Chapter 17 - Which Gender Is English?
a. Conversational Styles
b. Cultural Assumptions
c. Personal Misinterpretations
2. The whole curriculum is about communicating effectively with a variety of audiences which include:
a. Classmates
b. Fictional Characters
c. Writers 3. Strategies to Promote a Respectful Classroom Environment for both genders:
a. Self-selected reading
b. Writing Topics
c. Men read books
d. The classroom environment
e. Response to work/ideas
f. Use of groups
g. Equal Standing
Bottom Line:
Instead of mentioning the novel or the book as a "girl themed" or "boy
themed" book, it is better to use terms that introduce universal themes
rather than gender themes. Some of these themes might include courage,
indifference, or strength.
Chapter 18 - Thoughts About Culture, Race, and Language
1. Introduction
a. What is not taught is not valued, respected, or even honored. b. "To speak of a curriculum untouched by political concerns is to imagine that education could take place in a vacuum." - Robert Louis Gates Jr. c. The two aforementioned statements are basically stating that our education cannont only be a eurocentric approach. Rather, there should be plethora of multicultural perspectives that will color our standard basis of education in our current world. Otherwise, it is nil! d.(Carol
Booth Olson) We must clearly work to ensure that ALL students learn
what they need to gain access to the "keys." In other words, as
teachers, we must give the students the tools, verbal and mental to survive in this world, specially as everchanging educators. e. (James Baldwin) What we speak reflects who we are; if we are not accepted as we are then we will turn away and reject that which would deny us our dignity. In other words, as teachers, there must be a relationship that is formed that lies between professional and personal. In this way, the material presented will be better understood to the fullest of its meaning and intent.
f. African
American students' failure in schools is viewed as a deliberate act of
resistance or defiance. This goes back to the theory of Ogbu where
the African American is seen as one that is stratified or forced to learn the culture (eurocentric). g. On the other hand, Asian students are "often able to persevere despite setbacks because their effort spawns a sense of optimism that if only they work harder, they will succeed. Once again, Ogbu states that the Asian is seen as a culture that can assimilate and at the same time keep
its own identity.
Bottom
Line: Acceptance of education occurs when students' personal knowledge
was incorporated into instruction in conjunction with a
responsive style of classroom discourse. In other words, the more the educators include the culture of the student that comes in the classroom,
the more amount of learning will take place.
2. Respecting Race and Culture
a. The
guiding principle should be balance in all of the literary texts that
are read in class. For example poetry and narrative prose, drama and
fiction; between canonical authors and contemporary authors; between male and female authors; and, of course, between white writers and
those of other cultural and racial perspectives.
b. The end
product of the students that we teach in the English language is one
that "will best serve them in their lives after school, in their lives
as voting citizens, as parents, as employees" (Rex
Brown).
In other words, the skills that we teach in the classroom for our
English classes will be transferrable life skills. That is, skills that
they
can use in whatever situation they encounter in their lives. Obviously, living in the United States and in any country that has English as its primary
language will be of great use.
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