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Elizabeth Miller
EDMU 205
Cultural Autobiography
Cultural Autobiography
Cultural Autobiography
Cultural Autobiography
friend was one of the richest girls in school and I never quite
understood why I didnt have quite as nice clothes or could have as
many new movies, etc. as she did. Once I was older and my parents
status had risen, I had stopped caring about that so much because I
found friends that didnt make me feel inadequate.
The impact of how I was raised on my cultural outlook has really
just encouraged me to be open-minded. My parents are two of the
most supportive and non-judgmental people in the world and theyve
raised me to be the same way. My extended family has greatly
widened my gaze on the world, because they honestly remind me of
what I dont want to be, which is close-minded. The three distinct
neighborhoods that I was raised in gave me three views in stark
contrast; I know what its like to live in a low s.e.s. neighborhood and a
high one.
I dont have much to say about my elementary school, except for
that it was the first time I ever experience prejudice. It was against
myself, although one could argue the other way around. When I was in
first grade, we had a female student teacher that was black. One day
we were working on a picture on the wall and I was standing next to
her. I really didnt even notice her there and suddenly she was gone
and Im being called over to my teacher, who was also black.
Apparently the student teacher had asked me to help her and I refused
because she was a Negro... I will go to the grave swearing that I never
Cultural Autobiography
said that, and I have no recollection of any such words coming out of
my mouth. Im almost positive I didnt even know that term. My mother
and my teacher both defended me, but I still had to apologize. That
woman is now teaching in the Anderson schools, which disgusts me. I
have heard from several sources that she is a terrible teacher, but will
never be fired because the school fears being sued for racism.
Most of my cultural experiences in public school actually have to
do with my religion. I could really write a twenty-page paper about
being raised by Atheist parents in a town that is the headquarters of
the Church of God denomination. I have been an outsider in that town
for as long as I can remember and always will be. I went to youth group
with friends sometimes, but I never really fit in. I suppose this really
only has to do with school in the social sense, but that is a very
important part of education. I dont define myself as any religion,
although I am not an atheist. Throughout the years, I always felt
isolated from most of my classmates, because pretty much all of them
were in youth groups together. It really hasnt been until college that I
stopped feeling shamed by my classmates for not being in youth
groups or going on mission trips.
In kindergarten I met the girl who was to be my best friend until
freshman year of high school. She was shy, sweet, funny once you got
to know her, and really smart, all things I think we had in common. We
also shared a greater bond, although neither of us knew it at the time.
Cultural Autobiography
Cultural Autobiography
United States. I really dont know if I can put how that impacted me
into words, but I knew then that all I wanted to do in life was help
people, which I believe I will do through teaching.
Finally, I believe music, and my chosen path as a music educator,
has given me one of broadest views on different cultures and
multicultural education. I love music, because there are literally no
boundaries. And no matter how much a certain culture is put down
during a time period, something good always comes out of it: music.
Music is one of the best and most important ways to preserve a
culture. I think one of the greatest tragedies in the world is that we
have so much knowledge about the ancient Greeks, but barely any
information exists on their music. I am a huge music history fanatic, so
that has lead to me studying many different cultures and their music.
One of the most eye opening papers I wrote and topics I studied was
the music of the Jewish people in the concentration camp. The fact that
a people so oppressed could still create things so beautiful astounds
me.
Music has taught me how important the past is, but I do think
that music educators can get backed into a corner when they are
always expected to play traditional music. For example, if I had a
Native American student in my class, I would obviously want to expose
him and his classmates to their music, but I would not want to feel like
I was singling him out or stereotyping his people. In my classroom I aim
Cultural Autobiography
to show students how music already connects cultures, but also how
they can further these connections to create their own new cultures.
Significant Experiences that have shaped my Multicultural
Identity
During this semester, I have been volunteering my time at the
Roy C. Buley Center. This has been an eye-opening experience that has
caused me to think more about multiculturalism than ever before. At
the Buley center I work with students of different race, age, gender,
etc. I work with them on homework, and then get to play alongside
them afterwards. One of the biggest challenges at the Buley center is
the language barrier. There are many times where I have been working
with a student on written homework and they do not understand that
they is is not correct, because its the grammar used in their own
homes. The most rewarding thing for me about the Buley center is
when I can relate a subject to a students own life so they can
understand it. Many time students just need some sort of visual
representation to understand a math problem, so we get out toy blocks
or colored pencils to count with.
One day, most of the students were participating in a dinner at
Cornerstone so the staff took them over early and left about four of the
student volunteers in charge. There were only five kids left, and the
first four had parents come pretty soon after everyone else left, so
there was just one boy. He went to go to the bathroom, and then we
Cultural Autobiography
started to hear crying. Out of the blue, the boy had become hysterical
because he was the last one left and thought his mom was never going
to come get him. Quite honestly we were too stunned to react at first,
but then all of us starting comforting him. I had been in classrooms
before where a child had a meltdown, but it was always the teachers
job to take care of it while I kept the other students occupied. In this
situation I was able to handle the crisis myself, along with the help of
my peers.
Another significant experience Id like talk about is the major
event that led me to becoming a music education major. I always knew
I wanted to major in music, but education had never been on the table.
My goal was to write about music, but that changed my senior year of
high school. My mother teaches students with special needs, and this
was her first year working in a moderate self-contained classroom. She
had two non-verbal students in the room that she always talked about,
but I had never met. One little boy, Allen, was always interested in
music she said. After lunch the class would have naptime and my mom
would put on music. Every day after lunch Allen would go stand by the
boom box and point until my mom put the music on.
One day over Christmas break I came in to help make cookies
with the class. Before we started my mom put on some Christmas
music. Allen was so excited! He was dancing around to the music and
clapping along. Although his first work wasnt music, later in the year
Cultural Autobiography 10
he started to speak some, and it was always when it was time for the
music to come on. His enjoyment of the music and what it did for him
really pushed me in the direction of education. I decided if I really
wanted music to be the focus of my life I wanted to be actively
involved, giving students the enjoyment and enrichment Allen got from
music.
Multicultural Values
The concept of multicultural values is very broad, and when we
first addressed the idea in class I struggled with grasping how the
items on our list could actually be considered values. I think my main
issue with our definition of value is that it is something that is
intangible, yet we live in such a materialistic society that most values
are represented in some tangible way. I want my students to be able to
understand multicultural education and it is my experience that
students learn more thoroughly through tangible means. In the
remainder of this paper I will be discussing the value willingness to
learn the other, in two ways: what it is and what it means to me
(intangible) and how I will put that value into action in my classroom
(tangible).
Willingness to learn the other
Cultural Autobiography 11
In class we defined the other as anyone who is different, or
does not fit the cultural norms in our society. The other can vary from
location to location, so there is no clearer definition for students. I
believe that it is most important for students to understand that the
other is never to be feared, especially when you know barely anything
about them. Fear rises from ignorance.
In my classroom I would first address our own ignorance of the
other. I believe that ignorance is not an excuse for misjudgment, but
also that children are often ignorant because of factors beyond their
control, and it is my responsibility to educate, not judge or punish
them. Because of outside factors such as parents and the media can
encourage ignorance in students. I would make sure that students
were aware of these influences so they can make conscious decisions
about their multicultural values. In the school my mom works at one of
the teachers has a banner in her room that says Its okay that we dont
know everything, its why were here! A similar motto in all
classrooms would be a great way to foster an open-minded
environment.
After we are aware of our ignorance, we must step back and
analyze what we do know about the other. Do we know nothing, or
do we know some things, like the stereotypes of different cultures. To
have a true understanding of the other we have to be aware of and
willing to look past stereotypes. A common yet terrible practice I have
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witnessed in the classroom, is when teachers make a student a model
example of the other. In my classroom no student will be
stereotyped, and we will actively work towards looking beyond
stereotypes. One problem that arises with this is exposing children to
concepts at the appropriate age. For example, in class the other day
we discussed how some Disney movies encourage stereotypes. While it
is important that children understand the difference between fiction
and reality, I dont really want to send a child home crying because
monkeys dont actually live in the middle east.
Another facet of learning the other is being accepting of other
viewpoints. In class we struggled with defining acceptance; does it
mean we merely tolerate the other view, or do we have actual respect
for it, even though it might be radically different from our own views?
In my classroom the goal would be for acceptance with respect. Asking
students to accept what they do not understand is nearly impossible,
so a deep understanding of the other would be obtained before I
asked them to accept and value another culture.
After all of these concepts have been combined, and we truly
have learned the other we can value diversity. This is possible the
most important facet of this multicultural value: that by valuing one
thing, we snowball into valuing another. I can think of a simple exercise
that shows students why we should value diversity, and not wish for
everyone to be the same. Simply put, as much as children want to
Cultural Autobiography 13
believe they could constantly eat one type of food and be happy, the
reality is they would eventually get sick of the same thing, and maybe
become physically sick. The emotional sickness represents the
boredom and monotony that occur when everyone is the same, and
the physical representation of this sickness is the manifestation of
ignorance to the other.
Liz Miller
EDMU 205
Multicultural Lesson
Cultural Autobiography 14
Drums of the World
Course Objectives
instruments.
2.
a.
3.
Today we will be working on our steady beat, but you might notice
Cultural Autobiography 15
a.
a.
When you see your instrument on screen hold it up for the class
to see.
b.
b.
c.
Raise your hand if you have an instrument from the culture of the
Now were going to play a game: Everyone has been keeping the
Cultural Autobiography 16
ii.
iii.
Cultural Autobiography 17