Weblog V

Author and answer two questions for Chapters 1 and 2 from Ladson-Billings book...

Crossing Over to Canaan Chapter 1: Do you feel confident that as a novice teacher, you will be prepared to teach in a diverse classroom?

I do not think that any teacher, novice or experienced, can be completely prepared to handle every situation that may arise in teaching. This is due to the fact that each student is completely different and the chemistry in our classroom changes as our students and classes change. Therefore we could not possibly predict and be prepared for everything. However, some teachers are better equipped than others. Thus far, I feel that this class has only started to better prepare me to teach in a diverse environment. We have talked about diversity and how things such as race contribute to differences in experiences. However, I feel similar to some education students mentioned in this chapter who felt “that everyone talked about multicultural education, but no one showed them how to do it!” (pg. 30) I hope in the future, we will be given more ideas on how we actually teach in a multicultural classroom.
The case example of Carter Forshay did offer some advice to me as a soon to be new teacher. He showed that it is important to reflect on our own teaching practices. When his students struggled with the writing lessons, he reflected on what he was doing. He changed his lesson into an activity the students could relate to and enjoy. I think it is important for all teachers to constantly be assessing if their teaching methods are working. Many times teachers are too quick to blame the students for the failure of a lesson, but all they may need is the material presented in a different way.

Crossing Over to Canaan Chapter 2: What do you find to be the biggest strength of the Hughes cohort that was used for this research?

Although this group was is very diverse, they are predominately white and from the middle class, they do possess a strength the other cohorts do not and that is the relationship they have with each other. This is the same reason the author decided to use this cohort as the research group. They have a relationship were they work well together and have a personal bond with each other. They worked together to create the video, but they also congregate outside of school and create a more personal and supportive relationship. I think that it is important for new teachers to have others they can look to for advice and to lean on. As the author stated in first chapter, many times new teachers “are encouraged to close their doors and join the ranks of other teachers-isolated and independent from each other.” (pg. 18) I feel that to be an effective teacher, we can not work alone. It is important for teachers to learn from each other and to offer support to ensure that every teacher is doing the best they can.

Weblog IV

Author and answer an essay question based on Chapter 3 in Spring's Book


Compare Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois and give your opinion on each and their strategies...

Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois were similar because they were both advocates for the education and advancement of blacks. However, their solutions to this issue were completely different. Washington believed the way to social acceptance was to slowly gain the approval from whites. He believed that if blacks were educated, they could prove to be very useful in society. He opened the Tuskegee Institute where black students would be taught morals and work habits. Washington did not feel it was necessary to teach such subjects as French, or history. He felt that this knowledge would not be beneficial to them, but he thought it was important that they learn good work habits because this would help them in their daily lives. He also was an advocate for segregated schools and was quoted in the text saying: “In all things that are purely social we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress.” He felt that once the blacks were seen as valuable to society and trustworthy, acceptance would follow.
W.E.B. Du Bois had a completely different strategy to gain education rights and acceptance. Du Bois felt that Washington’s strategy was giving up. Du Bois established the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and had earned a Ph.D. from Harvard. Du Bois wanted higher education for blacks and hoped that this education would help them to become so unhappy with their treatment that they would all demand a change. He thought that segregated schools would only continue to make them inferior because of their poor funding and instruction.
I feel that Du Bois had a better strategy. Washington’s idea was not necessarily horrible; I do believe that educating them in work habits and morals would be more beneficial than teaching French and such subjects. However, I agree with Du Bois that Washington’s strategy sells the blacks short and almost seems as though he accepts that blacks are inferior. I feel that Du Bois had the right idea in demanding equality and that schools be desegregated. It may not be the easy route, but at least he never abandoned his beliefs.