One of the main issues discussed last night was how to handle students who dispute important, well-known facts. The most recurring example, brought up by Dr. Pope, was the student who disputes the 6 million person death toll from the Holocaust. It seemed that as a class, we decided that the best approach to this situation is offering the child some reading or talking to them one-on-one in order to stick to the lesson plan and not waste time on a well known fact. I'm glad our class agreed on a respectful, guiding approach to this question. Similar comments were made about teaching or discussing the theory of evolution. My question is , where does our "mutual respect" approach fit on the spectrum of Teaching Methodology? I've heard the term "methodology" mentioned loosely in other classes, but I'm not familiar with the different styles/categories of instruction. Where could I learn more about this?
To switch gears now, I was also glad to hear Mandy defend the idea of single-gender classrooms with research that shows children performing better in those settings. I offered some research, as well, on the Obama Effect. One thing that such research suggests is that when comfortable in their setting, people can develop more "positive self-talk" techniques. The theory is that our performance on a test is affected by a "vibe" that we get from the environment in which we are tested and./or have been trained in. Does this sound like a reliable claim or just a weird, unsubstantiated coincidence? If you're interested in this topic, I suggest listening to this podcast produced by Radio Lab, a show broadcast on public radio in New York:
http://blogs.wnyc.org/radiolab/2009/01/27/the-obama-effect-perhaps/
(Most of their shows are an hour long, but this one is only about 10 minutes. If you like their stuff, you can get their free podcasts every two weeks from iTunes. They offer many interesting topics to choose from. The broadcast from 11/28/08 is about race which is relevant to our discussion this week as well.)
So, if the Obama Effect were to be tested and supported overall, how would it change our notion of teaching multiculturalism? Would it support the idea of celebrating diversity or would it challenge us to invision a more mentally homogenous culture?
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2 comments:
EDUC 660 will have a pretty good shot at answering the question about Teaching Methodology and how mutual respect (cultural, racial and gender).
My answer to your question about the Obama Effect is a definite yes it will, for the better. Time will tell if and when we will celebrate diversity more than just a month. For example, February is Black History Month and March is Women's History Month (to name a few). It just may end up challenging us to invision a more mentally homogenous culture, I strongly believe. That's just one person's opinion!
I think the Obama effect illustrates that as teachers, we need to make sure that we do not reinforce stereotypes. It is the perfect example of the power of positive thinking. Encouraging students of all races, genders, religions, etc. will help them to achieve success rather than resigning themselves to "stereotypical limitations."
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