Citizenship in School: Reconceptualizing Down Syndrome by Christopher Kliewer – Connections

When reading this article, I kept thinking that this is basically what we have been talking about all semester.  I feel like it basically connects to all of our readings, especially when Kliewer states, “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.  So we must learn to work with others, and this holds true whether we ultimately are destined…We have got to learn to get along as individuals and as citizens” (pg 73 and 74).  In order to be successful in life we need to build relationships with other people, so to do this we must work with others work are different. 

 

Privilege, Power and Difference – Johnson
    This reading connects to Johnson because he states, “For all our potential, you’d think we could manage to get along with one another” (pg6).  Even though everyone is different, we should be able to “agree to disagree” and get along with each other. 

 The Silenced Dialogue – Lisa Delpit

      Lisa Delpit makes it very clear that there are codes of power and everyone is affected by the codes of power.  The Codes of Power affects how students learn and how they perceive authority.  By understanding these rules and code of power it will ultimately help children succeed in today’s society. 

Amazing Grace – Jonathan Kozol

        Kozol talks about the culture of power and how it reinforces the cycle that keeps poor people in their place.  By having a classroom desgined as Kliewer suggests, the “poor people” would not be judged and would be able to live up to their potential.

Aria – Richard Rodriguez    and    Teaching Multilingual Children – Virginia Collier
        Kliewer connects to Rodriguez and Collier because they suggest using the child’s strengths to teach them.  Rodriguez and Collier want teachers to use the child’s first language, a strength, to teach them English, and to not take away their first language. 

Tracking: Why Schools Need to Take Another Route – Jeannie Oakes
        Kliewer’s article goes hand in hand with Oakes, and the idea of getting rid of tracking.  Using the children’s strengths and interests is a more effective way of teaching, and is more meaningful to the children.  Having all types of students together in one classroom will only benefit the students because they get to meet all types of people.



Point to Share:   I read another article by Jonathan Kozol called Savage Inequalities.  This article is very similar to Amazing Grace, because he talks about how children in Chicago are also being trapped in this cycle.  Education is not equal across the board, for these children have bad teachers, if they have a teacher at all.  Most of the time the teacher calls out or there is just no teacher for the class because they quit.  Then he talks about one teacher, Corla Hawkins, who goes above and beyond the call of duty for her students.  These schools do not have sufficient funds because there are no businesses nearby and many people are homeless or living in apartments, so the property tax going into the city is very low.  I feel that this article also connects to Kliewer and the idea that students should not be separated in order to get quality education.