March 19, 2009
Dr. Peele-Eady , a professor at the University of New Mexico
What a remarkable experience!
She set my brain to working. I enjoyed the time our class spent together
with Dr. Peele-Eady, she presented ideas to us that left my brain reeling. I
have been telling my family and anyone else who will listen, about the lecture.
Perhaps the greatest information that I received is about how
language affects our perceptions of people. Dr. Peele-Eady shared a quote, “negative
language attitudes are directed toward sequences of the historical operations of racism in the United States.” I realized that when I hear someone’s language, and identify it as belonging
to a certain race, I automatically perceive that person as I perceive the whole culture.
For instance, if I am on the phone with someone from India, I automatically become frustrated because of all the connotations
that are associated with U.S. companies farming out work to India, and I think less of the person on the other end of the
phone, rather than seeking to treat that person as a person first and not as a complete representation of the culture.
Another point that Dr. Peele-Eady made and caught my attention
is to pay attention to the students that bother you, the ones that rub you wrong. Do
they bother you because of a race issue? Is there something from their culture,
which causes them to behave in a manner that you don’t approve of? This
is a good question to think about in trying to work with students. It is a question
that needs to be asked in order to get to know the student better when assessing strengths, needs and problems.
“Funds of Knowledge,” is a term that Dr. Peele-Eady
introduced to me. It is a fund that the child has, which contains all of the
learning experiences a child brings with him to the classroom. Each child comes
with a fund of knowledge to school and is constantly trying to balance school learning with family learning with church learning,
with all kinds of learning. If teachers realize this then they can better understand
the students and help them to succeed.
Our time was cut short and I wish there had been more opportunity
to listen to her and to have some dialogue, there are some questions that were left unanswered such as when working with children
of different races, is it wrong to expect different actions in different spaces? It
seems to me that first the teacher needs to acknowledge the student as he is, what his culture is, what his fund of knowledge
is, and then add to the fund of knowledge with skills that are appropriate for the learning environment they currently find
themselves in. For instance Dr. Peele-Eady gave the example of African American
Students that call out and respond during lectures because that is their experience in church settings. Well, the teacher needs to understand that that is what is going on, but then teach the students that calling
out is appropriate at church but not during lectures at school. She used the
term ‘code switching, want to know more about this.
Dr. Peele-Eady had us do an activity in which we took out a piece
of scrap paper, and in the center of the paper wrote the words “a child,” and then as she made negative, or disparaging
comments that a student might hear in the classroom, we were to crumple the paper a little bit for each comment. Once we had completely crumpled the paper then she began making positive comments and we were directed
to uncrumple the paper until it was all straightened out again. She then brought
our attention to the fact that the paper was not the same as when we began. Even
though we straightened it out, there were still wrinkles and evidence of the crumpling.
She then likened this activity to what happens in a classroom, and it will happen, there is no way to avoid it. But the important thing is that we realize that it will happen, but try to lessen
the wrinkles in the first place, and when we do leave wrinkles, forgive ourselves and try again. It was a powerful activity for me.
Dr. Peele-Eady also left us with steps we can take to lessen
the wrinkles, and be more effective teachers.
-Connection and support
-Explicit instruction
-Opportunities to demonstrate knowledge
-Opportunities to participate at varied levels.
-Reassurance of value and contributions
-Positive views of African American students as learners
I want to know more about what Dr. Peele-Eady knows; her studies
fascinate me. Thank you for the opportunity.
