Thursday, June 25, 2015

A to Z: Cultural Perspectives in Education

Vaughan M. Blaney
Director
BSc(UNB,Canada), BEd(UNB,Canada), TEFLA(University of Cambridge), MEd(HKU, Hong Kong)

Book: "A to Z: Cultural Perspectives in Education"

The Letter 'T'...



Turning to my classmates
Listening to our sound
Laughter, love and learning
Music all around

Though we are very different, all can agree that we:  
  • can tell time 
  • would like to see a tyrannosaurus rex 
  • stay safely at home when there is a typhoon
  • know that it is always best to tell the truth
  • recognize some things that are taboo
  • have become aware of the word ‘terrorism
  • love our teacher
  • know to give before we take
  • recognize that we live in a world of advanced technology
  • know how to print the letter T

Aspects of self (private, public, and collective) are differentially sampled in different cultures, depending on the complexity, level of individualism, and looseness of the culture. The more complex, individualistic, and loose the culture, the more likely it is that people will sample the private self and the less likely it is that they will sample the collective self. When people sample the collective self, they are more likely to be influenced by the norms, role definitions, and values of the particular collective, than when they do not sample the collective self. When they are so influenced by a collective, they are likely to behave in ways considered appropriate by members of that collective. The more they sample the private self, the more their behavior can be accounted for by exchange theory and can be described as an exchange relationship. The more they sample the collective self, the less their behavior can be accounted for by exchange theory; it can be described as a communal relationship. However, social behavior is more likely to be communal when the target of that behavior is an ingroup member than when the target is an outgroup member … When the culture is both collectivist and tight, the public self is particularly likely to be sampled. In short, a major determinant of social behavior is the kind of self that operates in the particular culture. 



Triandis, Harry C.

Thursday, June 18, 2015

A to Z: Cultural Perspectives in Education

Vaughan M. Blaney
Director
BSc(UNB,Canada), BEd(UNB,Canada), TEFLA(University of Cambridge), MEd(HKU, Hong Kong)

Book: "A to Z: Cultural Perspectives in Education"

The Letter 'S'...



Socialization in a wonderful place
Learning to work hand-in-hand
Each from a different country
With the class as 'our common land'

So many differences, still all can agree that we:  
  • appreciate the warmth of the sunshine 
  • like to snack on treats that are sweet 
  • feel sympathy when a friend is sick
  • are curious about what's up there in space
  • know that smog is not good for your health
  • like the scent of Mom's home cooking
  • know how to write a sentence
  • have certain items that we hold sacred
  • feel safe in the care of our parents at home
  • know how to print the letter S

Though the essence of a group's culture is its pattern of shared, taken-for-granted basic assumptions, the culture will manifest itself at the levels of observable artifacts and shared espoused values, norms, and rules of behavior. it is important to recognize in analyzing cultures that artifacts are easy to observe but difficult to decipher and that values may only reflect rationalizations or aspirations. to understand a group's culture, one must attempt to get at its shared basic assumptions and one must understand the learning process by which such basic assumptions come to be. 



Schein, Edgar

Sunday, June 14, 2015

A to Z: Cultural Perspectives in Education

Vaughan M. Blaney
Director
BSc(UNB,Canada), BEd(UNB,Canada), TEFLA(University of Cambridge), MEd(HKU, Hong Kong)

Book: "A to Z: Cultural Perspectives in Education"

The Letter 'R'...



Rules, laws, right, wrong
Values, judgments, and policies to pass
Different in each country
But just one set in class

Real differences - they do exist, still all can agree that we: 
  • uphold special rituals
  • follow the rules of the classroom
  • like eating delicious ripe fruit
  • try to be responsible individuals
  • dislike having a runny nose
  • know we have 'rights'
  • dash for cover when it starts to rain
  • like to run
  • try to correctly respond to a friend's questions
  • know how to print the letter R

For myself, I have found a way that allows students to freely say what they desire in a non-threatening situation by using the discussion board and their web page. Too often I have heard teacher educators who consider themselves multicultural, yet point to the lone Asian student and say, "Let's hear this from the Asian perspective" or when I encountered a multicultural-ist as a student being told it was "too bad" I didn't know Spanish, and I should consider myself a "spokesperson" for "my" people. The voice we need to allow our students to use is the one that empowers them to think in a non-obtrusive, non-stereotypical environment that freely allows for discourse. If students do not offer any verbal commentary in class, yet participate within the discussion board and feel empowered by this, then the class has been a success...

There are some issues I have had to face regarding web-enhanced courses: the web page being down, students not being able to access the page, limited knowledge in technology by my students and myself, and students not trusting their technological ability. But after thinking about the road that was traveled for many students, and the voices that may not have been heard if not for something like the discussion board, I get caught thinking back to the "the editor" who stated, "A little change does me good." It has.


Ramirez, A.Y.

Thursday, June 4, 2015

A to Z: Cultural Perspectives in Education

Vaughan M. Blaney
Director
BSc(UNB,Canada), BEd(UNB,Canada), TEFLA(University of Cambridge), MEd(HKU, Hong Kong)

Book: "A to Z: Cultural Perspectives in Education"

The Letter 'Q'...



Quickly I walk to school every day
Some in their native countries travel by 
Jeepney, subway, bus, tuk-tuk, tram
In Moosenee some use a helicopter - oh my!

Quite different - yes we are - still all can agree that we: 
  • try to correctly answer the teacher's questions
  • know that quadruple means fourfold
  • make a straight queue when entering the school
  • try not to quarrel 
  • know when to keep quiet
  • feel a bit of panic when we have a surprise quiz
  • know that winners never quit 
  • like a glass of water to quench our thirst
  • quickly try to complete our homework 
  • know how to print the letter Q

It is imperative that faculty in teacher education programs value diversity, assess cultural factors, manage the dynamics of differences, institutionalize cultural knowledge, and adapt to diversity in order to develop diverse teacher education faculty in culturally proficient programs (Lindsey, Nuri-Robins, & Terell, 1999). Building a diverse faculty in teacher education contributes to learning and directly impacts upon students and current faculty.

Diverse faculty impact students' self-analysis regarding their individual perspectives about twenty-first century classrooms. Core values of students are also challenged because of diverse faculty communication styles and cultural beliefs. Diverse faculty ensures that teacher education programs sufficiently prepare education to work in ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse settings.


Quezada, Reyes and Angela Louque