I was surprised in Chapter 7 when Ladson-Billings declares that "Culturally relevant teaching is about questioning (and preparing students to question) the structural inequality, the racism, and the injustice that exist in society" (140). I am mainly surprised because I feel like those are big concepts for children to understand, and I did not fully realize them until I reached college. I also attended Catholic school growing up, where students are not necessarily encouraged to question authority. As I look back, it seems that even in Catholic school my best teachers were somwhat subversive, framing the curriculum as they saw fit. I agree with this idea, but at the same time, I wish that it wasn't necessary. As teachers, we shouldn't have to always feel like we are fighting something.
I apprecite the teachers' points of view that she shares; those that refuse to set aside their philosophies for "the man". I agree that no one should ever change what they believe for a job.
I find the critiques and suggestions that she makes to student teaching all good points, but all of her suggestions might not be feasible in terms of how the programs are set up. That's not to say that the setups shouldn't change, but the existing framework may not allow for the ideal student teaching experiences. I know from my discussions with the other AU students in their practicum and student teaching that sometimes we have to take what we can get. Sometimes the university has to take what it can get from the surrounding schools. Wouldn't it be nice if Ladson-Billings's suggestions could be taken into account in our program.
I agree with the author that good teachers need to be celebrated, and I like that she highlights several more. I also like how she touches on the idea that teaching to the test (which is a huge part of the education reform going on right now) is in opposition to teachers who find joy in helping students explore and discover new ideas, and culturally relevant teaching. I find it ironic that this push for accountability is what is actually keeping students from learning at the depth that we would like them to.
I have enjoyed reading this book, and I'm glad positive pieces of literature like it are out there. With all of the negativity and garbage in the media these days, it's nice to read smart, articulate literature about what good is going on, and what good we can do as teachers.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Chapter 5 of The Dreamkeepers has been one of my favorite so far because I found it empowering, and made some personal connections with it.
I love that Ladson-Billings states, "Whether they exercise it or not, classroom teachers... have great power in determining the official curriculum" (87). I agree with her that ultimately, the teacher makes the choices from day to day, minute to minute, that will affect his or her students. I also agree that "teacher-proof" curriculum is the opposite of culturally relevant teaching. In reality, there is no such thing as teacher-proof curriculum, at least not if you're an intelligent teacher.
It is an astute observation that few people say they want to teach because they love the acquisition of new knowledge. Everyone mentions they do it because they love working with kids. Ladson-Billings points out that there are plenty of ways to work with kids that don't necessarily involve teaching them, and that a good teacher is someone who really loves knowledge and lifelong learning with a passion.
At one point, Ladson-Billings talks about Winston's project that involved her students researching leisure activities in the 1700's and 1800's. I thought this was a great idea, since her students only know a life with modern comforts and technologies. I also liked how this was school topic that opened up generational dialogue within families and got them somewhat involved. I thought it was awesome that this lesson culminated in a real quilting bee. I can't imagine a better way to make this learning experience so memorable. It reminds me of the preschool that my goddaughter, Ella, attends. Every year the preschool has a May Day celebration complete with a maypole dance that the children actually learn and perform for their families. They might not even realize the historical significance of what they are doing until they get a little older; all they know is they get to perform a fun dance, and it becomes ingrained in their muscle memory. Years later, when they learn about the Medieval period in school, they will have real life experience to link with and build on.
I love that Ladson-Billings states, "Whether they exercise it or not, classroom teachers... have great power in determining the official curriculum" (87). I agree with her that ultimately, the teacher makes the choices from day to day, minute to minute, that will affect his or her students. I also agree that "teacher-proof" curriculum is the opposite of culturally relevant teaching. In reality, there is no such thing as teacher-proof curriculum, at least not if you're an intelligent teacher.
It is an astute observation that few people say they want to teach because they love the acquisition of new knowledge. Everyone mentions they do it because they love working with kids. Ladson-Billings points out that there are plenty of ways to work with kids that don't necessarily involve teaching them, and that a good teacher is someone who really loves knowledge and lifelong learning with a passion.
At one point, Ladson-Billings talks about Winston's project that involved her students researching leisure activities in the 1700's and 1800's. I thought this was a great idea, since her students only know a life with modern comforts and technologies. I also liked how this was school topic that opened up generational dialogue within families and got them somewhat involved. I thought it was awesome that this lesson culminated in a real quilting bee. I can't imagine a better way to make this learning experience so memorable. It reminds me of the preschool that my goddaughter, Ella, attends. Every year the preschool has a May Day celebration complete with a maypole dance that the children actually learn and perform for their families. They might not even realize the historical significance of what they are doing until they get a little older; all they know is they get to perform a fun dance, and it becomes ingrained in their muscle memory. Years later, when they learn about the Medieval period in school, they will have real life experience to link with and build on.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Higher Standards and Success
I agree with most of the points Gloria Ladson-Billings makes in chapters 3 and 4 of The Dreamkeepers. However, there were a few points that stuck out to me.
In the memory described on pages 33-34 of going downtown on a field trip, the line, "We knew that we were held to a higher standard than other people" stuck out to me. She thinks this proudly, at least as a child. In reality, though, it is unfair that just because these children are colored their behavior is held to a higher standard than white children's. It is unfair that African Americans need to present themselves very well in order to excede the expectations of them by whites, while whites don't necessarily need to do the same thing in order to receive a certain kind of treatment. When a group of African Americans or any other minority is out in public, what they do is seen as representing their whole race. If a group of white people is out in public, as members of the majority, they do not have that same weight on their shoulders.
I do not know how this could be changed, although I have one impractical idea. If the majority of white Americans travelled abroad to countries that are not predominantly white, they could learn to identify with this feeling, and perhaps when they returned they would see their own multicultural neighbors in a different light.
I was surprised when reading Ladson-Billings ask, "If a teacher looks out at a classroom and sees the sons and daughters of slaves, how does that vision translate into her expectations for educational excellence" (59), implying that it would not translate well. I think that in saying this she contradicts what she says earlier in the chapter about claiming to be "color blind" as a negative thing. I do not think that acknowledging the fact that many of your African American students would translate to them not doing well academically (or translate to me as the teacher then treating them in a way that would not benefit them academically as much as the other students). I would imagine that students whose grandparents were slaves have family history that is as important to them as any other person's is to them, and see a family history of slavery as a family history of hard work and perserverence, which would translate well in the academic arena. Achknowledging slavery as part of a person's family history does not necessarily mean that I wouldn't hold them to the same academic high standards as their white counterparts.
Perhaps I am incorrectly interpreting Ladson-Billings, and she may just be asking the question to try to make us think, in which case, it has worked.
Another point I found interesting that she mentions at the beginning of chapter four is that "success means doing better than others". This is an interesting definition, as it is entirely social. It reminds me of the joke where two people have to outrun a bare chasing them and one says something like, "I don't have to outrun the bear, I just have to outrun you". It is such a cutthroat way to think of something that should be positive, although it pretty much is the American cultural view of success. Must it be so competitive because of limited resources? Not everyone can be #1.
I like to think of success as meeting or exceeding my own expectations of myself. I would rather live by my own definition, so my own success does not depend on someone else's failure.
The Dreamkeepers continues to be a thought-provoking read.
In the memory described on pages 33-34 of going downtown on a field trip, the line, "We knew that we were held to a higher standard than other people" stuck out to me. She thinks this proudly, at least as a child. In reality, though, it is unfair that just because these children are colored their behavior is held to a higher standard than white children's. It is unfair that African Americans need to present themselves very well in order to excede the expectations of them by whites, while whites don't necessarily need to do the same thing in order to receive a certain kind of treatment. When a group of African Americans or any other minority is out in public, what they do is seen as representing their whole race. If a group of white people is out in public, as members of the majority, they do not have that same weight on their shoulders.
I do not know how this could be changed, although I have one impractical idea. If the majority of white Americans travelled abroad to countries that are not predominantly white, they could learn to identify with this feeling, and perhaps when they returned they would see their own multicultural neighbors in a different light.
I was surprised when reading Ladson-Billings ask, "If a teacher looks out at a classroom and sees the sons and daughters of slaves, how does that vision translate into her expectations for educational excellence" (59), implying that it would not translate well. I think that in saying this she contradicts what she says earlier in the chapter about claiming to be "color blind" as a negative thing. I do not think that acknowledging the fact that many of your African American students would translate to them not doing well academically (or translate to me as the teacher then treating them in a way that would not benefit them academically as much as the other students). I would imagine that students whose grandparents were slaves have family history that is as important to them as any other person's is to them, and see a family history of slavery as a family history of hard work and perserverence, which would translate well in the academic arena. Achknowledging slavery as part of a person's family history does not necessarily mean that I wouldn't hold them to the same academic high standards as their white counterparts.
Perhaps I am incorrectly interpreting Ladson-Billings, and she may just be asking the question to try to make us think, in which case, it has worked.
Another point I found interesting that she mentions at the beginning of chapter four is that "success means doing better than others". This is an interesting definition, as it is entirely social. It reminds me of the joke where two people have to outrun a bare chasing them and one says something like, "I don't have to outrun the bear, I just have to outrun you". It is such a cutthroat way to think of something that should be positive, although it pretty much is the American cultural view of success. Must it be so competitive because of limited resources? Not everyone can be #1.
I like to think of success as meeting or exceeding my own expectations of myself. I would rather live by my own definition, so my own success does not depend on someone else's failure.
The Dreamkeepers continues to be a thought-provoking read.
Monday, February 7, 2011
We're all in this together.
I agree with Gloria Ladson-Billings that the school system is still segregated today, in terms of how well it has been serving African American students. I have unfortunately heard some of her statistics before: young African American men are more likely to end up in jail than in college. African American teens are five times as likely to end up pregnant as their Caucasian counterparts. One fact that I had not heard before that she mentions is: African Americans in public school perform lower on standardized tests than whites EVEN IF they come from higher income families. I feel that this fact alone is a reason to examine how our standardized tests are being formed, and a good reason for us to ensure that a representative amount of African Americans are members of the process.
Ladson-Billings talks about the idea that I have heard before from classmates and in popular culture that when a black man or woman is successful, he or she is often accused of not being black enough by peers. I find this ridiculous because working hard or doing well at something are not "white" things to do. There are people who work hard and people who are unsuccessful in every culture. To tear down someone of your own race because of their work ethic only further divides the community. No one should ever feel guilty for working hard and being successful at something. It's a shame that to some people's view is so polarized that they cannot see their neighbor's success as part of their own community's success.
I find it interesting that one of the common features in all of the successful teachers she studies is that they are all "culturally congruent" with the students they teach. This idea reminds me of when I worked at an afterschool program and there was a family with children who were half Jewish and half Chinese (not sure what religion). During Passover, the children were unable to each the snack that was provided to the rest of the children because it contained leavened bread. We would have happily given them an alternative snack, however, one of the group leaders happened to have brought some matzo ball soup from home that day and shared it with all of them. They seemed really happy that they could identify with this group leader, and that she understood what they were going through. She didn't have to share the food that she had brought from home, but she had the mentality that these kids (just like all the kids at the center) were all part of her family, and it showed in her interactions with them. I see this attitude as very important in becoming a teacher who will be able to reach the maximum number of students.
I look forward to my continued reading of The Dreamkeepers to see what other connections I can make with it.
Ladson-Billings talks about the idea that I have heard before from classmates and in popular culture that when a black man or woman is successful, he or she is often accused of not being black enough by peers. I find this ridiculous because working hard or doing well at something are not "white" things to do. There are people who work hard and people who are unsuccessful in every culture. To tear down someone of your own race because of their work ethic only further divides the community. No one should ever feel guilty for working hard and being successful at something. It's a shame that to some people's view is so polarized that they cannot see their neighbor's success as part of their own community's success.
I find it interesting that one of the common features in all of the successful teachers she studies is that they are all "culturally congruent" with the students they teach. This idea reminds me of when I worked at an afterschool program and there was a family with children who were half Jewish and half Chinese (not sure what religion). During Passover, the children were unable to each the snack that was provided to the rest of the children because it contained leavened bread. We would have happily given them an alternative snack, however, one of the group leaders happened to have brought some matzo ball soup from home that day and shared it with all of them. They seemed really happy that they could identify with this group leader, and that she understood what they were going through. She didn't have to share the food that she had brought from home, but she had the mentality that these kids (just like all the kids at the center) were all part of her family, and it showed in her interactions with them. I see this attitude as very important in becoming a teacher who will be able to reach the maximum number of students.
I look forward to my continued reading of The Dreamkeepers to see what other connections I can make with it.
Friday, January 21, 2011
A Quick Preview of The Dreamkeepers
One of the things I found most powerful in the Foreward of The Dreamkeepers was the fact that at least one powerful and effective teacher came from the classroom of one of the original eight teachers that the author, Gloria Ladson-Billings, studied. It would be highly likely that other good educators came out of the classrooms of these teachers, whether Ladson-Billings was able to track them down or not. I like the idea that a good teacher has an unofficial apprenticeship with his or her students; that, if the students can pick up on the teacher's effective techniques and replicate them, so many more students' lives can be supported or transformed. I can imagine that there are many rewarding things about teaching, but that one of the most would be finding out that one (or more!) of my students grew up and decided to teach because he or she learned something from me.
I appreciate that Ladson-Billings declares that she wrote the book from three points of view: African American scholar and researcher, African American Teacher, and African American woman/parent/community member. Having so many different points of view within the community on this specific topic of African American education makes her an ideal person to discuss it. These different voices within one voice seem to give her credibility, which I suppose will either be confirmed or disconfirmed once I read the rest of the book. I admire that she is straightforward about the fact that she is not impartial or trying to act "removed", as some researchers may.
Over the summer, I read Teach Like a Champion, and expect this book to have some similar insights as to the best practices for teaching students with more of a focus on the factor of culture in education, and with perhaps a few more emotional anecdotes (but that is just a guess).
I appreciate that Ladson-Billings declares that she wrote the book from three points of view: African American scholar and researcher, African American Teacher, and African American woman/parent/community member. Having so many different points of view within the community on this specific topic of African American education makes her an ideal person to discuss it. These different voices within one voice seem to give her credibility, which I suppose will either be confirmed or disconfirmed once I read the rest of the book. I admire that she is straightforward about the fact that she is not impartial or trying to act "removed", as some researchers may.
Over the summer, I read Teach Like a Champion, and expect this book to have some similar insights as to the best practices for teaching students with more of a focus on the factor of culture in education, and with perhaps a few more emotional anecdotes (but that is just a guess).
Friday, January 14, 2011
This is a test. This is only a test.
I am just posting my first blog post ever. This is a momentous occasion. I don't feel any different, though.
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