Gayness, Multicultural Education, and Community

Gayness, Multicultural Education, and Community                                       Ruby Lazo

by Dennis Carlson 

1. “Public schools play an important role in helping build new democratic, multicultural communities.”                                                                                                   

Kids spend a great deal of time in schools; therefore the school, administrators and teachers (weather they know it or not) hold a lot of influence on the kids they work with, both academically and personally. Due to this fact, schools hold a lot of responsibility building tomorrows future and constructing future upcoming communities.

2. “Silence = Death”.                                                                                                           

This quote signifies the importance there is in visibility. People being silenced consequently result in people becoming invisible to society; becoming invisible to society discontinues a person’s existence in society. We must create a society in which people are not scared or forced into silencing themselves or others.                                                    

3. “A democratic multicultural education must become a dialogue in which all “voices” are heard and all “truths” are understood as partial and positioned.”          

Education wise, everyone should hold a voice in order to form a true community.  No matter the position on an issue, a persons voice holds importance and we must let their voices be represented and validated weather we are in agreement or not, thus learning from each other’s personal stories and continuing to grow as people.

Many people today think that people that being out as gay is okay, weather it is in school, work or public, but that is just not the case at all. Yes we made some progress but we as a country and as people continuously treat people who are gay as though they were second-class citizens, through laws and prejudicial actions. In fact some of the things that went on 50 years ago are still going on today. Bullying, harassment and hate crimes against people who are gay happen single everyday. We might not physically see it but if we continue to blind ourselves we are letting our kids, our neighbors, our friends, our family members and the principals that this country was founded on down.

“Diversity must not just being tolerated but celebrated” (Carlson). As teachers we should celebrate all of our students differences as well as teach our students to be proud of whom they are as well as the value of a diverse community. To maximize learning in a classroom, every student must feel safe, to be themselves. Schools can no longer continue to avoid or ignore this issue.  

I wonder how much power administrator’s hold over this issue. What would happen if you, as a teacher, attempted to include gay history or pride day into your class curriculum or lesson plan but your administration did not back you up? Would you face consequences? Would you be forced or scared into silence?

Michigan student defends suspended teacher

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20101115/us_yblog_thelookout/gay-michigan-student-defends-suspended-teacher

Why Can't She Remember That.

“Why Can’t She Remember That?” by Terry Meier                             Ruby Lazo   

        

       1. "Choose books that relate to children’s lives”.

As a teacher it is important that you choose books that students can relate to and make connections with. When students were able to relate to a book that book soon became a favorite.

2. “Teach book reading behaviors explicitly”

Take the time to explain to students certain book behaviors - some students may not be aware or accustomed to such behaviors, however it will help them to better succeed in a classroom setting. Even though some students were unfamiliar and did not understand the reasoning to classroom “reading behaviors” they were able to participate once the behavior was clearly explained to them and made more interesting.

3. “Make books come alive”

Find different ways to make reading books more intellectually stimulating for students. Things such as puppets or books series can be very helpful when it comes to sparking an interest in students. When puppets or a book series was introduced to students during reading time children were more easily able to identify story elements and form connections with the story.

Meier raises an excellent point when it comes to making personal connections with the activity at hand. While student teaching last week, I noticed a few students that seemed uninterested during an activity I was facilitating. While some kids were reading “C” books, I was trying to go over letters and sounds with other students. I thought, they must have gone over this 50 times already – why aren’t they getting it. I began having a really hard time trying to get their attention so I thought maybe if I can have these letters relate more to them, they might find it much more interesting. So I asked the students in my group, “whose name starts with the letter A” and they named Angie. This became really effective as I went through the student's first letter in their names. Soon they became so excited and started naming other children in their classroom and what letter their name began with. Then they started naming animals and the first letter that their name began with. Clearly the students got it. Making a personal connection with them and the letters helped make the activity more exciting, which lead them to participate more and get more from the activity. I am really interested in learning others ways to make real-world connections with students when teaching other subjects that are not so easy to relate to, such as history and science. 

Amazing Grace

“Amazing Grace” by Jonathan Kozol                                                            Ruby Lazo

1. “Cliffie is referring to turns out to be a waste incinerator that was put in operation recently over the objections of the parents in the neighborhood. It was initially going to be built along the East Side of Manhattan, but the sitting of a burner there had been successfully resisted by the parents of the area because fears of cancer risks to (their) children.”          
After the East Side resisted the plan of an incinerator to be built in their neighborhood, the state decided to build it in a significantly poorer section in New York. Although parents of the small community had just as much valid concern and objections to the incinerator being built they were brushed to the side, ignored made to feel invisible and less than – which is how they have been treated their entire lives.

2. ”The truth is, you get used to the offense".                                                                           
Cliffie’s mother explains to Mr. Kozol that so much of her life, she and the people of her neighborhood have been ignored, stepped on and offended; that she and many others lost hope.  

3. “Somebody has power. Pretending that they don’t so they don’t need to use it to help people – that is my idea of evil".                                                                             

Ms. Washington’s son is having a conversation with Mr. Kozol and shares his idea of what evil is. Many people in his neighborhood, like himself, have spent their lives trying to overcome many adversities while experiencing many struggles and challenges, while the people who hold the power, who can help make a difference decided to turn their heads the other way.   

Out of all the articles we have read so far, this has been one of my favorites. Cliffie, a little boy who gave Mr. Kozol a tour of his neighborhood really stood out to me. Mr. Kozol described him like any other seven year old. He was sassy, playful and pure. However, Mr. Kozol mentions one thing that hit me. He said, “As confident and grown-up as he sounds, he has the round face of a baby and is scarcely more than three and a half feet”.  Which made me think that Cliffie, although seems like an average seven year old boy, he isn’t. He has had to see things and experience things that other boys his age will probably never have to. In a sense, because of his surroundings, Cliffie has had to grow-up way before his time. I wonder what effects that will have on him as an adult. Will it hinder him as a person or make him stronger? 

What things can we do to help out Cliffie and kids who are facing similar adversities. 

My first post.

Hi, my name is Ruby Lazo and so far this semester is going great. I really enjoy all my classes, especially my FNED 346 and PSYC 110 class. When I am not in class I usually work or spend time with my puppy! 
Early this year I had one of the best experiences of my life. I volunteered at an orphanage in Dominican Republic through an organization named Orphanage Outreach. During my stay, in the mornings I visited schools and taught basic English to students and during the afternoon and weekends I helped create and run activities with the children that were staying at the Orphanage. I learned so much and hope that I am able to do it again.