Erin Stutzman

The Role of Schooling and the Global Economy According to Spring (2000) our economy is becoming more and more global for two reasons. One, individuals are moving to the United States from other countries seeking out better paying jobs than were available in their home country. With them, they bring children, their language, customs, religion, and values. In addition, United States businesses are expanding into other countries in order to find the least expensive labor possible. Spring (2000) concludes that because of this global economy, our classrooms are becoming more and more filled with children with a variety of different languages and cultures. I found this explanation very beneficial in explaining the influx of children and families from a variety of nations, now in our country. U.S. society typically uses one of two instructional models when dealing with incorporating children of varying cultural and ethnic backgrounds into society (Spring, 2000). One method involves teaching global peace and cultural tolerance in the curriculum. Spring (2000) describes a nice example of this model with the educational goals of “The Arabs: Activities of the Elementary School Level”. The other instructional model revolves around teaching children how to be empowered and reconstruct society from the way it is. Once again, Spring (2000) gives a great example of this model with Sleeter and Grant’s “Putting It Into Action” program. Spring (2000) alludes to the fact that there is a cyclical relationship between education and the global economy, each concept influencing the other. Thus, since it is well accepted that the status of the global economy is extremely important, so too then is schooling. So the question arises, which instructional model is most beneficial to our growing population of diverse school children? It is in my opinion that the empowerment model provides the most benefits. First of all, children are allowed to see the connection between their lives and the political, social, and economic structure of society. Lessons are developed that allow the students to use issues from their immediate lives and a common theme is used throughout their classes. Whenever anyone can make a connection like this, they are more apt to remember the information (cognitive psychology literature). They begin to develop the sense that they can make a difference in their life, and possibly their communities, or society. They become empowered. This type of schooling can take place out of the classroom through the use of internet research. There are ample websites available that provide resources to students in order to further empower them. For example, the website entitled Black Empowerment Resources (http://users.erols.com/nlmccrea/empower.htm) gives ample links to resources allowing individuals to become more involved in their nation’s politics (government websites), education (tips for test taking, college loan information, etc.), consumer resources (how to buy a car, mortgage help, etc.), etc. Another example of a website similar is one for gay and lesbian youth entitled Project Yes (http://www.projectyes.org/). Once again, this website gives a lot of information on empowerment, as well as links to other sources that do the same. For people that do not have support, these additional web resources may succeed in empowering them. Overall, it is important that one learns to take care and fend for themselves, as the United States society is very competitive and individualistic. This quality of empowerment allows individuals from other cultures to become involved in U.S. culture, without ignoring their own customs, and language. According to Spring (2000), this type of instructional model “is designed to liberate all people, including the members of the dominant economic and cultural group, from the grip of racism, sexism, and economic, and political oppression” (pg. 214). Because everyone is being empowered at the same time, there should be no worry about one group moving ahead of the other. On the other side of the spectrum, curriculums that try to teach tolerance may simply be hitting a dead end. Spring (2000) mentions that we must consider if we can really teach cultural tolerance between cultures. If we simply teach tolerance and do not teach empowerment, are we really benefiting anyone? We are learning to live together but not to “reach for the stars”. Because we know that education is linked to the global economy, wouldn’t we rather have individuals of all races reaching their maximum potential, being empowered to play a crucial role in the development of the economy? In my opinion we would. Now the key to making empowerment work is to get public schools systems to break out of their shell and become more liberal, to encourage students to initiate widespread social change that they are capable of when they are empowered. This is a whole new issue in itself.

Paul Davis

The Role of Schooling and the Global Economy As our country rushes into the 21st Century, schools and the educational system will play a major role in developing citizens of the evolving global economy. But what are the major issues facing educators as they prepare students for a shifting environment? In what context should multicultural education be taught? As the immigrant influx increases in the United States, bringing a vast array of ethnic groups to our shores to intermingle with existing dominant and minority cultures; tolerance appears to be the number one priority educationally. In order for us to make real progress towards equal access and opportunity for members of all races, religions, and sexual orientation, members of the dominant white culture must learn to tolerate minority cultures. And minority groups must learn to tolerate each other as well. Explosiveness and an uneasy wariness have marked race relations in the United States at best. Until this attitude changes, true progress can't be made. Only in the past two decades has religious tolerance begun to emerge in our country, and sexism is slowly evaporating as women push against the glass ceilings that have held back their progress. Discrimination against non-heterosexuals seems to be on the rise. Is this because society's changing mores have allowed more homosexuals to come out of the closet, opening themselves to harassment, or has the opening closet exposed harassment that has always existed, but gone unreported? Perhaps a mandatory component of school curriculum should be the teaching of the Golden Rule. It seems to me that the simple maxim of "treat others as you wish to be treated" is the epitome of tolerance. While the goal of teaching tolerance should not be cultural relativism, it should be taught from a "positive" point of reference. In other words, educators should accentuate the positive aspects of all cultures and frames of reference, teaching from a contributory point of view. How dull our society would be without the contributions of citizens from all cultures. Websites such as Project YES play an important role in teaching tolerance. The programs that it provides seem to meet a special need in our schools. While I personally do not condone homosexuality, I have learned to accept it. And I have personally witnessed, as a student and educator, exactly what is described regarding homosexual harassment. As educators, we need to play a proactive role in eliminating this type of discriminatory behavior. Teaching cultural tolerance does not have to be in conflict with ethnocentric education. Rather, ethnocentric education can be used to teach children of different cultures to be proud of where they and their ancestors came from; building a base of self-esteem that allows them to compete within the dominant culture. However, a line must be drawn somewhere regarding ethnocentrism. With as many minority cultures that exist in our country today, how do we appease all of them? After tolerance, empowerment is a close second as a priority. Unfortunately, when it comes to empowering minorities, it seems as though minority groups attempting to empower themselves are upstaging schools. Many of the websites in this unit were excellent examples of groups attempting to give their members information and hands-on assistance that will help them be successful in the midst of the dominant culture. The Black Empowerment Resources site provides information on nearly every aspect of culture that one would need to succeed - education links, personal finance, and employment. This site has information for many age groups. The AALEAD site however is primarily for young people. And the El Centro Chicano site from Stanford seems to be geared toward students, providing them with mentors, and opportunities to spread their good fortune throughout the local Chicano community. The empowerment of women will be an especially important role of schools in the future. While great strides have been made, there are many more to be made, especially for women of minority cultures. The SAWERA site and the UN's Women Watch are both excellent examples of efforts to empower women; one is local, the other global. As we enter a war with Islamic extremists, I think it is significant that many Muslim cultures treat women poorly. Why is this significant? Because it appears that this discrimination against women is inherent and immutable in these cultures, it will eventually be a source of conflict among cultures. Evidence presented in the text illustrates how young Arab girls and their family struggle with the blending of cultures in the United States. Language is also a major issue confronting schools. English is clearly the language of choice in the global economy. So what should we do about native and foreign languages? Should U.S. schools even teach foreign languages? A reasonable argument could be made that we should not. Our students are not proficient in English - so why should we require them to learn a foreign language that they will likely not use in their career. And besides, everyone else in the world is learning to speak English as quickly as they can. Should we allow immigrants and native, non-English speakers to be educated in their native tongue, or should we require them to learn in English. The strategy of helping young children become proficient in their native language first, then immersing them in English appears to be most successful. This issue leads to the question of how to deal with indigenous cultures? The primary question regarding Native American education, and their place in the global economy, is do we allow them the political autonomy that they wish, or do we treat them as other groups? If we allow them complete autonomy, as many Native speakers feel is their right, then we must allow them to return to the culture of their heritage completely. They would be allowed to speak native languages and educate their children as they choose. While this may be what they want, would it in effect isolate them from the global economy? It likely would, but that is what they really want, and if history is a guide, they would likely thrive and prosper. As the ideas of democracy and capitalism spread around the globe, schools will have a tougher job to do. As the bastion of these ideals, the U.S. will continue to receive immigrant families seeking to better their lives. Our schools will become increasingly caught in the intersection of cultures, and unless drastic changes are made in curriculum and delivery, our citizens will become less prepared for success in the global economy. What our educational system must realize very quickly is that buildings, books, and administrators do not educate children - teachers do. A concerted effort must be made to attract the best and brightest teachers to the teaching profession, and continual efforts must be made to support their efforts. Our system needs to end its reliance on the 17th Century Anglo model of education, and appreciate all types of intelligence and the contributions of all students. I would add a caveat to this criticism of our schools. If the system changed as I suggest, but our economic and political leaders continue to destroy the U.S. manufacturing base by shipping jobs to foreign destinations (where they can exploit people of color and women), it won't matter. Our current system suits the U.S. employment base rather well actually - most jobs require linear logic/analytical skills, or little thinking at all. But, we are creating a large mass of underemployed, and increasingly unhappy citizens.

Robin Furmanski

"The Role of Schooling and the Global Economy" The role that public education plays in the global economy is small. According to the text, if companies don't want to pay a certain wage in one country, they can move to another country that will work for the wages they are offering. Degrees and the amount or type of schooling students receive does not come into play. I can get my high school diploma from a prestigous prep school or from a run down inner city school. The fact remains, I don't get paid what I'm worth. This might be why real wages have decreased about 9 percent since 1973, according to Spring. Spring sites examples such as Kroger supermarkets and Federal Express. These companies will hire high school graduates but usually as part-time help so the companies don't have to pay for benefits. Then, maybe after 3-4 years, workers may advance to full time and get a raise. So, does it matter what type of education one has in order to get the! se jobs? Not really. Companies looking to hire nice, "oriental" girls for 57 cents a day don't really care whether or not she graduated from Harvard. They only care that she is living in a country where 57 cents a day goes a long ways. If we were all paid according to how much time we spent in school, I would be a millionaire as would my husband. However, that is (sadly) not the case. School is not the sole determining factor of the global economy. Money is the sole factor of the global economy. No matter what schools do to target their students for marketability in the global economy, it will not be successful. In fact, it will be contradictory. Businesses operate on the bottom line. If you have to pay your workers more, the less money will be left over for profit. If schools start gearing their students to work in a specific career, the students will have lots of knowledge about that area and rightfully be expected to be compensate! d for their knowledge and hard work. The companies will not see this as the case and hire people who may have little or no training in this area for a lower wage. The example of the "multicultural edcuation for social empowerment" with the three teachers teaching about the closing of the hospital in the community was weird. Why did one of the teachers need to be a "veteran of peace marches" to make this lesson work? I didn't comprehend this lesson as social empowerment, rather a practical example used in three different classrooms to have something that students could relate to. In regards to the links for this unit, most of them do not support this view. The speech by Chief Able of the Cree tribe is suggesting intervening in human rights attrocities all over the world. AALEAD was down when I tried to visit. The link for Indegioness Empowerment neither supported or opposed this view.

Craig Little

The role of schooling and the global economy is really a multifaceted issue, which becomes very complicated when trying to figure out the perfect solution. What I have concluded is, there is no perfect answer to please everyone. As pointed out in Springer's chapter, the global workforce is divided along racial lines with whites and Japanese at the top. Currently African nations are being exploited because of the low wages that can be paid there and then the product is sold to America and other nations at a huge profit. Even if we can change how America thinks about domination of other cultures, we would need to change the thinking of the poorest nations governments. It states in the reading that brochures sent out by the Malaysian government extol the benefits of being able to pay lower wages to women who will do good work. If countries are seeking this type of investment they will be hard pressed to find companies that will turn their offer down and the spiral will just continue. I strongly agree with Springer's statement that education for social empowerment goes against the profit motive of most companies. In theory ethnocentric education would seem to eliminate the dominance of one or two cultures over the rest of the world, but putting that into practice does not seem likely. Springer brings up the point that the public education system is inherently conservative. People already complain about the lack of local control over their schools. Also, with big money at stake for large corporations this type of change is unlikely to occur. As far as schools becoming more closely linked with social services, I think this takes away from the goal of school, and that is to educate. I do think multicultural education is having some positive effects here in the United States. It is teaching a greater tolerance of different cultural and maybe in the long run as these students become leaders of the large corporations they will remember what they learned and not be so tolerant of what is happening to the dominated countries. I think the unit links could be classified into two very basic areas, cultural specific and embracing all cultures. Even some of the culture specific links embraces other cultures. The Project Yes link certainly impressed me. It is willing to work with everyone across the board regardless of race, culture, gender, sexual preference, or religion. It seems to have a really strong support system in place and working. Sexual preference with regard to religion is such a sticky situation. I was so impressed with the statement that Project Yes supports and honors the teaching of every religion and its doctrine. You do not see this kind of acceptance of diversity at too many organizations. The other link which seemed to embrace all cultures was WomenWatch, although that is a gender specific link. I think this is an important link to help women in the global market improve their standing. The UN educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization which helps promote a gender perspective in policy making seems very beneficial to achieving the goal of equal pay and rights for women across the globe. The women of the world link showed just how many countries are involved in WomenWatch. The links that seemed to be more cultural specific addressed different ways for these dominated cultures to become empowered without losing their cultural identity. The SAWERA link gave helpful ways for South Asian women to deal with and break out of the cycle of violence perpetuated against them in their culture. I thought the idea of educating the women still in South Asia may help lead to better wages for them in their country, of course a lot of social change would have to take place, but it is a start. The Stanford University El Centro Chicano and the AALEAD links both embraced the same types of programs from various meetings to mentorships. I was impressed with EL Centro Chicano Lead Project which involved students from various cultures to initiate social change. This type of project seems to celebrate diversity. Both sites provided help for Latinos and Vietnamese to be successful in the community but to also to work for acceptance of their cultures in the communities also. The Empowerment of Indigenous Peoples while trying to empower and regain a lost culture did not seem to be as good of link as the others. This is not true because of its purpose but because it seemed to lack the organization of the other links. There is a united cause for indigenous people but it does not seem to fit under one roof. This may be true because this group truly did have to endure having most of its identity stripped away. The Black Empowerment Resources seemed to promote only the black culture and not embracing other cultures. One area that did impress me was the encouraging of young people to practice active citizenship, to becoming politically astute citizens. I agree that this is a very good way to empower change.

Jean Wright

The whole global workforce situation frightens me because it seems to lock into place many of the things I feel we are trying to get rid of in our country. Three things mentioned in the book concern me a great deal: lowering of wages for us citizens because of the world wide leveling of wages, whites and Japanese are at the top and people of color are at the bottom, and the unfairness for gender.

My hope for the future however, is in the children and the schooling they receive. I think it is important to teach about how we are alike and how we are different. Stressing that not one is better than the other simply different. I liked the lessons revolving around the closing of a local hospital. I think it is valuable to learn how government works and how changes in the community can be made.

According to Spring, “ One of the major effects of the global workforce is a call for the establishment of closer linkages between schools and social services.” I am happy about this because I was beginning to get the feeling the schools had to fix this problem and by pulling in other organizations that are also working with this situation perhaps we can work together more efficiently and get more done. I still have hope that we can teach a curiosity and acceptance about different cultures. If we can teach the students not to judge others but to understand their ways.

While reading about Rachel L. Carson Intermediate School I realize the students may not continue ways of their culture that are not the ways of their peers. This doesn’t mean they can’t learn about each other’s cultures and perhaps gain a respect about an aspect of other cultures that is different from their own.

The Black Empowerment Association may be very helpful for the people it is to serve, but I am not sure it is promoting multiculturalism. I didn’t get the idea is would help being tolerant for other cultures. Project Yes appears to be an organization that would be helpful to all youth of any culture and so I think it would definitely support the Global Economy. SAWERA looks like it will support schooling and the global economy. I believe it will help the South Asian Women. WomenWatch appears to have a lot of information that will help women Stanford University El Centro Chicano El Centro Chicano looks very supportive of what we need today. Some of the links I went to were very exciting. I was happy to see the different programs in place to help Chicanos and Latinos at Stanford become successful leaders in the US. AALEAD looks like the kind of organization I feel we need more of. It wants to help their people fit comfortable in the US and still have their culture. If there were (are) more active organization like this for different cultures I feel the job of the teacher would be much easier. Empowerment of Indigenous Peoples would support the schooling and global economy because of the education offered in the articles about the indigenous people.

This whole course and also this chapter have left me with a feeling of being overwhelmed with the task at hand for teachers in the schools today. However, some of these links gave me hope that many, many people in this country are working hard to make it a multicultural place. I guess I need to remember all I can do is my best each day for all my students. Hopefully, eventually things will improve for all people.

Mary Moler:-)

The Role of Schooling and the Global Economy The role of schools is to prepare students to live and be productive workers in the global economy. Students need to be able to continually learn new skills and ways to work due to the explosion of technology changes which seem to occur rapidly in the workplace. The public schools must take on these tasks to include "all" students of all races--females, males, minorities who were born in this country or who have immigrated here. With increase demands on businesses to get "more bang from their buck", they are requiring more and more of their workers with less benefits paid to the workers. To include all students, teachers must "avoid racist and sexist behavior" as well as teach with "antiracist and antisexist attitudes" but also "appreciate Afrocentric education and the arguments for cultural literacy" to combat the exploitation of "people of color" (Spring 218). This is important because where four fifths of the economic activity takes place in the wealthiest twenty four nations which have a majority of white people with European decent except for in "Japan and South Africa" (Spring 215). This implies that the workers will include the people from the poorer nations and minorities who may not have a European decent. Students should be taught using the multicultural education model for social empowerment which should have as the goal "political and economic equality where differing social groups live in tolerance of each other" (Spring 217). These pieces are difficult to manage given the current politics of education and the local control of the public schools. It is good, however, that are a variety of programs available which the community can implement whether the program is "The Arabs: Activities for the Elementary School Level", "Putting It Into Action", "In Our Mother's Voice: Educational Models for Native Communities", "Classical Africa", "Lessons from History: A Celebration in Blackness", or even E.D. Hirsch's "Cultural Literacy" (or some of the other available programs). Each community has its own identity and needs as shown by the different links in this unit. The University of Virginia's Black Empowerment Association is working to create a "Black Community" (however, there calendar updates and other places seem to have dates from November 1997). Stanford University El Centro Chicano focuses on service projects and celebrates alumni who have made a difference in the world. So too does AALEAD which focuses on service and mentoring programs to help Asian students. Project Yes from the Miami and Dade area in Florida instead focuses on safety issues in schools, detention centers, places of worship, in other words, everywhere for youth of all genders--heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender. Then the real challenge is for the teachers to make sure students address multicultural issues not presented in the community programs used at that school or in that school district. The communication, cultural customs, and expectations of workers do vary from country to country. Students need to be exposed to or know how to locate information about a certain culture or a country's expectations, politics, languages, and social order in which students may face as an employee in the global economy workplace. The global economy is creating a "worldwide leveling of wages, which for U.S. citizens means a lowering of wages, there still continue patterns of racial and sexual discrimination" (Spring 215). The three links which offered a variety of valuable information relating to the economic and all other forms of discrimination were WomenWatch, SAWERA, and Empowerment of Indigenous People. These three sites are offering help to (minority) people across the U.S. and internationally deal with the social issues created by this global economy. From the Untied Nations is the WomenWatch which at "UN Internet Gateway on the Advancement and Empowerment of Women" focusing on issues as disarmament, women's conferences, violence against women, or women in leadership positions to name a few. SAWERA offers help--medically, psychologically, or legally--to South Asian women mostly around the Portland area, but also internationally as in Bangladesh. The Empowerment site has issues relating to Native Americans and Hawaiians. There is an excellent Native American perspective for students to read from Richard B. Williams (Oglala Lakota) about serving on a jury which was presented as an editorial on July 4, 2001, . In this global economy with its lower pay and fewer benefits, families are now living near or below the poverty level. Schools are going to be asked to assume more of a role in the social services (Spring 216). Social services for children and the public may need to be on the same grounds as schools to allow for easy access to the necessary services for students; this may be a natural step in reducing student absenteeism who need to go elsewhere to see the eye doctor, dentist, physician or other social services required by the student. The local, state, and national governments are going to have to realize this situation exist, start giving additional funding, and start allowing schools to create such places which offer services to the "poor". Students who are fed and healthy will perform better at school enabling the student to have better opportunities to achieve a better paying job (hopefully) in the global economy. Teachers and community members are starting after school intervention/enrichment programs with funding coming from grants to help the social issue of students being alone after school hours and helping the students get the additional education help so they do not fall behind in achievement. There are many challenges facing schools, but multicultural education for social empowerment will prepare workers needed for a global economy and will help workers strive for equality and benefits along with dignity workers deserve in the workplace of the global economy.

Theresa Greinig

The Role of Schooling and the Global Economy The roll of schooling in the global economy is very important. They seem to go hand in hand. In order for the younger members of society to have a more complete understanding of the world and to allow them to compete in the growing global economy they must in fact gain knowledge and background through the education system. Students must gain not only the knowledge and awareness, but an understanding of the similarities and differences that exist among the cultures of the world. The ethnocentric education for dominant cultures model presented in Spring aims to prepare students in the continued building of their political, economic, and social worlds based on existing European and European American cultural traditions. Where as Multicultural education for social empowerment is aimed at social reconstruction. This includes teaching about racism, sexism, ethnocentric education for dominated groups, and bilingual education, using holistic learning as a central aspect of the curriculum. Unlike ethnocentric education, it emphasizes cultural diversity and tolerance for other cultures. The links associated with this unit also support this idea. Project YES for instance, is designed as an educational organization whose goal is to ensure the healthy development of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth. Project YES works within the traditional networks of support for youth: families, communities of faith, schools, and youth service agencies. By starting at the home base to develop an understanding and acceptance of situations, it also better prepares those it serves to have greater acceptance and understanding of others in the world around them. I had no idea that such an organization existed. I was so impressed that I had to contact them for format information of their program and to hopefully receive answers to a few questions I had. The listed 19 UN programs and specialized agencies linked through Women Watch is amazing. This combined with AALEAD, the Empowerment of Indigenous Peoples and Stanford University's El Centro Chicano are all fantastic tools to contribute to the understanding of cultures and the bettering of the Global Economy. I was interested in the Black Empowerment Associations site as well. While I agree in the need for black empowerment, I was slightly put off by this site. It left me with the impression that the thoughts and information in the link were the only way to live and it left little room to include greater society. While I'm sure the site is empowering to members of the African American community, I hesitate to say it emphasizes cultural diversity and tolerance for other cultures.

Angela Moore

The Role of Schooling and the Global Economy Opportunities for financial, personal and professional gains are shaped by the types of educational experiences a person receives throughout a lifetime. As teacher, Erik Cosby, is quoted in Spring’s book, "Anywhere you go in this world, there are people making decisions that will affect your life. You need to know and understand this fact and learn to become a part of the process." Learning to become a part of this process is the role of schooling. That is the key to making a mark in the global economy. The global economy is about making a profit. The same global economy benefits from cultural diversity and tolerance, yet, it is maintained by racial, sexual and economic inequalities. Businesses, whether global or local in scoop, need individuals who are culturally tolerant in order to work with a wide diversity of people to make a business grow and succeed. Education plays a vital role in developing a person’s tolerance; yet it is the parents who must lay the groundwork. Unfortunately, some parents, do not, cannot, or will not fulfill this responsibility. So the educational system must teach tolerance but as Diedra Imara discovered reality is harsher than theory. As Spring notes, the educational goals of the Arabs: Activities for the Elementary School Level are teaching tolerance, building self-esteem and teaching peaceful resolution of conflict. These are notable goals, but as Imara discovered real peace involves more than toleration and conflict resolution. However, Peace Education must be taught because what is our alternative? Individuals, schools and communities must be proactive rather than reactive. Programs that help or involve entire families look to be the most promising such as the Asian American LEAD program. This program involves elementary through high school students as well as families. They work with city agencies, non-profit groups and the private sector to help Vietnamese American refugees "become comfortable in the mainstream without losing their culture and identity." Success occurs when all people involved are working toward the same goal and expectations. The El Centro Chicano LEAD program work from a different angle in that they offer a leadership development program for a limited number of students. The goal for Chicanos and Latinos is to actively bring about social change (social reconstruction). It looks like there are high expectations for the students going into the program to develop the skills to become civil right activists for their community. Other programs such as SAWERA and Women Watch that empower women from a safety level (domestic violence) to an economic level (career advancement) are helping more than the women they serve - it is helping families. Welfare, abuse and poverty are cyclical in nature, so if a woman can rise above these obstacles with the help of a program such as SAWERA then future generations will also be empowered. The above programs can only be strengthened by proactive multicultural classrooms within a school setting. One cannot separate the community from the school - they are irrevocably bound together. This must be reflected in the school’s curriculum

Stacy Kosse

The Role of Schooling in the Global Economy In chapter 12, Spring (2000) discussed two models for teaching social tolerance and social empowerment. One model exemplified in the Arab World and Islamic Resources and School Services, seeks to establish tolerance in the workplace and market place. Through multicultural education (i.e. teaching cultural tolerance and global peace) this model proposed we could develop stronger harmonious international relationships and increase profits thereby experiencing a stronger economic power globally. The second model proposed methods for social reconstruction through multicultural education directed at teaching social empowerment. These models affect us on both the national and international level. Nationally, the traditional view of social reform has been to teach an allegiance to the Nation through cultural pride. Thus, children are taught that the American way (i.e., white European descendant) was best. Historically, we can see how this national view has affected perceptions of loyalty during wartime. During WWII, many American's became paranoid of Japanese-Americans, questioning where their loyalty would reside. The dominant group has questioned any minority that could hold a perceived separate allegiance to another country. Similarly, during the gulf war and continuing today the on-going unrest in the middle-east, has lead many Americans to become wary of immigrants from Arab countries. To lessen these barriers to cultural tolerance of Arab-Americans the Arab organization has attempted to focus on the similarities between the two cultures, (i.e., see I am just like you) through activities and education. This program has been criticized however, since it overemphasizes the common ground and does not prepare students to handle the clashes that could be experienced when differences are noticed (e.g., religious values). Conversely, the social reconstructionist model attempts to end racism and sexism through muliticultural education that would reconstruct worldviews of minority cultures, with an emphasis on cultural diversity. As our schools become more and more multicultural, "teachers in schools today must understand the cultural frames of reference brought to class by their students" (Spring, 2000, p. 218). And students must learn to embrace diversity in individuals as we compose a new world culture. Unit Links: Black Empowerment Association: Unfortunately, I was unable to log onto this website, a message was displayed that indicated an error had occurred. Project Yes: I felt this site could be helpful to gay and lesbian students in that they would, hopefully feel supported as I believe one goal of the site was to communicate that they are not abnormal individuals. I also felt the site was over brief and could have been more helpful to teachers and administrators if it would have provided ways to help gay and lesbian students deal with harassment from other students. SAWERA: This site is a great resource to Asian-American women who are subjected to domestic abuse, as it provides support, encouragement and steps to take to get safe. This site could potentially be expanded to include other cultural issues Asian-American's may face, especially in small communities such as ours. I was speaking to a Korean-American friend this weekend and she stated that when she first moved to Nebraska from the east coast she found it almost unbearable. She had difficulty purchasing familiar foods and felt separate. Possibly this site could have been used to connect her to other Korean-American's in the area, and or where to locate and/or order desired items. WomenWatch: This is a needed site for all workingwomen. It can be useful to not only educate women as to their legal rights, but also direct them to legal services if they feel as though these rights have been violated. With 66% of women in this country making less than men for equal work, women need to be empowered with the tools to turn the tide. Stanford University El Centro Chicano: This site was developed to assist Latin American students with adjusting and acclimating to university life at Stanford. It also identifies the universities policy to protect the rights of diverse students. This site could be used as a model for other universities. AALEAD: This site that represents Asian-American refuges (i.e., Vietnamese) could be useful to teachers here in Nebraska as we have a small community of Vietnamese refuges. AALEAD originated in Washington, DC and displays community resources and other enriching activities, e.g., creative writing on this site. Empowerment Of Indigenous Peoples: This site could be useful in assisting the Native-American people with regaining their lost culture. Books written by Native American authors are listed on this site. This site also communicates the rights of the Native American people and thus was designed as a tool to empower this minority group.

Bob Hastings

The Role of Schooling and the Global Economy I feel that school is one of the most essential components of continuing within the global economy. Opportunities for nearly everyone are centered around their educational opportunities and their preparation for working with people from many different cultures from around the entire world. People who have been provided with a large variety of educational opportunities have to have the most opportunities before them. Without education, it is extremely difficult for anyone to succeed. Anyone who wants to participate within the global economy of the future must know a great deal about different cultures, languages, societies, traditions, and economies. Having a deep understanding of these topics is essential if one is to be able to work outside of their own culture. All must be aware of the similarities and differences of each culture, and be able to build upon that common knowledge to foster positive working relationships and develop the global economy. I feel that association like the El Centro Chicano organization are essential in the development of cultural awareness and cultural uplifting. This organization specifically seems to be working to develop the skills of its members. Through this development, they are working to place their members in places that they can make a true difference in the development of the global economy. It seems important for groups such as these to try to be proactive and get involved in the development of the global economy. Oppressed groups cannot just demand to be included in the development of the global economy, they must place themselves in positions that will not allow them to be left out. Organizations such as the Black Empowerment Association seem to be demanding to be included, without doing anything proactive to get involved. This is extremely important.

Heymen Mohammed

unit #12 Thornton idicated that Children of mixed racial and ethnic heritage have unique advantages. They also experience particular challenges. Individuals who are socialized as multiracial frequently have an enhanced sense of self and identity, and greater intergroup tolerance, language facility, appreciation of minority group cultures, and ties to single-heritage groups than do monoracial people. think everyone deserves a chance for a better way of life and a chance to work for or to earn it instead of being on welfare or taking a free ride. Training and education will improve people's thinking and help put back pride anyone's self and in home and country. I do not think anyone's self worth should be judged by degrees or lack of education.Education is a very important part in everyone's life. Without being well educated, it's hard to find a job. The best thing about being in the class is that I am acquiring skills that other did not learn in their previous schooling. In recent years schools have developed multicultural education programs for manyreasonsuch as to make learning more interesting and relevant to students' lives,to let students share information about their heritage, to teach them about the cultures of their classmates and other people who came to the United States from other countries, to encourage their respect for all cultures, and to empower particular cultural groups.multicultural education may promote tolerance of behavior that they condemn. also, it might promote the benefits of other cultures at the expense of pride in America. Despite disagreement about the value of multicultural education, schools are putting some multicultural learning into the curricula they already use. These social programs try to improve schooling and the cultural and political climate in school. For example, they may try to increase racial and cultural tolerance. They may also try to desegregate schools and change the way they are organized so that all students are treated fairly and equally, and may try to increase all kinds of contact among the races. Programs may encourage hiring minority teachers, teach students how to become more tolerant, and teach in a way that lets students work together to learn and solve problems The practice of multicultural education in the schools is often criticized for trivializing the goal of multicultural education, which is the transformation of schooling to include the needs and perspectives of many cultures in shaping the ways in which children are educated and thus, the transformation of society. multicultural education is about social change through education. As stated by Greene (1995), "People trying to be more fully human must not only engage in critical thinking but must be able to imagine something coming of their hopes; their silence must be overcome by their search". Multicultural education harbors a place for a multitude of voices in a multicultural society and a place for many dreams. Multicultural education is a complex system of education which includes promoting cultural pluralism and social equality; programs that reflect diversity in all areas of the school environment; staffing patterns that reflect the diversity of American society; teaching an unbiased, inclusive curriculum; ensuring equity of resources and programs for all students as well as equitable academic excellence (outcomes) for all students. (Dickerson, 1993). Workplace diversity is a multi-faceted concept that continues to evolve as more industries move toward a global marketplace.Most people hold the belief that every human being is of equal worth, entitled to the same privileges and opportunities, without regard to race, gender, disability or age. This fundamental belief has led to changes in management practices primarily relating to the recruitment, training and retention of employees who reflect the changing face of the American workforce. In order to understand the necessities and benefits of managing workplace diversification, the concept must be fully explored. Affirmative action and the language of equal opportunity came as a political response to the social outcry over the racial and social injustices that limited equal access to the workplace. One of the problems with affirmative action is that it began to be perceived as a public relations scheme more concerned about quotas than about individuals. Managing workplace diversity strives to ensure that when an individual is hired, they should be able to trust that they have been chosen because of their unique qualifications, not because of gender or ethnicity. We have moved from a use of words like fairness, inequality, and injustice toward terms such as ethnic diversity, political correctness, and cultural consciousness.Sex discrimination law encompasses many facets. The law mandates equal pay for equal work. It requires equal treatment, policies, standards, and practices for males and females in all phases of the employment relationship, including hiring, placement, job promotion, working conditions, wages and benefits, layoffs, and discharges.

Jill Kranda

The Role of Schooling in the Global Economy Because international business today leaps across national and cultural boundaries, it is concerned with promoting cultural tolerance in the workplace and in the marketplace. Attaining this cultural tolerance is dependent upon an educational system in which individuals learn to see the world through the various "filters" which enable them to understand, empathize, and tolerate others who are different from themselves. These individual and group differences may be physical or cultural; regardless, students must learn to accept and appreciate the differences in people in order to understand the connections that exist in cultures, economics, and politics of the different peoples of the world. The growth of multicultural education has been brought about in large part by the global workforce. More and more, our classrooms are being filled with students of various cultures and languages. Schools now must attempt to expand their role and find ways to address the issues of cultural domination, exploitation, sexism, and economic inequalities. Spring describes two models for teaching cultural tolerance and social empowerment. In the first model, the emphasis is placed on teaching cultural tolerance and global peace. The educational goals are teaching tolerance, building self-esteem, and teaching peaceful conflict resolution. To achieve these goals, educators use an examination of similarities between the peoples of the world and the teaching of conflict resolution skills. Cultural similarities are examined by dividing the curriculum into separate concepts and subject matter and then showing how the people's needs are similar. This model assumes that building cultural toleration will contribute to world peace. The second model focuses on the tension between the economic interests of international business and struggles for political and economic equality (social empowerment) of individuals. International corporations see multicultural education as a way to maintain harmonious relations in the multicultural workforce. They also anticipate, as an outcome of this education, increased profits resulting from marketing products in a variety of cultures. This "social empowerment" model is supposed to prepare students to reconstruct their political, economic, and social worlds. Multicultural education for social empowerment aimed at social reconstruction includes teaching about racism, sexism, ethnocentric education for dominated groups, and bilingual education, using holistic learning as a central aspect of the curriculum. Unlike ethnocentric education, it emphasizes cultural diversity and tolerance for other cultures. It is designed to free members of dominated groups from the bonds of racism, sexism, and political and economic oppression. Considering the unit links dealing with empowerment, I thought the work of the Black Empowerment Association seemed like an important component in improving the conditions for the Black Nation, as well as in leading to the self-determination and self-preservation of the people it serves. Likewise, SAWERA and AALEAD serve specific cultures through education, empowerment, and solidarity. Such programs will likely enhance the efforts of our educational system to meet the needs of an ever-growing, rapidly changing global economy.

Kayleen Lukasiewicz

The Role of Schooling and the Global Economy As societies adjust to the global economy and the workforce, the debate about multicultural education continues. One of the major effects of a global workforce is the call for the establishment of closer ties between schools and social services. These organizations once working as separate entities now need a new organizational structure that will link schools and social services together. One such social service is the Black Empowerment Association. It states as one of its goals in their mission statement: “We want education for our people that teaches information relevant and beneficial to People of African Descent and that teaches us our true history and our role in the present day society”. It is hard to argue or be opposed to a program such as the BEA that is only asking for fair and just representation in our curriculum. This group also maintains that through various educational programming the BEA will provide educational support services geared toward the retention and superior performance of Black Students. Project Yes is an educational organization whose goal is to ensure the healthy development of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth. It works within the traditional networks of support for youth: families, communities of faith, schools, and youth service agencies. Collaborative programs such as Safe Schools/Healthy Families provide presentations and workshops for school faculties designed to create action plans for safer school environments. A Mobile Youth Course is also available to schools in school settings. It enables young people to find a powerful way to use their voice to make a difference. All youth regardless of sexual orientation have the right to learn in a safe school environment. SAWERA addresses the growing needs of the South Asian women in the Greater Portland area. Its goal is to promote the independence and dignity of South Asian women through education, empowerment and solidarity. Some of the services that SAWERA will provide are free referrals for South Asian women, who are domestic violence victims. It will give emotional support and help women interface effectively with local resources. The fact that this organization provides services that help women with job seeking, childcare, transportation and legal resources is laudable. Such services can do much to help the South Asian woman transition into American society. Women Watch is an organization that works on a worldwide level for women’s rights. I linked onto the site that covered the United Nations 39th session on the Commission on the Status of Women. It outlines the declaration on the status of African American women. This 48 page document was extensive in its reporting. Most of the work dealt primarily with the issue of African American women’s health and reproductive issues, and the protective needs of displaced and refugee women. Africa is just beginning to enact legislation that opposes discriminatory practices with regard to education and employment. These issues are paramount in providing equality for women in the global community. Women Watch should be commended for their efforts. The Lead Project out of Stanford University is offered to many ethnic community centers and encompasses the majority of minority cultural groups in America. The Lead Project has as its aim, a leadership development program that explores non-hierarchical leadership methods and encourages students to complete a social change project of their choosing and design. The social change model stresses the emphasis on issues of common concerns among students and collaborative work. The leaders then go back to their schools to share information and to form student groups. Core retreats are also held and focus on sharing organizational goals and objectives, building leadership and team skills through structured activities and developing community agendas and collaboration. The AA Lead group has programs for elementary, middle school, and high school students as well as their families. Their goals is to strengthen American by helping Vietnamese American refugees become comfortable in the mainstream without losing their culture and identity. AA Lead provides opportunities for students to become involved in Summer Workshops, Leadership, Computer training, Creative Writing, Mentorships, College Preparedness, After School Activities, and Family Support Services. These activities are designed to meet the language and cultural needs of the Vietnamese American families. The Empowerment of Indigenous People site was one where I explored the Native American Indian issue. A Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People by Chief Abel Bossum stated that all indigenous people should be in the purview of international law. That is it recognizes us as subjects of international law. Second, it extends the recognition of the existing human rights instruments to our peoples. Third, it provides new international standards for the protection of human rights. As part of the empowerment effort the Bilingual Education Act of 1967 was passed. The overarching goal was to equalize educational opportunities. It called for “new and imaginative” programs for children, “disadvantaged because of their inability to speak English”. It included the development and use of teaching materials incorporating the native language and culture. As you can see each of these groups provide services for minority groups that are alienated or in some way underserved in our society. The offering of support services, leadership schools, summer programs, domestic violence help, and educational workshops/presentations are a few of the ways these groups are trying to link social services to the schools. It is imperative today that U.S. teachers understand the differing cultural frames of reference brought to class by their students. In addition, they need to understand how different cultures intersect with the culture of the public schools. By working together with groups, who offer services to the minorities, the schools can enhance the curriculum they offer. The teachers will then be better able to understand the cross-cultural communications and the language barriers that exist in the classroom. The linking of these services to schools will go a long way in providing an appreciation of people of color and the argument for cultural literacy.

Ryan Knippelmeyer

Role of Schooling in the Global Economy To begin, I feel schooling is an essential part of continuing global economy. As we have read and discussed is previous chapters, opportunities are shaped around education. Those that are provided with a wide variety of educational opportunities and take advantage of those opportunities, seem to have the best "real world" opportunities. The better schooling one has, combined with social interaction, provides us with progress in the global economy. Everything goes back to education. The more students learn about different cultures, languages and societies, the better chance they have at being productive in the global economy. Teaching cultural tolerance is vital, in that it examines the similarities between the world's peoples and the teaching of conflict resolution skills. Like I have stated before, students need to have a self worth invested in what they are learning. Teachers involve students in the process of what they are going to learn. Educators need to understand that we do not know the answers to all questions and involving students in the process of finding those answers benefits all involved. It was interesting to read how wages in the global workforce have declined since the 70's because corporations are moving their plants overseas and immigrants entering the U.S. accepts jobs at lower wages. In general, people spend time moving from city to city, country to country, or continent to continent looking for higher wages. While at the same time, corporations are also moving looking for people that accept lower wages. I feel associations such as the Project Yes, AALEAD, and Women Watch are great supplemental materials for schooling in the global economy. Project Yes, and the AALEAD provide guidance and help youth develop and learn skills that are necessary to succeed in life. I am a little skeptical about associations such as the Black Empowerment Association. I do not see a lot of tolerance of other cultures being promoted in that association. To end, Project Yes is a great organization that promotes healthy development of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender youth. This orginization is one of the most promising community -based models of suicide prevention in the nation.

Carmen Bourbon "The Role of Schooling and the Global Economy."

The role of schooling in the global economy is one of importance because through schooling the minds of the men and women of the future are being shaped, and with it, social changes that will benefit or affect mankind. The need for better understanding of cultural differences, language diversity and better communication between races, to learn how to reconstruct societies, to bring solutions to the world's economical problems, the improvement of human life conditions and the planet's ecological systems, the mutual cooperation between all races, and the responsibility of making intelligent choices and decisions that would benefit humanity as a whole, should be taught through education. Students need to learn how to view in depth at each culture and its people. They need to understand that with each society comes the similarities and differences, that in one way or the other we are all connected, sharing the same problems, necessities and solutions. Through multiculturalism and social empowerment and social reconstruction students are taught to "reconstruct their political, economic and social worlds." Different approaches have been used to teach students how to better understand and learn this process. Thematic units or holistic lessons teaches students how to investigate the issues, collect information, communicate, decision making and problem resolution through responsible planning. The cooperate learning method is used with these units. Through community activities, Stanford University El Centro Chicano, Latinos and Chicanos students learn about the culture, heritage, history as well as their contribution to society and their social impact. At AALEAD, Asian American youth develop and learn skills necessary to succeed in life. Through education, leadership training and community programs these goals are achieved. The global workforce has contributed to the growth of multicultural education. While workers move from different regions around the world searching for higher wages, corporations are moving to different countries in search of lower wages. For them it is more profitable to have their products done in a variety of countries for less pay. Schools should responsibly teach students " the problems facing the global workforce, highlight the concerns of multicultural educators with issues of cultural domination, exploitation of people of color, sexism, and growing economic inequalities." This way schools would be obligated to deal with these problems and concerns, head on, teaching students that these problems are their problems too. By teaching them the points discussed at the beginning of this essay, they too, can be part of the global change that will benefit the entire human race for years to come.

Pat Marquis CURR 861 Unit 12 March 4, 2001

Dr. Ernest Bayer notes that educators must help students become personally empowered to discover their own aptitudes and interests, while teaching students to go beyond their private interests and putting their lives in historical, social, and ethical perspective. Bayer suggests five educational priorities to teach students to understand individualism while searching for connections. First, we must help students understand that we are all connected through the exquisite use of symbols. Second, all students should, through science, begin to understand the eloquent underlying patterns of the natural world and learn that we are connected through the ecology of the planet. Third, it is urgently important that all students also learn about our social and civic institutions and become familiar with cultures other than their own. Fourth, as we prepare students for the world, it is important that we build connections between general and specialized education. Fifth, the discovery of connections is not only accomplished through a good curriculum, but through the teacher in the classroom. The role of schooling in the global economy is helping students understand connections among systems - ecological, cultural, economic, political, and technological.

Education must center on learning about shared problems and issues that transcend national boundaries. Students must be taught to consider things through the eyes and minds of others, to realize that while we view life differently, we all have common needs, wants, and concerns. Students must develop attitudes and behaviors that recognize and foster interdependence and cooperation. Efforts have been made to help students understand connections through multicultural education for social empowerment. Holistic lessons or thematic units, as developed by Liz Harvey, Erick Cosby, and Ross Wisser, which touch the real lives of the students, are developed. Using cooperative learning, students must think critically, access information, problem-solve, communicate, process information, and make judgments and recommendations. Through AALEAD, Asian American children improve academic skills, develop community service projects, and participate in Leadership Training. American Indian and Alaska Native students are prepared for responsible citizenship, continued learning, and productive employment, through improvement of reading, science, and math, increased high school completion, and expanding educational technology. Schools should be centers for teaching students how to implement social change; to reconstruct society. As the marketplace becomes more global, international business is interested in maintaining harmonious relations in a multicultural workforce and increasing profits by marketing products in a variety of cultures. Workers migrate throughout the world in search of the highest wage and corporations shift their industrial sites in search of the lowest wages. Consequently, United States classrooms are filled with students representing a variety of cultures and languages. Students must be taught to consider things through the eyes and minds of others. In school, students can be taught to understand other cultures by comparing and contrasting: roles of family members, eating habits, courtship patterns, and government operations in other countries. Citizens from other nations can interact with students, and languages and histories of other cultures and nations can be explored. Parents and community members must become involved in education. Partnerships in the community promote and coordinate efforts to increase family involvement in children's learning. Community and school service projects help students develop critical thinking skills, learn cooperatively, and understand technology, while using the community as a learning laboratory. Students must learn attitudes and behaviors that foster interdependence and cooperation. Through real-life community involvement, students learn: concepts rather than content, research skills rather than established expertise, and communication skills rather than mere self-expression. The role of schooling in our global economy is to teach students to deal with real-life concerns, teach students to work in teams to become skilled, humane decision makers, teach students to take varying perspectives, project a wide range of choices, evaluate consequences and select actions that improve the human condition locally and globally. If our students increasingly are going to discover that they live in a world that is economically, politically, and ecologically connected, this must be reflected in the curriculum; the sense of community we build.