Last class, was an unknown adventure for me... We suddenly decided to go to San Isidro to enjoy the patronal feast of this town, motivated by the professor who took advantage of the opportunity to enrich our culture class with some concrete experiences. I have always enjoy "turnos" as we call them in Costa Rica.
We all have our favorite thing to do there, some people just go to eat the "traditional food" that is offered and some other prefer to enjoy the activities such as concerts, entertainment machines, bingos, and so on.
Something that called my attention was the Colonial Catholic Church, probably because of my religious heritage, so I decided to research more about this region and I found out many interesting things that provide an overview of this beautiful place.
The name of San Isidro was chose randomly by religious authorities in that time. And they chose it because he was the Saint Patron of Spain. San Isidro was very important geographically because of their mountains and the water they pour over other regions including the "Central Valley", and it still happens. During the pre-colombian period it was ocuped by the "Huetar" tribe which was one of the most powerful groups at that time where and when the "Cacique Yorustí" used to live. A lot of indian artcrafts and sculptures have been found and digged after years of being under ground as proof of their cultural heritage. One of the most relavant findings related to our pre-colombian history and culture is a big and ceremonial table stone sculped called " Metate" which is an anthropological find that have only occured in "San Rafael de Coronado" and "San Isidro de Heredia". These monolithic altars were used for agricultural and religious ceremonies.
After the Costa Rican ex-president Julio Acosta and during many years the coffee agriculture was the economical support for this region and its main activity.
The experience was very interesting and funny, we could appreciate some typical escenarios from this "cantón".

References

Skycrapercity.com

Peer Observation

Peer assessment: Cultural Lesson Plan Observation.
Professor: Liliana Castro.
Institution: Universidad Tecnológica Nacional.
Location: Villa Bonita, Alajuela.
Proficiency Level: Beginners.
Level: Intro (Children from 10 to 12 years old).
Amount of students: 12.
Cultural content: Cultural values.
Language content: Cognates words.

Culture Lesson Plan Review
During the first stage of this assignation, we had to design a culture lesson plan for a 80 minutes class. Then we switched our plans with our classmate to make observation, corrections or suggestions to their work. Once we have corrected the plan, we carried out an observation to our classmate work place.
When checking my partner’s lesson plan I felt like she was teaching culture as a cross-curricular complement, but not as the main target of the plan, she was attached to the common four skills and the language- oriented objectives. I imagine that it was difficult for her to let go the language matter (the one we are used to develop) and concern more about teaching culture consciously.
I felt very thankful after receipt my lesson plan feedback and I could realize that sharing our ideas can enrich the process in such a way that we all learn from it. After shared my comments regarding to the lesson plan of my partner she took into account all my suggestions and changed her cognitive target for a culture-oriented target and she also omitted some of the linguistic skills and replaced them for culture skills and competences to develop in this challenging field of culture. That made me feels very useful and pleased, because she cares about her students’ cultural abilities development.

Brief description of the observation:

Teacher activities:

- The teacher motivated students to participate through a brainstorm about the topic of cultures, focusing in the similarities we have and not in our differences.
- The teacher allows the students to lead the conversation and she was the motivator and guider.
- The teacher took them out of their class routine and they were enjoyed the conversation and the activities planned.
- The teacher took notes of children`s comments in the board so they felt what they were saying it was very important.
- The teacher seemed to be very committed and interested with children learning towards the culture subject.
- The teacher took advantage of every single detail, example or/and situation to support the cultural understanding and the reflection surrounding this theme.
- Critical thinking and emotional development regarding to the cultural perceptions was carried out successfully.
- The class was very dynamic, they had the freedom to express themselves in a verbal way of communication or through plastic and graphical expression.

Students’ activities:
- Children enjoy the conversation; they did not want to move to another topic.
- Children were supported with an illustrated text book in relation to the topic under study.
- Students were so involved in the conversation and all of them wanted to participate.
- Students showed a high and deep analysis of cultural components; they did not stay in the surface of the topic.
- The group of students seemed to be very close and they always behaved in a natural way, they looked very comfortable.
- All values related to culture were brought to the conversation: tolerance, respect, equality, diversity, empathy, friendship, and so on.
I really learned and enjoyed this project, I loved the experience of being and observant and to check other people work, this person do the same I do but in a completely different way. I could learned a lot from teacher Liliana`s class, she was so kind with her students and I am sure they are learning something else than just English, they are learning culture, values and to be a better person every day.

Becoming culturally responsible educators

The education field is extremely related to culture and society since the fact that every single knowledge is due to a specific system of toughs and values, for any kind of matter or discipline. As Educators we are always teaching culture implicitly or explicitly and that is the main reason we must bring culture to our classrooms in a conscious way and not accidentally, whether or not we are going to teach culture as a subject itself or as a cross-curricular implication it should be taught mindfully and respectfully.
The first step is to become aware of our own cultural identity and background in order to anticipate how it would interfere in the relationship we establish with students and in the way we understand and transmit the cultural knowledge or the implicated values as well. Otherwise, in the way we are going developing awareness of the cultural implications regarding our function as language educators in that such a way we will be able to acquire a high commitment position in relation to humanity and diversity when teaching.

"As educators, we are committed to ensuring that all children can learn and achieve to the best of their ability. Misunderstandings about the role of culture in behavior, communication, and learning often lead to assumptions about the abilities of children to be successful in school. An awareness and understanding of the role of culture in the classroom, and the different values and behaviors that may accompany culture can remove unintentional barriers to a child’s success." (S. Zion; E. Kozleski, 2005:15).


“Culture understanding” is the master key for teaching responsively and purposefully, but it is also a high demanding ability which should take the leading role when talking about teaching intentions. Culture must be established over language achievement goals and other in the kind, because the reached learning in relation to culture could be the more transcendent part in the education sphere, if we take into consideration that it builds the basis for better human beings formation.

References:

Kozleski E., S. Zion. “Understanding Culture” University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center and Mary Lou Fulton College of Education, Arizona State University. 2005. Web 3 May.

Mitchell, L. Becoming Culturally Responsive Teachers in Today´s Diverse Classroom. Huston TX. University of Huston. 2009.

Culture in my life...

What is Culture for me?

I might say that I have experienced culture during my life in many different forms, and from my point of view everything that involves people in some way is related to culture.

Culture in my Family...
I come from a big reconstructed family. My parents got divorced when I was 5 years old and we (my three brothers and I) stayed with our father. On the other hand, my biological mother went to another country and she`s still living there.
My step mother brought her daughter from her first marriage and little by little we became the happy family we are nowadays.
It was not easy for us, and not even closer for her(my step mother), she was very young, about 26 years old and suddenly she woke up one morning with 5 children on her shoulders.
Just in case, this is not a sad story for me. I have always thought that it couldn`t be better for us, a mother who was capable to accept this challenge is much better than the one who left.
And I am really proud and satisfied in the way that things gone through.
We had the stereotype of the bad step mother, and we were so concerned about it that we started thinking like that.
I remember once that she cooked for us a chicken feet soup and we couldn`t even think about it. We felt terrified and we began waiting for the attitudes or behaviors that proof our hypothesis, but the witch never showed her self off, and surprisely, she was a great and lovely mother instead.
We perceived our new mother and sister very different from us, the food they used to eat, the behaviors they had, and many different things that we did not share at all. Now, we seem to be more like her than anybody else, because she gave us all she was and we took it.
Ten years ago, my father and my mother (step mother) had theirown baby.

"A mother is not who brought you to this life but is the one who gives her life for you...."

Culture in my marriage...
I got married 6 months ago, after a sentimental relationship of three years with my current husband. In my family we have had the culture of marriage as a religious tradition, but in my husband´s family they seem to prefer the single life, not his parents but his siblings.

We both come from big families about seven or eight members as a nuclear family, with strong family ties. When you are married "strong family ties" mean that you have married with his/her family too, whether you like it or not.

Thanks God! we share a great relationship with our families, and we feel confortable when visiting one of the families. But we cannot deny that sometimes we have our missunderstanding because of our cultural differences, in which our families and backgrounds have a lot to do with that.

If I could compare it with the acculturation process I will probably say that we are still in the honey moon stage, but we have to be aware that we have to experience our "culture shock" and then recover to gain assimilation and adaptation to eah other. Sometimes we have to let old things go by... like the dried leaves flew away from us, so we allow the new things to bloom up in our gardens.

Culture in my class...
I am an educator of preschoolers, and I have to deal with a broad diversity of children and families. Is a big challenge to attend children´s needs and interests while we are covering topics and skills, and they are just so different one to each other, without mentioning that they all deserve special attention.
Some differences could be cultural and some others are probably biological or genetic such as disabilities and learning rhythms among other examples.

The best way to handle with all this stuff, is to be aware of cultural factors involved in their differences. Try to be always ahead, in order to prevent possible situations that could take place in our classroom because of those differences and face the situation before it comes because once they occur could be painful for someone. For example: discrimination, jokes, mocks about people.

I believe that from our field as educators, we can do so much in the matter of cultural uderstanding, just by getting to know our students and once we did it we will be able to shape them according to the main values of an open cultural model.

I will like to share one of the funny experiences I have had with my children related to culture...

I was teching P-k and I was confused about a behavior that I always noticed during the snack time, it came from a little italian girl whose name was Fabiana. I used to ask them to put their table mats on table when eating, but she was the only one who never attended to that instruction I always found her table cloth on her knees, in the floor or sometimes she also used it as a bib but never as I told them to use it.
When I discovered with her parents that table manners are very important for italian people. And they actually teach their children their table protocol in which the napkin is used in their knees or like a bib when necessary, but not even close to the table, of couse I felt very ignorant and embarrassed after this incident.

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace

John Newton (1725-1807)
Stanza 6 anon.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

Click on the title above and you will see the true story of this beautiful song, and why I decided to posted it here on the blog...

Development of cultural behaviors

"In the process of development the child not only masters the items of cultural experience but the habits and forms of cultural behaviour, the cultural methods of reasoning. We must, therefore, distinguish the main lines in the development of the child’s behaviour."
(Vygotsky, 1929)

According to the Vygostsky stream, we must assume that the cultural development consists in mastering methods of behavior. He stated that children learn the methods of cultural development applying signs as a means of accomplishing any social-cultural-psychological operation.

In order to understand the process of cultural development, Vygotsky introduced the concept of children`s primitiveness, in which some lines of organic maturement, language development logical reasoning skills and memory development have been drawn as important elements in the acquisition process of these cultural behaviors.

Regarding to the Children`primitiveness conception, Vygostky alerted the reader to put appart the idea of "primitive" from the idea of "weak-mindedness". So, we will be able to understand that the children` primitiveness refers to a delay in cultural development, due to external and internal factors such as development and social experiences.They have not mastered the cultural means of behavior, as the language it self.

The argument that holds the idea of children`s primitiveness is also presented by Piaget but differently, he argued that the difference between the adult and the child in terms of thinking, is qualitative rather than quantitative. Piaget through his positive approach was concentrated in what characteristics of thought the child has instead of what characteristics is the child lacking besides the adult.

As a consequence, depending on the external and internal factors involved in the cultural process this behavioral development might follow a quite different path for each case.

"In the process of development we can trace that qualitative change in the form of behaviour and the transformation of some such forms into others." (Vygotsky, 1929).
As a conclusion, there is an improvement or evolution of these cultural behaviors as well as the organic growth and the social life are well developed and properly stimulated.

References
Vygotski, L. S. 1929: The problem of the cultural development of the child II. Journal of Genetc Psychology, 36, 415-32