EDUC 403 Assignment 1 Terry McLeod

Topic 1 - Initial thoughts

I was lucky enough to go to both a selective primary school and selective high school.
Lucky because I was in an environment surrounded by middle and upper class students
that generally had supportive parents and were motivated to learn. There were students
from different cultural backgrounds, but they were born in Australia and didn't have the
language barriers that are evident with students from ESL backgrounds. Throughout my
schooling there was no discrimination and as far as I was concerned, everyone was just
a fellow Aussie student. On the downside, it didn't really give me the experiences that
many other people have from interacting with different socio-economic, cultural or
linguistic backgrounds. It was quite a shock when I rst visited my good friends house
(his family is from Shri Lanka), and noticed the huge differences in their way of life.
In terms of how I would like to foster an inclusive classroom, I am once again lucky in
that I will be teaching music. I used to think music is the universal language as a throw-
away saying, but through my studies, have come to appreciate what a fantastic
opportunity I have to help bring students together through learning and creating
something that is new to everyone. My music classroom will be a very practical place,
where students are encouraged to work in groups, bring in music they are interested in
and learn how to play this music on several different instruments. With a basic scaffold,
students will be able to learn within their groups, some (regardless of background), will
be more uent in the musical language and skills and will naturally start helping the
others. Language barriers will be less of an issue when the students have an instrument
in their hands and are trying to reproduce something aurally and visually instead of
having to learn behind their desks. Hopefully, through the nature of the lessons, the
students will be more at ease and will have a more natural way to communicate with the
others.

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EDUC 403 Assignment 1 Terry McLeod
Topic 2
There are so many issues raised in these readings that its hard to know where to start!
The experiences of other Australians, growing up in a society that doesnt support their
culture

Dening what racism is.

The history of the changing Australian multicultural political agenda and how little
seems to have changed in the last 30 years

Media (mis)representation of multicultural issuesHow fellow students from many

different backgrounds reected on the readings

How to succinctly put these thoughts together!

So much of what I read can be interconnected. One of the more fundamental lessons I
took from Tatum (1999) was how important it is to differentiate between racism and
prejudice. Ive never considered myself to be racist, but cannot deny the advantage Ive
gained from my cultural and racial background, thus allowing me to take advantage of a
racist system.
Although I agree with Tatums denition, as discussed by Georgina Marshall in her blog
post, it is so difcult to nd an all encompassing label for peoples cultural differences
that is appropriate to the Australian context. I am a white, Anglo Celtic Australian, with no
known overseas family ties but I still nd it hard to nd a term to differentiate someone
from a Mediterranean background, where English is the second language in the house
(as discussed by Adam Grima on his blog).
I did nd Blaineys reference to the old Australians as the easiest way to digest and
refer to the true blue Australians and the idea of forcing a denition of what it is to be
Australian and how someone should act in order to best belong (Chong, 2008).
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EDUC 403 Assignment 1 Terry McLeod
The old Australians see the newcomers everywhere: they hear a strange language in
the supermarket. They wonder what their familiar world is coming to (Blainey, 1984:
131)
Its hard for me to put my mindset in that of the old Australians. With social networks
such as Facebook and Youtube, videos of prejudice and harassment from the old
Australians towards others is confronting, but at least circumnavigating the bias that can
be found in the media (ABCs media watch). The problem being, that due to the nature
of social networks, only people who are aware of the issues actually see it.
I must admit, Ive always thought of the headwear worn by Muslim woman as a sign of
gender inequality and never really thought of it as a choice made by the woman. The
story of Jamilia, who after being abused and threatened while wearing a hijab, started
wearing a full burka in public really made me question my thinking (Poynting, Scott.
2004). I used to think the French ban on face covering was a good idea, but have come
to realise that its a choice, as long as each individual is able to make the choice
themselves, they should be able to do whatever makes them comfortable!
There is so much to be learnt and digested from these readings and other peoples blog
postings. I really felt for Tarnya Belelds epiphany and feel the same way without being
able to express it as well. Ive written and re-written my response several times over the
last weeks, and realised that there is so much more to learn and I need to get onto the
other readings!
My original post seems to have come from a completely different perspective, I
approached this course as how to deal with students from non-english speaking
backgrounds, but have come to realise that its more than that. Its about helping foster
equal opportunity for all students, celebrate their differences and encourage open
dialogue (in whatever form it need be).
PS The earlier article by Tatum (1996), was a great comfort to realise Ive been going
through the same stages of realisation as the white students in the classes!
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EDUC 403 Assignment 1 Terry McLeod
Topic 3
This weeks readings focussed more directly on how students from different cultures fare
in the modern classroom.
even while students are assisted in learning the culture of power, they must also be
helped to learn about the arbitrariness of those codes and about the power relationships
they represent. (Delpit 296)
Delpits article (1988), about the different way teachers approach instruction and
curriculum to suit the students learning style really stood out to me. There was so much
relevance, particularly with how we can approach indigenous students home language
while framing it within the societal power structures.
Ive started to think the same way as Sherrie Olding, who, in her blog posting, said she
was embarrassed to realise she was thinking negatively about someone nearby
speaking in their own language on the phone. I have denitely come to consciously
analyse everything my subconscious used to think when in auto-drive. Generally its a
case of me being jealous that can speak multiple languages!
It was great the way the teacher was so transparent when teaching the differences
between village English (which could be Aboriginal English for example), Standard
English and formal English. Students should be comfortable communicating how they
would within their community, yet still be taught that although they should value and
embrace their heritage, unfortunately there is a power struggle within society that
requires the students to conform to a degree, in order to be heard.
I know Im limited by words, but Delpits summary is fantastic!
To summarise, I suggest that students must be taught the codes needed to participate
fully in the mainstream of American life, not by bing forced to attend to hollow, inane,
decontextualised sub skills, but rather within the context of meaningful communicative
endeavours; that they must be allowed the resource of the teachers expert knowledge,
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EDUC 403 Assignment 1 Terry McLeod
while being helped to acknowledge their own expertness as well; and that even while
students are assisted in learning the culture of power, they must also be helped to learn
about the arbitrariness of those codes and about the power relationships they
represent. (Delpit 1988:296)
The burden of acting black (ie dumbing things down, not performing in order to better t
in with your social group), seems to be an issue that can be relevant for any social
group. Although much of my class room experience is from my own schooling, TV and
the media, this idea of students feeling the need to not stand out from their cultural
groups seems to be a huge aspect that could explain many students behaviours. The
inverse, burden of acting white, facing lowered expectations from teachers and
classmates, thus only meeting those lower expectations, I can imagine is a huge issue
for other students in a predominantly white classroom.
Lees (1994) summary is quite succinct and goes hand-in-hand with Harklaus study on
how schools categorise and position students with identities (2000:37). Many aspects
of student motivation and the cyclic nature of those not on the honour role, not meeting
expectations were covered. I felt that I will denitely take away the idea to not generalise
about someone being academically successful based on their quietness or diligence.
I dont feel that these articles changed my pre-conceptions too much, if anything, it
reinforced what Ive seen in the media and on TV/movies in regards to social dynamics
in schools. I found that there were an important lesson in how to approach and
understand student motivations and expectations. As I stated in my rst blog, I want to
create an empowering music classroom, but Delpits article was fantastic in making me
realise that every student learns differently. In order for students to be empowered and
successful at process learning, it needs to involve a relevant aspect of their lives that
they are a expert at.


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EDUC 403 Assignment 1 Terry McLeod

Topic 4
There is no doubt that I was in Tatums contact stage during my schooling period (1994).
It wasnt until I was 21 and I travelled overseas that I started to actively think about these
differences. I saw the racial stereotypes that were in the movies and TV shows, driving
through Cleveland in a Black neighbourhood with everyone hanging out on the steps of
their front porches or going to a gospel sermon in Harlem NYC. There were some scary
moments, and I do remember white peoples genuine fear of the black neighbourhoods
in Chicago. In hindsight, I recognise the epic marginalisation and racism in the USA
towards the black population but they were also privileged to have a cultural identity and
close-knit group of friends.
McIntosh (2005) and Wise (2008), talked about the unequal balance of power,
particularly in reference to black America. Always at the back of my mind, I cant help
that think about how different Americas history has been in regards to early colonisation
and slavery. After that rst trip to the USA, where many African-Americans that I met,
fullled the stereotypes, I visited Britain and noticed the huge difference. Black people in
Britain, were just British! As far as I was concerned, based on the way they carried
themselves, interacted and were treated, there was no racism!
I recognise that I was in the contact stages and was just thinking about prejudice and
direct racism, not the implicit advantage underpinning so many aspects of someones
life, based on their race.
Dalton (2005) discusses the difference between race and ethnicity, which I think is an
important distinction to make. Race is about what someone looks like, whereas ethnicity
is their culture. He goes on to say that a white American is not linked to an ethnicity,
whereas a black American is generalised to be African-American. Ive never felt that
describing someone as black, would automatically imply a culture in Australia, but of
course, it would imply Aboriginal
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EDUC 403 Assignment 1 Terry McLeod
But is being Aboriginal being black??
Melissa (Barnard 2013) is an example of one (of many), growing up in a regional
Australian community where there was no respect or appreciation for differences. She,
and her family were embarrassed about their culture and had to hide their Aboriginal
heritage (and could effectively do it because she was not black). Once again, it
questions what is white and black?, as was also discussed in Georgina Marshall s blog
(2014).
Up until now, so much of what Ive learnt has been about victimisation and
marginalisation. As brought up by Melissa (2013) and suggested by Tatum (1994),
dwelling on the negatives is not the way forward. We need to look past the
institutionalised negatives and move away from victimisation towards empowerment,
positive role models and change.
I could associate with McIntosh, how she couldnt think of all the advantage she had as
a white American until she wrote them down (2005). Some things I could add to her list:

I am not judged by my religion.

I dont have to worry about being judged for my accent. I never need to repeat myself
in conversation

I will not be avoided in public transport.

I do not have to hide anything and am not made to feel embarrassed about my culture
or family situation
The article by Hickling-Hudson (2005), hit upon many similar issues that Ive seen from
other students blog responses. I cant help but think, as discussed when a student who
had spent time in Japanese didnt want to respond to racist question, that a huge barrier
to being effective as a white ally is getting past the no go fear of appearing racist in
Australia. In order to educate students (and others), its so important that everyone is
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EDUC 403 Assignment 1 Terry McLeod
comfortable to speak about what they are thinking in order to best lter through their and
others attitudes (Tatum 1992).
I feel that Im heading in the right direction towards the Immerson / emersion stage!
(Tatum 1994)
Topic 5
Why do Asian students always come up with western names? Why is Jesus always
white? Because all the materials focus on white people! (Peace, 2003; Wise, 2005)
Pearces experiences with the negative connotation students have been brought up with
in regards to skin colour expands upon my previous thoughts about the issues with
encouraging and supporting open dialogue (2003). The students should be able to ask
questions they have and feel comfortable talking about very relevant issues. Once
again, I cant help but want to move away from talking about black and white because
that is excluding all the other colours! Its funny that I have no problem describing
someone as black, but it feels wrong to refer to someone as yellow
The separation of home from school is something I havent thought about, the way that
Pearces students switch to fullling the white Australian stereotypes. As Amy suggested
in her blog post (Borg, 2014), a good way to start making a difference is to put ourselves
in our students shoes. I nd it hard to comprehend speaking a different language, eating
different food, meeting different cultural expectations and then switching over to english
and what I assume my teacher wants me to be roles. It must be such a confusing time!
Especially in the early years and with such a lack of understanding (not due to teachers
shortcomings), from such a hugely English background teacher population. (Burridge et
al 2009)
Before my rst placement, I was so worried about how these very structures would be
taught in the classroom but found, when the assessment is internal (up to year 10), the
curriculum gives a much wider scope and freedom for teachers to develop a culturally
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EDUC 403 Assignment 1 Terry McLeod
sensitive subject. But then you have the problem that a teacher, taught in the European
classical traditions can get caught teaching what they know and not embracing the
backgrounds and interests of the students.
This is great moment to mention Ladson-Billings article that, in essence, summarised
the good pedagogical skills and attitudes of successful, culturally minded and racially
sensitive teachers. As was suggested, good teachers encouraged students to act as
teachers and the actual teachers as learners, They encouraged the students to learn
collaboratively, teach each other, and be responsible for each other's
learning (1995:163), and got involved in the community, outside of the classroom.
I feel that I am ready to preach the above within my music classroom and am, once
again lucky in how much harder it is for state and national-wide curriculum to
standardise the arts. It is in the HSC years that the standardised test shifts the
fundamental priorities of teaching music to students. I recognise that the curriculum for
advanced music in senior years has a huge emphasis on Classical music, which is
inherently racist in the pushing of the static and sacred knowledge that is found in
European Classical music (Nieto & Bode, 2009:49).
This is when we start getting into comparing students abilities with a set state-wide
standard. It worries me how many of the authors talked about how the standard testing
has effected schools ability to support other cultures and bilingual education (Burridge
et al 2009; Editors of Rethinking schools, 2001; Pearce, 2003).
Racial inequality should not be shouldered by just the minority, it should be relevant to
everyone's school life and education and we, as teachers need to ensure it is a
discourse within our classrooms, regardless of subject or whiteness of students (Nieto
& Bode, 2009; Burridge et al).

References
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EDUC 403 Assignment 1 Terry McLeod
Ang, l. 2000, 'Aslans ln AusLralla: A conLradlcuon ln Lerms?' ln 8ace, colour & ldenuLy ln
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Assignment Self Evaluation
(to be included with your assignment)
Student Name: Terry McLeod ...................................................................................
Student Number: 220108495 ...................................................................................
Unit: EDUC403
Assignment No.: One Word Count:2877 ..........................

The following are my reflections on my learning experiences and issues raised for me
during the process of researching and writing my assignment. (Note: Your reflections
will be read after the assignment has been assessed.)

Throughout my post-grad, Ive structure my responses based on fulfilling the rubric
requirements, Ive gained a great understanding on what it means to be a teacher and
how important it is to teach to learn. Ive got a page full of different ways I wanted to
start my first blog post (well first post, post readings), trying to put in concepts and
education jargon. I read all of the readings and then read the responses from many
fellow students and realised what it means to actually be engaged in a study, critically
analysing my own thoughts and preconceptions.
Ive been putting off this post, wanting to read more responses, formulating the best
way to approach this assessment and Ive realised that for once, its not about how I
can answer a question succinctly, its about engagement. Critical engagement with the
readings, other students, sometimes very heartfelt responses, my thought processes,
attitudes and pre-conceptions.
......................................................................................................................................
Self Evaluation Grade (I think this assignment deserves the following grade)[HD/D/C/P/F]
Self Evaluation Comments (Why? You are encouraged to reflect critically on your
assignment.)

The easy parts first, as far as Im concerned, I nailed the reference and presentation
parts (although I dont know how useful having an ample margin is when assessment
are being electronically marked).
I feel that I conveyed a solid to excellent understanding of the readings and made a
good effort of synthesizing the readings
Im not so sure whether I was as successful at my analysis and reflection, I started off
with a more, this is what I learnt attitude before the last two topics, where I spent
more time analysing how my own thoughts have changed since absorbing these
readings.
......................................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................................
Signed: ....................................................................
Date:11/8/14 ..........................................................