Diversity can have a lot of different meanings that are contingent upon context of surroundings. Diversity is put simply as a “range of different things”; it can also be defined more specifically in terms of “the inclusion of individuals representing more than one national origin, color, religion, socioeconomic stratum, sexual orientation, etc.” For this class I had to step outside of my comfort zone to edify myself as an educator. Through the experience of a summer music camp and Hindu temple I have acquired perspectives that have impacted me as a teacher permanently. As someone who grew up in the rural towns of Zephyrhills and Lake Alfred, Fl I did not have much more than a simple Southern-Baptist childhood. I was homeschooled until middle
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We arrived early to a seemingly quiet parking lot and walked up to a colossal wooden structure which I found out later was entirely hand carved. It was decorated with animals most prominently elephants and birds of the most striking detail. To avoid damage from the elements, it is coated with a special water resistant finish. It housed three large wooden doors underneath its breathtakingly natural yet symmetrical design. Although mesmerized by this encounter, there were pictures of temples that dwarfed what we had just seen outside in the main hall. Our shoes were removed at the request of the priest. This act shows respect for the holy temple as it must be clean. Before the ritual itself began at 7:00pm we walked into a small bookstore located in the temple next to a similar sized food shop. I was previously unaware of the massive amounts of literature in both English and their language Sanskrit. If I had to compare it I would probably parallel it to the small Christian bookstores my mother used to take me in as a child. In this store there were many books regarding karma as well as the journey and enlightenment of founders and …show more content…
BAPS is a “socio-spiritual Hindu organization with its roots in the Vedas” according to their organization’s website. (BAPS, 1999) The temple I visited is one of 1100 temples around the world today led by the current guru Pramukh Swami Maharaj for the entire organization that is still rapidly growing globally. They combine the social service aspects with the importance of spiritual journey. One such thing that struck me was the levels of education based specifically on age. I was curious whether it was standard practice to “test” so to speak the believer’s understanding of the knowledge and whether it was required to move on to higher levels. According to the priest, they believe firmly in teaching all aspects through integrating and reinforcing concepts while introducing new ones. This aligns with a principal I’ve discovered since taking Foundations of Music Education, MUE 2090. They also believe in teaching as young as possible, but do not believe it hinders the journey if started later. Whereas most music educators I have run into believe that there is a point at which a student cannot learn music. Most often, this is sadly the cause of them not being seen as an asset and a factor in enrollment issues. Like in our discussions, the arts are a way of teaching math and science without students being
We arrived early to a seemingly quiet parking lot and walked up to a colossal wooden structure which I found out later was entirely hand carved. It was decorated with animals most prominently elephants and birds of the most striking detail. To avoid damage from the elements, it is coated with a special water resistant finish. It housed three large wooden doors underneath its breathtakingly natural yet symmetrical design. Although mesmerized by this encounter, there were pictures of temples that dwarfed what we had just seen outside in the main hall. Our shoes were removed at the request of the priest. This act shows respect for the holy temple as it must be clean. Before the ritual itself began at 7:00pm we walked into a small bookstore located in the temple next to a similar sized food shop. I was previously unaware of the massive amounts of literature in both English and their language Sanskrit. If I had to compare it I would probably parallel it to the small Christian bookstores my mother used to take me in as a child. In this store there were many books regarding karma as well as the journey and enlightenment of founders and …show more content…
BAPS is a “socio-spiritual Hindu organization with its roots in the Vedas” according to their organization’s website. (BAPS, 1999) The temple I visited is one of 1100 temples around the world today led by the current guru Pramukh Swami Maharaj for the entire organization that is still rapidly growing globally. They combine the social service aspects with the importance of spiritual journey. One such thing that struck me was the levels of education based specifically on age. I was curious whether it was standard practice to “test” so to speak the believer’s understanding of the knowledge and whether it was required to move on to higher levels. According to the priest, they believe firmly in teaching all aspects through integrating and reinforcing concepts while introducing new ones. This aligns with a principal I’ve discovered since taking Foundations of Music Education, MUE 2090. They also believe in teaching as young as possible, but do not believe it hinders the journey if started later. Whereas most music educators I have run into believe that there is a point at which a student cannot learn music. Most often, this is sadly the cause of them not being seen as an asset and a factor in enrollment issues. Like in our discussions, the arts are a way of teaching math and science without students being