CIED 5963
FALL 2004

Cover Letter

December 8, 2004

Dear Dr. Lincoln,

Creating a portfolio presents an opportunity to create a work of art in written and visual media that reflects a time of change in a student’s perception of the topic. It is a representation of the class, the community of learners built over a brief semester’s time, with the emphasis on a single learner’s construction of new information.

I chose a whimsical format to present my growth in Teaching People of Other Cultures because the class has been enjoyable, diverse, a celebration of difference, a smorgasbord of different "menus" — and because we nurtured such a common bond in discussing food. I have savored this class like an epicurean's dream. It has been delightful and encouraging to find classmates so dedicated, curious, and committed to teaching people of other cultures.

I organized the contents in menu form and alphabetically, though the order has no bearing on the importance or chronological order. Each dish contains a special ingredient, and all dishes contribute to a feast of information.

I begin with an article review of "Preventing School Failure: The Native American Child" by Johanna Nel. Our literature circle was reading Ceremony by Leslie Marmo Silke and we had also read an excerpt from Bloodlines by Janet Campbell Hale, so the article was timely.

For the soup course, I continue with the Hmong cultural exploration. I became intrigued about this group because of your news regarding their relocation to Arkansas by the U.S. government and because "Novice Teacher" has several Hmong in his secondary classes.

The salad course is a brief taste of the two books our circle read: Ceremony, by Leslie Marmo Silke, and Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Acebe. Both have been on my "to-read” list for years, so I was pleased when two members of our circle suggested them.

The main course consists of three servings: a rural Arkansas high school, an English language institute, and the NAME (National Association of Multicultural Education) conference in Kansas City. I added this last one because it was an observation in human relations and interactions in a different venue.

Finally, I close with a taste of reflection and reaction. I will add a bit about some of my "out-of-course" readings that pertain to multicultural education and the hidden curriculum.

Thanks for a wonderful class!

Freddie Bowles

*This is the next step toward THE One World Language.
Step Six: *Your lesson plan on remote control.