All Things Considered’s Tom Crann talks with Abdisalam Adam, a community specialist with the St. Paul Public School district, about a group of teachers, librarians, parents and social service providers meeting to discuss some alternative curriculums that would more closely reflect the culture of the students in the room.
In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, the St. Paul and Minneapolis school districts are working together, along with the Minnesota Humanities Council to put together the Somali Language and Literature conference. Participants will look specifically at how Somali tradition, language and folk tales can be more present in classrooms that have a growing number of Somali Children.
St. Paul Public School district educates students who collectively speak 95 different languages at home.
Transcripts
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SPEAKER 1: You know, we live in a global world and we have many Somali students statewide. I mean, numbers I think estimated to be around 6,000, and districts all over the state are having Somali students in their classroom. So it's important for our mainstream students and students of other cultures, such as Spanish and Hmong and so on, needs to also learn who the Somali students are, and I think it leads to a better cultural understanding and makes our students appreciate the different cultures and languages and opportunities they have in this state.
SPEAKER 2: Do you think there's something wrong with Somali children reading European folktales in the classroom or Mother Goose tales, those sorts of things?
SPEAKER 1: There's nothing wrong with it. I mean, students need to learn literature from all parts of the world. But at the same time, they would like to see something that reflects also their own tradition. So we need our students to be well-rounded and be able to understand both their own cultural tradition, as well as that of the United States and even world literature.
SPEAKER 2: What are some of the advantages for Somali students to hearing about the homeland they no longer live in?
SPEAKER 1: I think it boosts their self-esteem learning and hearing about their culture. Seeing pictures and stories that they hear at home or heard in Somalia-- the older ones-- will kind of make them to be encouraged and be proud of who they are, while at the same time, of course learning mainstream culture and, of course, strengthening the English language.
SPEAKER 2: Are there books and resources, teaching materials available for teachers who want to introduce this material to students in their classroom?
SPEAKER 1: Yes. For example, in Saint Paul in the K-2, 3 embedded in Somali culture into the social studies curriculum, we have gathered materials that have already existed. We have also prepared a Somali bilingual dictionary-- picture dictionary, and also a resource book that's called Somalia and the Somalis-- A Handbook for Teachers where the students-- where the teachers can read as a background and introduction into the culture. So we have gathered materials, but we still need to develop real world-class curriculum if we really want to go this route.
SPEAKER 2: Who benefits from the additions of the Somali culture other than the Somali students? In other words, how do the students at large all benefit from this?
SPEAKER 1: First of all, it will benefit the teachers because when we give them the resources and the tools that they need to work with Somali students, it will help them to serve their Somali students better. At the same time, it will help mainstream students in getting to know this culture. For example, when we talk about Somalia as a nation or as a culture, we also touch on Islam as a religion. So a lot of religious practices of Islam also students get to hear from it directly from resources that are reliable. So in general, everybody benefits in my opinion.