Bolinder- Week 4 Post

There are multiple things that affect my perspective of the world. The books I read, tv I watch, news sources, lived experiences and the perspectives of the people I surround myself with. I believe all of these pieces add together to build my perspective. The biggest of these I believe are the books I read and the digital information I get from social media. While I like to read a variety of text, I most frequently enjoy mystery thriller type novels and life doesn’t always lend to time for leisure reading. That said, I find moments to squeeze in time on social media. The information I get from the words of others, news stories(not always credible), and pictures are part of what is forming my perspectives. While I try to remain cautious about what I am seeing on the internet, I am taking in the information regardless.


Our experiences are impacted by what we know of them. It is important to be mindful and intentional with seeking out information about the world around us. Not only to see information, but to seek credible information from multiple sources that will give a more well rounded picture about the topic we are inquiring about.


Thinking about the short story Recitatif that we read, it leaves me with further thinking about our perspectives. The story recounts the tough shared experience of two girls living in a home when they were younger. They both experience older girls with behavioral issues mistreating a worker from the home. Their regrets, guilt, intentions, shame, and naivetes all clouded their memories of a traumatic moment from their childhood that left the characters questioning their own characters and beliefs about the people around them. The way the brain works to make sense of the world around us is complex as exemplified by the way the girls question their difference in memory of the same incident from their past.


There are both benefits and drawbacks to the use of technology. The first benefit is the way we can capture moments. I think of how much I love looking back on photos and moments of my son and both the ease and clarity of the memories through the use of technology. Another benefit is the ease of access to resources and information. There is an abundance of resources that are available to us at the touch of a button. However, this lends itself to drawbacks. There are issues with credibility of sources. Furthermore, with algorithms filtering the content we are exposed to, the type of information we have access to is influenced by what we search and are interested in rather than being exposed to more information that might challenge our thinking or broaden our understanding of topics. It is easy for us to simply read the information that is given to us on our feeds rather than intentionally seek out information from other sources.



While technology presents information as easily accessible and in abundance, the article shared for this week presents the lasting benefits of utilizing multicultural literature in the classroom. The article recognizes the need for a shift in mindset as classrooms are becoming more diverse and children cannot simply be told to be more culturally sensitive and respond as quoted by Wham, Barnhart, & Cook. From their research they found that exposing teachers to multicultural literature adds awareness that is the starting point for a lasting learning. They also found that it helps them reflect more on their own cultures and cultivate a curiosity for further learning about the cultures around them. These traits are beneficial to the teachers and the students who will be entering their classrooms in the future.



References:

Morrison, T. (2021). Recitatif. In Ancestral House (pp. 422-436). Routledge.

Szecsi, T., Spillman, C., Vázquez-Montilla, E., & Mayberry, S. C. (2010). Transforming Teacher Cultural Landscapes by Reflecting on Multicultural Literature. Multicultural Education, 17(4), 44-48.