There are several ways in which I was able to learn about other cultures throughout this seminar. An amazing amount of depth was packed into one short week. The most profound elements for me were the lessons taught by my peers, the documentary Harvest of Empire, and the afternoon at Crossroads urban center.
The lessons that were taught in the class were amazing. Constructing our own knowledge the way we did for each one made the content relevant and personal. After learning about the theft of Mexican land in the Mexican-American war, the Mexican's war for independence, NAFTA, and the problems of Mexico today, especially with education, I have the background knowledge to further my own learning, and to include elements of this history in my curriculum as I develop it.
The contextual information these lessons provided, in combination with Harvest of Empire, also allows me to better understand the poverty facing many Latinos, whether in their home countries or in the US. I had a general idea about America's exploitation of these countries, but did not understand how deep it went. This knowledge gives me the impetus to do more for my students of color. I always had the mentality that I would do whatever I could to reach all students, but I now see that for many families, social resources will be valuable to know about and share.
It is for this reason that I appreciate my visit to the Crossroads Urban Center. I learned about dozens of resources that I never knew about before. From legal services to emergency diaper supply, this facility provides the services needed when a family is in crisis. Additionally, there resource wall provides contact information for all kinds of services. So, even if a family is not in crisis, but still needs help there is probably a number there that will help them. I grabbed a brochure for each one to add to my teacher resource file.
There were many other ways throughout the class that I learned about the [mostly] Mexican culture. Beyond this valuable, but discrete information, I learned even more valuable lessons on how to learn about other cultures. These avenues are spelled out in my padlet wall, and include genuine conversations, learning another language, professional development, and getting to know the community. I am excited to employ these methods and look forward to the deeper connections they allow with students and families.
