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 Need your feedback, please!! Religion & Education 
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Hello all,

I am gathering information to use for my Magic, Witchcraft and Religion course in the anthropology department. Related to our major, I thought I would look into the idea of "separation of church and state". I know we are familiar with that topic, but I am curious to find out what kind of educational experiences you have personally had with religion. I would really, REALLY appreciate your feedback. I know you have a lot to share, since we have a pretty diverse group.... THANKS A TON GUYS!!

EARLY EXPERIENCES:
-Did you go to a public school, private school, religious academy, or other school?
-Were religious holidays or events honored or celebrated at your school?
If yes, do you feel this had a negative impact in any way?
-Do you think that keeping religion and education separate is really possible?
-Did you personally experience any times where your teachers did not honor the "separation of church and state" rule?
-Can you think of any controversial incidents (either that happened to you personally or that you heard about from others) that are related to issues of religion?
-Was any teacher ever fired or penalized for involving personal religious views in education?
-Would you consider yourself a religious or spiritual person?
If yes, do you attend church, mosque,temple,ect. regularly? Do you attend religious events or belong to groups with religious affiliation?


HIGHER EDUCATION:
-Have your religious views and/or tolerance of other groups been impacted by higher education?
-Have you traveled or studied abroad?
-Do you think that you will have difficulty not discussing religious issues or views when you are an educator?
-What age group or grade do you plan to teach?
-Do you feel that there is enough diversity among educators? (In religious or cultural viewpoints)

Please share ANY comments or personal anecdotes that could provide more insight into this topic.... THANKS AGAIN!!

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Mon Apr 16, 2007 7:26 am
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Early experiences
1. public school
2. religious holidays were celebrated in my school. I do not think it had a negative impact on my school. The holidays were celebrated but I do not remember the teachers ever telling me that it had to do with say Jesus Christ when Christmas came around. I do not remember any families ever having conflict with celebrating the holidays either.
3. I do not think it is possible. For one, it shouldn't be. Schools should celebrate holidays for all religions. You should not have to "hide" your views, whether you have a religion or not. You should not persuade your students to a certain religion though.
4. I still see it today. I am interning now and my class has the pledge of alliegiance on the wall with "God" written in it. I was reading a book the other day that dealt with Easter and they told me that it had to do with Jesus Christ and the resurrection. I did not choose this book to read to them either, they did.
5. Like I said, I do not remember any instances. I knew someone that was an atheist and I truly believe he felt that way because he lost his brother at a young age and he thought God would not have done that to him if God was really "there."
6. No teacher was fired to my knowledge.
7. I am religious but my views should not be pushed to any of my students. We all have different opinions and I respect that. I do attend church regularly. I help my church whenever I can. For example, we have annual bbq suppers and I help with that. I have taught Sunday School before. I have read poems at my church before, I've been in the youth group. We have a softball team and I am one of their biggest fans (it's men softball team - I am like their cheerleader, lol.)

Higher Education
1. Other views have impacted me but they could not change my own views. I do not find some religions much different from mine and those different from mine, I respect.
2. I have not traveled but I would really like to so that I could more of a personal experience with the religions that my students may be a part of.
3. I do think it may be difficult but I would really like to celebrate all religions that my students' are a part of. I think teachers could get around to where students can learn about other religions to where they feel they are not being influenced to switch.
4. My school was not very diverse when it came to religious views. I think that may seem easier for teachers but I would like to have a broad diversity so that I can learn more about other religious views. I think it is also important for the students' to know that other kinds of religions exist and to learn how to respect them.

Other information you may want to know: I am a Southern Baptist.

Does any of this help, Meghan?

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Jessie Carrigan


Mon Apr 16, 2007 9:48 pm
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Yes, that helps! Thanks for taking the time to share Jessie!

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Tue Apr 17, 2007 12:11 pm
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Meg I filled out a form but I think I can go into more depth on here on some of them!

-Was any teacher ever fired or penalized for involving personal religious views in education?
One of my teachers supposedly had "communist ideals" that he was teaching in the classroom, but he was also Muslim, and it was right after 9/11 that he stopped working at my school so I am unsure if it was really the "communist ideals" or not.


HIGHER EDUCATION:
-Have your religious views and/or tolerance of other groups been impacted by higher education?

Yes definately. Higher education helps shed light on stuff that your church or family may have never mentioned to you. New Testament Lit was a good class for me to look at the bible from an academic setting, I actually appreciate it more now than I did before, and am also able to dig deeper as well. I think that my tolerance grew because for the first time in my education I was hearing real information, it wasn't skewed as it often is with history textbooks at the pre-college level. I actually saw different religions form throughout history and I also took a World Religions class which helped as well.

-Do you think that you will have difficulty not discussing religious issues or views when you are an educator?

It is definately a part of me I cannot just overlook and put aside while I teach or do anything. Yet I do feel that the main part, in my opinion, of being a christian is to act, not speak, when living out your faith. So I would hope that my students will be able to see my faith through my actions rather than words. Also I am good at playing devils advocate on either side of a debate so often people do not know my stance.

-Do you feel that there is enough diversity among educators? (In religious or cultural viewpoints)

No. The majority of my teachers in highschool/middle school/elementary were African American or Caucasion, also they are usually Christian or just a non-practicing something. So I feel if there was more diversity it would add so much to education

Hope that helps. Also if you need to know I am United Methodist.

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Wed Apr 18, 2007 8:33 am
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EARLY EXPERIENCES:
-Did you go to a public school, private school, religious academy, or other school?
public
-Were religious holidays or events honored or celebrated at your school?
If yes, do you feel this had a negative impact in any way?
yes. we always did normal things for christmas, easter, and other christian things like that. i think we also did some studies on passover and yom kippur and we also studied ramadan. i dont think it was negative because my teachers did a good job of making it diverse and interesting
-Do you think that keeping religion and education separate is really possible?
No, and it shouldnt be. teaching religion and teaching about religion are very different things. History without the study of religion would create a lot of confusion. teaching about religion is a great way to dispell stereotypes and myths.
-Did you personally experience any times where your teachers did not honor the "separation of church and state" rule?
yes. i'm sure you are aware of Mr. Escamilla's debacle at Enloe High in Raleigh this year. he brought in a christian egyptian to speak about the dangers of islam. he was very intense and his AP world history was known to everyone as AP jesus.
-Can you think of any controversial incidents (either that happened to you personally or that you heard about from others) that are related to issues of religion?
see above
-Was any teacher ever fired or penalized for involving personal religious views in education?
Mr. Escamilla is currently on indefinate leave for this very thing.
-Would you consider yourself a religious or spiritual person?
yes, spiritual. there is a big difference.
If yes, do you attend church, mosque,temple,ect. regularly? Do you attend religious events or belong to groups with religious affiliation?
I go to church when my grandfather preaches, but he is retired so that is rare.

HIGHER EDUCATION:
-Have your religious views and/or tolerance of other groups been impacted by higher education?
i had a brilliant history class that was largely about how the catholic church has survived throughout history. it was fascinating in historical terms but maybe not religious
-Have you traveled or studied abroad?
yes. i studied abroad in sevilla, spain. i've seen a lot of europe and costa rica/mexico and a lot of the US.
-Do you think that you will have difficulty not discussing religious issues or views when you are an educator?
i think i plan to talk about them head on when they come up. i hope to teach tolerance and understanding.
-What age group or grade do you plan to teach?
upper high school
-Do you feel that there is enough diversity among educators? (In religious or cultural viewpoints)
no way. app state let the only arab professor in the english dept. take another job. she was fascinating and taught a great arab lit course.

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Samuel Reeve Kirkpatrick


Tue Apr 24, 2007 2:13 pm
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