Page 22 - YOUTH DIGEST

W h e n I w a s i n F o r m 2 , t h e
t e a c h e r s h a d g r e a t e r
r e s p o n s i b i l i t y t o s e e k o u t
c u l t u r a l b u i l d i n g b l o c k s
s t u d e n t s a l r e a d y p o s s e s s , i n
o r d e r t o h e l p b u i l d a
f r a m e w o r k f o r u n d e r s t a n d i n g .
S o m e e d u c a t i o n a l p e d a g o g y
r e f e r s t o t h i s p r o c e s s a s
“ s c a f f o l d i n g . ”
T h e t e a c h e r s e x p l a i n e d t o u s
t h a t r e c o g n i t i o n o f a s t u d e n t ’ s
c u l t u r a l d i f f e r e n c e s p r o v i d e s a
p o s i t i v e b a s i s f o r e f f e c t i v e
l e a r n i n g , a n d a “ s a f e ”
c l a s s r o o m e n v i r o n m e n t . I n m y
I like the idea that learning involves transfer of information from prior c l a s s r o o m , w e w e r e a s s i s t e d i n
knowledge and experiences as one reason for seeking out and 4 g r o u p s w h i c h i n c l u d e d
acknowledging cultural differences among students. The teachers s t u d e n t s f r o m d i s t i n c t
tried their best to acknowledge the students’ background, validate and c u l t u r e s . E v e r y g r o u p o f
incorporate their previous knowledge into the process of acquiring
s t u d e n t s w o u l d r e s p o n d
new information. All the students begun school with a framework of
skills and information based on their home cultures. d i f f e r e n t l y t o c u r r i c u l u m a n d
t h e t e a c h e r n e e d t o c o n s t a n t l y
The most unforgettable moment in my a d j u s t t o b e s u r e t h e i r m e t h o d s
a r e d i v e r s e , b o t h i n t h e o r y a n d
high school was when everyone took i n p r a c t i c e .

part in traditional sports to support a
charity event held by Indigenous

People Community.

W i t h t e a c h i n g s
I remember in high school we would spend an hour each week
learning about a new culture. It was really eye-opening to listen to r o o t e d i n l o v e f o r
people from different backgrounds speak about their heritage and
o t h e r s , t h e G o s p e l
beliefs. This may include a rudimentary understanding of the alphabet,
numbers, computer functions, some basic knowledge of a second c a n b e a p o w e r f u l
language, or the ability to spell and write their names. It also includes
a set of habits, etiquette and social expectations derived from the t o o l f o r s o c i a l
home. c h a n g e .

Nurin Nabila, June 2019.

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