I
have learned so much about culture, different family structures, borders, and
wars throughout this class. I have come
away with a much more open mind about what is going on in our world and what
people have had to suffer through that we don’t always hear about in the
news. These issues have got me thinking
a lot about how I can continue my own learning of these subjects, but also
expand them to others. I am currently in
the Education program and I will do my student teaching in the fall. My plan of action includes me incorporating a
cultural unit within my English or History classes that I will be
teaching. I would like my students to be
more aware of what is going on within our world and have them know about things
that are not always being reported in the news.
I think doing a unit on different cultures and how they live and the
struggles they go through will be a great way to open their eyes to the rest of
the world. I would like to involve
lessons that have students share from their own cultures, these lessons could
include bringing in different types of food or recipes from their culture or it
could include bringing in artifacts and showcasing the traditions that are
involved within their cultures. I would
also like them to research about a culture that they are not familiar with at
all and do a presentation on that culture to the class. This would be a good way for them to
understand their own culture better and to explore one that is completely
foreign to them. I would also like
students to be familiar with different wars and disputes that are happening
around the world. Usually they’re only
familiar with a couple that are being reported on TV, but I would also like
them to be familiar with disputes that are happening in all different
areas. I learned about a lot more
disputes then I had imagined in this class and it really got me thinking about
what is going on in this world. Military
appreciation is important to me, so I would also like to incorporate that into
our cultural lessons as well. I would
want my students to do something fun like write a letter to a soldier who is
overseas. It doesn’t have to be a
soldier they know. They can adopt a pen
pal and wish them safety wherever they are stationed and this will also give
them the opportunity to work on their writing skills. I think this kind of assignment would be a
creative way for them to work on their writing.
I really believe that doing these kind of lessons will broaden my student’s
minds and get them thinking about what’s happening in the world. I would like them to be aware of issues so
that they can think about what side they are on when it comes to issues and
they’re not naïve when they choose a side.
I want them to be able to make informed decisions about what’s going on
in our world and to know more about what the media reports.
