by
Linda Albertson
English/Journalism Teacher, Washington High School, Milwaukee, WI

Race Matters by Cornel West was published in 1993. As he made the talk show circuit to
promote the book, West talked about how in America we need a dialogue on race. He
envisioned a forum in which ethnically diverse members of society would sit down together
and share feelings about each other, with each other.

The idea had already been roaring around in my head at Washington High School in
Milwaukee and in Karla Mullen's at Watertown High School in Watertown, WI. Unknown
to each other, we both were seeing the need for students to learn to appreciate each other's
differences and we both had access to videoconferencing units in our school. A Hi-Mount
Community School teacher in Milwaukee suggested Karla and I meet and put our heads
together. With that, first, by videoconference and, a few months later, in person, Karla and I
met and began to develop what became a six year, and ongoing, dialogue on race or as we
call it, Cultural Sharing, between our two schools and the about 30 different represented
nationalities.

Karla teaches World Studies at Watertown High School about 50 miles west of Milwaukee
to a predominantly white student body of 1600. At Washington High School, I teach English
and Journalism to a very ethnically diverse student population made up of African American,
African, Middle Eastern and Asian students along with a few Hispanics and Native Americans,
also of about 1600. The Cultural Sharing interaction process has evolved over the six years
and been polished as we tried things, assessed and tried other things, but some basic key
elements have remained.

We begin the school year by showing our students, in our own classrooms, the video, "Skin
Deep" about an ethnically diverse group of college students that go on a weekend retreat to
discuss how they experience and feel about their ethnicity. Our students in our individual
classes at both schools write a short 25 word bio poem about themselves. After an introduction
to the videoconferencing technology and appropriate behaviors for its use, our classes meet in
September via videoconference. Fortunately our teaching schedules have allowed for each of our
4 or 5 class times to coincide so as to allow all of our students to have the videoconferencing
experience. Each student makes a relatively large name tag that is easily seen on the camera and
reads his/her bio poem as a way of introduction at the first meeting. From there our
videoconference interactions, usually 2 or 3 a month, are directed toward sharing, first, school
cultures - events, rules, fads, etc. - and then branch out into discussing societal events and
issues - Elian Gonzales was a big one.

Karla and I exchange, via fax or eMail, a copy of our class lists. As our interactions get going,
we begin a student eMail letter writing exchange. We give class credit for the letters and at
both locations the letters are fed into the teacher's eMail account and printed out and distributed
by the other teacher. Karla's World Studies classes cover religions and cultures of the world, so
where ever possible, when I have students that know about or represent those groups, the format
of the videoconference will be those students answering questions from Karla's students. Their
sharing then is provided for the other students in my classes, as well. Some of best sessions
have been explanations, complete with dress and cultural icons, by Islamic, African and Hmong
students.

The culminating activities are the exchange of field trips to each other's school. Washington
High visits Watertown in early December. Watertown visits Washington in early April. The
in-person exchanges are the greatest! Students are paired or grouped. (They usually find their
own partners from the connections established through the videoconferencing experiences or
through ice-breaking activities.) They attend classes with each other, create projects, provide
performances of their skills and talents and assess their experiences.

In the fall of 2000, Washington students were able to work on an art project with Watertown
students in the Watertown art rooms during the field trip. Everyone stopped by the art room
and spray painted their names on a large canvas on which were sprayed words from Dr.
Martin Luther King. The canvas was then split in half and one half was displayed at each
school.

After a welcome presentation, (in April of 2001, I had 27 different languages represented at
Washington. Those students made banners and welcomed our guests in each of those
languages. The brightly colored banners were then displayed around the school) and morning
class visitations, students usually come together for a cultural sharing group entertainment time.
Watertown students may present band, choir and vocal group presentations, a cutting from the
school play, a martial arts demonstration, etc. Washington students may present a Gospel Choir
group sing along, Creative Movement dancers, break dancers, drummers' group, Asian dancers,
etc. Washington's Human Relations teacher, Agnes Williams and dance teacher, Shirley Gilbert,
lent strong support to all of the activities, along with the entire staff at each school as they made
rooms available, welcomed students to their classes, etc.

Lunch, which follows the presentations, is pizza and soda eaten in the paired groups, paid for
by contributions from each student and funds added by the schools. Before the buses leave to
take students back to their home schools, the closing activity is some form of Talk Back with
the whole group assembled in an auditorium or gymnasium. Students react to the experiences
and reflect on the value of it.

For three years of the Cultural Sharing interaction, the two schools have produced a joint
newspaper called the Purgold/Gosling named for the mascot of each school. Six pages in
length, it carried student stories about the joint activities, individual school cultures and student
created graphics. Karla and I found that other schools were interested in our exchange and we
were invited to present it at the National Council of Teachers of English convention in
Milwaukee in the fall of 2000 and at the leadership conference that followed.

The exchanges have grown at our individual schools, too. This year four teachers will be
involved from the English and social studies department s at each school. Our plan for the
year's activities include commemoration of Hispanic Month in October and the Anti-
Defamation League's "Close the Door on Hate" initiative. A Watertown American Studies
teacher, Natalie Neinheis, has written a grant asking for funds to allow us to produce our own
"Skin Deep" video.

The dialogue on race goes on, and the need for it in this world is greater than ever.

(For more information you can reach Linda at: albertson@whs.edu)