pecha Kucha

here it is!

Social Justice Event

I almost forgot to post this!!

I went to the Vagina Monologues at RIC back in February and just never posted about it. I kind of wish I blogged about it right after I went because I feel like I would have had a lot more to say but I didn't :(



I dragged my sister and my best friend with me to see it and neither of them were very enthusiastic about it at first. after the show they were actually thanking me for making them come with me. the whole thing was so powerful and inspiring to women. The skit that touched me the most was "my vagina was my village" it was really deep and really sad. it is sad to see what happens to a women when she is raped and how it ruins their self esteem. men think they have all the power over women and many women believe this to be true also. I feel that all women, especially the ones who feel they are weak and inferior to men should watch the vagina monologues and I'm sure their minds will be changed. Women are just as powerful as men, it really makes me think about SCWAAMP and hot the M stands for "manness" the heroes in movies are always men giving American children the idea that men are more powerful than women, we grow up with this idea, it is carved into our brains at such young ages that it just becomes a natural thought. I never really gave much thought about it until going to see the vaginal monologues and after watching them I felt so powerful. I also feel men should go see them too so they can realize what these stereo types do to women.

Literacry with an Attitude- Finn

Sorry This post is late! I have been slammed with so much work these past couple of weeks! time to do some catch up!

I would like to start off by saying that this piece is very powerful, there is so much in it that makes me think about other authors we have read this semester.

"The least we can do is face facts. Our schools liberate and empower children of the gentry and domesticate the children of the working class, and to a large extent the middle class as well. You may want to argue that that's all right, or at least it's all that's possible-fine. But let's stop denying it. The next least thing we can do is help teachers become better gatekeepers on the lookout for border crossers by enabling them to understand the subtle mechanisms that make border crossing so difficult." (pg 189)  

This one quote alone I feel sums up what the entire article, and connects to almost every other article we have read this semester, i would like to relate it to some key points I have talked about in my blogs.

Johnson- This article and quote can relate to Johnson because it is basically saying if teachers could speak up for those students who are do not have the resources and the ability to do better then they could become the gatekeepers that open the gates for those students to have more opportunities. society is set up in a way that those with more will always be able to acquire more and those with less will more than likely remain with less unless somebody is there to help them. If we were all just strong enough to speak up about it and "say the words" we could change lives.

Ullucci- This article relates to Ullucci because Ullucci talks about how children in poverty are not expected to do well in school and that when they fail often times their teachers are not surprised or affected. teachers put the blame on the students upbringing and home life rather than on them selves.
teachers need to open their eyes and realize that maybe these students do need a little extra help, but that does not mean they can not be successful in school. these teachers could be the gatekeepers without even realizing it and by giving these students the attention and help that they need could make all the difference in their students lives.

Delpit and Kozol- I have always felt that these two pieces went hand in hand with each other and I could go on for days about how they relate to this quote alone. Educators do not realize the power that they have over their students future. the rules and codes of power are designed to keep those in power on top and those who aren't in power on the bottom. if educators helped their students to learn the rules and codes of power their students would end up being more successful and be able to make a difference in their lives.

Mcintosh-  Teachers cant face the facts because they don't even think the facts are true, they are blind to what they are doing and the power that they have. - that is all

Rodriguez- His teachers closed the gateway completely for him, they made it so that in order for him to be successful he had to alienate himself from his culture and family. sure he became successful but look at everything he lost.

Christensen- Students are being stereotyped and categorized in ways that do no reflect who they are and what they can be. if all students were given equal opportunities and everybody opened their eyes to the hidden stereotypes in the school system, there would be more opportunities for all students. 

Citizenship in School- Kliewer

for my Blog this week I chose to talk about some quotes that really stuck out to me. there was so much in this reading that I wanted to talk about and my thoughts keep getting al jumbled up so I am just going to highlight a few of the main quotes.

1.  It's not like they come here to be labeled, or to believe the label. We're all here-kids, teachers, parents, whoever-it's about all of us working together, playing together, being together, and that's what learning is. Don't tell me any of these kids are being set up to fail. (pg 75)

This quote stuck out to me because I agree with it completely, if all teachers and communities could have this mind set there would be so much less discrimination against students with special needs. it is not fair for those students to be labeled and be separated from their peers simply because they have down syndrome. often times they are not even given to choice to choose what they learn and make their own schedule like other students their age can. It is important for children with down syndrome to not feel like they are different or separate from their peers, because they are not, we are all humans and we all deserve the same opportunities.


2. Shayne recognized a child's nonconformity as natural human diversity; a source of strength that could be supported by the school community in order that it add a unique and valuable dimension to that community. (pg 78)

This quote basically sums up why Shayne Robbins is such an amazing educator. the fact that she was able to look past a child's differences in learning and communicating and actually embrace his disability and use it to enhance her curriculum just simply amazes me. she did not look at him as mentally disabled, instead she looked at him as a normal child with his own special diversity, every child weather they are mentally challenged or not has their own way of learning and their own diversity and that's what she saw his nonconformity as. she played to his strengths and got all the other students involved as well to ensure that he remained a part of the classroom community. This makes me think of the toddler classroom at the daycare I work at. last summer we had a deaf little boy starting in the classroom and at first it was a challenge for the toddler teachers, and the rest of the staff members because we did not know how to communicate with him, let alone teach him. however, instead of separating him and changing our ways completely we modified, we all learned a lot of sign language and each child in the classroom was assigned a specific sign for their name, in no time the other toddlers in the classroom were learning many signs and they all knew each others signs we made it so that he could learn what all the other children were learning and the other children were also learning from him. even now, he does not go to the daycare anymore but we decided that sign language was actually helping the toddlers learn more so it is still part of the curriculum and they are constantly learning new signs.

3. I suppose you could argue that and it's hard to argue that you might be wrong. Lee is, in a sense, in a way he's branded. People see him. They see Down syndrome. They see mental challenge, retardation, whatever you want to call it. That's what they see, but they wouldn't be seeing him. Do you know what I mean? Because Lee is Lee, and anybody who knows Lee knows, and this includes all the kids, they know he's gifted-in how he solves problems, cares about others, reads, loves math. So I guess what I'm arguing is that if you did pick Lee out, you wouldn't be seeing Lee. It's not Lee you're picking out. It's your stereotype, your mind-set. It's you, and it has nothing to do with Lee (pg 84)
I know this quote is really long but I think it is all important and I couldn't pick one part out of it. This was said by Colleen Madison when she was asked why she doesn't think anybody would pick her student Lee (who has down syndrome) as the mentally challenged student in the class. I think what she said is so powerful and so true, it is almost like putting one white student in a classroom with all minorities and asking somebody to pick out "the rich kid" anybody would pick out the white student because according to American stereotype white people have more money, which is not always true. The same thing goes for picking out the mentally challenged students in a classroom just by looking at them. It is not right to label somebody before you get to know them and that is what she is saying, if you were to pick Lee out you wouldn't be seeing him you would be seeing the stereotype we all associate with down syndrome.
 

4. Shayne, who knew Isaac well, defined his actions as a complex, sophisticated, symbolic response to a difficult situation, one that transformed the context into a more meaningful and thoughtful experience (pg 85)

This was said after Shayne's student Isaac was asked to sort spoons and blocks into separate containers, instead of following directions he separated all the blocks from the spoons and then tasted each spoon before throwing it aside. He was not given credit by psychologist for what he did because he did not do exactly what they wanted, because he did not do it right, but they failed to realize that he did do something, maybe even something more complex than what they asked him to do. they asked him to take spoons and put them in a container, but instead he took the spoons and used them in the way he knew spoons were supposed to be used, by eating off of them. honestly I feel in a way Isaac outsmarted the psychologists. he used more of a thought process doing what he did and they were too blinded by their stereotypes and lack of knowledge of Isaacs personality to recognize this. This really stood out to me because it is living proof of just how important it is to actually know someone before labeling them.

*talking point- this reading really meant a lot to me because I am currently doing a practicum for my SPED 300 class in a severe and profound preschool classroom and I have been working one on one with a little girl with autism. working with her over the past few months has really changed me and actually has me thinking about minoring in special education. being one on one with her has really taught me so much, I no longer see her weakness's and only see her strengths, she never fails to amaze me and she is constantly learning new things and is always so proud of her self when she does. it is just so amazing to be able to see the growth and progress she has made just in the short time I have been with her.

Pecha Kucha Update

for my Pecha Kucha I will be working with Samantha  and the author we will be focusing on is Delpit, we both have our own stories to tell from our service learning as well as stories to share from the daycares we work at. So far we have a pretty good understanding of what we want to talk about and how our stories will relate to Delpit as well as other Authors we have read, I think our biggest challenge will be deciding who talks when and making our transitions into other stories flow smoothly. my biggest concern is not having enough to say or talking to fast because I tend to do that when I am on the spot.

Brown vs Board of Education

"Separate is not Equal"

 

I feel that both the website, article and interview with Tim Wise have the same message incorporated in them, yes there has been tremendous change in this country when it comes to racism, however there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. Brown vs the Board of education is the Supreme Court case that claimed that Separate was not equal and gave people of all races the right to an equal education in the same schools. Although this was a very big step in heading toward the right direction for Racial America there was still so much racism going on in the country. Tim Wise argues that although we have a black President today, there is still racism going on in this country. In the interview wise says

"The proof of racial equity will be that day that people of color can be as mediocre as white folks and still get hired" This really stood out to me because it is completely true. Exceptions are made for white people that would most likely not be made for those of color. I feel that Wise's main point is that yes we do have a black President, and Obama is a very smart, articulate man who happened to graduate from Harvard, but if he had graduated from a different college and had a different style and wasn't as articulate, would be still have became president. What Wise said about meritocracy is completely true, in order to be a Black President in the US Obama had to be the complete opposite of Mediocre, as opposed to some white Presidents we have had. I think the main point in this weeks piece is that although we have come a long way when is comes to racism and segregation, we still have a long way to go.

 

Talking point: The new York times Article made me think a lot about my Service learning, did anybody else feel the same?

"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. Expectations regarding student achievement are frequently much lower, and there are lower levels of parental involvement. These, of course, are the very schools in which so many black and Hispanic children are enrolled." one more point id like to make is that this particular quote, or quotes from the article reminded me of the movie Freedom Writers because this white teacher was put into a poor school with segregation and many students of color that just didn't care about having an education, and she was told by many people to give up on them and that she cant make them want an education but she never gave up and in the end she ended up getting through to them and helping them and bettering their education.

 

"In the Service of What?" - Joseph Kahne and Joel Westheimer

I love this quote from JFK and the fact that the article started out with it, if we could all think like this there would be a lot more change happening in the country.

 

 "Service learning makes students active participants in service projects that aim to respond to the needs of the community while furthering the academic goals of students." (pg 2) 

This quote is basically saying that students who participate in service learning projects are bettering the lives of others by helping them as well as bettering their education by getting a real life experience of what they are being taught in the classroom. I agree with this quote completely, since I have been doing my service learning I have been able to connect so much more with the readings and discussions that we have in class and I always find myself thinking back on the things I have learned in class while I am at the school. also I have been working one on one with a particular child and I really feel that I am making a difference in his learning, it is such a rewarding feeling to know that I am helping him and possibly bettering his future.



"This experience and others like it, quite common in the literature of service learning, emphasize charity more than change. The experience was structured to promote giving rather than to provide the kind of understanding needed for the development of caring relationships. As a result, the student's description of the event lacked the perspective and input of those she was helping." (pg 7)

This was said after a student wrote about her experience feeding the elderly on Thanksgiving. After reading this I realized that often times when people give to the less fortunate they focus on how it makes them feel, rather than how they are making the people in need feel. Often times you will hear people talk about wanting to help out in a soup kitchen, but most of the time they do it to make themselves feel better not because they actually want to make a difference in somebody else's life. most people will go and serve the people food and make small talk with them for the time being and then leave happy because they did something nice for another person, but after that they will not think about it again, they don't think about how those people are doing a week from then. I think this is why there is not as much change in the world because people do things for others to make themselves feel like a better person.


 "The experiential and interpersonal components of service learning activities can achieve the first crucial step toward diminishing the sense of "otherness" that often separates students-particularly privileged students-from those in need." (pg 8)
This made me thin of  McIntosh and racism this was said after children for a more privileged school went and performed for other children at a less privileged school, before going to the school they were scared and thought the students were going to be rude and mean, and then after going to the school they realized that the students at that school were not much different than them. they only believed bad things about children from that neighborhood because of what their parents told them. the service learning helped to diminish the differences between the two schools and actually brought them together. The parents of these children without even realizing it were being racist and in tainting their children's minds with racist thoughts, the service learning helped to change that.

Talking Point: do you feel that you are making a difference in the children's lives while doing the service learning project?

August- "Safe Spaces"

This blog touched me in a number of ways, here are some of the quotes that really stood out to me.

1. "So far, so good- until the family is two moms with their children, or two dads and their adopted daughter. Such families rarely make the curricular cut- they are invisible."  (August 85)

This was said while August was talking about how in elementary school children learn about all types of families and differences between families. Children learn about how families differ all around the worth weather it be because of race, because of only having one parent, they are taught about adopted families and foster families, but they are very rarely taught about gay or lesbian families. This I do not understand why wouldn't we want to teach children that some families may have two mom's or two dads, I feel that if children were to be taught this at a young age they would grow up to accept it and think if it as normal, which could in turn help keep the classroom safe for LGBT students, and students that come from a gay and lesbian family.

2. "Heterosexual students with LGBT family members or friends need to see their lived ones reflected in the images and stories that shape ideologies. Heterosexual students who have no LGBT friends or family also need positive LGBT representations if they are to have a full understanding of the human experience." (August 91)

I chose this quote because I agree with it completely, ideologies are the most important and influential aspects of society and growing up. students should be shown that all types of people are positively represented in these ideologies. Children who's loved ones are LGBT should grow up with the belief that there is nothing wrong with it and it is normal. on the other hand children who do not know anybody who is LGBT should also be taught about it in a positive way, this would avoid so much bullying and discrimination for LGBT students in the future. if children are brought up to accept the differences in other people's sexual orientations and are taught that there is nothing bad or wrong with it, they will be less likely to discriminate as they get older. LGBT is a part of everyday life and if children are not exposed to it they will not be able to fully understand life.


3. "But what did she teach? the message to Marcus and his to his classmates was that Marcus's family was shameful, something to be hushed." (August 95)

This was said after the story if how Marcus a 7 year old student was sent to the principal and sentenced to in school suspension for telling one of his classmates that his family was gay because he has two moms and that "gay is when a girl likes another girl". If I was Marcus's mother I would have been enraged if my child was reprimanded for explaining his family to one of his friends. Marcus' teacher implied that there is something wrong with his family by sending him to the principal and probably damaged his self esteem. not only did his teacher make him feel like his family is something to be ashamed of which is just plain wrong, but she also interrupted his education by removing him from the classroom for no good reason.



here's some more Modern Family that I found fitting for this topic (:

Aria- by Richard Rodriguez

For my blog post I decided to do a reflection because while reading this I had so many thoughts going through my mind. First I would like to say that I don't think it was fair for Richards teachers to basically change his name for him. At home he was referred to as Ricardo, he was born Ricardo and I feel that is the name his teachers should have used for him. It is so upsetting that he grew up to believe that his given name was not right and I notice that he now refers to himself as Richard also.
"Without question, it would have pleased me to hear my teachers address me in Spanish when I entered the classroom. I would have felt much less afraid. I would have trusted them and responded with ease." This quote stood out to me because I find it so sad that he felt so separated from the English language that he was afraid to go to school and to speak in class. the fact that his teachers came to his house and asked his parents to speak English to him which in turn changed his families entire life just does not seem right to me. as educators his teachers should have encouraged his differences not changed them. It is great that he eventually started to feel more comfortable at school but at the expense of his family life. Why was it not possible for Richard to learn how to be more comfortable with English while at school while still being able to bond with his family through his native language at home. It just does not feel right to me. 

I felt that this reading related to me because I am actually half Dominican, my mother is Italian and Irish and my Father is Dominican, however I did not grow up with my father so unfortunately I never learned to speak much Spanish. When i spend time with my dad's family i feel separated from them, my own family because they speak to me in broken English which I know is not comfortable for them therefore i was never able to form a very good relationship with any of them. When reading this I found it so upsetting that Richard and his family basically threw away the Spanish language because I would give anything to learn the language and be able to form a relationship with my family. Often times when I meet my Grandmothers friends they will start talking to me in Spanish and my Grandmother will tell them in broken English that I do not speak Spanish which usually results in the end of conversation. I just think that it is so important to be able to communicate and relate to your family so Richards story really touched me.


I read a summary of Rodriguez's book " Hunger of Memory" and it says he writes about how his education cost him connections to his culture and his family. I just cant bring myself to understand why he had to alienate himself from the Spanish language in order to be comfortable with the English language. I feel that if his teachers would have been more understanding in the beginning this would have been possible.

Peggy McIntosh White Privilege Quotes

Quote 1: "I realized I had been taught about racism as something that puts others at a disadvantage, but had been taught not to see one of its corollary aspects, white privilege, which puts me at an advantage." (1) 

This quote made me think about Delpit's article and her fifth aspect of power that states "Those with power are frequently least aware of -or least willing to acknowledge -its existence. Those with less power are often most aware of its existence" what McIntosh is saying in this quote goes hand in hand with what Delpit said. We are taught all about racism and what people who fall victim to racism go through however we are never taught about white privilege and what that means for white people who do not fall victim to racism. This quote is basically saying that people focus more about the disadvantages racism causes but never stop to think about the advantages that white privilege causes. This is another point I would have never through about had I not read this article but now that I have I agree with it completely.

Quote 2:  "I can chose blemish cover or bandages in "flesh" color that more or less matches my skin." (3)

This quote is just one of McIntosh's 26 conditions and although it may be the most simple of them all I feel like it was put last for a reason. I feel as if the simplicity of being able to go into a store and choose a Band-Aid of her skin color no questions asked sums up all 25 of the other points perfectly. It is something that a white person would not think twice about, and probably most colored people because it is the norm, but why is it the norm? Why in the society is it normal for a white person to be able to find a band-aid that matches their skin color but not a colored person? These are things that nobody puts much thought into because we were not taught to look at these things as white privileges, we were not taught to look at being white as a privilege at all.

Quote 3: " If these things are true, this is not such a free country; ones' life is not what one makes it; many doors open for certain people through no virtues of their own"

This quote is basically saying that we call our country a free country but it is in fact not free at all. they say your life is what you make it but that is not the case for all people. for some people, especially people of color things do not come very easily and regardless of what they do to get themselves out of a hole or to be successful it doesn't always happen. this quote is also saying that white privilege plays a big role in the succession of a white man regardless of if he asks for it or not. This is just something that is a norm in this society.

When signing up for this class I had no idea it was going to be so interesting and engaging. Many of the things we read about and talk about in class are things that I would have never thought twice about had I not taken this class. I feel as a future educator the lessons we are learning in these readings are very important and I am looking forward to what the rest of the semester brings.

The silenced dialogue- Other Peoples Children Delpit's argument

Lisa Delpit's argument in her article The Silenced Dialogue is that educators do not realize the power they have over their students and how their ways of teaching affect their students. she also stresses on the fact that the education system is centered around people of middle and upper class therefore making life for students of color and lower class more difficult. she mentions many occasions in which this argument is very apparent. She says how white teachers concentrate more on educating their white students for the future than their African American students. According to Delpit we are education African American students on how to be successful in a white mans world, which is not fair to those children. She raises the issue that many teachers think they are doing the right thing in teaching African American students based on research they have done but they don't think about the perspective of the children.

Many things I read in this article were things I did not think about before reading, but I definitely agree with now. As a future educator I think it is important to think about every student and be able to accommodate every students needs differently.