My Prezi :-o

Hi Everyone,

Once upon when I was a young bride 30+ years ago... I would try out new recipes on guest that I invited for supper. Not having a plan B, I'd pray that everything went well. It usually did, (I knew how to follow instructions)...

Here is my first attempt at making a Prezi. I wrote about in an earlier post; a neat new 2.0 presentational tool, (it's been described as a "power point on steroids"). I created it for a presentation for an EDU 655 class I'm taking. I tried it at home, and everything went well, however, the best laid plans of mice and men...

I cringe and shake my head even now.

I began to speak during my actual presentation...  And found that my brains were left in the car with my keys and the key concepts I planned to cover... They were lost somewhere in the grey matter...  also in the car - with it running, (I actually did this the day of the presentation).

Good Lord...

You know what it's like to watch someone sing poorly while on stage, or give a presentation that falls far, far short of the mark... it's painful to watch. As an audience member you  feel like hiding as the presenter digs a hole so deep that you just want to put them out of their misery.

That was me. :-(

I really dislike presenting to adults and having snapshot moments, (You know these as well - when the photographer catches you with your mouth open or worse, just when you're about to blink. You look really bad!).

At that fateful EDU 655 Saturday class... That was not me, (I wish it weren't, but it was)! I'm so much more than what the other students and the professor saw...

Here's my prezi: http://prezi.com/kal2vtymqzfe/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy (IMPORTANT: To simply view just click on the RIGHT ARROW button to advance the presentation, at the BOTTOM RIGHT - DO NOT MOVE ANYTHING AROUND - PLEASE, (you can create your own prezi at http://prezi.com).

The written portion is below, (This blog post is my effort to redeem myself - but in this I may fail miserably as redemption is not my calling- it's God's):

Here's also the link to my website and on the contact page is a link for my professional presence website:


http://mrsninabenson.weebly.com/

BIG SIGH!!!

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PRESENTATION

NOMADS & MIGRANTS: Negotiating a Multicultural Postmodernism

by Rafael Perez-Torres

EDU 655

Dr. Samina Hadi-Tabassum

By Nina Benson

Mr. Torres has written a mini dissertation that addresses his views on multiculturalism in a postmodern world. His presentation is difficult to follow as he suggest a plethora of pedagogy with little connection to the other.

Given the title of the book Latinos and Education in conjunction with the title of the chapter Nomads & Migrants: Negotiating a Multicultural Postmodernism; one might walk away wondering what was the take-away?

Mr. Torres espouses the views of many intelligentsias on the subject, all for the purpose of concluding that the discussion of multiculturalism and postmodernism should not “disappear”. He surely gives a fair argument as his paper seems to be written to like-minded persons.

How is Mr. Torres’ discourse connected to specifically Latino education?

With all due respect to Mr. Torres; this presentation of his work is opposite his intense discourse. Multiculturalism postmodernism is addressed with playful banter, making the weightiness of the subject within the reach of the mere teachers who juggle the subject head-on amid many other balls and hats that are worn.

Our classrooms can be viewed as a large game board. There are the students, multi-cultured from home, but mixed together in a homogenous conglobulate a.k.a. the classroom. There are the various cultures and mindsets that are expected to be acted upon at the proverbial door of the teachers. A wealth of knowledge and resources, however, is left in-check that belongs to the teacher. In some cases we are merely expected to be a mirror of only what is represented in our classrooms and their parents, while in others we mirror only our administrators. Lastly, there are our beloved administration that we hold in the highest regard. They ever so pointedly add more to the “mix” of multiculturalism to seemingly spice up our otherwise mundane lives. 

The bottom line that Mr. Torres seems to be driving home, is that we must be sensitive; we must be aware of the students now as what we do as educators affects the future of our charges and ultimately our futures. No one has the luxury of marginalizing multiculturalism, not today, not for tomorrow – our postmodern world, (however, it was grossly ignored in the past).

Questions:

1.     Does Multiculturalism exist within education aside from the cultural days and specific cultural celebrations specifically so assigned?

2.     What exactly does it mean to integrate multiculturalism into ones education, especially when there are several ethnic groups represented?

3.     As teachers “juggle” the various integrations of multiculturalism are actual educational practices sacrificed?

4.     When does multiculturalism education work best? What are the optimal conditions?

5.     What was the practice of multiculturalism ten years ago? Five years ago? Two years ago?

6.     What has been the quality of education ten years ago? Five years ago? Two years ago?

7.     What are the desires of the parents of the various ethnic groups that are represented within your schools concerning multiculturalism verses education?

8.     What is the reality of the world outside the walls of academia?

9.     What does the teacher sacrifice of there own culture – are they to be ignored as a member of their own classroom?

10.   What are the “real” concerns of the administration with regard to multiculturalism?

11.   What are the desires of the students with regard to multiculturalism?

12.   Given the demands placed upon teachers, i.e. providing differentiated instruction, cross curricular education, etc.; what might be some simple realistic attempts to integrate multiculturalism that might be more natural and not burdensome?

13.   Is there a hypersensitivity to multiculturalism?

14.   Is there a multicultural elephant in the room as a result of guilt?

15.   What are the connections of multiculturalism and post-modernism within education?

16.   If post-modernism is a related in part to skepticism, what should be the role of the student with regard to his/her own culture?

17.   What is the empirical evidence that students have not been served with regards to their culture and education? What is the goal of education? What are the duties of families – to impart culture? Are we taking that duty away from families?

18.   In this post-modern society are there educators who disregard the ethnicity of their students? Is it at the expense of the majority?

19.   What do students want out of education?

20.   Given the constant shift of our more migratory students, how can we make transitions “softer” for students? Those coming and those receiving the new student?

PRESENTATION VISUAL:

Each classmate will be given baggies of individually wrapped model magic. Each baggie will contain the colors, black, brown, peach, pale yellow – to represent the various people groups.

Each classmate will be given a tray of small glass bottles, with additional bottles being adding throughout the game.Each classmates will be given a paper bag.

There will be an assortment of candies in front of each classmate.

There will be glue dots between each classmate. This is an unknown. J

THE GAME:

Each classmate must blend, but not completely mix the individual  people groups that represent their students. They must have regard for each individual students needs, but not sacrifice any of them for the other. This is integrating multiculturalism into the classroom.

Classmates must always hold the tray with the glass bottles in the other hand– never allowing them to fall. These glass bottles are representational of various duties required by their administration, that they must uphold at all times. Putting down the tray results in swift and sure termination.

At an appointed time classmates will be instructed to place another bottle on their tray – neglecting to do so will result in swift and sure termination.

Classmates can take a candy, (representing their own culture experiences), from the middle of the table and place it in their bag when they actually believe that by so doing they will enhance their students multicultural educational experience. Classmates must be ready to give an account for their reasoning.

A winner will be determined after five minutes. The winner must have retained all bottles standing on their tray and created a multicultural sculpture that represents a semi- homogenous people group and have at least one candy in the bag with rationale.

POST-GAME QUESTIONS:

Did anyone think to help out each other?

Did anyone think to use the glue dots?

Did any one completely mix the people groups? What was lost by so doing, what was gained?

How did you feel about the administration adding more duties?

Does anyone feel that they sacrifice their own valid culture or beliefs?

THE PREZI:

BUBBLE ONE:

Stats: 2008 source U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Current Population Survey(CPS), October1980-2008

25.8% Hispanics in Hispanic schools go on to complete college

32.1% Blacks in black schools go on to complete college

57.6% other in mixed schools go on to complete college

44.2% of Whites in white schools go on to complete college

Females are more likely to attend college across all racial  lines

BUBBLE TWO:

What’s the problem? As Mr. Torres explain, there is a marginalization of multiculturalism, and sadly, not fully integrated into lessons, if not totally ignored...

What’s the bottom line that parents want? Parents want their children to succeed.

What do students want? Heaven ... Really most just want everyone to get along

BUBBLE THREE:

Video: Questions:

What does multicultural education in a post-modern world mean?

Is there a regard for multicultural education and does it make a difference?

What type of teachers are the most sensitive? The least sensitive?

BUBBLE FOUR:

Where is the problem? Could be anywhere, sometimes the issue is subtle.

Where is there the most blatant disregard for multicultural education and why does it exist there? Places where there is only a majority, sometimes in places where there are only two cultures that converge and one is slightly “more” than the other.

We forget to help out each other.

BUBBLE FIVE:

Where should we as educators be taking our lead from? The heart – could be deceitful, parents, our colleagues, administrators, life experiences

We as educators need to be sensitive

We as educators should simply learn from our mistakes and keep moving forward.