Sunday, April 25, 2010

Social Justice Event

After Attending a dinner put together by the classroom I was doing my service learning project in I knew this was the perfect event to compare to the readings we have completed in class. The dinner was put on by the families of the students in the classroom. It was an oppurtunity for both the students and parents to teach us about there cultures and traditions. The first Reading i though about as i was sitting there was Deplit codes and rules of power. I felt as if this was all new to me how do i sit or eat. Every culture has different rules and codes when it comes to there traditions and now for once in my life I was the one feeling left out and confussed. It made me think about all those times I was in the classroom and I wasnt direct on what I wanted to be done how those children felt who got in toruble when it wasnt done right. It showed me how important it is to be direct and clear when you are giving directions on something because everyone comes from different backgrounds and is expected to do different things. So we have to go in expectiting that they know nothing.

As the night went on I came to realize that I was the only white teacher and person there. Mamy grandparents made racisit comments about me being white. It made me think of the article we read by Johnson when we talked about how people can be so racisits and how pother feeling when they are put down like that. It made me think of all the times I seen white people torching the blacks or other people and it was the worst feeling ever. How could anyone be so mean and hurtful but it is reality now people are so mean they dont care who they hurt they say what they want when they want no matter who there hurting. It made me think of the doll activity I talked about in class how we have to make an enviorment comfortable for all people that are there not jsut what is normal to us. We as teschers need to make sure that materials and things we do in class do not show an form of racism because it is an important topic and it is one that could hurt many people.

As the night was coming to an end i realized how much fun it was to learn about all the childrens cultures and traditions. It was something out of my norm and it made me open to my eyes to the backgrounds where the children in my classroom came from. This experiance made me think of the quote by McIntosh " i was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible sytens conferring dominance on my group". It made me see and thin about my while privalage and the backpack we carry just because we are white the more we know the heavier the backpack gets and the more we see how people can be affected by certain things. This event opened my eyes to all we were taught in class this semester and how lucky I am just to be white. So many people face struggles each and every day because of the color of there skin and it is important that we try to stop this because it is somthing that is hurting so many people in society.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Talking Points 10

Reading this article was kind of hard because it was very long and boaring i felt what the article was talking about was very important but it was hard to get through because of the length. I felt this articles gave us strong examples of things in the classroom we have to be aware of and make sure we never forget. Some quotes i felt that were important were;

1. Democracy can only occur when no person’s voice is deterministically silenced”

This quote is so important in a classroom setting we as teacher need to make sure that every child voice is heard. We have to take everyones input on a subject and allow for them to show there voice.

2.Participation is the most important place to begin because student involvement is low in traditional classrooms and because action is essential to gain knowledge and develop intelligence

I feel this quote is so true particapation is were it all begins if a classroom is willing to particapte and give there insight then they will learn so much more. The more kids put into a lesson the more both the teachers and children can gain from it.

3.While a participatory classroom cannot transform society by itself, it can offer students a critical education of high quality, an experience of democratic learning, and positive feelsing towards intellectual life."

After reading this quote i was shocked on how powerful it was and the lasting empression it left me as a reading. this is so true the more a classroom has particpation in it the more it will gain from that.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Kliewer Blog 9

After Completeing Kliewer article i was not surpirsed by any of the information that was talk about. this is a subject that makes me so upset. i never agreed with the way the special needs children were segregated. I feel they are smart and intelligant children and deserve to be in some classes with all the other children. I also strongly disagree with where most of there classrooms are loctaed. i know when i attended highschool our room was located in the basement away from anyone else. This is discrimination and lows these kids self esteem. They need to be placed in enviorments with other children so they can learn how to react to certian situations. Here are some quotes that i feel strongly supported thew article;

1. " I started to notice that i didnt like the classses i was taking called special education. I had to go through special ed almost all my life. I wanted to take other classes that intersted me".

This is sad to know we dont allow these children to take classes that may intrests them. If we want everyn one to be equal we need to allow these children to particapate in other classes besides special education. These kids are so smart and would be able to handle alot of the same classes as the other children.

2. It's not like they come here to be labeled, or to believe the label. We're all here, kids, teachers, parents, whoever its about all of us working together, playing together, being together, and that what learning is. Dont tell me any of these kids are being set up to fail."

This is the problem in society today we label everybody and it is so hard for the label to be taken away. We have to understand everyone is different and has difference needs and wants. it is our job as teachers to help these children through there needs and help them to be productive memeber of society.

3. " If you cane into the room and were told there was a retarded child in the class, a chiuld with special needs, i dont think you would pick lee out. The kids really agree that he's as capable as they are."

This is something to consider because alot of the times we cant tell from the outside that a chid is retarted or has a special need. These kids are so smart and can do some incrediable things. If we as teachers limit what classes they can be part of then we are limiting what we can teach them and everyone deserves the best education they can possiably get.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work

After reading the article written by Jean Anyon i had a way different outlook on the different types of school in different communities i found it hard to belive how different they run just because of the issue of money and were there located i dont belive it is fair to the children every child deserves the best education they can get and if the schools are not willing to do that then there is a huge problem. Here are some quotes i though were important in this article

1. "While the teachers spend a lot of time explaining and expanding on what the textbooks say, there is little attempt on how or why things happen, or to give thought on how pieces of a culture or say how a system of numbers or elements of a lanuage fit together or can be analyzed."

I feel this is so true many teachers spend alot of time trying to embed this material in the childrens head and dont actually take the time to sit down and explain were and how everything came about. i know as a student i always wanted to know more than just how to do somthing. It helped me learn the material and i was able to connect it to many things in my own life.

2. " In the affluent professional schools work is creative activity carried out independently. the students are continually asked to express and apply ideas and concepts. work involves individual thought and expressiveness and illustration of ideas and choice of appropriate method of material."

In this rich school teaching are allowing the kids to think outside the box and devolpe there own ideas and concepts. I believe this is really impirtant because it allows kids to think for themselves and apply there ideas to real world events.

3. " In the classroom the children could get materials when they needed them and took what they needed from the closets and from the teacher's desk. They were in charge of the office at lunchtime. During class they did not have to sign out or ask permission to leave the room; they just got up and left.

I feel as if this is not a way a classroom should be run at such a young age. We have to show these kids that we have to ask permission from adults and that as kids they only have so many rights. it is important to show the authority that adults have in society and that when they become adults they could have the same power.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Gender And Education

After reading many articles on this subject i came to realzie that there are many expectations set between girls in boys in school. many say that there are some places where boys are stronger and osme where girls are here are some things i found out.

*In fact, upon entering school, girls perform equal to or better than boys on nearly every measure of achievement, but by the time they graduate high school or college, they have fallen behind.

*Across the country, boys have never been in more trouble: They earn 70 percent of the D's and F's that teachers dole out. They make up two thirds of students labeled "learning disabled." They are the culprits in a whopping 9 of 10 alcohol and drug violations and the suspected perpetrators in 4 out of 5 crimes that end up in juvenile court. They account for 80 percent of high school dropouts and attention deficit disorder diagnoses.

*Teachers socialize girls towards a feminine ideal. Girls are praised for being neat, quiet, and calm, whereas boys are encouraged to think independently, be active and speak up

It is safe to say that both genders have there strengths and weakness and are expectated of different things when in a school enviorment. i find it hard to believe these facts because truthfully i think that every student has there own strengths and weakness and you cant sterotype because of gender. Everyone is good in one thing and awful in another and its hard to fully say what subjects girls and boys do better on unless you know the student.

Monday, March 15, 2010

In The Service Of What?

After Reading the article written by Joseph Kahne and Joel Westheimer i agreed 100%. I feel service learning is a project that can change the lifes of many. i feel the person particapating and the person recieveing both can gain alot from the experience. It is important that we all particpate because we can change the life of many less Fourunate people. Some Quotes i felt were important were....

1." Ask not what your counrty can do for you; ask what you can do for you country".

This is important because we should all do thing in life to help others and not expect anything in return we can help so many less fourntuate is we just do little things. The little things can make a huge difference.

2. "Educators and legislstors alike maintain that service learning can imporve the community....."

This is so true if we all particpate in at least one service learning project we can make a huge difference in out community. Every little bit helps and if we can change the life of one person thats a start to a big and better change.

3."Students would interact with those less fourtuante than themseleves and would experience the excitment and joy of learning while using the community as a classroom."

This is important i think that children need to do learning outside the classroom. It is important for them to get there hands on things and actually experience it for themselves. So much learning can be done outside the classroom. Its Teachers job to find things for the children to particapte in outside the classroom.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Unlearning the Myths That Blind Us

After reading the article written by Linda Christensen I was left speechless. I never came to realize how many negitive messages the media is portraying. Now when I watch any type of media, movie, or television show, i have a different outlook. I am more aware and I can pick out many of the negitive messages it sending to the minds of the people. It never dawned on me how young the media starts to manipulate the young minds. Some quotes that stood out to me in Christensen article were:

1. " Many students don't want to believe that they have been manipulated by childrens media or advertisment. No one wants to admit that they have been "Handled" by the media."

This reminds me of when we discussed the topic of oblivious. I feel like we know the media is manipulating us, but its not downgradeing the white class, so we have the attitude of why should we care. It is sad to say but this is something that goes along with the white privilege. something we put in the backpack.

2. " The impact of racism begins early. Even n our preschool years".

This is so true because we dont realize what the young minds our viewing each and every day. Working in a preschool i see racism all the time there young minds our be minipulated by televison and there parents. We need to start teaching ans stressing equality and how everyone is equal no matter what they look like or where the cam from.