Reading this article puts me into my mind that teacher plays biggest attitude in implementing multicultural attitudes in education however, this will be stagnated if it is perceive as an addendum instead a need. Curriculum can be a barrier to achieve this if teachers have to care only about preparing students to meet the standardized examination progress. There is a need to for teachers to put connection in their daily teaching between multicultural education and subject and skill based curriculum. This can be achieved by making examples and subject related meaningful and connected to  colored students. The examples must be inclusive to colored students as well instead of focusing only to White. Sometimes I am thinking, is not it possible to portray Superman as a colored man instead of White? Of course, that is just an example which is not impossible. Perhaps, teacher should be aware any stereotyping that happen in his/her class by addressing it to students openly so that they will be aware of the problem.

The author writes, “ Teachers should use multicultural content,perspectives and experiences to teach reading,math, science and social studies” however, I am thinking the suggestion suggested by writer won’t be changed when the textbooks themselves are written by White Anglo- Saxon middle class and of course will bring their perspectives and ideas in the textbook. There must be multicultural teams not among textbook makers but in the level of suggesting and lay outing the curriculum in national and local level. If in a factory we can have diverse races that work together in every sector, why can’t we have a diverse multicultural group in obtaining/developing our curriculum?

The Reconceptualization of Curriculum Studies.

After reading this article, I can conclude that there are three school of thoughts within curriculum studies and they are; traditionalists, conceptual empiricists and reconceptualists. Economy and history play role in the development of  these school of thoughts however, we must not neglect and belittle between one school of thoughts to the others as they contribute much and every of them have pros over others. In fact, we need to see it as a complete system that supports each other. Our aim must be focusing on having significant intellectual growth.

In my own opinion, these three diversion in curriculum studies are originating from three broad learning theories; behaviorism, constructivism and cognitive. However, in this post modern era, when learning and knowledge are in fact a decision making process, and coming from diversity of opinions and beliefs, I think curriculum studies should focus on connectivism in order to make learning smooth.

One of the features that gets my attention is the name of the teacher,his name is Dewey Finn. His character is moulded by film’ director to have John Dewey ideas. Maybe it is just a coincidence but it fits the purpose. Firstly, Dewey Finn, manages to get his students attention when the music lessons are meaningful and related to their daily life. His students motivation increases when he coordinates everybody roles according to their talents and interests. Not just that, as John Dewey himself focus on play so that it can be transferred and develop kids creativities, so goes Dewey Finn, when he allows and permit his students to develop their talents in music based on their interest. Dewey proves his point when he in fact appreciate and use his student piece of artwork for the competition.

In contrast to Dewey Finn characters, I think the Principle, Rosaline Roz Mullins is more strict, following exactly the subject matter teacher’s point of views. Everything must be black and white,that reminds me when she asked about Dewey’s approach in teaching his students, she is being so defensive on what she believes by asking where does Dewey get his methodology from and etc and importantly, she does not value Dewey’s ideas even order Dewey Finn to change the way/ methodology that he uses to teach his students. I think she is so narrowed and focused by believing every lessons must stick to the curriculum and emphasis on goals/objectives. I think her views will make education is not enjoyable and meaningful to the students. Rather than permitted herself to be love bearing teacher or educationist, she inclines to be more like a policewoman. Anyway, I think she becomes like that due to pressure from parents that wanting everything. This reflects and reminds me that parents can be involved in curriculum development but their voices should not be authoritative over us, educationist that learn and understand education better. I can sense the control over education that society exerts in nowadays situation. However, I am perplexed to see how the parents mood and views towards the school change when they see their kids performed and win the competition. I wonder what will happen if their kids do not win? This makes me thinking, Is the result so important for parents? What about the inspiration and joy education/ educationists/ teachers/epiphanies bring to students?

I believe if John Dewey still alive today, he will definitely HAIL this movie.

The same information can be used for both functions. For example, you might use final exam scores in assigning your course grades and also use them to make modifications to the course content or to the exam itself for the next term. Or you might use midterm exam scores as part of your course grade, and a student might also use the information to change the way or she studies. If I gave you a copy of a test or a description of a project or paper assignment, you would not be able to tell whether it was a formative or a summative assessment. You would only know that by asking me what I did with the information about student achievement yielded by the assessment. There is evidence that no matter what instructors intend, good students will try to use any information about their achievement in a formative way for their own future (Brookhart, 2001). That is part of distinguishes good learners.”

Feelings:
• Happy
• Excited
• Confident

Thoughts:
I feel happy after reading these journals because it clears up my confusions that I had when reading Chapter 6. I feel excited because while doing RWJ, actually, it is one form of assessment that we learn in class. I feel confident because there are many type of assessments that fall under these two categories to be implemented by me later on.

Learning:
Step One: Prior taking this course, I assumed formative assessment meant formal assessment and that could be associated with standardized examination. I assumed summative assessment means the other way around. My assumption was depended upon the root word of formative which is “format” and “summary”. I assumed it would be very difficult to use formative and summative assessments as their types were very limited. I assumed it was necessary to depend on standardized examinations.

Step Two: When I read the definition of formative and summative assessment, I laugh at myself. I should not assume on anything especially when it comes to rich content words that involve/associate with academic terms and explanations. After reading more from Chapter 6 and the journal, I realize there are so many types of assessments that I can provide to my CLD students and not depending only on standardized examinations. Students will not be able to retain information that is not meaningful to them, especially if it is related to examination for the sake of passing!

Step Three: I was being unaware and not concerned of the changes that happen within education field (especially assessment) which is dynamic and changing. I did not make thorough observation and research on what my students needs when it comes to assessment because I believe whatever exists in my education and degree were enough to be a competent teacher. In fact, it was not! I will read more and updating my knowledge as it is gateway to successful teaching, not just me but for my students as well.

Application:
Step One: After reading this journal and Chapter 6, I feel so happy. I am having epiphany when reading this line from the paragraphs taken that mention, “Whereas some information is more conducive to being used formatively and some is more conducive to being used summatively, it is the use and not the information that makes the distinction.” It gives me a strong feeling that the focus here is to ensure learning happens to students and teacher being able to know that students do learn from the assessment. Not just that, when I read further from this journal, my understanding is so clear when the author mentions the type of assessments that consist of three:

• Assessment Type 1: Paper and pencil assessments include objective item tests that use multiple choices, true or false, matching, and fill in items as well as essay tests. Paper and pencil tests are usually given in on demand settings, as when students sit for an exam.

• Assessment Type 2: Performance assessments use observation and judgment to assess either a process (how the student does something) or a product (student created work). Common performance assessments include term papers, academic or technical projects, oral reports and group demonstrations.

• Assessment Type 3: Oral communication is an often forgotten assessment method. Its most common use in college classrooms is for formative assessment during instruction, when the instructor asks students questions in class.

• Assessment Type 4: Portfolios are systematic collections of students work over time, often with accompanying student reflections. The work can be scored as a set; individual pieces of work in the portfolio can be scored; or the portfolio can be used as information for conferences, written feedback, or other communication between instructor and student.

Step Two: I will ensure to use these 4 types of assessment as I cannot depend on assessment type 1 only that I think focusing on standardized examination. It will not give better understanding on my students’ performances. As teachers, I need to apply these assessments so that their abilities will be demonstrated as a whole. These assessments will help them to show their ability of their cognitive and meta cognitive as well by making sense of what they learn. Importantly, it is a good benchmark on reflecting my teaching performances.

References:
1. Brookhart S.M. 2004 “ Assessment Theory for College Classroom” In Alternative Strategies for Evaluating Student Learning,2005 Jossey-Bass , San Francisco

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What is the best way to form a curriculum. Counts believed that schools must be the center for progress, not just a contemplation or reminiscence of civilization. This can be reached by providing what lies ahead to our students so that they will choose and have power to choose according to it. This has elements of truth because I believe the best way to educate our generation depends so much on the suitability of now and future. I can’t educate my generation according to the suitability of my time. It is outdated. It must be on their suitability.

When Counts mentioned the intertwined idea of Democracy and education, I scorched at it. Not that I disagree over democracy ideas except that I find the implementation is not there. I find it impossible as Democracy today is State Controlled Democracy that uses National Education/Syllabus to get a grip on society. In fact, education should be based on free will not on a junk of National Education. It tends to limit your consciousness and self realization. How can one achieve self realization when a student is not free from external authority? In the end, one is a slave towards industrialist advocates. That is what I feel after reading Counts’ views on democratization of education.

21:
Richness+Recursion+Relation + Rigor vs Subject Matter as a Source of Objectives+Needs of the learners as a Source of Objectives+Studies of contemporary life as a Source of Objectives. Seriously, I am more to accept the Four R’s as they are more open in building curriculum, not just that, it gives opportunity for teachers to teach in depths, compromises all elements of society and it is transformative. I don’t see at Tyler’s as the theory is very fix and on the other hand, the 4 R’s are loose out. This symbolize the dynamism of the 4 R.

The dynamism of 4R is shown in Recursion. I like the idea of Recursion. It mentions how it is associated with repetition and reflecting on human consciousness in order to make meaning for his/her own. It reminds me the process of action research that does not stop at the first cycle, but it keeps continued to 2nd , 3rd and to the next cycles. So the process of learning will always expand, anyway depends on one’s ability to reflect on the process.

It is a relief for me in page 257 when he wrote, “ The textbook, throughout all this, is seen as something to revise, not as something to follow. It is the base from which transformation occurs. Curriculum in a post modern frame needs to be created( self organized) by the classroom community, not by textbook authors.” It helps me to understand that the main idea of developing curriculum is being able to associate with every subjects within the curriculum, not just merely piling up materials and content to students. At the end, students must be able to make sense and see the relation between this subject and the other subjects.

26:
My belief about test and examination as well as level of performance that exist in my society and American society derive from the pressure of society itself that want to know/ get the best education able for their kids. My belief is confirmed when the author asserts this by saying, “ The formulation of standards and the measurement of performance were intended to tidy up a messy system and to make teachers and school administrators truly accountable.” However, all of this “desire” that society wants to know coming from our own instinct which is rationalization. Rationalization means society wants to understand where is the direction or the outcomes of schooling system that they send their kids. It produces the ability to assess the performance though sometimes, it must be avoided because the success of education is not based on examination results only. What determine the success of education? Economic strengths of a nation or the amounts of universities exist in a country? It is very difficult to define and narrow as well as satiate the rationale of society when it comes to the education and curriculum. I think the author answers kind of questions above by ensuring students to engage in challenging kinds of conversation by thinking and responding about what people said, in terms of logic,reflection,critically and imaginatively. Being able to use the skills above are the elements of having intellectual dispositions. It is the extension of horizon development.

Seriously, if schools become places to produce “products” to compete in a global economy, it is a frustration on behalf of me, realizing that it is not supposed to be the truly direction we are heading. Rather, I believe goal of education should answer and being able to take actions towards these 4 questions. Those who understand and manage to engage and reflect to these questions will make full use of education:

a) Who are we?
b) Where are we from?
c) What is our direction?
c) What is the purpose of we being human?

As teachers do provide important roles as it involves expectation, it also plays role in assisting and providing teachers expectations as well in fostering compliant behavior. Teacher targets their students will read more, so what do they do is providing a program that can achieve their objective( students to read more) and at the same time providing presents/rewards. It can be done as long as mutual needs are accomplished. However, this kind of program must be carefully done as it has backwash effect if extrinsic rewards are not accomplished for particular target group. Their motivation will be very low. Interesting enough, we don’t want to create “reward junkies” to next generation. Main concern here is any program that try to implement something to the students must not interfere with schooling primary purposes.

What is schooling primary purposes? Do we have to check back the culture of Anglo-Saxon middle class as most United States schools stand on that ? Most of the culture, I think we will be based on preparing the students for the outside world.

I am not sure what is the intention of this writer when he said that competitiveness is being implemented at school sometimes on the expense of others. Very obvious analogy, if there is the best student, there must be another failure. I will clarify this later to my professor as I am confused now. I am thinking that the writer notices school nowadays do not follow/have the cultivation of imagination which make it stuck rather try to emphasis on something that can be learn outside school. I like to quote him saying this:

learning is a humble thing compared with teaching. to teach puts one in a superordinate position, to learn in the position of a subordinate. leaeners are seldom philanthropists. but who would the poet rather learn from: not Einstein, or Marx, or Darwin but from a bird. and what would he rather learn: to understand the universe, to be able to turn dross into gold, to be able to create atomic fission? no. he rather learn to sing. He’d rather learn to do something that gives joy to life from one of the most fragile of god’s creatures than to teach the largest bodies of our universe itself how not to dance

He wrote about few reasons that make different status between universities exist because of the general culture that pervades these schools, as well as because society recognizes qualities and guide their children to places whose implicit curriculum is compatible with their values and with the levels of social, economic, and academic achievements to which they aspire, important enough to mention structured forms of education.

NULL Curriculum: A curriculum that does not EXIST

To identify it, first, we must look at intellectual process that school emphasizes and neglect and secondly the content or subject areas that are present and absent in school curricula.

Another interesting points that he made:

I am trying to point out that certain subkect matters have been traditionally taught in schools not because of a careful analysis of range of other alternatives that could be offered but rather because they have traditionally been taught. we teach what we teach largely out of habit and in the process neglect areas of study that could prove to be exceedingly useful to students.

]]> http://leadhumancapital.com/2009/02/curriculum-my-reading/feed/ 0 http://leadhumancapital.com/2009/01/267/ http://leadhumancapital.com/2009/01/267/#comments Thu, 29 Jan 2009 20:08:37 +0000 admin http://leadhumancapital.com/?p=267

Event(s)/Behavior(s):

My friend, Sami hearted our his dissatisfaction over his GRE result. He said he wanted to quit studying and went back to Libya. Due to his poor performance, he has to take another GRE so that he can be admitted to the Faculty of Electrical Engineering. He told me that in Libya, he did not have to sit for any admission test to get a place in universities there. They depend on his CGPA based on his previous degree. He is so stressed because he thinks that the GRE had no relevance to the major he is taking now and plus he has to pay again for the GRE which is expensive. He explained to me that he has no problem answering Mathematics and Analogical Sections in GRE but what really matter is when he has to write essays and constructing sentences. It is important to mention here that Sami just arrived here 5 months ago and still attending English classes provided by ELP( English Language Center) and one university class.

Reflecting on Sami’s experience on GRE, I did take it two years ago. I failed terribly because the questions were very difficult. Anyway, I took it for the sake of accompanying my wife to get her motivated and happy. At least, she would not be so stressed if she got low scores as I would definitely get lower than her. She even told me that GRE is well recognized and internationally standardized examination. Those who do not reach the standard required by university departments/faculties, his/her application will be rejected. That made sense of me because I used that GRE result to apply for Educational Leadership Major which was turned down due to my poor GRE result.

Feelings:

Concern
Pitiful
Empathy

Thoughts:

I feel empathy about Sami especially when he said constructing sentences and essays within limited time is really challenging for him. I realized it was very difficult because when I took the exam, my capacity as an English teacher at that moment did not help me much to score in the GRE essay questions. I feel pitiful on him as I understand his feelings to be accepted as graduate students here as I was on probation period too last semester. He does not want this test to jeopardize every efforts and time coming to United States and at the same time delaying his admittance to the faculty as well. I am concerned towards Sami as I realized it must be very hard for him to attend all the English classes and at the same time, he has to prepare for GRE and doing his assignments that related to his subjects. My concern goes towards his English writing classes as I realized writing is a challenging skill to master because it involves process and product. I couldn’t imagine the difficulties that he faced running against the time completing his essays during GRE and thinking either he would pass or not the exam.

Learnings:

Step One: I had assumption that if anyone fails in GRE, it means he/she won’t be successful in his/her graduate level. I reflected on my GRE result and the questions that were very difficult. I always assumed GRE is a valid test for university graduate student regardless of where he comes from as I notice it is a recognized and established test. When my friend asked what was my GRE’s score, I would not answer his questions as it would show that I am not capable to succeed. It gave me inferiority complex as well.

Step Two: I realized that I was wrong on my assumption. Anyone can be successful as long as he/she has right attitudes for success. I do not pass GRE to be admitted to my major now, but last semester, my result was good. In fact, my department does not even require me taking GRE to be accepted as student here. I just used my TOEFL. Secondly, GRE measures verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and critical thinking and analytical writing skills1. However, if students do not get excellent scores in GRE, it does not mean that he/she does not have above skills. What I mean is there are many other assessments,tests and ways to measure them rather than depending solely on GRE results. Next,according to a GRE test taker, there are techniques and formats that need to be familiarized so that the candidates can score and tackle the questions. It does not need them to be knowledgeable inside out to be on the first ranking. Jacobson R.L( 1993) further commented on this by putting GRE as a game that needs to be played well2. My question is if the test does not really measure intelligence, can it stand on its face value anymore? Does it still have validity and reliability?

Step Three: I believed my assumptions are based on sheer ignorant on behalf of me. Combating ignorants needs me to read and understand more the real nature of assessment,testing and evaluation. Reading is good but being able to understand and being critical is better for my future understanding. I made false assumptions of GRE because I see it only on a positive side without realizing that they are as well criticism to it. Failure to see both side of an issue will not help to broaden my horizons.

Applications:

Step One: I am thankful because Sami’s willing to share his feelings with me regarding the test because in a way, it is helping me too because I am able to see from a broaden perspective. I would like to discuss this matter to Sami so that I can clarify my findings on this matter. Sharing and discussing is good to the development of knowledge. Based on my reading, I found out also that:

a) GRE test result can not measure critical skills that are needed for professional and academic development3.
b) As GRE is culturally oriented towards American English culture, it is basically unfair for bilingual students4.

By telling these crucial points to Sami, hopefully it will ease his stress and let him study better. I feel so happy because after knowing this fact, he won’t look down upon himself anymore. I don’t have inferiority complex upon my GRE result as well. For sure, I am willing to help him for his analytical writing for his next GRE.

Step Two: I don’t have any plan to construct or develop tests/examinations similar or have similar features like GRE for my future students. I don’t want my future students face a stressful situation like what Sami is facing now. Let their affective filters always low5. In fact, for initial step, I plan to read and understand the concept of validity and reliability and its relation to various approaches in assessment. Seriously, I can’t plan many steps yet as firstly, I just started reading about comprehensive and dynamic assessment and secondly, in my country where I come from, it is solely exam oriented. Enough to say here that comprehensive assessment captures my attention because according to John Lewis, it tends to measure student’s performance which he believes is influenced by acculturation,language skills,behavior mode,socioeconomic background and ethnocultural identity6. I really like this idea as this supports every student that comes into my classroom is unique and need to be celebrated and appreciated of what they are. I believe if every teacher has this concept in his/her mind, learning would be fun as the focus will be on everybody, not just on examination results solely.

Footnotes:

1.http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.fab2360b1645a1de9b3a0779f1751509/?vgnextoid=b195e3b5f64f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD accessed on January 29,2009

2.Jacobson, R. L. (1993). “Critics Say Graduate Record Exam does not measure qualities needed for success and is often misused.” The Chronicle of Higher Education, March, pp. 27-28.

3.Enright, M. K. & Gitorner, D. (1989). Toward a description of successful graduate students. Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service.

4.Bornheimer, D.G. (1984). Predicting Success in Graduate School Using GRE and PAEG Aptitude Test Scores. College and University, v. 60 (no. 1) pp. 54-62.

5.Herrera S.G.,Murry K.G,(2005) Mastering ESL and Bilingual Methods: Differentiated Instruction for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) Students. Pearson Education, Inc.,(pg 17-19)

6.Lewis John (1989) Innovative Approaches in Assessment: Assessment and Placement of Minority Students. ISSP.(pg 127-128)

*For footnotes number 2,3 and 4, the main article is taken from http://www.fairtest.org/facts/gre.htm accessed on January 29, 2009.

]]> http://leadhumancapital.com/2009/01/267/feed/ 0 http://leadhumancapital.com/2008/11/through-ebony-eyes/ http://leadhumancapital.com/2008/11/through-ebony-eyes/#comments Fri, 21 Nov 2008 05:57:16 +0000 admin http://leadhumancapital.com/?p=198

This book is about everything that I need to know about African American students. It is meaningful to me as I will have multiracial students when I go back home, so I will use her points of views to reflect back to my teaching and my students so that my classroom will be a ground where everybody is valued fairly. That is the essence of quality education. As a teacher, she/he must strive to provide equal educational opportunities to every of his/her students. It is a right for his/her students to get education and knowledge from him/her.

I started teaching in 2003, after completing my ESL degree. It looked easy but in fact it was not. Learning to be a teacher was totally different compared to being a teacher. As a fresh teacher, I realized the reality of teaching was not easy as it seems. This is a ground where I have to practice every theory that I learnt when I was a student. All the theories learned are not enough as I think it is a need to learn more. I might know my subject matter, everything related to ESL, but how about improving relationship with students that come from diversed background? How to get students attentions when we (my students and I) have so many things need to be settled and those things are whispering in our minds ? How to make them engage with the lessons? I am thankful as reading this book put me into a right track and I realize there is so much to be done as it conveys lots of information that is very beneficial.

This book is an effort by a multiculturalist, an experienced teacher who is giving practical guidance to us based on her life journey. The objective of the book is very clear as I understand that our jobs (as teachers) are to implement and improve the academic achievement of African American students and students of color. Her points of views are valid as she has the omniscient point of views or God’s eyes. The reasons are simple as first, she is a Black American. Her experience is reliable, as she is the one who held world view as the one that encounter racism, feel it within her veins, mind and soul either in the past or present. Secondly, she is a teacher. She sees what happen in school, she sees what are the things are practiced at schools. What else can I say about this! This book outlines steps by steps need to be taken by teachers to make education equalities is everybody rights. It is taken from her perspectives. As a teacher we need to reflect and put her experience to fit into our daily practices. Furthermore, I suggest this book should be a recommended reading not just for teachers, social worker, university students and etc, but importantly to be read by policy makers that directly involve with education.

Also, it is about realizing different dimensions of our attitudes towards racism issue. No one can claim that he/she is not racist. Our capabilities to analyze and look into perspective and dimensions of her participants make us realize that having prejudice perspectives is part of us. That is a scary part of us, but it gives hope as she will refute one by one these wrong perspectives. These parts give relief to me as it gives me hope not to be into a group promoting racism and what to avoid when talking to anybody as racial slur is hurting. It makes me realizes too that we are being dishonest to ourselves as we believe we advocate the color blind perspective. Those who say/claim that he/she is a color blind in fact are the one that needs help. In fact for those teachers who refuse to seek in service development for their students of colors show they do not deserve a place to be a teacher. It shows how selfish the teacher is, refusing to sit into this kind of course shows what matters most is myself (the teacher) not the students. In fact, when they refuse after where giving valid reasons, it shows how close the mind are, by creating barriers of truth to go into their mind by rejecting it. They are dead already, their inside are rotten by self proclaimed that “I had nothing to do with racism”. He or she is afraid to face their own issues, they afraid to do self examination.”

Again and again, it is a must to involve in the process of checking our beliefs, attitudes and behaviors towards the schooling experiences of students of colors. Our students belong to us. Without them who are we? WE are in fact in need of them, as without students, teachers are jobless.

This is my definitive statement that I want my reader to agree with. I believe all students can learn, White or Black, colored on non colored (Is non colored really exist? I don’t think any human does not have color or transparent (like pure water) that we can see their bloods, livers and veins J ). Black and students of colors do not succeed academically in school due to inert racism that occurs directly or indirectly to them. As racism is lethal, it kills students from inside, slowly by first disrupting motivation of them to hate schools, teachers, and make them to find alternative (usually bad) to prove that they have a place. School is no place for them as they don’t receive self recognition. It pushes them down. From this scenario, we need millions of Mrs. Tessem in every classroom. Millions of Mrs. Tessem will create another millions of students like her too. This is among the ways to win the war against racism, in the field of education.

Chapter 9 mentions about controversial issues when it comes to teach Black students. This means the mistakes (realizing or not, it is) that teachers always do when teaching colored students. I learn from the chapter that that I need to made a clear distinction towards multiracial students of whom they are when I teach later on. I can not make generalization. This is what I learnt from chapter 9 as it can be controversial issues. It is due to the fact that although there are many similarities, but I have to realize that my students are unique, they have their own cultural differences, so to assume that they share/have the same heritage is unfair to them. This is related to their self concept and self image and indirectly means their pride. The two things that they bring everywhere they go. This can be helped to avoid confusion and offending students too. For example, Black students from Africa are different from Black American students. Their skins might look the same, but both students have very distinct features. These differences that teacher need to realize and aware off.

Name calling is a second taboo. It is based on cognitive bias, illogical and can create disaster to teachers. It can lead to the existing of prejudices even the teacher means no harm by doing that, may be for joking purpose. It can be interpret into many things resulted in misunderstanding and quarrel or the worst is hatred. Students will hate teachers that call them by that. How about if the damage had been done? What should the teacher do? In my opinion, it is good for the teacher to say sorry ,apologize and at the same time explaining to other students why he was offended as it will be “an opportunity for growth” towards his/her students. Will it lose the teacher dignity by asking for forgiveness? I don’t think so. I believe students will respect more those who know their mistakes.

When I read the particular chapter about “Why Are African Americans so Loud”, it gives me another important point that it is wrong to assume again. The writer explains in details, which is new information to me. Usually, when heard students speak too loudly, we will assume that a trouble is happening. It is best to investigate first, as it might be that they are joking or it is the way how students are being brought up. It is very interesting to note here when Thompson mention that African Americans speak loudly in order to be heard or to get attention. It is rooted from history due to the fact that they had been ignored, and their voices are not being heard. It is a painful irony and at the same time, I feel unfair whenever a black guy raise his voice, it is associated with anger instead of an effort to make a point. However, this double standard scenario does not exists when a white guy speaks out loud, regardless of what the intention is. Again, this double standard persists because most of us like to assume. A friend once asked me the reason of Chinese talking loudly especially in restaurants. For those who don’t know will make assumptions that they do not have manners but if we look closely into their language we will realize that it is due to their language that has 4 syllables (stress patterns) for one word. For example, for the word ma, it has ma, ma, ma and ma. All these fours have different meaning. So the listener has to listen carefully and the speaker has to speak loud and clear to make the listener understand, especially in an Asian restaurant that usually is noisy and chaotic.

I will put the blame on teachers and media for saying a particular race has problem in terms of attitude. Like what she mentions in page 221, her friends say some “black kids are bad!”. She counters this stereotyping by saying” some White kids, Asians kids, and Latino kids are bad too!” I agree with her and at the same time I don’t want to deny Smiley experienced on Black kid, but before he can say that, it is important to mention in a specific way rather than saying it in general. I agree with her when Thompson encountered that by saying some White kids, Asians kids, and Latino kids are bad too!”

This kind of idea must be defeated as what ever teacher says sometimes is powerful than media. It can happen when a stereotype teacher gives any comments about students from particular race at school. His points of views will be used by others to continue this false belief as students will look and listen closely to what teachers say. This will be point of reference for them especially to students that do not have to think critically of what ever statements that he/she hear from teachers and perceive it as absolute truth. That happens to kindergarten kids especially.

I am concerned about this issue because there might be a teacher that says particular students from particular race/group are lazy. I think rather than we conclude into generalization, and we can suggest that, “Not all of them are lazy, you are making a judgment and your judgment is wrong because you are putting every XYZ students into your naïve and shallow conclusion. Furthermore, that hypothesis might apply to your case only.” We can further ask this question to avoid generalization and stereotyping ( if committed) by saying and challenging those who say that, “On what basis are you saying that? Is it due to your inept ability to catch their attention?”. I know this is too direct but we sometimes need this approach to stop it as I believe, the only way is to engage them in critical question answer session so that they will think twice before saying anything.

Actually this is the same when it applies to black students too (in fact to every students, black, colored or not), Have we teachers fulfill and grab their attention? Have we checked what’s the real culprit making them like that? Is it not our job to ensure that they stay interested in our classroom? What have we done to ensure that? These are the questions that we should give to ourselves first too besides to those that like to put shallow judgments and conclusion based on a very limited worldview. Also sometimes we should ask them to think that, “Why must we give up easily on them and not to OUR sons/daughters? Is it due to blood relationship that establish between we and our off springs make them less value for us to understand and concerned about them?

History is created by those in power. That’s why then students of color really need a culturally relevant education due to the fact that they don’t have role model in their text books. What is provided for them are other heroes whose are different from theirs and not relevant at all, so to establish connection is difficult for them as they can’t find similarities. Tokenism is wrong, as students of colors need to know the contributions of people of their color, it is a part of culture, it happen everyday and it is not particularly happen on a particular event or month only. I believe, students of color will be more interested and focus to present their heroes or their literature as it is meaningful and make sense to them. This is what I learn from chapter 8. After doing my first assignment, then I do realize that racism exist in my society. Before coming here, or doing that particular assignment, I just simply don’t care. I am lucky and thankful as I have the opportunity to learn this subject. It helps me to believe that there is a need to improve education in Malaysia based on Bennett’s four components of multicultural education which are the movement towards equity, curriculum reform, the process of becoming interculturally competent and lastly the commitment to combat prejudice and discrimination, especially racism. It is a must as well to make teachers understand that multicultural education has its own value. In my opinion, it helps to challenge the status quo and those who are reluctant to face racism. I believe for Malays who are in favour for Malay Supremacy Hypothesis (I hate and don’t want to say it Theory or Principle or Concept) will call me traitor. They might character assassinate me if they found my principle is flawless as they don’t find anything to go against me. I guess that’s the best they can do, but why should I care about them!! I will not stop as I realize, putting thousands of arguments and reasons are helpless towards them because they are like Thomson students who refuse because of their ego to accept the truth. They resented the fact that Thompson is a black woman that made them read that book. I wonder what if I am their mother, will they hate or ignore me, yes, they will..!!

Reading her story of how she accuses her instructor for being racist make me realize that it is a need to reach for educational opportunity through curriculum. This is another lesson that I learn from this book. In reality, her teacher had not done so but she persisted believing that because of her ignorance and confusion due to the long story of racist history, until students do not know when a negative experience stems from racism and when it is from another source. It might be from bad manners, having stressful day or purely having bad day. Indeed I need to know how to differentiate these as well to avoid me giving false perceptions as I don’t want to be naïve and have limited frame of reference too.

I like Thompson’s strategy to deal with students who use the N word in Class. First, by explaining the rules, it gives you a staunch position that any kind of prejudice statement uttered by our students will not be tolerated. It gives signal to students not to abuse teacher respect towards them. At the same time, it is important to tell our students that Teachers are bounded by this rule. This will create an understanding to my students that we are equal when it comes to this matter. I can see that the strategy is not limited just to the N word, but it can be used to any improper actions done by students too. Confer the students privately give us ( teacher) opportunity to speak to them, and at the same time, giving us chance to investigate why the behavior happens. Usually it will reflect a lot of things as I found as well in this book written that, a problem that is created by student is actually a cry of help. This is powerful, as well as the methods by Thompson, it is killing two birds with a stone.

When she speaks about Ebonics, it reminiscent me of my experience when I was in school. In Malaysia, at school we must speak standard Malay language at school regardless of where we come from. I come from a state which has its own dialect which is totally alien to other Malaysians. When I was 9 years old, we had a choir practice; I came to join to try my luck. When the auditioned performed, I sang together with my friend, but soon, the music teacher stopped it because he heard a different tone, which was my dialect. He knew it was me, and asked me to stop singing because it would affect others. He asked me to step out from the choir. I know it was a right thing to do in order to have a good choir team, but I just feel ashamed. My friends laughed at me, I wish he read this book as he wouldn’t leave the students clueless. I believe it will be good if he could explain to me and to my friends as well. Anyway, the past is past. It is important not to repeat again the mistake, Students language must be respected, because it involves their origins, their culture which is inside, where their dignity lies. At the same time, students need to understand that it is important to master Standard Language as this will empower / as a source to gain something beneficial later on in this life.

As I started this book from the last chapter, I have been guessing a lot about the writer’s ideas of this book. This book tells me lots about how to be a good teacher. The advises, the ideas are superb. Compared to Tatum’s book, it tells lots about racism as a system, but this book is more on the strategies and approaches that must be used by teachers to stop racism at school. I am comparing these two writers background actually. In fact, I was predicting about Thompson that she must be lucky having being brought up in a family that manage to go through a good college education. Actually I was putting the image of Dr Tatum for Thompson. Later, my hypothesis was proven wrong as soon I finished chapter 4. I was amazed by her adversity to go through obstacles in her life which to me were very challenging. If I were in her place, I think I would have given up, ending up nowhere. She amazed me. She did not give up along the course of her life and she is a living proof that a black can be successful. I must not give up too. She inspires me.

I believe she is the reflection of her great teacher, Mrs Tessems. The great teacher, Mrs Tessems realize that lots of children come from difficult homes, and she purposely chooses to pick up students from that background to change their life. She believes the powerful tool of education which will change the course of students life’s. They won’t stay in the vicious cycles of life. It is out of our control but during the school days is the place where we can give hopes in order for them to have motivation and to act upon it in order to change, to get out the vicious cycle of life. The choice is in our hands. Sometimes, we feel that it is useless but if we put it this way, like what Mrs Tessems and Thompson do, I believe it will fall upon our perspective. I change upon reading Jones, Tatum and Thompson’s books, and I am indebted to their teachers who taught and educate them. I will put these three notions that I reflect from her goals in chapter 4. Firstly, teacher can have a positive impact to fight racism though it puts him/her in vain position/circumstances. There might be students/other teachers that neglect his/her notion, but soon it will bear its fruits as fighting against racism is a powerful message and influential in many ways that we never think of it. They will always be beside us that will support this struggle. Secondly, among our supporters (students usually) who support this cause, someday and somehow, regardless of their backgrounds, will bring together this effort/success into reality as they understand the message clearly. Thirdly, our tasks (as a teacher) is not to neglect them (our students), we must bring them together to reach success so that this effort won’t die with us. Our students are our assets including underachievers, students with discipline problems and challenging backgrounds, and towards them, our effort must be double because these students usually will bring impact to society( if they succeed). Thompson proves me right, because she brings change from her experiences and compiling it all in this book so that millions can read, understand and act upon it.

I believe, however good facilities and resources that we might have, without proper management skills, it is doomed for failure. This notion goes to every field in this life. I have seen my uncle business shattered to pieces of glass as he failed to manage his financial strengths. It goes the same with teaching, as teaching does not depend solely on teacher and students’ relationship only; it needs proper planning, well instructed curriculum, challenging exercises that are valid and reliable and many more. In order to put all of these things into practices, management skills play its roles here. It is very helpful to put efficacy into practices when dealing with students. Teachers of course need to be in control in classroom as lots of educational motives need to be achieved at the end of every lesson.

If a teacher managed to put all of the above into spectrum, that shows a good indication. However, the utmost skill that teacher really needs is what Thompson said in chapter 3, which is being able to differentiate different types of behaviors that exists in school setting. Teacher needs to know which one is dangerous for others (including him and other students) and which actions/behaviors that still can be improved? This is to avoid wasting energy combating them uselessly and at the same time knowing and having strategy to encounter the problem swiftly and successfully. This is what I learnt from my experience too where I have to hand in over my own student to a counselor. Furthermore, I don’t have suitable skills to encounter with a problem that needs an expert like psychologist or counselor. I like Thompson’s statement in page 104 that she mentions, “teachers must do their very best but realize they can not save the world. They can, however, choose to have a powerful impact on the lives of their students.

As in chapter two, I just love the eighteen strategies with students of color that she puts into table 2.1. I love it because she supplies comments that make them more realistic, having guidance on how to achieve the strategies successfully. For example, the first strategy said that you must let students know you care, how to achieve that actually? So, in her comment, she said that a teacher must make it clear that teacher really care about their welfare. I understand this as it won’t be just a lip service only. It is like when the strategies say that a teacher must get to know students on a personal level but how to achieve this. She put it in her comments that teacher must do his/her homework by doing that early in the school year as soon as possible, get to know them and at the same time being able to get to know their potential of academic success and creativity. Overall, this chapter is more to cultivate a notion that a good teacher will always find ways regardless how big the obstacles are, because good teachers do not have the word “give up” in their daily dictionary. As for me, I will forever remember my Miss Tesstems, she is my Math teacher, Puan Noraini Ahmad.

Last but not least, here we arrive at chapter One. I shut down to read it first because I just hate reading the Deficit Deprivation Theory which come first and I think is illogical, so I read the whole book from the last chapter instead of the first. I wonder why it is called a theory. It must be called a myth. Accepting it as theory is disgraceful and disrespectful for those who are in academic world. In fact, the word theory in that particular Deficit Deprivation “Theory” must be replaced with Myth because when some one believes it as a theory, it is considered a fact. Seriously, I clenched my fists as I read this theory. However, looking at the other theories put me into realization that we need to be careful to adapt/agree to any theories related to any races as they can bring far reaching consequences that will affect our attitudes later on especially towards our students. In conclusion, I love this book, the writer and the teacher that ask me to read it. Thank you.

]]> http://leadhumancapital.com/2008/11/through-ebony-eyes/feed/ 0 http://leadhumancapital.com/2008/11/refleksi-penting-rujuk-masa-depan-untuk-plan/ http://leadhumancapital.com/2008/11/refleksi-penting-rujuk-masa-depan-untuk-plan/#comments Sat, 15 Nov 2008 06:20:41 +0000 admin http://leadhumancapital.com/?p=187 Nothing much happened today, as I am struggling finishing up my reading on Racism. This time I have to submit my reflection on Gail L. Thompson book titled; ” Through Ebony Eyes: What teachers need to know but are afraid to ask about African- American students”.

I invited few friends for dinner this coming Sunday, all of them are sisters as my wife will conduct it.

I sigh a lot due to excessive tiredness, thinking of books that I have to finish up. At the same time thinking about my  books that I suppose to write. I have not touched them for months.

Outside, wind is strong, I wonder when the snows will come as Nebraska is embracing by them. Will it next week. As for preparation, I think we are ahead two weeks, but I have to buy a burner, who knows electricity might go off during the coming ice storm, nauzubillah.

I gain so much weight, no exercise this late hour of end of semester. Busy.

Be careful, be careful and be careful.. ( ini ingat sendiri sebab aku sendiri tak mahu cerita, ianya berkaitan dengan Q2 permintaan kawan yang ingin membuka jaringan, juga menjawab persoalan aku kenapa ianya tidak diupdate untuk sekian lama, ianya juga berkaitan dengan penganalisaan terhadap diri sendiri dan daya reflektif sekeliling utk mencari hawari hawari yang boleh membantu, hingga kini tidak ku temui..sigh…mengeluh..)

Juga some planning for Irfan. I learn from Dr Mustaqi, actually from my observation that Education is everything. He is smart indeed, patutlah lecturer engines civil kat UPM sebagaimana yang dikatakan olehnya ada banyak tak puas hati, sebab critical..heheheh…

oh, aku kira musim penghijrahan telah berakhir bagi burung burung di kawasan Northern Hemisphere ini, ternyata, sebenarnya tidak.. beberapa minit lagi kedengaran di angkasa burung burung itu bersuara seperti angsa lelah..memang angsa agaknya..kadang kadang takut juga aku apabila mengingatkan terjadinya peristiwa Tsunami di Acheh, di mana haiwan haiwan lari dahulu..Nauzubillah..

dan hari ni aku kira hari terakhir aku menggunakan Facebook dan Yahoo Messenger. Insha Allah , ameen..

]]> http://leadhumancapital.com/2008/11/refleksi-penting-rujuk-masa-depan-untuk-plan/feed/ 0 http://leadhumancapital.com/2008/10/required-reading-response-tatums-book/ http://leadhumancapital.com/2008/10/required-reading-response-tatums-book/#comments Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:38:14 +0000 admin http://leadhumancapital.com/?p=174

“Our nation is moving toward two societies, one

Black, one White-separate and unequal. What

White Americans have never fully understood –

but what the Negro can never forget- is that White

Society is deeply implicated in the ghetto.

White institutions created it, White institutions

maintain it, and white society condones it. White

racism is essentially responsible for the explosive

mixture which has been accumulating in our cities

since the end of World War II”

(National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorder,1968)¹

After reading this book, it is important for me to tell you that I don’t like definition of race itself. What I mean is to put human into race category. It is fine to put animals into their own domains, followed by kingdoms as they have many species and subspecies. Does human have that? Am I from subspecies? Or Is Malay people a subspecies from Melanesian group? Scientifically, we can put animals into subspecies categories as they mate with their own subspecies. As human, are race considered as subspecies? Malays vs. Arabs, Jews vs. Aryan and Black vs. White? Human mate with human and all human are Homo sapiens. There are no subspecies of Homo sapiens. I am not alone in this notion as many scientists (especially biologist) support me that it is wrong to consider/perceive human in category of race as we are all Homo sapiens. Race taxonomic should be avoided as we have the same anatomical features and the things that differ are the color and the size of the features (i.e. tall; color of eyes, hair and skin). Their functionalities never changed. The definition of race is usually defined based on culture, geography, religious, anatomical and etc. So, what makes others more equal than us? I know some people claim they are more equal than us by calling us alien in letters. I perceive them as those who don’t sit for Multicultural Education when they were in universities. This book is about self exploration of our own self even though it talks about Black kids. I manage to make my own reflection and self examination. This book is a reality definition of race, the writer experiences.

I would like to explain further on philosophy of mating differences between human and animals. This is important to put here, as I believe, it will eradicate the superiority feelings that we have upon others. As I explain before, we were born from our parents. That is due to a process that is called sex. We are from sperms and ovaries. Naturally, parents will love their offspring because they are from the seeds of love. Realizing we are all from the same process, I wonder what makes some of us think that they are superior to others. Regardless of race; human’s blood, flesh and even male sperms have the same colors. I wonder rather than we view on our color skins differences, why don’t we view on what is inside our brain and how does our skull looks like? Still, why skin color is the major issue?

I have so many feelings after finishing this book. Before I explain my feelings, I have three related stories. I have kept this for so long and I don’t want to keep silence about it anymore as it will haunt me again and again. It is important for me to tell because the feeling of resentment and angry go together, and luckily, the best way to let them go is by breaking the silence. Thanks to Tatum for convincing me to let go the despair deep down in me. Thank you for making it required reading response to me as it is very valuable. You may share this story to your students, as I believe everybody have a sphere of influence. I will propagate my sphere of influence that racism must be stopped on whatever cost as it is dehumanizing. Your sphere of influence will be your students and others around you. My sphere of influence will be my students, trained teachers and Malaysian government officers when I go back. I believe we are all educators. We will be the social change agents that will commit themselves to create crème de la cream. I will create crème de la crème future teachers. I don’t want my product to be as exactly as Malcolm X teacher, a true culprit character in the book. I don’t want to be associated/related with him/her as I against racism at all cost.

I feel sad when the teacher of Malcolm X told him that the only work suitable for him is to be a carpenter instead of lawyer. The moment the teacher said that, it was a doomsday for him. He reacted negatively, playing truancy and later on involving with gangs. If I were in his position, I’d tend to react the same way as he did. It was a rebellious age and stage. Further more, at that age with the situation that is so unfair and prejudice towards Black, he did not realize that he had enough role models. How could he have it? His worldviews had been suppressed in a systemic racism. I believe as he excelled in his class, the teacher might be his role model. Then, it turned out to be his teacher is the one that broke all his dreams. Malcolm X couldn’t think in a correct way as kid’s world view was very limited. Was there a fair and neutral social worker to guide him? Did the school provide career workshop for “every student” as what we have in KSU nowadays? I don’t think so. He tried to prove that the teacher was wrong in negative ways. He challenged the teacher. Indeed Malcolm X‘s teacher tarnished the image of producer of crème de la crème.

It is very important to have role model. It is a need as it will create a success path on how you are going to achieve by following the role model. It is not just to Black American, it is for everybody. It will create targets to achieve. It is a positive reinforcement within, a strong motivation. How about black youth? Are they lack of role model? They have many role models. The problem is not so many White realize about this. Due to this, they tend to make stereotyping towards blacks. They associate Black negatively. Stereotyping is dangerous to be committed to any groups of people. It is based on distorted points of views. It is a shallow judgment. It is a lethal weapon as it kills hopes we put on problematic teenagers. It is a vicious cycle of racism too. If we still continue putting stereotyping towards particular groups, racism will be alive and fertile. That happens because it will convey from mouth to mouth. When someone in the group that always becoming victims of stereotyping want to apply for a job, he wont be accepted as an employee because the employer has bad/stereotyping world view on that particular race,. I can say this because it happens in my country, in fact in my hometown (from Kelantan), where we don’t like to mingle with others from different states because of our dialect is different. In reality, it is not.

I used to stay in apartment owned by Mc Cullough Development. It is in Osage Street, very near to Manhattan City Park. I chose to stay there because the rent is quite good, the house is half furnished and importantly, it is close to KSU and playground. It will be very helpful for my wife as it is a walking distance to university and good to my son because I can bring him to spend his time there (city park). Most of the renters are undergraduate students, they have parties every weekend. I don’t bother about it as I am a Muslim, and I don’t associate myself with that. It is fine as long as my family is not in trouble. One Sunday morning, I got a notice put it on my door from custodial cleaner not to make mess by letting the cigarette buts or garbage such as beer bottles (parties left over) below the stairs. In fact it was a second notice I received from them. The first one was two weeks prior to this notice. The thing that really pissed me off was I was the only one that received the notice. I went up to see my neighbor’s door, checking if they receive the same notice as me. It turned out; none of our neighbors have the notice on their doors! I was pretty sure we were the only one that received it because they usually wake up late the next day after the late partying. Why must I take the blame for the “crime” I did not do? Never in my life have I smoked or drink or going to a pub as it is not permissible in my religion. Why Jane did not bother to check about it first? Or does she associate me with dirtiness and garbage?

Another incidence was when a policeman came over to my house because he claimed he received a call from our house landline. He said there was a problem in my house. What was the problem then? Am I the problem because I, the Muslim doesn’t drink and have party on weekend? The best thing about it was we don’t even have a landline. We only use hand phones. That makes me wonder up until today. He asked for my identification. I gave him my Visa and my I-94 form. After that, he just left. He left us clueless. Who made a call at the first place? My ex naughty student from Malaysia telling the policeman here that there was a terrorist residing in Apt.4? I believe it would be more dramatic and suspense if the caller told the policeman, the best buddy of Bin Laden was there, preparing another attack to American soil. The third incidence was in the library, I went to complain because they sent me email to ask me to pay USD 5 for late fees of not returning a book. As I remembered, I sent it on time, the same day by putting it inside the drop book box. She asked me when I returned it, and then commenting due to a rainy day. That was okay for me until she uttered, “You are forgiven”. I was perplexed, it happened so fast. Did I do something wrong that I should be forgiven? I don’t think she will say that to me if I’m blonde, tall, speak native English or have greenish eyes. I believe that happened because I don’t look White.

All of these incidents were committed by White. I believe if I talk or file complains about this to them, they will have thousands of excuses to invalidate it as what David did to Victor in The Color of Fear movie. I don’t care about it anymore. I don’t want to leave the feeling unattended as it is dangerous to my being as a whole. That’s why I put it here. You know, I wish I can turn the clock back to give damn good answer as what Victor did. I believe by doing that, I am helping the White actually, by breaking their fear of their own shadows. What I mean by shadow here is the “now” that was built upon the bones of others. That was history, but we must bring the history to learn how not to live based upon the bad of the past.

Can I say the problem happens due to imposing world view to others? I notice that this happen because they tend to be dominant. They believe their culture is dominant. The nature of dominant is they will impose it upon others. For example, as a matter of fact, beauty is defined from their perspectives through the powerful media. They control the media as they control the world economy. For example, if you notice, in many advertisements related to women, most of the women are portrayed as having green eyes, sharp nose, big chest, blonde, slim and thin. This is what I view as exploitation towards women. What a real oppressor, not just the people of color becomes victims, now they address the targets to the whole mass by imposing it through media. What concern me is what about teenage girls that do not have to be the above features. Are they then considered ugly? Perhaps, media and advertisement should focus on what is inside, should be explained and giving examples that what matter most is heart. Thus, I believe Miss Universe should be abolished at all as it is more to sexual progressive exploitation towards women.

They also want to be heard and this is detrimental to any other culture that is reverse to them. They will see it as not important. They will see it as alien.

I learnt from this book that it is wrong to invalidate people feelings. I always do this. This shows I am selfish. My world view is important but this belief is absurd and wrong. I don’t want to be oppressors as this will make them feel hopeless as it shows that we don’t understand them. Sometimes, they don’t want us to understand them, but it is important to listen to their voices within. It shows as well by not listening is the act of ignorant and insensitive of others. I am going to be a teacher, my multiracial students will turn to someone else in order to be heard, someone that can understand their perspective. I don’t want that to happen because my students are my priority. I am thinking about what will happen if they not just turn to someone else but rather completely shut down as what Malcolm X did. As teacher, I need to give them hopes.

We must go against the racism by putting emphasis on certain things. First and foremost, it is important to talk about it, because it will help to break the silence. It is to raise the consciousness so that there will be and can be lead to effective action and social change. Don’t worry about it as it will always have followers for it. Lots of us have fears and we need to fight it. Self exploration of knowing the reasons we have fear is important as it will help us to combat the fear itself. It is important to realize as well that our first fear is ourselves. If we are not prepared to face our own fear, that we are not willing to let go our own racist belief and ego, it will be nowhere. You can put thousands reasons for it but as I realized, keep quiet means we become the silent supporter of racism as it wont stop by that.

It is important as well to celebrate those who stay on our course. We need to make abolitionists name famous so that people will realize that they are not alone. Putting their names high is important as it will be the role model for today generation. There might be strong confrontation on the opposite camp as they will try to submerge our efforts. This should be confronted by letting others know what the stages that they have been through when they were in the battle of racism. As Jones said it will be an antidote and freshen up the feelings of isolation and loneliness face by white people or any other people that is on our course fighting racism.

It is important to challenge not just white but anybody that stays upon the racism road. It is important to tell them how oppress the system is and challenge them not to be on the side of oppressors. Explaining the deep understanding of racism and appreciate the identity struggle of people of color is a way moving forward against the racism. For the torch bearer, they must not be left alone, as they need continuous support to face the sarcasm of daily racist jokes. Those who are against the racism are our ally, so it is very important to keep our networking stronger. We must appreciate the effort they put into breaking the wall of racist socialization.

They feel normal because they see black as a slave even though it ends hundred years ago. It does not exist anymore but if you realize, they can’t run away from the thought of feeling superior over others. They successfully do that by belittling other culture. This happens through color blind perspective that is embedded within them. They deny it as they never unfold their racial identity. It is not needed because they feel they don’t have problem with racism. It was not important to them. They rarely ask or discuss about it as it will be painful to them to admit. Again, what is important is their feeling. What is important is their belief that everybody is the same as them. I bet most of them do not belief racism is a system.

As I try to imagine and think why they think that they are not racist, as they believe it is done by their previous generations. They believe it stops there. But when you have that kind of thought it is wrong because past created you. And you brought together the history. You convey it in form of jokes, either you realize it or not, in your words and you think it is okay, but in fact it is not! Just because your perception think it is true it does not mean it is true and good for others. The best thing is that they never realized that it exists within our daily life as the system itself.

I feel grossed when someone says affirmative action is not needed nowadays. Most of them say it is unfair because they might loose their jobs to minorities. First of all, it is just “might loose” rather than surely loose. They say it like that on the first place, so I believe they have to check back their level of confidence. Secondly, how many percents are they going to loose then? Based on the percentage of Undergraduate Enrollment Fall 2000 at University of Michigan, White is 65.8%, compared to African American 8.4 % and Hispanic 4.7%. What about Native American? ONLY 0.6%.² Among them will say that institutionalized discrimination against African Americans no longer exist so any policy in their favor should not exist, but I would like to put it in this way if we view that the oppression has been gone through for about 300 years, I guess allowing more minorities to be granted affirmative action is nothing. It is peanut. It is used to remedy past discrimination. However, I do believe, affirmative action should be look closely case by case but not by abolishing it in general because it will strengthen the racism that is within the society already.

White believes discrimination has been eradicated. What about the three incidences that happened to me? From a study done by Turner, Fix and Struyk (1991), whites were three times as likely both to advance further in the hiring process and to receive job offers as were Hispanic applicants. From the same research, it is told that 15 % of the white applicants received job offers and only 5 % black applicants did.³

In my point of views too, affirmative action is a peanut compared to repercussions or asking for forgiveness as it involves their pride. Will it be possible seeing White asking for forgiveness? They won’t, as they are very individualistic and dominant. Am I against repercussions and forgiveness? I did not say this is wrong too as I agree with what Germany did by paying billions of dollars to Jews for the crime they committed. Is racism a crime? Yes, it is! Does it make those who purported racism criminals? Yes! If my two questions easily answered yes by you, then I guess what makes it SO DIFFICULT to ask for forgiveness and repercussions? If you refuse to do both, first and foremost, White must admit and put in into ACTIONS that the first thing that needs to be done is to change the stupidity for those who support racism, and at the same time tell and convince them(among racism supporters) that it is a system embedded in our daily life.

A country is not a house; it is not an individual property. I can paint my house to be blue but I can’t impose my country which I shared together to be blue because they have their own preferences as well. I am thankful to God, as He created this world colorful. We appreciate all colors. Why when it comes to skins color, we don’t take heed as the way it is? From this book, I learn not to homogenize everything because it is wrong. We must appreciate the differences as we appreciate the varieties of other living things (animals, plants) surrounding us. Why can’t we do the same thing when it comes to human skins?

I take Tatum advices to prepare my sons to have a positive psychological adjustment by providing intact relationship between families members regardless color skins they have, kids need to be attended integrated schools to avoid color blind perspectives. When it comes to buy a house, it is advisable to be in multiracial neighborhood as it will create more interactions and understandings. Most importantly, I must be willing to talk to my son openly about issues related to identity development as I had no one when I was teenager. I must stop the cycle of racism. This will help him to be able to reflect positively. I think it is important as I don’t want his worldview to be created by nonsense media or advertisements or people that is based upon inequalities. I will be careful as well when I make comments on others physical features as I don’t want it to become objectifying. These steps I believe will teach our eyes NOT to be out powered by prejudice.

References:

1. Norman R. Yetman, “Black Monday:” Brown v. Board of Education and the Significance of Race in American Life. Transaction Publishers Rutgers University,2006.

1. The CQ Researcher: Issues in Race,Ethnicity and Gender( Affirmative Action).pg 13.(Pie chart titled Etnicity at the University of Michigan) CQ Press, 2002.

1. Turner, Margery Fix, and Raymond J. Struyk. Opportunities Denied: Opportunites Dismissed: Discrimination in Hiring. Washington, DC: The Urban Institute 1991.

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Name:	Name of Session: How to Motivate Teens
Presenter (Name, Position, Educational Affiliation/School District, etc.): Dr. Brad Burenheide COE Academic Affair Members Of KSU (Secondary Education)	Brief Description of the Session: This is the most interesting session of all. He explained motivation theory by making connection with his own kids. The intention is to show the variance of students (teachers are going to have them) as well as their motivations that need to be channeled properly to ensure their engagements to lessons are fullest. I love his idea that focus more on help students learn how to learn by providing lots of techniques that I have never thought of before. In the end of the lecture, he wanted us to have these three things in minds: a) student centered b) engaging students c) Good teaching by deemphasize grades and meeting their challenges.
In the sections below, identify 2-3 examples of the sociocultural, linguistic, academic, and cognitive benefits that you gained from attending the session as a future teacher of CLD students. Given the presentation, you may not be able to identify 2-3 examples for each area, but I will be looking for a minimum of 6 total benefits in at least two of the areas below. In addition to identifying overall benefits, please try to identify 3-5 classroom tips that you gained from the session (place these tips in the most appropriate area(s) below).
Sociocultural Benefits Students’ motivation can be improved by lowering their affective filter. The presenter did not mention this, however I relate to it when he said about building rapport between teacher and students. Classroom Tips: Building rapport can be done through: a) Engagements with students’ daily life activities, asking them, greeting them. b) Knowing students strengths- what makes he/she comes to class (family,motivation,ambition?) and act upon it.	Linguistic Benefits Teacher can improve students’ language/linguistic ability by using appropriate, concrete and understandable examples even if it is in their native language. Classroom Tips: Teacher needs to find material that is relevant and suit their level. Teacher can give them something tangible because this will help them to learn. Give positive feedbacks as this would help to support them that they can do well especially in mastering the academic language.
Academic Benefits Students learn in many ways because they are different. As teachers, we have to stay enthusiastic by having multiple learning strategies to suit our clients. Classroom Tips: Make them engage in an activity that is open and positive. Activities must be varied as it must be into open learning atmosphere that is open and positive. Their responses should be valued and validated according to the curriculum. Giving them appropriate responses help them feel that they are valued members of learning communities. Thus, it increases their study motivation.	Cognitive Benefits Students have multiple intelligences. It means our students are different and it is best if we can identify their uniqueness. After identifying, use and apply motivation theories to “activate the switch”. Classroom Tips: a) Students in incentive motivation group can be given appraisal as there are very self efficacies. b) For extrinsic motivator, teacher can manipulate classroom learning by giving them external reward, let him/her to present, be a leader as it drives him/her.

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