Video Reflection
Why are differences sometimes threatening?
What do we know for sure?
What do we not know?
What prevents us from being compassionate?
What is the relationship between money and power?
How do we know or identify privilege?
What assumptions do we make about people from different races, ethnicities, and cultures?
How does this look in a classroom?
How does it impact learning?
VIDEO REFLECTION 2
Video Reflection
People often assume that other people are not as important as they are. In this regard,
many people believe that their colleagues from other cultures are not competent enough to
perform roles which they have been performing. Viewing others in a cultural lens may
sometimes be threatening because it prevents those who are discriminated against from living in
unity with others (Gogichaishvili, 2013). Moreover, such differences may be threatening because
they may negatively affect both social and economic lives of learners. What we know is that
people possess different beliefs and values based on their cultures. However, what many people
do not know is that individuals from various cultures possess similar capabilities as them.
Limited knowledge about the importance of individuals from different cultural backgrounds
prevents people from being compassionate to others (Blankstein, Noguera and Kelly, 2016).
Power has a direct relationship with money in the sense that, the rich are more likely to
occupy high positions in authority than the poor. Without money, it becomes tough for the weak
to hold senior ranks at their places of work. In several instances, people have always believed
that only whites from wealthy families are allowed to enjoy privileges (Gogichaishvili, 2013).
We tend to assume that people from different cultures, ethnicities, and races can be taught to
understand and integrate diversity in their daily lives. In a classroom setting, knowledge of
different cultures can be enhanced through the use of teaching activities which allow all students
to understand diversity. The use of educational activities that train students about culture
normally has a positive impact on learning. To promote equity in the society and the classroom,
people must avoid looking at one another through a cultural lens and focus on implementing
strategies which will enable them to benefit from diversity (Blankstein, Noguera and Kelly,
2016).
VIDEO REFLECTION 3
References
Blankstein, A. M. Noguera, P., & Kelly, L. (2016).Excellence through Equity: Five principles of
courageous leadership to guide achievement for every student. Alexandria, VA:
Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development. ISBN: 978-1-4166-2250-
Gogichaishvili, D. (2013). What’s so different about cultures anyway? Dato Gogichaishvili at
TEDxTbilisi.(Video podcast).
