Posted on Thursday, September 24, 2009
Six Westminster College faculty members will speak on "Moving Toward Praxis: Helping Students to Learn about Diversity through Experience," Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 11:40 a.m. in the Sebastian Mueller Theater of the McKelvey Campus Center.
Each faculty member will discuss how they help students to reach a deeper understanding of the issue of diversity by moving the focus from theory to practice.
Dr. Joshua Corrette-Bennett, associate professor of biology, will discuss "The Science and Ethics of the Human Genome Project," one of the courses he teaches, where students learn about the biological basis for skin color in combination with the environmental factors that make certain skin tones more or less advantageous. Students then compare the biological basis of skin coloration with preconceptions of race and ethnicity.
Joyce Hoellein, lecturer of education, will talk about the course "Multicultural Education." Students in the course experienced and discussed the difficulty of facing our own prejudices in order to be a more sensitive teacher. Regional schools and after-school programs provided tutoring opportunities for Westminster students to work with children of a culture different from their own. Journals, class discussions, and Paley's book White Teacher helped students reflect on their insights about their feelings during their tutoring experience.
Dr. SoYoung Kang, assistant professor of education, will share information about "Second Voice," a project her students complete to learn about education in other cultures by conducting interviews and doing research on a topic of their choice. The goal of this assignment is to help students (pre-service teachers) develop the skills necessary to understand culturally diverse people and relate to them.
Dr. Sherri Pataki, assistant professor of psychology, will discuss a collaborative project she did with a teacher in Kenya for a "Psychology of Women" class. In addition, she will present information on an after-school enrichment program for middle-school students in Farrell that was completed as a service-learning project by students in an "Introduction to Peace Studies" class.
Dr. Bryan Rennie, professor and chair of the Department of Religion, History, Philosophy and Classics, will talk about "Understanding Religious Experience and Expression," a course he teaches from a "phenomenological" perspective of helping students appreciate other cultures and other religions from the adherents' point of view rather than from an "outsider" perspective. The purpose of the course is to induce an understanding of cultural and religious diversity of both the students and others.
Milagros Swerdlow, lecturer in Spanish and coordinator of the Language in Motion program, will discuss how Westminster students share their knowledge of diverse cultures and languages with area k-12 students through the Language in Motion program. She will highlight some of the presentations students have made and share information about Intercultural Day, when high school language students visit Westminster for a day of presentations and hands-on activities.
Faculty Forum was established in 1990 by Dr. Barbara Faires, Westminster professor of mathematics emerita, during her term as Dean of the College and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Faculty members from all disciplines volunteer to present lectures on their current research, artistic productions, and/or scholarship of teaching and learning. Each forum presents new ideas with innovative lecture techniques.
Contact Kang at (724) 946-6034 or e-mail kangs@westminster.edu for additional information.
