1.11 -- Dale Spender's new interpretation brings a completely new perspective on larger social issues within society and challenges her listeners to do something about it. There is no comfort level of sitting back and waiting for society to catch up with the times and with established thought to adapt on its own. No, Spender wants people who disagree with social norms to challenge and adapt, to move and change thought.
As teachers, we can't sit and wait for the change in education philosophy to come to us, we have to institute it ourselves. If there is inequality in our classrooms (perceived or real) we need to do something about it. If there is bias in our texts, then we need to find the counter opinion and make sure that we are not merely waiting for change to happen but to be confident and brave enough to do it ourselves.
1.12 -- What is the main purpose of schools? to educate and prepare children for the future.
How does this purpose relate to or serve a diverse society? Society is changing and becoming more diverse each day, the role of the school is to educate children about how to be productive within this ever-changing world.
How does this purpose relate to or serve a socially stratified society? Children need to see and be able to appreciate equality amongst all stratospheres within society.
What are the implications of what you wrote above for the work of a teacher? A teacher needs to promote diversity in lessons and in the classroom environment. They need to recognize the diverse needs of their students and harbor dialogue amongst all students through engaging lessons and challenging topics. There is no room for inequality in the work of a teacher.
1.13 -- As a teacher I envision myself...as someone who approaches my topic area from a socially neutral standpoint and harbors open thinking from all students about the topic. I want my students to become free-thinkers and form ideas that will shape their future and the future of society as a whole. I will listen and respect their diverse needs and prepare my lessons accordingly. I want my classroom to be a haven for free-thought without judgment or condescension and that will take cooperation between the students and myself.
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Dallas,
ReplyDeleteI feel that your desire and drive to promote awareness and understanding of diversity in a classroom setting is wonderful. Your emphasis on the need for dialogue specifically spoke to me as a way to engage children while helping them forge a deeper level of understanding of what diversity really is, what it means for society, and how it affects us all. I would hesitate to use the word equality though. For me, this word in institutional settings seems to attempt to force every student to be the same (same opinions, same strengths, same goals, etc.).