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- EDU 308 Summer 09 Syllabus
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- EDU 308 Summer 09 Class Vote
- EDU 308 Summer 09 Book Ad Book Choices
- EDU 308 Summer 09 Ch. 14
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- EDU 308 Summer 09 Ch. 1
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May
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Queation ~ If less than 14% of people in the United states speak a language other than English wouldn't that suggest that assimilation is still a predominant process and thus nativism is not a thing of the past?
ReplyDeleteQuote ~ "America can have a unity created by drawing out and composing into a harmonious whole the best, the most characteristic, which each contributing race has to offer." - John Dewey (page 84 gray box)
Fact ~ Today fewer than 14% of Americans speak a language other than English.
In response to Brittany's question I believe that nativism is very much alive and well in today's society. Immigration rights is of course one of the most controversial topics today. There are still many nativist groups lobbying for immigrants to not recieve equal rights, while the immigrants are assimilating to fit in, yet trying to hold on to their own beliefs. I feel it is important as educators to teach our children how to be proud of his or her culture and where they came from.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: The Nationalization Act signed by President John Adams required immigrants to be a U.S. resident for fourteen years prior to citizenship. Thomas Jefferson then changed it to five years. Do you see a continuing pattern of the immigration laws changing or becoming more constant?
Quote: "America, it would seem, is miraculously both singular and plural, organized and scattered, united and difused."~Henry Kariel
Fact: Xenophobia is the fear of or prejudice against people from nations other than one's own.
Question: There are students today in the St. Joseph area that do not speak English. As a teacher how do you help all students in your classroom to succeed? How do you help your students that speak no English to learn not only from you but from their classmates?
ReplyDeleteQuote: "English Only laws prevent recent immigrants who are trying to learn English from having access to useful information."
Fact: English Only is a movement in various states demanding that legislatures make English the official language of the state, with the eventual goal of having the federal government make English the official language of the United States.
In response to Chelsey I think we have to use chapter 3 to do this. We can't just use verbal communication we have to use visual signs, body language, etc. However, when we communicate with children who don't speak english we have to be very careful and really know how to communicate with each child individually.
ReplyDelete-Question- After reading the text it seems to me when people came to the United States initially they came from many different countries, more so then England for example. So did all these people coming in with their ideas of how a country should and should not be really get the United States off to a hard beginning as far as communication and getting along within the U.S.?
-Quote- "America, it would seem, is miraculously both singular and plural, organized and scattered, united and diffused." Henry Kariel(page 94)
-Fact- Italians were also many times victims and as quoted in the text, "as black as the blackest negro in existence"
So far, good points about ethnocentrism and nativism at the institutional level here.
ReplyDeleteLook through the Teaching Tolerance website and through Rethinking Schools and see the articles/lessons available about immigration and ethnocentrism. Division and hatred is taught. Think about how America is made up on many immigrants. Pilgrims were immigrants!!!! Also, think about how they pay sales tax too. You want them to be "legal," but are the laws just? What happens to ESOL students in our classes? Is it fair that we test them in English only tests after just one year? Are we really meeting their needs and "educating" them, or are we "educating" them to be poor workers? How much does it cost to become a citizen in the end? How much are citizenship classes and the cost of time to go through the process and to the locations to be "legal?" Do we only want the rich/middle class immigrants? Are we classist?
Food for thought,
Dr. Hendrix
Look back at my posts from other chapters too. I want to make sure you are seeing my points there and taking those in to consider.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Kensey's question I don't think the initial immigrants into the U.S. got us off to a hard beginning at all becuase the ideas, values, and morals this country was built on were all created by these first immigrants. Without their contributions and communication with one another we wouldn't be what and who we are today.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: How can we eliminate attitudes like the "English Only" movement? If not totally eliminate them, how can we minimize them?
ReplyDeleteQuote: "All the people like us are We. And everyone else is They."-Rudyard Kipling
Fact: Anti-Semitism increased with the success of the Russian Revolution in 1917.
In response to Dr. Hendrix's post...No, we are not being fair testing ESOL students with English only tests after one year. Coming to a new country, changing your complete lifestyle is surreal. It's a cultural shock. How can we expect them to be fluent after one year with all these other circumstances they have to endure? I took Spanish for three years and I was nowhere near fluent. We're not educating them. We need to be more understanding to their needs. People say, "Well, they can learn English because they are the ones coming here." These are the kinds of attitudes that make people ignorant and cause discrimination.
ReplyDeleteFact- Teddy Roosevelt chastised Anglo Saxon women in America for contributing to the possibility of "race suicide" by not producing as many children as immigrant women.
ReplyDeleteQuote- "All the people like us are We. Everyone else is They." Rudyard Kipling (p. 92)
Question- Do illegal immigrant workers open doors for sub-standard working conditions? Who are they going to complain to?
My response is to the quote that both Brooke and I chose. My family's citizenship only goes back to my great grandparents in both my mother's and father's families. They were German and French immigrants. My father grew up speaking both German and English in his grandparents' homes. Who are we to judge new immigrants that come to our country looking for a better life just like my great grandparents did.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: Do immigrants really not want to be Americans if they have made the choice to come here to live as we live, work as we work, and become fellow citizens? There are not many countries in this world that allow immigrants wishing to become citizens to bring their cultural heritage with them without fear of persecution. I find other cultures fascinating as immigrants have found our so-called culture fascinating enough to re-locate here.
ReplyDeleteQuote: I too like the quote on page 94 from Henry Kariel.
Fact: One out of six Latino immigrants in 2004 came to this country illegally as an undocumented worker. (page 89, left column, second paragraph)
In response to several comments on nativism, assimilation, etc.; It can't be labeled an act of assimilation if over 94% of a nation's population speaks one particular language. Why have we all gotten so politically correct to say that it's an oppressive thing to a mere 6% of our nation's citizens to recognize the most popular language of our nation as the one our government "of the people" should recognize as our official language? I am willing to learn new languages if my living or future career involved interacting with those speaking another language on a regular basis while living in some other Non-English speaking nation. Why can't those choosing to become citizens of our community who speak a different language be willing to do the same. I don't think this is an oppressive expectation at all.
Fact: xenophobia is the fear of or prejudice against people from other nations.
ReplyDeleteQuote: "Law is a reflection and source of prejudice. TI both enforces and suggests froms of bias." -Diane Schulder.
Question:As a future teacher how are you going
to change negative attitudes of Americans
towards immigrants?
In response to Brook's question; I believe that we may never eliminate these types of attitudes but we can minimize them through education of/contributions different cultures and their languages have given to our culture.
In response to Dr. Hendrix's post.. I do not think that it is fair to test ESOL students with English after only one year. After one year the students are still learning our language. How do we expect to get realistic results if we test these students in a language that they are not fluent in?
ReplyDeleteIn response to Dr. Hendrix... I don't think we are meeting their needs, it seems too often that we only do enough to get these students by. Many people I feel complain about ESOL students in school taking up the time and money, but all the students, including ESOL, are the future of our country and they need help to become good contributing citizens of our society.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: As a future teacher, how can we change the negative attitudes in the classroom towards students of a different culture?
ReplyDeleteQuote: "America, it would seem, is miraculously both singular and plural, organized and scattered, united and diffused."
Interesting Informative Fact: Americanization of immigrants, and public schools carried out societal expectations by encouraging immigrants to abandon their heritage and conform to American ways.
Review what we did with forced assimilation and the Native American children. We took away their languages and cultures as much as we could as a society. We did not allow them speak their languages and we even forced them to be separated from their families. Is that fair or just? Would they want to be like us then? What does that teach them then? A lot of people say that we have forced assimilation now despite our "democracy." Many think that we are behind other countries because even in some "third world" countries, students are required to learn three languages. Thus, why should we only learn one here? In the I.B. programs, one step above A.P. programs, there is a requirement to learn two languages on top of English, but only a fraction of students have access to this program in their U.S. high schools, and most people even teachers believe that A.P. is the best you can get. I.B. goes deeper, and A.P. is broader. Do you know about these? Did you have I.B. programs in your schools? Why or why not? What then does that mean to you and your future?
ReplyDeleteIn response to many other's, I think people that come from other countries should be expected to be aware of our customs and traditions in America, but I do not think they should have to conform to to American ways. It is important to know your cultural heritage.
ReplyDeleteA lot of people also point out the fact that "immigrants" pay sales taxes when they are here, but we do not want to count those at all. However, that is part of what pays your salaries as teachers. Only about 7% of the school budget consists of federal monies. The rest comes from state taxes, property taxes, and sales taxes. NCLB has an indirect control on schools because it is an unfunded mandate. I want you to understand how your schools are funded. Pay attention to this in your poverty projects.
ReplyDeleteJust food for thought,
Dr. Hendrix
I agree with the other comments made regarding Dr. Hendrix post that we are not meeting the needs of our ESOL students. I too have had some Spanish and could not begin to have a conversation in Spanish to the degree that I could pass an exam based in that language now.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: What American nativist attitudes are evident today?
ReplyDeleteQuote: "All the people like us are We. And everyone else is They." Rudyard Kipling
Fact: Immigrants are consumers who pay rent and buy groceries and other products that help strengthen the economy.
In Response to all the ESOL disscussions, it is unbelievable how the system takes in these students. ESOL is my area of certfication and I've had a class on assessment with Kay Dickerson. In class it was discussed how ESOL students take the MAP along with every other child. That's not fair to them, nor will the test scores reflect the progress they have made. I believe Ms. Dickerson discussed that obviously, many students are ways behind in their English if they come in with a forgein langauge; she said that even though the students aren't at the level they need to be they keep sending the students up a grade level for a year or two then finally hold them back to catch up on their english. How is that ever going to help them. Also as a regular classroom teacher or and ESOL on, we have to contact and communicate with the parents and encourage English also be used at home; otherwise it's never going to stick.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: Does anyone else have a(n) (strong) opinion (like me) on the '94 proposition 187 in California. I just found that unbelievable. Children are the innocent victims, and I don't think as an individual or as a teacher that I could turn a child away.( pg. 86)
fact: By the early 1990s, 73% of Americans surveyed believed the United States needed to strictly limit immagration, and surveys since then find that this sentiment continues to be widely supported. (pg. 89)
Quote:"[ America can have] a unity created ny drawing out and composing into a harmonious whole the best, the most characteristic, which each each contribution race and people has to offer." ( pg. 84)
How have changes in U.S. immigration laws affected naivist attitudes and actions? Do you think we categorize them as a society without knowing if they are a citizen or illegal allien?
ReplyDelete"All the people like us are we. And everyone else is They."
Most obvious example of nativist attitudes and actions in recent years occured in 1994 with the passage in California of Propsition 187 which mandated the denial of many basic services to anyone being supected of being an illegal allien.
The quote I see posted alot is "all the people like us are we. And everyone else is They."
ReplyDeleteI like this quote and it makes you think how society categorzies people. You find this in religions, cultures, social classes, and race classes. Why can't we as humans realize everyone is a human being with each having similar traits; maybe we could learn valuable information from each others cultures, religions, social class, and race if we judge each other with equalality.
Good points here! The children do not choose if they come here or not most of the time, and if they are born here, they are US citizens. It is your job to meet their needs as best you can!
ReplyDeleteFact: Immigrants do indeed contribute to our American economy. Illegal and legal Mexican immigrants spend more than $10 billion a year in the American economy.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: How can we help to change the myths about immigrants in America?
Quote: "All the people like us are We. And everyone else is They." Rudyard Kipling
I know a lot of people already chose this quote, but I agree with it. It is easy to point a finger at someone else because their culture or the way they look is different than yours, but maybe they are pointing the same finger toward you in return because you are different also. Everyone in their own way is different, and I think it is important to address this in the classroom.
In response to Katie...
ReplyDeleteFirst of all we have to help change the myths about immigrants by not playing into them ourselves. We must understand that in almost all situations the influx of immigrants are merely here to better their lives and the lives of their families just as our ancestors did in the past.
Question...
ReplyDeleteDo you think that there will come a point when a prerequisite will be placed on teachers to be able to speak fluent Spanish in the St. Joseph School District?
Quote...
ReplyDeleteLaw is a reflection and source of prejudice. It both enforces and suggests forms of bias. Diane Schulder
Fact...
ReplyDeleteImmigrants have always tended to learn English out of necessity for economic and social well-being.
Quote America it would seem is miraculouly both singular and plural, organized and scattered, limited and diffused. Henry Kariel (1924- )
ReplyDeletefact page 80 By 1820 the 200,000 Catholics in the US stimulated anti-catholic sentimient
especally in the urban areas
Question Is nativism out of fear, someone might try to get what I have, or feelings of superiority? all 3 and some?
In responce to James I liked what you said If i choose to join a church there are rules or codes that is followed by the church I follow or dont choose that church. We need to have an order. Its not the children fault and we need to give any child our best. Families can honor both their past and present if they if this is sonething they want.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Brooke,
ReplyDeleteDo we really want to eliminate the idea of English only? English is an international standard and is an important part of American culture. Another, equally important, part of our culture is acceptance and integration of other cultures. I think it would be too hard to get citizens to learn several different languages in order to communicate. In addition, I believe this would increase miscommunications and misunderstandings. As Dr. Hendrix mentioned, students taking English only exams after only one year may not be very accommodating to our immigrants, but I do believe that they should be gradually converted to being fluent in the English language. It's not only easier on every one else, but it will help them in the future, especially if they someday want a career in international business or international banking.
Question: As teachers, how do we ensure we are being fair - and that our students see us as fair - when we have ESL students in our classroom that require extra assistance. How can we keep our students from resenting these students?
ReplyDeleteQuote: There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americans. Theodore Roosevelt ( 1858– 1919) I thought this quote pretty much summed up the view of so many Americans (then and now) towards immigrants.
Fact: The idea of national origin defining separate races declined as skin color became the primary de-terminant of racial identity, and racism would pro-long the oppression of people of color beyond the time normally experienced by white ethnic groups.
In response to the question about fluency being a requirement in the St. Joe district - I highly doubt it. It is hard enough to get qualified teachers in the field, and then if you limit those teachers to only those that are bilingual, you end up with schools with only a handful of teachers, or schools full of teachers that can speak Spanish, but have do idea what the heck they are doing in the classroom. There are incentives for teachers to become certified in ESOL, so that they can better accomodate learners that speak other languages. However, being able to add that you are fluent in Spanish on your resume is more likely to not only land you a job - but get you paid more.