I was wondering if anyone changed their thinking on the survey items after getting through the stuff that the site had to offer. Take the first belief about color blindness. Personally, I think aiming for a colorblind world is pie-in-the-sky, as it turns out to be another way to ignore a part of someone's experience (e.g., my whiteness is a part of who I am--why ignore that?). So, my response to the survey was that I strongly disagreed and shared my reasons. As it turns out, the stuff in the Take a Closer Look page supported my way of thinking. As it turns, 49 of the 76 people who responded to that item shared my way of thinking. This is one comment that one of these 49 people wrote: "Because my own cultures are so important to me. I think I was damaged by interacting with teachers who insisted on not seeing me." Or this one: "Colorblindness is in itself a form of discrimination because it denies and disregards essential elements of my students' identities."
But 19 people thought otherwise. For example, "It doesn't matter what race they are. Or what color they are. Or what ethnicity they are." Or this response: "I feel this way because it shouldn't matter what a student looks like or where they come from."
So, here are my questions to you: how much did the videos and materials in the Take A Closer look section solidify or change your thinking? How deep do these beliefs go? What kind of work is involved in re-shaping the things we believe?
Recent comments: Commonly Held Beliefs that Influence Teachers' Work with Diverse Students Discussion Area
| Comment | Recent activity | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Wendy Hansmann Approach using James Bank's Model | 1 year 31 weeks ago | In service teachers, educators and advocacy groups in North Carolina |
| RE: Reply to Valerie's Response | 2 years 9 weeks ago | Engaging English Language Learners |
| Response | 2 years 9 weeks ago | Engaging English Language Learners |
| Reply to Alex C.'s Response | 2 years 9 weeks ago | Engaging English Language Learners |
| Reply to Claudia's Response | 2 years 9 weeks ago | Engaging English Language Learners |
Comments
I have been working through
I have been working through these issues for a while. I too thought color blindness was a goal until I did more reflection. The thing that had the most impact on me was sharing information and leading discussions with teachers about having a Culturally Relevant Pedagogy. Some of their comments and insights opened my eyes to how sheltered many people really are.
Article published in September 14, 2009 Newsweek
I was in the airport a couple of days ago and picked up the latest Newsweek. The cover article caught my eye: "Is your baby racist?: Exploring the roots of discrimination." This article is drawn from the book, "Nurtureshock," by P.O. Bronson and A. Merryman. The upshot of the article is that kids as young as 6 months begin to view others through the prism of skin color. One particular finding is that white parents who adopted a colorblind parenting style (e.g., avoid explicit talk about race) essentially left their children to draw their own conclusions about race. The article really helped me think in new ways about the potential negative consequences of a colorblind stance in classrooms--the subject of the first commonly held belief in the TDSi Common Beliefs tool.
Children drawing their own conclusions:
Take a black child from generational poverty at 5 years old and place him in an affluent community
with all the resources, expectations and opprtunities that everyone else there would have and what do you think will happen?
The same experiment with a white child and place him/her in a community with poverty and
all the experiences and life factors thes indivduals are subject to. Guess what?
We need to allow (and offer) our children the opportunity to "see" and experience these differences
Keeping them segregated, (whether by choice or limitations), our children (who become adults) eventually come
together with unrealistic ideas, views and perceptions about one another. My personal belief is that our children would
never live with the beliefs and controls we (adults) place on them if they had the choice. However, they will learn (or
do) whatever we teach/show them.
colorblindness
I think color blindness is a ridiculous term possibly because I am an artist or possibly because now that I have a grandchild who is both white and black. I can't imagine being blind to that aspect. I was shocked to find out that her chances for being suspended in middle school where five times higher for the black part of her than the white.
I agree there are differences whether cultural or survival I am not sure. Girls and boys seems to have a sense of themselves and have to be cautioned to use there manners. The other problem I see is the fear of success the label of arrogance could smack giftedness right out of these children. i also find from my own experience really strict parents and really lax parents. I hope to meet the well balanced but in all fairness I am sure with cards stacked against them parents must be confused about expectations the world has of their children.
It is not an option for teachers to understand cultural differences it is a competency which must be present in teachers if they are to earn there wage. A teacher with prejudice is no teacher at all. Not understanding people black, white is to unethical to fathom.
The conflict here should be a hot topic it should not be sitting idly on a discussion forum like a choice for a pizza toping people are not familiar with. Pineapple and ham pizza sounds weird but tastes great, hot peppers and ice cream I wish I had tried that when I had the opportunity.
The very idea that someone would say that because they are white they come by there prejudice as a consequence of there color is a travesty to the whole thought of what education is. Refusing to learn and to remain ignorant of the diversity not only in our country but in other nations as well is in itself an intolerable ignorance in a teacher. Rather that adding more stress to teachers in so many other ways with testing and lack of resources we all need to get real. There is a real failure when test scores are a testimony to a good teacher (who is not adequately teaching without a bias.)
Maybe scores will go up when there is equal treatment and understanding. When there is a family that can unite with other families that are united in the cause of education when black people are not afraid to stand next to white people and support their children! Oh! I haven't taken a survey,watched a video. I spent my youngest years small town. Still I can't imagine not understanding the people around me? My father had a doctors degree in education he abandoned his three children refusing to acknowledge them. Died without their love. These children lived a hard life being white did not make the lose of love any easier to live with. Believe me there are all kinds of unkindness and there is no real reason for it! I do not want to here about or spelling given spell check doesn't fix dyslexia.
Good question, still looking for answers
John, I thought your question was excellent but it doesn't seem to have generated any responses that really address whether the survey provoked them to change their mind about any of the items. I am browsing the forum this morning to try to see how different teachers (and possibly buildings or districts) are using TDSi. In my District, I sit on a Diversity Advisory Committee and we are discussing how we might use these tools for professional development groups. My work with teachers on diversity issues leads me to think that the mind-changing part is likely to come as part of structured follow-up activities, rather than with individuals working through the materials by themselves with their computers. I guess I'll keep browsing but thanks for asking the question. I don't think the survey changed my mind about anything, but my responses tended to be in line with the authors' viewpoints.