Studies in Multicultural Education

Students in my Studies in Multicultural Education course have been reading White Teachers/Diverse Classrooms by Landsman and Lewis. This text provides in depth discussion on how the social construction of race influences classroom practice. Recognizing that race is not the only social category which presents in classrooms, the students were charged with reflecting, researching, and then writing about another aspect or combination of aspects of social identity they experience in their classrooms or have in interest in learning more about. The following comments to this post include some of the highlights they have discovered.

The Institutionalization of Racism

For the past two semesters my students have explored the construction of race in the United States. They read the second chapter from A Young People's History of the United States adapted by Rebecca Stefoff and used that information to answer questions from a lesson I adapt from Deborah Menkart "The Institutionalization of Racism". The version of the lesson I used can be found in Beyond Heroes and Holidays. Here are some pictorial responses (via Google Docs) to questions asked based on the readings.

1. During what century was racism institutionalized in the United States?

https://docs.google.com/a/uni.edu/file/d/0B-1itcVTg1EuRWhFSGw2bXhYbHkyTjVabFg1ZUZpRWxLaUM0/edit

2. What evidence is there that Whites are not born racist?

https://docs.google.com/a/uni.edu/file/d/0B-1itcVTg1EuZ25zOThvSWc5TndQSlpFTEI1cVlLbEVvU3Iw/edit

3. What incentives were given to teach Whites to separate from Blacks?

 https://docs.google.com/a/uni.edu/file/d/0B-1itcVTg1EubF9md3o0Yk01Yk9xUW1sMmdGUGFYNlRuOWpj/edit

4. Why was racism promoted? Who benefited and who lost?

https://docs.google.com/a/uni.edu/file/d/0B-1itcVTg1EuX2lXVWJ4M3U0SXR2WEJ3QWY3Wkxrc0xBTHVN/edit

They also discussed and visually displayed the methods used today to divide people by race and the fear of colonial and today's elites in certain groups (indentured servants, slaves, Natives, etc...) uniting.

https://docs.google.com/a/uni.edu/file/d/0B-1itcVTg1EuWGd1VEpMQjVCbG9xZ1pWVHRXYndsOFZwTHFn/edit

Forget the Cards and Candy, Teach Empathy for Valentine's Day

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/valentines-day-learning-resources-empathy-matt-davis

Senate vs. House of Representatives

Do you know the first African American elected to the United States' Senate? What about the House of Representatives? Check out a select VoiceThread* created by students from my fall social studies methods course to learn about Senator Hiram Revels, Representative Joseph Rainey, and the role of Congress.


http://voicethread.com/share/4954102/

Source:http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6708/

Source: http://www.picturehistory.com/product/id/11111

*A VoiceThread (www.voicetread.com) account may be needed to access the thread.

Happy Birthday Rosa Parks!

Here is a link for resources on a woman who sat, stood, and fought for social justice.
http://zinnedproject.org/tag/rosa-parks/