Contact and Negotiation

This week I really took pleasure in reading Joseph Harris, Contact and Negotiation. I found to agree that there needs to be much more of a diversity awareness in our classrooms today. There needs to be more “balance.” There needs to be “two-sides” to all issues. I have seen dialogue and truth replaced with dangerous blind faith. From denial of global warming to the teaching of intelligent design, we have entered an era where the foundations of democracy are not being chiseled away but openly hacked down, degraded and destroyed. When people, adult and children, cannot back up their accusations, they rely on the frightening rationale of “just because.” Facts no longer matter where ideology is blindly and dangerously driven by a complete obedience that does not question the results of the order.
“Dissent is dealt with by not being noticed-much as, Pratt argues, the views, experiences, and writings of minority cultures have been studiously ignored in most American classrooms, even in schools where many students are black, Asian, Hispanic, or working class. This leads Pratt to call for classrooms where such voices do get heard, even if at the cost of some conflict or confusion-for pedagogical contact zones rather than communities” (118).
The teachers aren't telling students what to think — they're getting their thoughts on it. I truly believe that teachers should emphasize that students need to think for themselves in order to achieve success in life. It is important to educate children with a greater awareness of others around them, especially those who are different. Teaching content is the ultimate result we as teachers must achieve; framing the content within the curriculum so that it is culturally responsive to the students in the classroom will ultimately make it more relevant. Students who are taught to respect and be curious about culture will ultimately develop a better understanding of the cultural differences that exist around them. This will help them to be better citizens and more productive members of society as a whole. Educators do not believe that all learners are the same. Yet visits to schools throughout the world might convince us otherwise. Too often, educators continue to treat all learners alike while paying lip service to the principle of diversity. An individual learner's culture, family background, and socio-economic level affect his or her learning. The context in which someone grows and develops has an important impact on learning. Every learner benefits from an excellent teacher and an engaging learning experience. Every student and teacher deserves to be treated with respect. Every student should have an opportunity to reach his or her individual potential.