Chapter Two
“The future is in our hands… A history that leaves minorities reinforces separation, but an inclusive history bridges the divide.” Takaki, 2008, pg. 435
Segregations means the action or state of setting someone or something apart from other people or things or being set apart. As a result, what comes to mind is the separation based on skin color and class (poor vs. rich) based on Gentrification. Gentrification is when the properties of a certain community are made so expensive that poor minorities move out, basically segregating them. As a was growing up, it was told to me that La Jolla is where the rich white people live, and how the barrio was homes for the Mexicans and Blacks. To this day, there is segregations of school community areas based on their socio-economic wealth. Some school receive educational resources based on PTSA funding, while low-income school communities are at a disadvantage. These invisible barriers continue to linger metropolitan areas like New York and Los Angeles.
Integration, integration of cultures and languages. My school, Riverview Language Academy, focuses on the integration and appreciation of languages, cultures and traditions. Our school hosts an international fair in which, students learn and perform dances and songs from various countries around the world and invites the community. This is a prime example of cultural integration.
Equity means the quality of being fair. My grandparents walked beside Cesar Chavez during the Farmworkers Movement, so I think of human rights and being treated fairly and to have the same opportunities. As a result, I also think about how to ensure the same treatment of engagement in math and science programs for boys and girls. By allowing an opportunity for girls to shine as much as boys in these areas and to encourage girls with praise and positivity through hands on activities. So when adulthood arrives, they have the same job opportunities and equal salary wages based on similar educational experiences.
Furthermore, affirmative action secures racial and equal opportunities for all people for leveling what has long been an uneven playing field (American Civil Liberties Union). Equity of educational experiences based on affirmative action. Also, I think about technology integration, by adding on to make better for everyone. Assistive technology in Special Education, supports students with disabilities and use the tools of technology to create an equally rich learning experience as children with no physical disabilities.
Diversity means a range of different things ACCEPTANCE AND RESPECT of differences. So, I think about my friend from high school who is married to a transgendered woman and the difficulties they have experienced in order to receive respect and acceptance from family and friends. Therefore, the LGBT community is a current community and individuals need to realize that these individuals deserve to be accepted and respected for their diversity.
Integration, integration of cultures and languages. My school, Riverview Language Academy, focuses on the integration and appreciation of languages, cultures and traditions. Our school hosts an international fair in which, students learn and perform dances and songs from various countries around the world and invites the community. This is a prime example of cultural integration.
Equity means the quality of being fair. My grandparents walked beside Cesar Chavez during the Farmworkers Movement, so I think of human rights and being treated fairly and to have the same opportunities. As a result, I also think about how to ensure the same treatment of engagement in math and science programs for boys and girls. By allowing an opportunity for girls to shine as much as boys in these areas and to encourage girls with praise and positivity through hands on activities. So when adulthood arrives, they have the same job opportunities and equal salary wages based on similar educational experiences.
Furthermore, affirmative action secures racial and equal opportunities for all people for leveling what has long been an uneven playing field (American Civil Liberties Union). Equity of educational experiences based on affirmative action. Also, I think about technology integration, by adding on to make better for everyone. Assistive technology in Special Education, supports students with disabilities and use the tools of technology to create an equally rich learning experience as children with no physical disabilities.
Diversity means a range of different things ACCEPTANCE AND RESPECT of differences. So, I think about my friend from high school who is married to a transgendered woman and the difficulties they have experienced in order to receive respect and acceptance from family and friends. Therefore, the LGBT community is a current community and individuals need to realize that these individuals deserve to be accepted and respected for their diversity.
When these words are used in your professional settings, what reactions do you observe in your colleagues?
My colleague had very similar ideas, but the conversation lead to about Ann Coulter. My colleague informed me on she said something recently that shows us that we still have a long way to go in this country if we want to be a tolerant and accepting nation. We talked about white privilege, hegemony and cultural inequalities. And he explains how diversity is bringing people in and making everyone part of the team-building process. He was very informed and broadened my current view on these topics.
My colleague had very similar ideas, but the conversation lead to about Ann Coulter. My colleague informed me on she said something recently that shows us that we still have a long way to go in this country if we want to be a tolerant and accepting nation. We talked about white privilege, hegemony and cultural inequalities. And he explains how diversity is bringing people in and making everyone part of the team-building process. He was very informed and broadened my current view on these topics.
Going Deeper : Three Keys
Three Quotes
Chapter two has allowed to reflect about my educational practice and on the methods on how I teach tolerance and empathy. As a I continue to use the learnings from Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, do I continue to demonstrate proactive language and acknowledge differences of sexual orientation, being so to include the one family that has two male homosexual raising amazing triplet students at my school site? I have been cautious and through direct instruction lead to books focusing on Cesar Chavez, Ruby Bridges, Jackie Robinson, and Martin Luther King Jr, but why have I not extended the vision of acceptance to Ellen DeGeneres, Ricky Martin, Lance Bass, Neil Patrick Harris, or Rosie O’Donnell. As a result, my job as an educator is to teach acceptance and respect by implementing various role models that encompass a wide range of differences including race, culture, language, class, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and physical and sensory abilities.
Three Quotes
- The integrity of the Cultural Proficiency approach rests on being direct and honest about the historical downside of our societies and on pointing to democratic approaches for healthy responses to inequality (Lindsey, pg 24)
- The upside of many of these programs was the creation of awareness of difference by participants, while the downside is that too often they were disconnected from daily routines of curriculum and instruction. (Lindsey, pg 29)
- Culturally proficient learning communities place learning within the context of cultural communities they serve [...] knowing the histories of our local school communities as well as knowing our national histories helps us bridge those divides created by exclusion by developing inclusion futures. (Lindsey, pg 30)
- In order to develop a Culturally Proficient learning community, at what ages is it acceptable to teach children about differences in sexual orientation, LGBT community, and advocating for their rights?
- Why does the stigmatizing continue for Title I of Elementary Schools of being culturally and economically disadvantaged? When will there be an equal playing field?
- In addition, the text states “rarely discussed in educational circles and continues to have influence throughout our social and educational system”, how can students be advocates of various forms of oppression and stop the active discrimination racial differences? My school site focuses on Chinese Mandarin language program, as a result, how can I plan a unit study for my 4th grade students on the Chinese Exclusion Acts of 1882 and 1902 after the labor-intensive construction project of the transcontinental railroad?
Chapter two has allowed to reflect about my educational practice and on the methods on how I teach tolerance and empathy. As a I continue to use the learnings from Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, do I continue to demonstrate proactive language and acknowledge differences of sexual orientation, being so to include the one family that has two male homosexual raising amazing triplet students at my school site? I have been cautious and through direct instruction lead to books focusing on Cesar Chavez, Ruby Bridges, Jackie Robinson, and Martin Luther King Jr, but why have I not extended the vision of acceptance to Ellen DeGeneres, Ricky Martin, Lance Bass, Neil Patrick Harris, or Rosie O’Donnell. As a result, my job as an educator is to teach acceptance and respect by implementing various role models that encompass a wide range of differences including race, culture, language, class, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and physical and sensory abilities.
What might be issues of inequity facing your school community? In what ways are resources shared among community members? Who is involved in decision making?
In my opinion, the issues of inequity facing my school community is openness to the LGBT community and acknowledging the families that are diverse within the LGBT community. To my knowledge, there is no resources shared amongst community members of LGBT or students of LGBT families. The active PTSA shared resources and are part of the decision making, however, our learning community should be alert about events like “Father-Daughter Dance” and “Mother-Son Dance” which isolate the LGBT families. This upcoming school year, an ally club for LGBT families, should be created, mainly to support one particular student who is transgender and has the support of teachers, students and family.
In my opinion, the issues of inequity facing my school community is openness to the LGBT community and acknowledging the families that are diverse within the LGBT community. To my knowledge, there is no resources shared amongst community members of LGBT or students of LGBT families. The active PTSA shared resources and are part of the decision making, however, our learning community should be alert about events like “Father-Daughter Dance” and “Mother-Son Dance” which isolate the LGBT families. This upcoming school year, an ally club for LGBT families, should be created, mainly to support one particular student who is transgender and has the support of teachers, students and family.
Resource
Lindsey, D., Jungwirth, L., Pahl, J., & Lindsey, R. (2009). Culturally proficient learning communities confronting inequities through collaborative curiosity. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Lindsey, D., Jungwirth, L., Pahl, J., & Lindsey, R. (2009). Culturally proficient learning communities confronting inequities through collaborative curiosity. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.