I thoroughly enjoyed reading this qualitative study. One of the most valuable tools I have gotten from grad school is the ability to read research studies and learn from the documents I am reading. I wouldn't tell just anybody that but I am guessing you guys know exactly what I mean.
As usual, as I read this article, I came away with more questions than answers. Why in the world do we allow policymakers to put so much importance on standarized terst scores? Why do we let testing reports define the worth of a child? How can we break this vicious cycle? How can we stop racism in our schools? How can we make children know and understand their truth worth? So many questions!
The researcher suggested that locally developed instructional materials should be used to support students' native language and their academic achievement. Does locally developed mean that it is culturally relevant? To me it would be a shame to ask students to become standardized and lose the cultural characteristics that make us all different. I was fascinated by the creativity and artistic skill in the study children. It reminds me that I need to reinforce that everyone has a special talent. I really need to learn to focus on what my students bring to the table, not areas they are deficient. We need to build on the pride children feel for their heritage, not use cookie cutters to turn them into people they are not. As en educator, I need to do more than buy culturally diverse books and put them on a shelf. I need to be a student too. I need to explore cultures that are different from mine on both a personal and professional level. Should part of my education have included cultural diversity? Who dropped the ball?
All people want affirmation. They want to believe that what they produce and choose to share has value. Not matter what race, background, etc. we want to be appreciated. Can we teach children to place value on themselves and others?
Carol Sherrill
Comments (6)
I know exactly what you mean about appreciating how to conduct and read qualitative research papers. It amazes me how when you walk in a shoe store there are many different styles, sizes, and colors of shoes, but when it comes to education all we look at is if the students made a 3 or 4 on the EOG’s. What are we teaching our future generation? I think the arts in education are very important. My mother is an art teacher at a local middle school and it amazes me how many of her students discover who they are and what they want to be just by being in her class. As educators it is crucial that we take time to get to know our students and what they care about. I really wish that I had several courses on different cultures in college. I think as a teacher, it would be very beneficial to walk in your first year of teaching with background knowledge of all the cultures represented in your classroom.
Posted by Emily Rhoney | June 9, 2010 10:32 PM
Posted on June 9, 2010 22:32
I like your statement about we should be students too and not just teachers. Too often do we start the school year off by grouping students based on their test scores and their deficients rather than their strengths. We automatically stigmatize students by focusing on what they cannot do rather than what they can do. If we were in their position we would want to be known as what we could do and not by our weaknesses. Yes, we should build on the pride students have for their cultural!
Posted by Katy Dellinger | June 10, 2010 1:56 PM
Posted on June 10, 2010 13:56
Carol,
I certainly hope you will send your response to this study to our state legislators. Well said! I get angrier every year I work with EC students and have to watch them (and their parents) go through disappointment after disappointment as they do NOT pass the EOG's. We have students (3rd graders) throwing up, not sleeping, having panic attacks, getting into fights...all due to the stress of the importance education has placed on these tests. I have to give the same talk to my studnets and parents: "These tests are not the measure of who you are. They only measure a piece of what you have learned in school. It does not make you a stupid or a bad person because you did not make a certain score on this test." Well, you get the picture. We have to somehow get to the place where the child is more important than his score on a test!!!!
Susan Hines
Posted by Susan Hines | June 10, 2010 6:35 PM
Posted on June 10, 2010 18:35
Carol, I second Susan's suggestion. Part of the problem is the legislators are career politicians, not teachers. One of those students Susan mentioned is my own child. She is suffering from some serious health problems which are made worse by stress, yet, today she had to go in a retake an Algebra 2 test because she was ONE point short. She has a "B" in the class by working hard, completing her homework, and studying for chapter tests. Now the EOC score will drop her grade to a C- or a D. This insanity must stop.
Posted by Karen Chester | June 10, 2010 7:28 PM
Posted on June 10, 2010 19:28
Carol,
I do not remember having diversity training in undergraduate. I think it may be something that is done in schools and companies. I just went over my summative evaluation with my principal a few weeks ago. On this teacher evaluation, we are rated how we are culturally diverse in our classroom. In Forsyth County, they have diversity training. This is my second year in the county, so my principal said she would like for me and all the other teachers new to our school take this training. She said our entire school had the training about six years ago. I’m curious what this training will be like. I was talking to my husband and he told me that he had to have diversity training at his company. At this training they had to name all the cultures they work with and discuss the stereotypes they have about them. In the education environment, it seems we deal with any minority versus white culture. In his company they deal with American versus Non-American.
Trish Edwards
Posted by Trish Edwards | June 10, 2010 10:14 PM
Posted on June 10, 2010 22:14
Carol,
You asked some great questions! I, too, am wondering why the test scores seem to determine the value of the child. It is one test, one day. What about the rest of the year? What about the child’s language, home life, health, and motivation? What about their personal experiences? Their stories?
On the other hand, I guess I somewhat understand why a standardized test is given: to make sure the students are performing and learning. However, it is extremely stressful, extremely long, and extremely overvalued. It should be thrown out or heavily revised.
Laura Corbello
Posted by Laura Corbello | June 11, 2010 5:51 PM
Posted on June 11, 2010 17:51