Final thoughts
This course has opened my eyes to see all the work
that still needs to be done as an educator, a parent, a female, and a minority
in the world regarding race and culture. It is sad that in the twenty-first
century we as a society face many “isms”. Are we going forwards or backwards?
In the video, The
Danger of a Single Story, Chimanda Ngozi Adichie, discusses how single
stories create stereotypes and robes people of their dignity. I connected with this video the most. We are
quick to stereotype a person without even knowing anything about them, where
they are from and what they might be going through.
I also connect with the book, The Spirit Catches You and
You Fall Down. Valuing another person’s culture and allowing them to
practice it is very important. This book
demonstrates what can happen to a child or anyone when there is a cultural
barrier, lack of communication and lack of compassion. The ending of this book
is what I found most surprising. I thought that Lia would die, but love can conquer
all and her parents did love her and did the best that they could
.
My selected challenge foster care was also
surprising and is something that I would like to investigate more and maybe
even volunteer with one of their projects. I did not realize that so many
children are in the foster care system. It is scary to think that if these
children do not find someone to care about them, mentor them or adopt them,
they could end up homeless, on drugs, in jail, pregnant, and or abused.
Adding a section about children in foster care and
the foster care system in a cultural class is something that I would like to do
in the near future as an adjunct college instructor. Future teachers need to
learn about various types of cultures so that will be prepared to teach in a diverse
class setting
.
.
In closing, here is part of President Obama’s State
of the Union Address, 2015, which is also my hope and belief for the future. “I
want future generations to know that we are a people who see our differences as
a great gift, that we are a people who value the dignity and worth of every
citizen…”
Best wishes to all as you continue your education and
future endeavors.
Resource
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/state-union-2015-full-text/story?id=28353845
Seeing "all the work that still needs to be done" is an excellent summary of exactly what I took this course to be about. My academic adviser just called me this evening checking to see how things were going, and I told her that I had come to the last week of this "Influences Class", and she said she was relieved that this course became more applicable to education. I think at least parts of this course, or parts like it, should be included in professional developments about family involvement.
ReplyDeleteYou summed it up really well!
Jamie P
Angela, your statement "Future teachers need to learn about various types of cultures so that will be prepared to teach in a diverse class setting" is so on point! Todays classrooms are becoming more and more diverse and I have seen teachers that are not prepared to deal with so many different cultures. Program Managers also need to understand that there need to be at least one staff member in each class that speaks the home language of all the children present in the class.
ReplyDeleteSo very inspirational , and so true we are all still trapped by isms but the more we become conscious of this the wore it will disseminate. Education if vital and that would be a valuable course to add to every College curriculum.Very masterful!
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