What cultures are included is dependent on the participants. For example, right now there is representation from the Euro-American (Italian), Hawaiian, Japanese (national) and Filipino-American cultures. We use a curriculum developed by the School of Social Work, University of Washington, called Intergroup Dialogue, Education and Action (IDEA). rw 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, Prof Lorraine Lavorata wrote: > 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 >