Engaging the Learner

Chapters 4 and 15 were relevant to a class I took in the Spring, Developing Cross Cultural Competence. In this class we spent a lot of time thinking about our own cultures and how those affect our teaching. Additionally, we spent time talking about the view points our students will have and how to be sensitive to their cultures so that all cultures are celebrated and included. These two chapters illustrated cultural sensitivity without addressing it as such. I noticed the use of discussion replacing the typical teacher driven lecture, use of multiple types of texts and encouragment of indvidual interest exploration. All of these practices are consistent with methods that are used by culturally responsive teachers. I imagine that the classrooms of Ellin Oliver Keene, author of chapter 4 and Jeffrey D. Wilhelm and Michael W. Smith authors of chapter 15 all have diverse classrooms where all cultures are celebrated and supported through the methods used to teach them. Students feel alienated when they cannot connect with the literature of a class or the discussion of a class. The first step toward understanding is engaging in a topic.