Blog 5: Multicultural Education

Blog # 5: Multicultural Education

The article I read was on the Sesame Workshop website. The title of the article was “Galli Galli Sim Sim”: A Lion and a Little Girl speak to India’s Children. This article describes one of the many examples of the Sesame Workshop efforts to develop a television show for a specific country that is directed at children. It provides academic, social, and cultural education. A team of educators, media specialists, educational consultants, Turner broadcasting, and the Sesame Workshop worked together to develop this show for children in India. India is a large country with a lot of different cultures so it was important for the show to incorporate cultural education. The group decided to focus on “whole child” education rather than focusing on only one objective. They also wanted to focus on respect for others regardless of cultural, social, economic, and language differences, and to develop bridges between the cultures.

It features characters that appreciates and celebrates their own culture while also having a natural curiosity and appreciation for other cultures. Boombah is a curious lion and Chamki is an intelligent multilingual girl who is dressed in a typical uniform. The show’s creators hopes Chamki’s character will help to motivate young India girls and close the educational gap between boys and girls.

The show is publicly broadcast. It is usually shown in daycares\preschools. For children that do not have access to television, the Sesame Workshop has provided portable TVs on vegetable carts.

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Sesame Street. But I do remember it having a lot of different characters that represented a lot of different cultures. I’m not sure if the diversity on the TV show helped me have an appreciation for other cultures. But I do remember I learned some academic lessons. For example, there is a song that I will never forget that counted to the number twelve. I remember counting Cookie Monster’s cookies. I remember each episode having a daily letter, and trying to point out each time that letter was called out in the show. I remember the song “One of these things” and being able to point out the differences between objects.

In my opinion Sesame Street, and other educational shows have a positive academic impact on children. I think the cultural impact may be marginal. I believe families and friends have their bigger impact on cultural education. In schools students still group themselves with others who look and act like them. This makes me believe multicultural education starts at home. Unless parents instill and demonstrate an appreciation and respect for other cultures then outside influences such as schools and television will not have a lasting impact.

Blog 4: Multicultural Curriculum

Multicultural Curriculum

I think we need to rethink how multiculturalism is taught in our schools. I think the current system works, but it can be improved. Everyone knows when Black history month is and can name at least one Black person that has had a positive impact on American history. However, why does it only have to be one month? And why is it the shortest month of the year? And what about other cultures, don’t they deserve the same amount of appreciation that is given to historical Black figures?

I like the approach the teach in the “Multiculturalism in the Curriculum” article is taking to educate her students. Multicultural history should be interwined with the regular curriculum all year long. However, I know reaching the “cosmopolitan” way of teaching will be a difficult journey. There is going to be conflicts such as the one mentioned in the “New Immigration Stirs the Melting Pot” article. It is unfortunate that we cannot progress because some people still want to cling to the past.

I think the entire education system is one big system of social control. We have to follow rigid standards. Students have to follow a dress code, which includes tucking in their shirts and not have “distracting hairstyles”. Teacher’s disciplinary methods are restricted, but they still have to find a way to discipline the students and get respect. Everyone in the school is ran by the clock and ringing of the bells. Information must be crammed into brains in 45 minutes or else. Or else …what? Students fall behind in school and ultimately in life. Teachers are considered incapable and removed from their schools because of low test scores.

Blog 3: Nationalism and Multiculturalism

Nationalism and Multiculturalism

Wow. There are a lot of thoughts running through my head after reading "Pitthissippi Burning", "Why Multiculturalism is Wrong", and "The Challenge of Multiculturalism". Modules 1 and 2 of our course identified the possible purposes of American schools. It seems like American schools has had an underlying goal to create the type of citizens people in power have wanted them to be. Whether it was for religious reasons, discipline reasons, industrial reasons, or for some other reasons it can be argued that American schools have served as a landscape for "people molding".

Lets say the goal of American schools is to assimilate its citizens. This will be accomplished by taking every child that is enrolled in an American public school, regardless of their background, history, race, ethnicity, religion, or gender and teach them the exact same American pride building history. Can this work? Only if the students are not allowed to question why their ancestors are not mentioned in the history. Only if the students unquestionably accept the successes of other races while ignoring the contribution of their own race. But this is America. The country of free speech. Everyone has a voice and everyone has a right to question their place in history.

Multiculturalism, good or bad, is America. We are a nation of many peoples with many cultures and many histories. For a long time those histories were silenced for the sake of the nation. Well, this nation is no longer the fledging country it was in 1776. It is now a bustling country, that is busting with confusion. Too many people want to hold on to the good old white male dominated past and take that same frame of mind into the future. But the domination of white males is probably a thing of the past. We are a multicultural nation. Everyone's history must be recognized and included, no matter whose feelings are hurt are how painful it will be. We learn about the Holocaust don't we (at least I hope we all did)? Its painful, but necessary so past offenses are not repeated. I'm not saying there should be separate history books as was mentioned in "The Challenge of Multiculturalism". Why can't one big all inclusive history book be written that is authored by historical authorities from all races, ethnic groups, religions, genders, or whatever? This is America, surely there is not a shortage of multicultural experts.

America is loosing its identity. I see it in the apathetic eyes of my 7th graders. When this country completely embraces its multicultural identity, the right way, with complete acceptance and inclusion, then the citizens will embrace America.

Web Log (Blog) #2

Prayer, and Creation, and Silence...Oh My!

When you think of religion in schools and the controversies that surrounds this debate you may think of: the pledge of allegiance, the moment of silence, or evolution versus creationism. In the article entitled: Religion and Schools: the Debate Heats Up 2009 discusses a ruling in an Illinois court that the moment of silence before the start of school was unconstitutional and could not be enforced. The court made this ruling because some atheist and his daughter were offended by the moment of silence. Later in the article it discusses the debate over evolution vs. creationism in Texas public schools. Some have gone to court to make it more difficult to discuss weaknesses in the theory of evolution. The Library of Congress artifact discusses the initial debates over the recitation of the pledge of allegiance in public schools. A 10 yr old boy choose not to recite the pledge because he was a Jehovah’s Witness, and the pledge seemed to be a form of idolatry. He was initially ruled against, but later in the 20th century, that ruling was overruled.

It seems like religion is being squeezed out of schools, one court ruling at a time. The initial removal of the pledge of allegiance seemed to be because it was anti-religious. But, remember, the Jehovah’s Witnesses said it violated their rights as Christians and conflicted with Biblical scripture. However, now opponents of the pledge say that the pledge needs to be removed because it is religious. They are offended by the mention of God. They are also offended by the mention of creationism, which is simply another view of how the world was created. They want schools to teach only about evolution. Religious opponents are even offended by the moment of silence, so now courts are ruling against it.

I was kind of raised Christian but we did not always go to church. My parents raised me with Christian values even though we did not regularly attend church. Needless to say I am not super religious but I still feel I am a good, kind, respectful, caring, loving, person. After going to college and studying other religions I think their basic values are all very similar. Treat others fairly, don’t murder, don’t covet, so on and so forth. These are all good values that I think any parents would want to raise their child by. So why are they being taken out of schools? I think schools need some type of spiritual foundation so the students know the difference between right and wrong. If that means students have to stand through a moment of silence, listen to the pledge of allegiance, and question evolution, then I think its worth the sacrifice in order to reestablish the values that are slowly being squeezed out of our schools.

Education innovators vs. Education makers

Innovators vs. Makers

According to the PBS website the education innovators are people who honestly wanted to make a positive impact on education. However according to Gatto, the “makers” of education did not necessarily want to have an impact on education but their personal objectives have still had a lasting effect.

Innovator: Deborah Meier

She spent years teaching needy children in the public schools in New York. She recognized a need in public education and sought to fill it with her progressive principles. She believed in the active education of students as well as the involvement of their parents.

I’ve heard of most of the other innovators before, however I’ve never heard of Deborah Meier. Unlike other innovators who seem to enjoy their achievements and welcome a profit from it, Ms. Meier humbly attributes what she has done to simply fulfilling a need. She is quoted as saying, “What I wanted was to create thoughtful citizens — people who believed they could live interesting lives and be productive and socially useful. So I tried to create a community of children and adults where the adults shared and respected the children’s lives.”

Maker: Henry Ford

The fourth purpose of education may be the “Business of Schooling”. If this is so, then a key maker of education is a forerunner of American business: Henry Ford. He is known for helping to pioneer the assembly line. Assembly lines require hardworking, minimally thinking individuals. According to Gatto American schools have begun creating these types of individuals.

Gatto presents very interesting points regarding the hidden purpose of American schools. I’ve never considered businesses and politicians having a hidden agenda within educational institutions. It certainly makes me think of education in a different way. Perhaps this is why it seems like education fails so many of our students? Maybe it is because of this “hidden agenda”. If the purpose of American schools is to train them to work in the job market, then what happens when we’re in a recession and there aren’t enough jobs? Are what happens to the students who never develop the skills to work in these jobs? Is that why states keep expanding their penitentiaries?

Introducing Me!

Hello all...I am a 7th grade science teacher in Tennessee. I am also an EdS student at MTSU. I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you.