Why sustainable companies are better

It's been a while since I posted anything, but it feels good to be back.

Today I want to talk about sustainable companies, and why they are a better option for purchasing products.

First of all, there are thousands of companies out there, and it can be really hard to know which ones are good. Reviews online are always a good option when it comes to choosing what product is best, but nothing beats word of mouth recommendations. 

I remember when three years ago, in the middle of the pandemic, I had to choose a bank to open my first savings account. Some friends had told me about their terrible experiences with banks, with one of them telling me how her bank opened a savings account in US dollars without her knowledge, which she had to pay later with interests. I was terrified! Argentina doesn't have the most stable economy, and inflation has always been a problem in my country, so I knew I had to educate myself and ask for other people's experiences when they opened their savings accounts. 

Two of my friends told me they chose the same bank. These friends don't know each other, so there is no way they knew I'd ask both the same question. I did some research and found out the bank they told me about had its headquarters located in another country, which made me feel safe about putting my money in one of their savings accounts. Plus, they were a sustainable company, which is always important for me because I don't want to feel guilty about not taking care of our planet.

This brings me to my main point here: Why should you choose sustainable companies instead of regular, old school companies? Well, for starters, you are not just a number for them. You are a valuable customer, and they will get to know you before offering you a product. A couple weeks ago, I was finishing a lesson with one of my students, and my phone started ringing, Someone was calling me, an unknown number, so I was afraid of answering. Turns out it was one of the representatives of my bank, offering me a special discount on a new insurance product they thought I would enjoy. Talk about being taken care of!

Also, choosing a sustainable company means you are investing in the future, and in better options for yourself and future generations. I wouldn't want to be responsible for the terrible things big companies are doing to our planet, especially being a religious person and a follower of Christ. 

So, next time you have to choose between a regular company or a sustainable company, choose sustainable! I promise you won't regret it.

 

6/5/21; Week 7; Response to "Culture and Psychology".

 

Culture is the system of attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors that that form a distinctive way of life of people. Sometimes, the term is also used to refer specifically to the artistic, intellectual and other aspects of life. In this sense, culture is nearly synonymous with ethnicity, which refers to the common language, history, and future experienced by a group within society. 

Culture has elements that are obvious, like unique holidays or customs, but also features that are subtle or easy for outsiders to overlook, like beliefs about the nature of intelligence or about the proper way to tell a story. When a classroom draws students from many cultures or ethnic groups, the students bring to it considerable diversity. Teachers need to understand that diversity, and understand how students’ habitual attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors differ from each other, and especially how they differ from the teacher’s.

How would you help students of different cultural backgrounds feel comfortable in your classroom? Let me know in the comments section!

6/5/21; Week 7; Response to "Differences in Manners".

 

How do you greet someone you meet for the first time? The answer to this probably depends on where you are. If you try an Asian bow to say hello to someone in South America, you will get a confused reaction. However, if you try to give someone in Japan a kiss on the cheek, they may become genuinely scared. As a result of globalization, the world has become more neutral in some ways, for example, the handshake has become the most normal way of greeting people in international formal situations. 

Topics of conversation that are considered taboo change a lot as well. Generally, in the Western world, asking someone’s age is  disrespectful, however, in Japan and Vietnam it is pretty normal. It’s no surprise when a Chinese person asks how much money you make either. In India it is very common to ask young people if they are married, and, if the answer is “no”, then they are not afraid to ask “why?“.

Regarding table manners, there are some things which unite most of the world. It is common on all continents to say something before eating, usually something like ‘good appetite’. Interestingly, one language where this is not said is English, in which it is more common to use the French “bon appetit”. One thing that most people would always consider rude is burping at the table, however, in China it is seen as a compliment to the cook.

In a classroom, our students may come from different cultural cultural backgrounds and have different manners. What can be rude to us, can be completely normal and acceptable for them. That's why as educators we need to be respectful and accept our students as they are. Instead of being quick to judge when they do something that doesn't seem quite right, we can ask them "why do you this? Can you explain it to me? I want to understand your point of view". By doing this, we will create a safe learning environment in our classroom.

6/5/21; Week 7; Response to "Cross-Cultural Students in the Classroom".

 

What is Multicultural Education?

Multicultural education is not a task to be done or even an end goal to be accomplished. Instead, it is an approach to education that aims to include all students, promote learning of other cultures, and teach healthy social skills in a multicultural setting. “It is the present and future of education,” according to Shilpa Bhouraskar, who runs a business offering online courses to students worldwide. “Multicultural classrooms are a melting pot of learning,” she says. “Rather than a passive, one-way flow of learning from teacher to student, there is a brainstorming of ideas, stories, and experiences that enrich the educational experience in ways that are impossible in monocultural classes.”

Classroom Resources for Multicultural Education

Using different activities and games in multicultural classrooms is a great way to promote inclusivity and encourage students to share their heritage. It’s also a beneficial way for teachers to involve students in different styles of study to immerse them in their learning. Sharing about oneself within the confines of an activity is often much easier than being asked open-ended questions and being put “on the spot.” These activities can then provide a safe space for dialogue and serve as an entryway into more in-depth interactions later on. It also gives us the opportunity to get to know better our students and their cultural background. For example, some immigration stories where students have the opportunity to share how their family arrived to the country they are now and the struggles they went through.

What are some other ideas for activities on a multicultural classroom? Let me know in the comments!

5/29/21; Week 6, Response to "Attributional Tendencies".

 

Attributions are inferences that people make about the causes of events and behavior. People make attributions in order to understand their experiences. Attributions strongly influence the way people interact with others.

Researchers classify attributions along two dimensions: internal vs. external and stable vs. unstable.  The attribution theory states that usually the attributions people make about events and behavior can be classed as either internal or external. In an Internal, or dispositional, Attribution, people infer that an event or a person’s behavior is due to personal factors such as traits, abilities, or feelings. In an External, or situational, Attribution, people infer that a person’s behavior is due to situational factors. Researchers also distinguish between stable and unstable attributions. When people make a Stable Attribution, they infer that an event or behavior is due to stable, unchanging factors. When making an Unstable Attribution, they infer that an event or behavior is due to unstable, temporary factors.

When people make an attribution, they are guessing about the causes of events or behaviors, and these guesses are often wrong. People have systematic biases, which lead them to make incorrect attributions. That's why it is important that as educators we are aware of the tendencies our students may have to be able to better understand them and their point of view. As we do so, we will develop a good relationship with them and they will trust us more.

For you, why is it important to understand attrbutional tendencies as a Teacher? Let me know in the comments section!

5/29/21; Week 6, Response to "Personal Space Differences".

 

Personal space is the region surrounding a person which they regard as psychologically theirs.
Most people value their personal space and feel discomfort, anger, or anxiety when their
personal space is intruded. Allowing someone to enter personal space and entering somebody else's personal space are indicators of perception of those people's relationship. An intimate zone is reserved for close friends, lovers, children and close family members. Another zone is used for conversations with friends, to chat with associates, and in group discussions. A further zone is reserved for strangers, newly formed groups, and new acquaintances. A fourth zone is used for speeches, lectures, and theater; basically public distance is that range reserved for larger audiences.

Although it’s important that Teachers recognize the necessity of a strong behavior management plan, they must also be aware of how culture influences personal interactions. This is especially when we consider that Teachers often come from different cultural backgrounds than those of their students. Without an adequate knowledge and understanding of how culture affects student behavior, a Teacher might misinterpret a student’s actions.

For example, a Teacher is talking to a student. The Teacher comes from a culture in which it is considered respectful to make eye contact when being spoken to by an adult. Jordan, on the other hand, has been taught that making eye contact is disrespectful to adults, and so he looks at the ground when his Teacher speaks to him. The Teacher’s understanding of culturally based responses is critical to interpret Jordan’s intentions. If the Teacher does not understand Jordan’s culture, a seemingly insignificant action like looking at the ground could be misinterpreted as defiance, apathy, or lack of respect and could result in the Teacher administering a negative consequence. This is the reason why it is vital to understand cultural differences regarding personal space.

And for you, how are space differences considered in your culture? Let me know in the comments!

5/29/21; Week 6; Response to " Individualism vs. Collectivism".

 

What are the differences between individualism and collectivism? Individualism emphasizes individual goals and rights., while collectivism emphasizes group goals and personal relationships.

Individualism stresses individual goals and the rights of the individual person. Collectivism focuses on group goals, what is best for the collective group, and personal relationships. An individualist is motivated by personal rewards and benefits. Individualist persons usually set personal goals and objectives based on self, and they are very comfortable working with autonomy and not part of a team.

The collectivist is motivated by group goals. Long-term relationships are very important. Collectivistic persons easily sacrifice individual benefit or praise to recognize and honor the team’s success. In fact, being singled out and honored as an individual from the rest of the team may be embarrassing for a collectivistic person.

The generalized geographic clusters of individualism may be found in Anglo countries, Germanic Europe, and Nordic Europe. Geographic clusters for collectivism are often located in Arab countries, Latin America, Confucian Asia, Southern Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

In most cases, culture, and specifically the characteristics associated with individualism and collectivism, have some influence on learners’ and instructors’ behavior, attitudes, and expectations. For example, in classrooms with collectivistically-oriented learners, face maintenance and harmony reign supreme so that neither teachers nor students should lose face and as such, any confrontations or conflicts are usually avoided or formulated in a manner so as not to hurt or cause any harm to anyone. Conversely, most individualistic societies have weak face-consciousness where conflicts are brought into the open with confrontation in learning situations being regarded as salutary. Coming to terms with these cultural differences can be difficult for language educators. It is commonplace for most language instructors from Western and individualistic cultures to endorse a communicative and active learning approach in the classroom where speaking and engaging in discussions is seen as a vital aspect of language acquisition. 

How have you seen individualism and collectivism in your own life? Let me know in the comments!