Today April 30 was my ninth visit at the elementary school. I realized that this week that since I get early to the school now, I would really take the time to notice things inside the school that could relate to the readings. One thing when I first walked in the door there was a big banner saying be responsible, be respectful, and be ready to learn, with the name of the school underneath the message. I found that this related to Delpit. I felt that this is relating to Delpit because when I was working with my group on the service learning project one thing that Delpit talks about is rules that are inside of the classroom. I feel that this banner is telling the kids that enter how to succeed in school and telling the rules of the school. After I saw the sign I went into the office to sign myself as usual and walked down to the class. I got to the classroom as the kids were walking in the classroom. I noticed that before they walk in the classroom that Mrs. B stands outside of the classroom and shakes each kids hand and says good morning. I did not know what to think of it but I guess it’s was just something that the teacher always does. Since it was an hour before intervention, I decided to observe the classroom environment for a little then prepare on what I was going to do today. While I was looking around the classroom I noticed that there was a sign stating on how to be a good listener. It said to sit flat, listen with your ears, and raise your hand to talk. I also felt that this related to Delpit on how explaining the rules and it teaches them how to do something.
After I was looking around the room, it was time for me to prepare on what I was going to do with the kids today. While I was doing that the teacher, Mrs. B was feeding the classroom animals which happened to be worms. She came over and showed the other volunteer and me the worms and she happened to tell us that it was part of the science curriculum. I happened to ask her where they got the worms from and she said that that the school provided for it. I felt this was a class based thing which is talked about in Johnson because I have realized that there are certain things that the school provided for and other things where they do not provide for. From what I can tell, this is not a middle class school, based on the things I have observed. After that it was time for me to tutor my three little girls. Once all the kids were moving around for intervention, it was time for me to begin. Today I decided that we would be playing a new game today which involves letter sounds. What you had to do was give each student a list of words and have them sound out what the word was and they had pieces to put the words together. As they had to change the words, they had to tell me the sound of the letters they would be changing. At first they were not happy because they were saying that it was too hard for them and they have never played this game before even though they did this for the half of the time I felt that now they know how to pronounce words/letter sounds and make new words that are similar. After that I decided to read with them since we just did letter sounds. This helped them because they identified the words that we played in the game. I felt that they were happy with themselves because usually when I read with them they get discouraged and do not know the word. I feel that since I have helped these kids that they have learned more and they seem to be happy with it. It was time for me to leave and I told Mrs. B that I would be back next week because I am a half hour short of my hours and she was happy to hear that.
I was going to my first grade class and I was not sure on what I would be doing because I feel that I am always unorganized when I teach these kids. Today was different because of what was ahead of me. When I walked me the kids ran over to get my box and I decided to go over and get games that the teacher had in the classroom. I decided that I would play a similar game that I had done the last time I was there. With this game you had to put three different letter flash cards on the table and I would hold up a picture and they would have to tell me which categories to put the picture in. As I was signing the kids in on their sheet, the teacher, Mrs. R came over and told us that we would not be tutoring the kids, but she told us we could stay and observe the mini lesson that she would be doing with her students. By the time everything got back situated there was only ten minutes left until lunch time. She decided that she would have different words on the board and the kids would have to tell her a word that would rhyme it. It really was not much because of intervention being cancelled because of two of the teachers being out. It was time for me to go and I told Mrs. R and my kids that next week would be my last week coming because of school ending and the kids seemed sadden by me leaving next week.
Overall today was good day and I noticed more than I would ever have. I felt from today that me helping out the kids have benefited them from the experience they had with me. I will be saddened to leave them next week but this experience has been unforgettable. I cannot wait for next week even though it will be sad to leave the kids that I have had a bond with.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Shor: Education is Politics
Quotes:
1."“If the student’s task is to memorized rules and existing knowledge, without questioning the subject matter or the learning process, their potential for critical thought and action will be restricted.”(page 12)
I feel that getting by in school by memorizing and having existing knowledge will not help as you continue education in college. Questioning things in school is a very important thing because I used to just get by in middle school, but one of my closest teachers told me that I need to start to participate more and not to be afraid to ask questions. Asking questions is helpful because it helps you understand things more and in a way you get your own opinions out there and you have an equal say just like everyone else in the class. Thinking back on previous education before college, I think I should have questioned some of the things that my teachers said because I always took it in what the teacher said instead of questioning their knowledge. As I continue my education I have questioned more of the teachers/professors knowledge because this helps me in understanding what is going on inside of the classroom.
2."“Students in empowering classes should be expected to develop skills and knowledge as well as high expectations for themselves, their education, and their futures.”(page 16)
This quote stood out to me because this is talking about people who are in possibly honors classes and I feel that people who are in empowering classes, believe that they will have better expectations than someone who is not in empowering classes. I feel that people who are in empowering classes are expected to have a successful future ahead of them which sometimes can be misleading. In a way this reminded me of the Delpit reading but with the same concept. In the reading Delpit talked about the cultural of power and how the whites control society. I feel that it relates to the quote because it’s basically talking about one group of people and saying that they will do better than another group of people. I feel that this was saying people with a higher education should have high expectations for themselves and their futures which is not always true because someone with a lower education can do just as good with someone who has a higher education.
3.“Participation was an educational and political means for students to gain knowledge and to develop citizens. Only by active leaning could students develop scientific method and democratic habits rather than becoming passive pupils waiting to be told what things mean and what to do.” (page 18)
I feel that this quote is important because participation is a big part of schooling. I feel that participation is a big part of learning and you can ask questions if you run into a problem you do not understand. Active learning is a good thing because you develop skills that you will need in the future and you will understand things that happen in and outside the classroom. From my own experiences, participating in a classroom really benefits you because when you get out in the “real world”, there are not always going to be people to tell you or spoon feed you what is going on when your are the one who should understand. Becoming a passive pupils are people who are always waiting to be told what things mean and what to do. I feel that is being lazy and it really is not getting anything accomplished. Growing up I always tried to be and active learner because it helps when you are active in what is going on instead of having the teacher tell you what is going on, and it does not help you later on life. Later on in the future it will be harder for you to learn if all you were used was your teacher telling you what to do because you never really understood what was really going on.
Questions/Comments/Points to Share
Overall I thought this was a good article, but there were a couple of parts in the reading where I got mad at some of the things that were stated. Personally I feel that you cannot say how someone can be successful based on the education they get. I feel that I got a good education and I was not in any of the higher classes that were offered at my school. Sometimes people just judge on what certain people have and I feel that in the readings that we have had whether it was Johnson, Delpit, or even S.C.W.A.M.P, there is always a group of people that are superior to others which is false. I felt that this was an interesting reading because it has reinforced things that I have been improving on in my education.
Growing up I have always been reinforced to always ask questions and that is one of the best advices that I have ever received. Sometimes when you state your opinion, it can turn things around and sometimes your own opinion can say a lot. I feel that people just get by in their education but look they have trouble later on because they never really understood what was really going on. Think about it, how is that people who have a higher education are always the ones that can succeed, but people who do not have the privilege to do that cannot be just as successful.
1."“If the student’s task is to memorized rules and existing knowledge, without questioning the subject matter or the learning process, their potential for critical thought and action will be restricted.”(page 12)
I feel that getting by in school by memorizing and having existing knowledge will not help as you continue education in college. Questioning things in school is a very important thing because I used to just get by in middle school, but one of my closest teachers told me that I need to start to participate more and not to be afraid to ask questions. Asking questions is helpful because it helps you understand things more and in a way you get your own opinions out there and you have an equal say just like everyone else in the class. Thinking back on previous education before college, I think I should have questioned some of the things that my teachers said because I always took it in what the teacher said instead of questioning their knowledge. As I continue my education I have questioned more of the teachers/professors knowledge because this helps me in understanding what is going on inside of the classroom.
2."“Students in empowering classes should be expected to develop skills and knowledge as well as high expectations for themselves, their education, and their futures.”(page 16)
This quote stood out to me because this is talking about people who are in possibly honors classes and I feel that people who are in empowering classes, believe that they will have better expectations than someone who is not in empowering classes. I feel that people who are in empowering classes are expected to have a successful future ahead of them which sometimes can be misleading. In a way this reminded me of the Delpit reading but with the same concept. In the reading Delpit talked about the cultural of power and how the whites control society. I feel that it relates to the quote because it’s basically talking about one group of people and saying that they will do better than another group of people. I feel that this was saying people with a higher education should have high expectations for themselves and their futures which is not always true because someone with a lower education can do just as good with someone who has a higher education.
3.“Participation was an educational and political means for students to gain knowledge and to develop citizens. Only by active leaning could students develop scientific method and democratic habits rather than becoming passive pupils waiting to be told what things mean and what to do.” (page 18)
I feel that this quote is important because participation is a big part of schooling. I feel that participation is a big part of learning and you can ask questions if you run into a problem you do not understand. Active learning is a good thing because you develop skills that you will need in the future and you will understand things that happen in and outside the classroom. From my own experiences, participating in a classroom really benefits you because when you get out in the “real world”, there are not always going to be people to tell you or spoon feed you what is going on when your are the one who should understand. Becoming a passive pupils are people who are always waiting to be told what things mean and what to do. I feel that is being lazy and it really is not getting anything accomplished. Growing up I always tried to be and active learner because it helps when you are active in what is going on instead of having the teacher tell you what is going on, and it does not help you later on life. Later on in the future it will be harder for you to learn if all you were used was your teacher telling you what to do because you never really understood what was really going on.
Questions/Comments/Points to Share
Overall I thought this was a good article, but there were a couple of parts in the reading where I got mad at some of the things that were stated. Personally I feel that you cannot say how someone can be successful based on the education they get. I feel that I got a good education and I was not in any of the higher classes that were offered at my school. Sometimes people just judge on what certain people have and I feel that in the readings that we have had whether it was Johnson, Delpit, or even S.C.W.A.M.P, there is always a group of people that are superior to others which is false. I felt that this was an interesting reading because it has reinforced things that I have been improving on in my education.
Growing up I have always been reinforced to always ask questions and that is one of the best advices that I have ever received. Sometimes when you state your opinion, it can turn things around and sometimes your own opinion can say a lot. I feel that people just get by in their education but look they have trouble later on because they never really understood what was really going on. Think about it, how is that people who have a higher education are always the ones that can succeed, but people who do not have the privilege to do that cannot be just as successful.
Eighth Visit
April 16 was my Eighth visit to my elementary school. Today was going to be different because instead of showing up at the usual 930, I had to be at the school at 9. When I arrived at the school around 850, I noticed that a lot of the kids were arriving at school. I noticed that some of the younger kids were bringing in food, but I was not sure what was going on. After I signed in at the office, I walked down to my classroom and saw that Mrs. B was not there yet, so I waited until she got there. When she came to the class, I noticed that she had a whole bunch of food with her. As everything got settled down, kids from all different grade levels were bringing food in because there was a bake sale that would be taking place. Mrs. B was telling me that the kindergarten and first graders are taking a field trip to the zoo and they have to come up with money for the buses because the admission is free for them. She was telling me that they raised enough money for the buses but they were going to try and raise more money for them to have lunch at the zoo. She was telling me that people are even donating water for the kids to have the whole day and Mrs. B is even going to just buy her class little back packs to put their water in and other things. Once 930 rolled around, it was time for me to prepare on what I would be doing with the kids. I decided this week I would play a new game with them because the other games were getting repetitive and do some reading and listening exercises.
It was time for intervention and it was time for me to tutor my three girls. I decided that I would play a new game where you would have 3 words on one side of the card and on the other half there would be a letter and they would have to figure out which letter would replace the first or last letter of the word. This game challenged them because they did not know which letter to change but once they got the hang of things, they seemed to get the hang of things. I figured that this would help them in finding new words and being able to change from one word to another. After we did that I decided to go back and read a little booklet called the tin man. I remember the week before; one girl was just basically shouting out words and not following the text. Before we began reading I decided to have her move next to me because she gets distracted by the other girls easily. She got mad that she had to move, but I was hoping that it would not affect her. As the other girls were reading, I noticed that the girl that was sitting next to me was still shouting the words. I felt frustrated because she was still not doing what I told her to do. Once I talked to her about moving on to the listening exercise that she enjoyed last time, she got a little bit better at the reading. That whole time that she was reading I was thinking of what I should do whether to tell the teacher or to just forget about it. After reading we did a listening exercise. It was an exercise that we had done the previous week, but instead of having them put together the same poem I had done one, two buckle my shoe. As we were doing this, kids in other groups kept singing it and were the cutest thing. Once this was over, Mrs. B gave me my disposition form and told me that the girl I had in my group has not been doing work lately and she is working on getting her to focus more.
When I walked in my first grade classroom I noticed that the kids were very rowdy. The teacher was trying to control them but it was not working. She seemed relieved when it was time for intervention. I decided that I would do the exercises that the teacher said I could use from her personal pile. I decided that I would play a game where you blend words together. What they had to do was listen to me say the word and point to the beginning sounds that would appear in a milkshake picture. They seemed to know a lot of what is going on and they really understood blending words. I noticed that this game took 20 minutes because there had been a numerous amount of words that they had to figure out the sound too. After that I decided to finish up the game we started last time with having them figure out words, given the middle letters. They really came up with words that I would have never thought they would come up with. I was very surprised with what was being said out of their mouths or how they thought of the words. The whole time I was tutoring the kids, all I kept thinking about was when I first walked into the class. Most of the kids in the classroom are Hispanic and the teacher is white. For the kids to control the class over the white teacher I related this to Delpit and Johnson. I related that to Delpit because of the whole cultural of power and it ironic because Delpit was talking about how the blacks do not have the cultural of power but in this classroom they do over the white teacher. I also related it to Johnson because Johnson was talking about how whites are in a way superior but in this situation that is not the case.
Although I do not have intervention next time, I feel like it’s time for me to have a break from everything. It will be a sad thing when I only have two more visits at my school. I cannot wait to go to my ninth visit and doing intervention with them.
It was time for intervention and it was time for me to tutor my three girls. I decided that I would play a new game where you would have 3 words on one side of the card and on the other half there would be a letter and they would have to figure out which letter would replace the first or last letter of the word. This game challenged them because they did not know which letter to change but once they got the hang of things, they seemed to get the hang of things. I figured that this would help them in finding new words and being able to change from one word to another. After we did that I decided to go back and read a little booklet called the tin man. I remember the week before; one girl was just basically shouting out words and not following the text. Before we began reading I decided to have her move next to me because she gets distracted by the other girls easily. She got mad that she had to move, but I was hoping that it would not affect her. As the other girls were reading, I noticed that the girl that was sitting next to me was still shouting the words. I felt frustrated because she was still not doing what I told her to do. Once I talked to her about moving on to the listening exercise that she enjoyed last time, she got a little bit better at the reading. That whole time that she was reading I was thinking of what I should do whether to tell the teacher or to just forget about it. After reading we did a listening exercise. It was an exercise that we had done the previous week, but instead of having them put together the same poem I had done one, two buckle my shoe. As we were doing this, kids in other groups kept singing it and were the cutest thing. Once this was over, Mrs. B gave me my disposition form and told me that the girl I had in my group has not been doing work lately and she is working on getting her to focus more.
When I walked in my first grade classroom I noticed that the kids were very rowdy. The teacher was trying to control them but it was not working. She seemed relieved when it was time for intervention. I decided that I would do the exercises that the teacher said I could use from her personal pile. I decided that I would play a game where you blend words together. What they had to do was listen to me say the word and point to the beginning sounds that would appear in a milkshake picture. They seemed to know a lot of what is going on and they really understood blending words. I noticed that this game took 20 minutes because there had been a numerous amount of words that they had to figure out the sound too. After that I decided to finish up the game we started last time with having them figure out words, given the middle letters. They really came up with words that I would have never thought they would come up with. I was very surprised with what was being said out of their mouths or how they thought of the words. The whole time I was tutoring the kids, all I kept thinking about was when I first walked into the class. Most of the kids in the classroom are Hispanic and the teacher is white. For the kids to control the class over the white teacher I related this to Delpit and Johnson. I related that to Delpit because of the whole cultural of power and it ironic because Delpit was talking about how the blacks do not have the cultural of power but in this classroom they do over the white teacher. I also related it to Johnson because Johnson was talking about how whites are in a way superior but in this situation that is not the case.
Although I do not have intervention next time, I feel like it’s time for me to have a break from everything. It will be a sad thing when I only have two more visits at my school. I cannot wait to go to my ninth visit and doing intervention with them.
Misc. Post #2
Today on April 22, we had a group discussion on the Kliewer reading called “Citizenship in School.” This was not like any other discussion we had because today Dr. Joyce Stevos was not going to conduct the discussion, us as a class was going to do it. The first thing we did was we had group leaders and they had to pick the people they wanted in the group. My group contained me, Kalli, Sam, Carolyn, and Caitlyn. We mainly focused on how it connected to the Johnson reading with the discourse and we also had found quotes that each of us thought stood out to us. The quotes that we picked connected all together which we would use in the discussion. When it was time to come together we all had a lot to say, and I felt that everyone was not afraid to say their own input because we came together as a community. Everyone made valid points and I feel that I made some points too because sometimes I just talk about the articles I like and since this was one I really liked, I had more to say about it. I feel that Dr. Joyce Stevos was very happy of the whole class and this discussion showed that we can have a mature discussion about a topic that we all agree and relate to. I am happy that we had this type of class because no one was afraid to say anything and everyone respected what each person had to say.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Christopher Kliewer: Schooling Children with Down Syndrome
1. "As mentioned earlier, people with Down syndrome are joined in their struggle for citizenship by other oppressed groups."
This quote is important because people who do have Down syndrome/other disabilities do struggle in society. They struggle in society because they cannot do some of the things that people without disabilities can do. What makes it worse is that people who do not have these problems do not even give these people the time or day, which is bad because they really have done nothing wrong in society except for being born differently. I feel that this can relate to other readings because people who usually struggle in society are people who do not fit under the category of S.C.W.A.M.P.
2. “How absurd to be judged by other at all, especially by those who have never experienced a disability or who are unwillingly providing us with support or who don’t listen to the voices we have.”
This quote stood out to me because I feel that no one should be judged whether someone is different from you. I think that people have their own personalities where people should not have the right to judge no matter how superior they are. I feel that people who have never experienced something/someone with a disability should not be judging because you do not know what they have to go through. I feel that sometimes people do not care about them because even I would walk past them, but as I got older and met someone who has a disabled brother, I have been open minded about things and do not judge how they are different compared to me.
3.“Now we know that people with disabilities can learn and have a full’, rich life. The challenge is to erase negative attitudes about people with developmental disabilities, get rid of the stereotypes and break the barriers for people with disabilities.”
This quote stood out to me because I feel that people do need break the barriers for the people who have a disability. I feel that someone who does have a disability can learn the same things as people who do not have a disability, but they learn in different ways. For example, people with disabilities can stay in school longer/or until they are 21. Sometimes I think that people have not moved past judging people because it still takes place today and not a lot of people have been open minded about things that are not “normal” to them.
Questions/Comments/Points to Share
Overall this article was one that I really enjoyed reading. I liked reading this because I could relate to it. I have a friend who has an older brother who has Down syndrome. I remember her telling me that growing up he would get mad fun of her younger brother’s friends and she would be the one who have to say something about it. I feel that people do judge others if they are not like this and I feel that it relates to the cultural of power because disabled people are being oppressed which I feel is wrong.
After reading I have a clear understanding that it is wrong to judge people who have disabilities because they have a voice and they are like everybody else. If I could have one question it would be, why discriminate against people with disabilities. It is not their faults they are like this I feel that they were born like that for a reason and they should never be put down for something they cannot help.
This quote is important because people who do have Down syndrome/other disabilities do struggle in society. They struggle in society because they cannot do some of the things that people without disabilities can do. What makes it worse is that people who do not have these problems do not even give these people the time or day, which is bad because they really have done nothing wrong in society except for being born differently. I feel that this can relate to other readings because people who usually struggle in society are people who do not fit under the category of S.C.W.A.M.P.
2. “How absurd to be judged by other at all, especially by those who have never experienced a disability or who are unwillingly providing us with support or who don’t listen to the voices we have.”
This quote stood out to me because I feel that no one should be judged whether someone is different from you. I think that people have their own personalities where people should not have the right to judge no matter how superior they are. I feel that people who have never experienced something/someone with a disability should not be judging because you do not know what they have to go through. I feel that sometimes people do not care about them because even I would walk past them, but as I got older and met someone who has a disabled brother, I have been open minded about things and do not judge how they are different compared to me.
3.“Now we know that people with disabilities can learn and have a full’, rich life. The challenge is to erase negative attitudes about people with developmental disabilities, get rid of the stereotypes and break the barriers for people with disabilities.”
This quote stood out to me because I feel that people do need break the barriers for the people who have a disability. I feel that someone who does have a disability can learn the same things as people who do not have a disability, but they learn in different ways. For example, people with disabilities can stay in school longer/or until they are 21. Sometimes I think that people have not moved past judging people because it still takes place today and not a lot of people have been open minded about things that are not “normal” to them.
Questions/Comments/Points to Share
Overall this article was one that I really enjoyed reading. I liked reading this because I could relate to it. I have a friend who has an older brother who has Down syndrome. I remember her telling me that growing up he would get mad fun of her younger brother’s friends and she would be the one who have to say something about it. I feel that people do judge others if they are not like this and I feel that it relates to the cultural of power because disabled people are being oppressed which I feel is wrong.
After reading I have a clear understanding that it is wrong to judge people who have disabilities because they have a voice and they are like everybody else. If I could have one question it would be, why discriminate against people with disabilities. It is not their faults they are like this I feel that they were born like that for a reason and they should never be put down for something they cannot help.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Seventh Visit
April 9 was my seventh visit to my elementary school. I feel like I haven’t gone in a while because the Friday before was Good Friday. On the way to the school all I kept thinking was what had happened last time I had been there with the little boy and the girl. Then I thought that it was an issue that was probably forgotten about, so I should not be worried about it and not have it affect me while I teach to the kids. As usual I got there at 930, but today I had to talk to my kindergarten teacher on being able to go to the school at 9, instead of 930 because I will be short of hours if I do not go earlier. I walked in the office, did the same routine, and walked to my kindergarten class. I noticed that the other volunteer was not there, so I decided to prepare on what I would be doing with the kids today. I noticed that I got new things to do with the kids which were good because I really did not like reading the same things over and over again. There were readings that were a little bit more complex, but I knew that they would be able to handle them. Once I figured out what I would be doing the other volunteer walked in and she had been 15 mins late because of a family issue. I decided to play a game because that’s what is required to do on a Friday, also read a little bit, and then do a listening excersie where I read a poem and they have the words separated in front of them and they put the poem together. I felt that today was going to be a good day.
Once it was time for intervention I was very excited because I could not wait to get back in the groove of things since I had the week before off. As the kids started to scatter to their groups my three kids came over and it was time to begin. I noticed that one of my girls who always wear a hat was not wearing one today. It was a little different but I was not used to seeing her not wear a hat. Aside from all that it was time to begin. I started to do some reading because last time I really did not spend a lot of time reading. I decided to read a little booklet with them called Pam and Sam. Two of the three girls were really focusing on the reading but the other girl was really not trying to read. I knew that she could read this type of material because the week before that I was there she was reading perfectly. Once she really was not focusing, I decided to have her sit next to me because maybe she would focus better. As soon as she sat next to me and she was focused she was reading the story perfectly. I feel that she just needed to focus instead of just guessing what each word is and actually taking the time to look at each word. After we read, I decided to do the poem exercises. I would read a poem and they would have to put the poem together. The way I split this up was to have each girl do one line of the poem so they would get the equal amount of turns. I noticed that I would have to in a way spoon feed them what the word is because they would ask me to repeat the word over and over which got a little boring at times. Once I told them that I would only repeat the word once, they really got focused and took the exercise seriously. Lastly we played a game and it’s the same game I play with them every week because they enjoy it and it is the only game that Ms. W gave me. After I played the game with them I asked the teacher, Mrs. B if I could come at 9 instead of 930 from now on and she said that would be fine, which was good on my part because I needed to be able to get the hours done.I also gave her the disposition form for her to fill out and she seemed like it would be no problem, so I thanked her and went to my 1st grade class.
It was time for me to go to my first grade class and I was hoping everything would go very smoothly today. When I walked in I noticed on of students was absent, and the ones that happened to be there was the boy and girl that got into a predicament the week before. When I walked over it seemed that they had forgotten about it. When I looked at the materials that I had in my box, it seemed like it has not changed. I knew it would be the same thing that I would be doing from the previous weeks. As I was in the middle of playing the games with the kids, the teacher came over and told me that she has her own personal exercises/games for the kids that I can use from now on. That had been a relief because I felt that the kids were getting sick of doing the same thing over and over again. As it was time to go this one teacher was yelling at a student. At first I really did not know why she was but she said that she was yelling because the student was not saying a word right. It happened to be that the student was Hispanic and the teacher was white. I felt that connected to Delpit with the whole cultural of power and how the whites are the superior and things are their ways.
Overall I felt that this was a good visit and now next time I have to arrive at the school for 9 to get my hours done sooner. I cannot wait for my 8th visit.Thinking back on this I have realized that I have to be more focused with the kids because I feel that they can do the work if they are focused and ready to learn new material.
Once it was time for intervention I was very excited because I could not wait to get back in the groove of things since I had the week before off. As the kids started to scatter to their groups my three kids came over and it was time to begin. I noticed that one of my girls who always wear a hat was not wearing one today. It was a little different but I was not used to seeing her not wear a hat. Aside from all that it was time to begin. I started to do some reading because last time I really did not spend a lot of time reading. I decided to read a little booklet with them called Pam and Sam. Two of the three girls were really focusing on the reading but the other girl was really not trying to read. I knew that she could read this type of material because the week before that I was there she was reading perfectly. Once she really was not focusing, I decided to have her sit next to me because maybe she would focus better. As soon as she sat next to me and she was focused she was reading the story perfectly. I feel that she just needed to focus instead of just guessing what each word is and actually taking the time to look at each word. After we read, I decided to do the poem exercises. I would read a poem and they would have to put the poem together. The way I split this up was to have each girl do one line of the poem so they would get the equal amount of turns. I noticed that I would have to in a way spoon feed them what the word is because they would ask me to repeat the word over and over which got a little boring at times. Once I told them that I would only repeat the word once, they really got focused and took the exercise seriously. Lastly we played a game and it’s the same game I play with them every week because they enjoy it and it is the only game that Ms. W gave me. After I played the game with them I asked the teacher, Mrs. B if I could come at 9 instead of 930 from now on and she said that would be fine, which was good on my part because I needed to be able to get the hours done.I also gave her the disposition form for her to fill out and she seemed like it would be no problem, so I thanked her and went to my 1st grade class.
It was time for me to go to my first grade class and I was hoping everything would go very smoothly today. When I walked in I noticed on of students was absent, and the ones that happened to be there was the boy and girl that got into a predicament the week before. When I walked over it seemed that they had forgotten about it. When I looked at the materials that I had in my box, it seemed like it has not changed. I knew it would be the same thing that I would be doing from the previous weeks. As I was in the middle of playing the games with the kids, the teacher came over and told me that she has her own personal exercises/games for the kids that I can use from now on. That had been a relief because I felt that the kids were getting sick of doing the same thing over and over again. As it was time to go this one teacher was yelling at a student. At first I really did not know why she was but she said that she was yelling because the student was not saying a word right. It happened to be that the student was Hispanic and the teacher was white. I felt that connected to Delpit with the whole cultural of power and how the whites are the superior and things are their ways.
Overall I felt that this was a good visit and now next time I have to arrive at the school for 9 to get my hours done sooner. I cannot wait for my 8th visit.Thinking back on this I have realized that I have to be more focused with the kids because I feel that they can do the work if they are focused and ready to learn new material.
Jean Anyon: "Social class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work
Quotes
1."In the middle-class school, work is getting the right answer. If one accumulates enough right answers, one gets a good grade."
School is not all about getting good grades. I feel that school is bettering yourself and making sure you are ready for college. I feel that getting the right answers is not always a good thing because anyone can get the right answer and not know what is going on. Like I went to a high school where as I was leaving they cared more about understanding than getting the right answer, which is how things should be. I feel that people need to start understanding things better because they really cannot just get by in life getting the right answers if they did not know how to get them.
2."It's no surprise that schools in wealthy communities are better than those in poor communities, or that they better prepare their students for desirable jobs. It may be shocking, however, to learn how vast the differences in schools are - not so much in resources as in teaching methods and philosophies of education"
I feel that this quote is true/false in certain ways because wealthier communities/people do go to better schools and they pay more money to go to those private schools. Sometimes people who are in poorer communities do get a better education because they are smarter than those who are in wealthier communities. Sometimes schools do have a better education for the kids but the kids that understand things better will exceed more because like I said before it does not always matter about getting the right answer. Sometimes I also feel that it is the teachers way of teaching things because if you have a smart teacher and they are not really putting things in a persons perspective, then they will not understand it.
3."The teachers were very polite to the children, and the investigator heard no sarcasm, no nasty remarks, and few direct orders. The teachers never called the children "honey" or "dear" but always called them by name. The teachers were expected to be available before school, after school, and for part of their lunchtime to provide extra help if needed."
This quote shows dedication by the teacher because the teachers want to help kids more. I remember when I was in school some teachers really never took the time to stay after school for extra help or even after class. I feel that these are the types of teachers that have the cultural of power because the kids get to do what they want.This is a good way of having them learn because it is their own way of learning and they understand things in their own way.
Overall I thought that this article was eye opening because this was something that I will always remember. I feel that it does not matter you grow up, it matters the effort you put in and the way you understand things. I relate this to Delpit, because of the cultural of power. I wish that people would really look at the picture of things. I enjoyed reading about what Anyon had to say it was very influential.
1."In the middle-class school, work is getting the right answer. If one accumulates enough right answers, one gets a good grade."
School is not all about getting good grades. I feel that school is bettering yourself and making sure you are ready for college. I feel that getting the right answers is not always a good thing because anyone can get the right answer and not know what is going on. Like I went to a high school where as I was leaving they cared more about understanding than getting the right answer, which is how things should be. I feel that people need to start understanding things better because they really cannot just get by in life getting the right answers if they did not know how to get them.
2."It's no surprise that schools in wealthy communities are better than those in poor communities, or that they better prepare their students for desirable jobs. It may be shocking, however, to learn how vast the differences in schools are - not so much in resources as in teaching methods and philosophies of education"
I feel that this quote is true/false in certain ways because wealthier communities/people do go to better schools and they pay more money to go to those private schools. Sometimes people who are in poorer communities do get a better education because they are smarter than those who are in wealthier communities. Sometimes schools do have a better education for the kids but the kids that understand things better will exceed more because like I said before it does not always matter about getting the right answer. Sometimes I also feel that it is the teachers way of teaching things because if you have a smart teacher and they are not really putting things in a persons perspective, then they will not understand it.
3."The teachers were very polite to the children, and the investigator heard no sarcasm, no nasty remarks, and few direct orders. The teachers never called the children "honey" or "dear" but always called them by name. The teachers were expected to be available before school, after school, and for part of their lunchtime to provide extra help if needed."
This quote shows dedication by the teacher because the teachers want to help kids more. I remember when I was in school some teachers really never took the time to stay after school for extra help or even after class. I feel that these are the types of teachers that have the cultural of power because the kids get to do what they want.This is a good way of having them learn because it is their own way of learning and they understand things in their own way.
Overall I thought that this article was eye opening because this was something that I will always remember. I feel that it does not matter you grow up, it matters the effort you put in and the way you understand things. I relate this to Delpit, because of the cultural of power. I wish that people would really look at the picture of things. I enjoyed reading about what Anyon had to say it was very influential.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Elizabeth Weil: Teaching Boys and Girls Separately
1. "Scans of boys and girls brains over time also show they develop differently. Analyzing data from the largest pediatric neuro-imaging study to date-829 scans from 387 subject’s ages 3 to 27-researchers from the National Institute of Mental Health found that total cerebral volume peaks at 10.5 years in girls, four years earlier than in boys."
To me this quote stood out to me because when people usually compare boys and girls, it seems to be that boys are better than girls. I feel that girls can do anything a boy can do and with other readings they have the boys being superior to girls but in this reading, I feel that they are not judging a boy or girl; they are basically stating facts about scans that have been tested about boys and girls about their cerebral volume peaks. I feel that they do these tests all the time so I feel that these are right but not going against a certain gender.
2."One of Sax’s core arguments is that trying to teach a 5-year-old boy to read is as developmentally fraught as trying to teach a 3 ½-year-old girl and that such an exercise often leads to a kid hating school. This argument resonates with many teachers and parents, who long for the days when kindergarten meant learning how to stand in line for recess, not needing to complete phonics homework."
I feel that this argument Sax says is probably one of the reasons why boys and girls are separated because boys and girls or even anyone learn at a different level at different times. I feel that kids really need to learn things at a young age because these are the years where kids learn mostly everything they need in life. The parents and teachers are a big part of the kid’s life and they need to realize that they are the ones who have to set ground rules to make sure their kids get an education. Also these two people have big responsibilities in what they teach kids because if they don’t teach their kids when they are young they will never want to learn.
3."65 percent of boys complete high school in four years; 72 percent of girls do. Boys make up two-thirds of special-education students. They are 1.5 times more likely to be held back a grade and 2.5 times more likely to be given diagnoses of A.D.H.D."
From this I really like picking out statistics from this reading. I feel that from what I can see is sometimes when boys are in high school they tend to get frustrated and quit school. From what I can recall from high school more boys dropped out than girls did and I feel that girls like school more and sometimes from what these statistics say, boys just don’t have the patience’s to sit in high school all day. Also I think that most special education students are boys because one girl in class stated that she teaches a classroom full of all boys who are in special education. I feel that from what she said and my own experience it is true but there are also girls who are special education students.
Questions/Comments/Points to Share
Before reading this I never really knew that public schools separated boys and girls. I feel that it may be a good thing and a bad thing. From what I can tell from this reading is that girls learn faster than boys do but I feel that some boys can learn faster than girls. I also found interesting was that boys make up two thirds of special education. I relate this to my own experience because in high school there were a lot more boys than girls in special education and I question why this may be the way it is. I feel that this text is making girls seem smarter than guys but then I think to myself, how come all of the other text we read they have the boys being superior and above girls when in this text, girls learn faster than guys and are less likely to be diagnosed with A.D.H.D. Another thing I thought caught my eye was some of the things Sax said because he never was in a classroom before and I really got frustrated with him at times because I feel that you need to have the experience before you can really say you know something. Overall this was a good reading and it opened up my eyes to see what kinds of school setting they have for the kids.
To me this quote stood out to me because when people usually compare boys and girls, it seems to be that boys are better than girls. I feel that girls can do anything a boy can do and with other readings they have the boys being superior to girls but in this reading, I feel that they are not judging a boy or girl; they are basically stating facts about scans that have been tested about boys and girls about their cerebral volume peaks. I feel that they do these tests all the time so I feel that these are right but not going against a certain gender.
2."One of Sax’s core arguments is that trying to teach a 5-year-old boy to read is as developmentally fraught as trying to teach a 3 ½-year-old girl and that such an exercise often leads to a kid hating school. This argument resonates with many teachers and parents, who long for the days when kindergarten meant learning how to stand in line for recess, not needing to complete phonics homework."
I feel that this argument Sax says is probably one of the reasons why boys and girls are separated because boys and girls or even anyone learn at a different level at different times. I feel that kids really need to learn things at a young age because these are the years where kids learn mostly everything they need in life. The parents and teachers are a big part of the kid’s life and they need to realize that they are the ones who have to set ground rules to make sure their kids get an education. Also these two people have big responsibilities in what they teach kids because if they don’t teach their kids when they are young they will never want to learn.
3."65 percent of boys complete high school in four years; 72 percent of girls do. Boys make up two-thirds of special-education students. They are 1.5 times more likely to be held back a grade and 2.5 times more likely to be given diagnoses of A.D.H.D."
From this I really like picking out statistics from this reading. I feel that from what I can see is sometimes when boys are in high school they tend to get frustrated and quit school. From what I can recall from high school more boys dropped out than girls did and I feel that girls like school more and sometimes from what these statistics say, boys just don’t have the patience’s to sit in high school all day. Also I think that most special education students are boys because one girl in class stated that she teaches a classroom full of all boys who are in special education. I feel that from what she said and my own experience it is true but there are also girls who are special education students.
Questions/Comments/Points to Share
Before reading this I never really knew that public schools separated boys and girls. I feel that it may be a good thing and a bad thing. From what I can tell from this reading is that girls learn faster than boys do but I feel that some boys can learn faster than girls. I also found interesting was that boys make up two thirds of special education. I relate this to my own experience because in high school there were a lot more boys than girls in special education and I question why this may be the way it is. I feel that this text is making girls seem smarter than guys but then I think to myself, how come all of the other text we read they have the boys being superior and above girls when in this text, girls learn faster than guys and are less likely to be diagnosed with A.D.H.D. Another thing I thought caught my eye was some of the things Sax said because he never was in a classroom before and I really got frustrated with him at times because I feel that you need to have the experience before you can really say you know something. Overall this was a good reading and it opened up my eyes to see what kinds of school setting they have for the kids.
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