Artifact One

REFLECTION/RATIONALE FRAMEWORK: Program Value #5 Social Justice

Artifact: Tradition Tree

Context	This artifact was collected after doing a lesson on culture and traditions. This project was done near the beginning of full immersion in my grade 2/3 class. I had students take home a worksheet to discuss with their parents about some traditions that they celebrate in their family. It was important for the assignment that students discussed with their families and that the family was involved in explaining why it is a tradition that is celebrated and how it was important to the family, and to the individual student.
Detailed Observations	My practicum class is very diverse, with many different cultures. I also learned from different conversations with teachers in the school that there was sometimes a cultural barrier between some of the different cultures, and misunderstanding did sometimes arise. Through this activity it was great to see the variety of traditions that were celebrated in the different families. Students were also excited and interested to learn about traditions that are not present in their own families, but that were important to students from other, or even the same, cultures. It served as a bridge between some of the different cultures and to see how similarities and differences help to make us all unique.
Linking Theory with Practice	From my Social Justice course at UFV I learned that identity is a huge piece of a students success in school. Students that are proud of their identity are often more involved in the classroom environment. Students that feel confident and secure often feel that they can share in class discussions and participate in the various classroom activities. It is very important to provide a classroom environment that promotes inclusivity and individuality to promote the academic achievement for all students. This exercise was important for my students to be able to see how their differences and similarities make them unique and interesting. It led students to dig a little bit deeper into their own identity and it also led them to learn something a little deeper about their fellow classmates, which helped to foster our inclusive classroom setting.
Interpreting Causes and Effects	There were many useful outcomes to this classroom activity. First of all students had the opportunity to understand traditions and why they are important. Secondly, they learned more about their own culture and about the cultures of others. Lastly students also had the opportunity to discuss differences and similarities in traditions with other students and then wrote a journal entry as a response. Students were encouraged to find at least one similarity and one difference in their families. This created an environment of respect between students and a deeper understanding of the importance of culture and tradition.
Self Assessment and Professional Planning	This artifact represents a solid understanding knowledge, dispositions and performances of the Teacher Education Program Value #5. I learned how many students are uncertain or unaware of some of the things that make them an individual. At this level many students look at their own family or culture as the norm and as students from different cultures as the other. This project was very important from a Social Justice standpoint because students were able to step outside of that mindset and to see, on a very basic level, how cultural diversity is interesting and exciting. It opened students up to learn something from their classmates and it also gave me the opportunity to learn about my students. It is definitely something that I would do again in my future classrooms.