Return-Path: <nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id iACFKT002956; Fri, 12 Nov 2004 10:20:29 -0500 (EST) Date: Fri, 12 Nov 2004 10:20:29 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <1c5.1ffe2846.2ec62d41@aol.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: MWPotts2001@aol.com To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-4EFF:2872] EFF and Holiday Observations X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Mailer: 9.0 for Windows sub 5033 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Status: O Content-Length: 2173 Lines: 40 Colleagues, One of the earliest, yet ever current tools developed by the EFF Project is the set of Role Maps. Today, I was reminded that all three maps refer to a common theme: Promote values, ethics, and cultural heritage; Value people different from oneself; and Respect others, and work to eliminate discrimination and prejudice. As the traditional holidays approach, we can use these key activities to include people from other cultures and their traditions in our work toward the EFF Standards: Read With Understanding, Convey Ideas in Writing, Speak So Others Can Understand, Listen Actively, and Observe Critically. As I read back through the Content Standards book, I saw again the wonderful series of lessons submitted by Judy Wurtz and Eileen Peca, ESL teachers in the Sweetwater Union School District in California, which they called "No Time for Turkeys!" The major EFF Standard of focus was Cooperate With Others, but they soon found that they had to apply a second Standard, Resolve Conflict and Negotiate. Kathy Holen, assistant professor of elementary education and English as a second language at Kansas State University, said that with a variety of cultures in schools, certain holidays should not be emphasized at the expense of others. Holen said the most important thing for a teacher to remember is to avoid having a narrow view of what holidays are. "These days, in diverse classrooms, what have traditionally been observed as the holidays aren't applicable for everybody in the classroom," she said. She cautions against excluding traditional celebrations, though. A better approach to this situation would be to include holidays from all around the world – including Christmas -- in class discussion, Holen said. Learning about other cultures and their traditions is a very important part of education, she said. Holen said the things that impact students the most are food, artifacts, clothing and visitors whose native language is not English. http://www.mediarelations.ksu.edu/WEB/News/NewsReleases/classroomholiday110904 .html Happy Holidays and All the Best, Meta Potts, Moderator, 4-EFF List Glen Allen, VA
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