What are conservative educators thinking? To believe that students can all form into a melting pot when they are not allowed to share their own experiences, cultures!!! English only classrooms in Boston are creating an atmosphere for hate. English only creates an atmosphere where students may learn proper English, which I believe is important, but as the reading points out, it creates an idea that English is a superior language to all others, and that our society is "classless and race-blind."
How can students fully understand the lessons they are expected to learn in these classrooms when their own experiences cannot be shared. Students often relate certain lessons to their own experiences, at least I know I did. The lessons being taught at this school are said to be discussing Eastern European History. This covers such a small portion of the students in present day urban classrooms. As is in the reading, Africa and many other nations are not even covered except for how they relate to Eastern European history.
English may be an important tool to succeeding today in our nation, but as is proven, it is not the only necessary tool to obtaining a better education. 60 million Americans are illiterate, Black Americans, of whom have been speaking English for over 200 years are still regulated to the ghettos. When are conservatives going to realize that teaching concepts need to change. Parents, such as the African American ones discussed in the reading, need to bring light upon their experiences to see change. Their children are dropping out at such high rates because of racial ignorance and then are being labeled as "unmotivated." Social injustice cannot be ignored, as seems to be the case in these Boston schools. Racism, inequality, subjugation all must br brought to light sooner rather than later for a full understanding of how to change what has been occurring since the dawn of man. Im just concerned because as it says in the reading, even middle to upper class students who do not deal with racial discrimination are beginning to fail, what chance do students from poverty and do deal with discimination have at succeeding in an educational system that is set to limit their education to English only?
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Dan, remember that not everyone in the world really wants to give people in poverty a good chance toward a decent education. There are plenty of people in this world who really want to see the status quo maintained...you know, because they're at the top of the heap and want to stay there.
ReplyDeleteIs that particularly right, just, or good? Well, heck no, it's like hitting poor people with buses just because they're poor. But to the social elite and the rich, it's necessary in order to consolidate and hang on to their power. Icky, no?
I couldn't agree with you more Dan. I also think that more cultures need to be included in curriculum. Most high school sophmores take World History. But the school I am teaching at right now calls it Global Studies. We teach some history, but we concentrate more on the culture and current issues in different countries world wide. It really helps open the students' eyes to other cultures and ways of living around the world. They need to learn that the "American" way is not the only way.
ReplyDeleteI am teaching a unit on Africa right now and I have a student who is from Africa. I can tell that he really appreciates the fact that we are taking the time to learn about his culture and not just glossing over it like most classes would. I think other schools should implement this in their Social Studies curriculum.