Archive for February, 2009
By marys | Thursday, February 26th, 2009
I’m in my office, so naturally I googled “district drop out rates, North Clackamas School district”. The latest figures are from 2007 and were at 3.2 % compared to 3.8% in 2005. North Clackamas is a huge school district and no matter how I searched online I could not find specifics about those rates. I don’t know which kids are dropping from which schools, but from where I sit, I can see that we begin preparing them to drop out in middle school.
Topics: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
By Tobi Kibel Piatek | Thursday, February 19th, 2009
America’s immigrants have always unpacked new vitality and new possibilities. Colored Pencils Art & Culture Night is an effort to re-assert the cultural wealth of immigrants into newcomer and settled Portland.
Mark your calendars for Friday, February 27, and join artists and performers in an evening of culture and art at the Center for Intercultural Organizing office, 700 N. Killingsworth, Portland.
For more information and to visit the website http://www.interculturalorganizing.org/resources/enews/2009/coloredpencils.html
The first of its kind in Portland, Colored Pencils Art & Culture Night sets the stage for a monthly open mic and art show hosted by people from Asian, African, Arab Slavic and Latino backgrounds. Once a month, for as long as art matters, contributors from three forms of artistic expression, participants of every age and from everywhere, will perform or exhibit their work for the benefit of Portland. An international variety of food will be offered, along with lots of laughter.
The event is hosted by Colored Pencils Art and Culture and Center of Intercultural Organizing.
Topics: Upcoming Events | No Comments »
By Tobi Kibel Piatek | Wednesday, February 18th, 2009
Thank you to RP, a current student in the credit course, for this great idea.
We often plan events for the college (where I work with International students) to create opportunities for American students, faculty and staff to meet international students and have exposure to new and different cultures.
In addition, we have started a new initiative to not only expose our students to Americans, faculty and staff, but also to expose international students to each other. Often when they arrive from their home countries they try and find a comfy place and seek out others from their host culture. This especially happens with our Asian students because we have so many living here as residents and attending our colleges. This not only keeps them from making friends outside their host culture, but also hinders their learning of English.
An activity that we just started:
We hold an open house day at each of our campuses to focus on two cultures (in the same room). The last one we had focused on bringing together two groups - Asian (Taiwanese, Japanese) and Middle Eastern (Saudi Arabia and Qatar).
All of these students had tables and could bring food, music, videos, clothing, art work, etc. and offer this to others as a learning tool. This event was held in a huge room and the results were fantastic! Our students and college community raved about this and what a wonderful opportunity it was to visit 4 different countries and their cultures within an hour and a half.
This event even spurred some of our students to talk to each other, when they may have never done so before. It was so rewarding to see a quiet Japanese girl talking to an Arabic male. In most situations, without this type of welcoming environment, that interaction would have never happened.
Topics: Culturally Competent, Relationship Strategy, Things to do | 2 Comments »
By Tobi Kibel Piatek | Monday, February 16th, 2009
Lesson 5 – about Cultural Competence resulted in lively discussion. The discussion also raised some interesting and challenging questions. We (my students and I) need answers – so I will start by posting the questions and hope for the best.
Questions:
1. “I think it is a wonderful idea to learn more about other’s cultures so we can treat all children in a way that they feel safe and protected but I’d like to throw out a question. How far do we go with this idea that we need to be culturally competent to interact with kids and families? Our reading and resources … talked about comfort with “eye contact” being different in some cultures. There are so many different cultures in the United States are we supposed to expect every teacher to learn all the appropriate gestures for each culture? I am not saying that I agree or disagree but this was brought up when I discussed the topic with some faculty.”
2. “… When considering intercultural communication, there seems to be an expectation that people of a culture represent everyone. I know this is not true, but I am not always clear on what is the appropriate way to behave – especially because I always worry that an individual may not be representative of their culture, but I do not want to do the wrong thing. Taking an example from the article, if I have an African American student in my classroom and I “break in” on a conversation this could potentially be offensive or uncomfortable to that student.
I felt the same way about the eye contact rule from the article. I seriously distrust my ability to know if someone is a “working-class Hispanic”, so should I not have eye contact with any Hispanic or African-American students even though this could be potentially offensive behavior. Do folks have ways to solve these sticking points?”
3. “I wonder what to do in situations where I might disagree with or feel uncomfortable with the behavioral norms of other cultures on simple matters. For example, sometimes a woman comes in to get a library card and her husband does all the talking. I don’t know if I should speak only to the husband or, per my culture, talk to the woman. What is the right thing to do?”
4. ” I know that …avoiding racial identification except when it is essential to communication is an important strategy for removing stereotypical language. I have always tried to be aware of and not use stereotypical language in both my personal and professional life, but I know this can be most challenging for me because mentioning a person’s racial identification often decreases the time it takes for me to describe who I’m talking about. I want to be more patient and challenge myself to describe the person by coming up with all the other details about them (other than race). But I wonder, When (if ever) is it appropriate to use racial or other information to describe individuals?”
Side note: I also think our society does this with occupation. We often identify people by what they do to earn a living, rather than other personal characteristics that may be much more meaningful and descriptive.
Topics: Culturally Competent, Questions, Uncategorized | No Comments »
By Tobi Kibel Piatek | Thursday, February 12th, 2009
At the heart of Making Connections is a strong message about the importance of understanding the culture of the kids we work with. In Lesson five students have the opportunity to describe their own culture of origin. What they share is so rich that I feel compelled to share some of my own culture - both as a way to express my vision of what ’culture’ truly means, and as a way to clarify my thoughts.
I grew up surrounded by women who believed in the power and necessity of feeding people. Cooking was not only a daily task, a way to celebrate holidays and mark the Sabbath, but a competition. The women in my world really cared who made the best chicken soup, whose apple pie was the most delicious, and whose food was made only with the ‘finest and best’ ingredients. Refusing food in any home caused deep offense.
I grew up among people whose basic forms of communication included yelling, broad gestures, and at least two languages in the house. And almost every adult I knew spoke with an accent.
I grew up among three generations, where caring for our grandparents was a part of every day. I grew up seeing disabilities – my father was deaf, my grandmother partially paralyzed; my upstairs neighbor was in a wheelchair. I grew up understanding that war did terrible things to people, and that life was not easy. I also grew up believing that kids were mean, and you better know how to defend yourself.
I grew up in an apartment building surrounded by people from different countries, religions and backgrounds. I grew up among survivors, (of war, loss, depression and family.) I grew up understanding that the people I knew all came from somewhere else – whether a different country, neighborhood, religion, economic status or set of values, I grew up aware that not everyone believed or behaved the way my family did. I also grew up knowing that neighbors looked out for each other and cared for one another.
I grew up in the city, on paved streets that scraped your knees if you fell while running or playing ball. I grew up thinking that plants were something that grew on window sills (fire escapes when the weather was warm). Trees grew in the park; bushes were what lined the entries to buildings. Flowers were a gift on your parent’s anniversary, and that food came from stores.
I grew up believing that education was not a choice, that college was an expectation, that my behavior, in school, in the neighborhood and at home was a reflection of my family, and that pride and shame are two sides of the same coin. I grew up wearing my best clothes for holidays, especially the beautiful hand made coats and hand knit sweaters that showed the talent and the caring that went into their making.
I grew up with a sister to fight with, play with, and find solace with. I grew up knowing that fathers work, and take care of us, and mothers stay home and take care of us. But, I grew up with the message that I could grow up to be and do anything I wanted – as long as I behaved myself, and went to school.
I grew up surrounded by art, books, theatre and culture, and the taste and smells of foods from around the world – the upside of a city childhood.
All of this – the richness, the sharp edges, the people, the food, the languages, the terrifying moments and the wonderful ones, shaped who I am, the work I do, the life I lead and the family I have raised.
The more I learn about culture, and the more I write and teach about it, the more I understand its impact. When we work with kids, when we seek to be culturally competent, in classrooms and programs, we are working not only with the present, but with a past, and with beliefs and behaviors that may span generations. Culture you see - is not a simple thing.
Topics: Culturally Competent | 1 Comment »
By Tobi Kibel Piatek | Tuesday, February 10th, 2009
Our schools are running out of money. Every day the news holds stories of new and looming financial disasters, and the terrifying solutions that are being suggested to solve our crisis (cut a day out of every school week? Eliminate school buses, any other ideas?)
Of course, there is the promise of a Stimulus Package – money that can be used to make things better. But how should we put it to use?
There are lots of ideas out there about how to use the money. Some sound great – some (and I’m not mentioning specifics here) seem like there might be better ways to spend our dollars.
Since it seems like everyone has an opinion on this topic, I am asking you – educators, people who work with kids, people who have families, people who see need and identify problems in their daily work. HOW WOULD YOU PUT THE STIMULUS MONEY TO WORK?
Share your ideas on this blog: If it was your decision – in what ways would you spend this money? What do you believe would have the greatest impact? What are the greatest needs that you see? What (as long as we are doing this) do you think is the dumbest idea you’ve heard?
Thanks, and please pass this question along. Inquiring minds want to know.
Topics: Questions | 5 Comments »
By Tobi Kibel Piatek | Monday, February 9th, 2009
Thank you to KL (a current student) for this recommendation:
“I am a psychology major and enjoy using this class as another tool to learn more about human behavior. As part of Lesson 4 I read “Engaging Youth in School.” These are some of the key points:
1. A student’s engagement in school was found to be correlated with a student’s behavior and achievement in school. Their engagement is based on their belief s about how good they are in school, their values and goals, and their social connection to the school. This held true with students from different backgrounds.
2.Studies show that students (depending on circumstances) become both more and more less interested in school as they grow from elementary school to high school.
3. When students have choices about the classes they take or in the way they accomplish an assignment they are more likey to do schoolwork.
This was a wonderful resource. It was very interesting to read about what works and doesn’t for trying to get kids involved in their learning.
Topics: Recommended Resources, Recommended reading, Uncategorized | No Comments »
By traciehenninger | Monday, February 9th, 2009
I think the 5 biggest reasons high school students in my home (suburban/rural) school district are dropping out are:
1) failing courses, getting behind in credits
2) working more than part time (difficulty managing both school and work)
3) home/family issues
4) pregnancy
5) disconnected from teachers and/or students
Topics: Drop Out Rate | No Comments »
By Tobi Kibel Piatek | Thursday, February 5th, 2009
In lesson four of the course the assignments include making and using KWL charts. These charts are essentially a useful instructional technique that teachers and mentors can use to find out what kids already know about a topic (prior knowledge) and help them consider what they want to know about the topic, and finally, to record and consider what they learned.
KWL charts are visual organizers, useful for a variety of learning styles. However, there were some concerns in the course discussions this week that the assigned activity was not appropriate to certain groups and certain students. So, I had an idea, and I think that addressing this problem resulted in a solution that anyone can use to make the most of what they are learning – in this course, and in any other.
KWL YOURSELF. Take some time to review the many resources on this blog, and (if you have access) in the course Resource Listings. Chose a topic that interests you and find a resource on that subject.
Create a chart – in the first column list what you already know about this topic. Then, in the middle column, consider what you want to know, what you hope to get from reading this article or resource. After you read, list what you learned.
When you are done, identify your resource (it doesn’t have to be on this site, a book, article or talk will do just fine.) Add a link if available. Tell us: Why were you interested? Was the resource worthwhile? Share at least three things you learned.
Please post it all to this blog. And keep in mind - this is a great activity to do with older kids as well - share your experiences using this with kids as well.
Topics: How To's, RESOURCES, Things to do, Uncategorized | No Comments »
By Tobi Kibel Piatek | Monday, February 2nd, 2009
I don’t know how I missed it, but National Mentoring Month (January) has come and gone. For those like me, who may have been so distracted by other events, (small, unimportant things, such as, the INAUGURATION, the beginning of a new semester of Making Connections, community service projects for Martin Luther King Day) I propose that for this year, we expand National Mentoring Month, and the positive impact it can have on one child or an entire community, into February.
Expand Your Universe - Mentor a Child
The website Mentor.org http://www.mentoring.org/ describes National Mentoring Month as “a month-long outreach campaign (that) focuses national attention on the need for mentors, as well as how each of us—individuals, businesses, government agencies, schools, faith communities and nonprofits—can work together to increase the number of mentors and assure brighter futures for our young people.”
It reminds us that all it takes to do something that can change your life as much as the life of a child is the “sincere desire to be involved with a young person,” respect for young people, a willingness to listen and empathize, the creativity to open doors to solutions and opportunities, and the flexibility to be open to change, challenge and possibilities. And everybody benefits.
The website lists the following ways that mentoring can help:
- Improving young people’s attitudes towards their parents, peers and teachers;
- Encouraging students to stay motivated and focused on their education;
- Providing a positive way for young people to spend free time;
- Helping young people face daily challenges; and
- Offering young people opportunities to consider new career paths and get much-needed economic skills and knowledge.
Can you add to this list? Please comment below to share your stories about the kids you mentor, and the people who mentored you.
Topics: Mentor Stories | No Comments »
