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Global Cinderella: Intertwining Multiculturalism and Technology for the Classroom

Page history last edited by Heeba Kaleem 9 years, 3 months ago

 

Global Cinderella: Intertwining Multiculturalism and Technology for the Classroom

 

 

By Heeba Kaleem, Multiculturalism in Cinderella, Team 4

 

Heeba Kaleem

Professor Liu

ENG 149

December 15, 2014

 

     “Multiculturalism in Cinderella” from University of California, Santa Barbara explores similarities to the classic fairytale through its variants from different cultures and time periods and presents its findings in a creative, interactive format.  This project’s objective is to make education more inclusive for students of racial minorities and cater to students of different learning methods. To achieve this, team members used Tumblr, a blogging website, and StoryMap JS, an interactive online map, as tools to create an engaging and useful lesson. As a result, students broaden their ideas on cultures around the world and are better prepared to integrate technology in both their academic and personal lives. “Multiculturalism in Cinderella” creates healthier learning environments and lessons that students can use beyond the classroom.

     Encouraging students to broaden their perspectives of culture in a manner in which they would retain information introduces two issues at the core of “Multiculturalism in Cinderella.” Firstly, a lack of multicultural education presents the challenge in most Eurocentric syllabi that students from minorities come to expect in classrooms. Minority students tend to feel excluded when learning solely from Eurocentric lessons (Picardo). Secondly, technology is now well integrated into people’s lives, and especially of students’ lives. Also, technology is easily available and quickly becoming a vital part of workplaces. Both issues need to be addressed to create an improved classroom environment inclusive of students from all cultures and introduce students to their growing connection with technology.

     Most lessons exclude cultures that don’t belong in Eurocentric syllabi, leading to greater problems for students who cannot relate to the material taught. They become uninvolved and uninterested in the subject material. By placing importance on certain cultures, students who cannot relate might feel that their culture is not as important, whereas students whose cultures are not aware that the problem exists (Picardo). Ignorance of the problem leads to an even greater division among students. Uninvolved students have lower scores on standardized tests and are at higher to drop out. However, when multicultural education is introduced, reports indicate that all students think more critically about those lessons (Miller, 90). Additionally, racial and cultural prejudices decrease significantly because of exposure to different cultures (Banks, 6). Students better understand cultural differences, world languages, and become more tolerant and empathetic as a result (Sanders and Wiseman, 1). This is especially true when multicultural themes are introduced through literature. Racial gaps that exist can close with understanding and students can move toward a more globalized, culturally aware society. Most importantly, multicultural learning should not be treated as an isolated event; rather, it needs to become a core component of education (Miller, 88). It is highly necessary to include multicultural education in all classrooms.

     Additionally, the use of technology in classrooms is also an important issue to address. Acquainting students with technology sooner in their education helps them understand and even explore technology later in their lives (Singh). Technology creates more personalized lessons and inspires students to think creatively (Loyola). Ideally, individualized learning is achieved through technology. All three types of learning—kinesthetic, visual, and auditory—would have lessons that best accommodate their learning styles. This ensures that students are engaged with lessons that encourage their own individual growth (Boundless). Technology also makes education cost effective. Replacing textbooks with eBooks, for example, saves tons of paper every year—money that should then be invested in newer editions of books, making information up to date and relevant to the students’ lives (Smith). Learning becomes more interesting for students since many creative lessons can be created with various applications that cannot be achieved with textbooks. With technology, learning becomes more beneficial, efficient, and interactive.

            Because of the importance of both multicultural learning and the involvement of technology in the classroom, the team behind “Multiculturalism in Cinderella” first started by finding ways to incorporate both concepts into one practical project. Students in the team initially found a common ground that most, if not all, students from various cultures would be able to understand. They focused on Cinderella, a story with various adaptations that would illustrate the differences and similarities in cultural contexts. The classic fairytale is familiar with students of all ages, and a rich library of adapted and translated Cinderella stories were available online. Five adaptations that the team focused on because of their availability online were Yeh Shen, a T’ang dynasty Chinese tale; The Turkey Girl, a Zuni Native American tale; Settareh, a Persian tale; Baba Yaga, a popular Russian folktale; and Rhodopis, an Egyptian tale that is believed to be the first variant of Cinderella. Also, due to the vast amount of stories, students included thirty other adaptations as part of the project to encourage students to continue to think about different cultures and their influence on their variants. Students in the team then decided to use fictional blog entries as the medium to focus on the first five adaptations. The blog entries narrate the adaptation’s events as they progress in three sections from the point of view of the main hero or heroine in diary format. Fictional blog entries both entertain and educate students of the stories’ respective cultures, as well as give them a chance to interact with the story and each other by leaving comments. The other thirty adaptations chosen would be placed on an interactive map that students can click through online. The tools students used to achieve these goals was Tumblr and StoryMap JS.

     Firstly, Tumblr is primarily a blogging website with huge popularity amongst students and has a population of 34 million users (Davis). Tumblr is also the most used social media site amongst 13-18 year olds (Davis). Tumblr’s popularity is an advantage since it appeals to students more and the familiar, simple interface won’t steer them away from trying the site. Additionally, Tumblr’s status of recognition amongst the student demographic adds relevance to the lesson in students’ eyes. The “Multiculturalism in Cinderella” team believed Tumblr the best option to host the fictional blog, especially since it is free and accessible on many devices. More importantly, students have the option to leave their thoughts on fictional blog posts using a comment function. This allows students to think more critically about what they read and because of the first person narrative, also makes the reading experience more personal. For educators, this is exceptionally powerful tool since it is easy to use yet also has advanced HTML capabilities that students can use in the future. Additionally, it has the ability to hold different types of multimedia, such as sound files and pictures, which would appeal to students of all three types of learning. Tumblr is a useful tool for both educators and students alike.

     Another useful tool is StoryMap JS. StoryMap JS is a story mapping tool created by Northwestern University’s Knight Lab that illustrates the origin locations of different variants of Cinderella. It can also be used to examine art more closely with its Gigapixel function, which can be useful for history and art history educators. “Multiculturalism in Cinderella” works well with StoryMap JS since it is also able to display the surroundings of a tale. Students learn how a location and its surroundings can influence the cultural traits of a story. Text and other multimedia are displayed alongside each location, giving a deeper understanding of the story at a particular location. Students who are from minority cultures would feel included when they see their culture represented on the map. Furthermore, visual and kinesthetic learners would greatly benefit from using StoryMap JS since it interacts with students by allowing them to click around and explore the world through the stories. “Multiculturalism in Cinderella” is able to host a vast number of Cinderella variants on the map and can illustrate the history and evolution of the story throughout time and cultures. StoryMap JS is an open source tool for all to use and is easily accessible, making it ideal for educators to use and students to learn with.

     Through Tumblr and StoryMap JS, “Multiculturalism in Cinderella” is a project that can inspire further research into how to best connect students with technology and the effects it has on learning. Most Cinderella tales from different cultures have been orally passed down from generations. In this project, they are presented in first person format with links embedded within the text to explain certain cultural aspects. The effects on fusing technology and learning on imagination and understanding cultural differences are important issues that can be improved if more closely examined.

Several hypotheses are drawn by using knowledge gained from creating “Multiculturalism in Cinderella.” For example, the impact of new media and the role it plays in telling stories now makes reading experiences more personalized and interactive. Now, stories aren’t simply text on paper; various multimedia elements collectively enhance the reading experience. Links embedded within the text redirects readers to examples of locations or objects the text is talking about. Added sound might emphasize certain scenes and set a certain mood to the text. Technology contrasts greatly compared to current reading methods and even more so when compared to the original oral retellings. The impact of this can create a more immersive experience for readers. Additionally, mixing multimedia within text can augment the information gained by providing exact examples of what the author wants readers to see.

     However, there are drawbacks to adding more multimedia then what is necessary. Multimedia can become a distraction to readers because they would have to stop to examine each link, absorb it, and then return to reading. Although this might seem like it is possible with how many people multitask between social media now with ease, studies have shown that multitasking leads to less critical processing of information (Junco & Cotten). Additionally, providing an example for each object or location discourages the process of imagination. This makes reading less engaging and can even be annoying for readers since imagining is part of the experience, which plays a big role in how readers approach texts. Many readers still prefer traditional books over eBooks, for example, simply because it feels more differently. Used sparingly, however, mixing multimedia and text can be a unique educational tool that can inspire interest in students to research deeper into the topic discussed.

            Another dimension of using technology with education is the effect it has on depicting cultural differences. Most prejudices about cultures stem from ignorance and social environments that breed wrongful assumptions. The best way to remedy this is education. Students, especially at a young age, should start to disprove the stereotypes that are prevalent in media and environments throughout society using what they learned at school. Unity can be achieved if classrooms taught why society depicts minorities in different lights and why certain cultures are viewed as the “default.” Technology aids this by globalizing education. Students now can quickly search the Internet for facts about cultures, instead of learning secondhand of what they are like from their social environments and remaining ignorant of the truth. A richer understanding develops from learning through pictures, maps, and videos. Technology makes learning about cultural differences a more interactive experience and will likely be more effective than using just textbooks.

     A drawback of using technology to explain cultural differences is that it is simply not enough. A student may learn about cultural differences, but if tolerance is not built, than technology becomes wasted away. It then becomes extremely important for educators to guide students in learning about different cultures in a way that fosters tolerance and understanding. Technology alone is not enough to eradicate prejudices and racial differences.

     By using Tumblr and StoryMap JS, “Multiculturalism in Cinderella” presented many ideas that would make the project beneficial for classrooms. It is a unique visual representation with a format that depicts how culture is influenced by location. Drawbacks to the project are mostly technical. StoryMap JS for this particular project is not in chronological order both because many dates on the Cinderella stories were hard to find, and the tool itself doesn’t have a function to automatically order them. Because of that, making StoryMaps can be tedious. There is also no ability to add sound clips or videos to StoryMap, which would impact students the most. On the other hand, Tumblr has a different problem. Because the site is widely used amongst students, there is a possibility they will take the lesson less seriously. To combat this, the presentation of the content should be engaging yet serious. Although these are minor issues that can be worked around, “Multiculturalism in Cinderella” is still a work in progress that can be further improved with more research.

     In conclusion, “Multiculturalism in Cinderella” presents multicultural Cinderella variants using Tumblr and StoryMap JS. Students will benefit from this project with practical technological experience and become more empathetic, tolerant citizens of their community as a result from the knowledge they gained about different cultures. Educators can direct students to examine the progression of Cinderella stories though time and how different cultures might have different story structures. The project presented culture through a universal text with relatable themes for students. It can also be used for different classes in subjects other than English. For example, history classes can use this project and restructure it to fit different time periods. Students from minority cultures and of varying learning abilities will all be included in one lesson, which the teacher can use to tailor individual assignments to each student. Tumblr and StoryMap JS, although have drawbacks, are powerful tools that educators can use to make learning experiences more engaging for students. “Multiculturalism in Cinderella” also paves ways for further research into the relationship of digital media and how it shapes learning. Research supports the project’s effectiveness among students. “Multiculturalism in Cinderella” is an effective project that is also engaging and inclusive. 

 

 

 

Works Cited

Banks, J. A. "Chapter 1: Multicultural Education: Historical Development, Dimensions, and Practice." Review of Research in Education 19 (1993): 3-49. JSTOR. Web. 15 Dec. 2014.

Boundless. "Advantages of Using Technology in the Classroom." Boundless. Boundless Education, 3 July 2014. Web. 15 Nov. 2014.

Davis, Bailey. "Should Your Business Be Using Tumblr | Uplifted." Uplifted. Uplifted, 8 May 2014. Web. 15 Dec. 2014.

Junco, Reynol, and Shelia R. Cotten. "No A 4 U: The Relationship between Multitasking and Academic Performance." Computers & Education 58.1 (2012): 505-14. Rey Junco Blog. Computers & Education An International Journal. Web. 16 Dec. 2014.

Loyola, Sarah Wike. "The Most Powerful Tool in the Classroom." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 20 Oct. 2014. Web. 15 Nov. 2014

Miller, Howard. "Middle Ground: Beyond "Multicultural Moments" The English Journal 86.5 (1997): 88-90. JSTOR. Web. 16 Nov. 2014.

Picardo, Jose. "Why Students Need a Global Awareness and Understanding of Other Cultures." Teacher-network. TheGuardian.com, 25 Sept. 2012. Web. 17 Nov. 2014.

Sanders, Judith A., and Richard L. Wiseman. "The Effects Of Verbal And Nonverbal Teacher Immediacy On Perceived Cognitive, Affective, And Behavioral Learning In The Multicultural Classroom." Communication Education 39.4 (2009): 341-53. Taylor and Francis Online. Web. 15 Dec. 2014.

Singh, Ram, Dr. "Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students"Archived: Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. U.S Department of Education, n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2014.

Smith, Paul. "Great Benefits of Technology in Education." EdTechReview. N.p., 22 Oct. 2013. Web. 15 Nov. 2014.

 

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