teaching learning schooling Holistic: Caring for the whole person Empowering: Intellectual and Emotional Growth Community: Creating Communities of Care and Justice

The need for caring Who am I? What kind of person will I be? Who will love me? How do others see me? “The need for care in our present culture is acute. Patients feel uncared for in our medical system; clients feel uncared for in our welfare system; old people feel uncared for in the facilities provided for them; and children, especially adolescents, feel uncared for in schools.” – Nel Noddings (Noddings, 1992)

Knowing your Students Individuals Culture, Family and home Interests and talents Developmental, Social, Emotional needs Learning styles Spiritual - communities of faith Emotional self – Mental Health The Self in Society Race and Ethnicity Gender Identity Dis/Ability Sexual Orientation

Relevant Learning: Connects with who your students are Know your students and their cultures in order to provide relevant learning experiences. Motivation Real learning comes from within. The teacher’s job is to inspire student. Connections Related to what the student already knows, their lives and experiences. (Dewey, 1938)

Cultural Awareness: How can I give students what they need? Communicate Effectively Understand cultural differences in communication styles, adapt. Work with Families Families and communities: what do they need students to learn? Culturally Responsive Curriculum Curriculum should reflect and support identity of students you teach, as well as increase their understanding of many cultures. “Appropriate education for poor children and children of color can only be devised in consultation with adults who share their culture...[they] must be allowed to participate fully in the discussion of what kind of instruction is in their children's best interest" (Delpit, 1995, p. 45).

Learning: The Empowering Experience Opens up pathways for the learner – new abilities, new ideas How we Learn Through experiences learner interacts with: Environment, Objects (Piaget) Other people (Vygotsky) (Singer & Revenson, 1978, Wertsch,1985)

Learning happens in the brain Changing the Brain Dendrites Grow Neuronal Networks The Myelin Sheath Pruning: the Brain cleans up! (Jensen, 2005, Zull, 2002)

Effective Teaching Uses knowledge of how the Brain works Neuronal Networks: Connect to existing knowledge Multiple pathways: Integrate movement, art, sensory experience Myelin Sheath: Strengthen through practice and recall Select and guide interesting, memorable learning experiences! Healthy Body and Brain Water helps the brain work better. Sleep, proper nutrition and exercise are all necessary for effective learning. (Jensen, 2005)

Developmentally Appropriate Use our knowledge of how learning takes place. People share ideas through language. Learning takes place when an adult or more capable peer accesses what Vygotsky called the Zone of Proximal Development We teach when we share ideas and skills that are accessible but challenging – tailored to the individual’s developmental needs. Understand learning differences, employ strategies appropriate for the learning style and needs of your students.

The Whole Self: Emotional and Physical Well Being Understand Issues Mental Health Poverty Addiction Abuse Bullying, Harassment, Social Exclusion Support your Students Protect students from harm in the classroom and the school. Prevent bullying and exclusion. Create safe, hate-free communities. Listen, show that you care, do your best to get students the help they need.

Communities of the Free: Self-Determination in Schooling Schools and teacher practices should support the development of healthy democratic communities. Students create rules, social contract of the classroom, school Discipline based on communication and mutual respect Examine issues around rights, individuals and community This is an essential step toward just education for the poor in our society.

Reality: The world outside your Classroom The fight over limited resources Global Reality = Racist Hegemony + Consumerist Indifference, Ignorance, Apathy and Powerlessness. Fight it!!! Teach citizens to see, understand, and care about the earth, her people and creatures. Give students: Critical thinking Cultural Understanding Academic Skills to pursue careers that change the world

Can schooling transform to a loving institution to impact the experiences of our students, the people and creatures of the world? The work of Schooling: Securing Privilege / Dismantling Privilege? School has been used to reproduce social structures of inequality, and as a form of violence. (Spring, 2005, Valenzuela 1999) Poor people, immigrants, youth of color are still marginalized and alienated through schooling.

Solutions: Beauty from the World’s Cultures Share with children the beauty of art and music from the world’s cultures. Make sure it is Authentic Accessible Respectful

Connections to the Natural World

Healing: Teaching, Learning and Schooling for a Better Future We need purpose in life and caring connections with other humans. It is our duty to give students access to power in society, and help them gain the ability to and find the desire to make positive contributions to community. Redefine success. Help students question cultural definitions of success and purpose. Do your actions show and teach what you value?

If you are trying to transform a brutalized society into one where people can live in dignity and hope, you begin with the empowering of the most powerless. You build from the ground up. -Adrienne Rich The world is before you and you need not take it or leave it as it was when you came in. - James Baldwin

Bibliography Texts Delpit, Lisa (1995). Other people's children. New York: The New Press. Dewey, John (1938). Experience and education. New York: Touchstone. Jensen, Eric (2005). Teaching with the brain in mind. Alexandria: Association for supervision and curriculum development. Johnson, Allan G. (2001). Privilege, power and difference. New York: McGraw Hill. Noddings, Nel (1992). The challenge to care in schools. New York: Teachers College Press Singer, Dorothy G. & Revenson, Tracey A (1978). A Piaget primer: How a child thinks. New york: Penguin. Spring, Joel (2005). American school: San Francisco: McGraw Hill Tatum, Beverly Daniel (1997). Why are all the black kids sitting together in the cafeteria. New York: Basic Books. Valenzuela, Angela (1999). Subractive schooling: U.S.- Mexican youth and the politics of caring. New York: State University of New York Press. West, Cornel (2001). Race Matters. New York: Vintage Books. Wertsch, James (1985). Vygotsky and the social formation of mind. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press. Zull, James E. (2002). The art of changing the brain. Sterling, Virginia: Stylus. Picture Credits, by slide number 1.Deviantart.com user Kos5tas 2.Deviantart.com user 13thousand 3.Deviantart.com user Idrils 4.A. Deviantart.com user Soulmage B. Deviantart.com user Koolkiz 5.Deviantart.com user Tincrust 6.A. Deviantart.com Mateo B. Deviantart.com Biffnu 7.A. Deviantart.com user Melaniumom B. Deviantart.com user karin_photography 8.Deviantart.com user Behindlockeddoors 9.A. Deviantart.com user Randompedestrian B. Deviantart.com user Adriftphotography 10.Deviantart.com user It_The_Clown 11.A. Deviantart.com user Zoom B. Deviantart.com user Jevinart 12.Deviantart.com user Jarvisnoncoong 13.Kimberly F. from Naturalchild.org 14.A.Deviantart.com user Vampiric_Romance B.Ramon Alejandro from Kora: wikimedia.org and Kora Player: Zubop Gambia on Gambiaarts.co.uk 15.Deviantart.com user Mutrus 16. Vincenzo Desidereo from Deviantart.com user Brainleakage