What strikes me most from the reading is the idea of American exceptionalism.  This ideology has been used so many times in the history of the U.S. as an excuse to forcefully assimilate others and to resolve guilt for these actions.  Although there are schools today that provide some form of bilingual education and culturally relevant pedagogy, I think that the vast majority are intent on teaching on the English language, American history, culture, and customs, due to a common belief in American exceptionalism.  I think that the diverse population of children in the U.S. should be able to learn about various cultures and perspectives on history, especially with the growing number of diverse populations.  I performed a study last semester for another education class asking Emory undergraduates about their formal schooling and the diversity of their school populations.  My partner and I were investigating whether there was a positive correlation between high cultural diversity of schools and knowledge of culturally relevant pedagogy such as the Native American boarding schools and the Chicano Movement.  It surprised us that there was no correlation, which meant that regardless of population diversity of schools, different perspectives on American history were not being taught in U.S. schools.  It is troubling to me think about the diverse groups of people in the U.S. who lose knowledge of their own languages, histories, and cultures due to America's "one track mind."

Gutek Chapters 7 & 9

NYT Article by Sara Rimer

I found the NYT article about the Twin Cities International School the most interesting out of all the readings. One comment that struck me in particular was the line about critics arguing that international schools somehow contribute to a “re-segregation of public education” and counter the “melting pot” idea that public schools often try to drive home. But the whole “melting pot” idea is what many of these immigrant and refugee parents want to avoid. I think the “melting pot” idea suggests a stripping away of the differences that makes us unique as we blend together to form a homogenous “American” identity. Many of these parents do want their children to learn about American culture and history, but at the same they don’t want them to forget the culture and history of the country they came from. The thought of their child wanting the latest Nikes and baggy shorts, and forgetting to respect their elders frightens a lot of these parents. International schools offer an environment where students are sheltered from the American materialistic ideals learned from their peers, and are free to uphold their religious and cultural traditions without being teased, not to mention the abundance of teachers who understand their needs. Some may call these International Schools segregationist, but until public schools start addressing the needs of these students and parents, then institutions like the International Community School will continue to exist.

Back to school: Cross Keys' mission

Stuck in the Emory bubble, we are ignorant of the fact that Dekalb is one of the most ethnically diverse counties in the entire state. The articles in the AJC drove home the fact that the issues of immigration and diversity in regards to education brought up in Banks’ article can be found right in our back yard. I found the case study of Cross Keys’ high school to be particularly interesting. One issue that Pickel brings up is that often students understand concepts but can’t express the answers to questions about them in proper English. Although the teacher, Mr. Bragg says that he gives them credit anyway, it’s inevitable that their inferior English speaking skills are going to hinder their progress in the future. It is extremely important that these students learn to speak proper English if they want to be successful in the United States. It is ironic that although we do not have an official language in our country, if someone does not know English they will have an extremely hard time getting a job. I thought that Bragg’s tactic of pairing students with poor English skills with those who have a better command of the language was an effective one. It is good to see that teachers are serious about helping their students overcome language barriers. I thought this was a very eye-opening article and appreciated the specific examples it presented.

A Second Chance for Refugee Students

When I read "A Second Chance for Refugee Students" by McBrien, I was shocked by the environment that refugee students were forced to be in. Even elementary students had to be mature when it came to school because they were given limited resources and little help with learning English. Also, it was upsetting that because many of these refugee students could learn English relatively faster than their parents, they were burdened with adult responsibilities. Being an immigrant to the U.S. myself, I didn't realize the big differences between immigrants and refugees. This article helped me realize that unlike myself who was able to move to America with my entire family, many of these refugee students may have gone through traumatic experiences and were most likely forced to leave their countries. Now that I have more background information on refugee students, I look forward to tutoring them this semester at the RFS Center.

AJC articles

Reading these articles makes me realize how sheltered I’ve been.  The school I attended in Mississippi was an all white private school up until my sophomore year.  When I graduated there were 3 African American students and about five Asian students in the school.  When I think back on my school and then read these articles about how challenging it is for these students that come from so many different areas and countries, it stuns and amazes me.   I completely agree with the ajc.com article that says that these non-natives can understand concepts but have problems articulating them.  Some English-speaking students have the same problem.  They understand the ideas behind the concept but have problems writing it down when it comes time for tests and homework.  I also know what it’s like to be moved away from your home, without your consent and into a new country with people who you don’t understand.  My dad was in the army when I was younger so we were constantly moving around to different countries. Granted it wasn’t so bad, he was mainly moved around between the United States and Europe, but there were instances where it took me a while to adapt to the language and the customs.  That’s one thing that I was surprised that the article didn’t touch on: how the education system itself is or could be completely different than the one they are used to.

McBrien "A Second Chance for Refugee Students"

After reading this article and the ones that followed it my eyes were opened to a problem that I did not know too much about. I knew that refugees were forced to leave from their original homes but I never thought about the difficulties that they must experience once they arrived at their new home. I think that it is wonderful that there are programs that help tutor students that are having difficulties with English. I think that more programs like this should be implemented throughout the US because we are a country that has many different ethnicities. I also believe that there should me more classes to help the adults who come to the US not speaking any English. If we want to be a country that thrives we should be willing to give help to all those who need it.