In this yesterday's fishbowl discussion on connectivism, we
primarily discussed the idea of diversity and how learning and knowledge may
draw from diversity of opinion. I think this is a great idea. Whether we like
it or not, we are influenced by what is and what is not surrounding us. This
can help us, but it can also hurt us. Diversity can be seen in so many ways; if
its race, gender, socioeconomic, location, hair color, etc., etc., etc., they
all affect us.
However, I’m not so sure
we can “teach” diversity. Here's my soapbox: Diversity is something that just is, right? Like the fact that there are different fish in the sea, or different crayons in a box. To me, it would be silly, and likely unproductive, to teach about this fact. Instead, I think we need to teach awareness, respect, and
equity of diversity.
Does that equity make sense? To elaborate, a professor of
mine, who grew up in Mexico City, once discussed with me about how race isn't just an issue the US is having right now; it's a lot of people's biggest diversity challenge. Yet, the bigger issue with the US is that we’re obsessed with
being color blind. We attempt to look beyond color...but we fail. She said that growing up in Mexico City, everyone was aware
of race, color, shade, all of it, and it was fine. Yes, Mexico also has some deep-seeded colonialism-based
race issues, and yes, there are pockets of the country with huge race issues...but my professor was adamant that instead of being color-blind, we need to
see the shades and recognize that they are all just shades of human (that
sounds cheesy…but you get it).
While I’ll admit that I have never been able to put this idea into practice in a classroom setting, I agree with the basics. We should be recognizing differences and modeling acceptance of differences to our students because we can learn so much from each other! Everyone has differences, and they're all valuable, and we should never focus on one part of diversity so much that we can't see any others. No matter what kind of diversity it is, it can be educational on so many levels.
Alright, soapbox done.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMichelle,
ReplyDeleteWow, I really loved your reflection. I hadn't ever though of diversity in this way before, but after reading your blog post I definitely agree with the fact that diversity cannot be taught. I also really enjoy that you emphasize that "we should never focus on one part of diversity so much that we can't see any others." Not sure if you've seen this yet, but here's an article that our old hall-mate Ashton Skinner wrote on equal rights.
http://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/2016/07/08/transgender-rights/86492144/
Thank you for such a great reflection and putting yourself out there in where you are in your own thinking when it comes to this topic. This is truly what blogging is about. Sharing and not being afraid to share where we are, what we're thinking about, and not always having all the answers. Be this open and vulnerable wit your students and co-learning with them becomes so much fun.
ReplyDeleteMichelle,
ReplyDeleteExcellent soapbox! I like your comment about the US being colorblind, and that our attempts to look past color are failing. If I'm wrong, please forgive me, but isn't social studies your area of secondary education expertise? If so, one way to implement a diversity exercise is to MAKE everyone "colorblind." During an activity, you could remove the ability of students to "see" others while asking questions or having a discussion. Kids could anonymously submit their answers and you could read them out-loud. This way, kids could see that race is irrelevant in the classroom, and we are all just different shades of human! Just a little idea; your soapbox inspired me!