I have seen this word before, but never took the time to look up the meaning. It is a loaded word for sure and now that I know what hegemony consists of, I am very aware of it and see it constantly. I was in the grocery section at Target the other day and needed some ingredients to make an Asian dish. There was one aisle for "international foods section." There were Oriental foods, Latino foods, and Indian foods assigned to only one section in the whole grocery store. It got me thinking, why can't they just be regular foods with all the other groceries? Spices can mix with other spices, rice can mix with other rice. Mostly all the food we have in America is imported from other countries. The word hegemony came to mind when I observed this and thought about how this is a small, everyday part of making sure there is an organized social structure/system.
Then I started to think, how many other small, everyday situations do I stumble upon that would be considered hegemonic? It is in movies, radio talk shows, advertisements, retail stores, schools, books, work places, and politics. It may not always be in your face, but it is the millions of subtle small things that we as a society as so used to seeing and hearing. It is almost like we are walking through life with subliminal messages being thrown at us each day. Are we not too far off from the way things were fifty plus years ago? I know people think we have made progress, but there is still an enforced hierarchy in society today. Thinking this way makes me feel hopeless and I do not like feeling hopeless. Of course, life and people are not all terrible with terrible intentions. Some people have similar realizations and try to do something to change the status of society. I feel like I am one of those people who is aware, but am not active enough in making a difference. This is part of the reason why I want to teach. If I can create lessons and bring new meaning to student's lives in some way that reaches them, then maybe it will trickle down.
I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do. ~Edward Everett Hale
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Parent/Teacher Support
Effective communication between the guardians of students and the teacher are obviously important. A teacher is with his or her students five days a week for almost nine months out of the year. Guardians and teachers facilitate a big percentage of a child's learning whether it is positive or negative, of course we all hope it is positive. Since guardians are busy and have to work to help support their families like teachers do, it is the job of the teacher to make an initial effort to reach out to them through conferences, phone calls, home visits, or any other means of communication. With technology today you could Skype or chat on the internet. A good relationship developed between the teacher and the guardian will only benefit the student, which means constant communication and honesty. Parents might appreciate a meeting that is more informal with a laid back vibe where they can speak openly about personal feelings or concerns.
Schools are becoming more and more diverse these days and therefore, some students and their families may not all fully grasp American education culture. They may not understand the language or terms, the way teachers discipline, the way teachers praise, or working individually or in groups. Teachers have to keep this in mind when talking to the guardians of students. Get to know the student's families and their background because it will create a support system that can be utilized by the teacher, guardians, and students. The source for sorting out any issues with a student might be to talk with the guardians, a lot of information can be found this way. Understanding different backgrounds is an investigation that takes time and patience. Sometimes it is hard to get a hold of busy guardians or they may not speak English fluently. Compromising time and figuring out ways to communicate will save a lot of struggle in the long run. After all, there is one important common factor the teacher and guardian have, which is the student/child.
As a side note: I wonder what happens when there are no healthy or supportive guardians? What happens when the student is completely out of control? What happens if the parents are out of control? Although Rothstein and Trumbull make good points about effective teacher/guardian relationships and culturally diverse families, they do not address what to do when you have exhausted all your options.
Schools are becoming more and more diverse these days and therefore, some students and their families may not all fully grasp American education culture. They may not understand the language or terms, the way teachers discipline, the way teachers praise, or working individually or in groups. Teachers have to keep this in mind when talking to the guardians of students. Get to know the student's families and their background because it will create a support system that can be utilized by the teacher, guardians, and students. The source for sorting out any issues with a student might be to talk with the guardians, a lot of information can be found this way. Understanding different backgrounds is an investigation that takes time and patience. Sometimes it is hard to get a hold of busy guardians or they may not speak English fluently. Compromising time and figuring out ways to communicate will save a lot of struggle in the long run. After all, there is one important common factor the teacher and guardian have, which is the student/child.
As a side note: I wonder what happens when there are no healthy or supportive guardians? What happens when the student is completely out of control? What happens if the parents are out of control? Although Rothstein and Trumbull make good points about effective teacher/guardian relationships and culturally diverse families, they do not address what to do when you have exhausted all your options.
Whose Child Is This?
"Whose child is this?" I asked one day
Seeing a little one out at play.
"Mine", said the parent with a tender smile
"Mine to keep a little while.
To bathe his/her hands and comb his/her hair,
To tell him/her what he/she is to wear,
To prepare him/her that he/she may always be good,
And each day do the things he/she should".
"Whose child is this?" I asked again,
As the door opened and someone came in.
"Mine", said the teacher with the same tender smile.
"Mine, to keep just for a little while.
To teach him/her how to be gentle and kind,
To train and direct his/her dear little mind,
To help him/her live by every rule,
And get the best he/she can from school".
"Whose child is this?" I asked once more,
Just as the little one entered the door.
"Ours", said the parent and the teacher as they smiled.
And each took the hand of the little child.
"Ours to love and train together.
Ours this blessed task forever."
Author Unknown
Rothstein-Fisch, C. & Trumbull, E. (2008). Managing diverse classrooms. How to build
on students’ cultural strengths. Alexandria, VA: ASCD
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Effective Classroom
Each year as as a teacher, new students from various backgrounds enter your classroom. They are different ethnically, culturally, religiously, mentally, and physically. No two students are alike. Knowing this information, it is crucial and beneficial for teachers to prepare themselves and their class to cater to these differences and embrace them whole heartedly through their teaching pedagogy. The term, "those who cannot do teach," is a completely ignorant saying and according to Ladson-Billings, "is not so much a dig at teachers as it is emblematic of the low regard we as a society have for teaching. We believe that almost anyone can do it, and we allow almost anyone to do it." Being culturally responsive with your students is one major factor in being a successful teacher. Taking time and finding out information about students who enter your class will help more than hinder. After all, the teacher student relationship is important because assumably, a classroom teacher acts as an influential role model and guide in a student's path to learning.
"Pedagogy must provide a way for students to maintain their cultural integrity while succeeding academically." Waxman, Padron, and Garcia state that, "Culturally responsive teaching emphasizes the everyday concerns of students, such as critical family and community issues, and tries to incorporate these concerns into the curriculum." How can students learn from their teachers if they feel like they cannot relate to them? How can students learn if the lessons they are taught do not present some personal connection to their lives outside of school? How can students learn if the teacher only has one form of communication to distribute?
Being a teacher requires a lot more work than some people may think. I heard once that teachers work just as much as lawyers do, but obviously get paid much less. In order for teachers to have constructive pedagogy and cater to diverse classrooms, they must take on additional roles such as a caregiver, a counselor, a researcher, an entertainer, a motivator, and a leader. Unfortunately, there are a lot of teachers who do the minimum at their jobs and it reflects poorly on themselves, their classrooms, students, and the profession, but there are also amazing teachers who take the time and effort to implement solid pedagogical practices in their classrooms. My hope is that our society can improve on how education is perceived and that teachers will be recognized for their hard work. Students deserve to gain as much as they can from school and dream big.
"A mind once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimensions"
-Anonymous
"Pedagogy must provide a way for students to maintain their cultural integrity while succeeding academically." Waxman, Padron, and Garcia state that, "Culturally responsive teaching emphasizes the everyday concerns of students, such as critical family and community issues, and tries to incorporate these concerns into the curriculum." How can students learn from their teachers if they feel like they cannot relate to them? How can students learn if the lessons they are taught do not present some personal connection to their lives outside of school? How can students learn if the teacher only has one form of communication to distribute?
Being a teacher requires a lot more work than some people may think. I heard once that teachers work just as much as lawyers do, but obviously get paid much less. In order for teachers to have constructive pedagogy and cater to diverse classrooms, they must take on additional roles such as a caregiver, a counselor, a researcher, an entertainer, a motivator, and a leader. Unfortunately, there are a lot of teachers who do the minimum at their jobs and it reflects poorly on themselves, their classrooms, students, and the profession, but there are also amazing teachers who take the time and effort to implement solid pedagogical practices in their classrooms. My hope is that our society can improve on how education is perceived and that teachers will be recognized for their hard work. Students deserve to gain as much as they can from school and dream big.
"A mind once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimensions"
-Anonymous
Noel, J. (2012). Classic Edition Sources, Multicultural Education (3rd ed.). New York,
NY: McGraw Hill.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Gender
The video we watched, "The Codes of Gender," made some remarkable points about how the underlying messages in advertisements effect the way in which men and women are perceived in society today. Irving Goffman and Sut Jhally work well to unveil the stereotypes and high expectations, which are placed into men and women's subconscious minds. Advertisement is all around us constantly. It is in television, magazines, the internet, and movies. It is a part of our culture and environment, which shapes they way we all think, act, and speak. Naturally, if the same images depicting men or women are placed everywhere and in everything society will imitate those roles or desires.
The video shows various examples of sexuality of genders in ads today. Generally the women look submissive, vulnerable, childlike, unaware, needy, or weak. The women have their neck, belly, back, breasts, or legs exposed and some appear to be touching themselves. The men are generally depicted as strong, alpha, prepared, heroic, dominant, and forceful. They also have skin exposed, but the men maintain their power in the ads without being vulnerable or delicate looking like the women. The video did mention the Abercrombie and Fitch ads where the men are more naked, placed on their backs, are touching themselves, or are posing in rather feminine poses. Still, the men are all muscular, have a glare in their eyes, and appear strong. What are these ads trying to say about men vs. women and each role? I feel that there are a lot of pressures on men and women today especially when it come to superficial appearances. A woman may need to be thin, pretty, and look vulnerable to get further in her career. A man may need to be strong, tall, and powerful to further his career. That is the role people play constantly for others, but it does not mean that is who you are inside.
Adolescence is a rocky time for most students and they are sucked into the media, television, ads, movies, and the internet more than anyone else. Teenagers will spend more time in front of a television than hours they spend at schools. Students spend about nine months per year in school watching and learning from their peers and teachers. As a future teacher, I feel it is my duty to address stereotypes in gender issues through lesson plans. It does not have to be a direct topic, but one that can be taught through thought provoking discussions and comparisons of audios, visuals or projects. My classroom should be a tool used to help construct awareness. Unfortunately, tackling the gender issues in one classroom will not dissipate everything that the media puts out there, but I hope to be a positive role model that enhances my student's learning.
“Wherever you find a great man, you will find a great mother or a great wife standing behind him -- or so they used to say. It would be interesting to know how many great women have had great fathers and husbands behind them.”
-Dorothy L. Sayers
The video shows various examples of sexuality of genders in ads today. Generally the women look submissive, vulnerable, childlike, unaware, needy, or weak. The women have their neck, belly, back, breasts, or legs exposed and some appear to be touching themselves. The men are generally depicted as strong, alpha, prepared, heroic, dominant, and forceful. They also have skin exposed, but the men maintain their power in the ads without being vulnerable or delicate looking like the women. The video did mention the Abercrombie and Fitch ads where the men are more naked, placed on their backs, are touching themselves, or are posing in rather feminine poses. Still, the men are all muscular, have a glare in their eyes, and appear strong. What are these ads trying to say about men vs. women and each role? I feel that there are a lot of pressures on men and women today especially when it come to superficial appearances. A woman may need to be thin, pretty, and look vulnerable to get further in her career. A man may need to be strong, tall, and powerful to further his career. That is the role people play constantly for others, but it does not mean that is who you are inside.
Adolescence is a rocky time for most students and they are sucked into the media, television, ads, movies, and the internet more than anyone else. Teenagers will spend more time in front of a television than hours they spend at schools. Students spend about nine months per year in school watching and learning from their peers and teachers. As a future teacher, I feel it is my duty to address stereotypes in gender issues through lesson plans. It does not have to be a direct topic, but one that can be taught through thought provoking discussions and comparisons of audios, visuals or projects. My classroom should be a tool used to help construct awareness. Unfortunately, tackling the gender issues in one classroom will not dissipate everything that the media puts out there, but I hope to be a positive role model that enhances my student's learning.
“Wherever you find a great man, you will find a great mother or a great wife standing behind him -- or so they used to say. It would be interesting to know how many great women have had great fathers and husbands behind them.”
-Dorothy L. Sayers
Monday, February 27, 2012
White Privilege
The video on White Privilege amazes me. Tim Wise who is a White male and assumably middle class is calling himself and his peers out. I feel that because of those factors, this makes the video that much more effective. If the person lecturing was a female minority, would people just roll their eyes and dismiss the message they were trying to portray? They would probably think they were just "another one" complaining about inequality.
Initially, I wonder why Tim Wise has decided to invest so much time into this topic given the fact that he is his a "privileged White male." I commend him and believe he must genuinely care about straight facts and strong morals. His main focus is the inequalities between Whites and Blacks in the U.S.A. When Wise addresses the beginning of White Privilege, he discusses the White elite giving the poorer White class some land to control them and at the same time convinces them to create slaves out of Black people. The wealthy White people used the sparkly image of power to control people. As soon as someone got a taste of power, they wanted in on the deal no matter what it took. So someone had to suffer and it was going to be the slaves who weren't White.
Money, power, and greed has controlled everything historically and presently. White men were the first ones to get their hands on those controlling factors and they have not let them go since. The facts about Katrina were new to me and the White families receiving the privilege of being able to pass down their homes and land strictly to their relatives only was their way of controlling where Black people can or cannot live is disturbing. I was recently in New Orleans and I could literally feel the tension between White and Black people in most areas. I know the south has always had a lot of racial tension, but since Katrina a lot of the unresolved have resurfaced.
The video is very intense and Tim Wise brings up a lot of interesting points, most of which I believe are true. Is the battle between races ever going to change for the better? I'm not saying there has been zero progress, but I still believe there is still a very long way to go and who knows if there will ever be an end, ever.
“Until the philosophy which hold one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned...
Everything is war. Me say war.
That until the're no longer 1st class and 2nd class citizens of any nation...
Until the color of a man's skin is of
no more significance than the color of his eyes, me say war. That until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all without regard to race me say war!”
-Bob Marley
Link to video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2mjvFNOwmc
Initially, I wonder why Tim Wise has decided to invest so much time into this topic given the fact that he is his a "privileged White male." I commend him and believe he must genuinely care about straight facts and strong morals. His main focus is the inequalities between Whites and Blacks in the U.S.A. When Wise addresses the beginning of White Privilege, he discusses the White elite giving the poorer White class some land to control them and at the same time convinces them to create slaves out of Black people. The wealthy White people used the sparkly image of power to control people. As soon as someone got a taste of power, they wanted in on the deal no matter what it took. So someone had to suffer and it was going to be the slaves who weren't White.
Money, power, and greed has controlled everything historically and presently. White men were the first ones to get their hands on those controlling factors and they have not let them go since. The facts about Katrina were new to me and the White families receiving the privilege of being able to pass down their homes and land strictly to their relatives only was their way of controlling where Black people can or cannot live is disturbing. I was recently in New Orleans and I could literally feel the tension between White and Black people in most areas. I know the south has always had a lot of racial tension, but since Katrina a lot of the unresolved have resurfaced.
The video is very intense and Tim Wise brings up a lot of interesting points, most of which I believe are true. Is the battle between races ever going to change for the better? I'm not saying there has been zero progress, but I still believe there is still a very long way to go and who knows if there will ever be an end, ever.
“Until the philosophy which hold one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned...
Everything is war. Me say war.
That until the're no longer 1st class and 2nd class citizens of any nation...
Until the color of a man's skin is of
no more significance than the color of his eyes, me say war. That until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all without regard to race me say war!”
-Bob Marley
Link to video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2mjvFNOwmc
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Culture and the Classroom
Each year a teacher anticipates the introduction of new students. Teachers have to get to know their students individually, as a whole, and make adjustments time and time again in the classroom. Those adjustment periods can be frequent or not depending on classroom organization. There are many aspects to organization with the obvious being time management and the layout of the room, but organization culturally is sometimes forgotten.
I believe in the future I will incorporate a lot of group work in my classroom. My wish for my students is to make connections with each other through art, discussions, and working collaboratively together on a project. Having five different minds with varying backgrounds create something has the potential to be very interesting and exciting. I would like to see my student's art create controversy, enlightenment, and open doors for others. It is like going into an ice cream parlor and having 32 flavors all being vanilla versus going into an ice cream parlor and having 32 flavors all being different.
I am also interested in having my students exhibit who they are as individuals. I want them to showcase where they come from and teach me something new about their political views, home life, family, holidays, traditions, fashion, etc. It is important to make students feel unique as an individual and not only identify with the groups in class.
I would like my class to be held as a democracy and vote on what works for our class and what does not. I want my students voices to be heard as a whole and individually. I will do my best in accommodating and understanding my students needs and various cultural backgrounds when teaching my lessons or showing them art. I recently read a story about a teacher taking her students to an art gallery where there was a picture of a dead baby wrapped in cloth. The group consisted of ESL students from South America, Asia, and Mexico. The teacher was worried about how culturally this image might negatively affect her students, but their reaction was the opposite. The group who was normally shy with using their English was drawn to the image and began asking questions and opening up more than the teacher has ever seen. I will push boundaries and ask my students to push boundaries with their art. All if not most art carries some form of cultural relevance and my classroom shall be a place that caters to that idea.
"Art lives to let us have different versions of vision and imagination, different versions of who we are, where we come from, where we are going, and what we might be."
-Rayna Green
Rothstein-Fisch, Trumbull. (2008). Managing diverse classrooms. (pp. 1-47). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Cahan, Kocur. (1996). Contemporary art and multiculturalism education. (pp. 39-45). New York, NY: The New Museum of Contemporary Art.
I believe in the future I will incorporate a lot of group work in my classroom. My wish for my students is to make connections with each other through art, discussions, and working collaboratively together on a project. Having five different minds with varying backgrounds create something has the potential to be very interesting and exciting. I would like to see my student's art create controversy, enlightenment, and open doors for others. It is like going into an ice cream parlor and having 32 flavors all being vanilla versus going into an ice cream parlor and having 32 flavors all being different.
I am also interested in having my students exhibit who they are as individuals. I want them to showcase where they come from and teach me something new about their political views, home life, family, holidays, traditions, fashion, etc. It is important to make students feel unique as an individual and not only identify with the groups in class.
I would like my class to be held as a democracy and vote on what works for our class and what does not. I want my students voices to be heard as a whole and individually. I will do my best in accommodating and understanding my students needs and various cultural backgrounds when teaching my lessons or showing them art. I recently read a story about a teacher taking her students to an art gallery where there was a picture of a dead baby wrapped in cloth. The group consisted of ESL students from South America, Asia, and Mexico. The teacher was worried about how culturally this image might negatively affect her students, but their reaction was the opposite. The group who was normally shy with using their English was drawn to the image and began asking questions and opening up more than the teacher has ever seen. I will push boundaries and ask my students to push boundaries with their art. All if not most art carries some form of cultural relevance and my classroom shall be a place that caters to that idea.
"Art lives to let us have different versions of vision and imagination, different versions of who we are, where we come from, where we are going, and what we might be."
-Rayna Green
Rothstein-Fisch, Trumbull. (2008). Managing diverse classrooms. (pp. 1-47). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Cahan, Kocur. (1996). Contemporary art and multiculturalism education. (pp. 39-45). New York, NY: The New Museum of Contemporary Art.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Identity
Identity is who we are. It is what we stand for. It is what we know. It makes us belong or pushes us away. Being forced not to acknowledge innate aspects of oneself because it makes others uncomfortable is preposterous. People are afraid of "other" identities. How unfortunate is it that people to this day still hold others down for being who they are physically and culturally? The fear in identity is something that needs to be mended and part of that starts within the schools.
Education in school has been one of the most influential tools that has manipulated, held back, created forward thinking, encouraged, weakened, and strengthened students of diverse backgrounds. The education system has the ability to mold students individually or as a whole. Recognizing that differences exist and that we should embrace them and not isolate them is crucial for student's development.
We as individuals are all very different from one another and can never completely understand what it is like to be in another person's shoes. That does not mean if we all came from the same background and looked exactly alike that society would be easier to understand and relate to. If we were all alike in experience and looks then people would still find something to segregate or be fearful of. Culture has so many sub categories because it is not just about race, but one's entire identity. People's culture/identity encapsulate their family, socioeconomic status, politics, hobbies, religion, age, gender, and relationships.
As a future art educator, I want to make sure that multiculturalism is apparent and welcome in my classroom and encourage my students to create art based off their background. I feel as if culture and art go hand in hand. A work of art can show other students visually where a person comes from. Self-expression through art can be therapeutic for feelings of anger, confusion, happiness, pride, and curiosity. There are hundreds of emotions that are internalized by students when dealing with cultural differences in society. Art can help bring those feelings out and display cultural significances in a positive light. In turn students can educate me, themselves, and one another.
“I look forward confidently to the day when all who work for a living will be one with no thought to their separateness as Negroes, Jews, Italians or any other distinctions. This will be the day when we bring into full realization the American dream — a dream yet unfulfilled. A dream of equality of opportunity, of privilege and property widely distributed; a dream of a land where men will not take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few; a dream of a land where men will not argue that the color of a man’s skin determines the content of his character; a dream of a nation where all our gifts and resources are held not for ourselves alone, but as instruments of service for the rest of humanity; the dream of a country where every man will respect the dignity and worth of the human personality.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Noel, J. (2012). Multicultural education. (third ed.). New York: Mcgraw-Hill.
Congdon, Stewart, White. (2000). Mapping identity for curriculum work. 109-117.
Education in school has been one of the most influential tools that has manipulated, held back, created forward thinking, encouraged, weakened, and strengthened students of diverse backgrounds. The education system has the ability to mold students individually or as a whole. Recognizing that differences exist and that we should embrace them and not isolate them is crucial for student's development.
We as individuals are all very different from one another and can never completely understand what it is like to be in another person's shoes. That does not mean if we all came from the same background and looked exactly alike that society would be easier to understand and relate to. If we were all alike in experience and looks then people would still find something to segregate or be fearful of. Culture has so many sub categories because it is not just about race, but one's entire identity. People's culture/identity encapsulate their family, socioeconomic status, politics, hobbies, religion, age, gender, and relationships.
As a future art educator, I want to make sure that multiculturalism is apparent and welcome in my classroom and encourage my students to create art based off their background. I feel as if culture and art go hand in hand. A work of art can show other students visually where a person comes from. Self-expression through art can be therapeutic for feelings of anger, confusion, happiness, pride, and curiosity. There are hundreds of emotions that are internalized by students when dealing with cultural differences in society. Art can help bring those feelings out and display cultural significances in a positive light. In turn students can educate me, themselves, and one another.
“I look forward confidently to the day when all who work for a living will be one with no thought to their separateness as Negroes, Jews, Italians or any other distinctions. This will be the day when we bring into full realization the American dream — a dream yet unfulfilled. A dream of equality of opportunity, of privilege and property widely distributed; a dream of a land where men will not take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few; a dream of a land where men will not argue that the color of a man’s skin determines the content of his character; a dream of a nation where all our gifts and resources are held not for ourselves alone, but as instruments of service for the rest of humanity; the dream of a country where every man will respect the dignity and worth of the human personality.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Noel, J. (2012). Multicultural education. (third ed.). New York: Mcgraw-Hill.
Congdon, Stewart, White. (2000). Mapping identity for curriculum work. 109-117.
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