The beginning of discussion revolved around questions from my blog:
- Should you respect other people's religious beliefs?
- It is ok to deny students the truth?
- What responsibility as a teacher do we need to help form the identity of the student? For example, religion and culture can become problematic.
Dr. Pope: "The teacher should encourage students while remaining neutral of students' choice. Is it possible to be neutral? Won't they demonstrate that into a modeling way in front of class?"
Student comment: "With the science of evolution scenario in the book, the teacher taught evolution but the students had the option to take it from him/her what he/she wanted."
Dr. Pope: There are two main questions to consider:
1. Can the teacher remain neutral?
2. Ought the teacher to remain neutral?
There are some things that could result in harm in students down the road. In the evolution example, the reverend taught students to be against evolution outside of the classroom. What obligations do you have as a teacher? Is it YOUR call to say, "that is wrong?"
Student comment: "With my experience with music teacher, he could have potentially ruined my personal identity with singing voice. He should have remained neutral."
Student comment: "It is important for teachers to "stick with the facts" and keep personal feelings out."
Dr. Pope: With the debate with the Holocaust, is it plausible to spend 3 days on proving a student right or wrong? Wouldn't it be better to spend time more productively?
With Strike and Soltis, you have to consider how much should teachers respect the personal identity of a child? The primary role of a teacher is to help them develop identities. Because one's cultural identity is important to one's own life, we are bound to respect cultural identities.
With white middle class students, the majority of students, their identities are confirmed everyday. We can see this through books as well as through the identities of their teachers.
What about the other kids? They come to school where their cultural identities are not confirmed. As a result, they are more likely to drop out of school. So, what role of a teacher does he/she have in supporting cultural identities of students?
Student comment: "I think it is important to expose students of different cultures in art. They need to appreciate other cultures around them."
Dr. Pope: What is the rationale behind it? Do we seek to confirm cultural identities of students different from mainstream culture?
Student comment: "While pointing out different people in classrooms, should their differences be recognized or should they blend with American society?"
Dr. Pope: So the goal should be unity
Student comment: "We had cultural day at our school where people would dress up and bring in food from their heritage."
Student comment: "We represented different cultures during lunches with music and history."
Dr. Pope: The goal is to help those students in minority to develop firmer sense of their identity. Help students feel ok with who/what they are. Some schools take this further. For example, there have been arguments for gender-specific classes, and classess segregated by race. If the class is just African Americans, then focus is on developing personal identity of that group.
Student comment: "With the concept of same gender classrooms, I've heard about the "Obama-Effect", which includes African Americans scoring higher on tests. Seems to be beneficial for minorites, but not white males."
Dr. Pope: There are 3 rationales for single-gender classrooms:
1. Teacher expectations
2. Classroom climate (Idea that boys seem to be more assertive;
girls less reluctant to speak out opinions)
3. Brain/learning differences
There are several concepts to consider when looking at culture:
* Valuing other cultures.
* Do all cultures deserve to be valued?
*Strike and Soltis mention that they are not better, but there is difference.
* Should we say, "Well, that's what they do and that's not right?"
EX: Women's circumcision...there is no pleasurable effects, but this is a practice
in which they engage.
Do we have a basis for criticism of culture? If we can evaluate and say that some elements of culture are morally wrong, doesn't the teacher have the obligation to deny teaching material or express their opinion? Is it possible?
Student comment: "Teachers should remain neutral for the most part, especially religiously."
Student comment: "Good example from teaching in Africa. You shouldn't undermine their culture just because it's differnt from yours."
Student comment: "Going back to the evolution issues, while considering an AP Biology course, there are other options, such as home schooling and lower level courses of Biology."
Dr. Pope: Looking back at the reading, Appiah, he distinguised identity from culture. Appiah defines common culutre. He doesn't believe we have common culture in the United States. He does mention a dominant culutre in America (Pg. 256). There is now a common culture that is widespread but not exclusively dominant.
Subcultures with radical elements. You have to consider what about the media culture? Should it be based on Justin Timberlake. Ha ha!!
Progress is always a relative concept.
Class adjourned.
No comments:
Post a Comment