Saturday, October 13, 2018
Blog 10/15 Cultural Modeling
Providing a space for students is something that needs to be consider when trying to establish an educational, welcoming and engaging environment. As instructors we may not often think about it because we focus on making sure that information is shared and understood and relatable, otherwise why make an effort to teach any specific topic. Its also important to be aware of the fact that especially for certain teachers that walk into an educational environment to work and interact with the students who may not share the same cultural backgrounds. There is also working with a vast diverse environment of students with different backgrounds whether its cultural or students having different interests that can be used to connect with them.
In the reading, "Modeling as a Multidimensional Cultural Space" the author pretty much talks about the value of having inclusive space from for students that help them not only learn but also motivate them to do better for the sake of reaching their highest potential. Background knowledge and some statistics are used to support the idea of having a cultural space that enhances the environment to improve such as incorporating community related topics of discussion or using the interests of students to find a sense of connection or entertainment to the learning environment. There is a lot to consider such as the topics of symbolism, prior knowledge, comprehension are things that are need to be in consideration when connecting with the students because builds the relationship on a personal level but also make it relevant to them so the lessons, discussion and interaction is an organic and engaging place for the students.
I understand the value of having a strong inclusive place especially being a special ed. student and working in a classroom to help me develop myself and get the knowledge I need. However, the issue I have is not only being exposed to different environments but also having the misfortune of being somewhat disconnected from the spaces I've been in. I didn't care about the space I was in or who has in it. I cared about getting the education I needed and making sure my teacher/s were able to do to the best to their ability. I didn't need someone to try and get me to connect my culture whether its with a religion (even though, I don't particularly follow one). I didn't need to be connected with my ethnicity as part of a lesson because truth be told I wasn't nor did I feel that connected with my heritage and even if I wanted to get connected with it I would have preferred to do it in my own time and in a different environment. I personally believe make the extra effort to modify a lesson plan to make it more appealing and related to the student is similar to a modification for students with an IEP because the work and time to it takes to at least have an environmental sense of community requires consideration, time, and attention to detail which may be difficult for a teacher who hasn't grown up in that environment. However, a teacher who has had that time and experience first hand from growing up in it. The expectation of being inclusive and engaging to students is different for teachers, while there is a measurable standard in the academic and moral position how it is achieved is different for the teachers in different communities, background and experiences. Having a uniformed standard that every teacher should setup is nearly impossible to achieve. At the end of the day, the teachers job is to educate the valuable truth in the lessons, seeing the value into why we study the material but also to be show the relevance of that information into everyday experiences. This strategy can work but I'm not confident that everyone can do or that even it be as effective with the different personalities and experiences between the students and teachers
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You talk at first about being sensitive to cultural backgrounds, and making those spaces for the students but then you talk about that it didn't have much importance for you personally, and that you didn't want to explore your heritage in the classroom setting. I point this out to check to see if I am being accurate in my assessment of your viewpoint on this subject and that I think I feel very similar to you.
ReplyDeleteI don't feel comfortable going over every subject in the classroom setting, some things fit better for the class than others. Know it's strengths and don't force subjects or issues that the students don't want to talk about in the forum of a classroom. However, I do think it is valuable to be aware as possible about the cultures of others, and to certainly share and talk about them if it will be a positive experience for them. The tricky part is gauging when and what is appropriate. I think teachers should strive to have one on one conversations with their students earlier than later if possible.
Thanks for taking the time to comment, and yes your assessment is very accurate. I'm glad someone feels as honest as I do on the subject, the context of making the effort to integrate the space takes strategic time and effort and a willingness to balance the effort to process and to not only make a classroom environment for students but also to connect with them in a lesson plan on a collective effort. Everything in your second paragraph is fair to state but it doesn't hurt to challenge or experiment on the idea on a larger scale.
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ReplyDeleteLike Joseph, I find what you said about your personal experience very interesting. You said, " I didn't need to be connected with my ethnicity as part of a lesson because truth be told I wasn't nor did I feel that connected with my heritage and even if I wanted to get connected with it I would have preferred to do it in my own time and in a different environment." I think this is what happens when teachers, though well meaning, essentialize students' cultures. In a sense they are stereotyping and saying "you care about X because you have heritage Y."
ReplyDeleteI think the approach of Mr. Kegler in Kirkland's article with the Iliad was so effective because he never explicitly said that they were reading comics because it would appeal to certain age or racial groups. Instead, he used what he thought might be a more interesting text but still applied literature-specific ways of thinking to analyze it. Then, by reading the Iliad like a comic they actually employed the disciplinary analysis.
I really appreciate your call out about heritage. I think there is some iffy calls to be made when you displace stereotypes onto people. I think if you learn more about your students' personal experience and less about trying to create a schema of commonalities of students with a similar race then you can avoid those misconceptions. -Kiley
DeleteCatrina I appreciate your time to comment, Its an honest think I had some sense of my culture but part of the problem that I didn't say was I didn't feel welcome or a part of it knowing most students had the same identity, I felt like if I was exposed to it but I wouldn't be comfortable of it because it would force me to engage with it and while I understand its important to feel connected and make an effort to connect with the people around you. I just felt like I only needed to focus on my work and what I had to learn. I say this because I already had a sense of enjoyment and engagement in the classroom, I didn't need the extra effort especially if it was someone who was outside my identity.
DeleteI do find your analysis of cultures interesting. I understand why you feel the way you do however I do not necessarily know if it's the right path to follow for every situation. A lot of students DO feel more appreciated and accepted when their cultures are represented however that plays into the aspect of how teachers implement these ideas.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting Dane, Its mindful to consider culture and the multidimensional sense and I'll keep it in mind for my future work in the classroom but if they express the concern of having it in the room I'll do my best to set it up but as I said, it will take plenty of time and effort.
DeleteThis is an interesting post. I think that many teachers would agree with you that getting the information across is much more important than making students feel culturally accepted and understood. However, I have to disagree with you. Although I think that it may be a difficult task, I believe that teachers have an obligation to try to understand the culture of their students. Although we may never be able to fully do this, I believe students can tell when we are making an effort. I believe this is important because as people, many students may need to feel accepted and comfortable in their environment before they will be able to effectively learn
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to comment Erin, students will come and go and depending on the teacher may have a change in environment, Its great to be connected with the environment in a cultural sense to help get a sense of what can be done to establish a relationship with the students. Its also great for a teacher to make that effort for that but all I'm saying is at the end of the day if the value of education and information is shared and delivered to the students that matters at the end of the day. Its nearly impossible to connect with every single student and so to make an extra effort to be as inclusive as possible can be complicated because over time the environments of classroom can be different.
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ReplyDeleteHi Gerardo,
I appreciate your honesty in this post! I personally feel as if its important if the teacher acknowledges their cultural backgrounds and helps provide those safe places. Many times, during highschool I often got bullied for being Muslim. But, not many teachers of mine acknowledged my religion or culture. Especially, when Ramadan came around and I was fasting during the school year. When I told my gym teacher I have to sit out during class because I was fasting, they seemed more annoyed than trying to understand my religion. It also would have benefiical if there was a safe space created for me when I had to sit out, because other students seemed upset that I had to sit out. It may not be comfortable topic for teachers to talk about, but I believe it can go a long way!
I appreciate the time you made for my comment Zahra, I understand being sensitive to one's culture. I try to stress that concern on a academic way as far as being a tolerant individual its absolutely important as a teacher to be respectful and mindful of different groups. When it comes to being inclusive in a way that connects with the learning just takes a little extra work compared to having a tolerant space for everyone to be included in.
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