Thursday, April 30, 2015
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
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.
Thursday, April 23, 2015
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.
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.
Monday, April 13, 2015
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.
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.
Monday, April 6, 2015
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)