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Project Description: This advocacy project concerns implementing service-learning, in order to overcome the challenges involved in educating urban African American students. According to Landsman’s and Lewis’ White Teachers/Diverse Classrooms (2006), there are many factors working together to produce lack of motivation in learning and low academic achievement. Price (2006) depicts service-learning as a solution to raise academic achievement and interest. Service-learning is a partnership between a community representative and the classroom that works to identify a community problem, and solve the problem as students learn academics and life-lessons along the way. The effects of service-learning include higher academic interest and performance especially among African American students, more empowered youth, encouragement to community service workers, and one less community-wide problem (Price, 2006). The purpose of this project is to compile evidence for the viability of service-learning as a solution to many problems in urban African American schools and to inform educators of these results.

Historical Context: According to Kessinger (2004), service-learning began with ideas from the NEA’s Cardinal Principles, ideas of John Dewey, and the Southern Regional Education Board. Service-learning was first popular among college campuses. National support and organization for service-learning programs has existed for the last few decades (Kessinger, 2004).

Current Policy: Kessinger (2004) states that currently, the federal government provides Learn and Serve America, a portion of the Corporation for National Service. Learn and Serve America, as well as its state divisions offer funding, training, and guidance to schools and communities interested in undergoing service-learning projects (The Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism, 2010).

Numerical Data: Under Learn and Serve Georgia, there are 4 groups and 8 schools receiving support for service-learning projects. Only 2 of these schools are located in urban areas. A study by Soslau and Yost (2007) showed that service-learning increased academic performance in math by 16% as compared to 10% in a traditional class and increased performance in reading by 6% compared to a 2% increase in a traditional class. The service-learning class also had a 2% higher attendance rate, a 15% higher incidence of making real world connections, and 50% less suspensions than the control class (Soslau & Yost, 2007). This study and others show that service-learning is a viable solution to increase academic interest and performance in urban African American schools.

Transforming the 21st Century Educator: CRT Essentials for Today’s Classroom

Andrew Anglin ~ Christina Bernal ~ Kelly Fuechsel ~ Katrina Gotts Kelly Stewart ~Tireon Tilley Andrews ~ Tiffany Tolliver

Mercer University Tift College of Education – Atlanta Campus

EQUITY PEDAGOGY

We define equity pedagogy as teaching strategies and classroom environments that help students from diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural groups attain the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to function effectively within a classroom. Essential for developing multicultural/diverse perspective learning is a positive and trusting classroom environment - one in which all students are made to feel welcome, comfortable, and respected. Listed below are several strategies that are particularly useful in promoting multicultural/diverse perspective learning in such a classroom.

•Questioning Style- frame questions that personally involve students in ways in which they can reflect upon their culture•Role-Playing- allows students to become ‘someone else’; this type of activity allows students to express and examine their attitude, beliefs, and feelings about prejudice and discrimination•Cooperative Learning- focuses on students’ strengths and weaknesses; positively effects social relationships among culturally different students.

CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION

CULTURAL IMMERSION PROJECTHIGHLIGHTS & PHOTOS

Our group visited St. Joseph Maronite Church on March 6, 2011. This branch of Catholicism came out of Syria in the 5th century A.D. and is based on the priest Maron. St. Joseph’s Maronite Church follows a very traditional, ceremonial faith, and the services are given in Aramaic. The current church is a renovated home in Little Five Points which was purchased in 1954 and serves a Lebanese community, with members coming from as far away as Macon each Sunday. As the congregation entered the sanctuary each would anoint himself with holy water and kneel before taking a seat. A solo organist played as a Lebanese woman sang in traditional Lebanese. Our Sunday service celebrated the advent of lent and focused on giving your life over to God. More than just giving up one food or drink for lent, Father Dominique Hanna asked his followers to give up their worries and stress, and to allow God to guide their lives. This experience was transformational and culturally enriching, in that we were able to observe this sacred event as outsiders, unfamiliar with the language and practices of the majority.

I AM POEMS & WORDLE IMAGES

Ways to Help Students Reduce Prejudice

Preschool Years (2-5)•Be honest•Embrace curiosity•Broaden choices•Foster pride•Lead by example

Teen Years (13-17)• Broaden opportunities• Encourage activism• Keep talking

CLASS ADVOCACY PROJECT: DESCRIPTION, HISTORICAL CONTEXT

CULTURAL MUST DO/SEE IN ATLANTA

PREJUDICE REDUCTION

CONTACT INFORMATION

Atlanta History Center: Exhibits featuring the Civil War, African-American, and Southern heritage

Hammonds House Galleries: Features African-American art

Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site

Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University: Features ancient artifacts from Rome, Egypt, and the American Renaissance

William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum

The Apex Museum: African-American Panoramic Experience

Jimmy Carter Museum

Goethe Zentrum/German Cultural Arts Center Atlanta: Discover Germany’s cultural, political and social history

The Wren’s Nest: Home of Joel Chandler Harris (author of Uncle Remus stories)

Atlanta Cyclorama and Civil War Museum

Andrew Anglin http://tinyurl.com/ANGLINEDUC625SP11 Christina Bernal http://tinyurl.com/BERNALEDUC625SP11

Kelly Fuechsel http://tinyurl.com/FUECHSELEDUC625SP11 Katrina Gotts http://tinyurl.com/GOTTSEDUC625SP11

Kelly Stewart http://tinyurl.com/STEWARTEDUC625SP11 Tireon Tilley Andrews http://tinyurl.com/TILLEYEDUC625SP11

Tiffany Tolliver http://tinyurl.com/TOLLIVEREDUC625SP11

What's Your Communication Style?

Asian: Silent and Thoughtful; Very formal; Diplomatic

Indigenous: Undivided attention; face the speaker; no direct eye contact; shared time in conversation

Hispanic: Joking and Humorous; Diplomatic and tactful

Afrocentric: Expressive; Frank; close proximity; no direct eye contact

Eurocentric: Indirect to avoid confrontation or hurt feelings

PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICEIn the classroom, teachers can make the curriculum more diverse by implementing a variety of resources and materials that validate every student. Teachers can celebrate diversity in the classroom by taking pieces from every student’s background and implementing those diverse qualities into lesson plans, and in turn, allowing the student to share his or her experiences with the class.

APPROACHES TO MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION

Contribution - Adding People, Holidays, Heroes, and Special Events to the curriculum.

Additive - Without changing curriculum, the teacher adds literature to the curriculum which shows perspectives from diverse groups.

Transformation - The teacher would change the curriculum and view events from the minority perspective.

Social Action - After learning about a unit, the students would take action and write representatives on how they view current policies towards specific events.

TENETS OF MULTICULTURAL EDUCATIONVALIDATING: In what ways is my teaching validating? How am I using cultural knowledge, prior experiences, frames of reference, and performance styles of diverse students to make learning encounters more relevant and effective for them?

COMPREHENSIVE: In what ways is my teaching comprehensive? Am I using instructional approaches with their ethnic groups and communities? How do I encourage them to develop a sense of community, friendship, and shared responsibility…to acquire an ethic of success? Are expectations and skills interwoven throughout the curriculum? Does my instruction help them internalize the value of learning as communal, reciprocal, and interdependent?

MULTIDIMENSIONAL: In what ways is my teaching multidimensional? How can I better collaborate on content, learning contexts, classroom climate, student-teacher relationships, instructional techniques, and performance assessments in order to provide a more integrated and interdisciplinary experience for the students?

EMPOWERING: In what ways is my teaching empowering? Do I enable students to become academically competent and confident? Is my instruction participatory, problem-based, dialogic, active, critically analytical and inquiring?

TRANSFORMATIVE: In what ways is my teaching transformative? How do I guide students in developing the knowledge, skills, and values needed to become social activists?

EMANCIPATORY: In what ways is my teaching emancipatory? How can I encourage students to find their voices, to contextualize issues in multiple cultural perspectives, to engage in multiple ways of knowing and thinking? Do I help them become more active participants in shaping their learning?

Banks, J.A. (1999). An Introduction to Multicultural Education (2nd ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon

Daniel Tatum, B. (2003). Why are all the black kids sitting together in the cafeteria?": a psychologist explains the development of racial identity. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Darling-Hammond, L. (2010). The flat world and education: how America’s commitment to equity will determine our future. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Kessinger, T. A. (2004). Service-learning in the United States: Ten years after the national and community service trust act of 1993. American Educational History Journal, 31(1), 58. Retrieved from http://search. proquest.com/docview/230048811?accountid=12382

Pikulski, J. (2010). Multicultural Instruction. Lesson Sense.Com. Retrieved April 18, 2011, from http://www. lessonsense.com/info/multicultural-instruction.html

Price, V. C. (2006). How can service-learning increase the academic achievement of urban African American students? In J. Landsman & C. Lewis (Eds.), White teachers/diverse classrooms: A guide to building inclusive schools, promoting high expectations, and eliminating racism (pp. 265-285). Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing, LLC.

Soslau, E. G., & Yost, D. S. (2007). Urban service-learning: An authentic teaching strategy to deliver a standards-driven curriculum. The Journal of Experiential Education, 30(1), 36. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/ 274969488?accountid=12382

The Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism (2010). Learn and serve Georgia. Atlanta, GA: The Georgia Commission for Service and Volunteerism. Retrieved from http://www.learnandservega.org/

Thombs, M., Gillis, M., & Canestrari, A. (2009). Using web quests in the social studies classroom: a culturally responsive approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Williams, D. (n.d.). Beyond the golden rule: a parent’s guide to preventing and responding to prejudice. Retrieved from http://www.tolerance.org/publication/beyond-golden-rule/beyond-golden-rule

Images retrieved from Google Images, 4/14/11 - 4/20/11

ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS

CULTURALLY RESPONSIVECRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS

CURRENT POLICY & NUMERICAL DATA

Arthur Aveling on Becoming a United States Citizen at 60

Q: What does it mean to you to be an American?

A: I was brought up as an Australian. In my life I have been fortunate to have travelled to 5 continents and many countries in between, havinglived in Australia, Europe, Asia, Middle East and the USA. Life’s experiences have resulted in my seeing the best and worst in countriesand cultures. There are an innumerable number of benefits America offers and why millions everywhere still want to come here. I have been incredibly fortunate to live the American dream…having lived here for the past 23 years, marrying my beautiful American wife and building a successful business with a worldwide customer base. On July 22nd 2008, after 20 years in the United States, I proudly took the Oath of Allegiance and became a US citizen. It was one of the happiest days of my life. The freedom and opportunities the United States…offers to all, are two immeasurable treasures that I never take for granted. And we… as Naturalized Citizens, probably appreciate this country’s assets and values more than most.

Elementary and Preteen Years (6-12)•Acknowledge difference•Challenge intolerance•Seize teachable moments•Emphasize the positive

RESOURCES AND REFERENCE LIST

*How have your life experiences molded who you are and how will you use those experiences in the classroom in order to enrich each child’s life?

* Each day brings opportunity for reflection and growth. How can we as teachers ensure that reflection will be a major component in our teaching? How will you commit to incorporating reflection into your personal growth as an educator?

* Incorporating culturally relevant material into the classroom takes time and effort. How will you ensure that each student is validated in terms of race, ethnicity, gender and class? How will you fashion your teaching style so that the classroom environment is open and conducive to culturally relevant discussions?

* Becoming your best requires a continuous capacity for learning and evolving. How will you encourage your students to be open to change, and to embrace the concept of being a life-long learner?

* In terms of validating each child’s life experience, including your student’s families is extremely important. How will you ensure that each family feels connected to the classroom experience?

I am from aunties, uncles, cousins. I am from Grandma's house. I am now the educator, transformed to transform. I am now the educator, validated to validate. TA

I am now more aware and appreciative of my privileged, ideal upbringing. I am now speaking English, teaching my kids Spanish, and realizing that we all NEED to grow in our knowledge and understanding of other culturesI am from bedtime stories, “Good job,” and “What a smart girl!” I am from speaking English and trying Spanish. KS

I AM NOW a soulja sista who rocks my beautifully curled hair natural,I AM NOW soulja sista who uses my life as testimony.I AM FROM the motherland, yet my last name comes from my ancestors’ slave master Mr. White Man,I AM FROM hide-and-seek, hopscotch, baseball, kickball, volleyball, Uno, Candyland, racing go carts and bicycles, Starter Jackets, and LA Gear Light-up Shoes. TT

I’ve always had beliefs but I am now a voice for my beliefs. I’ve always been given opportunities but I am now a giver of them. I am from arroz con pollo and fried chicken. I am from the same friends since preschool and kindergarten. CB

I am now more in tune to the importance of bringing culturally relevant information and materials into the classroom so all students feel validated and are exposed to many perspectives, ideologies, cultures and beliefs.

I am now aware that my job as a teacher is to not just give lessons and information, but to help each child find his or her voice, and help them build the confidence to use it.

I am from not having a television and feeling like one of the “have not’s” as a child. I am from the belief that there is nothing better than family, great friends, stimulating conversation, and red wine. KG

I am from friendly suburban neighborhood schools near a big exciting city,I am from returning, rebuilding and learning the importance of community,

I am now encouraged by the commitment to reform I see in my classmates,I am now more aware of the diverse needs of my future students. KF

I am now a culturally responsive student and educator, I am now learning how to diversify in learning styles.

I am from a good mistake, I am from Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle. AA

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