Although it is widely known that different cultures learn differently, like Jessica said, a segregation of students based on their culture in order to help them learn is definitely not the answer. Not only would that harbor inequities and insecurities, it just doesn't make sense on the most basic level.
I think students within each culture learn differently from each other as well, making individual attention imperative. For example, my brothers and I are all of the same background and we have the same parents. I have one overachieving brother who is a computer and math whiz majoring in computer engineering or something and never struggles with anything. As for myself, I suck at numbers and computers, but I can write really well and I thrive in the humanities. My other brother is just a terrible student overall, and he is hobbling through college, barely passing, and hating every second of it. We all received the same attention from my mother, who is really into reading and read to us often. She did everything a parent should do, and I do credit her for the success in school my brothers and I have achieved, all at a different level.
I think lumping students into culture categories based on assumptions of their learning style is detrimental. Like Jessica said, each student requires individual attention. Most stereotypes do not hold up in all cases, for example, ( and not to buy into a stereotype, or offend) but there probably is an asian that is horrible at math somewhere.
Although individualized attention is definitely difficult to extend to each student at every point due to a multitude of unfair reasons (like money, staffing, politics), teachers should strive to do their best with their resources to ensure that the student is gaining all that is possible from their education no matter their background.
This seems like a pretty common sense take, so am I missing some point? Or is it really this simple?
No comments:
Post a Comment