Here is journal #3, due March 4th. Please make sure your FULL name is on the comment!
Green paraphrases some of Alaine Locke's thinking in writing : "rival absolutisms must be abandoned in favor of a negotiated, cross-cultural process of progressive understanding, trust-building, and trust-based democratic collaboration in areas of mutual benefit ... a cosmopolitan unity that respects areas of nonabsolutist value diversity ..." (46).
In somewhat dense language, Locke (and Green) are making the case that we should work towards tolerance of values -- not unity of values. In other words, it's neither possible nor desirable to work towards a universal value-system.
In your APPLES assignment, have you noticed any differences between your own value system and that of the organization, volunteers, or the people you're serving? (For example, if you're working with children perhaps you've noticed that you seem to value sharing more than the kids do. Or, perhaps you feel that you value education/training and the organization you work with values charity, etc.) When you encounter these differences, what has been your inward response? Confusion? Anger? Relativist interest? Discuss a difference in values you've noticed at your site, then critically evaluate the way you respond to these differences in values. How tolerant do you think you are?
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For my APPLES assignment, I am continually volunteering at Rashkis Elementary with Pre-K students. Working with such young children (4-6yrs old) it is important that the adults in the classroom help them and guide them through the development of various psychosocial and developmental skills. Helping the children build such skill is important because the skills that they develop will provide a foundation for future physical, social, and emotional development as they grow older. I have noticed a large difference between the value system that I have versus that of the parents of the children when it comes to helping the children become autonomous. Interestingly, my value system is quite similar to the teachers value system. The majority of the time the parents are protective of their children and tend to always give them what they want because they feel that it will help them gain independence. I, on the other hand, believe that it is necessary for the children to learn to make decisions for themselves but within the confines of age-related rules or limitations. Many times I am angered when I see some of the parents giving in to their children's "puppy dog eyes" and taking twenty minutes to drop off their child even though the school year is halfway complete. Even though I want to discuss these issues with some of the parents, it would be inappropriate to do so. Thankfully, the teacher feels similarly to the way I do. Even though many other teachers view her a strict, the children are learning how to interact with their peers in considerate way and they are learning how to share. Most importantly, they are learning how to act in ways of reciprocity with their peers. I believe that Green would say that the teachers are working in a way that will benefit the children because the teachers are tolerating the parents views and incorporating them with their own so that the children can get the best education possible. I know that I am tolerant of others values, but I try to learn from them as well so that I can raise my own children in an improved way when I do have children.
ReplyDeleteSara Garrell
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ReplyDeleteSegregation is by law illegal and unconstitutional, however, public school students participate in segregation on a daily basis under the umbrella of “free will.” Who needs Jim Crow when students have been socialized to only interact with students of a “like kind” both within schools and outside of them? When I am working with students at Smith Elementary, I notice that racial groups and class groups have formed without teacher influence. An example of this would be the simple arrangement of students at tables – or is it so simple. You have the White kids at one table and the Black kids at another. When asked about the seating arrangements, the teacher said that the students were given the opportunity to choose their own groups. This was part of learning self-determination, and group formation skills. I would call it learning to only appreciate homogeneous groups and ignoring the importance of diversity. The teacher is able to ignore the obvious segregation practices because she is not responsible. The students have decided to self-segregate.
ReplyDeleteI find this very disturbing, and at times I just want to interrupt instruction and have a lesson devoted to race, class, and gender education. How is it that first graders are already socialized to capitalize on their ascribed status? What message are our teachers sending when they do not enforce integration and end practices of self-segregation? I believe it is morally wrong to allow self-segregation during academic instruction. If students wish to practice segregation during recess that is one thing – although I am not fond of that either – but for academic instruction to be plagued by segregation is wrong morally and ethically. There is a reason why segregation was ruled unconstitutional, thus, it should not be allowed in any shape or fashion within our schools.
When I am working with students – for example pulling them out for group reading – I make sure to select a diverse group of students. When Mrs. Britton allows me to select groups for math assignments, I make sure to select a diverse group. When students are allowed to choose the next person to go up to the board and write something, I encourage them to pick students that are not necessarily in their circle of friends – I have to bribe them with candy to do so though. When the class goes outside for recess, I try to encourage them to play games that are meant for large groups, so multiple student groups can participate – tag or a game of dodgeball. Although I am forcing students to interact with one another – and sometimes it does require some force – I believe that I am not forcing a value onto them that is solely my own. I believe that it is socially necessary to integrate students, and I also believe it is one way to combat racial stereotypes. Students have a lot to learn from one another; however, if their interactions are only with like minded students– often like social class and race – then there will never be a true exchange of knowledge.
I acknowledge Green’s belief that a universal value system is not the best way to organize societies; however, I disagree with her belief that we should be tolerant of all belief systems in order to function. For example, murder is morally and ethically wrong, and if someone believes that murder is good, I am inclined to tell them that they are wrong. This does not mean that I am being intolerant, it simply means that I believe there are certain objective moral truths in the world; one objective moral truth is that murder is wrong. Being tolerant, in my opinion, is more about being respectful. I believe that all men are created equal, and that this is an objective moral truth. Because I believe this, I make it known that segregation in the classroom is wrong – even if it is self-segregation. I disagree with Green and think it is possible and desirable to have a universal value-system. To say “to each his own” implies that rape, murder, incest, and child molestation could all be considered okay if we were in a society that valued such things. I do not think that any rational person would agree with the above statement, which is why I do believe there are certain objective moral truths. I think that because I am respectful of other cultures and beliefs, I am a very tolerant person. To be tolerant does not mean to justify things that we know to be wrong. Just like in the case of students self-segregating, I am respectful of their decision, but I am also committed to explaining to the children that it is wrong. I do not call the children names, use derogatory language, or use physical force; I simply state the fact that segregation is wrong, much like the fact that 2+2 is 4.
ReplyDeleteWhitney Miller
My APPLES site is Carolina Apt and the Center. I help tutor students and just talk with them about whatever topic comes up. Some similar values I have with the students is that you can have fun while doing homework. However, this is also where there is a difference between the students and I. Sometimes the students take it too far with playing around with doing their homework or try too often to ask me to do their homework for them. It's cute at first, but then gets slightly annoying. I know they're young and they're going to test their boundaries with the volunteers, which I fully understand. So I just try to take a step back and remind myself that they're just trying to have a good time. So, I makes me become more creative to try to find ways to engage them back into doing their work. In the long-run, it's ok that they're putting me to work as well. Overall, after O give myself a moment to evaluate the situation and approach it from a positive mindset, I believe that very tolerant with the students and I think they appreciate that I do keep them focused on their work, but also be fun at the same time.
ReplyDeleteMonica Brunache
Working with St. Joseph's and the Bread Ministry, I have noticed several differences in my value system and that of the organization as well as of the people who are served by the Bread Ministry. Personally I see many significant problems with today's US food systems- problems with the ways in which foods are subsidized, gown, distributed, processed, packaged, and consumed. Personally, I value sustainable (for health, the economy, and the environment) foods, and I try to make choices in purchasing and consuming foods that support a sustainable food system. At the Bread Ministry, however, much of the food that is donated is often highly processed, generally unhealthy, and not grown sustainably. To the organization and the people who are served by the Bread Ministry, this food is greatly appreciated though, without question. To them, food is food. My initial reaction to this was frustration that a lack of concern and probably education about sustainable food systems exists. I realize though, that I am incredibly privileged to be able to value sustainable foods and make choices that support those values. Not everyone has the means of placing value on such things, and I see now that this difference in values exists for good reason. I still hold my values, but at the same time I can understand why others do not or even cannot hold the same values regarding food.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I’ve noticed that the teachers at my pre-school at Carrboro Elementary value is multi-ethnicity. The pre-schoolers practice participating in one another’s culture. When I worked at another preschool, the teachers emphasized saying everything in English. The teachers wouldn’t accept it if the child said something in Spanish and would make the child label the object in English. Multi-ethnicity was not something we valued in at the pre-school, and diversity wasn't something I tried to promote in my daily life. I do think it's important, but it was easy to overlook the value of diversity when I was speaking English, eating American foods, and learning in American schools.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the pre-school class at Carrboro Elementary chooses to function differently from the preschools I've worked at and the one I went to. The class emphasizes diversity. Every morning, we greet each child by their native language, and throughout the day, we practice saying things in English, Spanish, French, and Burmese. Often time, we read books in Spanish during reading circle.
During my first few weeks at Carrboro Elementary School, I was confused as to why they put so much effort and time into teaching kids different languages. I thought it would be more time-efficient and practical to use just one language. I spent my first week of volunteering hanging up flags from across the world and cutting out hand and foot prints in different skin tones to hang on signs. I realized that this was something I never had as a student. My teachers never tried especially hard to make my culture a part of the classroom, and over time, I lost respect for my ethnicity and underestimated its value. I was tolerate of the classes' values beforehand, and now I think diversity is something important that I should practice and value as well.
I do think it’s true when Green says that we will never have the same values. However, I think we can do more than tolerate another person’s values. We can encourage them, and even take part in them before we decide that it is something we don’t value. We can make other people's values a part of our world just as my pre-school kids made everyone's culture a part of their class. As adults in America, I think we should not only value diversity, but allow it to be something we practice everyday, whether it be by learning another language or publicizing diverse holidays. The American news spends hours covering Thanksgiving and Christmas parades as well as other American holidays. Perhaps they should spend time covering a holiday that has become apart of our country through the different cultures that have melded with our society. By participating in diversity daily, we can learn from the different ethnicities coming into the United States. This may be stretch, but if we made this effort, I think people would be able to sympathize with others and be less quick to different cultures. It may just give us that common thread that will make it easier to appreciate other people’s values.
For my APPLES assignment, I am continuing my volunteering efforts at St. Joseph’s Baptist Church Bread Ministry. Working with such a diverse age group of people, I have had a great deal of time to notice the different values that many people have and choose to/not take advantage of. It is important that the adults that come to the Bread Ministry are not looked down upon because of their situation even if you do not understand what is going on in his/her life. I have noticed a large difference between the value system that I have versus that of the parents and children when it comes to helping out the people at the bread ministry. I also have a lot of similar values that the people who come to the bread ministry possess. Interestingly enough, my value system is quite similar to most of the people who are volunteers there. Some of the values that I take for granite are that everyone is the same but in reality their not. I feel that many of the volunteers have similar values because most of the volunteers have a desire to give back to the less fortunate or just give back in general because being a college student is not the easiest thing to do either. As I continue to work with the bread ministry I try to look at the bad in a positive mindset especially when people are not considerate of what you are doing but I always try to help them out and make their day a better day than what already has been. Most of the people appreciate the help and I can tell through their smile that they appreciate us.
ReplyDeletePhillip Scotton
For my APPLES placement I volunteer at the Human Rights Center in Carrboro where I help tutor young children but also spend time hanging out and playing games with them. When I first arrived at the center I did not know what to expect. I walked into the apartment building and saw many kids relaxing and working on different homework problems. The first boy I approached was working on pronunciation and spelling. I immediately thought back to my 2nd grade spelling tests and the hours at night when I would sit at the dinner table spelling the words over and over again hoping to remember them. This young man had designed a game to remember how to spell and pronounce each word. We were laughing and enjoying the game the whole time but also learning. After working with this young boy I continued through the center and got to a room full of kids who were playing on the computer and studying. None looked happy but they were all getting their work done. Then someone asked if the kids wanted to play “Apples to Apples” which I quickly learned was a center favorite. It was my first time playing this wonderful game that demanded wit, quick thinking and an understanding of real life concepts. The game was also a ton of fun but again the kids were learning. They may not be learning mathematics and biology but they were stimulating their brains and learning. I can recall all the late nights of being a book worm, looking to learn all the things the text book said but when I got to the center my values switched and I learned how important it is to take a step back and enjoy the moment. I feel I was very tolerant of these different values and even accepting of them. I learned that you can still learn a lot while having fun and these lessons may do more for you in the long run than learning to spell a small list of words.
ReplyDelete-Ryan Flanagan
Often times we forget the differences between our systems and other cultures' ways. We become so accustomed to our methods that we tend to block out the diverse range of methods that exist in this world. For example, in American culture looking down and not looking the person in the eye when they are speaking/scolding is considered to be a rude thing. But in other cultures it is considered to be even ruder and extremely impolite if you do not look down. I learned quickly that children who come from other countries are not at all accustomed to our ways and do not understand our concepts. Hence the only behavior they know is what they've been taught in their mother lands. I recently encountered a student who was being scolded at for poor behavior during recess. The teacher was not aware of the fact that he is from a foreign land and is programmed to look down when an adult is yelling at him. The teacher physically forced him to lift his head up by grabbing his face and lifting it up. I was shocked to see such behavior on the teacher's part but then I suddenly realized that it was a situation of miscommunication on her end as well. She was not aware of her student's situation. What we as a society need to start working on is considering and evaluating situations before taking actions. If we understand the other party, we will be so much more successful and our points will be so much more effective. My APPLEs assignment has been teaching me that. As I work with my students I become more patient and try harder to understand my student so I can figure out what I can do to help him/her.
ReplyDeleteMadhulika Eluri
ReplyDeleteAs part of my project, I need to work on a marketing campaign for the platelet center. To do so, my group is working on polling the general public around Chapel Hill/Carrboro to see why they are not donating and what would encourage them to donate. Other groups are working on minorities, students, and previous donors. I thought it was interesting that that when we had a focus group of individuals from the general community, the majority of the people thought that donation was a civic duty and that one should do it simply to help others. In terms of being given incentives to donate, they said that they wouldn't want anything although free parking would be greatly appreciated. The same question posed to college students gave a really different answer. A majority of the college students simply stated that they didn't want to donate, even though the center is on campus. They said that they would only be inclined to donate if given a large sum of money, or if someone they knew was at the hospital. I thought this dichotomy of ideals between the adults and college-aged students was very interesting. Throughout my time at Carolina, I have seen so many clubs and publicity for the service-oriented nature of our generation; however, these results were completely shocking. The fact that if someone we know personally was at the hospital would raise our inclination to do something is natural; however, putting a price on giving something that is so easily regenerated, such as platelets is simply greedy. I guess through a sociological perspective, this seems like a micro vs. macro issue. We only think things are important when they effect us directly...and that's a pretty sad case. Many of us carry around little hearts on our licenses for organ donation, but I don't think we ever quite understand the significance of that small symbol until we or someone we know requires organ transplantation. In the same way, there is a great deficit of platelets at the UNC-CH center and nationally and there ARE enough people in this area to provide the platelets needed. However, we have to resort to buying them from other states. Should something that is just floating in all of our bodies be charged a price to save lives? This is something that I cannot comprehend, and while I am not naive and understand the capitalistic nature of our country and especially our health care, it is still a little disheartening.
Throughout my apples placement, there is one thing that I am often appreciative of, that is the candidness of the children in the Communiversity program. Many of the things that older people may censor these children have no shame, and/or do not know any better, and simply let what comes to their mind come out of their mouths. Many of the candid things that they say are a reflection of what type of environment they are exposed to at home. For instance, most of the children are well aware of, and make use of, curse words (although they try to hide its usage). Personally, I know that my parents would not entertain my using of curse words, nor would they use these words around me. Not placing all of the blame on the parents, but parents are the first teachers of children and children often emulate what they see from their parents. I also have noticed that some parents may actually yell at (beyond a firm encouragement, but actually raising their voice) their child to hurry up when it is time for pick-up, or if they are on their cell phone, they may use curse words in their conversations. This is one area in which I have a difference in values with the child/parent. If the parent blatantly displays what I classify as inappropriate behavior or language toward or around their child in public, I can only imagine what they do in private. It could be because of these emotional effects rendered at home that many of the students lack self confidence and are in constant need of encouragement.
ReplyDeleteAnother differing value that I have with some of the participants in the program (and the parents) is the misplaced value and use of money. One instance in particular comes to mind of a particular participant who has an I-Pod Touch, yet his coat and overall clothing is too big for him. Granted, I am not aware of all of the circumstances surrounding the situation, but at first glance I am slightly disheartened because I find it ridiculous that a child can be in possession of the latest technology and gaming toys yet not have a proper wardrobe. I was raised to prioritize my financial decisions, and to me, proper clothing trumps an I-Pod any day.
My responses to both instances of differing values regarding communication and finances stem from my middle class upbringing. My personal background affects my outlook on many aspects of my life that I am faced with on a daily basis, especially being on a liberal campus such as UNC. Despite what personal beliefs I may hold, I know that I must put them aside at times and “walk in someone else’s shoes,” despite their background or way of life, to have a full understanding of why they do what they do.
- Brittany Smith
For my APPLES assignment, I am volunteering twice a week at Glenwood Elementary School with Mr. Kennedy's 1st grade students. Working with young children makes you realize that importance that the adults in the classroom help them and guide them through the development of various psychosocial stages such as sharing. I have noticed a large difference between the value system that I have versus that of some of the children when it comes to helping each other and sharing some of their books, toys, etc. Interestingly, my value system is quite similar to the teachers value system in that we both try to encourage the students to share and take turns when using materials. At first it really bothered me that the students did not know how to play together, but after speaking with some of them I realized that they were the only child with no brothers or sisters. I, on the other hand, grew up with two sisters so that may have played a part on the development of our value systems. Many times I am angered when I see some of the children refusing to let the others use their materials even when they are not using them, but I simply try to talk to them and encourage them to share. Even though I would like to spend more time trying to explain to the children exactly why it is important to share I never really have a good chance to have that one on one time to discuss it. Thankfully, the teacher feels similarly to the way I do and also encourages the students to work together and share their things. I feel that by the teacher and I constantly encouraging them to share helps them to really learn why they should be doing it. I hope that the children can understand that when you share you build friendships and you even learn from each other. I know that in time the children will realize how important these things are, but I feel that if it instilled earlier in their development stage that they can begin to learn from one another earlier and help with the development of their education.
ReplyDelete- Lorenzo Hopper
Volunteering in a disadvantaged predominantly Asian/Hispanic neighborhood provides me with the opportunity to see many differences in my value system in comparison to those of the people I am serving at times. Since I was a child education was always promoted as a thing necessary for me to attain in life in order to achieve any measure of success in this world and my parents would endure a lot in order to make sure that I achieved the best education possible. This started at a very young age for me, perhaps during the process of my parents teaching me to read. At the centers in which I have volunteered at (Abbey Court and Carolina Apts) I have noticed and respected some of this same drive in the parents of the children who participate in our program, however I have noticed that some of the kids I work with do not seem to hold this value as a guiding principle in life, because they would rather be out playing games than doing their homework and at times they attempt to cheat off of one another’s homework, without even working to do it themselves, in order to hurry out of the center to go play. I have heard a few of the children say they do not care (as a disclaimer this does not apply to all of my children).
ReplyDeleteAlthough in the reading, both Locke and Green, are making the case that we should work towards tolerance of values, not unity of values, I feel as if the value of education is one standard that we should hold as community, country, and world, because it is of utmost importance. Those with education have more advantages in life and some people use the lack of education and attempt to attain education against those who do not have it and use it as an excuse as to why there is still clear inequality in the world today. If we can eliminate this excuse by promoting a universal standard of the value of education, perhaps people will be forced to take a look at the real issues that still linger behind inequality.
I feel many emotions when I encounter this value difference at my volunteer sites, because of the strong emphasis placed upon it in my household. I was made to feel as if the value of an education is do or die if you have it, you do, if you do not have it, you may as well die. My initial emotions when I encounter such lackadaisical attitude is disappointment and annoyance, because I feel like it should be common knowledge and a common goal for all people (this illustrates some of my lack of tolerance for those whose views may not necessarily align with mine, especially when it is something that I strongly believe in). After I get past this first initial reaction, which may come across rude, I remind myself that these are children who are still learning in life and that at least their parents are there encouraging them to come to the center to better themselves and also that as a volunteer there I can have an impact on the way that they view the value of education.
--Chelsea Journigan
Within my APPLES work, this is a problem that we see all to common. One would think that this issue would not be a concern for us, as we deal with mostly older, high school aged and up mentees, that you would hope are mature enough to disregard petty differences and (almost) adult enough to have the social graces to communicate with a mentor even if they dont share the exact same values. However, it has been my experience that these older style mentees are simply just more stubborn in their ways and beliefs. Many of which have no formal education after high school (which is what we are trying to change) and often times do not always value education as much as myself or the other mentors. I truly believe education teaches and fosters tolerance and understanding of differences more than anything else, especially at the university level. Unfortunately these mentees have not gotten the opportunity to fully understand this yet. For instance, I personally have had mentees who have argued with me over political affiliation (arguably a higher level debate than the sharing of toys example provided). As a moderate, I see pros and cons with each side, and often times find myself playing devil's advocate in debate. However, it has been my experience that when the issue arises, more times than not, my mentees will engage in a defensive battle rather than trying to hear and understand my points. This goes against everything Locke (and Green) were trying to portray in that it is ok to be different, and value different things, as long as we have respect for others' values as well. I will continue to work with them to ensure they know that it is ok to be different and that just because someone else believes something different from them does not mean that this makes their value wrong. They feel too personally attacked when they are disagreed with, and this is what im striving to change.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with Locke and Green’s point of view on unity of values. I think everyone has different values; it depends on the person’s family background, ethnicity, economic background, and many other factors. Everything about the person shapes his personality, his inner-values and his perspectives on things around him. As Locke said, it is impossible to make universal value-system. Everyone has his or her own belief, own thoughts, own view of things. As for now, I am still searching for my own value system, or things that matter to me the most. For the Human Rights Center, its value system clearly is to help these children the best we can, provide them what they need and things that they lack, which is a well-educational background. Most of their parents are struggling with reading and solving mathematics problems. What the Human Rights Center can do is provide them an environment where they can meet with college students to get help. As our college students, our values are also different among us. Some of us are going to the Center to fulfill a requirement for a class, some are for practicing Spanish, and also some are going there to experience the lower status of this society. Everyone has his own reason of going there. For me, I go there because as for myself, I was born in China and brought up in China where my social and economic status was low just like these children in the U.S. Sometimes when I go there and meet these children, I could see myself in them, as they are struggling with reading English, etc. I go there to help, to let these children know that they have an equal opportunity just like everybody else does.
ReplyDeleteI had this conversation with a student last week at the Center. I asked this boy who is in 6th grade what he wanted to do when he grew up. To my surprise, he answered “I want to become a soldier.” Not that I do not like soldiers, but as for a teenage boy, most of the time an answer would be like a professor, a doctor, a lawyer, not a fighting soldier. Maybe he is very masculine that he would only want to be a soldier, and that becoming a soldier would fulfill his dream. But I do not think that is the case. As we were working on a math problem that required some reading, surprisingly, I found out that he could barely read. I do not know his background but one thing for sure is that his parents probably also can barely read. I think reading is important even for a soldier, a commander. I assumed that because of his lack of reading ability and low academic achievement up to this point, he does not think he has what it takes to achieve a higher education. But he is still young, and he could go to college one day and figure out what he really wants to do when he grows up. All he needs right now is a little bit self-confidence that he can do anything he wants to as long as he works hard and he believes. He values his life and his career differently from me and the Center, based on his background.
There are so many cases like such that exist in the Center and among these children. I understand why they have each different individual values but I truly hope I could make a change there, make them realize there are many other opportunities out there, and it is their job to go out and find the best that suits their personality and interest.
-Ray Dong
I encounter an array of individuals while working at St. Joseph’s Bread Ministry. Through conversation I’ve noticed that many of patrons at the ministry seem to place more value on working/making money than education. This ideal directly conflicts with my personal beliefs. I hold the value of education and the experiences that come with at an extremely esteem. Initially, I questioned why these individuals did not hold these same values. I couldn’t fathom how someone so close to a prestigious university didn’t aspire to obtain a college degree. However, further contemplation revealed that my preliminary thoughts were absolutely absurd! I have come to realize that no single value is greater than another. One must understand that the conjunction of all values create inclusive, productive environments conducive for growth and development. Though at times it may be difficult, I agree with both Locke and Green; we should most certainly work toward the tolerance of values. Achieving homogenous viewpoints should not be our main objective. Establishing a universal value system will not ensure optimal interactions within and among groups. Kofi Annan, the former Secretary-General of the United Nations, best articulates these sentiments by saying, "Tolerance, inter-cultural dialogue and respect for diversity are more essential than ever in a world where peoples are becoming more and more closely interconnected."
ReplyDeleteThrough the Blue Ribbon Mentoring Advocate program, I have observed many different values that exist at the local Chapel Hill High School amongst students and even teachers. Although I am only exposed to one student (Maggie) through the one-on-one tutoring program, I still have the opportunity to see and examine some of the values and ideals other students and teachers have. Maggie's honors geometry teacher is one of the few people at the school that I had some direct contact and communication with, which has allowed me to observe and comprehend her value system against my own. Her teacher puts most of her time and focus on the collective, which means that she is primarily concerned with overall progression of her class rather than the progression of the individual students. Although I have no right to criticize her teaching methods, I do find her value-system to be flawed and one-dimensional. She expects her students to be all on the same level and does not take initial action if one or two students are lagging behind, unless if the students take the initiative to get help. If students are not motivated or do not have the means to receive extra help, what can we expect from them and what can the teachers do to help them? When I first noticed the teaching methods and the value-system instilled upon Maggie's math teacher, my initial reaction was critical and even a bit angry. However, I realized that I must first understand the situation of the teachers and the relationship between the teachers and the students before I can make any assumption and ultimately learn to tolerate different values, ideals, and approaches. Maggie's geometry teacher and others in Chapel Hill HS are put under immense stress to meet certain guidelines and regulations for their students or they will be heavily scrutinized, under budgeted, or even fired. With this kind of policy, the teachers are pressured to teach in the most efficient manner possible (quality vs. quantity). This is one of the many experiences that I went through in the BRMA program and it showed me that tolerance is more than just accepting or being indifferent to one's different value-system. Tolerance is also about understanding the context and situation of the person's value-system to have a better grasp of it within a community.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Locke's and Green's points about tolerance and how a universal set of value-systems is impossible to exist. I believe that unity can exist through a system of diversity, which means that unity is created through our own unique and personal value-systems.
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ReplyDeleteI would argue that I value the educations of the children I tutor more than they do. I would argue this because the children are often un-attentive and hyper. They are especially annoying on Friday afternoons. I'm sure it is just their age. I didnt value my education when I was a 12 year old fourth grader. It probably doesnt help that English is their second language. I'm sure that trying to understand and learn English all day long gets boring. Going to school for them is like sitting through a foreign language class all day!!!
ReplyDeleteI typically respond with frustration because I am an extremely impatient person! I have also been thinking about resorting to bribery. In fact, I might bring candy with me tomorrow. I think that bribery is the easiest way to deal with children. Children will do anything for candy. :) I'm sure it will make them pay attention. This is probably not the most ethical response, but it is important that they get everything they can out of our time together!!
I feel like most values are shared between me, the kids and the people from FPG. However, I share a different view of an afterschool program that I hope to instill through the next few weeks. The adults are a lot more worried about getting kids to go there, so they don't make the strictly scholastic. Its fun to get to know the kids, play with them, and its great to have a chance to influence their lives. However, most of the kids can barely speak English, so it would be more beneficial for the students to be reading. I have been trying to get the kids to read more but they will say no and then go home. I need to find new ways to reach these kids and engage them better. I feel like i have been tolerant about their values so far. It as good idea to make the center fun and appealing just so kids come out. It is a new center, so the important thing is to create a fun learning environment that brings the kids back every day. As time goes on, we can transition into more efficient activities that help the kids learn english, and help them academically.
ReplyDeleteFor my Apples assignment I am currently volunteering at the Northside Bread Ministry at St. Joseph's CME. This is something that I struggle with on a daily bases. The way things work is that the food is organized and then dispersed based on the supply and availability. With over 75 people coming to the bread ministry on a daily bases, it is sometimes difficult to have enough desirable food for everyone; therefore, we try to regulate a set number of food items. (ex. 1 meat, a salad, 4 fruits, etc) Sometimes this becomes an issue when those in need get greedy or try to slip extra food beneath the table. As a sharing individual, I often tend to put others before myself; therefore, it is often difficult to deal with these instances of self greed. It becomes even more difficult of a situation when I catch them, because it is my duty to help regulate the dispersement so that the last person in line can still get some food. But then I begin to think to myself.. Well what if they really need that extra food? What if someone is allergic? I'll look at the children that come with their mothers and fathers, and feel the walls closing in on me because I don't want to make a scene. And so as much as I hate it, and it goes against my own value system, I let them slide. Sometimes it is upsetting and other times I am frustrated, but I remember why I am doing what I do and who is the most important person in the situation.. Those in need. Though I do struggle with this power system of values, I believe the one way to solve this issue is by building a relationship with the people of the community. It is easy to try to get away with taking extra food in front of someone you don't know or don't care about, but it is harder to do this to someone who is your friend. So I believe that it is important that I understand their story and that they understand mine; therefore, we can allow our mutual respect to dispel any greedy desires.
ReplyDeleteSince I am working with Heels for Haiti for my apples assignment, I am basically only working to help the people affected by this terrible disaster. However, my past experiences with the Human Rights Center has provided me with a ton of examples.
ReplyDeleteFirst, the concept of trust is huge component for helping the Latino community. I can remember last year when we were at the Human Rights Festival in Carborro. The intent of the festival was mainly to gain the trust of the Latino community. What I have gathered from my interactions was that the Latino community is not one who seeks out help from others. They mainly keep to themselves and some have even developed stereotypes about us as Americans. Many believe that we do not want them there, ect.. That is not the case for all of us. Building trust and providing our open arms to these people allows them to open up to us. When at the festival, many of them were tentative to come talk or even join our activities. Once any member of our group went up and introduced ourselves and had the smallest of conversations, they were able to relax and partake in the activities. The kids are usually the ice breakers because they have not made any assumptions or stereotypes. At first I was confused and a little turned off that some people would view our group as one that did not have their best interest at heart, but then I realized that the feeling might be mutual and they are even more fearful at times then we are. After coming to this realization, my main goal was to make it completely obvious that we all wanted to help. No matter how some Latino's act towards me I still use the same helpful attitude to get my point across.
The more I interact, the more I realize their values are equal to ours. The reason they bring their children to the Human Rights Center is to further educate them and to integrate them into American society. This is basically the same as any US Citizen putting their kid through preschool or a day care program. Also, their values of hard work are the same, if not even stronger than many Americans. When they are hired to do a job, they do the most thorough job they possibly can. Their number one objective is to provide for their family like many Americans.
In conclusion, I do believe that they have relative interests and do not have values that are too far from ours. I hope my examples have provided some good points to back up what I have written.
Working with the Orange County Rape Crisis Center has been extraordinarily enlightening; however, I have found that there are some differences in my values than in the values of those I’m working with. One thing that strikes me the most is that the OCRCC, when discussing the attributes of a perpetrator of sexual violence, don’t specifically mention that perpetrators are almost always men, in cases where the victim is a man or a woman. One statistic that I learned last semester is that 98% of sexual violence is committed by me, but not 98% of men commit sexual violence. Even if an organization values not alienating half of the population (men who would feel attacked by this notion), I value truly inspecting the underlying root causes of sexual violence, which would be naming men as the perpetrators (even though I’m definitely not saying all men are perpetrators, don’t get me wrong). One other value that is different between me and my organization is communication. It’s really difficult to get in touch with anyone at the OCRCC regarding special projects (like APPLES). Although everyone there is very nice, you often don’t hear back from people for days or weeks. I’d prefer communication to go a little easier, but that said, things have been a little better the past week or so. At this point I haven’t responded to these differences in values to anyone at the OCRCC. They are a well-established, community serving organization that knows what they’re doing. Even though our values are slightly different, I’m trying to be completely tolerant because of how much they do for the community and the positive effects they’ve had thus far.
ReplyDeleteThe School Reading partners, as an organization, clearly values student reading and learning in both the Spanish and English language to accommodate English and Spanish speaking students. On the surface, this is a very admirable goal considering the seemingly national hype and support to make English the official language of this country. Nevertheless, my values seem to conflict with that of the organization when it comes to the distribution of reading needs amongst the students. I find myself assigned to reading in Spanish with students whose first language is English, instead of reinforcing the reading skills of those children who already speak Spanish and need more practicing reading in their native language. Though this neglect of Spanish speaking students may not be intentional, it does send out a wrong message. Even though the greatest need is within the Hispanic/Latino student population, I am reading primarily in Spanish with students who are native English speakers. In other words I feel that I, as a native Spanish speaker and fluent English speaker am not being put to the upmost use. I’m reading with native English speakers in Spanish, instead of perhaps in English with native Spanish speakers who would appear to need more immediate help in order to be successful in school. In America, the primary language of instruction is English. The School Reading partners seems to be more focused in supporting the dual language program with native English speaking children, than providing tutoring for students struggling in reading English because it isn’t their first language. The program is doing a better job in helping English speakers read in Spanish than Spanish-speakers read in English and this really conflicts with my values in terms of prioritizing children with learning needs within the educational system. I tend to maintain a quiet and non-confrontational demeanor, so my inward response has naturally been to brush this conflict with my values and that of the organization to the side. I do this, because, I still recognize that the service work I’m doing every Wednesday is making a difference because by doing so I am supporting English-speakers in their admirable attempt to learn Spanish. Whereas Spanish speakers need to learn English to be successful in the American system, English speakers don’t necessarily have to learn Spanish and so I value their attempt to do so. I feel that I am tolerant of values that are different form my own for the most part, but I do believe that the tendency to make others value the same things you value is inevitable. People in a privileged position are usually the ones successful in imposing or sharing their values and ultimately persuading others to accept them as ideal values as well.
ReplyDeleteAndrea Solorzano
ReplyDeleteI am volunteering as an ESL tutor at Rashkis elementary school in Chapel Hill. I share my time between two classrooms working with two different first grade students from Korea. In the classrooms I have noticed one distinct value difference between the teacher and me. I value inclusiveness in the classroom; I believe that all children should be treated equally and fairly. Deep down I think that all teachers believe in this as well. However, this is just not what I see happen in the classroom on a daily basis. In both of the classrooms the children have “carpet time” where they sit on a carpet and the teacher shares something related to the lesson. Generally all the kids are very eager to share something they know about the subject, and raise their hands frequently to comment or answer questions. I have noticed that both teachers appear to have their favorite students that they call on again and again neglecting to call on others who raise their hands frequently as well. It is important for all the children to be involved and to feel that their opinions are valued. If a student raises their hand over and over again and is never called on they may decide that they don’t want to participate anymore which would be unfortunate for their education.
ReplyDeleteI know that I am not a teacher, nor do I have a desire to be one, but I think it is very important that they give each student an equal opportunity to share. I don’t know the teachers reasoning behind what they do, perhaps they know who will have a relevant comment and who will not. Since I have not been in the classroom with these students as long as the teachers have I don’t know all of the background information or the classroom dynamics as a whole, I truly only see a small piece of classroom life. However each day I am frustrated with this system especially because of my inexperience I don’t feel that I am in a place to mention this problem. In response to this I do my part to make sure that when one of the students is sharing something with me, even if it is not my ESL student I take time to listen and to comment on what they say, letting them know that what they have to say is important. How tolerant am I? I don’t know. I see it happen, I let it happen, I believe that the teachers are professional and know what they are doing. They do pay attention to each child one on one during literacy centers and other learning activities, this issue seems to be limited to large group activities. However, in my role as a volunteer I want to make sure that the children feel valued when they have something to share with me.
Amer Raja
ReplyDeleteFor my APPLES assignment, I am working with a grassroots organization known as the Heirs to a Fighting Tradition. Their values are very much similar to my own in the value that they place on the significance of narratives and in advocating for social justice. Thus far I have not had any significant conflict of value with the Heirs project, because it really does seem to fit my own personal inclinations. I suppose perhaps one way in which my values differ from those of the Heirs Project coordinators is that I would like to focus a little bit more on the "sublime" of the real world. Things and people that have become so absorbed into the background that when we walk down the streets we seldom notice the greatness around us. This is probably a reflection of an experience I had as a Freshman at UNC in which I met a homeless Vietnam vet. He taught me a great deal about the struggles of life, the importance of integrity and the absolute centrality of struggling to survive. I brought this up with the Heirs project coordinator and she thought that it was a great idea to branch out into the everyday narratives of struggling for social justice as well, so I cannot say that I experienced any significant emotion except pleasure that this organization is taking initiatives to change the landscape of North Carolina, one story at a time.
So far for my APPLES assignment, I have been working with Heels for Haiti. So everyone I have encountered through doing this has the shared goal of helping the victims of this tragedy, and I have not interacted on an intimate enough level to understand the values of those involved.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I have noticed that some of the people I have worked with in the past have certain values that do not necessarily line up with my own. For example, through my work through UNC's Extended Disaster Relief (EDR) program and the Dream Fuel organization in Waveland, Mississippi, I was able to help out several families who fell victim to the Katrina disaster as well as work with other volunteers who were helping out indefinitely. What I found among many of them was a particularly strong faith in God and an equally strong devotion to the Christian Church, usually in evangelical terms. One center we worked at was a free store and one of the things given out for free were Bibles and Christian pamphlets. Another woman referred to me and another girl working on a project with me as "angels sent from God." I myself am not a strongly religious person; however, the faith of these people,as it was definitely a successful coping mechanism in this situation, did not change my regard for them, as it might at other times when people are trying to impose their religious beliefs on me or others.
People's values, especially religious ones, can be a very divisive factor. But underneath the dogma or absence of it, most of humanity strives for the good of all. I believe that is the way I am, and the way everyone I have ever worked with is as well.
My volunteering with Heirs to a fighting tradition has shown me a lot about the values that most people seem to disregard in their daily lives. For example, they value speech and the oral collection as that is what the project is about. I do share most of my values with Heirs, but I think there is a lot to learn by seeing simply what they advocate. As citizens of a free country we have basic rights such as freedom of speech. So many of us take for granted our ability to say what we want. In my opinion, this value is one that might seem insignificant, but once taken away would become a huge loss. It's easy to say that you agree with someone, but when it comes time to sacrifice a value, it is nearly impossible. That's why I agree with Green's concept of tolerance, you can learn to appreciate each others values enough to live with them.
ReplyDeleteFor my APPLES assignment I am volunteering at Seawell Elementary with Pre-K students. While working with these children I have noticed a different value system between myself and the parent’s of the students. Most of the children in the afterschool program come from homes where the parent’s do not necessarily take an interest in their child’s education. It is up to the teachers and volunteers to really push the kids to strive to do well and learn. It is important to help children at this age because they are still in their first stages of developing social and logical skills. It is important that we encourage the kids in the classroom to take interest in playing with others and solving puzzles and learning numbers. The value system between the teachers and the parent’s is very different and from speaking with the teachers and seeing the student’s interact with their parent’s when they pick them up it is quite obvious. The parents are not as enthusiastic about teaching the kids skills as the teachers are. Green would say that the teachers and volunteers have similar values of wanting the children to strive to do well and that the parent’s are not making as much effort as they should. If the parent’s would take more interest in their children’s work and take the time to interact with them the kids would benefit greatly. Even though the parents and teachers have different values, the teachers respect the parent’s and do not get into the personal lives of the students. The teachers just make sure that when the students come to school they give them as much attention as possible and teach them as much as they can. The teachers are tolerant of the parents views and help further the children’s education without interfering in the students personal lives.
ReplyDeleteFor my APPLES placement, I have been working with St. Joe's CME Church Bread Ministry. Most everyone that I have encountered there has been very friendly and genuinely appreciative of the services offered, but there are two people who we serve that show disdain rather than gratitude for the services. For example, one man does not think that he should have to wait in line with everyone else and glares at whoever is calling out the randomly assigned numbers for those people to enter and pick out their own food. He always sighs loudly when his number is not called and even if he only has to wait for a few minutes he loudly exclaims "FINALLY" in a not so polite manner.
ReplyDeleteI was always taught that whenever someone is doing something for you, you should treat them with the utmost respect and politely express your gratitude, so at first when I encountered this man I was a little bit angered at his actions because they so clearly went against the cultural codes to which I have always ascribed. Admittedly, it is a bit hurtful when he does these things because it is almost as if he is devaluing the time that I spend there each day trying to help those that are in need.
It is only in stepping back to analyze why I feel this way that I realize he has his own unique perspective on the issue. When I look at it through his eyes, he may not have eaten a meal all day so with each minute that passes he is getting hungrier and hungrier. A drop in blood glucose levels can make a person cranky, so that may explain why he may not act in a way that I deem appropriate. Also, he may not ascribe to the same sort of cultural code of politeness that I was brought up to believe in. Overall, I think that I am pretty tolerant of this differences because I can look at them and understand them from his point-of-view.
I think what Locke and Green are getting it is similar to this idea of cultural relativism, which basically translates to mean that no culture is more superior than another culture and in more specific terms no customs or values or more superior. I think as for as me working with the children at Abbey Court last semester and even now, I have noticed many differences in our value systems. Particularly with the parent to child interactions. The way in which some of the students speak with or behave with their parents and in turn behave with the other adults in the center would not be tolerated in my household or family, period. However, it is not up to us as the students, staff or teachers to discipline this child and suggest that he act according to our standards because they are just that, OUR standards. When addressing the child that has the behavior problems I still act accordingly to how I was raised. I don't baby the student and let them act as they please, and if they do, they no longer receive my attention or help because they are just acting out. It's not anger and it's not something I do not respond to it. I address it head on. I let the student know I am here to help, but temper tantrums don't motivate me anymore than it will motivate them. We've got to find a happy place. I think I've learned this response after working with students for the past 5 years. Tolerance and patience are keys to success at the end of the day. I think my response now compared to how it was years is go is more tailored to Locke and Green's idea of being tolerable of other's values. I never comment on how the child was raised to the child or the parent or guardian. I simply explain the expectations of the site or school in which I am working and let the parent and student know that we expect them to act accordingly. Looking at this statement now I wonder if schools and similar After School programs are subliminally pushing a universal value-system. Think about It, the Character Trait lessons, the universal classroom rules. It's basically saying you may not have any home training, but you will act in the correct manner while in the school house.
ReplyDeletefor my apples assignment i am tutoring at morris grove elementary school in mr berrys 5th grade class. one of the things ive noticed that i value more so than the kids is education in general. in the five weeks ive been volunteering, often when mr berry is giving instruction the kids will be talking amongst themselves, playing with things on their desks, or put their heads down. they don't realize how valuable an education is and how lucky they are to be receiving one at no cost.
ReplyDeleteon the same note, the kids for the most part have no respect for their teachers. they rarely listen to instruction and almost always talk back. i thought this was unusual because when i was in elementary school no one ever talked back to the teachers and we had the utmost respect for anyone who worked at the school.
one final thing i've noticed that the kids dont value as much as myself is honesty and integrity. usually they will take out their homework from the night before and the teacher will have them grade the assignment hemselves as they go over it in class. instead of marking any incorrect answers wrong, they will look to make sure no one is watching and change the answer to give them a higher grade.
For my APPLES placement I am heading up the “Women’s Circle” at the Carrboro Human Rights Center. Our goal is to create a support system for newly immigrated women living in Carrboro. Along with fostering a support system for all women, we want to have film screenings discussing the human rights of Latina women and a resource fair to help connect the women with local employers.
ReplyDeleteI feel incredibly passionate about human rights. For my APPLES placement I would like nothing more than to help these women become ardent defenders of their rights as humans, immigrants and as women. However, I must realize that this is not the most important goal of these women. The majority of these women have travelled thousands of miles, across countries and borders. They’ve left homelands, friends, families and even entire social support systems and cultures. Most of this has been in pursuance of creating a better life for themselves and their children. While I think educating these women about their human rights is an important task, these women will probably have little interest about their right to education or shelter. They want practical help to aid in taking care of themselves and their families. For this reason, I believe the women will be much more interested in events such as the resource fair. They will see a direct connection between the event and how it can benefit them. What good does watching a film about the right of trafficked Latina women do for a woman who needs to find a local job to feed her family?
I believe Locke and Greens’ words are important to internalize in my endeavors. My values: promoting human rights and educating Latina women of their human rights, need to be considered along with those of the immigrant women: caring and providing for themselves and their families. I believe in the case of service, the values of yourself and those you are serving must be taken into consideration. Without seeking to understand the core values of each party, a mutually beneficial relationship cannot be established. I cannot expect to have the same values of these women, we come from completely different backgrounds, have completely different lives and interests. Although I cannot fully understand their experiences, I can recognize their value systems and work to incorporate them into my project.
I hope that so far I have been tolerant in my planning for the Women’s Circle. While I want to promote human rights and my values, I also want to make the project sustainable and practical for the women’s needs. Critically examining my reaction to the difference in values, I realize that my values, in the case of service, are less important than those of the population I’m serving. Furthermore, by serving the values of the women, I am promoting human rights. Through helping women harness their human right to occupation, I am acting as a more direct advocate of human rights.
-Karyn Shealy
In my work volunteering at Carrboro Elementary School with the second graders I have realized that the entire concept of sacrificing the needs and the values of the individual for the common goal or the common good is one that takes maturity and growth. For the most part, second graders in general are very aware of their own needs and wants and usually are adamant about fulfilling them. I notice when I am helping one student with their work it is not unsual for another to come up and want and expect help simultaneously or in place of the first. Notions of sharing and equalizing opportunity have yet to be fully developed. From these experiences, the need and importance of cooperation has been reinforced in my own beliefs. With maturity my value for the common good and equal opportunity has grown in a way that has not been fully realized in the students with whom I work. At times I do find myself a bit frustrated that some of them do not seem to understand that everything can not always be about them exactly when and how they want it. Generally, my response has been to try to get the students to understand that their classmates desire for help is just as valid and important as theirs and try to mediate and give equal amounts of attention to each student. In this particular situation, I believe I am very tolerant of the differences in value because I realize there is a maturity level difference that is causing the divide, however, generally I do feel that I am understanding of others with different value systems than my own. I do realize that experiences shape values and not all people have the same experiences and therefore not all will share the same values. Exemplified in my classroom and in the world around us however is the need for people with different values to cooperate for any real progress to be made.
ReplyDeleteThe theme of Locke and Greene of toleration of values in comparison to unity of values, i think is an important concept that we must move towards. In the past when a nation, or group tries to unify the values of people, especially those assimilated into an area for some cause, generally causes more agitation than peace. We can see this with past sources such as soviet communism, and many others.
ReplyDeleteI am helping tutor fifth grade kids, and these kids are assimilated, not dependent on race or anything, to going to school, because education is a value our nation holds dearly. It is therefore important to recognize different values, and learn a tolerance of these values. Kids seem to notice slight differences between people and are not afraid to shout it out, it can be funny at times, but what is interesting is that these young kids don't necessarily try to act exactly as all their peers do. So, it is important to encourage this individuality but also stress the importance of tolerating one another's differences.
I feel like the teachers and myself share the value of teaching tolerance of differences among each other. Parents and teachers alike often say don't do that, etc., when a kid is acting out of line to somebody else. I think this combined effort is making great strides as our society becomes more and more a melting pot, and we are caring less and less about unifying people's beliefs, values, etc.
I have been working with the Heirs to a Fighting Tradition organization which mostly collects oral histories of grassroots activists. My values, for the most part, are in line with this organization but I know that many people overlook the importance of collecting histories because they do not think they are or will be important. People are very short sighted, we can see this in almost everything from how the government is unwilling to begin more sustainable programs because of the cost now and because they say they will not help for ten years. I think it is important to collect histories now from people who are not quite as obvious. It is often the people seemingly in the background that have the most to teach us for now and in the future. This is why I think it is especially good that the Heirs Program is collecting these histories and that I am able to help index the important places and people they talk about so that the public can better understand activism.
ReplyDelete-Chelsea Glenn
The APPLES project I am working on is Heels for Haiti. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to visit Haiti right now to witness firsthand the devastation that has occurred. However, the little that we can do here in Chapel Hill can make a difference for the Haitian people. While working with Heels for Haiti selling wristbands, I’ve come in contact with two people with direct connections to Haiti who were extremely thankful for what Heels for Haiti aims to accomplish.
ReplyDeleteOne lady sat down with me and told me about how her mom was born and raised in Haiti, and spoke about their faith. Faith in America is a very polarizing topic, often overlooked in our day to day lives. A person’s value system is often times tied to their faith and beliefs. In America, we preach unity and Americanism, when really Americanism should be what we really are: a melting pot. I think that a lot of people misunderstand what a melting pot means in this context. I like to think of a melting pot as an opportunity for different ingredients to come together and create a better whole, with each distinct flavor coexisting and adding value. I spoke of faith and the concept of a melting pot because the woman, Nina, said that in Haiti, the people who survived the earthquake sang and danced in the streets praising their god for surviving. Despite the earthquake destroying buildings, killing thousands, and forever shaking their lives, Haitians valued life and their faith above all else. In America I could never see such an act and imagine quite the opposite reaction- people questioning their faith. I have found that Americans value material goods much more than Haitians or Hispanics who stress relationships and family above all else. I share this because I for one would much rather celebrate than grieve. It is not healthy to look upon another culture or religion and envision what it would be like to assimilate them to the way your culture thinks. At the end of the day, I believe that everyone’s values, no matter how different, ultimately are good willed and share the goal of improving their lives and the ones around them. Accepting this idea and becoming tolerant of other people's values is the first step to building an environment and community where cultures coexist and there is equality for all.
-Tommy D'Alessandro
The proceeds we generate from Heels for Haiti are obviously aimed to help restore their community with food and water first. The same would be true in the US if a disaster like Haiti suffered had happened here. With this being said, I have been interested to learn about how any addition funds (i.e. money not used for food/water) would be used.
ReplyDeleteReligion in Haiti is given the upmost attention and respect. Once the earthquake hit, those that survived were quick to praise God that they were still alive, rather than question why such tragedy would occur. This is relevant because it reflects a different value system than that of the US. Haitians rely on their churches to provide safety and a place to worship God. Now because so many of these churches have been destroyed, the emphasis on rebuilding and reconstructing churches is great. Generally speaking, it is clear the people of Haiti value their actual church (literally the building's structure) more so than Americans. This is without question a generalist viewpoint, however, it does raise an interesting question. What if large amounts of US and Haiti citizens were living amongst one another while such tragedy occurred? Would the Haitians strive to rebuild their churches first and foremost? Would Americans place more emphasis on secular establishments?
It is obvious different people value different things, however, in a time of tragedy, who decides what buildings are rebuilt first? It is important we understand that my hypothetical about large amounts of Haitians and Americans living alongside one another is already taking place. In order to satisfy everyone's wants and desires, everyone's values must be accounted for.
-Michael Jarvis
Green uses Locke’s thinking to talk about the process of becoming a more open and understanding individual. The democratic individual has no absolutes; he takes into account everyone’s opinion and acknowledges that no one has the full truth. Rather, the truth is found when weighing each person’s opinions equally against one another, regarding them each as a facet of the truth. That being said, accepting the opinions of others is much easier said than done. It’s hard not to favor your own intuition, but in order to be sociologically fair, we must overcome that.
ReplyDeleteWorking at St. Joseph’s Church in the Bread Ministry has brought me in touch with a lot of people whose values are different than my own. I think that is pretty much inherent when working with people of varying races, socioeconomic statuses, and education levels. One of the things that put me off the most when I starting working there was the way the food is distributed. When I volunteer, I help sort the food, going by the guideline “if you wouldn’t eat it, throw it away.” While I was sorting food, I noticed some of the ladies that work there were setting aside some of the food. Usually the nicer looking, more elaborate desserts got put aside, sometimes the more choice produce, and sometimes the prepared meals.
I wondered where all of it was going, until one day I discovered that the women were taking these things for themselves. I felt a little angry and put off by this. Why do these people need to take food when they have money to buy it themselves? How is it fair that they get to look through it first while hungry people stand outside and wait for the food bank’s doors to open? I thought it all massively unfair and wrong. It wasn’t long before I was encouraged to take food myself. As I was sorting the fruit I said, “These pears look nice, I will have to get some next time I am at the grocery story.” The woman working near me said, “Why would you spend money on them when you can just take them from here?”
I was speechless. I think I shrugged and just kept on working. But I got to thinking. Why do I think some people are entitled to this food and others aren’t? The food has imperfections or is reaching its expiration date. Grocery stores just give it away for the tax write-offs instead of throwing it out, which I’m sure many other stores do. So this food is no one’s food. And it wouldn’t even get to the people at the food bank if it weren’t for the ladies I work with, the other volunteers, and myself. Then I understood why it was ok for everyone to have the food, regardless of their circumstances. I still feel too strange to take anything for myself, but I no longer judge others who do it. This is a food bank for everyone.
-Taylor Bunch
DJ Berry
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Green in the sense that it would be impossible to have a universal value system. Even within our own cultures there are differences in values which range from education, money, clothes etc. In my apples assignment, playing soccer on the weekends, I don’t get to interact with the kids at the center in the same manner as afterschool tutors do. In what I have noticed; kid’s value who can play or who they think can play soccer the best. Furthermore, the kids value who gets to be the team captain. Although this seems trivial to me, they take this very serious. Kids have cried, gone back inside, or haven’t played to their full potential just because they weren’t able to be captain on that specific day.
When it comes to playing soccer it makes sense to value who can play the best and put them on your team, but what I have noticed is although they judge people based on their outward appearance, there opinions quickly change once they see you play/get to know you. For instance, looking at me you wouldn’t think I could play soccer well, and on a technical and skill level I can’t. But I am faster than most of them and that quality set's me apart from other players. What I think this speaks to is the fact that although a universal value system is never possible, valuing and respecting someone for the unique qualities they have, helps you to learn about others and is something that can be easily achieved.
One blatant difference in values between me and the kids who play soccer is the cursing. I don’t curse, my parents don’t, and rarely do I hear my friends curse. It seemed very normal for the kids to curse at each other in either Spanish or English. My first time hearing it, it caught me by surprise, but I did not tell them to stop or that’s rude to say. The only time I’ve had to intervene is when emotions were “high” and a fight was about to break out. Never the less it seems that with age, you don’t fret about the small stuff which is something everyone must learn. Having once been there age I understand where most of their frustration in these particular situations is coming from. It is important to get them to realize that communication and boundaries are important, but they are meant to be stretched and expounded upon in terms of working towards tolerance of other values dissimilar from your own.
Unfortunately, my APPLES experience up to this point has not been overly positive, but of the work I did, I was able to participate in the Human Rights Center soccer program. I worked with about 6 other college students during this day, but no children stayed for the event. Although I was only working with fellow students, I did notice differences in our values regarding the program.
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning, we all began to pass the ball and play a short scrimmage in hopes that children would come play with us. When this approach did not work, it seemed that most of the coaches just gave up or played by themselves. This showed me that I was more interested in participation and inclusion than a few of the other volunteers. I felt that since this was a program for the children, we should do more than expect the children to come to us. They could have been nervous, shy, scared, etc. and may have needed a little encouragement to come outside.
When this happened, I felt slightly angry, but mostly disappointed. I was really hoping that the soccer program would work out and be beneficial for the children, but it seemed that we just couldn't make it work. Without the entire group fully participating and encouraging the children to play, our group would not seem orderly or cohesive. Regardless of the impression we gave of ourselves, the false promise to the kids that we would try our best was the biggest disappointment.
I think that I reacted in a very tolerant manner, but I do not think this was the correct approach in this situation. In my situation, I am relating tolerance with passivity. When we did not work together to encourage the children to play, I said nothing because I did not know how to fix the problem. I think that internally I was tolerant of the behavior because I knew that everyone had different hopes for the program and we would all participate differently. However, I think that the passivity that I am also calling tolerance helped lead to a big disappointment because we broke a promise to the kids.
I am also in the Heels For Haiti group but I have worked with the Human Rights Center in the past. From my experiences, as many others have touched on, the Latino community can sometimes be a bit hesitant to interact with us when we visit Abbey Court or at an event like the Human Rights Festival last year. Unfortunately, this hesitation may come from negative past experiences with Americans, but the nice thing about reaching out (even to those reluctant at first) is that you can change their attitudes by providing a positive experience. I know everyone involved with the Human Rights Festival last year had a blast, especially the 10-15 people from the Latino Community. Hopefully our efforts that day made crossing that racial/cultural dividing line that much easier and pleasant.
ReplyDeleteAs previously mentioned, trust is vital for a diverse group to work together so establishing positive relationships with everyone/anyone you come across will help our community grow and prosper.
- Joe Howard
For my APPLES placement, I volunteer every week at a Pre-school at Seawell Elementary. Throughout the weeks I have been volunteering, I have viewed several observations about the classroom environment. I noticed that sometimes a couple of children tend to play in separate corners on their own. Although this can have some benefits such as developing independence, children who often have little or no experience in playing with their peers can develop serious social problems in the future. Sometimes the teacher can be so tied up and focused on one child that she overlooks the fact that some children are alone. I find this somewhat disappointing because according to my value system, I believe that pre-schools should encourage group activities frequently. It is the responsibility of the teacher to find opportunities for social and emotional learning and activities that encourage growth. Not only should the teacher encourage group activity with friends, but she should also leave the option for them to play with someone they don't normally play with on a daily basis. Variety is key. Another observation is the language barrier encountered with some students. Quite a few of the children are from various ethnic backgrounds and cultures, and a couple do not know much English. I feel that the slight language barrier has somewhat hindered the childrens' ability to learn, in that the children who do not speak much English feel intimidated to answer questions and keep quiet. While the teacher is doing the best she can to improve this obstacle, I feel that more should be done to encourage these children to participate in answering questions. I am very tolerant of all cultures, as I firmly believe in the importance of inclusive education, which involves including every child regardless of specific needs, race, gender, religion, or socio-economic background. It is crucial that each and every child in a classroom is given equal opportunity to actively participate in activities and to learn.
ReplyDelete-Nadeen Al-Ghandour
For my apples assignment I am working as an English as a Second Language(ESL) volunteer in second and third grade classrooms at Mary Scrogg Elementary School. While working there I have noticed that the teachers and administration share a similar value-system as I do. Especially when it comes to cultural diversity. For me cultural diversity is something extremely important. From my experience working at Mary Scroggs I noticed that they too value this concept as much as I do. In the classrooms that I volunteer in I work with students from various cultural backgrounds. I work with Hispanic, Korean and some Burmese students who know little to no English, some of them have only been in the United States less than 2.5 weeks. Their teachers divide their students into different groups and rotate for special activities. One of the special activities is culture. The teacher teaches the rest of the students about the different cultures that are represented in their classroom and focuses on the cultures of the ESL students this way the english-speaking students know more about the culture of those who do not speak english and develop respect for it. This was something that I really liked because I've never really seen anything like it especially in the elementary schools from where I'm from.
ReplyDeleteFor my APPLES assignment I have been working with an organization called the Community Empowerment Fund, and we work to provide savings and loan programs for individuals experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness. I have found that my values are quite similar to many of the individuals in that we tend to value education very highly. However, the differences I have seen is in the way in which many of these values are manifested. Because many of these individuals are struggling very deeply financially, it often seems hard to even consider educational opportunities because of the immediate need for money. I completely understand this struggle, and I think it is something that we should all keep in mind when working with others who are in different circumstances than ourselves. When a situation is critical and finances are completely out of whack, it is very hard for individuals to think in a way that might fully represent their value of education. While education might seem like the "perfect" opportunity to help individuals who are struggling with poverty for someone like me (who is obviously working toward higher education), I try to keep in mind the ways in which circumstances and individual needs can change the way in which people feel about things like education. This is not to say that these individuals are unable to work towards higher education, because many of them do, but the circumstances that they face make it much harder for them to conceptualize how they could possible put more time and often money into something that is such a long term investment.
ReplyDeleteAnother way that I have seen a difference in values has been in talking to other organizations/social services that work with many of the same populations that CEF does. While CEF, as a microfinance institution with a focus on savings, places a strong value on "helping an individual help oneself", it is often the case that many organizations focus more on and value charity and what I would consider handouts. I really enjoy working with CEF because of the way in which the dedicated volunteers work with an individual in many areas (such as connecting them to other resources and educating on banking and the importance of savings) rather than simply providing them with something and showing them to the door. While each of these social services in the community work to meet individuals' needs and provide them with essential human rights in many cases, it is often frustrating for me to see the way in which cases are handled and individuals are treated. I feel that it is very important for everyone, regardless of what their role in the community is, to respect others and devote what we can to help others without making less fortunate individuals our own personal "charity cases" because these people are, in so many ways, much more than that!
I have not yet been able to interact with the Hispanic women of the center for which I am planning a Women’s Circle. However, I anticipate that the women will have very different backgrounds than the one that I, from the New York City suburbs, carry. As an immigrant in America, I’m sure that the women of the center have the priority of providing for their family at the top of their list. While I too hope to provide for a family some day, I don’t think it will be with such urgency due to my citizenship.
ReplyDeleteA recent article in the DTH quotes a day laborer: "I could come here & starve by myself, or I could go home & starve with my family." I am sure that these women are trying to find jobs, just as their husbands are taking each and every hard labor job they can get. I feel that I can greatly benefit these women when I call different companies and provide the women with available job opportunities as well as other information.
I am aware that many immigrant women have faced a great deal of hardships getting into America and that living here is not any easier. I could not imagine a life where the basic right of earning a living is illegal. People my age apply for jobs constantly and quit them whenever they please. Many people my age don’t truly appreciate the value of having a job.
I anticipate that because of their struggles immigrant women have tighter bonds with their families. From what I have learned so far, they are doing everything that they can, despite the low quality of jobs, to support their spouses and their children. I feel as if their children are or will be much more aware of the efforts their parents put into their upbringing. In contrast, I am sure that many of my peers could not describe the struggle, if there was any at all, that their parents had in their upbringing.
- Olivia Ramirez
For me, personally is different because I came from a completely different background and experiences! But the thing is I try to get situated with my current life style and acculturate with the values of this culture and the country by itself. I confront this situation a lot, that when some one talks or discussing their opinions or ideas, Do not make an assumption if you disagree with her/him. But I see this a lot at my work place, there is a lady , she loves actually to talk all the time, and no matter what she sees or in what condition she is, she starts to talk and make an assumptions and share her opinion about the things without respecting others ideas! she is basically gossiping all the time. I felt so confused how to deal with it for the first few weeks but after that I kind of tried just to be patient and basically not say anything in other words ignoring that by being silent! I did not have to explain it for her to tell her that her attitude is not appropriate but I realized I just need to keep myself out of that condition!
ReplyDeleteI've been working with kindergarten students and I think at that age children are so simple. It seems like all they want to do is play. They get so excited about the smallest things and they all smile and laugh. There is an innocence and optimism that I see in a lot of the students. The difference I see between myself and them is that as I have grown older I am not as naive and I am even a little jaded. I find myself looking back at my own childhood and wishing that I could go back to the days when all I cared about was playing. In a sense, I envy the children but also, I feel sad because I know that the older the get the more they are going to lose that carefree, happy attitude. What is even sadder is that some will lose it much earlier than others depending on their home life and other circumstances. Children look at the world differently because they are too young to understand a lot of things. I'm at the stage in life where I am just now starting to pay some of my own bills, I have grades to worry about, and so many other things. I feel I've completely left the world that these students are in. I realize that the world is not at all the way they see it, but bursting their bubble is unnecessary. They definitely have completely different values and I think as children they should be allowed to. I see some people who don't like to play with children and get angry when children scream and shout and jump around but I think this is the only time they will be able to do it and it will be fine, so they should be allowed to. I have no problem, acknowledging fairies, Santa, and imaginary friends for the sake of a child. I think it is especially important to tolerate the values of children and acknowledge that they are just children, there is no need to burden them or drag them down with adult problems.
ReplyDelete-Zanele Mhlaba
Since i am working with Heels for Haiti i am helping to organize a foundation and raise money for the people who were affected by this disaster. During my work with Judith in the past specifically with the Human Rights Center, there have been many examples i can think of.
ReplyDeleteI feel that while working at the center in the past the main thing that needed to be created was the trust of the people at the Center. There were many times where i felt that i wasn't fully trusted with the kids and as i continued to go to the center the more of a welcoming attitude i received.
While working with the children i have noticed that they really enjoy when they are working with us. They like the fact that we can help them and it seems that many times the don't usually have help other than us. I understand many of the childrens parents at the center do both work and it is hard for them to help with their kid's schoolwork.
I personally think that helping these children now will only help them in the future. Giving up some of my time in order for these kids to get a better education or have a fun soccer game on the weekend really means a lot to them. It seems like such a simple idea and its disappointing that more people don't get the chance or take the chance to help volunteer in the community.
I feel that as a kid i did value my education more and that it was a main part of my life. My parents always pushed me in school and helped me along the way. My inward response is mostly that i wish these kids did have more help and were pushed more in their education. I think that i am very tolerant and hope that i have helped and can continue to help.
AMBER GRISSOM
ReplyDeleteJournal #3
Volunteering for a fourth grade class arises many differences in regards to my perception and a fourth graders. Particularly one example that comes to mind when referring to difference is education. I work with one student who does not pay attention or does classwork like she should. The barrier that could exist is one of two things: 1 maybe she does not value education enough to pay attention or 2 she needs more guidance as to what I am trying to aid in. I respond to the education difference positively by helping her with trying to be more focused and interested in learning through making it fun. We engage in various activities and games for the course materials being taight. Hopefully with my help she will be more willing to participate and follow directions to help her educational abilities. In regards to her actions, it does not frustrate me, but hopefully I can help aid in her interest for learning and help her attain new abilities. I think helping her see the importance for learning will help her in her future success of education and show her that education is key to many successors and attributes greatly. I think I am tolerable to the differences and am aware, but I want to help her rather than become selfish and get angry with the perception differences.
Anali Gaytan
ReplyDeleteMy APPLES placement was with the Campus Y as a box out volunteer. The Campus Y is one of the biggest organizations at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At the Y we strive for diversity and are involved in a lot of on and off campus service and activism. The Homeless Outreach Poverty Eradication (HOPE) committee is the one in charge of the Box Out which is a huge event that occurs during Poverty Awareness Week. Participating students sleep in the pit in cardboard boxes in hopes to increase homelessness awareness on campus. I believe that I share a lot of views with the organization that I was assigned with. Being able to make an impact both on and off campus is very important to me and has always been one of my goals. The campus Y focuses on informing the campus on many issues that sometimes go unnoticed and I feel blessed that I am able to be a part of a movement such as this.
Name is Hakeem Salib Rizk. In my APPLES Placement, I have noticed that the education that the children are receiving is at sometimes not the proper education that they should be receiving or the method is not proper. For example, the last time I volunteered, the teacher was teaching a select few of the students about the Great Depression and the effects it had on the American society. One would think that this is valuable information that everyone should learn, but should you learn about this in the first grade. I think this even struck me worse because some of the children are having some difficulties reading. Also, during the time I volunteer, the children have certain stations that they have to go to. For example, they have a reading station, math station, writing station, etc. However, they do it by themselves for the most part. Are they really learning or are they not paying attention and acting like a typical child? The way that the public classroom is set up at this elementary school bothers me sometimes. I went to a private school so I have some bias tendencies. But, I allow things to go because this is what they already know and are used to. Also, I noticed how certain students that are more advanced are treated better than the other students who are not. There is one teacher assistant that to me seems rude and highly disrespectful. She is always yelling at the little kids. Yelling at them does not produce an effective learning environment. I think that I am tolerant because I do not feel that it is my place to say something at this moment. Hopefully, the children will still learn.
ReplyDeleteI am currently working in Carolina Apartments on Mondays and Wednesdays tutoring and working with K-3 students through the Frank Porter Graham program. Working with the students, I have definitely noticed a difference in values. Most of the children (with the exception of one or two), will not share much with me when I ask questions. If I would ask "Do you have homework?", I would get a simple "yes" or "no" in response and then they would go about doing it until they needed help and then would be hesitant about calling me to aid them. This is seemingly frustrating because I'm just trying to help them and they are shying away from us Carolina students. They will literally stay do their homework with us or Pablo and then say "Okay, I have to go home now" and take off out the door, not giving us any explanation or allowing us the opportunity to ask. And I wonder; is this because of their parents? Were they told not to say more than necessary? Are they intimidated by us or do they feel out of place? Granted, there is a shyness in some, but some just will not say anything thought-provoking (for lack of a better word.) However, some of the other students, like Miagkyi and Mai, they ask numerous questions and voice their opinions very strongly. It's almost a complete difference which makes my job easier to do because they are interested and actively learning and in turn I'm actively learning from them.
ReplyDeleteEmily Dixon
Steve Ortiz
ReplyDeleteVolunteering at the Human rights center, one difference in value concerning the teaching method between volunteers that I noticed is the choice between helping a child complete their homework by any means before the center closes or working at a pace that ensures they fully comprrehend the material. I myself struggle with this since I feel it is more beneficiary to work at whatever pace it takes for the child to fully comprehend the material yet I would not like to see them recieve an incomplete on their assignment if they can not complete it by the due date.
Alot of times the student may have difficulty completing an assignment and I have seen that it can be frustrating for a volunteer to stay on the same problem for 30 minutes trying to get the student to complete it and will many times give in and give them the answers to whatever part of the problem they are stuck on. I was with a student the other night that had roughly 50 minutes to complete their work. They were having trouble comprehending the concepts so I stayed on each problem until I was sure that they full understood the method before I moved on . Due to this I was only able to finish half the worksheet with him but I felt he learned more from completing half than what he would've if I gave him answers to completely the whole sheet in time.
I am tolerant of other volunteers methods to teach their mentees since it is their own personal task that they are doing. The children would also like me to give them answers. This is a scenario where I cannot be tolerant, and in life in general when I honestly feel like one value is more beneficiary clearly than another I talk it out and reason with the individual as to why I feel they should reconsider. Communication and explanatin of one's perspective is essential in understanding another person's values. If I had to work together with another volunteer and ran into a conflict of teaching styles than this would be the method i would implement. Talk it out, explain to them that it is not so much as giving a certain number of fish as to taking whatever time necessary to teach the child how to fish independently.
At the HRC, I notice that the kids are much more genuinely interested in getting to know me, who I am, and what my interests are. Reflecting on myself as a person, I feel that I have been "tainted" by the American ideals of individualism and self-interest, whereas these kids are still too young to have been "corrupted" by the real world. It is very refreshing to interact with kids because they break down those barriers that I put up around me on a daily basis. They don't care about anything other than enjoying the present and the interaction with the volunteers. They appreciate the help we provide them on their homework as well. I feel I need to act more like a child, in the sense that I need to be more open to new people and new experiences without second guessing them or assuming the worst.
ReplyDeleteI regards to the volunteers, I feel that there are volunteers there who are there only to fulfill hours. I make an effort when I go, which is 3 times a week, to give the kids advice and knowledge, though it may not be much. I relate to a lot of these kids because I'm a first generation born in the US so I know the kind of struggles they may be going through and that they're looking for role models and somebody to look up to. I try to be that person every time I'm there. I'm in the process of forming a relationship between the center and my fraternity in order to continue the work that I've put in. Those volunteers who are there for their own interests, and not the interests of the children should not go. There's plenty of us that actually care.
Other than that, I've been fortunate enough not to have any bad experiences or interactions with other people at the center. It's a very welcoming and generous environment so one can't help but actually embody those traits once you're there.
Steven Quintero
In conjunction with my role as a community resource for COMM 089, Dr. Parker’s First year seminar class, Ive come into contact with first year students who are very new to Chapel Hill and the various dynamics of the wider campus community. Many of the students are very into technology and being “connected.” Their sense of themselves and what they stand for is connected in a high degree to what others are thinking, saying, writing, blogging, tweeting, etc. Facebook is their first source for just about everything, and Ive found that although I have much in common with Carolina students however my sense of values and of community are grounded in my religious beliefs and even more so in my rich experience of growing up in foster care and working alongside other marginalized people. The level of consciousness that comes with such experience is one of the ways I distinguish myself from my peers, and my concern for others and sense of my own privilege and class position have helped me form a set of values which go beyond my individual pleasures and identity as a “Tarheel.” So when the conversation moves to basketball, Kanye, or some other popular topic which I see as having no real substance, I become agitated and usually attempt to move the dialogue toward topics as I see more meaningful. This has its benefits and its faults. These are my peers, and younger though they be, I still have much to learn from them. That said, not only am I their elder in the context of the university, I also have a pocket full of raw life experience that most students my age do not have. This difference in thinking about what is meaningful and what is not is evident to everyone, however I have made a concerted effort to not let it interfere with my ability to connect with these young people and help them give back to the Chapel Hill/Carrboro community. I think my values help buttress the type of work Dr. Parker is asking her students to do, and I do not think of being “tolerant” or “non-tolerant” when I am around them.
ReplyDeleteI work at the FoodBank at St. Joseph's Episcopal Church on Roberson ST. and they have interesting ways and methods to deal with the diverse amount of people they come in contact with. Firstly, since they allow anyone to receive food all sorts of people come. In addition, most of these individuals understandably are low-income or homeless. While it is a defintely a worthy cause to help the needy and hungry, this organization reminds me of a micro-finance organization I once worked with. They provided small loans to needy people at almost zero interest. They would provide these loans even to people with no credit, job, or serious drug addiction. Thus, drug addicts would constantly come back to get more money and they rarely paid back loans. It was question of ethics, give money to an individual that would surely go buy drugs or refuse to give him help. I see the church like this in a way, but not as exaggerated. For example, some of the same people come back to the church and receive this free aid. This does not motivate them to work harder, or extend their socio-economic status as they are already being helped. In one instance, a supervisor remarked she smelled alcohol on an individual at 4pm. Similar to the micro-finance organization they still serve him. However, this is different from my view as I feel the church should help advance these individuals in any way they can, possibly create a charity that can help sponsor individuals for education/career advancement classes. Obviously, they should provide food to extremely needy people, but in the long run their goal should be helping these individuals out of poverty.
ReplyDeleteMichael Dauer
As a volunteer at Ms. Stang's third-grade class at Scroggs Elementary School I felt that I shared similar values to that of the school's. I was interested in ensuring that the students I worked with learned what I was teaching them. Also, I made certain that students that I worked with felt like they were as competent as the rest of the students that did not require my help. Like most educational institutions, I believe in every child's right to access an equal education. These beliefs and practices are valuable in any school system and I was happy that I was able to help some students.
ReplyDeleteWhile I shared some similar values to that of the school, some of my values differed. As a native Spanish speaker I understand how hard it is to learn the English language and become acquainted with the American culture. I treasure my culture and the values that have been instilled in me due to my culture. However, native Spanish speakers, and any other student with parents from different countries, are often conflicted with what we learn at school and what we are taught at home. I feel that schools want students to learn English as fast as possible helping the students in order to avoid being left out. However, this focus on teaching students English neglects the students' culture. As a result, some students grow up and lose touch with their culture; some cannot even properly speak their native language. Having been through this, I feel that it is important that we try to find a mid-ground with how much with emphasize that student's learn English and students continued exposure and reinforcement of their culture.
Often time when I am helping one of the ESL students in Ms. Stang's class, I think about how he is being affected by having to learn English so fast. While he is excited to learn the language, I have on several occassions seen him frustrated. I hope that he will not lose touch with his culture while still following most of the values established by the school.