In “The case for culturally relevant pedagogy,” the author argues that our environment outside of the classroom is just as important and effective as what we learn inside of the classroom. It is important to address and acknowledge a students culture if teachers want to form deeper connections with their students. In “Critical Race Theory” preface, Delgado argues the critical race theory has progressed since its origin and that it can’t be ignored, especially not in professional fields. We need to move away from this idea that it’s a social construct because it progresses through every generation and culture. In Decisions that Matter, the simulation argues that all of the decisions that we make have consequences, so we should really think about our actions and pay attention to what goes on around us. In the simulation, an undergrad student experiences a position where a stranger sexually harasses his friends and his friends are trying to emotionally manipulate him to do things he doesn’t usually do.
After playing “Decisions that Matter,” I thought about ways that my teachers during grade school would discuss topics like sexual harassment. I don’t think my teachers ever discussed how to deal with situations like this, they just assumed that we knew how to handle a situation if it ever involved sexual harassment. I think interactive experiences like this would be helpful to teach students about topics like this just because not all teachers or parents feel comfortable/ don’t know how to have these conversations. These simulations would also teach students how to make the right decision if they ever interact with someone who has negative intentions.
If you feel like this would be an effective way to teach grade school students about these important topics, what grade do you think would be appropriate to start?
