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Ethnic Heritage Studies Program Performance Report: Institute on The A 0) DOCOille 225012 111 102 183 2C 011 963 AUTHOR Cardoso-Preemen, Ines 1thnic Heritage Studies Program Performance Report: , TITLE Institute on the Folklore and Traditions of. Hexican-American, Hlackonand Appalachian People. INSTITOTION Ohio State Univ., Columbus. SPONS AGENCY Office of EducationADMEW), Washington, D.C.Ethnic Heritage Studies Branch. PUB DATE [78] NOTE 43p.: For a re3ated document, see BC,011 862. EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus ,Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Blacks: *Course Content: CourseObjectives: *Cross Cultural Training: Cultural Awareness: Ethnic Groups: Folk.Cu3ture: Majority Attitudes: *MextcanAaericans; Minority Groups: Multicultural Education: Rural Population: Summer Institutes; *Teacher EduCation, IDENTIFIERS Appalachian Culture: Ethnic Heritage Studies Progrti Act: *Folklore Collection: Ohio ABSTRACT Two of the major obiectives of the six weekinstitute were "to provide teacher trainingin the folklote and traditions of the Mexican American, Black and Appalachianpeople to teachers who ars either ne1b%.511 of thesecultures, or who work with students of these cultures: and to present teacherswith subject slitter, curriculum and background information in the folkloreand traditions of these three cultures which can beincorporated intc school curriculum." The courses offered closelyfollowed these objectives with a folklore component introducingmethods and approaches to the study of folklore along with information ongathering resource materials, and the three other coursesfocusing specifically on Mexican American, Appalachian and AfricanAmerican folklore. The 30 participants in the Institute were primarilyteachere and represented the 3 cultures under study, as well as themainstream culture. Comraderie and cordiality grew cinickly asthese pat Lcipants from four diverse groups came to a greaterunderelanding atd respect for each _other's-differences. This documentdiscusses how the institute wai organized and nonducted and describes how some of the participants later put their newly-earnedskills to use. It also includes objectives, syllabi, andbibliographiesifor each of the four courses offered in theInstitute. (DS) *********************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDFS are the bestthat can be made. * * * from the original document. *********************************************************************** 6 14.7Y°11411g11(Ni!-- !at : A '71 V. rnacc =nuSTU= PRO3RAM PRIVORMANCI EXPORT INSTITUTE ON TEE POLICLORS AND TBAIMTIONSOr NEXICAN.AAERICAN, ETACK0AHD APPALACHIAN PIEOPLIC INEZ CARD3Z041MEMAI PROJECT DIRECIVR 1113 onto sum UN/VMSITY COLUMUS, OHIO "Summer Institute on Folklore ani Traditionsof iNiexioanoAmericans, Black and AppalachianPeople" --project U S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCETHIS EDUCATION & WELFARE MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTEDBY NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION ./a "gAraf 2)2e2 THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO- DUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PFRSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGIN- ATING IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRE- SENT OFF ICIAL NATIONAL IN4.TITUTE OF EDUCAT.ON POSITION OR POLICY TO THE EDUCATIONALRESOURCES INFORMATION-CENTER (ERIC)." - ; , 1 4. 3 I. VALILLITON OPciancunsACHIMsr az mannPROGRAM The objeciives of the Institute were "to provideteacher.training in the folklore and traditions of Mexican.American, Black,and Appalachian people to teachers who are either members of these cultures, orwho work with students of these cultures; to present teacherswith subject mattsr, curriculua andbackgrcund.informatio'non the folklore andtr'aditions of these three oultures which can be intorporated intoschool curriculum; and to emphasize that through the study of .the vtricusfolk expressive forms of those cultures . speech, narratives (tales,legends), music (songs, ballads): customs, folk belie/Se folk medicine, and so am .teachers and students may grovr in their appreciation andunderstanding of their own culturaltraditions and values as well as those values of others in ourmulti.ethnic society." Tarty persons participated in the Folklore Institute s two were els. mentary teachers, ftre were junior high schoolteachers, 17 were teachers in senior high =shoals and five were graduatestudents with teaching experience. Of these 30 persons, six were Mexisan.American,fire were Appalachian, four were black, and 15 were of the mainstream culture whoworked with these three ural groups.Of the total participants in the Institute,10 worked with Mezican.American students, 20 with Appalachianstudents, and 25 with bleak students. One participant vas a college teacher in asmall liberal arts college with a considerable black student enrollment. Patrick Mullen taught the folklore methodology course. Because the students were not familiar with the discipline offolklore, he began his methodology class with a great deal of lecturing,presenting basic material on definitions and approachesto folklore using examples takenfrom the three students were quite anxious to or cultures. Half way throughthe Institute, 2 oonsider folklore materials on their own. Fortunately by this time enough baokground information had been givenand the classroomsituation shifted to into small groups more discussion andloss lecture.Often the students broke the other class for more in.depth seminar.discussion. The same occurred with sessions in Black,Mexican.Am-erioan, and Appalachian folklore taught by Basically, Darnell Alliams, IAOSCardoso-Yreemano and WilliamLightfoot. centered with much class sessions during the firwtthroe weeks were teacher Al . leoturing but changed half Irythrough, becoAng morestudent centered. needed to present though'some of the instructors feltthat more time was partici. specific information on theculture and traditionsof these groups, themselves, were pants, most of who were matureand experienced teachers !enthusiasm and inter. anxious to try their hand atwhat they were learning. high and contributedto the 'est on the part of theparticipants was extremely exiressed at not being able 411 sense of frustrationand impatience which they Consequently, what took to tryihe materials out on their own immediately. and dr*rthrovos of place vas an exciting andchallenging little "revolution last hour re. the initial plan of procedure(fourleotures per day with the last three weeks werespent served for studentresponse) and as a resqlt the involvement and discussionduring with less formal lectureand more student by the teaching the period originallyscheduled for lecture presentations (six weeks) and a great stet:. Too little time to presental the material helped contribute deal of interest and enthusiasm onthe part of the students to this interesting anddynamic experience. the interaction which Another noteworthydevelopment of the institute vas spacicas and planned took place between theparticipants. The classroom was had their backs turned with long tables arranged in atl.shaptso that no one initially by the staffto break down to anyone else. Every effort was made 1 4 3 barriers so people would-feel comfortable with one another.This was very successful,. 'Within a. dgy or two, groups of brown, blackand whit students were going oft to eat together, tosits or to play a quick gameof tennis to. gether duiing the.two hour lnnch break. The camaraderie and cordiality was an exciting developmentwhich had been hoped tar but we hadnot expected the extent .to which it developed.Quite clearly tha paxtioipantsliked each other; indeed, it was sometimes difficult to getthem back into the classroomafter the twelve minute break periods between sessions,they were to busy enjoying each other's coscany and discussingfolklore. Several of our participants had never met Mexican.Americans beforeand were delighted with ourcharming instituted contingent fram this culture.W4dnesday late atteinoon parties were beginning with the first week,4and evening fiestas weregiven at the homes of Patrick Mallen and Ines Cardoso-Freeman, aswell as at the homes of some of the participants vho live in theColumbus area. Itlat's home,.Darnell Williams and the black participants prepared asoul food feast from .blacktradition, and stddents at Inas' traditionallfiktmulfoodtvwsprepared by the Mexican-American home. The important point of thiscomaraderieand good fellowship is that four diverse and unique cultural groups .mainstream and threeminarities. came focusing together in friendship, mutual admirationand trust because an institute on the culture andtraditions of the three minorities helpedto break down bar. riers and create an understanding and respectfor differemes. As a result of this we are firmly convinced of the correctnessof our hypothesis thatteaching the folklore and traditions of thecultures of the children that arein a classroom will help them to respect and carefor ono another. Occasionally, Darnell Williams challengedstereotypical views whichire sometimes held by non-blacks and thisoften provoked open and frankdiscussion in and out of the classroom. Although this did not occur duringthe Mexican-. 4 American or Appalaohian class Sessions, there wereserious discussions held in and out of *last regarding stereotypicalimages of these groups vith the Mexican...American and Appalachian students clarifyingmisconceptions. Through.. oat the proosedings of the Institutepeople did a great deal ofmind...stretching. Overall, students were attentive and eagerto learn. They asked intel- ligent questions and often directed discussioninto fruitful areas for every. one. liSpecially later in the Institute, students
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