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Mount Holyoke College

Publication Date

Spring 2010

Program Name

Mexico: Sustainable Development and Social Change

Abstract

This project seeks to describe how the educators of the “Secundarias Comunitarias Indígenas” (“Comunitarian Indigenous Secondary Schools”) in Oaxaca, Mexico foster independent, motivated learning in their classes and which of these characteristics should or can be replicated at the high school level at the Bachillerato Integral Comunitario (BIC) #26 of San Andres Solaga, which was recently founded with intention of providing continuity to the graduates of secundarias comunitarias through the use of an existing educational model. I begin discussing the investigation by describing the three educators of the secundaria in San Andres Solaga, where the majority of my research was conducted. I then describe the ninth annual conference of secundarias comunitarias and an evaluatory meeting of educators that followed it. Although there are techniques used by the majority of the educators, it is not their practices one should study to understand how they influence their classrooms but the ideas that lie behind them, which are based in the “comunality” of the Mesoamerican Indians. Training and opportunities for educators to meet help the them to define their ideas and support each other in turning them into action. Moving on to the second part of the problem, I describe the BIC and my interviews with and observations of its “mentors” and principal. I then evaluate the compatibility of the BIC with the secundarias, doing so from the academic and political points of view. The BIC can provide the largely academic aspects of the secundarias that the community and students value, particularly if its staff is given the training and support it wants, but it cannot continue their political project because its viewpoint, while liberal, is fundamentally “occidental” and not indigenous, as the secundarias strive to make theirs. Este ensayo pretende describir cómo los educadores de Secundarias Comunitarias Indígenas de Oaxaca, México, fomentan aprendizaje independiente y animado en sus clases y cuáles características se debe o se puede replicar en el Bachillerato Integral Comunitaria (BIC) #26 en San Andrés Solaga, que se creó recentemente con la intención de brindar continuación a egresados de secundarias comunitarias através de un modelo educativa existiente. Describe los tres educadores de San Andrés Solaga, donde se realizó la mayoria de la investigación, la novena conferencia de secundarias comunitarias, y una reunión evaluativo que la siguió. Aunque hay una variedad de técnicas compartidas por la mayoria de los educadores, no se debe estudiar sus prácticas, sino el pensamiento que está detrás de ellas, el cual está basado en la comunalidad de los pueblos indígenas de Mesoamérica. Capacitación y reuniones ayudan a los educadores a definir sus ideas y apoyarse en convertirlas en acciones. Siguiendo a la segunda parte del problema, describe el BIC #26 y mis entrevistas con y observaciones de sus “asesores” y director. Luego evalua la compatabilidad del BIC con las secundarias desde dos puntos de vista: el academic y el político. El BIC puede proveer los aspetos mayoriamente academicos de la secundaria que la comunidad y los estudiantes valoran, particularmente si le da la capacitación y apoyo que quiere, pero no puede continuar el proyecto político porque viene de un punto de vista que, aunque sea liberal, es fundamentalmente “occidental” y no indígena como las secundarias se esfuerzan a hacer el suyo.

Disciplines

Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research | Educational Psychology

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