"What is it all about?"

Hey everyone. I just wanted to enter my last post for the semester. (I'm am also doing this in avoidance of school work.) I would like to thank you Dr. Bogad for a great semester. I learned a great deal from this course and I think it was really helpful to take this before I student teach. I am glad I was able to refresh my memory about these ideas and issues surrounding education. I have had a great deal of experience in many classroom thus far. I have taught in rural, suburban, and urban school settings. The most profound experiences that stick with me are the experiences in the urban school settings. I learned so much from working with those students in those urban communities and I will carry that with me allways.

Also a word on the Feinstein school. As Dr. Bogad has mentioned before as a teacher we need to create instruction that relates to, challenges, and inspires our students to learn think and grow. It is also a standard of teaching (RIBTS 5) If you don't know what RIBTS stands for, you soon will, trust me. It is important to engage students to think and create no matter what "level" they may be on. It is also important to recognize each student as an individual and every student has something to contribute.

I have included a video I found which I think has some inspiring quotes and ideas. I hope you feel the same.



So good luck to you all in your future experiences and remember to keep an open mind. It has been a pleasure!

Talking Points #10: "What Can We Do? Becoming Part of the Solution

Allen G. Johnson

Argument:

Johnson argues in this article that we have to first recognize privilege in society and realize that we can change these systems of society if we recognize that it takes time as well as selfless, awareness, reflection, dialogue, and participation to become part of the solution.

Quotes:

1. "Removing what silences them and stands in their way can tap an enormous potential of energy for change."

In this quote Johnson discusses the problem that silence promotes the problem of privilege and oppression and that by removing the silence and creating a dialogue is a huge start to creating a path of real change. I think this has been true in the case of this class and community here at Rhode Island College. I have never been more enlightened and aware of problems of privilege, power, and oppression during my time here at Rhode Island college. Taking this class and attending diversity events such as the Promising Practices conference is a huge step in the direction of change. As Johnson has said before creating a dialogue and having the courage to talk about these issues is the first step to intilling real, genuin change in society.

2. "The greatest barrier to change is that dominant groups don't see the trouble as their trouble, which means they don't feel obliged to do something about it."

This quote resonated with me because I felt this way for a long time. Maybe it is because I am a product of my environment but I always felt that I am and individual and I am not responsible for other peoples problems. "You do for yourself and your own" thats what I always thought. Poeple in society feel like they have to take care of themselves, your responsible for your own problems, but I have realized that being a part of society means you are taking part in society and all of the privilege, power, and oppression deamed you by society. We are not all little pods onto ourselves, we all take part in society as a whole wheather through work, play, recreation, everyone has a part in the larger picture. So by not egnowledging that you are a part of society makes you a part of the problem and not the solution.

3. "As powerful as oppressive systems are, they cannot
stand the strain of lots of people doing something about it, beginning with the simplest act of naming the system out loud."

This quote reminds me of Peggy McIntosh's article. Just by naming these idealogies we give people a tool to promote change. After reading McIntosh's article and listening to her speech I have been able to engage in a dailogue with many other people about the issue of "white privilege." This in itself is a powerful tool for change. Creating a vocabulary so that we can pinpoint the issue and spread the word about "white privilege" so that people can begin to recognize these ideologies. I recall one of the black college students saying "I can remember some of my white freinds asking me what it is like and I could not find the words but after I read this article (McIntosh) I could hand it to him and say here this is the issue." This is such a profound realization. Words are powerful. Just by naming and talking about something you promote change.

Questions/Comments/Points to Share:

I think that this article is a great capstone to the course this semester. Johnson hits all of the points we have disussed this semester about power, privilege, oppression, recognition, reflection, and change. He says it in such an eliquint manner. I found the reading very engaging and flowing. I think that Johnson is exactly right in all of his points. I think that just by recognizing these ideologies, naming them, discussing them, recognizing that you are a participant in this society, and having the courage to speak out is a great large first step in creating real change.

Recongnizing that you are a part of society, be it a small part, even though you may not feel like you can make a real difference you can. It take a long time for things to change. Systems can be change but it can't be changed in one, two, or even three lifetimes. We may not see the changes in the physical proprtions of the planet does not mean that is not taking place. We must also recognize that all though we are only a very small part of a very large system we are still an intigral part. Just as Johson discusses the paradox of the tree, although the tree has many leaves and loosing one or two does not make a large difference all of the leaves play an integral part in the nurturing of the tree. The more people begin to realize that they are a part of the system the more they will recognize how they can be a part of changing that system. Break the silence, recognize your part, strive to make a difference. In the words of JFK "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." Stop being a part of the problem and start becoming a part of the solution.

Talking Points #8: Citizenship in School: Recognizing Down Syndrome

Christopher Kleiwer

Argument:

In this article Christopher Kliewer argues that a democracy is defined by the contribution of all citizens in the community. In this respect we must recognize the diversity of society and that everyone has something to contribute to the community. In the context of schools students should be seen as individuals who can contribute to the school community in specific and unique ways. Students should not be placed under rigid standards of development but rather recognized for their own unique contributions to the school community.

Quotes:

1. "Judith Snow (1996)holds that
the dialogic of democracy is ultimately a set of values based on respect,
humility, and creative listening:
[Community] requires a willingness to see people as they are-different
perhaps in their minds and in their bodies, but not different in their spirits or in their willingness and ability to contribute to the mosaic of society."

This quote shows that though everyone in society is different in mind and body but we all come together in the common thread of community. Everyone has a part to play, a role, in our society and by denying that role in the community we deny the individual the right to contribute. By doing this society loses out because community is built on the contributions of all individuals. This is why we society loses out when we deny minorities access to the dominant culture.


2. "Colleen Madison agreed with Shayne that no child was inherently an intellectual burden to a classroom; in fact, she argued, each student contributed a unique and potentially valuable dimension to the web of relationships that formed a school community."

In this quote Colleen Madison an educator argues that no child is a burden in the classroom rather every child has a valuable contribution to the school community. This just goes to show that rather recognizing what a child "can't do," focus on what a child "can do," and think of how they can use what they know to contribute in a way that "can" for the benefit of others. Instead of focusing on the negative focus on the positive and use what you know about each student to facilitate access to the school community.

3. "They're different in terms of what their bodies are like, how they best communicate, what they're like socially, their interests. And with those three kids in the room it
would be hard to say, "This is how you should teach kids with
Down syndrome." They are not at all alike."

I particularly liked this quote because it is so powerful. It is the norm in society to see an individual with a disability and focus on the "disability." This causes everyone to focus on the disability rather than the individual. In this quote from Shayne Robinson, an educator, she argues that not every student with down syndrome looks, acts, or thinks the same. Instead of looking at the "disability" we must look at the individual. Not all students with autism are a like, not all students with Corabel palsy are a like, not all students with down syndrome are a like. We must recognize the differences in the individuals and instruct students according to their individuality.


Questions/Comments/Points to Share:

I found this article particularly interesting. I think that it was an easy read and I really enjoyed seeing the perspectives of teachers and students with disabilities. I think this article is very important because it shows how people are a product of their environment. This has been a running theme throughout this course this semester. Rather than looking at individuals in a diverse society and how everyone can contribute to society the dominant culture focuses on the "burden" of minority groups and by doing this we are loosing out the true concept of democracy. I particularly liked the story about Isaac in this article and how Shayne saw how Isaac interpreted the world around him as well as contributed in the school community in a unique way which inspired the other students to learn in a different unique way. This is just one example of how students with disabilities can contribute to the school community in their own unique way. We must recognize the differences in individuals and create, as Kliewer says, a "constructive" curriculum that focuses on how students learn from and contribute to the world.

Just like Oakes and Carlson argue by isolating these students from the "norm" society we create the defects, as Kliewer argues, that hinder their development. Instead of seeing these students as a burden we should focus on what these students can do, how they learn, and create meaningful ways for them to contribute to the school community. Just like the example from the text about John, an individual with Down Syndrome, who moved to a different community in California that was more excepting. By moving to this community which allowed him to become an active member John excelled in his academic and functional skills and became an active member in the community. We are all a product of our environment and if we allow all students of diverse abilities to contribute to the school community rather than being isolated from it we foster a more human, excepting, healthy democratic society.

Talking Points: #7: "One More River to Cross"-Recognizing the Real Injury in Brown

Charles Lawrence

Argument:

Charles Lawrence argues that the courts failed to recognize the institutional impact of segregation on labeling blacks inferior and how simply desegregating the school system was not enough but that we need to challenge the systems of segregation as well as the ideologies in which they stand.

Quotes:

1. "The second is that blacks are injured by the existence of the system or institution of segregation rather than by particular segregation acts."

It seems like Lawrence is saying that the idea or ideology of segregation is what causes inequality or a feeling of inferiority among blacks rather than the action itself. It is the systems or the ideologies that must be challenged fundamentally in order for real change to take place. Just like the SCWAAMP activity we did in class, it is not enough to simply treat everyone as equals, we must go a step further and recognize the ideologies of the institution.


2. "in the North, state action is absent because segregated schools occured as the result of segregated housing patterns."

I found this fact particularly interesting because we are a product of our environment. In this case it was not the schools who were segregating the students but society. As a result of the segregation of society the schools inherently became segregated.

3. "Black children will remain 'less qualified' until we gain representative influence in both the institutions of preparation and the institutions for which they are being prepared."

I think that this quote is particularly important because it shows that merely preparing students of minority to be successful in a dominant society is not enough. We must change the ideology of the dominant society because no matter how much we prepare students to be successful they will still be constricted by the dominant ideology of society.

Comments/Questions/Points to Share:

I think that this article was interesting. I had a difficult time getting through parts of it because of some of the vocabulary but I think I was able to grasp the over all idea. I think that Lawrence's argument is true. Brown vs. the Board of Education was a step in the right direction and it certainly opened doors that were not previously opened before but that there is much more to do, to change the injures effects of segregation on blacks in America. Just like Oakes argued in her article about tracking it is not enough to simply change the act of segregation and put students together but we must go further to change the ideologies created by segregation. Just like Kozol's article about Mot Haven it is like putting a "band-aid on a broken leg." It does not help the black children to simply put them together with the white children but we must go further and change how people think about segregation. It is the institution rather than the individual that must be challenged.

Talking Points #6: "Tracking: Why Schools Need to Take Another Route

Jeannie Oakes

Argument:

In this article Jeanie Oakes argues that tracking creates greater achievement gaps between the higher and lower groups of students but simply making heterogeneous groupings is not enough, we need to change the way we teach our students so that all of them can be successful no matter what level they are on.

Quotes:

1. "Since so much of importance was omitted fro their curriculum, students in these low-ability classes were likely to have little contact with the knowledge and skills that would allow them to move into higher classes or to be successful if they got there."

This quote reminds me of Delpit's argument about the rules and codes of the culture of power. It is clear that by tracking these students we are not giving students that are outside the culture of power the rules and codes to participate in the culture of power. So they will always be outsiders. They will never succeed while the students that are in the culture of power, the high-ability students, will have access to these rules and codes, thus they will continue to succeed.

2. "It's ironic that when other, less able students are offered similar advantages, they also seem to benefit. No wonder we find a 'rich get richer and poor get poorer' pattern of outcomes from tracking."

This quote is in regards to giving identical instruction to high and low level groups which the higher groups performed the same and the low groups benefit as well. By keeping these groups separated we continue to provide quality instruction to the high groups while the low groups are denied access. How can we expect the students at these low groups to succeed when we do not challenge them as we do the students in the high groups. If you continue to teach a student on a seventh grade level the student is never going to progress from that level.


3. "When evaluations are more formalized, they probably need to be 'student-referenced' or criterion referenced; that is, they should compare what a student knows after instruction with what he or she new before."

I think this is an important quote because so many times it seems teachers and schools fall into the trap of pitting students against each other. School becomes more of a competition rather than a place to grow and learn. In the tracking setting it is clear that the students in the low-ability groups know that they are not as good as the high-ability groups so they will not strive to succeed. Why try when you are always going to be compared to the higher-groups. If we put students against themselves they will always succeed. As a student grows and learns to better him or her self they will always strive to be better.

Questions/Comments/Points to Share:

I found this article very easy to read. I completely agree with Oakes argument on tracking. I can remember being in a tracking system in Jr. high school and I was in the lower group when I was in seventh grade. Being in the lower group is a terrible feeling, you know that you are not as good as the students in the higher groupings and why try to be better when you will never be a part of that group. Just like Delpit's argument about the culture of power this tracking system creates a culture of power in the high-ability groups. As Oakes shows in her article the students in this high-ability group get the best quality instruction, materials, and teachers. While the students in the lower group who are not in the culture of power do not have access to these "rules and codes" of power. As a result they do not try in school because they feel that they are doomed to fail.

Oakes also argues that simply putting the high and low groups together is not enough. Teachers need to change the way they teacher. Make instruction relate to the students, rather than teaching in a school context teach about the world and things that are going on in the world today so that students can relate. This will increase students interest in learning. Also Oakes argues that we need to engage in more student-referenced or criterion referenced assessment. Rather than comparing a student with other students compare the student with him or her self so that the student will have every opportunity to grow and succeed. Individualized instruction is important for all students to succeed. These are just some things to think about when we think about alternatives to tracking. However, as Oakes states teachers have to be willing to reorganize and be enthusiastic to fundamentally change schools.

Talking Points #5: "In The Service of What? The Politics of Service Learning"

Joseph Kahne and Joel Westheimer

Argument:

In this article Kahne and Westheimer argue that Service Learning is a varied curriculum that derive moral, intellectual, and political ideologies of students but promote good, critical thinking, citizens with a higher self-esteem.

Quotes:

1. "helping those they serve, such service learning activities seek to promote students' self-esteem, to develop higher-order thinking skills, to make use of multiple abilities, and to provide authentic learning experiences-all goals of current curriculum reform efforts."

Kahne and Westheimer outline the critical parts of educational reform here. They are saying that by using this curriculum students are able to learn from experience and think critically about issues while promoting self-esteem. Here students are responsible for their own learning. It is an illustration of internships or work studies in which students have the opportunity to experience hands on learning. They are out their in the field learning about a trade. This model supports multiple learners visual, tactile etc. Students have the opportunity to learn outside the classroom and experience the world.

2. "Citizenship requires that individuals work to create, evaluate, criticize, and change public institutions and programs."

Kahne and Wesstheimer show the importance of citizens in the United States democracy. Citizens must be active in their community to create change, challenge government and better the lives of each other. Through service learning students can have the opportunity to be a part of this process. They can begin to see what a difference they can make in the community. Students can also see the problems that people face in urban areas of poverty which can motivate them to advocate for change to their local and national governments.

3. "when asked what they gained from the experience, many students said simply that it taught them 'that people can be different' from what you expect."

This quote from Kahne and Westheimer is in response to parents negative comments towards students performing a concert in the neighborhood school of poverty. This shows that students learned that people in these areas are not what they think. As they learned from their parents the stereotypes of crime, bad kids, misbehaved, and dangerous environment of students living in poverty are mostly untrue. This just goes to show how service learning can change the thinking of students and show them what the world is really like. It is an eye opening experience.

Questions/Comments/Points to Share:

I found this article a little bit difficult to get through. Kahne and Westheimer use a large variety of difficult vocabulary and it was more like a research study. I think I got a good sense of what Kahne and Westheimer are getting at in this article. I believe they argue that service learning can be implemented in a variety of ways and there are some flues in the curriculum, like many other curriculums nothing is perfect, but that they promote moral, political, and intellectual growth while promoting good, critically thinking, informed citizens who can create change in society. I think that service learning is a great way to get students to learn and think critically about their community. Rather than researching, reading, and discussing the world outside of the classroom these students have the opportunity to experience the world for themselves. It is great for students with a variety of learning styles and gives students hands on experience while creating lasting relationships with people in their community. Like Johnson advocates it also creates a dialogue about ideologies and stereotypes which promotes change. Like the students who performed the concert in the neighborhood school of poverty, students are able to see for themselves what the world is like and not see it through the eyes of others who believe in the stereotypes created by society.

Talking Points #4: "Unlearning the Myths that Bind Us"

Linda Christensen

Argument:

In this article Christensen argues that children's cartoons, literature, and films teach stereotypes and bias created by society. Christen describes how to read these forms of media, analyze, and take action.

Quotes:

1. And often that world depicts the domination of one, sex, one race, one class, or one country over a weaker counterpart. After studying cartoons and children's literature, my students Omar wrote: 'When we read children's books, we aren't just reading cute little stories, we are discovering the tools with which a young society is manipulated.'"

Here Christensen shows how the privileged groups of society are depicted in children's cartoons and books creating an "ideal" image for young people to emulate. This is similar to Delpit's "culture of power." The rules and codes of the culture of power are depicted in these forms of children's media.

2. "We are not only taught certain styles of violence, the latest fashions, and sex roles by TV, movies, magazines, and comic strips; we are also taught how to succeed, how to love, how to buy, how to conquer, how to forget the past and suppress the future. We are taught, more than anything else, how to rebel."

I was a little confused by this quote from Dorfman (quoted in Christensen). I think he is saying that children's media teaches violence sex roles and how to succeed in society. I compared this to Delpit's "rules and codes" of power. Perhaps Dorfman is saying that in order for children to overcome these stereotypes, bias, and racism they must learn to recognize and rebel.

3. "Though critiques and the discussions that follow, they are helping to transform each other- each comment or observation helps expose the engine of our society, and they're both excited and dismayed by their discoveries."

Christensen seems to be saying that the more we critique, analyze, and discuss these observations of stereotypes on sex roles, race, and social status the more we can challenge society to acknowledge these things and make a change. This is similar to Kozol's argument about creating a dialogue.

Questions/Comments/Points to Share:

I found this article hard to get through. I think I understand what Christensen is saying about recognizing these underlying ideologies in children's cartoons and creating a dialogue around these ideas but I am not sure that I completely agree with her. I do realize that children's cartoons all have these underlying stereotypes but I am not sure how heavily this influences children's ideologies. These things are products of the privilege given certain groups by society. I too like many other adults today grew up on these cartoons and I think that many of these stereotypes, bias, and racist ideologies have been challenged by many people of my generation. I think that it has a lot to do with family morals and values. Though I grew up watching these cartoons and reading these books I think that my parents instilled morals and values about diversity, acceptance, helping those who are underprivileged and hard work. I do recognize how these ideologies are prevalent in children's media but I think it also has a lot to do with what children see in society. Society holds these values and ideologies and whether children get them for cartoons, the news, or books they are going to get them some how and it is up to parents as well as teachers to show students the stereotypes, bias, and underlying messages of these media.