An "Outside of the Box" Multicultural Event (APLING603 assignment)

Our instructions were to design a "multicultural event" and try to think outside the box - go beyond the usual potluck-of-various-styles-of-food type event. 

My response:

High School Culture Show and Tell

Hypothetical Scenario: I am a high school language teacher organizing a school-wide multicultural event. I am designing a “Culture Show-and-Tell” with specific instructions towards the end of this post. 

Rationale: Culture can be represented in so many ways; it is a shame to limit it to a traditional dish or costume from one’s home country. “Culture” isn’t necessarily even about being from a different country or eating different foods than someone across town. Everyone comes to the school with their own particular cultural capital. Cultural capital can be represented by “ways of talking, acting, modes of style, moving, socializing, forms of knowledge, language practices and values” and more (McLaren, 2009, p. 80). In an attempt to recognize and value each of my student’s cultures, I am planning a multicultural event with the express intent of recognizing, appreciating, and celebrating one’s cultural capital. Students will be encouraged to look in their own homes, their own families, their own neighborhoods or close-knit group of friends, and to uncover an aspect of that culture which they can share with the rest of the school.

Lilia Bartolomé discusses the importance of using additive teaching methods: taking a student’s current life experience and language style, and adding onto it. “Teachers must discard deficit views” and instead see the value of what each student brings to the classroom (Bartolomé, 2009, p. 346). With that in mind, I have designed a culture fair that celebrates and explores each student’s background, so that we can use them as a launch pad for future learning. After the fair, the goal is for teachers (and students) throughout the school to be educated and enlightened about their students’ (and classmates’) cultural capital and to find ways to build on these cultural differences in the classroom.

Flyer:

First Annual Culture Show-and-Tell

Auditions: 2/28 in my classroom

Show-and-Tell: 3/30 in the auditorium

Both individual and group performances are welcome.

What makes you who you are? Do you speak a different language or dialect at home than at school? Do you belong to a group that dresses differently than others? Do your parents use idioms or cite superstitions that you don’t hear elsewhere? Do you walk, dance, or move differently than others at school?

Dig into this difference. Where does it come from? How does it contribute to your personality and your daily interactions? Come to the audition prepared to SHOW me one aspect of what you’ve discovered and to TELL me the background of the particular cultural element you’re exploring. I will help you flesh out your idea and make it performance ready.

Possible performance ideas:

• Read a piece of prose or poetry that you have written in your home dialect
• Do a fashion show about your culture’s style of dress (headscarf, saggy jeans, pocket protector…).
• Present a piece of art you’ve created (inspired by your culture).
• Do a brief cooking show (and explain how/why this particular dish is made in your culture).
• Gather a group of students from different cultures and have them each demonstrate how their culture walks/struts/lollygags down the hallway.
• Get creative!

References:

Bartolomé, L.  (2009). Beyond the methods fetish: Toward a humanizing pedagogy. In A. Darder, M. P. Baltodano, & R. D. Torres (EDS.), The critical pedagogy reader (2^nd ed. (pp. 338-355). New York, NY: Routledge.

McClaren, P. (2009). Critical pedagogy: A look at the major concepts. In A. Darder, M. P. Baltodano, & R. D. Torres (EDS.), The critical pedagogy reader (2^nd ed. (pp. 61-83). New York, NY: Routledge.