Showing papers in "Multicultural Education in 2010"

First Year Teacher Education Candidates: What Are Their Perceptions about Multicultural Education?.

Abstract: The racial difference between the demographic profiles of most public school teachers and their students in primarily poor and urban areas elicits great concern. The concern emanates from the differences between the cultural values and attitudes held by some White female teachers and their poor minority students, particularly African American students. There is ample reason for such concern, as numerous investigations of interaction patterns between White teachers and poor, minority students have often indicated negative outcomes for both teachers and especially for the students. For example, Mark and Terrill (2000) found White teachers who lacked exposure to African American culture were prone to negatively characterize African American students—reported characterizations included terms such as lackadaisical, violent, and unmotivated. These same students, however, when described by African American teachers emerged as cooperative and free loving. Such discrepancies between teacher perceptions strongly suggest teachers are more likely to hold positive attitudes toward students who are culturally and ethnically like themselves, since they can more readily relate to their culture (Mark & Terrill, 2000). Perceiving students as lazy and unmotivated presupposes the students are not likely to want to learn and, therefore, will not put forth an effort to learn. Several researchers (Jussim, 1986, 1991; Rist, 1970) found that teachers judged children from higher socio-economic status (SES) more favorably than children lower SES, even when student performance was similar. Yet lower SES is too often a reality for many minority students who comprise the majority of the nation’s urban school population. Such findings illustrate the existence of teacher perceptions and demonstrates the potential for teachers to act based on their perceptions. The characterization of students as violent leads to speculation that White teachers may actually fear African American students. Delpit (2006) offers some support for this speculation when she relates the observations of a twelve-yearold friend who concisely categorized the teachers in his middle school:

Children's Struggles with the Writing Process: Exploring Storytelling, Visual Arts, and Keyboarding to Promote Narrative Story Writing

Abstract: The writing process can pose real challenges for some children. As a special education consultant teacher at an elementary school, in the Toronto (Ontario) area from 1994-2002, I (Michael) worked with many students who demonstrated difficulties with writing. Sally, a fourth-grade student receiving special education services, was one example. She demonstrated real difficulty with generating a story idea; even after dialoguing with me about her favorite interests and activities, she could not easily make a decision. At one session, I suggested that she write about her favorite television program. In trying to compose the text, Sally spent so much of her mental energy trying to spell the words that she had little energy left to devote to idea progression and story structure. With my role as a special education consultant teacher for students like Sally, I was motivated to generate an alternative narrative story-writing strategy that would help students who struggle with writing. This prompted me to become a professor and researcher of literacy skills and strategies. I theorized that, if students who struggle with writing could note their initial story ideas in a format other than words, they would have the metacognitive skills to know how to manage the process of describing story characters, setting, the main event, and drawing a cohesive conclusion. At Home At School (AHAS) is an arts-based/integrated-curriculum literacy program that provided an opportunity to employ my alternative-strategy idea with elementary-aged students who found writing to be a challenge. In 2002, Susan Finley introduced AHAS with 25 students and 12 student teachers; in 2009, AHAS enrolled over 500 K-12 students and 30 university students, most of whom are preservice teachers. The purpose of the AHAS umbrella of programs is to provide equity and opportunity to all children who face systemic roadblocks to education. Program documents state:

Reproducing and Interrupting Subtractive Schooling in Teacher Education.

Abstract: ing mentality. The preservice teachers that participated in Marx’s study viewed their Mexican students as having deficits in culture, language, families, intelligence and esteem. What Marx reports in her study is very likely to happen when preservice teachers have not had exposure to other cultures and languages. This is why we feel compelled to provide these preservice teachers with experiences and learning opportunities to examine their belief system about teaching in general and specifically about teaching ELLs. Some research studies have attempted to measure and/or demonstrate the type of psychological transformation that should occur in teacher candidates so that they will become more aware of social inequity based on race, class, and gender (Cochran-Smith, Davis, & Fries, 2004; Hollins & Guzman, 2005). This attitudinal transformation then should lead to new ways of addressing curriculum and pedagogy that are more just and inclusive of all students. We are interested in the potential for curriculum and pedagogy in teacher education programs for producing such transformations. Grant and Gillette (2006) define teacher effectiveness through the punctual description of issues such as culturally responsive teaching, self-knowledge (understanding, acceptance, and willingness to change), a well constructed philosophy of education, pedagogical content knowledge, educational psychology, multicultural knowledge, and making connections to the world outside of the school. When teachers lack preparation to address specific needs of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) populations, these students can become curriculum casualties (Mathes & Torgesen, 2000). Thus, it is important to analyze how pre-service teachers construct their understanding of learning and teaching this population of students. One point that is overlooked in many of the studies in this important area of reBut I teach Math. It is not my job to teach English as a second language.

White Students at the Historically Black University: Toward Developing a Critical Consciousness.

Abstract: 13 Wilma J. Henry is an associate professor and coordinator of the College Student Affairs M.Ed. Program in the Department of Psychological and Social Foundations and Rosemary B. Closson is an assistant professor of adult education in the Department of Adult, Career, and Higher Education, both with the College of Education at the University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida. mately 20,000. By 2001, the number had risen to approximately 34,000—about a 60 percent increase (National Center for Education Statistics, 2005). Moreover, there are currently two HBCUs, Lincoln University in Missouri and Bluefield State University in West Virginia, with White student enrollments that outnumber the Black students matriculating at the institutions (Thomas-Lester, 2004). While desegregation of college campuses—as an antidote to prejudice and discrimination—is not generally agreed upon (D’Souza, 1991), the value of increasing diverse enrollments (i.e., Blacks at PWIs and Whites at HBCUs) is generally viewed by higher education scholars as an opportunity to prepare students to flourish in an increasingly multicultural society (Astin, 1993a). Thus, interest in diversity and multicultural outcomes has generated a great deal of research and discourse in “mainstream higher education” but has paid little attention to diversity and multicultural achievements and outcomes of White students at HBCUs. The purpose of this article is to examine the potential of HBCUs to facilitate the development of a critical consciousness among their White students. It discusses philosophical views regarding the process of unveiling “Whiteness,” including White critical studies and White identity development theories. A review of the literature is presented on the role of HBCUs, particularly in relation to their function of The “Whitening” of Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Why Teach? Ethnic Minority College Students' Views on Teaching.

Abstract: after other initial work experience wished to conduct their student teaching in their home communities, while traditional students, those with no previous work experience, were more concerned with ethnic stereotyping by the schools and community they may be placed in for their student teaching. Those traditional students in the Carrington and Tomlin study did not wish to be placed in unfamiliar communities that did not reflect their own cultural or ethnic identities for fear that these unfamiliar placements would contribute to issues of stereotyping and racism. As we will see later on, the college students who participated in this study also had a concern regarding student placement and teaching positions. In addition to the findings of the Carrington and Tomlin study, other studies on minorities in teaching have found complex reasons for why ethnic minorities are not choosing teaching as a profession. One such study analyzed four ethnic minority groups (African American, Latino, Native American, and Asian American) in seeking to determine what hinders students of color from entering the teaching profession (Gordon, 2000). Gordon’s study involved 116 interviews of teachers of color from three different states plus a group of 50 Asian American community members, all asked to answer the question of why minority students are not choosing teaching. Gordon’s study found that while there were differences between the reasons given by each minority group, some of the main reasons why the participants felt minority students were not choosing teaching were because of low pay, lack of encouragement, insufficient K-12 instruction, negative school experiences, and low status of and lack of respect for teachers. Many of these finding have been reinforced through a number of other studies (Miller & Endo, 2005; Gordon, 2005; Gordon, 1997), and many of them are again reflected in the study reported here. I desired to become a teacher and receive a credential in special education. When I started to examine the number of years it would take to clear my credential, how the nation was demanding standardized testing for students who did not test well, and the low pay, I realized by the time I graduated with my Bachelors in biology then a Masters, I still would not be done with a cleared teaching credential.

Representations of Native Americans in Elementary School Social Studies: A Critical Look at Instructional Language.

Abstract: 10 Michele R. Mason is a doctoral student and Gisela Ernst-Slavit is a professor in the College of Education at Washington State University-Vancouver, Vancouver, Washington. segments of instructional conversations, we point to the pervasive use of language that perpetuates stereotypes and biased representations of Native American history. To frame the analysis, we discuss three different perspectives. First, we summarize the literature on Otherness, particularly, how the Other is constructed (1) through language, (2) in Western history, and (3) in classroom discourse. Second, we share information about the Critical Language Awareness movement rooted in the United Kingdom. This body of work is concerned with the relationship between language and social context, particularly educators’ awareness of how ideology and power structures inherent in language play out during daily school routines. In addition, we highlight the National Social Studies Standards’ focus on helping students construct a pluralist perspective based on diversity. We argue that by carefully examining the talk that transpires in classroom discussions, we can have a window into how knowledge, identity, social positioning, and value systems are constructed by teachers and students. The paper ends with a list of specific suggestions for educators and teacher educators regarding language awareness, primary sources, and the importance of using balanced and comprehensive historical perspectives.

Individual and Group Reflection Strategies: What We Learned from Preservice Teachers.

Abstract: develop positive relationships with those whom they identify as possessing common positive characteristics (“in-groups”); however, this disconnection seeds tendencies of alienation towards those lacking these similarities, and breed feelings of hate through attitudes of moral superiority, perceived threat, common goals (perceptions of interdependence), common values and social comparisons, and power politics (Brewer, 1999). Studies indicate that providing a sense of security eases negativism towards out-groups (Mikulincer & Shaver, 2001). Teachers’ beliefs and attitudes relate to their lived experiences (Lin, 2008). The influences of sociocultural, historical, and political contexts in which PSTs grew up are closely related to their efficacy in teaching. Lin, Lake, and Rice (2008) propose that it is important for PSTs to experience diverse settings while constantly engaging in internalized dialogues in order to help them make connections between their personal experiences and diversity issues. Internalized dialogues require framing and reframing one’s thinking in order to improve upon children’s learning is basic to the active process of reflection. Connelly and Clandinin’s (1994) work with PSTs shows how they develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their practice through the process of reflection. Yet, one of the hardest things to do is to reflect on personal cultural values and understand that many ideas held as truths are culturally based. Contextual influences on dispositions and ideas represent a human condition. Just as experiences provide the bases for teacher beliefs and attitudes, they also influence those of the students. There are a multitude of factors that may influence behaviors (Banks, 2004). Koppelman, with Goodhart’s (2005) recommendation that teachers try to address causes of student misbehaviors, rather punish the misbehaviors themselves, provides a respectful approach to validating the background of Introduction

Transforming Teacher Cultural Landscapes by Reflecting on Multicultural Literature.

Abstract: Tunde Szecsi is an associate professor and Elia Vazquez-Montilla and Sally C. Mayberry are professors in the College of Education at Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, Florida, and Carolyn Spillman is a professor in residence at the Lastinger Center for Learning at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida. Transforming Teacher Cultural Landscapes by Reflecting on Multicultural Literature

Decolonizing Teaching: A Cross-Curricular and Collaborative Model for Teaching about Race in the University.

Abstract: 18 Darlene St. Clair is a professor with the Multicultural Resource Center and Kyoko Kishimoto is a professor in the Department of Ethnic Studies, both at St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minnesota. and corporatized society. We suggest that an accommodationist teaching of multiculturalism benefits “corporatized academies” in a way that evades discussions of inequalities created by, for example, capitalism. We also argue that there exists a danger of a ghettoization or compartmentalization of race in college curricula. In addition, the existence of Ethnic Studies may be perceived as permission for other disciplines to avoid the discussions of race. Furthermore, colleges and universities are co-opting this course content and transforming it into “diversity” and “multiculturalism” that dodges the challenging issues including White privilege, institutional racism, social position and oppression. This model of multiculturalism also puts forward the common stance of colorblindness as a response to racism that we continue to struggle against. This article discusses a cross-curricular and collaborative model for teaching race at St. Cloud State University that resists the compartmentalization and co-optation of classes that teach about race. There are many universities and colleges that offer some sort of diversity requirement. Debra Humphreys (Association of American Colleges and Universities) conducted a survey in 1998 that revealed that almost 60% of the 65 institutions involved in the survey had a requirement for students to take at least one course addressing diversity. In another study in which 196 institutions were surveyed, “34% had a multicultural general educa[T]here was a discussion panel this week entitled “Real Students, Real Talk” that I was a part of. Basically the panel talked about the on-going issue of race on our campus. I just wanted to let you know that the concepts taught in your class were very helpful in expressing my ideas and beliefs about race. The material covered in your course weren’t just things that I regurgitated back on a test. I was able to retain the material so well that I was able to help educate others about “White privilege,” “race as a social construct,” etc. I just wanted to thank you for teaching one of my favorite classes this year...! —Unsolicited email from student

Crossing Cultures: Considering Ethnotheory in Teacher Thinking and Practices.

Abstract: In our research, we specifically looked at SES and immigrant families as two main aspects of cultural communities. Scholars in the field of home-school relations stress the importance of home-school communication for promoting academic success (Ames, 1993; Bempechat, 1992; Dodd & Konzal, 2002; Epstein, 2001; Graham-Clay, 2005; Heilling, 1996) and identify the barriers in communication, especially when it concerns schools and families having different cultural viewpoints (Bermudez & Marquez, 1996; Columbo, 2004; Dennessen, Bakker, & Gierveld, 2007; Dodd & Konzal, 1999, 2002; Epstein & Becker, 1982; Graham-Clay, 2005; Hughes & MacNaughton, 2000; Sy, 2006, Trumbull, Rothstein-Fisch, & Hernandez, 2003). Understanding the frameworks within which families function (Caspe, 2003), such as culture (Weisner, 1998; Souto-Manning, & Scwick, 2006; Trumbull, Rothstein-Fisch, & Hernandez, 2003), economic factors (Greenfield, 1994; Trumbull, Rothstein-Fisch, Greenfield, & Quiroz, 2001), socioeconomic class (Lareau, 2002; Smith, 2006), and child-rearing/socialization practices (Bempechat, 1992), becomes vital to promote effective communication with and involvement of families. Therefore, it becomes the school’s responsibility to help build bridges between the cultures of the children, their families, and other communities by respecting their diversity (Wright & Stegelin, 2003). Often lack of understanding of the families’ cultural pathways/ethnotheories and lack of knowledge about how to build these bridges (e.g., see Gonzalez-Mena, 2000) creates obstacles in the communication between teachers and families. Current literature in the field has underscored the need for culturally responsive teaching (Caspe, 2003; Delpit, 1995; Ladson-Billings, 1991; Marion, 1980; Voltz, 1994) and home-school relations (Colombo, 2004; Dennessen, Bakker, & Gierveld, 2007; Eberly, Joshi, & Konzal, 2007; Joshi, Eberly, & Konzal, 2005; Sy, 2006; Souto-Manning, Introduction

Deconstructing Academic Writing: Continuing a Conversation on Christian Privilege.

Abstract: Jason Eric Nelson is an independent educational researcher in Seattle, Washington, who holds a Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy studies from the University of Washington and currently works with the newly formed Argonaut Consulting. U.S., and whether (and in what ways) Christianity is a privileged identity (Hardiman & Jackson, 1997). Some contend that religion has been, if anything, deprivileged in modern American society (Carter, 1993/1994; Nord & Haynes, 1998; Whitehead, 1991, 1994) or perhaps deprivileged in comparison to other non-religious interest groups (Baer, 1998; Smith, 2001). Other writers, dismissing this as petulance from (perhaps formerly) privileged elites who have lost their supremacy, would say that Christianity is the privileged religious identity (Hardiman & Young, 1997). Still, this is rarely the focus of such work, as Christianity as a privileged identity may be mentioned only in passing (Young, 1990) or asserted as an example of privilege as though it were self-evident, without actually providing evidence to warrant the claim (Hardiman & Jackson, 1997). Still, to those not Christian,1 the dominance of this religious identity group may appear as strong as ever in the cultural norms and commonplaces they see around them every day, and this is the area explored by Clark et al. (2002), Clark (2003), and Clark & Brimhall-Vargas (2003) earler this decade in three issues of Multicultural Education. They tackle this difficult and important subject head-on, when many in education (and society at large) would Deconstructing Academic Writing

Reflect on Your History: An Early Childhood Education Teacher Examines Her Biases.

Abstract: Since teachers’ personal and professional beliefs, values, and knowledge are closely connected to their practice regarding diversity and multicultural education, this study provided the opportunity for an early childhood teacher to critically analyze and reflect on her understanding about the beliefs and teaching on diversity and multicultural education. This study was geared to provide this early childhood teacher with a chance to confront her personal beliefs and biases on diversity issues by reflecting on her multicultural experiences throughout her life. In order to better understand early childhood teachers’ multicultural preparation, this study addresses the question: “How does an early childhood teacher’s cultural beliefs, knowledge, and attitudes effect her teaching practice?”

Reconstructing Multicultural Education through Personal Story: Transcending the Essentialist/Relativist Dichotomy.

Abstract: Robert Lake is an assistant professor of social foundations of education with the Department of Curriculum, Foundations, and Reading at Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia. The demographics of the United States are rapidly changing. If the fallacy of Whiteness as the “normal” background is to be kept in place, it will require an even greater propagation of historical and cultural “White lies” than what already exists in the present. According to the United States Census Bureau’s most recent projected statistics, by 2050 the percentage of the population under the designation “White alone, not Hispanic will be 50.1%” (retrieved July 13, 2006 from http://www. census.gov/ipc/www/usinterimproj/natprojtab01a.xls). Apple (2001) points out that “race as a category is usually applied to ‘nonwhite’ peoples. White people are usually not seen and named. They are centered as the human norm. ‘Others’ are raced” (p. 209).Everyone is “other” to someone. Challenging the myth of a racial norm of any kind must be a vital and ongoing part of the field of education and one of the best ways to approach this is through personal stories.

Classical Social Justice: A Philosophical Exploration of the Roots of Social and Economic Inequities.

Abstract: 15 Thomas A. Lucey is an associate professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction of the College of Education at Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois; Mary Frances Agnello is an associate professor in the Department of Secondary Education of the College of Education at Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas; and Jeffrey M. Hawkins is an associate professor in the Department of Social Studies Education of the College of Education at Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma. interpretations of ethics, morality, and spirituality. Knowledge and power relations define morality for society. Yet the dominant discourse of morality does not discount or destroy discourses of other groups (Foucault, 1972). What becomes difficult to overcome about the practice of the elites to define morality is their access to the media that reaches the public at large and their abilities to exercise power in many social networks (Fiske, 1993). According to Bobbitt (2002), security, welfare, and multiculturalism contribute to a market-state social identity that relies heavily upon financial exchange among cultural groups and upon increasing business transactions among distant nations. While this awareness has developed over centuries, the early 21st century realizes the consequences of its recent intensification. A social manifestation of the ongoing struggle between economic classes (Zinn, 2003) is a curriculum differentiated along The gods do not think it right people should succeed unless they understand their duties and are concerned that they are accomplished, but grant their favor to some who are prudent and careful while denying it to others. —Xenophon (as translated in Pomeroy, 1994, p. 165) The Kingdom of God comes not at some future time You cannot point out the sign of its coming The Kingdom of God comes not at some special site You cannot point out the place of its coming The Kingdom of God is already here, among you now. —Jesus of Nazareth (Matthew 24:23-26) (as interpreted in Crossan, 1994, p. 39)

Language Proficiency, Reading, and the Chinese-Speaking English Language Learner: Facilitating the L1-L2 Connection.

Abstract: Barbara C. Palmer is a professor of reading and language arts in the College of Education at The Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida; Nailing Zhang is an associate professor of English to speakers of Chinese at Taiyuan Normal University, China; Susan H. Taylor teaches English at North Florida Community College, Madison, Florida, and is a doctoral student in the Reading and Language Arts Program at The Florida State University; Judith T. Leclere is an adjunct professor of reading and language arts at The Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida. Language Proficiency, Reading, and the Chinese-Speaking English Language Learner

A Mindfulness to Transcend Pre-Service Lip-Service: A Call for K-12 Schools to Invest in Social Justice Education.

Abstract: Learning to consider the experiences and perspectives of those who are marginalized is difficult for members of a dominant group who have not encountered similar obstacles According to Sonia Nieto (2000) and the National Center for Education Information (2005), student populations continue to be characterized by diversity while more than ninety percent of those in teacher preparation programs are mostly White, middle class, and from non-urban backgrounds Comprehending this paradox is important for members of the teaching community to confront the deep social and psychological influences of the –isms that affect society and schools In her book, Other People’s Children, Lisa Delpit (1995) criticizes the deficits of teacher education programs that avoid and repress the multicultural voices found in American classrooms today I support her argument to reform teacher preparation programs, but for the purpose of this article I will explore the responsibility of individual schools that presently ignore and deny the multicultural facets of a typically diverse classroom In doing so, I plan to expose three main features of promoting social justice that I suggest individual schools be held accountable for in order to move toward the full inclusion of all learners and foster a democratic learning environment of informed and respectful young citizens The conceptual framework for my argument is supported by Iris Young’s (1990) definition of social justice education that challenges students to examine the inequalities that people experience as a result of their social group memberships, through systems of constraint and advantage reproduced through the social processes of exploitation, marginalization, powerlessness, cultural imperialism, and violence The three-fold approach I suggest schools adopt includes an on-going dialogue among staff that helps see beyond one’s own perspective, creating a schoolwide team that is committed to educating others about relevant issues of equity and social justice, and fostering an intimate relationship with the school community Many teachers, including myself, enter the teaching profession ill-equipped and unprepared to internalize and teach social justice Novice educators often possess good intentions, but as Delpit points out in her probe of the salient issues of diversity and schooling, “For many who consider themselves a member of liberal or radical camps, acknowledging personal power and admitting participation in the culture of power is distinctly uncomfortable” (p 26) As a result, all over the nation future teachers in higher education likely endure one required course in isolation that focuses on multicultural issues in education within other classes that honor a conceptual framework of the dominant culture at the expense of understanding the language and learning of diverse perspectives which are sure to be represented in classrooms they will teach This cyclical and obsolete approach to teacher education perpetuates the system of social oppression and creates classroom dynamics that cause educators and students alike to fail miserably Consider, for instance, the plethora of new graduates that enter the educational arena holding relatively high levels of privilege (ie, White, educated, middle class, heterosexual, Christian Americans) I think these teachers quickly begin to acknowledge that there is a communication barrier, a disconnection between themselves and children who are outside and my even defy the dominant culture But by the time they reach this realization these teachers have lost their status as a trainee and feel pressure to demonstrate infallible expertise No longer experiencing the support of professors, supervisors, and the social network of a cohort, I think many initial teachers deny or ignore this dilemma for fear of surrendering teacher competency

Teaching Graduate Students about Social Class: Using a Classifying Activity with an Inductive Approach.

Abstract: Teaching about social class, or socioeconomic status,1 is an important undertaking, but one that is particularly challenging for a number of reasons. For one, many Americans tend to see our society as having a very open class system, which can lead them to overlook the costliness of the inequality that does exist (Breen & Jonsson, 2005).2 Second, discussion of social class can be uncomfortable (Davis, 1992) and rife with stereotyping and thus difficult to manage. Third, conventional wisdom tells us that class consciousness among Americans is underdeveloped if not altogether lacking (Tynes, 2001)—perhaps due in part to the limited way in which poverty is defined (Greenberg, 2007) and also portrayed in the news media (FAIR, 2007)—although this wisdom has been challenged (e.g., Vanneman & Cannon, 1987). Fourth, while scholarship on teaching about human difference and inequality has increased in the past couple of decades, most of the attention has been paid to race, ethnicity, and gender; hence, there is somewhat less pedagogical support in the area of social class (Adair & Dahlberg, 2003). Teaching about social class holds special significance for students who will work in the fields of education and human services. Students who are preparing to be (or are already) educators or educational administrators, counselors, or social workers, for example, are relatively privileged compared to many of the people with whom they do or will work.3 The specific unit within the institution where I teach has a stated goal of preparing educators and human services professionals for work in urban settings, primarily in educational and community institutions. Therefore, these professionals will likely work with students who not only differ from them racially and/or ethnically, but also socioeconomically. In order to enhance their ability to be successful in these contexts, these persons need to understand social class in a sophisticated way. I teach this mix of students in multiple courses, including a master’s level course in sociology of education and a doctoral course on the social and cultural aspects of schooling. The majority of the students I encounter, however, are enrolled in a master’s course called “Education and Society.” This course falls under the category of social foundations of education, which is a subfield that relies on the concepts and modes of inquiry of the “foundational disciplines” of the humanities (especially history and philosophy) and the social sciences (especially sociology, anthropology, and political science). This type of course is commonly offered in universities across the nation. Foundations courses date back to the 1930s, and even though they have taken many forms since that time, a constant feature has been their dual descriptive and prescriptive dimensions: a focus on “what schools are doing and what they ought to be doing” (CLSE, 1996: 5; emphasis in original). At my institution, various instructors teach the education and society course. The disciplines from which each one draws depend on his or her academic interests and training; in my case, they are mainly philosophy, sociology, and political science.

The Lifenet View: Fostering Contextual Understanding in the Professional Education Curriculum.

Abstract: Practitioners in all fields, teacher education and K-12 schools being no exception, must be able to work across gender, class, ethnic, and language differences in order to teach, counsel, heal, assist, and collaborate effectively with those unlike themselves. Efforts to foster multiculturalism and contextual understanding within professional communities often begin with the obvious: humans are relational beings who live in particular social and material contexts. However, professionals-in-training must be taught how to shift focus from the individual to the relational and from the psychological to the contextual. This requires humanistic teaching strategies that go beyond what Schön (1983) has called “the model of technical rationality” (p. 21) implicit within many educational policies and practices. Such strategies support college students’ intellectual, ethical and moral development as they move toward more complex and relativistic ways of making sense of the social world (Perry 1968/1999). However, teaching about race, class, culture, gender, and human diversity in professional preparation programs is an enterprise fraught with conceptual complexity and pedagogical hazards (e.g., Fendler, 2003; Gorski, 2009; Greene & Abt-Perkins, 2003; Ibarra, 2000; Johnson, 2002; Ladson-Billings, 2006; McKnight, 2004; Sanchez & Fried, 1997; Sleeter, 2001). Many university students come to class with strong interpretive biases toward decontextualized, individualistic (essentialist and reductionistic) ways of thinking about human diversity. In other words, students often tend to (mis)attribute cultural differences to psychological and sometimes genetic (“racial”) qualities assumed to be biologically innate, or at best, profoundly resistant to change (Watson, Charner-Laird, Kirkpatrick, Szczesiul, & Gordon, 2006). Such misattributions may contribute to the communications gaps between educational practitioners and the diverse communities they serve (Kalyanpur & Harry, 1999; Ladson-Billings, 2006; Sleeter, 2001). Further, teacher educators and other post-secondary educators who seek to foster student intellectual growth through democratic discourse soon discover that culturally diverse college students are also developmentally diverse, characterized by age-associated differences in life experiences and cognitive, emotional and social maturity. The number of older adult students enrolled in post-secondary education is expected to increase through 2016 (Snyder, Dillow & Hoffman, 2008, 261-262), with recent changes in the GI Bill likely to increase the number of non-traditional students enrolled in postsecondary education in the near future. This, in turn, will increase the developmental diversity of students enrolled at all levels of post-secondary education. Students also differ not only with respect to their gender orientations, but their consciousness of LGBTIQ issues, which clearly warrant “a place at the blackboard” (Savage & Harley, 2009) in developmentally diverse classrooms. The work described below represents an effort to foster a contextual understanding of human development in culturally and developmentally diverse classrooms through autobiographical reflection and reflexive inquiry. My goal is to use the exercise to foster “deep learning” (Grauerholz, 2001) about human development and to develop a classroom environment that values and fosters classroom community (Fassinger, 1997; McKinney, McKinney, Franiuk, & Schweitzer, 2006). This means establishing a classroom environment that reduces barriers to meaningful collaboration and intergroup friendship formation (Allport, 1954). By encouraging students to learn from each other, classroom communities provide a powerful venue for intellectual, social and emotional growth. A first step in establishing such communities involves creating the conditions necessary for students to begin to trust and learn from one another.

Teaching India with Popular Feature Films: A Guide for High School and College Teachers.

Abstract: Popular films tell us a lot about the culture where they are seen and enjoyed even though they may not reflect “reality” in the way that academics may want to portray a country. Popular films get at the deepest longings and fears of their viewership and their biggest hopes for the future. Teaching India through popular films is particularly important because that country is the largest producer of films in the world and claims some of the largest markets for films. This article lists and describes some popular feature films that teachers can use to talk about India and their general themes. All of the films are quite appropriate for a high school or higher education audience, and all but one of them been made in India by Indian directors.