I have
to say that when I walked into class on Tuesday, I was expecting the kind of
experience that Dr. Zamora described as traditional (and somewhat
antiquated). I knew the class would be
interesting, but I was not really expecting to have an active role in shaping
the course content. This innovative type
of experience, along with the technology component, is something that is also
being encouraged at the high school level, and I’ve realized, over the course
of the last couple years, that, as a high school teacher, I’m a clinger- I cling to the more traditional class
dynamic: it’s what I was taught, and it’s
what I know, it’s in my comfort zone, and I’ve been grasping onto it to within
an inch of my life. However, I’ve been realizing for a while that clinging
to the old, comfortable way is not really working anymore. So when I heard Dr. Zamora explain the
dynamics of this course, I was very interested.
I hope that I can take away a number of things from this class: not only
the experience of making something that can affect the way race is dealt with
in our world, but also a greater insight into incorporating technology, collaboration,
and active student participation so my students can accomplish great things
too.
When we
were brainstorming in small groups on Tuesday about what exactly that “something”
would be, we focused mainly on creating some kind of portfolio or collection in
which we all document our own personal experiences with how we communicate,
based on our own ethnic, cultural, and familial backgrounds. One of us said she wanted to maybe develop a
family tree or some kind of document about her heritage, kind of along the same
lines as the TV shows Dr. Zamora mentioned (“Who Do You Think You Are?” etc.). This idea really appealed to me. A couple years ago, my sister started her
Master’s and decided to concentrate in Irish history based on my family’s
heritage. She actually had the
opportunity to go to Ireland and did extensive research on the development (and
eventual forced abandonment) of the Irish language. I became really interested in how much
language is a part of identity as an ethnic, cultural group or race. The idea that how we communicate, whether it
be through writing, or simple everyday conversation, is a result of our own
life experiences and, surprisingly, those of our ancestors going back
generations and generations, is fascinating.
To develop a vehicle through which we can document the impact of this
and showcase the variety of life experiences- and therefore, the variations of
communication as a whole, would be really awesome.
Another
idea that personally appealed to me was the idea of creating some kind of
educational toolbox or bank for teachers.
I know from personal experience that kids tend to be like me (haha, they
cling to what they know and what they’re comfortable with) and so very often,
particularly in the district where I teach, the word “diversity” means very
little. Oh, it’s something that is acknowledged
and there is “Diversity Day,” but on a day-to-day basis, there is little
consideration of what goes on outside the town “bubble,” so to speak. I think that having some kind of consistent
integration of studying various racial and ethnic experiences, across content
areas- not just when we read To Kill a
Mockingbird (although it is
wonderful J)or
Night in Language Arts, would be
really valuable.
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