and a bit of Cherokee.” What Sleeter found as a result of her researching her family history was surprising to her. She found that her family migrated from the Appalachians. She also underwent DNA testing and found that she was of European descent but she was also a descendent of African sub Saharan ancestors. She had been trying to determine where her Cherokee roots came from. Instead she learned that she did not have Cherokee ancestors, but black ancestors. Her research “shifted from Cherokee ancestry to Black ancestry of offspring who eventually passed as White, but concocted the story of Cherokee ancestry to explain dark coloring.” Sleeter’s ancestors covered their Black ancestry to keep from being classified as Black. Black people’s rights, during this time, were being taken away and claiming the Cherokee ancestry was a way to protect some of their rights.

Fortunately, for Sleeter, the uncovering of this information has had a powerful impact on her view of multicultural education that she believes this activity, or something similar, should be included in teacher education classes. Many White teachers seem to show discomfort discussing White privilege and racism, but to open oneself up to a “pedagogy of possibilities” from a multicultural lens will aid teachers in their ability to meet students where they are.

At the end of her article, Sleeter writes, “Then, for teachers, the question needs to become: Given who we are and where we came from, how do we proceed from here?” As a Navajo woman, I have experienced racism but I do not let it keep me from growing or holding it against people. As a teacher, I teach to empower my students. I agree that we all need to research or review our history and see how we can connect and work toward what matters; our children. On the reservation, I see many dedicated non-Native teachers whom are willing to step out of their comfort zone to teach in an environment that is so different that what they are used to. If there were more of us willing to embrace differences, we could better understand how to teach in a multicultural setting.

In my school district I commend the administration for providing a Navajo cultural orientation to new teachers. These teachers take a field trip to the Navajo Nation capital and tour the Administrative Offices as well as the Navajo Nation Council offices. They are provided a presentation from Navajo elders as well as from Navajo educators regarding Navajo culture and traditions.

References

Sleeter, Christine(2008) 'Critical Family History, Identity, and Historical Memory', Educational Studies, 43: 2, 114 — 124.

Author

Veronica Detsoi-Smiley

University of New Mexico

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Learning Styles of Minority Students

Dr. Hani Morgan is an assistant professor at The University of Southern Mississippi in the Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Special Education. Dr. Morgan recently had a paper published in the journal “Educational Horizons.” The article is titled “Improving schooling for cultural minorities: The right teaching styles can make a big difference.” Dr. Morgan’s areas of research and interest include social foundations of education; international education; curriculum and teaching; multicultural education; curriculum and teaching; social foundations of education; and social studies education. (www.usm.edu, 2010)

Topics in the article include minority education, avoiding conflicts, differences in learning styles, treating students identically, misusing research on cultural differences, and culturally responsive teaching. According to Dr. Morgan the article discussed how various cultures’ communications styles and learning patterns can lead to conflicts and low academic achievements by minorities. This article was also written as a guideline for educators to avoid practices that can intensify problems. And, I chose to read and review this article because I am a minority of the American culture. This article had explanations of the ways minority students learn and communicate. There were several explanations as to why minority students don’t do well in schools and how non white students are being mainstreamed through the schools.

Dr. Morgan explains that cultural differences could result in negative conflicts. He explains that these conflicts are sometimes misunderstandings due to a person’s culture that the outsider could not be aware or knowledgeable of. For instance in one culture making direct eye contact at an adult by looking straight in the eye could be misunderstood as being disrespectful. He explains that teachers of very diverse students need to be aware and conscious the variety of cultures. Acknowledging the different cultures of our students would benefit our teaching and the students learning by avoiding cultural confusions.

As I was reading the section about differences in learning styles I became very interested because Dr. Morgan gave specific examples of cultural differences in learning styles. For example he stated that African American, Latino students, and Native Americans and Alaskan Native students tend to improve academically when they work in cooperative groups. This type of learning is defined as being field-dependent which means to work together. There are also other students who are field-independent which means that they work and learn best when they work alone, and most Anglo-American students learn in this style (Morgan, 2010). If we do not realize the differences in learning styles by cultural differences our assumptions may lead to judgments or discriminations without realizing it. According to Dr. Morgan sometimes students may appear to be unmotivated or exhibit learning problems without realizing that the situation may be a cultural norm and that was not taken into consideration.

Although American schools are much more culturally diverse the teacher can still be led to misconceptions. And since the teacher cannot meet the needs of every student in her class he/she must refrain from generalizations. Despite the diversity in the classrooms Dr. Morgan states that teachers are much more culturally responsive. It is stated that many teachers are gifted and capable of bridging cultural gaps (Morgan, 2010). Rather than assuming that a student learns well in one way it is best for the teacher to use their observations of the students’ learning behaviors as well as talking with the parents to discuss how their child learns best. Dr. Morgan states that for the best teaching practices Howard Garner’s multiple intelligences’ approach should be utilized as a need basis.

Knowing the students cultural norms can also benefit the way a student learns in class. Although there are an overwhelming number of cultural differences the teacher can only provide the best practices by acknowledging the different cultures. The teacher must refrain from overwhelming of over stimulating the learners needs. Rather stay with a course until the academic achieve or success is shown. There are ways to improve schooling for cultural minorities and one way is to foster a positive learning environment and a positive learning experience for the minority students. Most of the students’ minority and non minority can achieve whether even though the teaching styles vary.

From this article I have learned that if we have students of different cultures in our class we must not mainstream them into our teaching and to refrain from making generalizations about the students. We are teaching the students to have a positive learning experience and to help the student become successful.

Author

Latricia R. Charley

UNM College of Education

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References

Morgan, Hani. 2010. “Improving Schooling for Cultural Minorities: The Right Teaching

Styles Can Make a Big Difference.” Educational Horizons, 114-120.

University of Southern Mississippi.

http://www.usm.edu/pr/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3197&Itemid=2

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John Dewey

John Dewey was born on October 29, 1859 in Berlinton, Vermont. His father, Archibald, was a grocer. His mother, Lucina, came from a farmer. Together they raised John and his brothers in a middle-class household. As he was growing up, he had little interest in school. Instead, he had more interest in learning through contact with life instead of books.

John grew up attending Burlington’s public schools. He completed his high school courses, college-preparatory track, in three years. John’s serious educational career began when he graduated from University of Vermont in 1879. His professors had taught him to be himself and think his own thoughts. Soon he received his Ph. D. from John Hopkins University five years later. Here, John was told he would be unlikely to obtain a university teaching position in philosophy without advanced training in Christian theology. Nevertheless, he continued to study philosophy as well as history and political science as minors.

John then taught philosophy for ten years at the University of Michigan with one year at University of Minnesota. Unlike others, John was interested in German philosophic thought. John’s published his first book, Psychology in 1887. He explained a single philosophical system that was based on connections between the scientific study of psychology and German idealist philosophy. In the late 1890’s, John’s writings began to reflect his break from his new-Hegelian idealist view and his movement toward a new philosophical stance, which would later recognized as pragmatism. He developed the curriculum of the Department of Pedagogy. In 1894 he became the chairman of the department of philosophy, psychology, and pedagogy at the University of Chicago. In 1896, the department’s experimental school call the University Elementary School opened. In 1899, John Dewey was elected president of the American Philosophical Association.

John also taught at Columbia University from 1905 until he retires in 1929. He occasionally taught as professor emeritus until 1939. During his years at Columbia he traveled the world as a philosopher, social and political theorist, and educational consultant. He lectured in Japan and China from 1919 to 1921 and visited Turkey in 1924 to recommend educational policy, and a toured the schools in the USSR in 1928. He was outspoken on education, domestic and international politics, and numerous social movements in the U.S. He wrote for the general public on social problems and critical issues confronting American industrial democracy. He was a participant and leader in many liberal causes, in civic organizations, and in national affairs and was a founder of the New School for Social Research (1919) in New York City. Among the many concerns that attracted Dewey’s support were women’s suffrage, progressive education, educator’s rights, the Humanistic movement, and world peace. Dewey died in New York City on June 1, 1952.

John believed that learning was active and schooling is long and restrictive. He thought students should be involved in real-life tasks and challenges. For example, for math class, students should learn to measure while cooking. Students can learn about time while traveling so they can feel how long it takes to get from point A to point B. For history class, students could learn by experiencing what the weather was like or how plants and animals grew because these involved real things where students lived.

Today, as educators, we are familiar with many different learning styles. John knew this and worked extremely hard to prove to the world that there were many ways students can learn. As an educator, I know that all my students learn in different ways. John’s belief in reflecting and exploring helps my students experience their learning rather than reading the information and learning. It is extremely important for my students to talk about what they think. At times it is extremely hard my students to experience things that other students are naturally expose to like the marine life and tropical environments because we live too far from such places. Technology is the only answer to times like this because I teach at a Title I school. Most of my students are on free lunch program. They can not experience many things that are throughout the world.

Dewey’s education philosophy helped forward the progressive education movement. His philosophy and attention to experience and reflection, and interest in community and democracy and to environments for learning was influential. He said education must be engaging and enlarge experience. Exploration of thinking and reflecting was also important do John. Education should also provide interaction and environment to continue learning. He also believed in democracy in education so all may share in common life which provides a strong rationale for practice in the associational settings. At the time, John’s ideas were new to the education world. His ideas were considered informal education practice. However, these new ideas inspired many educators.

Dewey, John.  “Democracy and Education in the World of Today.”  Essays (first published as a pamphlet by the Society ofr Ethical Culture, New York, 1938), p. 296.

Dewey, J.  (1933).  How we think.  A restatement of the relation of reflective thinking to the educative process (Revised edn.), Boston: D.C. Heath.

Oakes, J. & Lipton, M.  (2007).  Teaching to change the world.  McGrawHill: New York

Author Kathryn Ramos, University of New Mexico

Society is Preserved through Education

John Dewey was a philosopher, psychologist, and educational theorist who lived from October 20, 1859 to June 1, 1952. He pursued his undergraduate education at the University of Vermont and earned a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University. Dewey taught high school for three years, then taught at the University of Michigan and became president of the American Psychological Association. Dewey claimed that students must participate in their own education and must make connections to background knowledge in order to truly learn. His theories were instrumental in transforming American education (Wikipedia, 2010).

In his book Democracy and Education – An Introduction to the Philosophy of Education, Dewey expounds upon his educational philosophy. In Chapter 1, “Education as a Necessity of Life,” Dewey claims that education is the way human beings perpetuate and pass on society. Because human beings pass away, the only way for society to endure is for the young to be educated in how to carry on the mores, traditions, and skills of the existing society. He states that this education must be executed carefully and thoroughly or society is at risk of falling apart. If educators lose sight of the ultimate purpose of education, they run the risk of viewing education in too “scholastic and formal” a way and will fail to captivate their students’ attention (Dewey, 1916, 4).

Dewey believed that society only existed as it was passed on into the consciousness of the young. It was not something which could be physically handed over, verbally told, or transmitted simply through proximity. Children have to be immersed in communication with adults who practice the values of society, and those values must be modeled and experienced repeatedly. Dewey saw communication as the central piece of this process. He wrote, “all communication…is educative. To be a recipient of a communication is to have an enlarged and changed experience” (Dewey, 1916, 6). In simpler societies, daily life provided all the communicative education children needed. In complex societies, like America in Dewey’s day and down through the present, formal schooling is needed to convey all that students must learn to fully participate in society.

In chapter 2, “Education as a Social Function,” Dewey claims that education is primarily conveyed through the environment in which a learner is placed. The home environment is crucial to a student’s development, as it instills language, manners, taste, and beliefs about what is valuable. These things cannot really be learned in school. Formal schooling is needed, though, in highly literate societies, in order to teach the written code and convey the portions of society which could not be learned at home. Dewey believed that formal schooling did three major things for education. First, it taught pieces of a complex society one by one, scaffolding so that children could gradually embrace all of society. Next, it selected only the worthwhile pieces of society to teach. Dewey did not specify in this chapter what and whose criteria should be used to choose those worthwhile elements. Finally, schooling would open up new horizons for students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Dewey ultimately saw formal schooling as creating one unified country out of the many races and cultures represented in American society. According to the Preface, Dewey’s purpose for writing was to apply democratic ideals and the lessons of the industrial age to education. His desire was for teachers and professors to understand education so they could effectively instill democratic ideals into their students.

Dewey’s writing leaves the reader with several important realizations. First, education is never politically or socially neutral. Teachers do much more than simply teaching students how to read and do sums. Every teacher, whether he or she realizes it or not, is conveying a message to students about the way society is and the way it should be. This message is conveyed in what the teacher says, how he or she acts, and the learning environment the teacher creates. This means that teachers must be extremely thoughtful and careful in how they present material. Teachers have a huge responsibility to instruct students in civic virtue, and to be aware of what standards they are using for choosing what they consider virtuous. Also, the reader realizes that education is primarily conveyed through environment. It is not enough to simply introduce new material and lead students through guided practice, independent practice, and assessment. Every piece of the classroom and school environment is teaching children, all the time. Finally, the importance of home environment cannot be overstated. Therefore, it is imperative for teachers to reach out to parents and families, build positive relationships, and work with families to provide the best possible education for students.

References Dewey, John. Democracy and education – an introduction to the philosophy of education. (Questia electrionic version). doi: http://www.questia.com/read/77608452?title=Democracy%20and%20Education%3a%20 An%20Introduction%20to%20the%20Philosophy%20of%20Education Wikipedia. John Dewey. (Wikipedia electronic article). doi: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dewey

Author Gruen, Sarah. UNM College of Education.

Sonia Nieto- Advocate for US

Sonia Nieto is an advocate for equality and multicultural education in our school system today. Growing up in Brooklyn, Nieto was able to work hard toward education to make a difference. Nieto obtained a Bachelor Degree in Elementary Education from St. John’s University in Brooklyn, New York. She soon after received her Masters in Spanish and Hispanic Literature while studying in Spain. Nieto was able to teach English, Spanish and English as a Second Language (ELS) and have a part in the first bilingual school in the Northeast, P.S. 25, which was in the Bronx. Nieto continued to further her education and completed her doctoral studies with specializations in curriculum studies, bilingual education, and multicultural education. After many years of advocacy and teaching students of all different ages, Nieto is currently Professor Emerita of Language, Literacy, and Culture, School of Education, University of Massachusetts, Amherst (2009) where all her hard work and education are truly paying off. She has won many awards and continues to receive recognition for her activism to the cause she truly believes in.

In her article, “Placing Equity Front and Center: Some Thoughts on Transforming Teacher Education for a New Century,” Nieto first begins by presenting ideas of our school system and the lack of diversity and equity that is present. Nieto talks about how all children should be benefitting from schooling but in reality, not all do. “Minority” (those who are against the majority, not only dealing with race but also with gender, social class and other factors that seem to classify and separate people) students are treated differently and do not and will not excel in our education system if assumptions continue to be made. Many educators are making assumptions that those who are not with the majority will have a lower education value. Nieto also presents many statistics about the ever-changing demographics of both children and faculty. Nieto talks about the lack of cultural diversity among teachers. The statistic of white teachers keeps going up, while all other ethnicities are going down. There is also a rise in minority students who do not use English as a first language. Immigration is also highly on the rise but our education system is teaching as we once did 20 years ago. Segregation is also on the rise and is separating our students even more than it ever has in our past (Nieto, 2000). There is a major disconnect between what is happening and what needs to be happening with our changing country.

           Nieto suggests that programs, such as English as a Second Language, will better equip teachers to deal with growing student diversity.  She poses three ways equity can be placed “front and center” by educators and the education system: 1.Take a Stand on Social Justice and Diversity, 2. Make Social Justice Ubiquitous in Teacher Education and 3. Promote Teaching as a Life-Long Journey of Transformation.

By taking a stand on social justice and diversity, Nieto suggests that this will better help cultural diverse students. Sonia (2000) states, “Practicing and prospective teachers also need to learn how to promote the learning of all students, and to develop educational environments that are fair and affirming.” She means that all children should be treated equal and that all schooling should be fair. Once all of this is in line, schools, classes and students will see leaps in skills and values. By making social justice ubiquitous in teacher education, Nieto implies that we must evaluate why and how schools are unfair to some students and not to others. She also recommends that we look at the curriculum, materials and staff to see if it is conducive to all learning styles. Nieto (2000) suggests that, “all courses need to be infused with content related to diversity, from secondary math methods to reading.” School content should be immersed in social justice not just graze the surface lightly. Social justice should be all around our school system and it should be apparent and all courses should be engrossed with content that applies to all students. By promoting teaching as a life-long journey of transformation, Nieto implies that teachers and teacher educators must be willing to make a change while on a journey of transformation. Nieto puts forward six ideas that will help educators make the changes necessary to experience social justice and diversity. First educators must be willing to reflect on their own identities regardless of race or color and figure out who they are themselves. Second teachers must learn about and with their students to further both parties’ understanding. Third, teachers have to treat students like actual people and they have to act like actual people too. Fourth, educators must encourage all students to work towards cultural diversity by becoming multilingual and multicultural. Fifth, educators must challenge racism by becoming a critical role model and challenging unfair policies setup by the school. Lastly, educators must set up a community of other critical educators to turn to for support (Nieto, 2000). Nieto believes that once we transform our teacher education programs, our entire education system will soon follow.

           Sonia Nieto has wonderful and thought provoking ideas for educators.  She one day hopes to see equity and real, meaningful cultural diversity present in our education system.  Nieto first states at the beginning of the article that teaching about Dr. Martin Luther King certainly does not quality as diversity and social justice; we need to go deeper than this.  Teachers need to change their view of what diversity means and keep on open, up-to-date mind about what education really is.  We need to be able to teach about who we all are, where we all come from and be satisfied that we are all different and some conventional forms of teaching are just not relevant with the constant changing world.  By taking Nieto’s studies and writings, teachers (both perspective and current) will be able to teach classes that are meaningful and fulfilling.

References

Nieto, S. (2000). Placing Equity Front and Center: Some Thoughts on Transforming

Teacher Education for a New Century. The Journal of Teacher Education

51(3). 180-187

sonianieto.com (2009). Retrieved Sept. 12, 2010, from http://www.sonianieto.com

Author

Estella Tabet

University of New Mexico College of Education

Reading more than decoding

Experience Based Curriculum and It’s Effects on Child Development

Introduction

John Dewey was a strong and influential educational reformer who began his work in 1884 after the completion of his PhD. In the1890’s, he advocated views that would later be called pragmatic: His movement was one of pragmatism. This term identifies a way of educating that is based on gathering actual experiences and using them to learn. He basically wanted to use a scientific method approach to all contexts of life. In his book, Experience and Education, Dewey highlights how important it is to create experience based curriculum in order to affect a child’s development in a positive manner.

Body

Dewey is writing in order to impact any person that in some way or another can affect a child’s life. Because of his belief in experience based curriculum he wants every experience to be a meaningful one. Experiences occur at all times, not just in the classroom and it is imperative that they contribute to enhancing a child’s learning. He is not equating education and experience because experiences can be mis-educative or even non-educative, Dewey (1938). Experiences that are deemed mis-educative are those that make the development of a child actually regress so that the child is affected negatively to the extreme that they know less than what they knew to begin with. Those experiences that are non-educative simply do not contribute to the child’s development; they create no negative or positive outcome. Dewey uses the term “experiential continuum” to express how important it is to educate in this manner. It means that experiences build upon each other and it is important that those experiences be educative in order to benefit the child’s development. As the experiences continue, the aptitude of the child increases to a point where it is easier to decipher concepts that before seemed impossible, to a point where the experiences come together to form a “big picture” that prior to attaining the knowledge appeared so abstract. This continuum places great responsibility on the experiences so that the educative ones should be more frequent than the other two types so that the child’s development increases at an exponential rate, rather than be hindered by the negative or neutral experiences. These practices should exist in the child’s upbringing from the beginning. The positive experiences must be a part of the daily life of the child in order to progress in the development. This is important because if the child is submitted to mis-educative experiences from birth, that child will resort to these experiences to guide future decisions. The mis-educative practice then becomes a “bad habit” that cannot be reversed easily since it is already ingrained in the child’s mind. Dewey is attempting to convince the reader that by using these techniques the child becomes more in control of their own development and education. The curriculum is what occurs in their daily lives, making each child’s curriculum unique and specifically designed for them. By learning this way the child can figure out the “Why” through questioning themselves and not a teacher. Because of this questioning they can feel more empowered because they are finding their own answers and arriving at their own conclusions.

Conclusions and Recommendations

Following Dewey’s suggestions, teachers should encourage their students to learn and discover on their own, through their own experiences. Teachers, along with those who are in the presence of developing children should always be aware of the great responsibility that comes with forming positive educative experiences for children. While it is a good idea to incorporate experience based curriculum later in a child’s life, it is important to note if there have been mis-educative experiences prior, they need to be addressed and corrected, because only then can the child truly develop through their own experiences.

References

Dewey, J. (1938). The Need of a Theory of Experience. Experience and Education (pp. 25-31). New York: Collier Macmillan Publishers.

Author: Andrea L. Ochoa (University of New Mexico College of Education)