Blog #7

 Alfie Kohn's What to Look Out for in a Classroom and Culturally Relevant Pedagogy by the Learning for Justice youtube channel -- CONNECTIONS

These two pieces of media drew upon many of the previous topics we've read about in this corse. Kohn's website had described what a classroom ought to look like, with ideas being shared among students, their art, class work, community and culture. The Culturally Relevant Pedagogy urges the message that educators are the bridge between cultures and they usher in a generation of enriched students that explored themselves and those around them artfully. Both of the assigned contents made sure to highlight that the children's lived experiences should be at the forefront of their education. This concept would be wholeheartedly backed up by both Sleeter's writings on ethnic studies as well as Shifting the Paradigm an academic research paper. Sleeter argues the more connected a child is to the content they are learning the more beneficial the educational outcome. When the students become the focus that falls in line with the Asset based thinking model introduced in  Shifting the Paradigm. When each student is recognized for who they are and where they come from, their assets are valued and in turn the student values themselves and see their self as a learner. 

    This reading really helped me look back onto my educational experience where one culture dominated the way lessons were prepared and taught. As a future music educator I want to expand music for my students. Ideas come to mind like open song suggestions or even as a joint effort, being able to write music with my future students. Exploring music through a non western lens could help connect students who were possibly drifting away from the content due to a lack of interest  

In these two images you can see one teacher at the front of the class displaying her writing with the students siting quietly listening to her, in the other photo you have a teacher speaking at the same level as her student wrapped in a discussion rather than a lecture and they are working on a collaborative assignment.

I had read a book called Flight and it detailed the life of a native American foster teen who only knew his culture through old western movies till his dreams started to morph with his past lives. The book explores what trauma the body and mind go through when you've lost your sense of identity. 

https://groveatlantic.com/book/flight/