CCC Training Updates

On April 26, 2003 the Center for Cultural Competence (CCC) conducted a teacher training at the Luz Social Services, Inc. César Chavez Training Center. Mrs. Anna Burke, Director of the CCC, organized the event and coordinated the presenters. “I was very happy when I first sent out fliers because I was getting responses right away. At least one teacher registered for every charter school where fliers were distributed. Even before the training started I thought it would be successful,” she said.

A total of 20 charter school teachers and one charter school administrator attended the training. The charter schools represented were: Luz Academy of Tucson, Guerrero Middle School, Pima Vocational High School, Cesar Chavez Middle School, Aztlán Academy, Presidio High School, Pima Prevention High School, Davis Education Center, Southside Community School, and Calli Ollin Academy. According to Mrs. Burke, the training provided the teachers with a unique experience, “I think it was very educational. A lot of teachers didn’t know what to expect and I think they were pleasantly surprised at the knowledge they learned in this training, it was something they had never been exposed to.”

Augustine Romero, Sean Arce and José Gonzalez, of TUSD Mexican American/Raza Studies, Dr. Gregory Rodriguez, of the U of A Mexican American Studies and Research Center, and Julio Cammarota, of the U of A Bureau of Applied Research and Anthropology presented at the training. The attendees had a busy day, participating in workshops from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. “Initial feedback through evaluation was positive. Maybe next time we’ll split trainings into two days because it was A LOT of information in a very short time,” Mrs. Burke reflected.

In retrospect, Mrs. Burke thought the networking teachers did with other teachers and the trainers was the most positive result of the training. “The trainers are so dedicated to the goal of this workshop and teachers have already contacted them; the message is it (training) doesn’t end here.”

Mrs. Burke summarized the training, saying, “In the end, teachers took some of what they learned back to their classrooms. They learned about themselves and other cultures, especially the Latino culture. We hope to have other trainings in the future.”

Articles

"Preparing Teachers for Multicultural Classrooms," by Ines Marquez Chisholm
http://www.ncbe.gwu.edu/miscpubs/jeilms/vol14/chisholm.htm
Despite much rhetoric and research, a fundamental question in preservice teacher education continues to elicit much debate: What do teacher candidates need to become effective teachers? The answer to this basic question is as varied as the myriad of philosophical and epistemological perspectives that span the history of pedagogy. Although there may be no definitive answer to this fundamental question, just as there is no one best teaching model or one kind of student, there is a professional area of knowledge and skill that should permeate all preservice education programs--multicultural education. This field which prepares teachers "for the social, political and economic realities that individuals experience in culturally diverse and complex human encounters" is as essential to teaching as nurturing is to human development.

"Teaching and Cultural Competence - What does it take to be a successful teacher in a diverse classroom?" Gloria Ladson-Billings, Rethinking Schools Online, Summer 2002
http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/15_04/Glb154.shtml
In her new book, Crossing Over to Canaan: The Journey of New Teachers in Diverse Classrooms, Gloria Ladson-Billings details a program known as Teach for Diversity. This 15-month elementary certification program with master's degree is specifically designed to prepare teachers to work in diverse learning environments.

Web Sites

Center for Cultural Fluency
http://www.culturalfluency.org
The Center for Cultural Fluency was created to provide classroom resources and professional development for teachers about issues of cultural diversity. In particular, our aim is to enable teachers to become culturally fluent and to develop cultural fluency in their students. The Center for Cultural Fluency has developed a collection of essential, compelling resources for educators everywhere who wish to add multicultural perspectives to their curriculum. The website includes and excellent vendors section for purchasing videos, books, posters, art, and other multicultural education materials.