The Academic and Social Value of Ethnic
Studies
After reading
this week’s article by Sleeter, I really took a second to reflect about how curriculum
shapes how students view racism and American history. One thing that jumped out
was how their school books a lot of the time show racism as something that
happened in the past instead of a current or ongoing issue, even so connected
to current systems of power. When racism is covered up inside a much bigger story
of American “progress” student’s think that race relations naturally improve over
time. This only alters the real story that progress has been uneven and met
with criticism.
The reading
shows us why ethnic studies is not about adding diversity but changing the
whole view of it. I think back to when I was in school and how tailored the
curriculum and studies were. What if we stopped and branched off each topic and
looked at it from a different lens or view. I think this would open a whole new
line of discussion and engage all students.
One thing
that we can look deeper into is that Sleeter talks about black and white
students interpreting history differently. So when students personal experiences
don’t match what they are being taught, what would their thoughts be on what’s
really the truth?
https://youtu.be/XvvMgujD4i8
Hi Corey! I also wrote about how racism is displayed as a problem of the past and not as something that is happening in this day and age. This disconnect is problematic to how people perceive ethnic studies because they may not understand the importance of teaching diversity. I also think it's important to look at and understand different perspectives throughout history.
ReplyDeleteHey Corey! This is a great reflection! You've identified one of the most subtle but dangerous ways traditional curriculum functions: the "Progress Narrative." By framing racism as a series of hurdles that were cleared in the 1960s, schools teach students that the "system" works "oh, just fine now" and that any remaining issues are just individual failures. As you noted, this creates a massive truth gap for students whose daily lives don't exactly match that "happily ever after" story, or the American Dream.
ReplyDeleteHi Corey, I really liked your idea of taking each lesson and looking at it from a different view. I think that this is something we want students to be doing anyway- questioning why something was written the way it was, who the original audience was, and what assumptions it is making. In my classes, I like to provide students with texts that have opposite points of view to help them recognize these perspectives. As a teacher, I also try and reflect on how my identity will impact what I am teaching. The curriculum my school uses actually has this baked into the teacher preparation materials.
ReplyDeleteHi Corey!
ReplyDeleteI really like how you focused on how tailored the curriculum is. I noticed it was the same when I was in school as well. Different groups have different takeaways from what happened. Especially when it comes to racism, the books do make it seems like it was a problem of the past when it is very well still present today. I agree, it would definitely open new room for discussion if it were framed differently.
Hi Corey! I agree, there is much to learn through studying the past, yet its relevance is often lost upon students when history is taught conclusively. For students to take history class seriously, they need to understand why learning about history is important. History should be presented as continuous, building connections to the current lives of students to help them understand its value and create greater engagement.
ReplyDeleteHi Corey. Thanks for sharing! As a k-12 student, social studies/history was my least favorite subject. I found it so boring, and didn't see why it was important or relevant to my own life. Were we supposed to be learning how to live well in community? Be able to construct a timeline of the past? Understand how the larger systems that run our world work? The overall goal was never clear to me as a child, and drove my displeasure for the subject. What would we learn if we looked at social studies as how people experience our world instead of a series of dates and events?
ReplyDeleteHey Corey, I really liked the video you posted. What a find! He linked to Precious Knowledge and moved it forward as well as doing homage to his grandmother and parents. A real "must see."
ReplyDelete