EDFD 202 Papers.docx

EDFD 202 : Socio-Cultural Foundations of Education

Maricel C. Azucena M. Ed. (ESL) II

Q: What are transmitted in enculturation? (Eskimo)

Child Rearing Traditions

Eskimo children are treated supportively and permissively.

The child is respected. Children are admonished, directed,

remonstrated, but without hostility.

The Society’s Worldview

Children need to be nurtured to become good, useful/functional members of the community.

Children are participants in the flow of life. The child is equal to its parents.

Modal Personality

Eskimo children learn to become useful in the community.

The child trains himself to become adept with survival techniques.

Pattern of Behaviour Children assume responsibility appropriate

to their age quite early in life. They learn by observing and doing.

12/4/2013

EDFD 202: Socio-Cultural Foundations of Education


Q: What are the implications of culture to education?

Culture is correlated with education. Education would not have come into existence without culture, and culture on the other hand would not have advanced without the aid of education. Culture involves complex processes that define human nature and life in general. Education is what simplifies those complexities by dissecting and classifying the many dimensions of human culture into a set of disciplines to make the very realities understandable to man. It is through education that one gains a keener awareness and understanding of how things are and his roles in his environment. This is why perhaps the most educated men are those who have not mastered the sciences or the arts, but rather those who have developed a greater awareness of their surroundings and have nurtured a deeper sensitivity towards their fellow human beings.

Then again, culture has profound influences on education. It is culture that influences and shapes the learning environment and the learner in particular. It is reasonable to say that a good understanding of learner culture effects efficient instruction. For example, if a teacher wishes to attain his teaching goals or to optimize the learning experience with his learners, it is imperative

that he must have a good understanding of the learners’ background for him to adapt to their learning pace and style and thus, effectively meet the needs of his learners. By having a good grasp of the learners’ culture, the teacher is able to deal and cope with his learners effectually. #



Q: In modernizing cultures, what do you think should be the purpose of education? Relate your answer to the experience of discontinuity and compression in the schools of Sisala and

Malitbog.

Education is a catalyst vehicle of modernization. The main purpose of education is to bring about change in cultural systems, or at least equip learners or community members with the essential skills needed for survival in the ever-changing demands of life that gets complicated as time goes by, provided that these skills or knowledge are relevant to the cultural system they belong to. Education should not teach what is alien to the culture of the child. It should be realistic and practical, and is grounded in some universal truths, because education spans beyond the theories and concepts learned from books. Education should put more emphasis on experiences that the child can easily relate with. It is not supposed to confuse the child by injecting into his mind elusive goals that in the end would leave the child disillusioned and

frustrated. Although new schools nowadays have concepts which are future oriented, instructions should include reality-based themes which make use of resources that are within the reach of the learner and he can easily identify with and has significance to his everyday life. Education is not limited to the four walls of the classroom only. Education should teach about life. It is about how one should live and how to survive.

(As related from The Transmission of Culture)



The Problem (and the answer) is in Us, Pinoys(A Reaction Paper on A Damaged Culture)

Once, I had been a tutor to Korean students, and several times I had been asked by them

why we, Filipinoes remain poor despite the abundance our country has ever been blessed with

naturally. Korean students take pride in their discipline and industry that catapulted them to land

and remain in one of the spots in the so-called G-7 countries and they wondered why we were not

able to fully utilize our resources and manpower to make our country progressive, just like them and

Japan. They had noted how easily we get tired especially in the afternoons. They were surprised

to know that we needed to rest or take a short nap after lunch. Siesta was alien to them. So, they

simply blamed Philippine weather. They surmised that it was the hot, tropical weather that make us

Pinoys easily tired and lazy. Several times also I was not able to answer back as fast and as

eloquently as I could. It was because deep within myself I knew why. I was ashamed or rather I

felt ashamed to admit before my students the fact that we Pinoys have this attitude problem that

has gotten so worst. So worst comparable to a cancer that has spread and contaminated our very

system. A disease that has blown out of proportions.

As a read through the article, A Damaged Culture, I could not help but agree with what the

author has written there. Everything was all true about us Pinoys until these very days. Until now,

our country is still plagued with the same old problems it had more than two decades ago. And it is

just so disconcerting to think about it. For example, we have not made so much progress when it

comes to manufacturing. We even import simple things such as erasers or ball pens from

Malaysia, Japan or China when we ourselves are capable of making those stuffs or even better

them. We Pinoys are less risk-takers. This could be the reason why there are more Chinese

businessmen in the country than Pinoys. Most of us would prefer to be employed than to employ.

We have grown so indifferent to the point that we have become easily content with what we

have. We tend to be comfortable with short term relief than aim for a lifetime security. Yes, our

indifference and lack of discipline have led us to think that we are inferior and thus, depend on

others for survival. Most of us if not all would opt for an easy job that suffices a days’ meal than try a

complicated one that offers long-term stability. WE have become really indifferent. We get angry

and furious with corrupt and abusive government officials, but we are also quick to forgive.

We value good relations, but we treat each other worse than any other nation in Asia. We

are a sick nation indeed and ours is a cultural system that has been plagued and has become so

confusing with all of its ironies. We do not have a sense of nationalism. We could not even

patronize our own. So, what else can we expect?

It is about time to stop blaming our government. We could not blame anybody for the

poverty that we ourselves have been afflicting ourselves. Forgive me the cliché, but it is really time

to take our views on a higher level. One that looks deep into our very selves and asks, “What’s

wrong with us? Why we had lagged so far behind?” It is time for a paradigm shift. A cultural make-

over. Hopefully, by now we could figure things out. We don’t need another Korean or Japanese or

Chinese to make us realize what. #

EDL 205: Language Acquisition: Theories, Principles, and Research


Q: Know your learners. What are their concerns (based on the concepts discussed)? How do you address them?

As expected of their age and preparedness, (or perhaps blame it on poor training in elementary or lack of parental reinforcement) most of my Grade 7 students could hardly speak and write good English. They have very limited vocabulary of the English language and could hardly come up with good simple sentences. They are reluctant and shy during oral recitations. Usually, their answers are in the form of choppy phrases of two to three words of either a noun or adjective and a verb with misplaced preposition and conjunction that represent what they mean. Because of this difficulty, they would often resort to code switching or ask me to allow them to speak in Filipino instead -- which I do not tolerate, but sometimes I

give in just to make way for the student to express himself. In most cases, I would guide them in answering my own questions by dropping hints similar to oral sentence completion until they could deliver the answer in a sentence on their own.

Another difficulty they have is in pronouncing English words correctly. This difficulty I suppose is influenced by their being accustomed to speaking Karay-a, the dialect in our locality. The dominant use of Karay-a makes it hard for them to switch their tongue’s pronunciation mode to English. One of the interventions I have made to address these problems is to conduct a regular spelling test every week wherein aside from spelling out the words correctly on paper, each word is given its meaning and then used in a sentence. After which, each word is read aloud with proper stress and pronunciation. #

Given the harsh and highly critical Philippine social setting where our cultural system has this “perfectionist” attitude towards acquiring a second language as with English, nothing could be more embarrassing for an L2 learner than committing a slip-up in English whenever an L2 is required as medium. I have realized that as an English teacher it is my task to develop linguistic confidence in my students #



Lasting Imprints : An Autobiographical Essay

Often I am told that I am stubborn, meticulous, but sympathetic. And I have little wonder why.

Everything I am now is merely a product of several experiences I had in the past and how I was brought up by my parents and by people who love and care for me. I was born to a family which is neither very rich nor very poor, but just lucky enough to have industrious and responsible parents to support our daily needs and

afford us a bit of luxury sometimes. I am the eldest of four children. And being eldest child in the family, more was expected of me.

The key figure in our family is my father. He is very traditional and very particular about discipline and conscientiousness. He wanted us to grow up responsible and independent. It was my father who trained me in most of the household chores of cooking rice, sewing clothes and regular house cleaning. He was very neat and orderly. He did not want messy surroundings. I remember, I was eight years old when I first learned how to cook rice (the traditional way, not with the rice cooker of course!). My tatay also had a way to instil responsibility in us. He would make a “cleaners’ wheel” and assign us specific areas of cleaning each day and every time we have attended to our duties well, he would reward us. Father would always tell me that as a woman, it is my duty to take care of the home. Someday, he said when I have my own family I should be a responsible wife to my husband and children.

Mother on the other hand, would teach us social grace and how to behave whenever in the company of other people. I remember how I would shriek whenever she tweaks my side when I misbehaved. She hated to see me laugh or to talk boisterously with my friends or classmates back then in the 5th grade. She didn’t like me doing horseplay with my friends whenever we had visitors in the house. She would say, “ Indi ka sagay tirik.” as she makes an angry gesture with her inched mouth and flaring eyes. Those limitations on me were further reinforced by my aunts or my nanay’s unmarried sisters. When I was growing up as a teenager, I felt the world was getting narrower on me. There were just so many rules. That was the period of so many DOs and DONTs in my life. For me, they were a bunch of “kill joys” that time. I had no other choice but obey what they said. From then on, I learned to behave whenever I am with

other people. To think before I speak, and to refine my manners. All those times, I simply obeyed. I had high respect for authority.

Nanay and tatay who have both come from struggling families also had high regard for education. They would always remind us of doing our best in our studies and someday earn a degree. They never asked us to be number one in class, but to just do our best in everything we do. They would always emphasize to us that education is the only treasure they could leave us that nobody can ever steal from us. All these I took to heart that I finished high school and college without having a boyfriend despite numerous prospects (sigh). Somehow, at some point in my life I had misgivings though. Because I thought I was being “abnormal” then. However, to some degree I am also grateful for not entering into a relationship. Had I made the alternate choice, I would not have probably been able to finish my studies and I would not have been able to meet the man that swept me off my feet.

Other than my parents, I was partly brought up by my grandparents (mother’s parents) and aunts. In fact, I am more emotionally attached to my lolo and lola and to my tita Boobie because when I was still very young, nanay and tatay would leave me at their care so that they can attend to their work. It was from them where I learnt the warmth of a family. They somehow filled the empty spaces left by nanay and tatay then. They love me in a way so different from the way my parents love me. To others, it was spoiling, but to me it was everything. It was from my lolo and lola and aunties where I learned about openness and trust. It was through them that I learned to love unconditionally and generously. It was with them that I experience a different freedom and a sense of individualism. To be with them is family.

And all these things define me. The givens in my life. The persons who have shaped me and continue to influence every inch of my being to whom I am indebted much. They may not be perfect

nor whole. But they are the very fragments of my soul. Without them I am nobody. Lost. Without a name. Without a culture.#



Module 4: School – Teacher Culture.

I am into the teaching profession for almost eight years now.

The first four years I spent in a local private catholic school, one year

as a tutor to Korean and Japanese students, and at present I am now

in my third year as a public secondary school teacher. In the private

school, we teachers were exposed to multi-tasking. During my stay

in that private school, my job was not solely limited to teaching

only. I was an adviser to so many clubs and stretched my self on

weekends to comply to non-academic activities involving my

students. Since it was a sectarian school, morality and upright

conduct was emphasized on us. We had regular mass on

Wednesdays and required attendance on Sunday Mass. Those

experiences shaped me to become a “values-conscious” and multi-

skilled person and teacher. After teaching in the private school, I

tried to become a tutor to Korean and Japanese students for a year.

I found teaching foreign students very efficient and structured. This

was so because of the quality of resource materials they were using

which proved to me very convenient to use with the students. I also

became conscious of time and came to the center on-time since

foreign students were particular about punctuality. Now that I am

teaching in the public school, I tried to integrate every important

insight that I have learned from the experiences I had before. Aside

from being an adviser to Grade 7 students, I also stand as their

second mother, problem solver, conflict-settler, moderator, finance

officer and other roles I assumed as demanded by my students

needs. As a teacher I have learned to recognize the multiple

intelligences of my learners and I try to suit my lesson according to

their capabilities and skills. I have learned to appreciate individual

differences. I have learned to respect gender preferences of

students and even of colleagues. Every time I come to class, I try to

be fair with my students regardless of who they are. I have met

theories like behaviourism, functionalism, and cognitivism, and

other isms, etc., but sometimes I still could not figure out which

category I am most inclined. Eight years into the profession don’t

make me a pro. Everyday I learn with my students and I remain a

constant work in progress. #


Mid-term Exam

1. The mass media are indeed powerful tools in shaping our perceptions of this world. They somehow redefine our standards and influence our norms and beliefs. As a teacher, I feel deeply obliged to guide my students on how they are to take the messages of sex in the media. Probably, I will find time during our homeroom or include in my lessons reminders to students on how the mass media are influencing and distorting their minds and their views on reality. I will do my best to enlighten them that what they always see on television or whatever they may stumble upon Internet surfing are not always an exact reflection of reality. As a Catholic myself, I will remind them of the importance of timeless Christian values such as purity, chastity and respect and emphasize to them the value of keeping one’s virginity until marriage especially to my girl students. I will try my best to educate them about the perils and consequences of premarital sex and constant exposure to pornography. I will tell them that sex is not bad. Sex is not a plaything. It is rather a gift given by God to man for the main purpose of reproduction. Sex should be an act to be made out of love.

2. To be a teacher in the 21st century means that we have to let go of old, traditional teaching methods and views on teaching and adapt ourselves with changes or rather allow ourselves to become vehicles of these changes as influenced by technological advancements. Majority of learners nowadays are exposed to different sources of information. They are very adept with gadgets and are familiar with technology stuffs like the Internet. As teachers in the 21st century, our main task now should not be limited only to feeding our students with information (facts and content). Students or learners have access to these information anywhere, anytime. Our main task is to teach our students life skills—practical skills that students need for everyday life and survival. We should teach our students how to handle the resources they find by teaching them analytical skills. We need to rethink the tools we use and the types of problems we ask students to solve. We should develop lessons that are relevant, challenging, and critically engaging. It is important that we provide our students meaningful and powerful engagement. These teaching innovations would only become possible if we find time to collaborate and take risks. As teachers it is our main concern to know our students and respond to their needs. We should develop our lessons that would give them the skills that would prepare them for life. We should put more emphasis on the HOWs rather than the WHATs of things – more on application and less on theories.

3. According to the video file “what makes a great teacher? “A great teacher is somebody with tremendous element of care, has the desire to politely use expressions to see their hearts sing, discovers the joy in learning, but especially the joy in themselves, makes her first task to get to know her students—understanding who they are, where they are from, what kinds of interests they have, what contributions they can have to the classroom, knows her students extremely well, knows her subject areas well, a passionate learner herself-- it’s a lifelong professional learning whether with colleagues in the school collaboratively or with other peers, she has empathy who truly understands what makes their students think , she is naturally confident about the world around her, confident enough to be herself, has the ability to be relaxed—to be confident, self-assured for students to get the facts, she is somebody who listens, who care, who hold very high standard to his students learning, who takes interest in her students life beyond the classroom, who has expectations that expect her students to succeed, realizes that everything is not about control, not about over planning, not about deliberate learning, but truly interactive experience, she often learns as much from their students as she gives to her students. A great teacher is somebody with a heart for teaching. To sum it up, a great teacher is somebody who is passionate about learning and has empathy towards her students.

I agree with Cindee Kernick-Davison when she said that as teachers we need to look at our students as individuals. It is when we truly understand the learner that we begin to really become teachers.

4.

Canada School’s goal is student improvement to grow into happy adults

Schools have full-time student success coordinators for immigrant studentscollaborative effort of school staff to organize/put up a new program to address student’s needs

Looks how to support students holistically Teachers spend extra time with students One-on-one instruction and close supervision

China 40:1 average ratio of class size Give importance to nutrition and health of students No problems on discipline Independence of students Students are required to serve in the military Teachers receive a lot of training; Teachers hold two 45-minute classes Intense focus of students Students are VERY engaged to their lessons, very respectful Chinese teachers don’t use much technology Great learning starts as early as 4 years old Parent involvement

Finland Government raise the status of teachers Teachers have nearly complete discretion to decide on how

and what they want to teach Reality-based teaching Schools conduct national assessment .but not high stakes

testing. Results of which are only for research and not for ranking schools, teachers or students

Keyword is trust; from administrators down to the headmasters and staff

Germany

Schools have freedom to innovate Teamwork among teachers Weekly team meeting Rewards / incentives to students who perform well Teams have great autonomy and responsibility Cooperative structure enables transfer of innovation to

other teams Teacher meets with students and parents individually to

discuss and address needs of students

India Students are purely focused on academics

Singapore

One-on-one instruction and close supervision Teaching is valued as a high profession Teachers are supported by the government Cultivates teachers for leadership skills Launched remarkable training process for 6 months Government invests much on teacher training Teachers share ideas with one another Strong mentoring among teachers Teachers help each other to achieve

USA Students are less disciplined Less occupied with classroom instruction Teaching is not considered a good job preference Teachers work long hours; less pay Bad reasons are reasons for decline of US education Process of teacher training is neither centralized or selective Teachers who aspire to be promoted must take initiative on

their own to seek additional qualification and training

The views on education from countries Singapore, Finland, Canada and

Germany would work here in our country. Teacher mentoring, collaboration,

and strong support from government would really help teachers in the

Philippines improve their craft and inspire them to become more passionate

of their profession.


Final Exam

The goal of every teaching is learning. And for meaningful learning to take place, it begins with the teacher knowing what he teaches, how he teaches and knowing his students well.

For teachers to become effective in our teachings we must consider what we teach and how we are going to teach or deliver the goods to our learners that would create an impact to their lives. However, no matter how we make great effort, at times our objectives are left unmet and our students could not achieve meaningful learning due to the restrictions of their varied socio-cultural backgrounds and orientation. As teachers therefore, our main task is not merely limited on knowing and mastering what we teach and how we teach to students, but also in transcending cultural borders in our classrooms. We become “tour guides” and “travel agents” in the learning process. By doing so, we aide our students as they traverse different cultural borders as they interact with their classmates, and as they encounter new concepts in their lessons. As “cultural brokers” we help our students cope with their lessons by introducing learning experiences that would facilitate adaptation of skills that are of relevance to their life-world culture that is not also alien to the world of the subject matter we teach. As teachers, our chief aim is for our students to attain collateral learning than simply resorting to “school games”. We should ensure that at the end of the day, our students have a deeper understanding of the things we have taught them.

Given that we have identified our learners using Costa’s scheme, we can help our students transcend cultural borders by talking to them personally, getting involved with students’ activities, conducting sociometric tests, and spending more time with students during homeroom and by applying the interactive teaching strategies suggested by Bajracharya & Brouwer, 1997, such as the narrative approach, dichotomized notebook, and anthropological instruction. By doing so, we “acknowledge the cultural border crossings that most students experience

to varying degrees” (Jegede& Aikenhead, 1999). By having a good grasp of our students’ socio-cultural backgrounds, we can help minimize or eradicate classroom conflicts that are culturally-rooted, and we can prepare lessons attuned to our student’s needs.

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EDFD 202 Papers.docx