does the programme include cultures like France and francophone cultures which
are traditionally marginalised from culticulturalism? France
===== Original Message From Open Forum for Learning Assistance Professionals
<[log in to unmask]> =====
>I am co-leading a program called Multicultural Group Dialogue. It is for
>talking to people from other cultures in a safe environment to promote
>understanding, respect, and empathic connections and to develop personal
>empowerment, inter-group alliances and social justice. It occurs to me
>that we might all spend more time to simply have a dialogue characterized
>by understanding, respect and empathy before we attempt to teach. In
>counseling we learn the importance of establishing the relationship. The
>same holds true for teaching/conducting workshop/training. Students who
>feel empowered, connected to others, and hold values related to social
>justice are not likely to cause behavioral problems in the classroom.
>
>Rosie
>
>
>Rosemarie Woodruff
>Counseling and Student Development Center
>University of Hawaii-Manoa
>2600 Campus Road, SSC 312
>Honolulu, HI 96822
>808-965-6114
>
> The world is full of obstacle illusions.
> Grant Frasier
>
>On Mon, 1 Nov 1999, Jason Sublette wrote:
>
>> I have been hearing the same complaints from instructors all semester. One
>> adult student reported that in her class ten students were so angry about
>> their test grades, that they got up together and walked out of the class
>> (exams, which they weren't allowed to keep, in hand). I've met with many
>> students over the last two years who get very angry at their instructors
>> when they don't do well on exams, even when they haven't studied very hard.
>> The tone (and the language) they use to describe instructors is troubling
>> to me, especially when it's a dedicated, superb instructor who happens to
>> teach a difficult class.
>>
>> The climate in the average classroom is often disturbing, especially in
>> freshman-level classes. A colleague just reported that one of her students
>> told her "to be cool," when she asked him to leave (because he was
>> sleeping); and of course he didn't leave. In this same class, a group of
>> five students insults and intimidates other students who try to
>> participate. And this is an instructor who is always well-liked,
>> well-respected, and in an administrative position. Another said that one
>> student raises her voice and declares, "I'm doing it my way so just leave
>> me alone," when he tries to give her advice on her writing assignments.
>>
>> It's a big problem all of a sudden and I suspect the new era of television
>> (and computer)-as-parent is greatly responsible for our students' brash
>> behavior and puzzling overconfidence & cockiness: professional athletes are
>> supposed to be mean and tough and outspoken these days--they go after
>> referees and coaches, they tell you how great they are; musicians make
>> millions being as outrageous and irreverant as possible--they curse at us,
>> they make obscene gestures, they poke fun at stereotypical parents; the
>> culture of MTV promotes getting attention however you can--taking off your
>> clothes, sharing intimate details of your life, acting like you're an
>> adult. And of course now you can get attention from millions by creating
>> your own web page. This makes your opinion automatically count, even
>> though it may be ill-informed, skewed, or not relevant.
>>
>> Another factor seems to be that students today feel entitled to things
>> (including acting however they feel, whenever they feel) because they have
>> been living like adults for too long. They work full time, they take care
>> of brothers and sisters, they counsel emotionally-disturbed parents, they
>> deal with drugs and violent crime.
>>
>> I try to teach students that this behavior is going to be self-destructive
>> in the end. If you get to spend a lot of time with these kids, you find
>> that most of them are angry. Most are relatively respectful one-on-one,
>> especially if they think you care.
>>
>> Solution: hard work, I think, for all of us at the university. We have to
>> address this problem before it gets out of control. We have to, as
>> faculty, staff, and administration, have a long discussion about why kids
>> are angry and disrespectful. And yes, we will have to create behavior
>> policies. Most of us aren't good at this kind of discipline, but we're
>> going to have to be. Of course we can address the "culture of the
>> university" we strive for in FYE classes, but I suspect we have to be ready
>> to fight for a calm, safe class environment.
>>
>> Jason Sublette
>> Aurora University
>>
>>
>> At 01:41 PM 11/1/99 -0500, Daryl Stephens wrote:
>> >Recently several of my colleagues and I had noticed that there seems to be
a
>> >great deal more immature behavior than usual among our students this
semester
>> >--mostly talking in class and coming in late or leaving early. At our
state
>> >developmental conference last week, I talked to instructors from several
>> >points in the state, and they had noticed the same problems--actually
>> having to
>> >ask students to be quiet or leave the room if they were going to have
>> >non-content-related conversations during class.
>> >
>> >Is this a problem nationwide this year? (I think this year's college
>> freshmen
>> >are the group that were in fourth grade the last year I taught fifth grade
in
>> >another state, and I remember that bunch being less well-behaved than most
>> >groups.)
>> >
>> >
>> >Daryl Stephens <[log in to unmask]>
>> >Assistant Professor (math)
>> >Division of Developmental Studies
>> >East Tennessee State University
>> >Box 70620, Johnson City, TN 37614
>> >Office phone (423) 439-4676 Fax: (423) 439-7446
>> >
>> >
>>
Je pense, donc, je suis, Rene Descarte
Chacun ont deux pays et un de ils est France, Benjamin Franklin
vive la France
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