Jackie: 

It seems to me that the topics which have relevance to students¹ lives,for
example, housing and advancement on the job, may be easily adaptable to a
discussion about diversity.  Fair housing and EEO law materials are
published by various federal agencies in many languages so it is less of a
struggle to identify non-English resources to develop students¹ knowledge.
By using these laws as a starting point for how to adapt a lesson plan to
different levels of students, one can also engage teachers in a discussion
about ethnocentrism and its effect on diverse student populations.

In response to the notion of a Œhidden¹ agenda in public education, I have a
feeling that many of my Central and South American ESL students were already
very sensitive to the politics of a Euro-centric popular culture and a not
so hidden pressure to assimilate.  I just came across an advertisement in a
master¹s degree in marketing focusing on ŒLatin American markets¹.  It begs
the question, why isn¹t it offensive to understand consumerism from a
racial, ethnic or gender perspective?  Perhaps a discussion about how other
professions that are adapting will allow teachers to learn about tolerance,
respect and acceptance of differences without getting on the pulpit.

Sometimes it is better to skim along on a tangential trajectory than if you
were to drive through the heart of the issue... My favorite diversity
training factoid: race was defined as Œgenetic differences between...races¹.
It did, however, spur me to learn more about what genetic scientists think
about diversity between and within Œraces¹!

Thanks, Varshna.

on 1/28/07 1:41 PM, Taylor, Jackie at jataylor at utk.edu wrote:


> PD List Colleagues:

> Last week, Nadia Quiroz-Colby of NY subscribed to our list and posted a

> request for help re: diversity training. Nadia is new to our PD community

> (welcome, Nadia!), and she has asked us several key questions because she is

> preparing a proposal for providing a diversity PD workshop.

>  

> Whether you are a teacher or PD facilitator, what interactive approaches to

> diversity training have you found to be well-received by teachers? Any

> facilitator guides, workshop agendas, or other materials you could share? What

> approaches have _not_ worked? Please, take a few minutes this week and offer

> advice, resources, and critical discussion of this important issue.

>  

> Key questions include:

>  

> Discussing sensitive issues in PD:

> 1.      ³How would you prepare a hands-on workshop on diversity where you can

> touch upon issues that have to do with ethnicity, class, gender, cognitive

> abilities, sexual orientation, without offending anybody.²

>  

> Diversity issues ­ Activities to open difficult topics

> 2.   ³How can you approach colleagues and speak about tolerance, respect,

> acceptance in the most careful way so that the message gets through?  Do you

> have ideas about activities that could open this very difficult subject and

> that have been successful with colleagues?²

>  

> Right to teach tolerance

> 3.   Nadia also discusses a concept called ³the hidden curriculum² where

> hidden agendas send a second message to students and teachers.  She cites an

> example of a teacher who once noted, "don't forget that civilization in this

> continent came from Europe" to a classroom of students who were mostly of

> non-European descent.

>  

> She asks, ³Do I have the _right_ to teach tolerance, acceptance and critical

> skills to my students?² (emphasis mine)

>  

> Thanks in advance for your help, Jackie Taylor, List Moderator, Adult Literacy

> Professional Development, jataylor at utk.edu

>  

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> -----Original Message-----

> From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov

> [mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Nadia and Kevin

> Colby

> Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2007 1:30 PM

> To: ProfessionalDevelopment at nifl.gov

> Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 775] Sustaining success

>  

> Dear all:

>  

> We just received the message from Jackie Taylor in terms of sustaining success

> and not letting PD initiatives go down the drain or keeping them in the

> direction we intended them to follow.  Jackie asked many questions but this is

> only one of them.

>  

> I know that this is an obvious statement and at the same time a tremendous

> challenge.  Keeping the gain to me means a lot of work.  I think that as adult

> educators research, good practice, class prep, and initiative to do different

> things, all combined imply a good part of our lives invested in what we

> believe in. Trying to keep the gain, trying to move forward as an adult

> educator and knowing that sharing with peers is crucial in the process of

> being successful in our practice, I am asking for your help.  I have two

> questions:

>  

> a)     How would you prepare a hands-on workshop on diversity where you can

> touch upon issues that have to do with ethnicity, class, gender, cognitive

> abilities, sexual orientation, without offending anybody.  I do have an

> activity for the students that I got from the ERIC Clearinghouse.

>  

> b)   Being a woman born and educated in Mexico, I have come across quite a few

> times with issues that I would classify as "prejudice".  But, I have my own

> prejudices as well.

>  

> How can you approach colleagues and speak about tolerance, respect, acceptance

> in the most careful way so that the message gets through?  Do you have ideas

> about activities that could open this very difficult subject and that have

> been successful with colleagues?

>  

> I am sure that I would have to define diversity first, then prejudice and

> stereotype, and finally present a rationale that validates why I think

> tolerance if not acceptance is the only way through.

>  

> In fact, I am wondering if the pedagogy of liberation and the Theology of

> liberation (with all due respect to different faiths) bring up the issue of

> universal love?  But, can this happen when the powerful subject big groups of

> human beings to unfair practices?

>  

> I mean bottom line I am talking about weaving a respect for human dignity in

> the curriculum.  I am talking about critical respect.  Let me open my heart

> and my sense of politics so that I make more sense.  I would not teach my

> students to respect initiatives and people who support them, such as the brick

> wall between Mexico and the States.  My concept of universal love has a twist.

> My sense of politics is absolutely secular and I am thinking that universal

> love is "not doing to others what you would not want

> them to do to you".

>  

> As a practitioner do I have the right to include this type of approach in a

> way that could even be considered by thinkers like Bordieu "the hidden

> curriculum"?  By the way, I believe strongly in this concept.  Once a teacher

> told me "don't forget that civilization in this continent came from Europe"...

> I thought of her students, most of them non European descendents, some with a

> strong indigenous background.  I thought what kind of practices however good

> students learn do and does would prevent her from stating with her whole

> attitude (maybe condescending love...maybe "I am helping this poor people...)

> her dismissal of the richness of her student cultures.

>  

> Those are the practices that however subtle have an impact and that I

> understand as the "hidden curriculum".  Can I twist it and teach in the most

> subtle way other values?

>  

> Do I have the right to teach tolerance, acceptance and critical skills to my

> students?

>  

> Thank you in advance for your input.

>  

> I am a teacher from New York.  I work at the City College of Technology.

>  

> Sincerely,

> Nadia Quiroz-Colby

> ----------------------------------------------------

> National Institute for Literacy

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>  

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> http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Adult_Literacy_Professional_Development

>  

>  

>  

> 

> 

> ----------------------------------------------------

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