{"content":{"sharePage":{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"43899752","dateCreated":"1318114117","smartDate":"Oct 8, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"dawnyaddicted2life","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/dawnyaddicted2life","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1318117565\/dawnyaddicted2life-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":false,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/integratingculture-at-nyu.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/43899752"},"dateDigested":1532760218,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Universities pay for racial ignorance","description":"This is a really interesting prompt--especially based within the premise of NYU, I believe. I believe that high processes of selectivity go into processing the type of minds that NYU and other universities allow for admittance. These include but are not limited to selectivity based on academic (of course) performance. I believe that many universities select students based on, also, how they may be able to perform at their institution but may not take into as much--an account of the diverse backgrounds the real world reflects. Looking at an average CUNY college, and schools like NYU there are wide differences in the racial backgrounds of the students which thread across their campuses. Yet schools in the latter have a motto of "a private university in the public service."
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\nHaving both attended Hunter College and NYU there is a richness of diversity in the former that the latter invariably is missing. There are certain pushes and celebrations of racial mixing in the former which the latter philosophically applies to, but is missing in its curriculum and standards except courses like these. But there is a definite price universities pay whether or not they exist in homogenous middle-America suburban college, or large-city universities here or in foreign cities; they may pay in the lack of true-life education they can offer to their students. But it is these students that pay the price for it in the end as well, unconsciously or not.
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\nEspecially for institutions which express a wish for serving the public, I believe the institution itself needs to express this more invariably on campus themselves before sending out their graduates to a truly diverse 'real world.' Some students into their third and even fourth year at school may be surprisingly still quite sheltered. They speak about growing up in country clubs, for example, or with other items of glossy fame that they identify heavily with. That's wonderful and all people like those things. But people don't need to find identify with themselves necessarily with them. But reflecting on living a life alongside many minorities meshed with mainstream Anglo ideologies as well, or say, attending religious services from temple and a mosque with friends growing up--invariably makes for a richness of life, that may come closer to the actual makeup of NYC elementary students we are charged to educate by next year.
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\nThere is diversity in students that universities are charged then to draw out of them. To shift former negotiations with mainstream ideologies and things; to more attention to people, people's needs, people's histories and people's aspirations is a heavy charge to spread across all of departments and campuses. But it must be done.
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\nInstitutions should aim to leave a legacy that encompasses more than what is comfortable and mainstream. Withdrawing from a biased and quite boring mural of the "Abercrombie & Fitch" model is something universities must charge in their curriculum--to better prepare students with an education of living and teaching in the real world. Institutions should neither be apathetic or wayward of these 'mainstream' tendencies in their students as it neither opens their student's minds nor propels them forward in living and enriching a more genuine world out there after education.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[],"more":0}]},{"id":"43574394","dateCreated":"1317664236","smartDate":"Oct 3, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"arleen4445","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/arleen4445","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":true,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/integratingculture-at-nyu.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/43574394"},"dateDigested":1532760218,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Racism ","description":"People who already have preconceived notions about a particular race is difficult to unlearn. Unlearning racism is essentially making an individual change their already established beliefs that have already been instilled from either their families or the type of environment they are continuously exposed to. However, with a lot of effort and dedication from teachers, it is possible to unlearn racism.
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\nI found it particularly interesting when the book addressed a research study about preschool misconceptions about Native Americans. A lot of the students drew pictures of Native Americans with feathers and knives. These students acquire these images from things they have been exposed to. For example, the book mentions that Peter Pan could have been a contributing factor when they drew their pictures. "Though I would not describe three-year-olds as prejudiced, the stereotypes to which they have been exposed become the foundation for the adult prejudices so many of us have" (Page 4).
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\nIn order to unlearn racism, it is important to be aware of the diversity of cultures in the classroom and to incorporate diverse cultures into the curriculum. Children who are actively aware of the diversity of cultures from a young age will less likely make their own preconceived notions about other races.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[],"more":0}]},{"id":"43567730","dateCreated":"1317659337","smartDate":"Oct 3, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"francescaneedham","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/francescaneedham","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":true,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/integratingculture-at-nyu.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/43567730"},"dateDigested":1532760218,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"anti racism","description":"i think teaching anti-racism is a very important but all too often overlooked activity. it is a lot easier to ignore and just be passive. most students are not ACTIVELY racist, and many may not be experiencing blatant in your face racism, but it doesn't mean it doesn't exist and often the subtle hints at racism are more harmful. as tatum states, racial awareness is learned as early as pre school. this means that we need to begin teaching anti racism before, and integrating it into the classroom community. we need to show examples of what racism is, what to say when it happens, and the effects it has. often teachers claim they're colorblind, and feel that this is an effective way of showing that they're not racist. i think this is missing the point. it's important to be aware of color and ethnicity, culture and traditions. without that, it is impossilbe to support every student in your classroom and to maintain an anti racist curriculum.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[],"more":0}]},{"id":"43566042","dateCreated":"1317657965","smartDate":"Oct 3, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"snp241","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/snp241","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1317051397\/snp241-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":true,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/integratingculture-at-nyu.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/43566042"},"dateDigested":1532760218,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Anti-Racism","description":"There are some benefits for certain groups of people in terms of reaping benefits from advantages and one of the readings mentioned that this was evident and should not be ignored. While this system is already set in place, and while there are those who get treated differently, there will never be the equality that we are looking for. In education, through advantages, we tend to see discrimination and the lack of unique experiences that come with seeing the value in every individual. We need to "build a society that includes all people on an equal footing" (Lee, 10) in order to truly unlock every student and make them feel comfortable. The system of advantages leads to individuals being overlooked as well as doesn't allow for students to truly connect with curriculum. It creates another distraction in the classroom that will only hinder true learning.
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\nAccording to the Enid Lee article, educators have quite a role to play in reversing racism and teaching anti-racism. Lee described steps to be taken by teachers in order to get to the ultimate goal of having active students who were advocates themselves.
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\nThe first step was to express culture, by having it visually displayed or to have themed days of multi-culuturalism. The next step was to have Units of Study surrounding an interconnected web of themes and cultures based in work done in class with all subjects. The next was integration, which as aforementioned, is the meshing of all of these bodies of knowledge. The last was social change. The most important was to not only have the children learn information but make use of it to ultimately change the community. It was mentioned that most of these changes within the classroom would be very hard to achieve if supervisors were not approving of the methods it took to get there, but that the benefits of this would have the power to greatly affect the surround community and the children's outlook on the value of humanity and possible moments of learning in every setting in a respectful manner.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[],"more":0}]},{"id":"43565084","dateCreated":"1317657092","smartDate":"Oct 3, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"JasmineAllyce","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/JasmineAllyce","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":true,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/integratingculture-at-nyu.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/43565084"},"dateDigested":1532760218,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Anti-Racism","description":"I think that the first step in overcoming active and passive racism in the educational system is to train teachers to not be "color blind." Although this is more of a passive way of implementing racism, it can become active very quickly. Many teachers go into schools with the thought that "I don't see race. I only see children." However, there's always a culture that's built within the school community. So, who's culture is being represented if the students don't have races? Each student's background will be lost, except for those who have the same background as the teacher, or the dominant race of the school. Colorblindness is, essentially, denying the existence of different races. This method of viewing the world teaches children that their own cultures don't matter in their society, that they must conform to the teacher's culture.
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\nI agree with Lee's thought of incorporating parents, grandparents, and community members into the school's life so that they can really teach about different cultures. It shows students that different cultures are alive and well within the community, and that they should be proud of the their cultures. It also gives other students insight into the culture. They can learn why each student should be proud of his or her heritage.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"43566162","body":"I agree that the first step is solely reflected in how the teacher feels about race. It is hard to be an advocate and a teacher of anti-racism if we harbor negative feelings (even if they are not known by us) or attitudes.","dateCreated":"1317658091","smartDate":"Oct 3, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"snp241","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/snp241","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1317051397\/snp241-lg.jpg"}},{"id":"43567824","body":"i agree with what you said about being colorblind. i also mentioned this in my response - being colorblind doesn't mean you're not racist, it just means that you're refusing to acknowledge the diversity of your classroom and the uniqueness that every child brings.","dateCreated":"1317659384","smartDate":"Oct 3, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"francescaneedham","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/francescaneedham","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"43585226","body":"I agree that being anti-racist means moving beyond the "colorblind" solution and confronting the different cultures. Thinking in that colorblind way is like what Tatum calls passive racism, student's races and culture are still there and ignoring them only causes more problems, like low self-esteem.","dateCreated":"1317672523","smartDate":"Oct 3, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"RachelCantu","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/RachelCantu","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1319345279\/RachelCantu-lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"43564908","dateCreated":"1317656977","smartDate":"Oct 3, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"ymc227","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/ymc227","imageUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/pic\/1317591551\/ymc227-lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":true,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/integratingculture-at-nyu.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/43564908"},"dateDigested":1532760218,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Active anti-racism","description":"Our educational institutions pay a really big price if their system of advantage is based on race because if institutions only take in white people, they will not have the advantage of getting to have students of color who might be better qualified. Tatum mentions this(but in the context of a work place) when she talks about the white woman who did not think that she would be the recepient of affirmative action because it was apparently not part of her thinking assuming nothing about the candidates of color. She didn't seem to take into account the possibility that one of them might be as qualified or more qualified than she was. I think that as educators, one way that we can shift ourselves from positions of active or passive racism towards active anti-racism is by getting to know where our students come from and this way, we won't dive into the pool of stereotypes and all these generalizations and biases that people come up with because we are just creating a "bigger racism." I believe that by respecting each other and one another we can definitely shift from passive or active racism to active anti-racism. As well as discussing these issues within our classrooms.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"43566074","body":"There absolutely needs to be an equal playing field so we all have fair opportunities for success. Before we can teach students to be anti-racist, we need to reflect on our own actions and views because it is a difficult process to realize, acknowledge, and take action from shifting from a active or passive racist position to an anti-racist one.","dateCreated":"1317658012","smartDate":"Oct 3, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"brittanyhan","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/brittanyhan","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"43564884","dateCreated":"1317656941","smartDate":"Oct 3, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"brittanyhan","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/brittanyhan","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":true,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/integratingculture-at-nyu.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/43564884"},"dateDigested":1532760218,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Discussion 3","description":"There's a lack of exposure and information on other cultures, histories, stories, ideas, and importance. Without this knowledge we are in position of active or passive racism. Our society continues to give advantages based on race. Education opens the door for opportunities so without the opportunity or option for a good, fair, and equal learning experience people are placed at a disadvantage. This disadvantage follows you and can build up with other constrains society puts on you. So not only are you uninformed and unable to make educated decisions and opinions it hinders you from gaining valuable life experiences and living a certain quality of life that we all desire. Simply it makes things unfair and unjust which is undesirable and uncomfortable.
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\nEducators can shift themselves from positions of active or passive racism towards active anti-racism by providing all students the information and exposure that many of us lack of the issues of race. Literature is a great way to show students that protagonists, heros, great thinkers, and normal people are a part of every race. Also class discussion of personal experiences and relationships are valuable because we all have great people in our own lives. Of course being aware, attuned, and acknowledging to differences, similarities, and how we can all live together respectfully is important to be anti-racist.","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"43574566","body":"I totally agree about the lack of exposure and information on other cultures. This lack of information leaves people unaware of the real facts and we just listen to what we are simply told, which may not be necessarily correct.","dateCreated":"1317664466","smartDate":"Oct 3, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"arleen4445","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/arleen4445","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"43562364","dateCreated":"1317654665","smartDate":"Oct 3, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"gtutson","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/gtutson","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":true,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/integratingculture-at-nyu.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/43562364"},"dateDigested":1532760218,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Anti-Racism, Discusssion 3","description":"A system of advantage based on race is a complicated process. While it (in theory) provides everyone involved with the opportunity to learn from culturally diverse experiences, and gives people of color a more equal playing field with their White counterparts, there are feelings of confusion and frustration that accompany such a system. From both parties involved (from Whites and people of color) there are often feelings of unfairness.
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\nI think the best way to counteract these feelings and this concept is to turn to active anti-racism and help students reach their individual potential. This takes a great deal of work on the part of the teacher. He\/she must reframe the way in which she thinks about and responds to the children in her classroom. Rather than looking at issues in the classroom as a product of race, we must try to actively observe and consider other factors. Additionally, teachers must use multicultural education to let students see the positive contributions that their races\/cultures have made to society. Race is not something that should be ignored in the classroom; it actually does everyone a disservice. Rather, these things must be addressed, and looked at in a positive way.
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\nGabriella Tutson","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"43565750","body":"I love what you said in the first paragraph. Either last week or the before I shared about the how the topic of advantages based on race affected my school. Oy's uncomfortable to talk about, and people on both sides of the fence feel both gratitude and resentment towards this system.","dateCreated":"1317657718","smartDate":"Oct 3, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"JasmineAllyce","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/JasmineAllyce","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"43560608","dateCreated":"1317653521","smartDate":"Oct 3, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"afd257","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/afd257","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":true,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/integratingculture-at-nyu.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/43560608"},"dateDigested":1532760218,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Anti-Racism ","description":"Knowing now that children begin to develop their racial awareness during their pre-school years makes me see how important it is to shift roles to active anti-racism. Both active and passive racism are equally tough to diminish, however, creating a classroom community where all races are seen as equal can help students to understand the importance of anti-racism. For example, creating classroom activities where students are put at a disadvantage or advantage can help them best understand discrimination, just like the activity we experienced in class last week. This can help students keep an open mind. Lee states, \u201c I encourage people to look for the voice of people who are frequently silenced, people we haven\u2019t heard from.\u201d By creating a classroom community that is open-minded, where all are equal, then we can invite students\u2019 grandparents in to tell stories that are culturally relevant. Students can gain a better understanding of another culture through these stories and the storyteller\u2019s experiences. In my student teaching placement, the whole school participates in a World AIDS Day march, where they donate money and march to a near by park, but leading up to the march they learn about AIDS and have a chance to educate others by posting small index cards on a tree in their lobby stating things they want others to know about the epidemic. This allows students to learn about a serious subject but look at it with an open mind where they can then give back to their community by educating them. As educator\u2019s it is important for us to shift our roles first, towards active anti-racism, starting with ourselves, then into our classrooms, and eventually to a larger outside community, so we can then instill these qualities into our students and their friends and families.
\n-Ariane","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"43565918","body":"That is so true, it needs to start at an early age so that they will develop a anti-racist position from the beginning. I agree, especially passive racism because sometimes you may not even be aware that you are passively being racist. I've never heard of a school participating in a World AIDS Day march. That's a great thing they are doing to have student be engaged and learn about a serious subject.","dateCreated":"1317657862","smartDate":"Oct 3, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"brittanyhan","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/brittanyhan","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]},{"id":"43546506","dateCreated":"1317641645","smartDate":"Oct 3, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"kac546","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/kac546","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"},"monitored":false,"locked":true,"links":{"self":"https:\/\/integratingculture-at-nyu.wikispaces.com\/share\/view\/43546506"},"dateDigested":1532760218,"startDate":null,"sharedType":"discussion","title":"Anti-Racism","description":"As educators, whether inside the classroom or out, we must shift ourselves, and those around us, towards active anti-racism. As put forth in the article, Taking Multicultrual, Anti-Racist Education Seriously: An interview with Enid Lee, effective ways to end and prevent active and passive racism include opening minds and hearing the stories about those whose voices are not heard. Opening your own mind, the minds of your students, and even friends and family, to finding out \u201chow things really are\u201d for people who are different, would be a positive step in ending passive and active racism (14). It is often that individuals are close-minded about the ideals, values, and cultures of others, because they themselves are fearful of, or too careless to consider, the so-called unknown. By having an open mind, one will be more accepting of the people with differences that one encounters in their daily lives. In addition to opening minds, it is just as important to seek resources and literature, which can be taught in the classroom, about those whose voices are \u201cfrequently silenced\u201d (14). Educating oneself and one\u2019s students, as well as encouraging those around us to consider what is unknown, should be an ongoing process that never ends. Only then will we be able to make the \u201cshift\u201d towards active anti-racism, by enlightening the minds of students in the classroom, and educating those individuals who are too ignorant to embrace the \u201cunknown\u201d differences among people and cultures.
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\n-Kelly","replyPages":[{"page":0,"digests":[{"id":"43557560","body":"Kelly, I completely agree with your view on having an open mind, for teachers, students, friends and family, when implementing multicultural education. Another way to actively voice the "frequently silenced" voices is to invite students grown-ups, maybe grandparents, aunts, uncles, moms, and dads, in to share culturally relevant stories for students to listen to, this way the unheard voices can be heard while gaining a multicultural perspective from their experiences.
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\n-Ariane","dateCreated":"1317652026","smartDate":"Oct 3, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"afd257","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/afd257","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"43574510","body":"I agree when you say that that people are close-minded. We all need to be open and hear everyone's voice, and we must open up the voices that are silenced. This is a good way of eliminating racism to anti-racism.","dateCreated":"1317664388","smartDate":"Oct 3, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"arleen4445","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/arleen4445","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}},{"id":"43586028","body":"I completely agree with what you are saying Kelly, I think it is so important that everyone become open minded to the things that are different than us even if it may make us uncomfortable at times. We are asking people to at least give it a try. I think another important factor is making sure that those people who are frequently silenced are able to feel safe enough in an environment that they will be able to speak up and that everyone should have the respect to listen to what they have to say.","dateCreated":"1317673322","smartDate":"Oct 3, 2011","userCreated":{"username":"snt227","url":"https:\/\/www.wikispaces.com\/user\/view\/snt227","imageUrl":"https:\/\/ssl.wikicdn.com\/i\/user_none_lg.jpg"}}],"more":0}]}],"more":true},"comments":[]},"http":{"code":200,"status":"OK"},"redirectUrl":null,"javascript":null,"notices":{"warning":[],"error":[],"info":[],"success":[]}}