After hearing Dr. Tapia’s discussion on providing quality education in science and mathematics for ALL students, reflect how you are going to use some of the information you learned today in your teaching practices.
Discuss the challenges you face each day, and how you deal with these challenges. Share any ’success’ stories, or post questions that you may have that this group may be able to provide some support.
9 responses so far ↓
1
JanelleSchultz
// Jun 7, 2006 at 4:31 pm
I enjoyed the discussion, and it has given me alot to chew on. I am an advocate for the gender equity and opportunities for all people.
I think children in these catagories should be reached early in the elementary formative years.
2
Debbie Jeffers
// Jun 7, 2006 at 7:39 pm
I enjoyed the talk and the discussion. What I took away from the discussion was that we need to find a way to give these under represented groups more time to gain their skills and find a way to teach parents how to help their children in the school environment.
3
Yoon Kang
// Jun 7, 2006 at 8:37 pm
It was quite interesting to discover that the gender equality is not so much of an issue but the current focus is more on the under-represented groups. I suppose the name change from the original name of this program, GirlTech, to TeacherTech is a strong indicator of such trend. I believe the true challenge is educating all to be a concerned educated contributing member to this society.
4
Tricia Escueta
// Jun 7, 2006 at 9:25 pm
Dr. Tapia’s discussion was very informative. He brought to light many issues of gender and racial inequities that society often ignores, or pretends to act upon. I guess I am naive on many of education’s issues. For example, I had not realized that Texas was so behind! It’s true. As Texans, we do think very egocentric about our state.
I would love to spend more time just talking about one issue at a time, and have our class dissect the topic, so we can talk about various viewpoints and experiences. I think that would make our talks even more powerful!
5
June Keller
// Jun 7, 2006 at 9:53 pm
I am not sure I agree with Dr. Tapia’s metric that success in overcoming under-representation in academia can be measured by the number of minorities at Teir I research institutions. But then again, I do not agree with the current thrust that ALL students must go to college to succeed in life. We need strong leaders, but we also need followers and workers.
I like the way he explained that there are three distinct issues: those of diversity, those of under-representation and those of gender equity.
I’l like us to discuss at lunch one day his question of “Are magnet schools defacto segregation”.
6
Barbara Molaison
// Jun 7, 2006 at 10:03 pm
I enjoyed the presentation given by Dr.Tapia. I feel these issues and concerns have been around for some time and I can’t help but feel that in the big scheme of life the problem is rooted in increasing secularism and carving God out of the picture. Seeing individuals through eyes of faith calls us to look beyond the demographics of where people come from and what color they are. Perhaps our concern should be geared towards the challenge of meeting the needs of all individuals with a focus on the process that will yield the fruits of greater opportunity and equity for all. I think Dr. Tapia was trying to point out that too much emphasis is directed towards satisfying mandated quotas that we fail to see the person behind it and the “real” contributions they can make. I love diversity and love to learn from other cultures and always seek to find greater common ground rather than how we differ.
Because of this I sometimes have a hard time understanding and feeling what others on the other side feel. It’s not a blatant lack of concern but rather an illogical assumption that overlooks the needs. I guess I have come away with a greater awareness of the deep feelings that underrepresented indivuals have and will strive for greater sensitivity in my interactions with them. Enough rambling….Barbara
7
Christine Clark
// Jun 7, 2006 at 11:11 pm
The topic and discussions were very interesting and they brought up some very important points. It seems like a much bigger problem than either I or my fellow teachers can handle inside our classrooms and community. What is the state or the local government doing to help close this gap? I’m not surprised to hear how far behind Texas is in education (given who our current president is). I can only hope that things will get better as I continue to do my best by providing my students with the confidence and knowledge to go forward in life and succeed.
8
Benny Rutherfod
// Jun 8, 2006 at 12:14 am
I thought the topics we discussioned were very interesting and Dr. Tapia brought up some interesting points. However, I don’t believe any solutions were discussed and don’t believe any quick fixed are available.
9
cassy hunter
// Jun 8, 2006 at 9:34 am
I do agree that we still have problems with our under-represented groups. I feel that perhaps the problem goes a little deeper. As a Kindergarten teacher I see that over the years we are getting children with less experiential knowledge of the world around them, they can’t recognize their own name and have limited skills in social and personal care skills. They may not be getting the encouragement and support to make the right choices. This needs to be addressed as part of the “cure”