Recently I watched a TED talk about diversity and bias. It was very interesting to think of my own bias'. Outwardly I would like to think that I don't have bias' but I know that subconsciously I have several. There are so many stereotypes that I have ingrained in myself that I was unaware of until after I watched this video. I look at homeless people who stand on the street corner with signs asking for help and I think that they are most likely uneducated and lazy. I have seen those same people get into nicer cars than I drive and I automatically think that all of the people are the same. I need to realize that not everyone with a sign is lazy and just wanting to con hardworking people out of their dollar bills. There are bad people in every group. People who take advantage of others are not just the homeless on the street corner. A small number of people have influenced my outlook on the entire group.
I live in a very rural, middle class, white-dominated society currently, but I have lived in Namibia. The culture of Namibia is predominately black and poor. The racial hatred in Africa runs deep, not only between white and black but all shades of black against one another. There is a class system defined by the shade of your skin. There were times when I was uncomfortable being a white woman in situations. I was the minority in almost every situation I was in. They looked at me with distrust and sometimes aggression for being white and being female. It was a different and sometimes frustrating situation to be stereotyped for my race and gender. Looking back, I am glad that I lived there and was able to experience discrimination so that I understand how people feel who are discriminated against. I walked in this shoes for a time and it gave me compassion for the cause. I wish I could say it changed my subconscious bias'. I may have compassion, but I would still hold my purse tighter when faced with a lone black man in a parking garage. It is frustrating to me that I have had no bad experiences with another race, or social or economical class, but I still harbor feelings that must have come from the media or another source that has taken hold in my subconscious.
I am currently taking an education 2204 class that is required for my education degree but I found myself enjoying immensely. It has brought up several questions that are hard subjects to tackle, but need to be. The way we treat people is such an important topic that needs to be taken from the intellectual discussion to practice in real life. I believe that the most important thing I have taken from this class is that everyone is an individual. We may be Chinese, Hispanic, Muslim, poor, educated, uneducated, whatever our labels, we are individuals first. Everyone is a person, with hopes, dreams, struggles and bias'. If we would treat others with empathy and compassion, the world would be a better place.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
School Board Meeting
I attended a school board meeting for my local district on October 13th. The school district is small, one elementary school made up of only 52 students in 9 grades. There are 3 elected board members, the superintendent and a secretary that make up the board. The meeting focused on upcoming calendar days and the purchase of a new school bus.
There has been an ongoing debate for the past couple of years about increasing the days taught. The school currently teaches four days more than the state requirement. This year, there is a new superintendent and 2 new board members that would like to increase those teaching days. This is very important to the students and their ability to perform in comparison to other schools. Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks have been shortened to allow for more days in school. Swan Valley is a very rural school, the school board has made allowances for certain activities that are common there but not in other schools. There is now a fall break on the calendar that coincides with hunting season. The students no longer get a week long spring break to make up for the fall break. This board recognizes that they have to tailor the schedule to fit the school's individual needs.
The purchase of a new school bus was also on the agenda. There was a discussion about depreciation of new buses vs old. The decision was tabled until next meeting.
My recommendations for the issues addressed were to increase the days taught. I believe the students need as much time in the classroom as the school permits. Just getting by is never the answer. Parents and community need to get together to let the school board know how the feel about the issues. Their input is very important. I see the bias in some community members that what has been done in the past is good enough for the future. They need to see the studies that show how much better children do when they exceed the minimum. I think the school board has a tough job at times, trying to balance the best interests of the students with the views of the community.
There has been an ongoing debate for the past couple of years about increasing the days taught. The school currently teaches four days more than the state requirement. This year, there is a new superintendent and 2 new board members that would like to increase those teaching days. This is very important to the students and their ability to perform in comparison to other schools. Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks have been shortened to allow for more days in school. Swan Valley is a very rural school, the school board has made allowances for certain activities that are common there but not in other schools. There is now a fall break on the calendar that coincides with hunting season. The students no longer get a week long spring break to make up for the fall break. This board recognizes that they have to tailor the schedule to fit the school's individual needs.
The purchase of a new school bus was also on the agenda. There was a discussion about depreciation of new buses vs old. The decision was tabled until next meeting.
My recommendations for the issues addressed were to increase the days taught. I believe the students need as much time in the classroom as the school permits. Just getting by is never the answer. Parents and community need to get together to let the school board know how the feel about the issues. Their input is very important. I see the bias in some community members that what has been done in the past is good enough for the future. They need to see the studies that show how much better children do when they exceed the minimum. I think the school board has a tough job at times, trying to balance the best interests of the students with the views of the community.
Volunteering
I volunteered at my local elementary school one morning in October. Its a place close to my heart. My dad, myself and my daughter all went to school there. Its a small rural school, currently boasting 52 students in grades kindergarten to eighth. I have been involved in the schools for years. I was PTO president for more years than one should. I have read to the students, chaperoned field trips and volunteered with different school functions. This particular morning, I volunteered in the kindergarten, first and second grade class. Twelve students make up these three grades and all share one classroom. What a great class of kids. They are so energetic and fun. I was greeted with hugs and laughter. They fought over who got to read aloud to me. The most popular books of choice were on animals; in particular whales because they had just learned that some whales are bigger than school buses and that fact was mind blowing to six year old brains. I love the books that are tailored for that age group. They have the best illustrations and are so fun to read out loud. I helped them with word worksheets and handed out stickers for the finished product. One exercise was on sentence writing. I showed them a picture of scary Halloween eyes and they had to write a sentence (kindergarten and first graders) or a paragraph (second graders) on who the eyes belonged to, what they were doing and where they were at. Most of the students said they belonged to a ghost or a witch. My favorite response came from a second grader who said they belonged to a killer mountain goat who chased people in the haunted mountains. We had a discussion about what food groups were included in their cheese and cracker snack. I didn't want to tell them that the processed cheese resembled dairy about as much bean curd. This age group was a lot of fun. They are so enthusiastic about everything and they get excited about nearly everything. They can be a little rowdy but the teacher had terrific transitions and attention getters that kept the classroom running smoothly. I really enjoyed my time spent there.
I'm going into elementary education, so this type of volunteering is actually career prep. Although I loved spending a day with this class, I believe that I want to teach grades that are a little older. The 5, 6, and 7 year old have so much energy and I believe that I would be exhausted at the end of the day from the constant wrangling. They are a little bit like herding cats, so much energy and not much direction. People sometimes believe that they have nothing to offer when it comes to volunteering but the simple act of letting the kids read to you does so much. The teacher has more time to spend with other students and you get one on one time with a child who is thrilled to have you listen. I wish more people would step into our schools to help out. The teachers and students are very appreciative of any efforts that are made.
I'm going into elementary education, so this type of volunteering is actually career prep. Although I loved spending a day with this class, I believe that I want to teach grades that are a little older. The 5, 6, and 7 year old have so much energy and I believe that I would be exhausted at the end of the day from the constant wrangling. They are a little bit like herding cats, so much energy and not much direction. People sometimes believe that they have nothing to offer when it comes to volunteering but the simple act of letting the kids read to you does so much. The teacher has more time to spend with other students and you get one on one time with a child who is thrilled to have you listen. I wish more people would step into our schools to help out. The teachers and students are very appreciative of any efforts that are made.
Monday, October 26, 2015
Exploring Mass Media (aka What I Wasted My Brain Cells On)
Social media and television, oh how I have mixed feeling about thee. I do watch a little television. It's a nice waste of time at the end of a day. I don't have regular TV, so I only watch Netflix, which is great because there are no ads or commercials. I only watch about 4 hours of TV a week, mostly food network shows. I almost never make anything that I see the food gurus make but I like to watch imaginative people with mad skills. Its usually just playing in the background while I clean house or fold laundry. Occasionally I will watch a movie with my daughter in the evening.
Social media is another beast, I have a lot of mixed feelings about social media and the invasiveness and mind suck that it holds over some people. I have a Facebook page for my farm where I post silly things the animals do. I also have a personal page which I almost never post on or check. Unfortunately, Facebook links my administrative rights to my farm page to my personal page or I would have dumped it long ago. I post about once a week. About a month ago, I deactivated all of my Facebook and didn't miss it at all, but I got numerous complaints from friends that they missed the antics of the goats, chickens, dogs or other 20 animals on the farm. I found it ironic that they used Facebook as merely an entertainment factor than actual interaction. So back on Facebook for The Loose Root Ranch. I do have an Instagram account and spend far too much time on Pinterest.
For one week, I measured my social media and television watching. I was afraid of the results because 20 minutes here and there can add up like a handful of M&M's, but was actually surprised that for the most part, I'm pretty good. I could cut down on my pinterest viewing, but I actually see that as somewhat education, because I do get a lot of ideas that I actually use or try from that site.
Television
10/12/15
Chopped (Food Network)
Time watched-45 min
This show is a competition between 3 chef's to cook with specific ingredients. There were 3 men and 1 woman chef. Two were African American, one was Caucasion, and one was Asian. The nature of the show was a competition so there was no cooperation. They were all egomaniacs, who thought they were winners. I had no bias over race while watching this show but I did root for the Asian woman to win because the other 3 chefs were just jerks. No advertisements during this show (yeah Netflix!).
10/15/15
Love Actually
Time watched-1 hour 35 min
This movie was about different relationships in London around Christmastime. Each was a separate story, but they were each connected in the scheme of the movie. It was very racially diverse, the characters all had different jobs. The social classes of the characters were also varied. There were conflicts between people over romantic relationships. No advertisements, again Netflix.
Social Media
10/12/15-10/18/15
Total time spent on Facebook for the week was 12 minutes. I added a picture of carving pumpkins and scrolled through the news feed twice. There were several advertisements for People Magazine, REI Catalog, and Pottery Barn.
10/12/15-10/18/15
Total time spent on Instagram was 8 minutes. I saw a few advertisements for Ipsy and National Geographic .
10/12/15-10/18/15
Total time spent on Pinterest for the week was 4 hours and 20 minutes. I spent several evenings looking at plans to build a deluxe rabbit hutch. I saw no gender biases with regards to rabbits. Each rabbit was treated equally in the building plan specifications. Although size was an issue, I do not think it was meant to be derogatory. The comments were made with the rabbit's comfort in mind.
Total time wasted in front of a screen 7 hours-eeekkk!
Friday, October 9, 2015
Understanding Different Cultures
I interviewed a friend, who is Hispanic, about what its like to grow up in a mainly white community and how her culture has shaped her. Claudia was born in the US to parents who came to this country illegally from Mexico (they have both since gotten their citizenship). Claudia is bilingual, her parents know limited English so Spanish was her main language growing up. She says this has been a great advantage in her education and very helpful in her job to be able to translate for others. She taught both of her children Spanish and that is the language they use in their home as well. Spanish is an important part of her life, she identifies the language with many other things such as food, church and community. She said that being a minority has advantages and disadvantages. She is unique and didn't look like everyone else in her classroom but that made her stronger. She was teased growing up because her parents didn't speak much English and she felt that they were alienated from certain things because of the language barrier. She identifies strongly with the Hispanic culture even though she is American. She says she is bi cultural, that she can pick the best of both and leave the rest.
It was very interesting to talk to someone who has grown up in the US but doesn't consider herself completely American. Claudia is a mixing bowl of languages, ideas and beliefs. Her Catholic heritage is very important and she attends mass in Spanish. She is also addicted to America's Top Model, which I consider to be very American. She is full of contradictions but that is what makes her so unique. She is neither Mexican nor American but a combination of both. I hope that in my future education profession, I am able to see that a person is not always one thing. Different experiences and cultures shape the people that we become. I understand how important it is to be able to communicate with people and how speaking another language can be difficult and cause problems. Looking at America through her eyes was also eye-opening for me. I hope that I can move forward in my life by being more understanding to those who are different from myself. We are all on this planet together, we should embrace our differences but learn to work together.
It was very interesting to talk to someone who has grown up in the US but doesn't consider herself completely American. Claudia is a mixing bowl of languages, ideas and beliefs. Her Catholic heritage is very important and she attends mass in Spanish. She is also addicted to America's Top Model, which I consider to be very American. She is full of contradictions but that is what makes her so unique. She is neither Mexican nor American but a combination of both. I hope that in my future education profession, I am able to see that a person is not always one thing. Different experiences and cultures shape the people that we become. I understand how important it is to be able to communicate with people and how speaking another language can be difficult and cause problems. Looking at America through her eyes was also eye-opening for me. I hope that I can move forward in my life by being more understanding to those who are different from myself. We are all on this planet together, we should embrace our differences but learn to work together.
A Walk around Hillview
I had the opportunity recently to take a walk around Hillview Elementary in Ammon to think about the community surrounding the school and the impact the neighborhood has on the school. Hillview is an older elementary school consisting of many unattached buildings surrounded by a brick wall. It looks a little like a jail for midgets. Ammon was once a small town on the outskirts of Idaho Falls, but now has been gobbled up by the city itself. The homes surrounding the school are small ranch style homes built in the 1940's. Its a lower middle class neighborhood surrounded by the urban sprawl of Idaho Falls. The movie theater and several shopping centers are within walking distance of the school. There is a very nice park that borders the northern boundary of the school that has a swimming pool, playground equipment and soccer fields. The surrounding neighborhoods are well cared for. There are newer apartment buildings several blocks away from the school that are also well kept. It is a typical Idaho middle class, mostly white neighborhood. The kids can walk to stores and restaurants from their homes. Most of the students walk to school but there is one school bus that takes a few of the students. The majority of the students that go to Hillview are white, lower to middle class. The neighborhood is relatively safe. It is a close knit community that has several community functions throughout the year. The swimming pool offers lessons and free swim times in the summer. The park has periodic barbecues and events that are community centered. Overall, it is a very nice place to live. The public library is very small but the larger library for Idaho Falls is several miles away. The city of Ammon has few city resources but Idaho Falls is close enough and offers museums and other cultural activities that the residents can take advantage of.
It was interesting to walk around an area that I drive by often but had never explored. The school is situated inside a maze of neighborhood streets and is not easily accessed by people just driving by. I believe this is a good thing for the students. They can avoid busy streets when walking to and from school and the city still has a small town feel. It was a good experience to see a different area and imagine how the people lived their lives in that neighborhood. I was able to step out of my rural school experience to see life in a bigger town where things were different than what I was used to. It would be interesting to attend a school event to see if what I have imagined the students to be like is actually true. Its always nice to see the other lives being lived, even if its only superficial; it broadens ones own.
It was interesting to walk around an area that I drive by often but had never explored. The school is situated inside a maze of neighborhood streets and is not easily accessed by people just driving by. I believe this is a good thing for the students. They can avoid busy streets when walking to and from school and the city still has a small town feel. It was a good experience to see a different area and imagine how the people lived their lives in that neighborhood. I was able to step out of my rural school experience to see life in a bigger town where things were different than what I was used to. It would be interesting to attend a school event to see if what I have imagined the students to be like is actually true. Its always nice to see the other lives being lived, even if its only superficial; it broadens ones own.
Saturday, September 26, 2015
It's Raining in Hamburg
I had the opportunity to watch a newscast in German without subtitles and was asked to explain what was happening. I wish I knew. I now realize how much I depend on language to tell the story. The anchors were very somber and gave none of the story away with any kind of emotion. The first story seemed to be about a businessman in trouble with the courts. The second was a young man who was proud of something he did. There was a military demonstration where people burned a flag and a military ceremony where someone was honored. The only thing I really understood was that a winter storm was making the roads treacherous but it was going to be raining in Hamburg soon!
When I turned the closed captioning on and watched the program again, it was very different. The man in the courts was actually the former president of Germany who was in court for corruption charges. He was accused of taking a bribe from a friend. The man who was proud of something was actually a former pro football planned who announced that he was a homosexual. His reasoning for coming out was so that younger players who are also gay would feel better about themselves. The military ceremony that honored someone was actually honoring the German defense minister at his last post. He was honored for his years serving his country. The treacherous weather report was actually about the winter weather in the United States, not Germany as I had thought. Nearly every assumption that I made was wrong.
This assignment has shown me how little I really understand when I don't have my native language to explain things to me. It was hard to get a mood or feeling from any of the news stories because of how somber the newscasters were. It was all very subdued and serious, even her speaking voice was very monotone and free of any emotional clues as to the mood of the stories. I realize how hard it must be for someone who does not know the language to understand what is going on in any situation. I hope that I can be patient with foreigners that I will deal with in my professional life in the future. Communication is such a large part of society, without it we are lost and handicapped.
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