Transcript Writing About Culture: Empowering Our Marginalized Students
Writing About Culture: Empowering Our Marginalized Students
Creed Hansen Teaching Demonstration - Jan. 2008 [email protected]
What is culture?
In a small group of 3-4 people, brainstorm a list of possible answers to the question above.
Let’s share! What did your group have to say?
Now: what characteristics of culture did we all have in common?
My students’ answers:
music traditions foods history religion/beliefs tools language writing heritage family location skills colors/flags style/clothing holidays pride
We’ll come back to this. But first…
Why write about culture?
it helps students explore their personal backgrounds and beliefs it promotes individuality it encourages acceptance and even appreciation of diversity it empowers otherwise marginalized students to write meaningfully about who they are
Why do marginalized students need to be empowered?
Delpit (1995) argues that: marginalized students—which primarily includes minority, female, and low income students—do not possess the culture of power they must be taught the culture of power and its rules in order to understand societal inequalities and thus gain power
How can teachers help?
Ladson-Billings (1994) encourages teachers to engage in culturally relevant teaching: have high expectations of marginalized students make culturally relevant curricular decisions
How can teachers help?
Gonzalez et. al. (1993) recommend a shift in how teachers conceptualize culture: culture is more than simply holidays and traditions; it is dynamic and complex household cultures can be utilized if teachers indicate that they are valuable
How can writing help?
Once teachers make the shift to culturally relevant teaching, they can use writing as a tool for empowerment teach them how and when to use culturally relevant languages and the language of power (Standard English) use writing prompts that allow students to think meaningfully and critically about their own cultures
What TEKS would be covered?
(1) Writing/purposes. The student writes in a variety of forms, including…personal, for various audiences and purposes.
(B) write in a voice and style appropriate to audience and purpose
What TEKS would be covered?
(3) Writing/grammar/usage/conventi ons/spelling. The student relies increasingly on the conventions and mechanics of written English, including the rules of grammar and usage, to write clearly and effectively.
How can we integrate reading?
Cai (2003) recommends: choosing literature written by marginalized authors about their own marginalized groups using texts to expose inequalities present in the relationships between dominant and marginalized groups
How can we integrate reading?
Fox & Short (2003) suggest two main criteria for choosing culturally authentic literature: accuracy of cultural details absence of stereotyping or misrepresentation
What TEKS would be covered?
(7) Reading/comprehension. The student comprehends selections using a variety of strategies. The student is expected to: (B) draw upon his/her own background to provide connection to texts
What TEKS would be covered?
(9) Reading/culture. The student reads widely, including world literature, to increase knowledge of his/her own culture, the culture of others, and the common elements across cultures. The student is expected to: (A) recognize distinctive and shared characteristics of cultures through reading; and (B) compare text events with his/her own and other readers' experiences.
How do we use reading and writing together to empower marginalized students?
use diverse pieces of literature as models for how and when to use culturally relevant language and Standard English use these models, too, as mentor texts for how to integrate students’ cultures into their personal writing
Back to the list…
Again, these were the characteristics of culture my students came up with: music traditions foods history religion/beliefs tools language writing heritage family location skills colors/flags style/clothing holidays pride
Debriefing the list…
Now try discussing the following questions with your secondary students: Why is culture significant?
Do you ever find that different parts of your culture conflict? Why or why not?
What are the most important characteristics of your personal culture?
The Personal Culture Chart
Define and determine specific examples of your four most important cultural characteristics.
Cultural Characteristic: Cultural Characteristic: Examples: Examples Cultural Characteristic: Examples Cultural Characteristic: Examples
Show your students that you, too, possess important cultural traits
Model it for them!
Cultural Characteristic: my Danish heritage Examples: - Grandma’s cooking & decorations (ebelskevers, lefsa, artwork) - two visits to Denmark (Hansens on the news, my nose) children’s stories (Hans Christian Andersen)
A student sample…
Cultural groundwork
You’ve now laid the cultural groundwork for much of your students’ personal writing You’ve also shown them that you value their cultures and that you have important cultural characteristics of your own
Reading, then writing…
Before embarking on a writing exercise, it’s important to provide models for how skilled authors write about culture Seek out culturally relevant and culturally authentic texts; tailor your choices to your student population
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Choose a passage from a relevant, authentic text to read aloud Ask your students to listen for ways in which the author writes about culture and ways in which the writing style reflects his or her culture “Ali and Baba grew up together…” (25)
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Discuss in depth the passage you’ve just read with your students You might hold a whole group discussion, or you might break your students up into small, diverse groups Your guiding question: Where do you hear the author’s or narrator’s culture reflected in his or her writing?
Enrichment - Conventions
Anderson (2005) recommends using mentor texts—powerful, relevant literature—to teach the conventions of English to secondary students Look for common problems your students are having in their writing conventions and utilize your current mentor text to address them
Now…write!
Using their Personal Culture Charts, ask students to address one of the following prompts in a paragraph or essay (depending on the ability level) Where is your culture reflected at home?
How is your culture reflected in your relationships with family or friends?
How is your culture reflected in your beliefs?
A student sample…
A time for discussion…
Guiding questions: How might this work in middle school classes?
How have you built cultural empowerment into your classrooms?
How can we build entire units or curricula around cultural empowerment?
References
Anderson, J. (2005). Mechanically inclined. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.
Cai, M. (2003). Multiple definitions of multicultural literature. In D. L. Fox & K. G. Short (Eds.), Stories
matter: The complexity of cultural authenticity in children’s
literature (pgs. 269-283). Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.
Delpit, L. (1995). Other people’s children: Cultural conflict in the classroom. New York: The New Press.
Fox, D. L., & Short, K. G. (2003). The complexity of cultural authenticity in children’s literature: Why the debates really matter. In D. L. Fox & K. G. Short (Eds.), Stories matter: The complexity of cultural authenticity in children’s literature (pgs. 3-24). Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.
References
Gonzalez, N., Moll, L., Floyd-Tenery, M., Rivera, A., Rendon, P., Gonzalez, R., et. al. (1993). Teacher
research on funds of knowledge: Learning from households
(Educational Practice Report: 6). Santa Cruz, CA: National Center for Research on Cultural Diversity and Second Language Learning. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 360 825) Hosseini, K. (2003). The Kite Runner. New York: Riverhead Books.
Ladson-Billings, G. (1994). The dreamkeepers: Successful teachers of African American children. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.