Relationships Matter!

Laura Nardozzi
Literary Luminator and Creative Connector

 Blog 8- Chapter 7

"Learning is a complex process that cannot be explained simply by focusing on culture and language, or on changes in pedagogy and curriculum"-pg 185

I picked this quote because I feel that for me it holds the most truth in what I am coming to understand about teaching. Essentially, there is not just one secret to being a great teacher. Being a great teacher means being a great student yourself and constantly striving to learn as much as you can to help your students succeed in the classroom as well as in society.

"Along with individual characteristics and dispositons, learning also is heavily influenced by social, cultural and political forces that are largely beyond the control of individuals."- pg 187

It is important to remember that in addition to knowing our students as individuals, we must also use what we can learn about their culture and social backgrounds to help us understand what influences them in the classroom. This is Sonia's message throughout the book: know the individual, but also know the groups they belong to and use that information accordingly.

"The nature of teacher-student relationships is central to student learning"- pg 188

Along with understanding a student, building a personal relationship with each student is equally if not more important. It is one thing to know about your students, it is another to truly know your students. Without a trusting relationship, a child cannot be expected to bring his or her full potential and intrinsic motivation.

"If there is one thing that has become apparent throughout this book, it is that there is no simple formula for increasing student learning."- pg 196

Again, Sonia's message sums up what I am learning about education. There is no secret. There are skill and techniques that we can acquire over the course of our career, but everyday we are growing and learning something new. With each student that we come into contact with we can take with us a new experience that will help us to constantly develop ourselves as educators.

Educating Our Future

Blog 8, Chapter 7 - Essence Extractor AND Rigorous Researcher - Elizabeth

Essence:

"...schools need to become just[,] ... empowering environments for all students" (Nieto, 1999, p. 174).

Research:

For additional information on how to address (your) white privilege, I highly recommend exploring some of the readings listed below. Shawne and I are also taking EDU 501 this semester, and our professor has designed the entire course around the systemic forces that dictate how our classrooms and schools currently function, and on the large scale, how roles and stereotypes are as influential as they are in our society and our country.

Delpit, L. (1998). The silenced dialogue: Power and pedagogy in educating other people's children. Harvard Educational Review, 58(3).

Kivel, P. (2002). How White People Can Serve as Allies to People of Color in the Struggle to End Racism. In P. Rothenberg (Ed.), White privilege: Essential readings on the other side of racism (pp. 127-135). New York: Worth Publishing, Ltd.

McIntosh, P. (2007). White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack. New York: Worth Publishers.

Selbin, E. (2010). Revolution, rebellion, resistance: The power of story. London: Zed Books Ltd.

Wildman, S. and Adrienne Davis. (2000).  Language and silence: Making systems of privilege visible. M. Adams, et. al. (Eds.). New York: Routledge.

I have .pdf files for these readings and many others. If you are interested, let me know, and I will gladly email them to you. We have also explored, in depth, classism, sexism, ableism, and the issues that face students of minority cultures.

Understanding the Light in their Eyes

Shawne Murphy
Blog 8
Chapter 7
Vocabulary Vitalizer AND Idea Illustrator

Vocabulary Vitalizer:

Micro-level Issues – cultures, languages, and experiences of students and their families and how they are taken into account in determining school practices and policies

Macro-level Issues – racial, social class and gender stratification that helps maintain inequality, and the resources and access to learning that are provided or denied by schools

School Reform – antiracist and anti-bias, reflects an understanding of all students as having talents and strengths that can enhance education, individuals connected with students should have a meaningful connection with student, high expectations, rigorous standards for all learners, empowerment and justice.

Institutional Power – institutions that are more powerful than individuals, develop harmful policies and practices that victimize powerless groups

Block Scheduling – the realignment of school schedules in middle and secondary schools from 40-minute slots of 1-1/2-, 2- or 3-hour-long segments.  Students are allowed more time to tackle important issues, teachers can form significant relationships with students and teachers can work with one another.

Idea Illustrator:

“We also must pay attention to relationships among students, teachers and families; to the identification and connection that students feel with schools; to the cultural and social realities of students’ lives; and to the economic and political context in which schools exist” (Nieto, 2010, p. 184).



“Teachers who begin by first learning about their students and then building on their students’ talents and strengths change dramatically the nature of the teaching/learning dynamic and the climate in which education take place” (Nieto, 2010, p. 192).



“When teachers understand the light in the eyes of their students as evidence that they are capable and worthy human beings, then schools can become places of hope and affirmation for students of all backgrounds and all situations” (Nieto, 2010, p. 197).



Education: A Reciprocal Connection among Students, Teachers and Curriculum

Christina Trovato
Blog 8 - Chapter 7 - Rigorous Researcher and Essence Extractor


Essence Extractor:

When teachers SEE their students as capable and worthy human beings, then schools become places of hope and belonging for students of all backgrounds.

  

Rigorous Researcher:

 "School Reform that is Antiracist and Antbias"...p.190

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isCiIp6uth8

Anti-racism includes beliefs, actions, movements, and policies adopted or developed to oppose racism. In general, anti-racism is intended to promote an egalitarian society in which people do not face discrimination on the basis of their race, however defined. By its nature, anti-racism tends to promote the view that racism in a particular society is both pernicious and socially pervasive, and that particular changes in political, economic, and/or social life are required to eliminate it.

The anti-bias curriculum is an activist approach which its proponents claim challenges forms of what they deems prejudices, such as racism, sexism, ableism/disablism, ageism, homophobia, and other –isms. Anti-bias curriculum has a strong relationship to multiculturalism curriculum and its implementation; the most notable difference between these two theories and practices is the age of the intended audience.

Teaching is never about what you "know." It's about how you RELATE.

Blog 7, Chapter 6 - Literary Luminator AND Essence Extractor - Elizabeth

Literary Luminator:

"Education is a political act...it concerns decisions and actions that bear on who and what and how we teach, and ... in whose interest we teach...it focuses in a central way on questions of power, privilege, and access" (Nieto, 1999, p. 131).

Our curriculum is designed in such a way that the dominant social group in America - white, Anglo Saxon Protestants, of middle class or higher SES - is almost always represented. Traditionally, educators have embraced this curriculum because it is "comfortable" for them. They have found it effective and appropriate because it generally reaches and meets the needs of the white students being targeted as receivers of the knowledge. However, when minority groups are presented with the same curriculum, even by the most talented instructors with modern education in best practice, they are failed because they lack the power, privilege, and access to the same history as their white peers.

"It is quite easy to be on the winning team and not ask how it is that you're winning" (Nieto, 1999, p. 141).

Dan Ruiz reflects on his Puerto Rican heritage is this quote, and illustrates his experiences with white individuals that often fail to recognize their "unearned" privileges and their power in today's society. 

"...what is needed is not simply peers who support one another - important as this may be - but also peers who debate, critique, and challenge one another to go beyond their current ideas and practices" (Nieto, 1999, p. 160).

I have noticed that I learn most from colleagues and peers that do not share the same points of view that I possess. I do enjoy sharing ideas, plans, and approaches with like-minded individuals, but I am challenged by the others to consider alternative perspectives. Even when I disagree with their opinions, I can accept that their experiences and frames of reference often position them in such a way that their beliefs and values "make sense" much like mine "make sense" in my world, as a result of my experiences.
 
Essence:

Teachers need to learn ABOUT and WITH their students.

What is your Identity

Shawne Murphy
Blog 7 Chapter 6
Creative Connector and Vocabulary Vitalizer

Creative Connector:

“Teachers first need to understand and accept their own diversity and delve into their own identities before they can learn about and from their students” (Nieto, 2010, p. 157).

As a teacher, it is highly important to be comfortable, understanding and proud of your own identity.  Until I reached college, I was unsure about my own identity, and it all became real to me when I was placed in my first urban school district and I had the ability to see my future right before my eyes.  I was interacting with student’s that wanted to know anything and everything about me and that’s when it hit, I do have my own personal identity and I am comfortable to share it with others because it is who I am and I should not be ashamed. 

“Teaching and learning need to be thought of as reciprocal processes in which students become teachers and teachers become students…teachers become actively engaged in learning through their interactions with students” (Nieto, 2010, p. 166).

Teaching is always a learning process no matter what position you are in; teacher or student.  I find it essential to plan and have activities that are engaging for the students where I can participate alongside my students.  I believe it is a great learning experience when you can share it with your students and not always be in the center of the classroom relaying knowledge through lecture and presentation.  Students are more apt to take an interest when learning is fun and engaging.

“Students are empowered as learners when they can identify with school and with their teachers…” (Nieto, 2010, p. 175).

Identity is an important aspect to every individual in the classroom setting.  I had a great experience in a third grade classroom in an urban setting where I was able to create connections with my students to where I understood their identity and the hardships that they had to go through on a daily basis just to be in school and learn.  Once the students knew that I respected them and their thoughts and ideas about school and work, they had trust in me and would actively participate in engaging activities that were planned.  I took the time to get to know the students and in return, they took the time to participate. 

Vocabulary Vitalizer:

Education is a Political Act – it concerns decisions and actions that bear on who and what and how we teach and also in whose interest we teach.  It focuses in a central way on questions of power, privilege and access (p. 157).

Hard Talk – Far ranging discussions about race, racism, privilege and the negative impact they have on bicultural children (p. 158).

Students of their Students – Teachers need to make a commitment to their students in which they learn about their students and create spaces in which teachers can learn with their students and in which students are encouraged to learn about themselves and one another (p. 166).

Cultural Synchronization – Teachers need to learn what can help their students learn and then change their teaching accordingly (p. 161).

Equity Pedagogy – Challenges the very structure of schools, involving seemingly natural and neutral practice’s such as teaching and disciplining practices (p. 181).

Christina Trovato
Blog 7 - Chapter 6

Vocabulary Vitalizer & Idea Illustrator

• "This pedagogical stance, what Cherry McGee Banks and James Banks (1995a) have called an equity pedagogy, challenges the very structure of schools, including seemingly natural and neutral practices such as tracking and disciplinary policies" (p.181).

Equity Pedagogy -  Using different teaching styles to meet the diverse needs of your students.

     Nieto is mentioned in this online article as well as the concept of equity pedagogy :)
http://www.education.com/reference/article/multicultural-education/

• "She developed the concept of cultural synchronization to describe this relationship. Cultural synchronization assumes both integrity and humility; it cannot be either deceptive or artificial donning of cultural values. Rather, it means that teachers need to learn what can help their students learn, and then change their teaching accordingly." (p. 167)

Cultural Synchronization - The act of multiple cultures interacting at the same time.

 This article helps show how to diversify your classroom for many different learners
http://cdtl.nus.edu.sg/link/Nov2004/le.htm

• "I have argued elsewhere (Nieto, 1996) that to become a multicultural teacher, one needs to become a multicultural person first. (p.177)

Multicultural - relating to, or including several cultures.
Many definitions are listed in this website :)
http://www.nameorg.org/resolutions/definition.html

 

To provide for equity and equal access for all teachers, access is provided with a computer and internet access...anytime, anywhere! ALL students benefit from TEACHERS having access to the Learning Bridges® System Tools

Power=Domination, Empowerment=Liberation

Laura Nardozzi
Blog 6, Ch. 5
Essence Extractor, Literary Luminator

"...while power is implicated in both, in domination it is used to control, and in empowerment it is used to liberate."- pg. 132

I really felt this quote was very direct yet eye opening. I feel that this says a lot of the English language and the ability to use the same word to mean two completely opposite things. This seems to happen a lot in our language, I wonder if there is any meaning behind that?

"Multicultural education as practiced in many schools has little to do with critical pedagogy and empowerment; in many cases, it is reduced to only a celebratory approach."- pg 133

I believe this is important to remember as educators. Some teachers believe that because they hold an "international foods day" or recognize MLK Jr day that they are somehow supporting a multicultural classroom. I'm sure many of us have experienced this false representation at some point in our educations.

"A bridge provides access to a different shore without closing off the possibility of returning home; a bridge is built on solid ground but soars towards the heavens; a bridge connects two places that otherwise might never be able to meet."- pg. 141

This quote reminds me of a movie that I saw when I was a little girl. The premise of the movie is that the white people live on one side of the town and the black people live on the other. There is a bridge in that seperates the two towns but because of racial hatred, someone burns down the bridge. The main character in the movie is a young black girl named Polly and she comes in bright eyed and befriends an old white woman. Long story short, the little girl brings the town together after she is injured and the two sides decide to rebuild the bridge as a symbol of the reuniting of the two cultures. I believe it was called Polly, based on the book Pollyanna.

Essence: Critical pedagogy, empowerment and multicultural education are directly interrelated concepts.

The Multicultural Education

Shawne Murphy
Chapter 5
Blog 6
Rigorous Researcher AND Literary Luminator

Rigorous Researcher:

Multicultural Education is an area of study that has been implemented in order to increase the equality of all students.  Multicultural education fosters the differences between students including cultural differences, economic and social class, ethnicity, race, language and gender.  Multicultural education is on the rise in education and the following statistics have proven it to be true:

-          37% or 1 out of every 3 students are considered to be of racial or ethnic minority backgrounds

-          By 2020 44% of students will be minorities

-          By 2050 54% of students will be minorities

-          The amount of minority students in school has increased by 73% over the last 25 years

Statistics on Multicultural Education. (2010, December 11). Educational Psychology [Multicultural Education]. Retrieved March 7, 2011, from https://sites.google.com/site/educationalpyschology/statistics-on-multicultural-education

Literary Luminator:

“Building on students’ strengths means, first, acknowledging that students have significant experiences, insights, and talents to bring to their learning, and, second, finding ways to use them in the classroom” (Nieto, 2010, p. 136).

All students come into the classroom setting with previous knowledge and a thirst to learn more.  In order to be able to add into the students thirst for knowledge as educators, we need to find out what they students are interested in, what talents they have, and how they learn.  With the information that we learn, we need to take it and find ways to incorporate the student’s interests and learning styles into the classroom setting and our teaching styles.

“Critical pedagogy begins where students are at; it is based on using students’ present reality as a foundation for further learning rather than doing away with or belittling what they know and who they are” (Nieto,, 2010, p. 131).

Just like all students come into the classroom setting with background knowledge and a thirst for new knowledge, they also come into the classroom with a different level of knowledge and understanding.  We need to find out where they students are based on their knowledge in order to continue learning and enhance upon the students knowledge.  We cannot look down upon our students based on the information that they do not know.

“…she turned her classroom into ‘problem posing forums’ in which the issues that were important to students became the focus of the curriculum” (Nieto, 2010, p. 142).

Students become more interested in the classroom environment and classroom discussions when the topic being covered relates to their own personal lives and society that they belong to.  When bringing in current societal issues, the students are more apt to participate and become active in the classroom because they may have strong feelings. 

Learning and Developing a Role in the World

Christina Trovato
Blog 6  - Chapter 5

Creative Connector:


"Encouraging these kinds of conversations is a message to students that the classroom belongs to them also because they are places where meaningful dialogue can occur around issues that are central to students' lives. And when students feel that the classrooms belong to them as well as the teachers, they are free to learn." p. 146

I thought this was an interesting concept discussed in the reading. Teachers may feel certain topics are very touchy to discuss in the classroom but some should be talked about as students are dealing with it throughout their day. This reminded me of a class lesson on bullying in fourth grade. This was an emerging issue at the time in my school and pretending like it hadn't been happening or correcting a few students would not fix the problem. We talked about how it affects those who are being bullied, what is bullying and why people may result to bullying others. This was an effective manner which created a closer community in the classroom. Connecting the daily lives of the students to their academic learning is necessary.

  "Although the "family roots" activity is always informative and engaging , it's purpose is not to delve voyeuristically into the private lives of course participants. Rather, it is to use this experience of uncovering and revealing their own identities to think about how their students' identities are constructed, negotiated, and reflected, or not, in schools." p. 140

Getting to know yourself and how you build your own identity, will help understand how many students' develop their own cultural identities. In one of my graduate classes we had begun our first day by participating in different activities which divided us on our strengths and weaknesses based on our experiences, what we like to do in our spare time and other aspects about ourselves. This ice-breaking activity helped me understand and see how to build classroom community through concepts of affirmation, contribution, power etc.

"Viewing multicultural education critically complicates the question of pedagogy and curriculum; it encourages teachers who are interested in trans formative education to rethink what and how they teach, and to constantly question their decisions." p.135

This I thought was interesting, I feel this is very important as a teacher. The teacher's role is to meet the needs of the students not just merely teach content. Being self-reflective is a crucial behavior that allows teachers to see what had happened in the classroom, what worked and what did not. Teachers must not blame students for issue in the classroom but reflect on how certain strategies had been used and if they had been executed effectively. I am constantly reflecting on what I can do next time in order to improve my lessons because every lesson can be tweaked.

Essence Extractor:

Actively engaging students in content and connecting to their daily lives should be a goal for all teachers.

"A picture is worth a thousand words."

Blog 6, Chapter 5 - Vocabulary Vitalizer AND Idea Illustrator - Elizabeth

Key Terms:

critical pedagogy: an approach through which students and teachers engage in learning as a mutual encounter with the world; critical pedagogy implies praxis: developing the important social action predispositions and attitudes that are the backbone of a democratic society, and learning to use them to help alter patterns of domination and oppression (Nieto, 1999, p. 103-104)

critical education: expects students to engage in learning with others, to be curious, to questions, and to become problem solvers (in contrast to banking education, domesticating education, previously discussed) (Nieto, 1999, p. 104)

empowerment: the purpose and the outcome of critical pedagogy; the other side of the coin of domination - domination is power over and implicated with violence, selfishness, hierarchy, and victimization; empowerment is power with (Nieto, 1999, p. 105)

sociocultural mediators: educations who take their responsibilities for working with students of diverse backgrounds seriously (Nieto, 1999, p. 115)

**********          **********          **********

Images for Reflection:

"...teachers need to ... acknowledge ... differences and ... act as a bridge between their students' differences and the culture of the dominant society" (Nieto, 1999, p. 115).

"...learning begins when students begin to see themselves as competent, capable, and worthy of learning" (Nieto, 1999, p. 123).

"...when teachers view their role as sociocultural mediators, they communicate to their students a deep respect for their particular cultural knowledge (Nieto, 1999, p. 115).

Connections, Connections, Connections!

Laura Nardozzi
Blog 5, Chapter 4
Vocabulary Vitalizer, Idea Illustrator


Additive bilingualism (pg. 105)- bilingualism in which a second language is acquired without detriment to the first - www.highbeam.com

Counterhegemonic act (pg. 112)- against current intellectual trends: contrary to the prevailing fashions

Detracking (pg. 120)- students who were previously "tracked", or placed into groups based on ability, are now being placed into mixed groups of varying ability and backgrounds known as "detracking"

Idea Illustrator

    
"I prefer to think of teaching and learning not as accommodation-which inevitably implies loss rather than gain-but rather as a negotiation among students and their families, and teachers and schools."- pg. 105






"...teaching is not merely a group of strategies, but a combination of ingredients."- pg. 111

"Nowhere is the need more evident for teachers to begin their own transformation before they can begin to help young people identify with schools."- pg. 124

                                                 

This makes me think about....

Blog 5, Chapter 4 - Discussion Director (In-Class) AND Creative Connector - Elizabeth

"A new student from India comes to your school and ... she begins eating rice with her hands." (Nieto, 1999, p. 74)

It is ALWAYS important to remember that cultural differences exist, and that students from different ethnicities and cultural groups will bring various actions and affects to the classroom. For example, a student from Iran will likely be offended by the "thumbs up" symbol that is used positively in America but is an insult in many Middle Eastern countries. Likewise, students from Japan and other Asian countries may not hold eye contact with a teacher because to do so in his or her home country is offensive to those in authority.


"My philosophy has always been - start from where they are and go together to someplace else." (Nieto, 1999, p. 75)

I tell my students often that I do not have all the answers they need in order to be successful in mastering the academic content expected of them. I always celebrate when they know "more" than I do, and especially when they are comfortable enough to share their knowledge when I am unfamiliar with a concept or when I make a mistake! Teachers should be open-minded and confident enough to learn right along with their students, encouraging their students to "be the teacher" when they possess "expert" knowledge.


"Freire says, 'Dialogue is the sealing together of the teacher and the students in the joint act of knowing and re-knowing the object of study.'" (Nieto, 1999, p. 95)

Teachers must, must, must talk with their students. Talking "to" or "at" them establishes an ineffective and unhealthy relationship of control over student learning. Students truly must take responsibility for their learning in order for "true" learning to occur.

Accommodation

Shawne Murphy
Week 5
Chapter 4
Literary Luminator and Essence Extractor

Literary Luminator

 “…start from where they are and go together to someplace else,” (Nieto, 2010, p. 103). 

As an educator, we need to work with students and the knowledge that they hold in order to teach the students something new and add on to their existing schema.

“…the notion of community is at the center of learning,” (Nieto, 2010, p. 112).

The classroom is a community setting where all students should be comfortable in which they can learn and express themselves freely.

“…we never ask them who they are and where they want to go,” (Nieto, 2010, p. 114).

It is important to go the extra mile to get to know each one of your students personally so you can know who they are, what they want to do and what goals they have for themselves so as a professional, you can help them work to achieve those goals. 

Essence Extractor

Accommodation and negotiation are an essential mix to create success in the learning environment.

School Conditions: An Institutional Transformation

Christina Trovato
Rigorous Researcher Chapter 4 - Blog 5

Sonia Nieto begins the chapter by stating, "I propose an alternative perspective: that in order to advance student learning, teachers and schools also need to change in substantive and significant ways pg.101.

Accommodation needs to be shared by everyone. Until recently, it was overwhelmingly bi cultural students and their families who were expected to accommodate to schools, and accommodation generally meant that they had to lose their very identities in the process pg. 129.

• Site I found defining many terms we have discussed and are reading about:

http://tr.wou.edu/eec/documents/Appendix%20C-%20Acculturation.pdf

• This site focuses on how to create a bi cultural friendly classroom...check out the videos towards the end of the page (teachers interviewed) enjoy :)

 http://www.ldonline.org/article/How_to_Create_a_Welcoming_Classroom_Environment

My Culture is Not Fixed!

Week 4
Ch. 3
Laura Nardozzi
Creative Connector
Discussion Director

"Even when American Indians are included in the curriculum as existing in the present, the idyllic images of them tend to reinforce common stereotypes."- pg. 82

I really related to this portion of the text because I had a similar experience as a student. I can remember not fully understanding that Native Americans still existed and it was a group of people rather than characters in our books about Christopher Columbus. It was not until 3rd grade when we had a Native American man come to school and share with us about his life. I can remember being so confused about why he was wearing jeans and a t-shirt and didn't have a long braid!

"The example of Black English underscores the impact that culture may have on learning and academic achievement."- pg. 84

We just talked about this in our Literacy class. I found it very interesting to think about because I feel that I am certainly guilty of this at times. I feel that particularly when I have seen African American athletes on TV being interviewed I hold a certain stereotype about the way they talk and somehow equate it to their intelligence level. I see now that there is no "right" way to speak English, it is merely those in power who decide which dialect holds more value in our society. As teachers we need to be aware of this and explain to our students that there is not just one way to speak and everyone has a dialect. We can explain that we have all agreed to write differently than we speak so that we can all communicate through our writing.

"In fact, most people do not even think about culture unless it is in a subordinate position to another culture or- if they belong to a majority culture-when they leave the confines of home and are no longer part of the cultural norm."- pg. 86

I felt this portion of the book directly related to me and my experience with living in another country. While living in Germany it became much more clear to me what aspects of who I was were directly related to my nationality. Particularly around Christmas is when I felt that my culture was now a minority and not the majority anymore.

"Standard" English is just another English

BLOG 4, Chapter 3 - Rigorous Researcher - Elizabeth

In Chapter 3, Nieto (1999) refers to Paulo Freire's questioning of language. Freier wanted to know: "When did a certain form of grammar became 'correct'? Who named the language of the elite as 'correct,' as the standard? He answered his own question by stating, 'They did, of course,'" (p. 55). The "they" that Freier is talking about is the dominant, White, upper-middle class society that has been (and continues to be) historically privileged and powerful in America.

In reality, when all political, social, and economic influences are removed, "Standard English" is simply another dialect or variation of American English. Few, if any, Americans, including those of the dominant race, speak the "Standard." However, because the English of the "White" upper-middle class is most like "Standard English," "White" English is more widely respected than Black English or Ebonics, or the "broken" English spoken by immigrant and other minority populations, to name only a couple of examples.

A dialect is "a regional variety of language distinguished by features of vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation from other regional varieties and constituting together with them a single language; ... a variety of a language used by the members of a group; a variety of language whose identity is fixed by a factor other than geography" (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dialect).

School and Culture

Shawne Murphy
Vocabulary Concept Vitalizer and Idea Illustrator
Week 4
Chapter 3

Culture – “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 common history, geographic location, language, social class and religion” (Nieto, 2010, p. 78).

Pure Culture – Cultures influence one another and minority cultures and cultures with less status have an impact on majority cultures (p. 80).

Social Capital V. Cultural Capital

Social Capital – Made up of social obligations and networks that are convertible into economic capital (p. 83).

Cultural Capital – Acquired tastes, values, languages and dialects, or the educational qualifications that mark a person as belonging to a privileged social and cultural class (p. 84).

Culture of Survival V. Culture of Liberation

Culture of Survival – Embodies attitudes, values, traditions and behaviors that are developed in response to political, economic or social forces, some which may be interpreted as a threat to the survival in some way can limit or expand culture (p. 88)

Culture of Liberation – The values, attitudes, traditions and behaviors that embody libratory aspects of culture (p. 89).

Field Independent Learning V. Field Dependent Learning

Field Independent – Preferring to learn in an analytic matter with materials devoid of social context (p. 92).

Field dependent – Understood as favoring highly social and contextualized settings (p. 93)

“There is no ‘pure culture.’  That is, cultures influence one another, and even minority cultures and those with less status have an impact on majority cultures, sometimes in dramatic ways” (Nieto, 2010, p. 80).

“Culture, especially ethnic and religious culture, is learned through interactions with families and communities” (Nieto, 2010, p. 86).

“…Although students may be socialized to learning particular ways at home, these cultural and communication patterns may be missing in the school setting” (Nieto, 2010, p. 94).

                                



Are we Culturally Responsive?

Christina Trovato
Blog 4
Chapter 3

Essence Extractor:

Culture is an embedded mix of dynamic identities - Building off student's backgrounds rather than Assimilating is essential for learning development. 

Literacy Luminator:

Elsewhere, I have defined culture as "the ever-changing values, traditions, social and political relationships, and worldwide 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 pp. 78, 2010).

Culture is commonly decontextualized. In the United States, decontextualization typically occurs in the school curriculum and media images outside of school (Nieto pp. 82, 2010)

This research confirms that simply speaking English is no guarantee that academic success will follow. There seem to be several reasons for this. First, when children are able to keep up with their native language at home, they develop metalinguistic awareness, that is, a greater understanding of how language itself works, and of how to use language for further learning. Based on her extensive research concerning second language acquisition, Virginia Collier (1995) has suggested that practicing English at home among students who are more proficient in another language actually can slow down the cognitive development because it is only when parents and their children speak the language they know best that they are working at "their level of cognitive maturity" (Nieto, pp. 91, 2010).

COMMENTS for Laura - Week 3

Laura, do you know which geographical location and/or school district these figures represent? I clicked the link and looked around the website for more information, but I was unable to locate it. Regardless, I would also be curious about outcomes (i.e. grades, final level of education, employment, etc.) as well as the race brake down for the students educated by these persons, especially the ones that didn't hold a bachelor's degree! (Incidentally, if private schools were included in the data, I am not surprised that 0.8% failed to hold a Bachelor’s degree. The private sector is completely different than the public sector, and as a result, the “rules”/credentials for teaching are different!) - Elizabeth

Week 3- Ch. 2- Who's your teacher?

Laura Nardozzi- Rigorous Researcher


I felt that an interesting topic for a more in depth look at a specific topic would be to see what the numbers are for the ratio of men to women teaching in our schools. Also, to extend Sonia's discussion of this I looked at how many African and Hispanic American teacher's there are. Here is what I found:

Selected                 Number, in   
characteristics           thousands       Percent
--------------------------------------------------
     Total                    2,561         100.0
    Men                         694          27.1
    Women                     1,867          72.9
Race/ethnicity            
    White, non-Hispanic       2,217          86.5
    Black, non-Hispanic         188           7.4
    Hispanic                    109           4.2
    Other minorities             48           1.9
Experience   
    Less than 3 years           249           9.7
    3 to 9 years                653          25.5
    10 to 20 years              897          35.0
    More than 20 years          762          29.8
Highest degree             
    Less than bachelor's         18           0.8
    Bachelor's                1,331          52.0
    Master's or above         1,212          47.3

http://nces.ed.gov/pubs/MiniDig95/teach.asp
Although this data is significantly outdated (1994), it can still help us as educators because the students who were being taught during this extreme time of inequality within the field of education are most likely the parents of the students were are teaching. They may have developed a detachment from school and disinterest because of the lack of connect with the teacher. This is not to say that the teacher needs to be the same "race" as the student to connect, but the importance of diversity was not stressed nearly as much. Also, note that only 52% of teachers held a bachelor's degree when this data was collected?? Anyone else find that odd?

COMMENTS!!! Week 3

I have tried all afternoon and evening to leave the following comments as we have been doing. It just doesn't work! I contacted Dr. Ahmad, and she replied that no other student has reported problems. I also checked on blogger help for information, but that didn't prove too useful either. So, I am posting my comments here:

Chrissy, with regards to deculturization and degradatiion of native languages in schools: I am a TESOL student. I completed my first TESOL class and 15 observation hours in the Fall. It has been proven by various researches and practitioners that in many cases the ability to learn a second or subsequent language is enhanced and most effective when students access similarities and differences in their native languages. There are opportunities for errors here that result from "overgeneralization," however these errors are productive and mark learning! – Elizabeth

Shawne, your first quote reminds me of the "blaming the victim" article we read in SPF 501 last week. For others that may be interested in learning more about "blaming the victim," read William Ryan's piece with the same title. You can find it in "Race, Class, and Gender in the US" by P. Rothenberg, ed. 2001. I have a .pdf if you would like a copy! - Elizabeth

Let me know if any of you are having "comments" problems!

Can you see the LIGHT?

BLOG 3, Chapter 2 – Literary Luminator AND Essence Extractor – Elizabeth

"Educational inequality takes many guises and results in differential outcomes for students," (Nieto, 1999, p. 45). -- Regardless of whether or not words or actions of inequality are intended, they have a major impact on students in our schools. Generally, the types of inequality encountered relate directly to race, ethnicity, gender, and SES.

"Students resist schooling in sundry ways...," (Nieto, 1999, p. 43). -- Some students who have experienced inequality in school simply choose NOT to learn what is being presented to them, regardless of the appropriateness or quality of information and instruction. These students enter in a power struggle with teachers and administrators, as a result of their feelings and/or experiences with inequality.

"...the role of teachers' attitudes and behaviors toward students of different backgrounds can be significant," (Nieto, 1999, p. 42). -- My student teaching supervisor/mentor/undergraduate senior seminar professor always told us: "Your students are only going to be as successful as you believe they will be." He told us that the relationships we make or break with students are equally, if not more, important that the content and skills we teach. Students that have been "broken down" by the school system time and again will fail because they have been offered no reason to succeed.

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

ESSENCE: "Power and privilege ... are at the heart of inequality" (Nieto, 1999, p. 46).

Unjust, Unfair, Unequal - The Educational System

Shawne Murphy
Discussion Director and Creative Connector
Week 3
Chapter 2

“…those who are not successful (in school for example) are blamed for what are in fact primarily institutional problems.  That is because in the official discourse of equality, there has been a deafening silence concerning the institutional barriers that make it almost impossible for some to ‘make it,’ while they virtually guarantee success for others” (Nieto, 2010, p. 55).

Every day, students in the educational community are facing difficulties in their learning and understanding of information, and it is not their fault.  I had firsthand experience through one of my field placements in which I worked with a teacher who had already given up on her students within the first two months of school because all of the educators had deemed the class as behavior problems that would never learn.  The educators in this position made it impossible for the students to learn and placed the blame on the students because they had “behavior issues.”  Had the teacher given these third grades students a chance, she would have seen that they were smart, funny and willing to learn with the proper encouragement; it took me about a week to find this in each child.

“…curriculum segregation is a major indicator of inequality that takes place when assignments, pedagogical styles and teaching materials differ according to the group of students with whom they are used for” (Nieto, 2010, p. 60).

Scaffolding was preached since the day I entered the school of education.  Scaffolding can be defined as the ability of an educator to adapt a lesson, information, worksheet, procedure, etc., to meet the needs of each student in the classroom setting.  Not all students have the ability to learn in the same way, nor do they learn by the same means whether they be hands-on, listening, visual, etc.  It is the responsibility of the teacher to meet the needs of the students through scaffolding instruction to provide each student with a fair opportunity to learn.  If we as educators use the same styles of teaching over and over again, we are setting the students up for failure because we are refusing to meet their needs. 

“The pressure to assimilate also means that they are expected to discard their native languages and cultures in favor of instead of addition to new ones, in the process of abandoning their identity” (Nieto, 2010, p. 67).

Students in the educational system are always feeling the need to assimilate into the school environment so they do not stand out.  I experienced a form of assimilation observing in an ESL classroom in an urban school.  The students that did not speak English well were ashamed to participate because they had an accent or their English was not easily understood and the often tried to copy what was done by a native English speaker in order to ‘fit in’ or seem ‘normal.’  It is not fair that students feel that they have to change the individual that they are in order to fit in with their peers or to be able to receive the same educational benefits that the rest of the students are receiving.