I recently watched a PBS documentary called "Country Boys." This documentary followed two students in rural Kentucky as they struggled against incredible odds (one a tragic family history, the other poverty and a total lack of family support) to graduate from their alternative high school.
This semester I've spent a lot of time studying learning styles, differentiation, and cultural contexts. However, simply reading about and discussing these things can only teach one so much. For me, "Country Boys" put a face on these issues. It addressed the specific learning styles and cultural context of poor, rural high school boys in the South. To be honest, I was pretty surprised at how different their experiences were than what I'm used to seeing in schools.
Cultural differentiation and a consciousness of student learning styles aren't just lofty ideas for future teachers to think about - they're used in the classroom! The boys in "Country Boys" lived in a totally different context than your typical suburban Midwestern students do, and as such they deserve instruction catered to their experiences and needs. America's status quo middle class education system doesn't work for everyone, and truth be told, it probably doesn't even work for most. Something to think about.
Tswelela solofela,
Tom Bishoff
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