March 3, 2008

Live Together,
Or Be a Stranger.

Important Projects Loom
On the Due-Date Horizon.

Greetings, Students:

Looking at the calendar, I am amazed that spring break is just around the corner. I know that you all are looking forward to having some days off to decide what you want to accomplish, rather than what your school or your professors require you to do. I hope that you are caught up in all your classes and that your action research week will be fruitful and productive.

For our class, the next two projects, the mid-term and the Class Profiles report, are quite important. Your mid-term, the Multicultural Education Evaluation Report, is due the week of March 10-14. I've extended the due date since you all will be on-campus for your research week anyway.

An Equal Chance to Learn.

According to James Banks (2002), an important goal for multicultural education is "to increase educational equality for both gender groups, for students from diverse ethnic and cultural groups, and for exceptional students" (p. 22). Banks also states that "some of the assumptions, beliefs, and structures within schools must be radically changed" so that all students will have an equal chance to learn (ibid.).

I hope each one of you understands that what we learn in school is a social construction based on assumptions created by what society considers normal. These norms are often hidden in the school setting because it is assumed that every student comes prepared with a rich fund of cultural knowledge to successfully guide them through the learning environment.

However, we know that this assumption is false. Many of your students arrive in school unprepared to learn the knowledge offered by the status quo. We also know that it is our obligation to help students prepare to learn the information that is necessary for their academic and economic success. The mid-term assignment to rate your school on multicultural education is part of checking your own understanding of what multicultural education is in practice.

Consider these Questions.

Banks (2002) advises us to look at how cultural and ethnic diversity is reflected in our schools. What do your bulletin boards portray? Is the staff diverse? Are all students treated with respect and equity? Are some groups over- or under-represented in special education or gifted and talented classes? Are all students disciplined fairly?

It is my goal, the goal of this class, and the goal of the MAT program for you to take the enduring understandings of multicultural education and begin to transform your own practice to help students become aware of the social issues inherent in learning, to look at content through the lenses of a various groups, and begin to prepare all students for the knowledge, skills, and dispositions they will need to function successfully and effectively in a global world of diversity. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., stated, "We will live together as brothers and sisters or die separate and apart as strangers" (King, 1987, as cited in Banks, 2002, p. 23).

Check out the Learning Resources page for the directions and the rubric for your mid-term project.

Class Profiles Due March 24.

Your next assignment deadline is March 24 for the Class Profiles project. By now, you should have collected your data and should be preparing to collate the responses. Class Profiles is another exciting project that relates to multicultural education. It also relates to Pathwise Domain A.

When you finish your assignment, upload your report to Chalk and Wire no later than March 24. Early submissions are welcome.

To Know Your Students
Is to Respect Your Students.

Several presenters at last week's Association of Teacher Educators conference in New Orleans emphasized the importance of building a community of learners. Twice I heard that in order for you to be an effective teacher, you must know your students, know their parents, and know their neighborhoods.

Students want you to know who they are. They want to build a relationship with you and be recognized and valued. One of Teacher Bowles' alternative students told him that a lot of teachers would not even take the time to say hello. I don't think she was exaggerating. This student also expressed to him that he was the first teacher to treat her like a human being-and she was a high school student. That's an admission I hope none of your students will ever have to say.

Greet your students everyday. Take a moment to listen to them and acknowledge that they are valued human beings. Be inclusive rather than exclusive and avoid marginalizing any group of students. Educate for the whole person — socially, intellectually, physically, and spiritually.

Sarah's Thoughtful Response.

Also, please take a moment to read Sarah Applegate's response to the questions from Chapter Four on gender. The response is posted on Sarah's Student Page. Please take the time to check out Sarah's thoughtful and heartfelt answers. I've also asked several students for permission to post their answers to the Chapter Five questions about exceptionalities on their Student Pages.

I am pleased that so many of you have taken the time to respond to your homework assignments in a thoughtful and sensitive manner. You go beyond the perfunctory and obligatory responses by relating them to your own experiences and to the information in the book.

See you in class!

Dr. FAB

References:

Banks, J. A. (2002). An introduction to multicultural education (3rd ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.