Jackie Lawrence
EDF 2085
Reflection Paper #6
On May 17th, 1954, the United States Supreme Court finally ruled that segregated schools were unconstitutional and must be integrated. Although Brown vs. Board of Education was a momentous occasion in the African American Civil Rights Movement, it surely did not magically mend the racist attitude of our country at the time.
On September 5th, 1957, nine African American students impacted history by entering Little Rock Central High School to obtain an equal education. However, President Eisenhower was forced to call for help from the United States Army and the Arkansas National Guard in order for this to happen. Segregationist councils protested outside the school, and even Arkansas’ governor, Orval Faubus, promoted the segregation of Little Rock to “preserve the peace and avert violence.” These nine children endured horrendous treatment as they were spat on, taunted, tormented, and abused. Outside school, angry parents of the white children initiated riots. Inside school, teachers treated them unequally and fellow students acted cruelly. One child even threw acid into Melba Pattillo’s eyes. These young children were subjected to such incredible cruelty; it probably took almost a lifetime to psychologically heal their wounds.
I’ve been through a lot in life, and I don’t think there’s any way I could have dealt with that type of overwhelming mistreatment and vindictiveness. High school was, by far, the most difficult time of my life. I always felt different, lost, scared, and alone. To be one of nine in a mob of thousands that are against you is inconceivable to me. The courage and inner-strength those kids demonstrated on a daily basis is one of the most inspirational things I’ve learned about in a long time. A runner at heart, I highly doubt I would have made it to graduation at Central High. I myself left one high school for another because I couldn’t cope with my problems. And the majority of those problems I inflicted upon myself. Those children were ostracized because of their skin color, and they still showed their face the next day. Most likely, I would’ve run away crying before I even made it to the front door.
It took fifteen more years for Little Rock public schools to reopen and become fully integrated, only eleven years before I was born. When I was taught about diversity and racism in the classroom, my teachers spoke of slavery as if it happened 10,000 years ago. And because I grew up around so many different types of people that seemed to get along on the surface, I truly believed prejudice to be ancient history. It wasn’t until I reached high school that I learned how cruel people could actually be. In 1999, the “Little Rock Nine” were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, and in 2007, a silver dollar was made by the US Mint to acknowledge their strength. They absolutely deserve every single piece of publicity and honor they’ve received, and they probably deserve a lot more. It’s not every day that nine courageous children influence a country and shape history.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
EDF 1005 Reflection Paper #6
Jackie Lawrence
EDF 1005
Reflection Paper #6
Writing was first invented not only in Mesopotamia, but also in China and Mesoamerica. Scientist think it may have been formulated in Egypt as well, as evidence suggests. In Sumeria, around 3100 and 2000 BC, cuneiform was the writing system that developed and flourished, also known as wedge-writing. Scientists now know writing was developed and redeveloped in different countries around the world, depending on the language used and the culture that was prevalent. Homo sapiens drew pictures up to 40,000 years ago. Scientists suggest that the earliest forms of writing, pictographs, were used in Southeast Asia, or more specifically, Mesopotamia. The Sumerian culture used symbols impressed in clay known as “counting tokens.” This pre-writing eventually began to correlate to the spoken language, and was eventually borrowed by other countries nearby. All of a sudden, the Egyptians, the Cretans, the Elamites, and the Indus-Valley people had developed their own pretty complex system of writing.
Once Homo sapiens developed anatomically, they were able to communicate. As connections deepened, cultural systems developed further. Man was now able to claim land, develop religion, deepen family ties, and so on. Farming came into play, grain was cultivated, and beer was invented. A lot of early writings discovered by anthropologists concerned the celebration of beer and even how much each member of the community was allowed to have on a daily basis. Eventually, the Sumerians developed an alphabet using consonants similar to the Egyptian system. Later, the Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic cultures adopted this Phoenician Alphabet. The Greeks created further advancements with the utilization of vowels. This was a major stepping stone and eventually led to Latin Cyrillic. Modern day Arabic was created from the Aramaic system.
Even humans in ancient times have used information effectively to create social change, evolution, and even revolution. The invention of writing assisted in creating a division of labor, agricultural techniques, social structures, and information expansion. Writing not only helped ancient cultures blossom and begin to thrive, but it aided in providing anthropologists with precious evidence of how history went down.
EDF 1005
Reflection Paper #6
Writing was first invented not only in Mesopotamia, but also in China and Mesoamerica. Scientist think it may have been formulated in Egypt as well, as evidence suggests. In Sumeria, around 3100 and 2000 BC, cuneiform was the writing system that developed and flourished, also known as wedge-writing. Scientists now know writing was developed and redeveloped in different countries around the world, depending on the language used and the culture that was prevalent. Homo sapiens drew pictures up to 40,000 years ago. Scientists suggest that the earliest forms of writing, pictographs, were used in Southeast Asia, or more specifically, Mesopotamia. The Sumerian culture used symbols impressed in clay known as “counting tokens.” This pre-writing eventually began to correlate to the spoken language, and was eventually borrowed by other countries nearby. All of a sudden, the Egyptians, the Cretans, the Elamites, and the Indus-Valley people had developed their own pretty complex system of writing.
Once Homo sapiens developed anatomically, they were able to communicate. As connections deepened, cultural systems developed further. Man was now able to claim land, develop religion, deepen family ties, and so on. Farming came into play, grain was cultivated, and beer was invented. A lot of early writings discovered by anthropologists concerned the celebration of beer and even how much each member of the community was allowed to have on a daily basis. Eventually, the Sumerians developed an alphabet using consonants similar to the Egyptian system. Later, the Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic cultures adopted this Phoenician Alphabet. The Greeks created further advancements with the utilization of vowels. This was a major stepping stone and eventually led to Latin Cyrillic. Modern day Arabic was created from the Aramaic system.
Even humans in ancient times have used information effectively to create social change, evolution, and even revolution. The invention of writing assisted in creating a division of labor, agricultural techniques, social structures, and information expansion. Writing not only helped ancient cultures blossom and begin to thrive, but it aided in providing anthropologists with precious evidence of how history went down.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
EDF 2085 Reflection Paper #5
Jackie Lawrence
EDF 2085
Reflection Paper #5
After reading the articles, I definitely agree with Sir Edward Burnett Tylor’s definition of culture over Matthew Arnold’s. To Tyler, culture includes, “knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a result of his society.” In today’s times, culture is a broad term, and includes much more than the fine art, cuisine, and music reflective of the Victorian era. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love to indulge myself with designer clothes, fine wine, and a classic novel every now and then. Sometimes I think I can be a little too materialistic, which might just be a quality I obtained from today’s society. For instance, I’ve run into a lot of judgment and superficiality since I’ve lived in Miami. To me, those are terrible qualities that initiate behavior, emotional, and cognitive constraints and can inhibit me from understanding someone else’s point of view. But that doesn’t stop me from behaving like my friends and co-workers every once in awhile. And if everyone were to exhibit traits like that, how could cross-cultural communication possibly take place, let alone cross-cultural understanding? Personally, I think Miami’s diversity is absolutely beautiful. It astounds me to this day how we all seem to get along, until I remember that we don’t do a very good job some of the time.
Reading Joyce Millet’s overview of culture broadened my own perspectives of just how much culture impacts people on a daily basis. Sometimes I forget that a person’s actions and behaviors are not just based on psychological and genetic factors, or nature. Culture is learned, or nurtured, and plays a major role in dictating our values and behavior patterns. Robert Gibson summed it up nicely with his “cultural iceberg.” In order to acquire intercultural competence, it is imperative to understand where the attitudes, values, perceptions, and beliefs of that culture come from.
The readings left me with a lot to think about. I would love to say that I am now ready to travel to a bunch of different third-world countries by myself to explore, but realistically, there’s no way. So does that mean intercultural competence too much to ask of us? Is it just a nice, little fantasy that was made up to promote world peace? Are we all just too different to understand? Honestly, I don’t think so. I think with a little effort and motivation, we can achieve a basic respect and break down that uncertainty and anxiety. We may have communication barriers, along with many other obstacles along the way, but we are all human beings. This should not be above us.
EDF 2085
Reflection Paper #5
After reading the articles, I definitely agree with Sir Edward Burnett Tylor’s definition of culture over Matthew Arnold’s. To Tyler, culture includes, “knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a result of his society.” In today’s times, culture is a broad term, and includes much more than the fine art, cuisine, and music reflective of the Victorian era. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love to indulge myself with designer clothes, fine wine, and a classic novel every now and then. Sometimes I think I can be a little too materialistic, which might just be a quality I obtained from today’s society. For instance, I’ve run into a lot of judgment and superficiality since I’ve lived in Miami. To me, those are terrible qualities that initiate behavior, emotional, and cognitive constraints and can inhibit me from understanding someone else’s point of view. But that doesn’t stop me from behaving like my friends and co-workers every once in awhile. And if everyone were to exhibit traits like that, how could cross-cultural communication possibly take place, let alone cross-cultural understanding? Personally, I think Miami’s diversity is absolutely beautiful. It astounds me to this day how we all seem to get along, until I remember that we don’t do a very good job some of the time.
Reading Joyce Millet’s overview of culture broadened my own perspectives of just how much culture impacts people on a daily basis. Sometimes I forget that a person’s actions and behaviors are not just based on psychological and genetic factors, or nature. Culture is learned, or nurtured, and plays a major role in dictating our values and behavior patterns. Robert Gibson summed it up nicely with his “cultural iceberg.” In order to acquire intercultural competence, it is imperative to understand where the attitudes, values, perceptions, and beliefs of that culture come from.
The readings left me with a lot to think about. I would love to say that I am now ready to travel to a bunch of different third-world countries by myself to explore, but realistically, there’s no way. So does that mean intercultural competence too much to ask of us? Is it just a nice, little fantasy that was made up to promote world peace? Are we all just too different to understand? Honestly, I don’t think so. I think with a little effort and motivation, we can achieve a basic respect and break down that uncertainty and anxiety. We may have communication barriers, along with many other obstacles along the way, but we are all human beings. This should not be above us.
EDF 1005 Reflection Paper #5
Jackie Lawrence
EDF 1005
Reflection Paper #5
According to the New World Encyclopedia, last modified on April 2nd, 2008, a rite of passage is “a ritual that marks a change in a person’s social or sexual status, often including ceremonies that surround events such as childbirth, puberty, coming of age, marriages, or death.” Each rite of passage a person endures is a learning experience, preparing them for their new phase of life. These initiations are celebrated throughout the world, even though different cultures may have extremely unique rituals. In the article “Sitting Quietly Reveals Crocodile’s Tricks,” Kona and Zena became proper Poro society men with adult wisdom through their training at the Bush school. The young Sambian boys in New Guinea are introduced into adulthood through sexual acts with the older, more experienced men. And in many cultures around the world, female circumcision is practiced to initiate young girls into becoming young women. Jewish children have festive parties when they turn thirteen, called bar mitzvahs or bat mitzvahs. Similarly, Spanish girls, once fifteen, have Quinceaneras, and many young girls in America celebrate adolescence with Sweet Sixteen parties.
All these various cultural traditions parallel education, as they celebrate children maturing into adulthood. My childhood was filled with initiations as well. Growing up, the first day of school was always a big deal. Every summer, my mom would take my brother and me shopping for new clothes and school supplies. In elementary school, she would walk us down to the bus-stop and take plenty of pictures. Throughout the school year, my brother and I anticipated praise, and maybe even a present, if we received good progress reports and grades. The end of the year parties in the classroom were the best as we all looked forward to a well-deserved summertime break. Later on, my first school dance was nerve wracking, but exciting. Then came the All-State Band initiation, my first job, Proms, and High School graduation.
All these activities were significant in my academic maturation. My parents and teachers fostered my growth with praise and encouragement. Through each rite of passage, I grew a little more self-confident and independent. Just as the New World Encyclopedia asserts, my initiations prepared me for the next phase of life. And although rites of passage traditions may differ among cultures, they are all fundamentally the same in that they teach development and wisdom.
EDF 1005
Reflection Paper #5
According to the New World Encyclopedia, last modified on April 2nd, 2008, a rite of passage is “a ritual that marks a change in a person’s social or sexual status, often including ceremonies that surround events such as childbirth, puberty, coming of age, marriages, or death.” Each rite of passage a person endures is a learning experience, preparing them for their new phase of life. These initiations are celebrated throughout the world, even though different cultures may have extremely unique rituals. In the article “Sitting Quietly Reveals Crocodile’s Tricks,” Kona and Zena became proper Poro society men with adult wisdom through their training at the Bush school. The young Sambian boys in New Guinea are introduced into adulthood through sexual acts with the older, more experienced men. And in many cultures around the world, female circumcision is practiced to initiate young girls into becoming young women. Jewish children have festive parties when they turn thirteen, called bar mitzvahs or bat mitzvahs. Similarly, Spanish girls, once fifteen, have Quinceaneras, and many young girls in America celebrate adolescence with Sweet Sixteen parties.
All these various cultural traditions parallel education, as they celebrate children maturing into adulthood. My childhood was filled with initiations as well. Growing up, the first day of school was always a big deal. Every summer, my mom would take my brother and me shopping for new clothes and school supplies. In elementary school, she would walk us down to the bus-stop and take plenty of pictures. Throughout the school year, my brother and I anticipated praise, and maybe even a present, if we received good progress reports and grades. The end of the year parties in the classroom were the best as we all looked forward to a well-deserved summertime break. Later on, my first school dance was nerve wracking, but exciting. Then came the All-State Band initiation, my first job, Proms, and High School graduation.
All these activities were significant in my academic maturation. My parents and teachers fostered my growth with praise and encouragement. Through each rite of passage, I grew a little more self-confident and independent. Just as the New World Encyclopedia asserts, my initiations prepared me for the next phase of life. And although rites of passage traditions may differ among cultures, they are all fundamentally the same in that they teach development and wisdom.
Friday, September 4, 2009
EDF 1005 Reflection Paper #3
Jackie Lawrence
Reelection Paper #3
EDF 1005
Multicultural education is no longer just a fight to end racism in our country’s school system. It now also considers student differences in gender, social class, disability, and sexual orientation. Its main purpose it to develop children’s minds so they are capable of learning about people completely different from themselves. As globalization and technology continue to flourish, our world will continue to shrink. The more educated society is about diversity, increased effectiveness will occur in terms of functioning and communicating. Furthermore, hate crimes, discrimination, and wars will decrease. The best way to achieve greater understanding between diverse groups of people is through multicultural education, which starts in the classroom. James Banks developed four different approaches, including the contributions approach, the transformation approach, the additive approach, and social action.
Personally, I think Banks’ various styles can definitely intermingle with each other in the classroom. I’m pretty sure that back when I attended middle school and high school, the contributions approach and the additive approach were dominant. We studied various cultures, took foreign language classes, and celebrated other culture’s holidays. Our classes weren’t incredibly in depth or complex though. I had a basic understanding of various languages, geography, and significant historical figures. But even my Spanish classes didn’t teach me the complexities of the various Latin American cultures. Looking back, I wish someone had told me how incredibly important it was to truly comprehend as many different cultures as possible. As an aspiring school psychologist, I love to watch people today. I attempt to figure them out, based on their body language, tone of voice, choice of food, choice of clothes, etc. I wish my school system concentrated more on the social actions approach. At my school, we never even came close to becoming involved in solving our community social problems. As a result, I often felt that the classroom and the real world were entirely separate entities. The streets I grew up on did not represent what I was taught in school by any means whatsoever.
The People for the American Way conducted a survey of 1000 young people between the ages of 15 and 24. The results, to me, were devastating. Over 50% of the people surveyed feel that race relations in the United States are still not good. It is necessary to fix this terrible dilemma, and promptly. The main solution lies in our classrooms, with our children. According to Gloria Ladson-Bilings, academic success promotes self-esteem and helps to develop a critical consciousness towards society. Focusing on multicultural education will create mature, academically successful adults that are prepared to develop relationships with all walks of life.
Reelection Paper #3
EDF 1005
Multicultural education is no longer just a fight to end racism in our country’s school system. It now also considers student differences in gender, social class, disability, and sexual orientation. Its main purpose it to develop children’s minds so they are capable of learning about people completely different from themselves. As globalization and technology continue to flourish, our world will continue to shrink. The more educated society is about diversity, increased effectiveness will occur in terms of functioning and communicating. Furthermore, hate crimes, discrimination, and wars will decrease. The best way to achieve greater understanding between diverse groups of people is through multicultural education, which starts in the classroom. James Banks developed four different approaches, including the contributions approach, the transformation approach, the additive approach, and social action.
Personally, I think Banks’ various styles can definitely intermingle with each other in the classroom. I’m pretty sure that back when I attended middle school and high school, the contributions approach and the additive approach were dominant. We studied various cultures, took foreign language classes, and celebrated other culture’s holidays. Our classes weren’t incredibly in depth or complex though. I had a basic understanding of various languages, geography, and significant historical figures. But even my Spanish classes didn’t teach me the complexities of the various Latin American cultures. Looking back, I wish someone had told me how incredibly important it was to truly comprehend as many different cultures as possible. As an aspiring school psychologist, I love to watch people today. I attempt to figure them out, based on their body language, tone of voice, choice of food, choice of clothes, etc. I wish my school system concentrated more on the social actions approach. At my school, we never even came close to becoming involved in solving our community social problems. As a result, I often felt that the classroom and the real world were entirely separate entities. The streets I grew up on did not represent what I was taught in school by any means whatsoever.
The People for the American Way conducted a survey of 1000 young people between the ages of 15 and 24. The results, to me, were devastating. Over 50% of the people surveyed feel that race relations in the United States are still not good. It is necessary to fix this terrible dilemma, and promptly. The main solution lies in our classrooms, with our children. According to Gloria Ladson-Bilings, academic success promotes self-esteem and helps to develop a critical consciousness towards society. Focusing on multicultural education will create mature, academically successful adults that are prepared to develop relationships with all walks of life.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
EDF 1005 Reflection Paper #4
Jackie Lawrence
Reflection Paper # 4
EDF 1005
Growing up, I was baptized Catholic, raised Presbyterian, and attended a rigorously religious Catholic School, uniforms and all. After my mother left my family when I was twelve or thirteen, religion in my house disappeared as well. My father, deeply confused and hurt in our crisis, left it up to his children to discover their beliefs in spirituality. High school taught me Catholicism, but at that point in my life, I was pretty skeptical. My only goals in those religion classes were to earn A’s. Although I somewhat eventually came up with my own version of God and the afterlife, I was always confused when it came to studying evolution in school. The readings that were assigned, as well as my Social Science class this semester, have already answered a plethora of my questions.
The discovery of Lucy in Ethiopia in 1974 helped verify that humans evolved over a period of several million years, as her fossils were 3.2 million years old. Although Lucy’s bone structure was closely related to a chimpanzee’s, anthropologists were able to confirm she walked upright, like a human. This major discovery sparked a lot of interest. Lucy wasn’t exactly a chimp or an ape, and her skeleton exhibited characters similar to humans. As the scientists endured more painfully complex research, they learned that the first human beings, or homo habilis, evolved around 2 million years ago. Then came the homo erectus, which were able to stand and walk erect on two legs. In 1984, Turkana Boy was discovered in Kenya. Besides his skull, he had an extremely similar skeleton to what modern twelve year old boys have today. As an adult, he probably would have been around six feet tall! Turkana Boy’s skeleton further expanded our knowledge of evolution. Eventually, we learned the homo erectus migrated out of Africa and into Europe and Asia to settle. Around 600,000 years ago, homo sapiens, which are modern humans, had evolved in Africa. Social organizations and culture systems were developed and refined over time throughout the world. It is said today that all our genes can be traced from 150,000 years ago, through ancestry called the mitochondrial Eve.
Obviously, I didn’t obtain any of this information from religion class. I’m sure evolution vs. religion can easily become a hot debate, especially when views at home differ from what is taught in school. I am fortunate to have experienced the gut feeling that somebody is up there rooting for me, which empowers my faith every day. I know I have been given many second chances; therefore, I am on this earth today for a reason. How, what, when, where, and why are not as significant, at least to me. Beliefs and facts are two very different things, but to most, their beliefs are factual. And whether you’re an anthropologist or a priest, you have every right to feel that way.
Reflection Paper # 4
EDF 1005
Growing up, I was baptized Catholic, raised Presbyterian, and attended a rigorously religious Catholic School, uniforms and all. After my mother left my family when I was twelve or thirteen, religion in my house disappeared as well. My father, deeply confused and hurt in our crisis, left it up to his children to discover their beliefs in spirituality. High school taught me Catholicism, but at that point in my life, I was pretty skeptical. My only goals in those religion classes were to earn A’s. Although I somewhat eventually came up with my own version of God and the afterlife, I was always confused when it came to studying evolution in school. The readings that were assigned, as well as my Social Science class this semester, have already answered a plethora of my questions.
The discovery of Lucy in Ethiopia in 1974 helped verify that humans evolved over a period of several million years, as her fossils were 3.2 million years old. Although Lucy’s bone structure was closely related to a chimpanzee’s, anthropologists were able to confirm she walked upright, like a human. This major discovery sparked a lot of interest. Lucy wasn’t exactly a chimp or an ape, and her skeleton exhibited characters similar to humans. As the scientists endured more painfully complex research, they learned that the first human beings, or homo habilis, evolved around 2 million years ago. Then came the homo erectus, which were able to stand and walk erect on two legs. In 1984, Turkana Boy was discovered in Kenya. Besides his skull, he had an extremely similar skeleton to what modern twelve year old boys have today. As an adult, he probably would have been around six feet tall! Turkana Boy’s skeleton further expanded our knowledge of evolution. Eventually, we learned the homo erectus migrated out of Africa and into Europe and Asia to settle. Around 600,000 years ago, homo sapiens, which are modern humans, had evolved in Africa. Social organizations and culture systems were developed and refined over time throughout the world. It is said today that all our genes can be traced from 150,000 years ago, through ancestry called the mitochondrial Eve.
Obviously, I didn’t obtain any of this information from religion class. I’m sure evolution vs. religion can easily become a hot debate, especially when views at home differ from what is taught in school. I am fortunate to have experienced the gut feeling that somebody is up there rooting for me, which empowers my faith every day. I know I have been given many second chances; therefore, I am on this earth today for a reason. How, what, when, where, and why are not as significant, at least to me. Beliefs and facts are two very different things, but to most, their beliefs are factual. And whether you’re an anthropologist or a priest, you have every right to feel that way.
EDF 2085 Reflection Paper #4
Jackie Lawrence
Reflection Paper #4
EDF 2085
In Chapter 1 of our textbook, Human Diversity in Education, it sounds like Samantha got a lot out of her diversity course. She imagined many possible scenarios that might surface once she becomes a teacher. Consequently, she wondered if she would be as effective as she initially thought. As our country is becoming more and more diverse, so are our classrooms. Differences in religions, race, culture, as well as handicaps and gifted learners, pose as enormous challenges for educators and administrators to overcome. Furthermore, education itself is changing. The No Child Left Behind Act, signed in 2002 by the federal government, raises many hardships and a lot of anxiety for teachers. It seems absolutely impossible to be a successful teacher in a classroom with 25-30 very different students, all with unique learning styles and capabilities.
For me personally, as a young adult, my curious personality has led me to get to know all different walks of life. My high school education was the complete opposite. I attended a 97% white Catholic High School, with 126 students in my graduating class. The nuns were tough, Saturday detentions were miserable, and it was their way or no way. Even though I placed second academically of those 126 kids at graduation, I had no clue what the real world was all about. All I really learned in high school concerning diversity was that some people are good, and a lot are not.
It is in my nature to trust that humans, no matter what color, religion, intelligence, or handicap, have good-hearted, pure, beautiful souls. Because of this, I’ve been pretty disappointed and hurt more than once. Concerning adults and diversity, I am still learning and sometimes demonstrate terrible judgment. However, I will always adamantly believe that children are blank canvases, no matter what hardships they may have undergone already in life. Teachers, administrators, and counselors are primary influences, and must understand that they have the power to change someone’s life for the better. As a matter of fact, it’s their job. It doesn’t matter how obnoxious that little boy is, or how the Jewish girl can’t seem to get along with the Italian girl. There are underlying reasons behind the obvious problems, and it is our responsibility to assess, transform, and move on. For instance, if the slightly overweight, not so smart 5th-grader named Tommy is being harassed throughout his day, we need to notice. It is then necessary to teach his classmates the beauty of acceptance, as well as provide Tommy with some kind of extra care. I might be living in somewhat of a fantasy world, but I truly trust that diversity will no longer be an issue if administrators make it a priority early in the game. Racism is taught, it is not innate. Additionally, learning styles are unique, and not every child is born with the same capabilities. However, teaching in these conditions is not impossible. Every child has the right to experience equality, success, and social mobility in the classroom. Thus, multicultural education is essential and will revolutionize the future of America if we can make it work.
Reflection Paper #4
EDF 2085
In Chapter 1 of our textbook, Human Diversity in Education, it sounds like Samantha got a lot out of her diversity course. She imagined many possible scenarios that might surface once she becomes a teacher. Consequently, she wondered if she would be as effective as she initially thought. As our country is becoming more and more diverse, so are our classrooms. Differences in religions, race, culture, as well as handicaps and gifted learners, pose as enormous challenges for educators and administrators to overcome. Furthermore, education itself is changing. The No Child Left Behind Act, signed in 2002 by the federal government, raises many hardships and a lot of anxiety for teachers. It seems absolutely impossible to be a successful teacher in a classroom with 25-30 very different students, all with unique learning styles and capabilities.
For me personally, as a young adult, my curious personality has led me to get to know all different walks of life. My high school education was the complete opposite. I attended a 97% white Catholic High School, with 126 students in my graduating class. The nuns were tough, Saturday detentions were miserable, and it was their way or no way. Even though I placed second academically of those 126 kids at graduation, I had no clue what the real world was all about. All I really learned in high school concerning diversity was that some people are good, and a lot are not.
It is in my nature to trust that humans, no matter what color, religion, intelligence, or handicap, have good-hearted, pure, beautiful souls. Because of this, I’ve been pretty disappointed and hurt more than once. Concerning adults and diversity, I am still learning and sometimes demonstrate terrible judgment. However, I will always adamantly believe that children are blank canvases, no matter what hardships they may have undergone already in life. Teachers, administrators, and counselors are primary influences, and must understand that they have the power to change someone’s life for the better. As a matter of fact, it’s their job. It doesn’t matter how obnoxious that little boy is, or how the Jewish girl can’t seem to get along with the Italian girl. There are underlying reasons behind the obvious problems, and it is our responsibility to assess, transform, and move on. For instance, if the slightly overweight, not so smart 5th-grader named Tommy is being harassed throughout his day, we need to notice. It is then necessary to teach his classmates the beauty of acceptance, as well as provide Tommy with some kind of extra care. I might be living in somewhat of a fantasy world, but I truly trust that diversity will no longer be an issue if administrators make it a priority early in the game. Racism is taught, it is not innate. Additionally, learning styles are unique, and not every child is born with the same capabilities. However, teaching in these conditions is not impossible. Every child has the right to experience equality, success, and social mobility in the classroom. Thus, multicultural education is essential and will revolutionize the future of America if we can make it work.
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