Students Teaching Teachers

In this Newark Journal article I found on the New York Times' website, they discussed a few schools that are engaging in student-mediated teaching interventions that are designed to empower and motivate students as well as encourage quality and effective teaching. According to the article, "teachers...are getting pointers from their students this year as part of an unusual teacher training program at 19 low-performing Newark schools." The theory is to rely on the natural ability children have to teach - be educating their peers or their teachers. Students are therefore given an opportunity to educate teachers about more effective teaching strategies. One teacher, an eighth grade social studies teacher, Ms O'Bryant, was interviewed. The article quoted her as having stated, “When we went to school, we would sit down and listen. Now you’ve leveled the playing field. It’s not always what Ms. O’Bryant says.” This egalitarian and collaborative view to education is progressive and places the student in a position to advocate for their educational needs as well as providing the educators with an opportunity for ways to improve their lessons in a way that connects better to the students.

This article made me realize that providing students with such an opportunity to take a leadership role and advocate for their educational needs was not only a good idea, but a necessary one. Even an educator that was attempting to challenge racism in their classroom whenever they heard/saw it occur, they will miss instances. By allowing students to speak about their feelings in the classroom environment, students are provided with an opportunity to explain this to their educator, who may take it upon themselves to adjust the seating arrangement/partners to better accommodate and facilitate the comfort levels of their students. As Nieto and Bode wrote, “The young people described in the case studies and snapshots defined culture as an active, dynamic interplay of their home, school, youth, traditional and contemporary cultures, and more, as created and re-created identities.” By allowing students to define their personal issues with lessons and the classroom dynamic, the teacher may further ensure that problematic behavior is addressed in a manner that the offended person would appreciate.

If the practice of student-led teacher interventions were widespread, students would have an opportunity to talk and be heard, which would not only boost their morale, but also demonstrates proper listening techniques and how to respond to constructive criticism. Also, this practice shows students that their opinions are valued and valuable, which will encourage self-advocacy down the road, as well. Lastly, this would provide educators with valuable feedback regarding how and what their students would like to be studying. While student preference should not dictate all of their curriculum, students should be allowed room to take some control of their own education; after all, it is what we’re here for in the end.

Article link: <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/15/nyregion/15metjournal.html?_r=0>

School-To-Prison Pipeline - "Gone Too Far: Our Kid in Handcuffs"

I came across an article on the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) website regarding the School-To-Prison Pipeline. There was also a video attache, entitled "Gone Too Far: Our Kid in Handcuffs," that told one student's story of a zero tolerance policy. This student was caught with a "Hit List" that was created in jest and was sentenced to a 180-day school suspension. The student had always received wonderful feedback from teachers as well as administrators. He was well-liked and hard-working. However, he is now struggling with depression and falling a year behind his classmates. The ACLU "believes that children should be educated, not incarcerated."

Nieto and Bode write, "following removal from school, many students experience enormous diffi-
culty in reentering," (p. 268) which will clearly apply to the student featured in this video. Not only is he facing severe repercussions for a joke, but he will continue to face those repercussions through the reentry process. This has reminded me that zero tolerance policies not only affect the student during the assigned punishment period, but also in the time following that period. I will be sure to discourage the practice of zero tolerance policies as well as other policies that encourage the school-to-prison pipeline. Students face enough hardships without being treated like hardened criminals at every turn.

Website - https://www.aclu.org/school-prison-pipeline
Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gEMslXo_3Ig

"Signs for a Good Education"

This was an article on the Human Rights Watch website that discussed the importance of offering all deaf children an education in a language that will most benefit them - sign language. I was immediately intrigued, but then I came across a video on the page entitled "Signs for a Good Education," which discussed the importance of sign language education and the struggles that some d/Deaf students have in obtaining that education. There were several d/Deaf students interviewed, as well as a couple of their teachers and one Deaf woman that works for the Disability Rights department at Human Rights Watch. The students discussed how much they enjoyed getting to learn in a d/Deaf environment, rather than having to try to play catch-up in a hearing learning environment. The teachers talked about how d/Deaf students learn in some varied ways from hearing students and how they were able to address some of their needs better in a sign language-based educational setting.

The relation this video has to Chapter 6 is two-fold. First of all, this video perfectly encompasses the sentiment about which Nieto and Bode wrote when they said, "All good teachers know that learning builds on prior knowledge and experiences. In the case of language minority students, this means that their native language can be a strong foundation for future learning," (p. 226). The use of sign language can and often does provide d/Deaf students with a strong foundation for future learning. However, the second relation to Chapter 6 of the Nieto and Bode text is in an omission, rather than a quotation. While this chapter contained a chart that consisted of nine pages of languages, no sign languages were mentioned at any point. I found it very interesting that no form of categorical allowance was made for sign languages. This demonstrated the ease with which the hearing world forgets about the d/Deaf world as well as their subsequent inherent need for a sign language-based education.

This video spoke deeply to me, as I intend to pursue a career working with d/Deaf students and providing them with a sign language-based education. Whether I am serving as a wrap-around interpreter or am instructing an entire class of d/Deaf students, this video reminded me that I am pursuing a worthy and valuable cause - providing d/Deaf students with the educations they deserve. This video also reminded me that there are a lot Schools for the Deaf that are already providing this much-needed form of education.

Website - http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/10/17/offer-deaf-children-education-sign-language
Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwksMw6Ar_s

"Is My School Racist?"

In Brian Willoughby's article, "Is My School Racist," racism within the educational system is looked at from a systemic societal level, rather than viewing racism as being perpetuated by individual people. Willoughby's article reminded his readers of the prevalence and potential for racism within every type of school - private, public, charter, etc. - and at every level - district, administrative, or classroom. The importance of recognizing the potential for systemic racism helps to removes the pride that reduces some privileged people's ability to admit the presence of racism. In doing so it also maximizes the potential for antiracist professional development.
This reminder to look at the systemic levels of racism supports the text in chapter 3 of the Nieto and Bode, where they wrote, "Too often, prejudice and discrimination are viewed by many people as individuals’ negative perceptions toward members of other groups. Unfortunately, some definitions of racism and discrimination obscure the institutional nature of oppression," (p. 64). The text as well as this article encourage education systems to continually evaluate standardized tests, curriculum, and the classroom management methods used with a critical eye in order to continue to create more antiracist educational settings. Also, this article serves as a reminder to check one's privilege and personal perspective at the classroom door. For instance, a list of four questions written by Pollock, the director of the Center for Research on Educational Equity, Assessment, and Teaching Excellence were included that asked things such as, "Am I seeing, understanding and addressing the ways the world treats me and my students as members of racial groups?" By consistently checking and analyzing the content of methods of instruction and assessment, many occurrences of institutionalized racism could be removed.

http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-45-fall-2013/is-my-school-racist

Stages of Multicultural Curriculum Transformation

Stages of Multicultural Curriculum Transformation

This article discussed the various levels of multicultural educational reform schools may be at. This page is part of a website entitled, "Multicultural Education"There were five stages listed by Paul Gorski, the author for the website, that ranged from "Curriculum of the Mainstream" to "Multicultural, Social Action, and Justice," as well as listing the strengths and/or weaknesses of the various stages. 

Curriculum in the Mainstream consisted of instruction based solely on Euro- and male-centric textbooks. Stage two, or "Heroes and Holidays," is the name given to educational systems wherein the only steps taken towards multicultural education are regarding certain heroes within non-dominant cultures, as well as occasionally acknowledging and briefly educating about non-dominant cultures' holidays. The third stage, or "Integration," refers to educational systems that supplement the Heroes and Holidays stage with some information regarding some non-dominant groups. This may include featuring some literature that is written by women and/or people of color.

The next stage, or "Structural Reform,"describes when new materials and curriculum are developed to integrate various voices and cultures throughout all curriculum. The only advance made upon this stage in the last stage - "Multicultural, Social Action, and Justice" - is that within this final and ideal stage, students and educators are now questioning and discussing various social issues, such as sexism, racism, classism, ageism, ableism, etc. I found this break-down of the spectrum of multicultural reforms very helpful in seeing the end goal, as well as some of the means to that end.

Gorski referred to James Banks, who discussed how schools being at less progressive stages of multicultural can affect and perpetuate systemic and problematic thinking when he said that it, "reinforces their false sense of superiority, gives them a misleading conception of their relationship with other racial and ethnic groups, and denies them the opportunity to benefit from the knowledge, perspectives, and frames of reference that can be gained from studying and experiencing other cultures and groups," (195). Nieto wrote of a similar concept within our text on page 49 when she wrote, "White students too receive only a partial education, which helps to legitimate their cultural blindness. Seeing only themselves, they may believe that they are the norm and thus most important and everyone else is secondary and less important."

Taking all of this information into account, this article could prompt more schools to take a more proactive and progressive role within multicultural educational reform. It is easy to make progress and become content, but when keeping in mind the end goal it would undoubtedly be markedly easier to maintain motivation to improve. This article also serves as a good reminder that there are consequences to a lack of multicultural reform - from the level of comfort to the level of social awareness of your students. 

http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/curriculum/steps.html 

Teacher-Family Cooperation to Improve Experience of Culturally Diverse Students

This article discussed the importance of working with families to understand and best work with each student in your classroom.  As I may work at a variety of age levels, I see this as very important at all grade levels.  The article talked about the importance of letting families serve as informants on their own culture and on their child to the educator, which could easily take place during home visits, such as those mentioned on page 169 of the Nieto and Bode text.  By allowing families and students to talk openly and educate others about their culture and what their culture means to them, culturally diverse students are empowered amongst some of their privileged classmates.  This can allow for diversities to be seen as differences, and maybe strengths, rather than weaknesses.

The article also discussed "diversity capital," which was the term coined by Sherick Hughes, the author.  Hughes described diversity capital as "the teaching skills that breed high educational performance by bridging the gaps that separate school and home."  The use of diversity capital can provide students with more continuity between school and home, which breeds success.  Hughes also talked about family pedagogy, which "is shaped by both spiritual faith narratives of hope and stories of struggle." Creating continuity between school and home would also involve the balance of hope and struggle.

http://www.hfrp.org/family-involvement/fine-family-involvement-network-of-educators/member-insights/how-can-we-prepare-teachers-to-work-with-culturally-diverse-students-and-their-families-what-skills-should-educators-develop-to-do-this-successfully

Chapters 6 & 11 Responses

Ch. 6
Based on the contents of Chapter 6, I would prefer to have as many digital technologies in my classroom.  There are so many various technologies available that serve many different purposes.   Some are modest expenses, such as headphones that can allow students to work with audio programs in any setting, while others are more expensive, complex technologies such as voice-activated devices for students with severe physical disabilities.  Mini-laptops have also provided a cheaper and less cumbersome way to provide students with more accessibility to things such as educational software or research databases on the internet.  Also, portable storage devices such as USB drives make it much easier to transport multiple files at once.  USB drives are also very useful for students that are working on essays or other assignments in multiple places, because now a student can start their paper on a school computer and take it home to finish it. 

Ch. 11
An example of a traditional audio technology are earphones.  Earphones can be used to allow students to have an independent learning experience, and they eliminate potentially distracting noises produced by some software.  They allow students engage in a much wider range of activities in any setting, because they will not be a distraction to their peers.  An emerging audio technology is the MP3 format, which is a much more compact format through which media can be saved.  This can allow a teacher to carry all of their media examples in one compact unit, such as an MP3 player.  The overhead projector is a traditional visual technology.  The projector is easy to use for teachers, and it provides an enlarged and uniform set of notes for students to reference.  A newer visual technology is the website YouTube.  YouTube is a source with millions of videos that are easily accessible and can provide a more memorable example for whatever one is teaching.