Education is Politics

Extended Comments

For my blog this week, I looked a Jess S's blog. In her post this week she used hyperlinks to explain the issues raised from a standard form of teaching and how it is unsuccessful in teaching students in a proper way.  Jessica posted videos to help us better understand the article this week. I did enjoy these videos because it helps better understand Shor's point of view through her own perspective. Jessica pointed out that Shor would want teachers to teach both sides for students to see that there is not only one side but that discrimination is out there, but sadly some students do not see the reality of it because they are not brought up to see what else is out there. I agree with how she says we are learning about different cultures because in our class, we all bring something different to share. I enjoyed reading this article because it shows us as future teachers what is important to show our students and not forget to teach them everything beyond the classroom, such that discrimination does exist in our society. She uses this quote which is a great example of how students should be taught in classrooms. "You must arouse children's curiosity and make them think about school" (11) This quote is very true. With my students from service learning, engaging them through their curiosity is a good way to keep them entertained and make them think about school in a more positive way where they can bring their own experiences and stories to the classroom for a better learning experience for myself and them. Check out Jess S's blog, the videos help understand the article better too!

Reconceptualizing Down Syndrome

Hyperlinks

Although my content major is not Special Education, I found this article very engaging. It made me realize some things that I did not know before. I went to a high school where the children with Special Needs were kept in the classroom in the basement. Yes, they would socialize with others during gym, but that was pretty much it. They were not allowed to take the same classes as students who did not have Special Needs. It bothers me now because just because they are different does not mean it is fair to exclude from the school community. Through this article, it shows how children who are placed in community school get the right education for them. I looked up a few articles that really explains what is beneficial for children with Special Needs. Parents have options where they prefer a Special Needs school-- where it focuses on students alone, where they have more help rather than just a teacher aide in a mainstream school and are excluded from others. Children with Special Needs should not feel that they are different from others because it is not fair. Their school placement should be the most beneficial that works for them. I could not help but continue my research about what options children have when it comes down to their education, because what I only knew was what students in my high school, were segregated. I found this great article that shows how children in Europe are placed on what the type of services they need. This is an awesome example of how children should receive their education because like I had mentioned before parents do have options on the types of services their children should receive, they should not settle for less. I watched this great video where it follows the life of a four year old girl named Lily. Lily is a child with Down Syndrome. Through this video, her mom shows us her view on why she feels a Special Needs school is more beneficial for her daughter, where you have another parent feels that it is more beneficial for her son to attend a mainstream school.
 Check it out!  Then decide, what do you think is the best choice for a student with special needs?

Promising Practices

On November 3rd, I attended my first conference. I went into this meeting with no preparation at all. I will admit, waking up early on a Saturday was a drag on top of being as sick as I was. I enjoyed how all of my classmates and I took over two tables just so that we were able to sit together. Promising Practices was a meeting that I felt I left with some important facts. I feel like I gained a thing or two from the conference.


The conference started off with a keynote speech from Dr. Dana Fusco. Although I am an Elementary Education major, I felt as though her speech was very informative and engaging. She focused on Youth Development- Promoting equity through child and youth agency. In her speech she discussed both sides of equity and youth and how these two roles play in the role of youth development. In her PowerPoint presentation, she displayed the ying-yang. This incorporated in her speech because through this, she asked us to support the youth and help them become active in their own lives. After her speech, we were dismissed and we were off to our first sessions.

My first session was If You're Safe and You Know it, Clap Your Hands with Dr. Gerri August. This session I felt, I took something from it because as a future teacher, I feel these tips would be helpful to take into the classrooms. As a teacher, you should be able to provide a save space for your students where they can feel a sense of belonging where their contributions are valued. As a teacher, we should be able to allow students to enjoy a judgment free zone. We were in groups to talk about what we felt about a diagram she had in front of the room. In my group we mentioned SCWAAMP. It tied into our discussion perfectly because it showed how students are expected to be treated but through our discussion we received tips on how to allow students to feel welcome to be themselves. This session really provided me with information that I felt I could possibly use in my own classroom.

In my second session was Youth Development isn't Enough with the students from Youth In Action. I really enjoyed this session because it was more of a personal feeling with the students rather than listening to them talk about their program and asking questions after they finished. They created a museum that gave us background information about who they are, what they do and allowed us into their home. They set up about 5 tables with different stations with the students themselves behind the tables answering all the questions we had ready for them. Youth In Action is a great program for students in high school. The students during the session showed a lot of passion for the program they are involved in. I thought it was great how they are willing to expand. I think it would be great to have them become a part of Rhode Island College especially since we have started a Youth Development major. I suggested to them that it would be great if they set up a table out on the quad during our break on Wednesdays and they agreed to look more into it, which I thought was awesome. These students told us that this program keeps them out of trouble because they are involved in something that gives them a sense of belonging which is great because this is what students need. Going back to Dr. Fusco's speech, through these non-profit organizations, they can help students stay out of trouble and help them in the long run.

After the two sessions, we had lunch and had an "Unconference" by  A.L.L.I.E.D. I really enjoyed this speech because I felt like I could relate to what was said by the students. Each student had something to say based on what they felt they could relate to or something that we did not realize was important. I really felt engaged to what everyone had to say especially when they read the poem. "For the white person who wants to know how to be my friend" by Pat Parker. Each member read a line from the poem. I thought this was a great poem because it tied perfectly into their speech because you cannot judge a book by its cover, just because someone looks a certain way does not mean what you think they are. I can truly relate to this because I am always labeled a nationality that is no where close than what I really am.

For my first conference, I do feel like I gained something. I left there knowing things that I had not before. Although I am not a Youth Development major, it is great to see what can come out of it. Promising Practices was such a great experience. I am glad I was able to experience it, especially with my classmates because like I mentioned, through my first session, I feel like I can use what I learned into my own classroom one day. Through the sessions I had, it did help me see how beneficial these programs can be helpful to the youth. Hopefully these programs will expand into something more and give the youth the help they really need.

Talking Points # 9

Literacy with an Attitude

Argument

This author Patrick Finn argues that different schools with different perspectives have different teaching mechanisms. He goes on arguing about how students who grow up in different areas receive a different educational experience. It surprised me when I read about schools that have teachers who doubt their teachers. They automatically assume their students do not have what it takes because of where they come from. Finn shares through his quotes about what teachers really say about the students. Based through the study of Jean Anyon, is was almost like a behind the scenes about how teachers act based on their location of where they teach.
"One fifth grade teacher said the students needed the 'basics- simple skills, When asked "why?" she responded, "They're lazy, I hate to categorize them, but they're lazy," Another fifth grade teacher who was asked why she had students endlessly copy notes from the blackboard in social studies replied, "Because the children in this school don't know anything about the U.S" so you can't teach them much." Another teacher said, "You can't teach these kids anything. Their parents don't care about them, and they're not interested." Another teacher answered when asked what was important knowledge for her students, "Well, we keep them busy." You have to keep reminding yourself that these children did not have low IQ scores. They were working-class children with average intelligence, some with better than average intelligence." This quote here says a lot about how Finn feels. You have teachers who do not have the desire to teach, yet they become teachers and are miserable and with that, students suffer. I feel with this article showed the kind of different teachers there could be. There are ones who are do not care or have the desire to teach and then you have teacher that have the passion to teach. You have to go into teaching loving what you do.
"On the other hand there was a woman who taught across the hall from me. Her name was Mrs. Kennedy. I can't remember her first name. I think we actually addressed one another as "Mrs. Kennedy" and "Mr. Finn." She was a strikingly beautiful black woman, a recent graduate of Fisk University. Her classroom was always orderly, but I never heard her raise her voice. If the students saw me as an easily provoked drill sergeant, they saw her as a den mother, a den mother who didn't put up with much nonsense, but a den mother." In this quote it shows how there exists such a teacher as Mrs. Kennedy. I feel through this study that was shared, I feel like the teachers who are laid back but yet know how to set ground rules; are successful teachers but those who do not have the desire to teach and doubt their students should not be allowed to teach, because it is the students who are suffering based on the teacher's misery.
I found this great website! Check it out!

                                                     

Brown VS Board of Education

Refkection: Separate but Unequal

Schools are not separately segregated, but education is different based on poverty and class range. Their goal is to have low poverty and rich students into one school. "Studies have shown that it is not the race of the students that is significant, but rather the improved all-around environment of schools with better teachers, fewer classroom disruptions, pupils who are more engaged academically, parents who are more involved, and so on. The poorer students benefit from the more affluent environment. “It’s a much more effective way of closing the achievement gap,” said Mr. Kahlenberg." Here the author shows that based on race, poverty or enviorment you can't determine how effective their learning will be. We are no longer faced with segregation but in way throught the article, Herbet does show how education is seen as a way of separation but unequal. As a student from Central Falls, I can relate to this article because I grew up in a city with low poverty and a low education I can relate to this article because as a college student now, I realized how different the education I recieved compared to those who attended Saint Rays, or Cumberland High School. It would be great to see schools trying to make an effort to allow students from low poverty schools transfer to recieve the same education. Just because they are from a low poverty area does not mean that limits their ability to learn at the same level those who are in middle class schools. It would be great to see changes. Based on the videos, and the website of Brown VS the Board of Education, we can see we have come a long way based on the pictures shown on the website and how hard we have tried to get to where we are now. Tim Wise makes a great point about how President Obama is in a hard place. Racism has not changed. It is a start but we as a society have alot to do. It will take a while to get where we hope to be, but hopefully it can all work out.