Hey!

Hope you all have a great winter break !

Evan

Talking Points # 10

Ira Shor
Education is Politics

1. "In school and society, the lack of meaningful participation alienate'
workers, teachers, and students. This alienation lowers their productivity
in class and on the job. I think of this, lowered,productivity a, a performance
strike, an unorganized mass refusal to perform well, an informal and unacknowledged strike."
(pg 20).

I thought one of the most important sections of the article was Shor's take on participation. I feel that these are very true. This is where democracy and learning coincide. I think this is why are FNED class is so successful. Participation is not overlooked and it should not be. Participation encourages learning and makes everyone part of the community.

2. "Problem-posing education affirms men as beings in the process of becoming,as unfinished, uncompleted beings in and with a likewise unfinished reality. ... The banking method emphasizes permanence and becomes reactionary; problem-posing education-which accepts neither a "well-behaved" present nor a predetermined future-roots itself in the dynamic present and becomes revolutionary. ( Freire pg 35 )

I really connected with this. This is not to diss other classes or anything but there has to be a reason to it. Not just regurgitating facts. Question it and learn about it from different perspectives. The teacher is important in teaching in a challenging way that makes a more critical thinking society.

3. "Situated, multicultural pedagogy increases the chance that .students will feel ownership in their education and reduces the conditions that produce their alienation. In the case of women, minorities. and non-elite whites, who comprise the majority of students, democratic education should reflect their culture, conditions, needs, and history. Doing so will encourage their participation in intellectual study. But participation is a means, not an end, in this program for empowering education. There is a challenging goal to the participatory process I am suggesting: to discover the limits and resources for changing self and society." (51)

Kind of what we touched upon in class a couple of times. Schools are improving in learning more about minorities and women experience in America. This will increase everyone's interest and participation and make for a better society.

I really enjoyed this article. I thought it was a great way to end the course as the last reading. This article really made me realize how important the title of teacher is. I feel nervous but so excited to be a future teacher. There is so much pressure on teachers but it is such a rewarding career. I am going to take many things from this article and try to apply them in the classroom. Especially participation. This article made me realize how important this aspect of the classroom is .

What did you guys find the most interesting part of this article? Did you find it empowering?

Kliewer

Christopher Kliewer
"Reconceptualizing Down Syndrome"

1. "A sense of reciprocity or shared value exists in relationships in which individuals, including those with the most severe disabilities, are recognized as thinking, feeling, caring human beings with personalities all their own." (10)

I think this is a good quote for a base to this article. In some ways this article reminded me of the article about "normalization". I think the biggest challenge for a teacher would be to not single out the student with a disability. I also think the teacher should not give a feeling to the other students that the disabled child is receiving some sort of special treatment. The teacher just needs to show they care and recognize the talents of a disabled child. They have the right to be one in the group.

2. "Vygotsky found that the culture of segregation surround people with disabilities actually teaches underdevelopment of thinking through the isolation of children from socially valued opportunities… altering the culture of disability requires that a child be recognized as an active learner, a thinker, and a problem-solver, but this cannot occur apart from relationships that allow for such engagement.”(7)

This is also a very important quote to the text. Basically, it is wrong to give children with down syndrome a different education. Everyone deserves the same education and should receive it.
We would make students with disabilities feel vulnerable and left out. They would surely feel left out and not one in the group and would not want to learn.

3. "Success in life requires an ability to form relationships with others who make up the web of community. Though many of us have a certain level of control over who we meet and interact with, none of us can come close to claiming complete control." (2)

This quote is the main point to me. This is what we have been doing all semester. Being very accepting and learning from peoples differences. If other students can learn from a children with down syndrome everyone will be enriched.

This article was obviously tough to read because of the terms. I was really glad I got a chance to read this article. Down syndrome is a topic that is a bit foreign to me. I feel I am now better equipped to deal with children with disabilities.

I am curious to know if anybody had any down-syndrome or children with disabilities in their classes growing up ? Did you find this experience enriching or not a big deal? Was the student lauhed at and not take seriously ? Did they feel part of the group?

Promising Practices

My alarm clock was buzzing and I immediately groaned , today was the day . No
school, no work, and surely no homework, is usually my motto for the typical Saturday
morning. Obviously I was not thrilled about driving to RIC and spending more money on
gas to fill up my car. Also, I get very grumpy when I have to wake up on days that I
would like to catch up on some sleep. With all that said, I did wake up, drowsy and
annoyed , and made it to Donovan with time to spare.

The first presentation I attended was “Media Made Me Do It”, by Marco
McWilliams. I was glad that I happened to choose this presentation. The presenter
started off by showing how important television is in shaping the youth’s ideology. Some
very interesting facts were presented. Children 2-5 view 32 hours a week, by the time a
child reaches 18 years old they have seen 200,000 violent acts on television, and 45 % of
parents say that if they are busy they will make their kids watch the tube so they can get
done what they have to do. I have to say that these facts made me change my opinion on
media. The media is obviously very powerful because in some cases the television is
raising children. The presenter also showed some critical issues about the media. The
media just wants to gain profit and power and they treat the person as a product. The
media constructs a representation of the world that is false but this is what people
believe.

The presenter then went on to show some advertisements and magazine covers
that show misrepresentation of minorities and women. One that stays vivid in my mind
is Vogue Magazine. The cover was Lebron James in a very aggressive, ferocious stance.
A supermodel was in his arm looking very passive. This image was nearly identical to
an advertisement from a war. The argument was that Lebron was being portrayed as a gorilla
and the model as a helpless woman. The war advertisement was meant to destroy the
enemy, which was the gorilla. This shows that without even knowing it, the media
instills the wrong image in our mind. There was also some advertisements that clearly show disrespect to women.

I thought this presentation clearly made a great connection to Linda
Christensen’s, “Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us”. The media reinforces stereotypes
of minorities even if they do not know it. These representations become accepted is the
core connection. Another connection I could make was to Delpit. This also reinforced
the culture of power. The power people control what is going to be seen and put out in
the media.

The second workshop I presented was “Teaching The Muslim World.”
Unfortunately, this was a complete and utter waste of time. I honestly do not have
anything to say from what I learned because I did not learn anything. The presentation
consisted of the presenter showing website after website that supposedly showed us how
to teach the Muslim world. I could have stayed home and googled websites about the
Muslim world. I thought that they were going to teach us a little bit about
Muslim culture in general. Maybe some topics to stay away from or some topics that are
really great to teach about. Being an English major I was hopeful that he would show
some pieces of literature that could be stuidied in a diverse classroom.

Lastly, Dr. Tricia Rose was an amazing speaker. I was at first just blown away by
how articulate she is when she talks. I have actually read her book “Hip- Hop Wars” , so
I was very excited to hear what she had to say. I made the connection from what she was
saying to the piece by Johnson. The Pledge she did was awesome. The push for change
nearly mirrored the article by Johnson. Admitting the problem and wanting to be part of
the solution was a big part of Dr. Rose’s speech that I connected with. Another
important part I took from her speech was the student calling the computer “gay“. As a
teacher, it is your responsibility to make a moment out of certain things that occur in the
class. Dr. Rose could have ignored the comment but she made a moment when a
moment to teach presented itself. I thought things like this are important and this is what
makes a good teacher.

In conclusion, I feel like I am a better person for attending this conference. The
Curriculum Resource Fair also had some great textbooks that I could see myself using in
the future. The English texts were very diverse and presented a plethora of authors. I
learned some things on Saturday and hopefully I can teach about these things in the
future. The pictures from the media workshop helped me better understand this world we live
in. The media is amazingly powerful. This clip from Michael Moore's "Bowling For Columbine"
is amazingly true. Please Watch! It shows how the media creates a culture of fear and instills ideas about others. I thought this related to the Vogue cover.

Today's Class

“If we all worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true is really true, there would be little hope of advance.” Orville Wright (1871-1948)

Orville Wright, who was one of the two “Wright Brothers.”

He launched into history with the first manned powered flight ushering in the era of manned aviation.

I just thought this made a really great connection to the Anyone article ! For students of the lower class to advance, it is the job of the teacher to go beyond the common misconception that they are not capable and will be doing a low-class job for life. What do you guys think?

Anyon

Jean Anyon
Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum Of Work

1. "The procedure is usually mechanical, involving rote behavior and very little decision making or choice. The teachers rarely explain why the work is being assigned, how it might connect to other assignments, or what the idea is that lies behind the procedure or gives it coherence and perhaps meaning or significance."-The Working Class Schools

I found this quote to be staggering and very significant to the text at hand. Students who belong to a lower social class could become disinterested with what they are learning because it seems irrelevant. The teacher needs to explain how the school work will help the students advance in life. The students will become stuck in low-wage jobs if they do not realize the importance of school.

2. "Work tasks do not usually request creativity. Serious attention is rarely given in school work on how the children develop or express their own feelings and ideas, either linguistically or in graphic form. On the occasions when creativity or self-expression is requested, it is peripheral to the main activity or it is "enriched" or "for fun."- Middle Class School

So this pretty much describes my feelings about the high school I attended. Why do schools love to stifle the creativity of students? Things become extremely tedious and boring and the student realizes they are just doing these things to get into a good college. The schools try to stay away from controversy by not offering students a chance to be creative or critical.

3. "On an occasion when a child did not maintain control, the teacher said, "When you're up there, you have authority and you have to use it. I'll back you up." - The elite school

The children actually have a chance to be an authority figure in the classroom. This is obviously very empowering and the children are surely being set up for success. To have a feeling that the teacher cares for you is also very beneficial for the student.

I found this article to be my favorite of the semester thus far. To see an actual analysis instead of opinions on schools was something I truly enjoyed. This article really cleared up for me that there is differences in the public school system. Not all schools are the same. People who attend a lower class school are at a disadvantage because they will continue the cycle of low-paying jobs because there education is failing them. The upper class students are being set up to be the power people in this country because they analyze and think creatively. This article presents a truly comprehensive association of class and schooling.

I have a question for consideration. After reading this article , would many of you change your teaching style? I think that by using some of the negative presented from all the schools we can try to make learning an equal opportunity for everyone. Just because someone is of a lower class why shouldn't they have to analyze things?

Gender Issues

It is important to know about Title 9. Here is some information about it.
this!


I did not realize that so many gender issues still plague today's public schools. Many people feel like boys and girls should actually be separated in classrooms. As you can see by the videos many people feel that it is a good thing. I totally disagree. How could you be happy that your child has no interaction with the opposite sex? When they get out into the real world they are going to need this experience. Not everyone is a man and not everyone is a woman. School is very important academically but is very important socially as well. Men and women separated does not guarantee that your child would do better in school.

I found that this study done was the most legitimate. More negatives were found rather than positives.
this!


Do you guys really think single sex public schools would work? Did anyone go to an all boys or girls private school? Did you find this beneficial to you?

Thoughts on Tim Wise/Brown Vs. Board

Tim Wise Interview and Brown vs. Board of Education

1. "The evidence of racism and discrimination against average, every day folks of color is still very much present." -Tim Wise

This quote is at the beginning of the first you tube clip with Wise. This is important because it is true. Just because Barack Obama is in office does not mean that racism will go away. Just because well known leaders like Obama are in office does not mean that racism has ended. People of color are still in some cases not accepted. We just accept people like Obama and Oprah.

2. "The proof of racial equity will be when people of color can be as medicore as white folks." -Tim Wise

I found this quote to be interesting. There is surely a double standard. Black folks have to be amazing at anything to stand out. White people can be average and this is okay. I can apply this to schools as well. A rich white kid can do terrible in school but he still will be alright because his parents can set him up for college or a job. If a poor kid of color does not excel in school, there is very little opportunity.

3. "What hasn't changed is the denial about the problem." - Tim Wise

This kind of reminds me of Johson. People are not overtly racist in this day and age but we still have this belief that black people are lesser. Obama is an exception to the rule and this makes it out to be people of color have equal opportunity. People need to be the solution and realize that this is not the case.

Will racism ever end? It is amazing how racist and thickheaded people in this day and age still are. I found the interview with Tim Wise to be very worthwhile. He really did clear up some things in my head that I thought were true once Obama was elected.

Brown vs. Board of Ed. was a very important event in this contrary. I believe Wise stresses that this event was important in ending segregation but it did not end racism.

Talking Points # 5

"In the Service of What "
Joseph Kahne and Joel Westheimer

1. "The experiential and interpersonal components of service learning activities can achieve the first crucial step toward diminishing the sense of "otherness" that often separates students-particularly privileged students-from those in need. In so doing, the potential to develop caring relationships is created."

This first quote really hit me because it relates to other authors like Johnson. To diminish our privileges we can help those in need. By doing this students can get to know and learn from people who are not privileged. By caring for students one can have a meaningful relationship with different students.

2. "This experience and others like it, quite common in the literature of service learning, emphasize charity more than change. The experience was structured to promote giving rather than to provide the kind of understanding needed for the development of caring relationships. As a result, the student's description of the event lacked the perspective and input of those she was helping."

This quote is very important to what we are doing in class. We are all forming relationships with the students and schools we are volunteering at now. If a person is just giving their time without analyzing certain students situations, then they are not learning or bettering anyone. To be the change we need in this world one has to do more than just giver their time.

3. "In the service of what?" is a question that inevitably merits the attention ofteachers, policy makers, and academicians who take seriously the idea that learning and service reinforce each other and should come together in America's schools."

This conclusion to the article coincides with my own beliefs. I never had to do any service learning in my high school and I surely could have benefited from it. Giving back to people in need will make the learning experience of high school students all over the country better.

I really enjoyed this article. It made perfect sense to me. I liked the table with the breakdown of service learning goals. The change section is obviously what we are striving for. Caring, Social reconstruction, and transformation Experience are most important. If you just stay on the surface you will never truly get what you are supposed to out of the service learning. Digging deeper and forming relationships will give the volunteer and the student better education.

I never did any service learning in high school. I was curious if anyone of you ever had to do this? Do you guys think service learning should be mandatory across the country? And do you think the students would really benefit from this?

Talking Points # 4

"Unlearning the Myths that Bind Us"
Linda Christensen


1." The messages or "secret education," linked with the security of their homes, underscore the power these texts deliver. As Tatum's research suggests, the stereotypes and world view embedded in the stories become accepted knowledge."(127)

Cartoons and other influential pieces of pop culture shape the minds of very impressionable children. These children have never really had any experience with other children of color so they already have a stereotype about people they have never met. This is accepted to white people.

2."A Black Cinderella? Give me a break. " (131)

The power of Disney. Children are realizing at a young age that minorities are never given the lead roles in the cartoon. They are for the most part depicted as servants. This may not be very obvious to a white child. However, this send a bad message to the children of color. They are subliminally being taught that the white culture is dominant. This message could also be a dangerous one for the white child that notices. They are already seeing a privilege.

3. "Popeye": This show oozes with horrible messages from passive Olive Ovl to ~ hero "man" Popeye. This cartoon portrays ethnic groups as stupid. lt is political also -teaching children that Americans are the best and conquer all - Grade : F ."

This last quote basically sums up the article. The author is showing how cartoons shape the young minds of people. This shaping eventually leads to a racially charged world. There is no equality taught in these cartoons. The dominant culture is portrayed more than other cultures.

Disney does do some shady things. They are displaying things even if they do not notice. I found a very interesting video. The guy who posted it put a song with some explicit lyrics on it. So just shut off your speakers.








Some people will disagree entirely and they have a good point as well.
The biggest influence on an impressionable mind is the parent(s). The parent should be teaching the child about equality. Not a silly cartoon. If your that angry that Disney displays subliminal messages don't watch it. I will leave you with one of my favorite lines in a song by Eminem. "They say music can alter moods and talk to you, well can it load a gun up for you and cock it too?"

Talking Points # 3

Dennis Carlson
"Gayness, Multicultural Education, and Community"

1. "It is noteworthy that no state currently recognizes gays and lesbians as legitimate minority or cultural groups to be considered in textbook adoption or to be included in multicultural
education; and a number of states explicitly prohibit teaching about homosexuality." (236)

This quote is important for the basis of the text. The author is showing that gay people have basically been disregarded. The schools will not partake in teaching about homosexual culture because they are afraid of it. The schools do not even recognize gay people which makes it more difficult for homosexual students to be in a school environment.

2. "It is now estimated that up to one-third of all adolescent suicide victims are gay, approximately one-quarter of all homeless youth in the United States are gay, and dropout and drug abuse rates among gay youth are likewise high."(239)

This quote really made me feel terrible. Gay people have been alienated in the school systems but I had no idea that the problems resulted in such horrible outcomes. Teachers and counselors should surely be looking out for any students, no matter what the sexual identity is.

3. "We cannot and should not attempt to impose "politically correct" beliefs
0n students; but we have a responsibility as public educators in a democratic society to engage them in a dialogue in which all voices get heard or represented and in which gay students and teachers feel free to "come out" and find their own voices." (252)

This quote is very significant to all aspiring teachers. Everyone has a voice and the teacher should not belittle someone just because of being gay. Also all the students should have the right to know that there are different cultures out there in the world and not just the politically correct culture the higher powers want you to know about.

I found this article very helpful. The article explained how being gay is basically looked down upon in the public school system. The schools do not even want to acknowledge that it exists. This is why some student feel so outcasted that they result to drastic measures. It is also sad to think that some teachers do not even get a fair chance because they are gay. They could be an awesome teacher but some students and colleagues could show no respect to them.

I kept thinking about S.C.A.A.M.P. and the culture of power while reading this article. This article showed me that people really do value certain things in America. It does not matter how good of a teacher you are, if you are gay, you could possibly be discriminated against. Gay is also somewhat new if you think about. Hopefully with more and more time gay people will be treated equally and "normalized" into culture . Do you guys think with more time gay people will truly be accepted? Or will hate increase?

Talking Points # 2

Richard Rodriguez
"Aria"

1. " The family's quiet was partly due to the fact that, as we children learned more and more English, we shared fewer and fewer words with our parents. " (37)

The english language really changed Richard's family-for the worst. There was no more bond between the family. It was such a struggle for the child to learn another language, and even more of a struggle for his parents. Its already tough trying to talk to your parents as a kid, I can't imagine trying it in a new language.

2. “What they seem not to recognize is that, as a socially disadvantaged child, I considered Spanish to be a private language. What I needed to learn in school was that I had the right-and the obligation-to speak the public language of los gringos.” (34)

This reminds me of the "culture of power". The English is what he had to learn because that is what the society expects. His spanish speaking ability is deemed as useless in America. No educator seemed to enforce the fact that it was great that Richard could speak another language. The nuns seemed angry with the family as well for not enforcing English at home.

3. " But the bilinguists simplistically scorn the value and neccessity of assimilation."(38)

Again educators are seeing this as a bad thing. The spanish speakers are going to gain something even more valuable by learning English. They are not going to lose the sense of who they are. It will help them assimilate easier into contemporary America.

I really enjoyed this article by Rodriguez. Anytime a story is told from the first person narrative it is very easy to connect with. You can just feel the raw emotion Rodriguez is writing about. This article brings more awareness to the table. By learning from others past experiences, America can better our system. It was tough to hear about how much the author's family struggled with the Enlgish Language. The educators at the school did not help at all and were not very compassionate. I believe this is the key point of the article. To be understanding and not diminish anyone person because they are different. If they have the ability to speak another language the teacher should encourage both.

I saw the connection with Delpit when the Culture of power was at work. The nuns completely disregarded his ability to speak Spanish because it was not how the classroom talked. It is surely a tough task to have bilingual students in the classroom but these teachers seem to not care. It is obvious that this misunderstanding is creating problems in the classroom. Agree , disagree ?

Talking Points # 1

Author : Peggy McIntosh
"White Privilege :Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack".

Quotes.
1. " As a white person, I realized I had been taught about racism as something that puts others at a disadvantage, but had been taught not to see one of its corollary aspects, white privilege, which puts me at an advantage" ( page 1 ).

This quote from McIntosh is a great starting point to the article. I totally agree with this quote as well. It is very important to come to a realization that we (the white race) do get certain advantages. White people like to think that when they gain certain advantages it is because of how good of a job they have done. White people do not want to identify themselves as the white race. However, blacks and other races, know their race could potentially put them at a disadvantage.

2. " I can criticize our government and and talk about how much I fear its policies and behavior without being seen as a cultural outsider" ( Page 3).

I could have put any of the 26 points McIntosh makes for my second quote. These points are important because they are points that white people take for granted. I believe this quote is especially important in this day and age. White people can get on the news and bash the government all they want. This is seen as they are just worried for the country. If someone of another race were to bash the government they are "racist" or just do not"fit in" with American culture.

3. "The pressure to avoid it is great, for in facing it I must give up the myth of meritocracy. If these things are not true, this is not such a free country ; one's life is not what one makes it; many doors open for certain people through no virtues of their own" (page4).

It is very easy to avoid the thought of a privilege exists for a certain individual. "All men are created equal", would be a fallacy. I believe this point directly corrects with Johnson. To fix the problem we have to acknowledge the problem and be the solution.

This article by Peggy McIntosh was probably my favorite so far. Very easy to read, without being biased and making white people seem evil. The article is more about coming to a realization that white people do get certain advantages, and some sort of change needs to happen. I really liked the 26 points she mentioned because it makes sense to me. These are things that happen on a day to day basis that most white people take for granted. I believe this text related the most to Johnson because it has a more postive feel to it and acknowledges the privilege issue in America, that is blind to most.

McIntosh talks about the system. The power systems need to be reconstructed. I propose a question to everyone. Most of these articles admit that there is a problem in America. But what is the solution? I do not know if it is just me but I feel that this problem is way bigger than any one person or even couple of hundred people. Each of us could be the solution in the classrom sparking minds, but what about on a nationwide scale? What is the solution to the problem?

My Intro To Let You Know

Welcome to my blog. My name is Evan Lancia and I am just starting my second year at RIC. I am a English Major ( Secondary ED). So far this semester is going pretty well. All my professors seem pretty cool so far. When I am not in class I am usually at work or playing basketball. I like music and movies. Die-hard LA Lakers fan. Hopefully Back to Back championships this year.

Later.