Interactive Strategies that Enhance the Instruction of Multicultural Education A Workshop by:

1. Interactive Strategies that Enhance the Instruction of Multicultural Education A Workshop by: Dr. Franklin Thompson College of Education University of Nebraska-Omaha fthompson@mail.unomaha.edu 402-554-3603 Effective Transitions in Adult EducationAnnual ConferenceProvidence, Rhode IslandNovember 7-9, 2012

2. Opening statements and Introduction______________________________________ • I have 35 years of social studies and counselor related teaching experience. 20 of those years was spent teaching multicultural education at the collegiate level. • Multicultural education is a Nebraska state mandate for teacher certification (surprisingly, we were one of the first to do so). • I have also given 12 years of elected public service to a 97% White middle and upper class, urban city council district in the city that I live in (Omaha, NE).

3. Newsflash: Although many of us believe thestudy of history is exciting,many students say it is the one subjectthat bores them the most (gulp, sigh, groan)! This workshop is designed to investigate classroom activities that help the study of the social sciences come alive. Instructor Apology: Because there is not enough time to cover all of the various strategies, the presenter will have to pick and choose a few activities, and rely on workshop participants to pick up the intricacies of activities not covered (refer to PPT).

4. An Overview of Classroom Strategies: Level 1: Ice Breakers and Introductory Exercises • Door Prizes for answering various trivia questions • Cultural Snowball Exercise • Stereotyping and False First Impressions: “A Day with Aunt Millie” • Multicultural Jeopardy Level 2: Introducing Students to the Concepts of Cognitive Dissonance and Ego Defense Mechanisms • Image Theater #1: Multicultural Line Activity & Discussion • An Interactive Discussion Activity: “Things that make you go hmm” Level 3: Making a Multicultural Head-to-Heart Connection • Encouraging the usage of Intentional Language • Image Theater #2: Human Sculpturing Level 4: Dealing With Difficult Dialogues in Multicultural Education • Image Theater #3: Successive Approximate Imaging • Forum Theater: “Rehearsals for Life”

5. Level 1: • Orchestrating the Learning Environment • With Ice Breakers & Introductory Exercises

6. Cultural “Snowball” Exercise [Listed below are a few things that describe me] Directions: Fill out a minimum of 6 (if not all) of the following descriptors My favorite main-course food: ______________________________________ My favorite dessert: ______________________________________________ My favorite song: ____________________________Artist: ______________ My favorite movie: _______________________________________________ My favorite actor/actress: __________________________________________ My most successful academic subject: ________________________________ My least successful academic subject: ________________________________ My favorite color: ________________________________________________ My ideal automobile to possess: _____________________________________ My favorite hobby or pastime: ______________________________________ My #1 passion in life: _____________________________________________ Question: Can you match this description to the face(s) in the room?

7. Name _______________________________________ Trivia Question______________________________________ Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous ______________ speech at the _______________ Memorial in the city of ________________ on the _________ day during the month of ___________ in the year of _______. [Note: There will be a winner even if no one gets all the correct answers.]

8. Ice Breaker Activity-1 “ A Day With Aunt Millie” Main Objectives: To look at stereotypes To encourage students not to judge To encourage students to go beyond first impressions A Discussion Period Follows the Exercise

9. Ice Breaker Activity-2 [Using Smart Notebook Program] “Multicultural Jeopardy” Main Objectives: To assess prior student multicultural learning To encourage shy students to participate To encourage students to work in teams and groups A brief Discussion might follow each question, or you could wait until the end.

10. 100 200 300 400 500

11. Level 2: • Introducing students to the concepts of • Cognitive/Emotional Dissonance and • Ego Defense Mechanisms, • and their connections to the study of • Race & Human Relations.

12. Image Theater-1 “Multicultural Line Activity” Main Objectives: To take a snapshot “picture” of current HR thought To embrace controversy as a teaching tool for change And Brief Discussion

13. A Brain Teaser Activity “Things that make you go hmm” Main Objectives: To identify missing gaps in diversity education To bring to the surface those things we are afraid to discuss To encourage greater self-analysis

14. Things that Make you go “Hmm” • Part 1: Written Homework Assignment: • Each student must share with the class one fun and silly thing and one serious human relations thought that makes them scratch their head. It can be something that they were too afraid to ask out of fear that it was a taboo topic.

15. Examples of Silly Things that make you go hmm: • What do they use to ship Styrofoam in? • Do woodpeckers ever get migraine headaches? • Why is “abbreviation” such a long word? • Why do we blame the French when we curse? • Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets: • If sport jocks get athlete’s feet, do astronauts get missile toe? • If you throw a cat out of a moving car, do you get kitty litter (just kidding folks . . .)

16. Examples of Serious HR things that make you go “hmm:” • Why does it seem like it’s easier to do wrong than to do right? • What was Thomas Jefferson really thinking when he penned his famous words of liberty, and yet he had slaves? • How were some southern preachers and ministers able to justify slavery? • If in fact Republicans were the architects of the first civil rights movement in America and early Democrats were anti and/or passive on the topic, how does one explain the shift over time? • If any of the great religious thinkers were to come back & take up residency in the U.S., which political party would they join? • Why does it seem like schools, congress, the Supreme Court, the sports world, and the world of music have done more than organized religion in bringing about equity & social justice? • If the original design of affirmative action was meant to be a temporary fix, is there a natural sunset or should it be forever?

17. Things that Make you go “Hmm” • Part 2: Written Homework Assignment: • Students must now get in groups of 5 and vote on which serious topic they would like to research and give a class presentation on. Students are encouraged to use technology and interview local authorities.

18. There is an Overlooked Connection Between Ego Defense Mechanisms and the Study of Race & Human Relations_____________________________________________________________________ This brief explanation is just a teaser. There is not enough time to properly unfold this particular activity. Nevertheless, here is some food for thought (to go along with an additional handout): • While some conflict between groups can be attributed to racism, sexism, and elitism, a good portion of it is due to other factors such as miseducation, a lack of listening & communication skills, a “me-first” orientation, and games we play with others and ourselves. • MLK Jr. wanted us to address the full spectrum of things that block improved race and human relations, not just racism and greed. Until we do, we probably won’t reach “the mountain top” he spoke about. • Self-analysis in NOT our enemy. It is our friend! • The better we know ourselves, the better job we can do teaching our young.

19. Level 3: • Making a Head-to-Heart Connection • When Studying Multicultural Education

20. Main Objectives: To help students master the usage of language To encourage better cross-cultural communication To better define the process of helping people who hurt Promoting the Usage of Intentional Language ___________________________________________________________

21. View a gripping film clip, or assign a fascinating reading and have students respond to the crisis in a helping manner. The example I use is the film entitled “Running Brave: The Billy Mills Story.” Making a Head-to-HeartConnection in Multicultural Education ___________________________________________________________

22. Dear Sis, “Remember the story grandpa told us about the eagle? When the earth and the sky are both in flames, where does the eagle land? He flies until he falls. Sis, I think I’m falling . . .” A Quote from the Movie “Running Brave: The Billy Mills Story”___________________________________________________________

23. Question: How would you respond to Billy? Concept: What is the best way to work with “Murphy’s Kids” ___________________________________________________________

24. Dear Billy: “Do not concern yourself as much with falling into the fire, but rather ask yourself what your plan is for extinguishing the fire once you come into contact with it.” One of my better student responses: ___________________________________________________________

25. Image Theater-2 “Human Sculpturing” Based on the works of Paulo Friere And Augusto Boal. Main Objectives: To semi-experience (i.e., simulate) being in someone else’s shoes. To better understand the emotional wear & tear some groups go through.

26. Making a Head-to-HeartConnection 2 Using Image Theater & Human Sculpturing_________________________________ Again . . . Have students view a gripping film clip or assign a fascinating reading, and then go about having students groups “sculpt” their “ feelings and understanding of what the person or the oppressed group is going through.

27. Directions Have groups “sculpt” 3 separate images: • Unrehearsed individual reactions to a certain social justice input. • A non-verbal group portrait of the message gathered from the input you decided to give to the participants. • A non-verbal group portrait of a positive community response to the problem. A Brief Discussion Should Follow Each Portrait Demonstration

28. Spontaneous & Unrehearsed Individual Reactions to a Domestic Violence Film Clip

29. A Non-Verbal Human Sculpture of Domestic Violence

30. A Non-Verbal Community Response to Domestic Violence

31. Image Theater-3 “Successive Approximate Imaging” Main Objectives: To provide a forum to discuss difficult dialogues in a civil manner To gain better insight on the potential effects of ego defense mechanisms To provide an opportunity to practice disagreeing without being disagreeable A Debriefing & Discussion Period Follows

32. Forum Theater “Subway Scene” Main Objectives: To provide a forum to practice meaningful conflict resolution strategies To utilize the classroom as a safe place for the “rehearsals for life” principle To have students take more ownership of and give input to their education To promote a more democratic classroom A Debriefing Period Follows

33. Questions?

34. Thank You! For considering the call to change agency.

35. Trivia Question______________________________________ Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I Have A Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial in the city of Washington, DC on the 28th day during the month of August in the year of 1963.

36. Trivia Tiebreaker Question______________________________________ • The first time MLK used the " I Have A Dream" speech context was in: • Greenville, SC – Sept. 15, 1960 • Atlanta, GA – May 28, 1961 • Rocky Mount, NC – Nov. 27, 1962. • Birmingham, AL – July 1, 1962 • Memphis, TN – March 12, 1961