I found the results for my Experience Surveys to be expected. I come from a culturally diverse nuclear and extended family; however, the cultures in my family do not intermingle as readily as one may assume. The survey was hard to complete because; my religious, school, and family are culturally diverse when combined—they are mono-cultural individually.
I do not find my experiences to be mono-cultural, in fact, I would argue that I have had a wholly multicultural experience and have widened mono-cultural experiences of others. I find the most growth in my survey of experience falls in my activities as a teenager and my current work experiences. In my teenage activities and my current work experience I have ventured outside can be called the “Hometown Bubble” into surrounding suburban areas and the City of Rochester.
In high school I did not fit in with my “mono-cultural peers” I found myself making acquaintances elsewhere. Similarly, with my work experience, I see a verity of faces with a verity of experiences but what connects, us at work, is helping individuals who are severely developmentally disabled.
This experience connects to my Contact Inventory because my passion for working with individuals with disabilities comes from my childhood experience. In 3rd grade I met and became best friends with a classmate with "Spinabifida"—cognitively my best friend was my contemporary; however, physically she was severely disabled. Her passing troubled me for many years after, and I still miss my best friend; but it has broadened my experience. Now, I understand how disability does not mean one is unable; it simply means input and output for these students will be different.
I connect this reflection to the Transformation handout because I believe I represent already a lot of what is discussed. I connect most deeply to the ideas of my own identity affecting my students learning, needing curricula to be inclusive and diverse in presentation to students. I also see the necessity as social justice educators to challenging the status quo of our oppressive society.
I completely agree that the curricula in schools need to be more inclusive than they are. Sadly, teachers tend to teach towards the test and/or solely use the textbooks in the school, neither of which are very diverse. History textbooks are predominantly written from the perspective of wealthy, white, males. Occasionally the textbooks interject stories and content about women and African Americans but rarely do he authors write about the disabled, people with a low socioeconomic status, or other ethic groups. I believe that if textbooks are failing our students it is up to the teachers to make up for their shortcomings. We can incorporate diversity into our curriculum, in the hopes of giving our students a well rounded education.
ReplyDeleteIt was tear-jerking reading about your friend with "spinabifida". I am sorry for the loss of a great friend.
ReplyDeleteDo you believe that our society is "oppressive", or do you think that we are just in the middle of the process? I know that several years ago I would have said that "Yes, our society is definitely oppressive." However, I believe that we know what needs to be changed, and it is happening. Unfortunately it cannot happen over night. Bashing what progress we have made does not give justice to what we have accomplished. I believe that we should celebrate our victories while we plan our next battle.
I am curious to know what you have to say about our society's current understanding of people with disabilities...
You and I are both similar in the fact that in terms of religion, school, and family each are culturally diverse; however, when combined they are mono-cultural individually. It wasn't until I read your blog that I realized that for myself!
ReplyDeleteI have found for me as it seems for you too that interacting and developing a friendship with a person who has any sort of disability at such a young age sets examples to others of an nonjudgmental positively carefree attitude that should occur. Developing a friendship overtime shows that people with disabilities aren't "unable" to have strong and meaningful friendships.