Journal #2: Getting Centered- Our History

"The future is in our hands . . . . A history that leaves out minorities reinforces separation, but an inclusive history bridges the divide."  -Takaki, 2008

We have to look critically at our history books and ask ourselves whose story is being told . . . and whose story isn't being told.  An inclusive history is the only history that matters, as the TRUTH is the only foundation that serves to help us move forward in a meaningful manner.  Chapter 2 of Culturally Proficient Learning Communities brought up so many important issues- so many, actually, that it is tough to organize them.
Three Key Learnings:  

• The achievement gap is not only a socioeconomic issue.
• Across U.S. history, federal legislation has been put in place to help create equity and promote equality.  While that has helped, it has also created (unintended?) labeling, especially within the public education system. These labels are tied to ethnicity, and have created a new hurdle in equity in education.
• Many programs have been created in the U.S. education system that were intended to raise awareness of difference and multiculturalism, and while they did raise awareness, many times they created separate practices that weren't natural and part of the everyday routine and culture of the classroom or school. 

Three Key Quotes/Comments:

• "Cultural proficiency is a way of being."  (p. 29)
• Business executives "recognized it was good business to address diversity-related issues." (p.28) -while I think businesses should address diversity-related issues, this quote clearly makes me question the motives of the executives. Is it about understanding diversity or is it about the bottom line?
• The assimilationist, or melting pot model of approaching cultural diversity"worked well for eastern and southern Europeans but did not work as well for people of color." (p. 28) 

Key Questions:

• Do we have the will to educate all children?
• As we move forward in our efforts to become culturally proficient, with schools, districts and various levels of government creating programs, laws and initiatives, how do we minimize the negative unintended outcomes of such initiatives?
• Today in education, are educators taking the broader approach to addressing equity issues by emphasizing diversity or is the less-broad focus on multiculturalism the norm?

Thoughts On My Practice As An Educator:

• Good intentions are good, but they have to be followed with thoughtful and inclusive practice.
• The learning of my students takes place within a cultural context that is shaped by their individual cultures and their communities. As a teacher I have to be in touch with that so that I keep that context in mind as I create learning experiences.
• Involving the learner in the creation of learning experiences is of high importance in order for the learning experiences to be relevant and tailored to the cultural needs and context of the learner.

Overall, understanding the history of the strive toward equality, equity, and cultural proficiency is vital to understanding how to continue to strive toward those things in today's world.  Creating intentional learning communities is an important part of the process, as educators who have decided they have the WILL to educated all children come together to learn how to "place learning within the context of the cultural communities they serve." (p.30)

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