Conversation 4: Group X

Summary

1) Select 1-2 paragraphs from “African-Born Immigrants in U.S. Schools.” Summarize them and respond to them.

Francis Kazemek (1995), an American secondary English instructor, who took a trip to Ghana as an exchange professor at the University of Cape Coast, discovered that ―Africa is infinitely more than starvation and strife‖ (p. 95). While guest teaching, Kazemek learned that the author selection for senior secondary students in Ghana was truly multicultural. In addition to African authors, the curriculum covered English and U.S. authors, such as Shakespeare, George Eliot, Richard Wright, Mark Twain, and Robert Frost. Insights gained from the Ghanaian classroom transformed Kazemek into an advocate for incorporating African literature in the secondary English Language Arts curriculum.

Response:

Francis Kazemek, a secondary English teacher from the United States, got the chance to work as an exchange lecturer at the University of Cape Coast in Ghana in 1995. He made a key discovery when he was there. Africa is far more than the typical clichés of poverty and violence. This realization probably contradicted his assumptions about the continent. The multicultural approach to literature in the senior secondary curriculum of Ghana was one of the most important things Kazemek learned from his experience. He found that the curriculum featured a wide range of English and American authors, such as Shakespeare, George Eliot, Richard Wright, Mark Twain, and Robert Frost, in addition to African authors. The need to embrace other viewpoints within writing was perhaps made more clear to Kazemek by this multicultural approach.

2) Discuss something you learned and/ or can relate to from one of this week’s assigned videos.

In the video "Africa in America: Migration," I was impressed by the major commitment of families to invest in and elevate education as a paramount priority. These families are willing to make remarkable sacrifices to ensure that their children and future generations gain access to a high-quality education, paving the way for improved lives. African-American families place an even larger priority on education because of the historical context of persistent racial tensions and systematic racism in the United States, which has shaped a compelling narrative.

3) Share your source on this topic–let us know what it is, why you selected it, and why it matters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cck6q2-bCPk&ab_channel=FRANCE24English

This video explains the difficulties that African-born citizens have when coming to America in search for better opportunities. It mainly focuses on the dreams of these people and how these difficulties can cut those dreams short.