into a educational box that does not fit.
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Responding to Marta Cruz-Jenzen message:
Your latest of many great messages brings up for me my belief that however
important it is to understand the cultural issues that are able to be
generalized to a particular population (and exercising great caution when
doing this broad brush approach), we will only be successful in tapping
into
the light of each child when we look at each child/student and determine
what her/his individual needs are. I was a great one for doing the
generalizations, which were incredibly useful regarding issues of gender
and
race back in the 70's. It was my introduction into and work with the People
(the original people of this hemisphere) that moved me from seeing the
limits of only understanding of the general. Granted it was an illuminating
journey and continues to be so, and we must understand the social and
cultural factors that influence how people walk in this world. Thus the
current conversation and the learning that is occurring from it.
Our schools are still in the factory production model of education, if you
can call it that. I believe the most honoring way to address a students
need
is for each to have their own individual educational plan.(I know about the
'cost' of such an idea and hold to it anyway!) Through that process, each
student's cultural and social issues can be acknowledged and addresses.
Mind
you, I'm not doing an 'either-or' situation here. I'm saying that both have
to happen. Those in the dominant class must understand the differing ways
of
being that are in the classroom (or workplace or in our social lives for
that matter). However, without the second approach, we will be trying to
fit
everyone from a particular culture all into the same box. The only
difference with the new box from the old is that ours portends to be
honoring. But bottom line, a box is a box and as equity/social justice
workers, we just can't do that. Thanks for your message and for giving me
the opportunity to comment on it. Sue
"It would be extremely naïve to expect the dominant classes to develop the
type of education that would enable subordinate classes to perceive social
injustices critically."
Paolo Freire, from The Politics of Education
Susan McKevitt
Administrator
Bureau of Career Development
Department of Education
101 Pleasant Street
Concord, NH 03301
Phone: 603-271-6613
Fax: 603-271-1953
Email: smckevitt@ed.state.nh.us
-----Original Message-----
Marta Cruz-Janzen [SMTP:cruzjanzen@ACC.FAU.EDU]
We are going to find that what makes this issue so complex is that
each group of immigrants and each subgroup within each immigrant group is
not
going to be the same....
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