7/11/11 RED class logs and reminder

Ladies and gentlemen,

Today I explained a little bit about the nature of RED curriculum and design required by our State.

Some peers expressed that this course was relevant to personal life, family and future, and some are still searching/questioning deeper issues which might involve with other dimensional understanding and experiences.

Since the RED course is heavily relating to History, Philosophy, and Socio-political science, I wish we had more time to touch on/or review those essential info to enhance our critical thinking and understanding of the complexity in human thinking and behaving.

We finished "Beyond our Differences". Hope you found beneficial info to help your Actions with Plan - understanding the past, not repeating the same problems but becoming a solution - being a change agent from very simple yet significant step for improving ourselves and society.

Thanks for two groups' sharing Essay III - Melissa+ Lynn, Michelle, Ashley+Dean+Matt. I have your peer-review scores.

Reminder:
1. We have 2 guest speakers to come to our class and share their experience with us tomorrow.
Some background info was addressed briefly in the Beyond the Differences film.
2. You will think about some questions relating to Diversity tonight.
They will present info and then a mini-panel/Q and A discussions will be held.
You will turn in a page of in-class writing
at the end of the class.
3. You still can modify or enhance your Essay III and Reading 49 before presentation.
4. I am also organizing an internal panel discussion (from peers who wish to share experiences relating to RED, please email me a brief contents you would like to discuss with our class. This will be held on next Tuesday.)

Email me if you have questions. lhuang@cvtc.edu

A discussion (7/5/11) and feedback 7/6/11

Greetings,

Thanks for your info sharing regarding RED (race, ethnicity and diversity studies) course content issues (070511).

I would like to share some of my observations which you might be familiar with (or interested in) as well.

I do agree that among the 6 +1 major themes in this course (race, ethnicity, gender, class, sexual orientation, and disability, as well as their intersectionalities), the RACE part is the toughest one to convey and discuss in a predominantly Caucasian student body - not to mention to cover these 7 heavily weighted fields within A semester!

This issue happened before when I taught at a neighboring University. Some students argued that there was no racial issue in Wisconsin, and why they needed to learn those "unnecessary stuff" - Surprising? Not at all! A few days ago, one of the Presidential candidates proclaimed that the hard-working "founding fathers" (such as "John Quincy Adams"...as she harangued) had eliminated racial problems from America !!

I do small surveys every semester to understand the prior knowledge that students have to take RED. (In many colleges, Intro Soc is the prerequisite to take RED. At some universities, RED is a 400 senior level course). Generally speaking about 2/3 of my students have no soc background and expect RED is about learning different "interesting" cultural facts and practices and then surprisingly to know there are some "unhappy" Racial events in the "unknown" history and in current practices that make one feel uneasy.

Even though I usually spend a week on reviewing or providing basic SOC concepts and introducing the rich and complex dimensions of this course at the beginning of the semester, I still expect the phenomena as this specific student expressed to her.

Yes, some reparations are needed. Thank you to bring it up to the WTCS General Education Deans group regarding the potential for revision and updating in the future for this course.

Hope you are enjoying the summer break!

Crystal (070511)

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Good morning, Thanks for the prompt feedback and comments on RED issues (070611).

Just another small episode happening in my summer class to share with you:

Having been teaching this course for a while, I understand the parameters of presenting and am aware of the boundary of students' "comfort zone" within a proper probing without stinging.

To teach this course, one strategy, as you know well, is to let them bring in learning materials and conduct mini-sharing and teaching within rubrics at the first 5-10 minutes of class.

What has happened in this summer so far is that some students did bring in very "spicy" materials that could be categorized as this specific student said -"demoralizing" and "feeling no good" stuff which are really provocative, yet good for critical thinking.

I truly appreciate and enjoy some students who are willingly (or are able ) to stand outside of their comfortable boxes and contribute to our collective learning.

As to the uncomfortable part of the stories, due to the textbook I use having a special design and purposes, in the 2nd and 3rd part of sections (now we are in) , the feeling of "sitting on fire" would be aroused. And I am glad that some students do feel that way.

The final part - from my previous semesters' experience - they would get the AHA! moments.

Again, thank you to raise the question of rewriting the course competencies at the state level during last semester and C's brought it up to the Deans' group discussion.


Have a nice day.
Crystal (070611)