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[xmca] Re: Featuring EDUC259 on Japanese Public TV



Thanks a lot, Eugene-

I think our students would answer pretty much as yours do. The issue is
similar
to our claims about the voluntary nature of kids participating in the 5th D
when
they go to, say, an afterschool program. Yes, the state does not force them
to come after school, but we hear a lot of "my mom made me."

The other thing about volunteerism, as a practical issue, is that it
provides a weak level of support for folks in the community. When the
volunteers lose a job or
move, or have a kid, or......., there goes the support. Of course, ditto for
counting on the university!

Its great that your course has been institutionalized, but too bad about the
"developmental" differentiation that makes volunteerism change its meaning
yet
again, oh well, what can you do about the problem of change!!
mike

On Sun, Mar 7, 2010 at 9:42 AM, Eugene Matusov <ematusov@udel.edu> wrote:

>  Dear Mike—
>
>
>
> I was surprised about “volunteering” as well and I asked my EDUC259
> students about it. But they replied to me that they saw their engagement in
> the practicum as their volunteering because:
>
> 1)      They (some) chose EDUC259 (with practicum) over EDUC258 (no
> practicum);
>
> 2)      Since I didn’t make any (formal) surveillance of their practicum
> attendance, they considered going to the practicum based on their own will.
>
>
>
> I’m not so sure about all of that, but it was interesting to hear my
> students’ perspectives. I think they are partially right but it varies
> depending on a student (his or her relationship with the kids and with the
> profession and with his/her learning). I think that volunteering is probably
> a complex notion that resists purification.
>
>
>
> Clarification: EDUC258 “Cultural diversity, schooling, and teachers”
> focuses primarily on structural issues of (in)equality (no practicum).
> EDUC259 “Diversity in communal contexts” (with required afterschool
> practicum) focuses primarily on dynamic and relational issues of cultural
> diversity and (in)equality in education. This is how I conceptualize the
> difference. Now with new Urban Ed programs, we are divorcing these two
> classes’ curriculum. Up to now, students can choose either  one of them that
> is why we had big overlap. But in the new Urban Ed programs the students
> will be required to take both courses (good bye volunteerism! J)
>
>
>
> It was interesting to see our class as “a response” to Obama’s call – it is
> funny J how things can turn around. I think we have foreseen this call in
> 1996 and Mike and your colleagues even earlier. I guess this is how TV and
> news are made nowadays.
>
>
>
> It is also interesting that the Japanese crew chose to show the interview
> with UD students (not my grad students) at the Volunteer Fair who said that
> they want to volunteer: 1) because they want to add a record for his resume
> and 2) because their UD professor want it. Is it really volunteerism?
>
>
>
> Any other observations?
>
>
>
> Eugene
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* mike cole [mailto:lchcmike@gmail.com]
> *Sent:* Sunday, March 07, 2010 11:18 AM
> *To:* Eugene Matusov
>
> *Cc:* eXtended Mind, Culture,Activity
> *Subject:* Re: Featuring EDUC259 on Japanese Public TV
>
>
>
> Hi Eugene--
>
>
> Nice picture of your students and the community center and the activities.
> One aspect of the program seemed misleading to me. Perhaps you could
> clarify. It appeared that the students were not, in the commonly understood
> use of that term, volunteers. They appeared to be students who were engaged
> in this practice as a part of a college course for which they got credit and
> perhaps a grade?
>
> As you know, I am very much in favor of this kind of course at the college
> level for many reasons, but I distinguish it from volunteers from the local
> community, for example, who come and help out at the center, who are not
> paid, get no institutionalized credits, and see it as a part of "giving back
> to the community."
>
> Could you clarify? At this particular moment, momentum for *courses*linked
> not only to teacher preparation, but for a variety of reasons, is building
> at
> UCSD and I would like to be able to show this video to administrators, but
> fear of mis-speaking about the basis of student participation and how
> volunteer work becomes a part of a professor's lectures.
>
> mike
>
> On Sun, Mar 7, 2010 at 7:50 AM, Eugene Matusov <ematusov@udel.edu> wrote:
>
> Dear everybody—
>
>
>
> On January 7th, 2010, NHK Japanese TV broadcasted a report about our Fall
> 2009 EDUC259 course “Diversity in community contexts”. I placed the report
> on
>
> http://ematusov.soe.udel.edu/EDUC259.09F-10_NHK_Japan.wmv. Emily is our
> star! You can see our class and West End kids (see Darnell!)
>
>
>
> Take care and congratulation,
>
>
>
> Eugene
>
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------
>
> Eugene Matusov, Ph.D.
>
> Professor of Education
>
> School of Education
>
> University of Delaware
>
> 16 W Main st.
>
> Newark, DE 19716, USA
>
>
>
> email: ematusov@udel.edu
>
> fax: 1-(302)-831-4110
>
> website: http://ematusov.soe.udel.edu
>
> publications: http://ematusov.soe.udel.edu/vita/publications.htm
>
>
>
> Dialogic Pedagogy Forum: http://diaped.soe.udel.edu
>
> [image: Journey into dialogic pedagogy]<https://www.novapublishers.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=8893>
>  Matusov, E. (2009). *Journey into dialogic pedagogy<https://www.novapublishers.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=8893>
> *. Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers.
>
> ---------------------
>
>
>
>
>

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