I nquiry into D iversity, E mpathy and A ction

1. IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action Joshua Cabral Brookwood School Manchester, MA jcabral@brookwood.edu All powerpoints and documents: www.cabralaisne2010.wordpress.com

2. They will tell you that the Americans who sleep in the streets and beg for food got there because they're all lazy or weak of spirit. That the inner-city children who are trapped in dilapidated schools can't learn and won't learn and so we should just give up on them entirely. That the innocent people being slaughtered and expelled from their homes half a world away are somebody else's problem to take care of. I hope you don't listen to this. I hope you choose to broaden, and not contract, your ambit of concern. --Obama IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

3. Losing our Language Dr. Susan Stotsky • Deputy Commissioner of Education in Massachusetts • Co-chaired the committee that introduced the English Language Arts Curriculum Framework and a member of the Assessment Development Committee for the MCAS. IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

4. Losing our Language Dr. Susan Stotsky • Pedagogical theories and strategies used to teach children English have harmed their cognitive development by supplanting academic goals with social goals. • Multicultural readers used in schools misrepresent American history by refusing to tell children about great American leaders, inventors, and scientists because they tended to be white males. The focus is on American Indians, blacks, and Hispanics, all of whom are presented as victims. • Instructional guides demand that teachers lead small children in discussions of grown-up concerns such as the evils of racism. IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

5. IDEA Program • IDEA: Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy, and Action • Personal work, self-discovery • Outcomes: Self-Reflection/Realization, Framing conversations with each other and with kids. We are not doing this to label ourselves racist, sexist, homophobic, etc., but rather to provide an opportunity to reassess our perceptions. • Opportunities and space and time; so much of this will seem like common sense, but we need to take the time to ponder it. IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

6. Empathy is at the heart of diversity work. How we interact and engage with others that are “different” should be strongly influenced by our willingness to understand their experience. IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

7. IDEA Topics Perception Gender* Sexuality Racism Class* IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

8. Creating a Culture of Inclusion Overview of the Process Pre-Awareness Diversity Awareness Transition State Intentional Inclusion Culture of Inclusion IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

9. Pre-Awareness IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

10. Diversity Awareness IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

11. Transition State IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

12. Intentional Inclusion IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

13. Culture of Inclusion IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

14. IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

15. IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

16. Media Literacy Foundation IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

17. Popular Understanding of Gender IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

18. Challenging Tannen and Gray • Neither author moves beyond the description. • Is it a misunderstanding rather than intentional or subconscious behavior? • Adds to stereotypes of men and women. • Invites acceptance without a willingness to transgress. • Boys will be boys? IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

19. Sex and Gender • Sex refers to the physical and biological attributes of males and females • Sex includes the chromosomal, hormonal, and anatomical components of males and females. • Gender refers to the social, psychological and cultural attributes of masculinity and femininity, many of which are based on biological distinctions • Gender describes societal attitudes and behaviors expected of and associated with the two sexes. • Gender identity refers to the degree to which an individual sees herself or himself as feminine or masculine based on society’s definitions of appropriate gender roles. IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

20. The Words Have Changed, But… IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

21. The Words Have Changed, But… IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

22. The Words Have Changed, But… IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

23. The Words Have Changed, But… IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

24. The Words Have Changed, But… IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

25. The Words Have Changed, But… IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

26. How to be a girl or boy… IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

27. Discussion Questions • Why do you think that Gender Roles in any given society have become so defined? Is this simply a question of power/dominance, or is there a societal need for these roles? • Can you remember a student (perhaps yourself) from your adolescence who did not conform to a particular gender role? Someone who showed interest in something that was not considered appropriate for his/her gender? How was he/she treated? How did you treat him/her? • Now on to Brookwood. Do we “teach” gender roles to our students? Do we reinforce them? Is it appropriate to reinforce certain (if not all) gender-specific behavior [as defined by our society and community]? Does this maintain order? What do we need to be aware of? • Think of images in your textbooks or characters/people in books/stories that you read. Do these representations reinforce gender expectations? What if a student is confused about what a person has done because a behavior may not coincide with what he or she expects? How would you address this? • What is the possible outcome or consequence to having a school full of students that do not follow gender expectations? Is this a goal? • Referring back to the “Culture of Inclusion” grid from last time, where are we as a school community, and you as an individual educator, on this continuum? The goal would be no expectation of gender-specific/expected behavior? Is this a goal that you would like to see realized? IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

28. Racism Multicultural Education • Equal opportunity to achieve. • Ability to participate competently in an increasingly • intercultural society. • Teachers facilitate learning for every individual student. • Schools work to end oppression within their own walls and • produce socially aware students. • Education is inclusive of the voices and experiences of the • students and families. • Educators evaluate educational practices and how they affect • learning. IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

29. Language Genres • Different genres of language are learned before a child enters school. • Minority failure is due to a lack of experience with the genres of language that teachers expect their students to be able to access. IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

30. Language Genres IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

31. Language Genres IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

32. Language Genres IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action • “Beyond Language” (Heath) and “Rewriting Literacy” (Mitchell and Weiler)

33. Language Genres • Topic-associated narratives develop themes through anecdotal association. • Themes are not overtly stated but inferred from the series of personal • anecdotes. • Topic centered styles tend to be associated with school language and with books. • They are linear in nature, with a linear progression of events. • In school, where teachers may not share this background, such texts may appear • incoherent. IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

34. Dealing with Racism In the Store Buying a House Vandalism Buying Coffee IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

35. “Le racisme expiqué à ma fille” IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action

36. IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action Empathy is at the heart of diversity work. How we interact and engage with others that are “different” should be strongly influenced by our willingness to understand their experience. Closing Activity: Each group will be assigned a different task based on the answers in your questionnaire. As you complete the task, pay close attention to the questions that you ask and the answers that you give. IDEA Inquiry into Diversity, Empathy and Action