I had a hard time with the Noll article because I didn’t see two American Indian children. I saw two children that had a sense of self centered in the arts, and having a hard time bringing their artistic talents into their school and social life. There are many students that love music, dancing, and poetry. There are many students that have activities outside of school that do not fit in with the school “norm.” Why do we have to single them out by their heritage? I don’t understand.
Teenagers struggle with their identity everyday. They reflect on their values and morals taught to them from birth and decide if they want to keep or reject them. Daniel and Zonnie are doing the same thing. They are exploring their heritage. Yes, they probably have a more difficult time because they are in the minority, but they are exploring themselves just the same as the other students. Zonnie has learned to express herself through poetry, but insists she is not a good reader. She likes the positive feedback from her teachers, which more than likely affirms her love of poetry. Daniel has discovered that reading music is similar to reading a text. Granted his music and dancing are harder to bring into the classroom environment, and there are less students that participate in his out of school activities, but Daniel has discovered his sense of self.
Both students have to deal with racial prejudice and inequality, but they have positive support and role models at home. Their families are very supportive of the children’s activities both inside and outside of school.
I think my issue with the article appears at the end when the implications are discussed. “Their teachers are, for the most part, unaware of the multiple literacies that are so central to the students’ out-of-school lives.” I find it nearly impossible to learn what each of my 70 students do outside of school. I have a basic idea of who they are, what they like, and try to pull from that during class when appropriate. I have issue with the fact that we are focusing on American Indian culture here. As teachers, shouldn’t we take an equal interest in each of our children regardless of their culture? I appreciate the qualities and histories that make us all individuals, but why can’t we look past our colors?
Jennifer Wagoner
Comments (7)
You’re right that school doesn’t always reflect student’s interest. But how could it? It did not surprise me to read that Daniel was not interested in local politics, but would prefer to learn about his Native American history. I don’t know many middle schoolers who are interested in local politics, and cannot even claim to be myself. Most of my children would rather learn about soccer than economics, but it is necessary to learn about more than just our current interest. School is supposed to broaden those interests and expose kids to new ideas. Sometimes that means you have to learn about the uninteresting stuff. There were plenty of classes in college I did not enjoy, but as a student I had to figure out how to learn the material, even when it was not something I was passionate about.
-Rebecca Ashby
Posted by Rebecca Ashby | June 9, 2010 3:55 PM
Posted on June 9, 2010 15:55
Jennifer,
It does seem as though they are placing alot of emphasis on the fact that these students are Native American in this article, but I can see where they would have problems with racial comments being thrown at them on a fairly regular basis and that this would have a negative impact on their learning. I also agree that when you have a large number of students like that, that you don't have time to learn about their lives outside of school. However, I think we should have an idea of some of the cultural backgrounds of our students so that we can relate to them and help bring out their hidden talents.
Posted by Reshawna Greene | June 9, 2010 8:22 PM
Posted on June 9, 2010 20:22
It seems to me that we should be teaching the students not the cultures. Why must a student be Native American, Hispanic, Black, White, etc. when they enter our classrooms? Why can't they all just be kids seeking an education? All given the same opportunities to learn and grow...
I think that when a situation arrises, let the students incorporate their culture/heritage into their learning experiences. As you said, we have so much to accomplish in 180 days, how could we possibly know about the cultural background of every student?
Posted by Sarah Hutson | June 10, 2010 8:50 AM
Posted on June 10, 2010 08:50
I agreed to a point with what you said. I too felt that the struglles that these two students faced could be faces by most any minority child that age. There struggles about their Native American Heritage in my opinon were no different than what an African American, Jewish, Hispanic, or any other minority student might feel. I didn't agree with not trying to find out about the cultures of the students you teach. I teach Kindergarten so therefore I only have 20 students and they don't change classess so I realize that teaching middle or upper grade students it would be more difficult to touch on all of their culutures. At the same time I think that is our job as a teacher to go above and beyond. Middle and High school is when students are predominantly becoming interested in their culture and "where they came from". It is our job as educators to jump on that interest and encourage it as much as we can.
Posted by Katie Templeton | June 11, 2010 4:55 PM
Posted on June 11, 2010 16:55
Jennifer,
I agree with what you said about teenagers struggling with their identities. I also briefly discussed this point in my post. I think most kids this age are going through similar situations. Most have been successful in some area, and most have probably failed in some area. They are unsure and awkward about what they should be doing and where they fit in. To help alleviate these feelings, I think teachers and schools should teach and value other literacies like music, art and technology. As a result, students will feel more valued and successful.
Laura Corbello
Posted by Laura Corbello | June 11, 2010 5:35 PM
Posted on June 11, 2010 17:35
I think that all children can experience these same struggles regardless of their culture. Many children connect to music and dance but these are things that we as teachers do not find in our everyday classrooms. I think that we as teachers could make a better effort in using music and dance in our classes. I know that this is easier in elementary schools. I am not familiar with middle or high school curriculum, but I would assume that students at this age (although lovers of music)might not respond well to using music as a teaching technique (especially if they are having issues with their identities). How do teachers in middle or high school attempt to incorporate music and dance?
Posted by Erin Whisnant | June 11, 2010 10:10 PM
Posted on June 11, 2010 22:10
I don't know that we necessarily have to single these children out because of their heritage, but have to understand that their heritage is a part of who they are. I do think that some of their negative perceptions about school were definitely tied to their backgrounds and the negative connotations that they had about school, or rather that school may have had about them. I do agree that the stories of these students could have been about any children, regardless of ethnic background.
-Elizabeth Norwood
Posted by Elizabeth Norwood | June 11, 2010 11:23 PM
Posted on June 11, 2010 23:23