Miscellaneous Post - Pinterest Pictures

When I was looking on Pinterest I found these pictures and immediately thought of this class. 



 

 

When I saw this picture I immediately thought of this class when we talked about Disney, and the hidden curriculum within children’s movies.  Linda Christensen talked about the secret education that is in media.  This secret education sends false messages that enforce the cultures of power.  Some of the ideas that movies are really showing children that white people are the good guys and the black people are the bad guys, stepmothers are evil, and that you need to be pretty to be successful.

This picture reminded me of the article we read about tracking students, and how teachers need to create projects and assignments that are meaningful to the students.  Doing the same type of worksheets day after day is not only boring but is meaningless.  A worksheet teaches the child to memorize facts, not learn about the importance and does not provide opportunity for discussion.  Discussion allows the students to think for themselves and form options about topics.

When I saw this picture I just thought it was cute but then I read the comment underneath it that said, “I would do this 1st week of elementary school - teaching about diversity or anti bulling.  Cookies look different but have same ingredients... fun :-)”.  When I read that I connected it to all of our discussions on is separate equal.  We are all people; we are all made of the same types of organs and bones, so we should treat each other as equals.  This picture also reminded me of Collier and Rodriquez, and how it is important to include a child background and culture into the curriculum.  Ignoring a child’s first language will only turn them off to learning, so teachers need to incorporate their native language into the classroom.

Savage Inequalities - Social Justice Event

           In my ECED 290 class we read and discussed chapter two from Savage Inequalities by Jonathan Kozol.  This article talked about the inequalities of schools and how the poverty levels play a big role in creating inequality.  Kozol focuses on the people of Chicago, and starts by describing what the environment is like in the city.  Kozol states, “According to the 1980 census, 58 percent of men and women 17 and older in North Lawndale had no jobs.   The 1990 census is expected to show no improvement.  Between 1960 and 1970, as the last white families left the neighborhood, North Lawndale lost three quarters of its jobs.  In the next ten years, 80 percent of the remaining jobs in manufacturing were lost” (pg. 42).  Many of these people are without jobs, this lead to some people losing their house.  This all affects the cities taxes which then affects the amount of funding that the schools receive. 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.

This article connects to Amazing Grace, because in Savage Inequalities Kozol talks about how children in Chicago are also being trapped in this cycle. In Savage Inequalities Kozol states that, “Reading levels are the lowest in the poorest schools” (pg. 58).  The cycle keeps the poor people poor, and many times a lot is not expected of them therefore their education is lacking.  Education is not equal across the board because many times these children have bad teachers, if they have a teacher at all. Most of the time teachers will call out or there is just no teacher for the class because they quit.  Then Kozol talks about one teacher, Corla Hawkins, who goes above and beyond the call of duty for her students.   This teacher is helping these children get out or the cycle.  Hawkins is changing the atmosphere that the students learn in.  Which connects to In Service of What? by Kahne and Westheimer, because she is performing surgery and not just changing the Band-Aid.

This reading also connects to What to Look for in a Classroom by Alfie Kohn.  Kohn talks about signs to look for in a good classroom and signs that are possible reasons to worry.  Kozol states, “The room is sparse: a large and clean but rather cheerless space.  There are very few of those manipulable objects and bright-colored shelves and boxes that adorn suburban kindergarten classrooms.  The only decorations on the walls are posters supplied by companies that market school materials: “Winter,” “Spring,” “Summer,” “Autumn,” “Zoo Animals,” “Community Helpers.”  Nothing the children or teacher made themselves” (pg. 44).  This is exactly what Kohn says not to do.  Alfie Kohn says that in a good learning environment there is student work hanging up.  Also the teacher will have handmade posters hanging up. 

          Store Bought
                                                                                                      Teacher Made

I feel that this article also connects to Kliewer and the idea that students should not be separated in order to get quality education.  Kliewer states that, “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.  So this connects to Savage Inequalities because having a separate school for the poor children, for the children with special needs, and for the “normal” children is not going to help them in any way.  As a society we need to learn how to get along with one another. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savage_Inequalities

This video picks out a lot of important quotes from chapter one of Savage Inequalities.

 

Education is Politics by Ira Shor - Quotes

I did not enjoy reading this article.  I felt that it was very repetitive and had to stop reading half way through the sixth page.  I had to start some of my other homework because I had to keep rereading things.  Eventually I was able to finish reading this article. 

“People are naturally curious.  They are born learners.  Education can either develop or stille their inclination to ask why and to learn” (pg. 12). 

“People begin life as motivated learners, not as passive begins.  Children naturally join the world around them.  They learn by interacting, by experimenting, and by using play to internalize the meaning of words and experience.  Language intrigues children…” (pg. 17). 

These two quotes reminded me of little kids when they ask “why”.  When you answer their question and they keep asking why until you either tell them “That is just the way it is” or they get distracted and start doing something else.  Children love to learn, however this does not mean that they love to learn about Shakespeare, Geometry or why the Earth is round.  Many kids do not care about these things.  Teachers have to try to incorporate the students’ interests in the curriculum, make the information meaningful to them.  For example, in math, if there are four or five students who play soccer, then make a couple math problems involving soccer.  Having a group of boys doing word problems about butterflies is most likely going to result in the boys goofing off and being disruptive. 

 

“The heart of the problem is that teachers are taught to lecture and give orders” (pg. 27). 

This quote did not make any sense to me when I read it.  In the few education courses I have taken, and the teachers that I know personally, I have never heard anyone say to just teach lectures and give orders.  I work in a daycare, I teach dance and gymnastics, and I have worked at a summer camp, and when I teach I do everything in my power not to lecture.  Enough explanation to understand the task, and examples; then if they still need help they ask questions.   

 

“I often ask students to tell me in writing why they took the class, what they want from it, and what suggestions they have for running it or improving their education at the college” (pg. 27). 

I personally hate when teachers and professors ask these questions, especially now in college.   Every class that I am taking is required of me, not because I feel like taking the class.  Why am I taking the class? So I can graduate.  My professor for my special education class asked us that question, and everyone said because it is required.   

Point to Share: Teachers need to make the curriculum and learning meaningful for the students.  Incorporating their favorite books, sports, hobbies, etc. into the material is a fun and creative way to teach a lesson.

This picture also connects to the tracking article we read.

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. 

Literacy with an Attitude by Finn – Extended Comment and Connection

Sorry that my blog is a little late, I was sick this weekend and I was in New Hampshire for a dance competition.  When I was reading this blog I found myself having to go back and reread paragraphs over again.  Then when it came time to write my blog I had no idea which option to choose. 

Connection to Amazing Grace by Jonathan Kozol

When I read Marissa’s blog and saw her last quote it reminded me of Kozol.  The quote Marissa picked from Finn was when Finn says, “When students begin school in such different systems, the odds are set for them” (25).  Kozol really emphasizes the cycle that keeps poor people in their place.  This same cycle connects to children in these poor schools.  If a child is not given the materials needed to learn then how can society expect them to overcome the odds and get out of that cycle, get out of the bad neighborhood.  Society wants these inner-city kids to  not take the easy way out and sell drugs on the street.  But society does expect them to do all of that without a proper education.  That seems fair, right? Giving the children who need the structure the most, the least amount of structure and education is simply not right.   

I agree with how Marissa said that this quote basically sums up Finn’s whole argument.  A child can only do so much with the material that they have.  These children from the poor school districts are not dumb, they just do not have the types of materials they need to succeed. 

Point to Share: School is supposed to give you the material you need to be successful in life.  But if you are not given any materials then how are you supposed to succeed?

Brown vs. Board of Education – Extended Comments

I think this week’s topic is very interesting because it is so important and relevant in today’s society.

I really liked when Torie said, “Many people still to this day believe that segregation does not exist in schools and in jobs but it does whether they believe it or not”.  I completely agree that segregation still exists today.  When I go into Asa Messer for my service learning project I see many classes lined up in the hallway.  The students are usually separated in two lines, one for the girls and one for the boys. 

In high school everyone is separated, not necessarily by race or gender, but by type.  The “cool” kids sit with the “cool” kids, the “jocks” with the “jocks”, and the “nerds” with the “nerds”.   The only time that they mix is in class when they are forced to mix.  And even in classes most of the time they are still with people from their “group”.   There is even separation in dance, and in this case I think it is a good thing.  I think separation is good because when boys and girls compete against each other in the dance world the outcome is not fair.  Basically every time the boys will win.  The male dancers will almost always beat the girls just because they are boys.  It is very rare that a girl will beat a boy.  The male dancers win because the judges score them high to win to keep them dancing, not because their dance or technique was better.  The judges are afraid that if they score the male dancers low that it will result in the boys not dancing anymore.  This is why my studio goes to competitions where the boys are in their own category.

I thought it was really interesting how Marissa connected it to Kozol, and how poverty level plays a big part in a child’s education.  I liked how she pointed out when Herbert says, “Educators know that it is very difficult to get consistently good results in schools characterized by high concentrations of poverty. The best teachers tend to avoid such schools…These, of course, are the very schools that in which so many black and Hispanic students are enrolled”.  Many of the inner city children come from families with a black or Hispanic ethnicity.  Many of these families are in these inner city environments because they cannot afford to live anywhere else, and many times these families can barely afford to live in the city.  Also I do not know many families that are willing to move and live in these inner city connections.  So it is basically like when the schools were segregated, the only difference is now the schools do not have to be segregated by law. 

Point to Share: I work with two teachers, a teacher from a Providence elementary school and a teacher from a Providence high school.  The two teachers both feel very overwhelmed working in this type of community.  However, at the same time the teachers that I work with feel like they have to work in these schools, because if they do not, then who will.  It is a lot of work; one of the teachers has 23 special education students on her case load, and does not get to see all of them every day.  But she does her best to try to work with them and help them in any way that she can. 

 

I found some interesting cartoons. 

 

In The Service of What? by Kahne and Westheimer - Reflections

I really had trouble trying to figure out what to write about in this blog, and what type of blog to write. 

This article describes the different ways a service learning project can be organized.  It can be organized to focus on the charity aspect, or focus on the critical inquiry and action aspect.

I have a lot of experience with volunteering and community service.  In high school we had to community service to graduate.  It was part of our civics class.  You had to do the hours, and then create and present a PowerPoint presentation.  I remember I did my hours at the Boys’ and Girls’ Club of Cumberland/Lincoln.  I volunteered as a camp counselor during school vacation camp.   I had a lot of fun working with the children at the camp.  I also did community service for my confirmation class.  I did different tasks, like making signs, to help get ready for the bazar that my church has every year.  My brother coaches for Special Olympics, and I also help his teams sometimes.  One time they went to a flag football tournament that was at Gillette Stadium.  The teams played their games on the Patriots home field.  It was a great experience, for the athletes and for the families.  Being able to go onto the field was an experience in itself. 

    

 

I thought this picture what a creative way to look at the components of service learning.


Point to Share: I think service learning is a good opportunity to learn about one’s community.  To be able to make connections and relationships with people that you may not necessarily have come in contact otherwise.