UNI-LIGHT11/01/18
The teacher delivered a synopsis of a lesson across the class of multicultural students. She highlighted specific areas of interest for general learning but not all students found the highlighted points very interesting.
However, the discovery inspired her to change her style. Instead of dictating what points should interest students, she allowed students to find out for themselves what points interest them. And just about every student had shared something different.
Normally, a lesson may only consist of three or four points of interest. But when the students were free to participate, there were many points of interest.
A lesson is designed to achieve an objective. The method involves various techniques for the student to demonstrate knowledge and skills and to ensure the point is understood. Fair enough but this exercise is usually based on values and interests of the dominant culture. Students on the other hand are from many different cultures.
A student from a different culture is already disadvantaged in the context and struggles in the course work.
In our old school, we have been imposed a one narrow way of what should be interested. But now when we admit to the fact that the old way continues to deny and fail different students, it is time to be real.
To be real in our modern world is to accept the fact that we are not the same!
In a mono cultural pedagogy, the one way reinforces the rule of the one dominant culture. And thus education imposes a curriculum that encourages assimilation and conformity. It is merely reinforcing the interests not of the students but that of the dominant culture.
As a consequence, different students continue to fail. But among those students who succeed, they have become cleansed of their own culture. In mind and emotions they are members of the mainstream culture, but in spirit and skin they are different.
Each different individual unit emits its own light. When they come together, their individual light becomes a unit of different lights in a big picture. The lights are not uniformed in one linear colour, but many different colours.
So instead of highlighting specific points of interest to one group, it is highlighting many different points of interests in one unit. Thus 'Uni-lighting' is organising many different interests into one unit.
This has posed serious threats to the dominant culture, the host culture for immigrants. Multiculturalism has been a constant target for right wing associates among patriots. Their ideology maintains the conservative rule and property ownership by their elite class.
This has been the standard since time memorial, but so are the social consequences endured by minority among immigrants. Truancy, unemployment, drug and alcohol, violence and crime are synonymous with cultural differences. Competitions have taken a high toll among difference.
Yet, ownership and class elitism has shifted from the realm of the dominant culture to entities of corporatism and foreign ownership. And now we become aware that in order to survive in the new order is to learn a different language and a different skill, much like acknowledgement of a foreign culture and proselytization of their production.
Remember back in the day, we were imposed a linear way of doing things also in the control of our freedom. Now in the modern we still don't have a choice but accept differences for the sake of the economy among other things.
While we are confronted with cultural production of the new world order, our dominant culture continues to suppress our difference. The social structure imposed struggles to complement economic progress. But while status has shifted from local to global, we are still chained by local struggles of difference. And at the same time, we continue to accumulate extreme social consequences.
New Light is given a positive term in discovery and creativity. When students were given freedom to shine, their participation united their difference in a productive unit. In the current environment of technology and many cultures, the economy is still checked by static developments. The olden way of doing things have chained individuals to the ancient past. Free them to participate and they will shine.
Unfortunately, they are still controlled by the old concept of material freedom. They are ambitious individuals who strive for own selfish desires. And there are no moral or social guidelines of behaviour. Is technology advanced to speed up consumption of world resources until doomsday?
Individuals in the above scenario are far from liberation. If they were free, they would validly contribute productive deeds to the community instead of their selfish ambitions.
And now we learn that Freedom is not a material satisfaction but has to be an objective being.
If light therefore is present in confine spaces, then there is no darkness. And where there is light, there is freedom. Hence, free individuals expect to contribute productive outcomes to the stability of their community.
And this is the order of our new world. It is Freedom and Light (moral order) that enlightens the dark of struggles. It is Freedom and light to contribute productive outcomes to the community while preserving diversity of our space - (including plants and animals).
And since technology is now dominant in our environment, individuals who are brought up in Freedom and Light expect to take up the challenge and shine in productive and objective contributions to their community.
This has nothing to do with religion especially when religious persons themselves are not free from pointing the finger and blaming their fellow worshippers. They too are tied to struggles and not free.