Miscellaneous Post #2

Today, was out last FNED class. I thought I would be excited to leave class and endeavor into my summer, yet I found a since of sadness in departing from class for the last time. During this semester I have learned countless lessons through out this class and I will bring them with me throughout all I do in my major, and even more helpfully, in life. Thank you to everyone who brought new and eye opening opinions, and to Dr. Joyce. Without her, the class wouldn't have become a community.

Journal #9: Elementary School Visit

My last visit to the elementary was interesting at best. It started with Caitlyn and I driving to the school, me going to the literacy teacher's office, only to find her not there. I then went to class without a lesson plan and found that another volunteer in my class had some activities I could do with the kids. I started off by timing the kids on their fluidity in reading one to two sentence phrases. They have recently been working on timing themselves as to how many words they can read in a minute. They all took turns, and I even had a celebratory moment with one girl. She was able to read 8 out of the 10 phrases in a minute, and not only did she work through them all, she read them well, paying attention to punctuation. I was extremely proud of her progress and have noticed a large improvement since February.

I did however, have a mishap in the classroom that I was unsure of. One of the little girls I work with had told me she was tired. I then asked why and she said she had gone to bed at 2 in the morning because she was at a club for her sisters 26th birthday. After telling me that she went on to say they let her drink alcohol there as well. I took what she said into consideration and was concerned about the behavior. I also realized though, that this little girl likes t elaborate all her stories in search for some attention. She has also told me that her Grandmother is alive and 160 years old. I am going to see how she is next week though, and if it seems that she iterates an odd behavior again, I will probably tell the teacher and see how they should handle it from there.

In any case, I have only one visit left to my school and I am saddened to leave the kids. They are always so happy to be working on reading and literacy, even when it is difficult for them. I have very well behaved children in my group and it doesn't take long for them to adhere to the directions I give them at all. Overall these past nine weeks have been extremely helpful, eye-opening, and most of, fun.

Journal #8: Elementary School Visit

This week on my visit to the elementary school was alike all the others, with only a few exceptions. Like always, I entered the school, picked up lesson plans, and went to my classroom where the kids were, as every week, working on their stories they write every day. This routine reminds me of the discussion on lower, working class in the Anyon reading. My group is in fact from a distinctly lower class and I have noticed that every week I go to the room, they are doing the same thing every time. A very routine working schedule, just as the reading moderates.

While observing, I also taught the children games about fluency and matching. We played one of their favorite games, Go Fish. It is set up to be go fish, only with matching cards involved. The kids put together words such as, Hat:Cat and Fan:Pan. It makes them think about the rhyme, and also equally work on sight words. The next game we played was Candy Land. This game was fun, yet worked well because in order to move the pieces the kids had to say the sight words written on the back of the card.

I still have to attend the school two more times no oder to obtain my 15 hours, but I am not upset about it because I very much enjoy my children that I teach and I will miss them when I leave. They have all have made an impact on me in school and how I will teach throughout my career.

Miscellaneous Post #1

Today, in my Western Literature class, we discussed a book, Ceremony, written by Leslie Silko. The book is about a man named Tayo who is conflicted with his life. He is half Native-American and half white. In his mixed race he has trouble deciding whether to assimilate to the white culture or stay with the roots of his Native-American culture. I saw this story had a relation to Delpit's Culture of Power along with Rodriguez's talk of loosing your culture. I found it interesting how the readings of FNED tied into another class. I was able to use my outside knowledge in the class discussion to bring a new aspect into the conversation.

Talking Points #10: Shor

1.) "He urged teachers to encourage students to question their experience in school: "You must arouse children's curiosity and make them think about school..."

-This quote stood out to me, even though it is only on the first page, it one of my favorites because i think children should be allowed to question authority. They should not only do as they're told, but also be curious as to why they're learning it and think what it will do for them in the future. In a way I took this as creating a discourse between kids and authority.

2.) "In school and society, the lack of meaningful participation alienates workers, teachers, and students. This alienation lowers their productivity in class and on the job. I think of this lowered productivity as a performance strike, an unorganized mass refusal to perform well, and informal and unacknowledged strike."

- This resinated with me because it so true that the more people don't want to be teaching or students don't want to learn, the less productive the school community will be. Each school member, whether teacher or student, feed off of each other and essentially lead people to strive for better, or produce worse material.

3.) "The teacher plays a key role in the crucial classroom. Student participation and positive emotions are influenced by the teacher's commitment to both."

- This statement is not only completely true, in the sense that if a teacher can motivate a child, they will want to be in school much more, but it also reminds me of the culture of power. In the reading of Delpit, in which the culture of power is discussed, people should conform to the culture of power. This quote reminds me of that because it is children conforming the the culture of power, yet in a good and helpful way. If students like their teacher, then they will strive to please and do right by them, opposed to students who don't care and don't want to conform.

This reading summed up a lot of what we have talked about in class, and I liked it as the last reading because it focused on simply education and classrooms. I liked the focus of how teachers effect classrooms because that's why we're all in class, to learn how to be unbiased, and well-rounded teachers.

Talking Points #9: Kliewer

1.) "How absurd to be judged by others at all, especially by those who have never experienced a disability or who are unwillingly providing us with support ow who don't listen to the voices we have."

- This statement is completely true. It goes back to the saying of put yourself in someone elses shoes. People should not be judged on how fast they learn or what they can and can't achieve, but the person they are to other people.

2.) "Dialogue cannot occur... between those who deny others the right to speak their word and those whose right to speak has been denied them."

-This idea of a discourse is something that all too often doesn't happen between people with disabilities and people without, and it needs to. The talk of a discourse, as mentioned in Carlson, is something that needs to happen in order for people to come together and function as a society.

3.) "Such acceptance as the aim when children with Down syndrome join their nondisabled peers the classrooms, and many school and individual teachers have entered into this effort, which seeks and finds community value in all children."

-I agree completely that children with Down syndrome should be allowed in an all inclusive classroom and not have to be separated from children that will probably, in the long run, help them grow.

This article is one of my favorites because it was something I can relate to having a cousin with Down syndrome. I see my Aunt's struggle to keep him included in classrooms when the school system wants to separate him, and it is unfair. Children with disabilities that are not profound enough to need a special classroom or school should be allowed to join in with others as a foundation for growth. This reading tied in greatly to Carlson in that it talks of creating a discourse and that if the minority in a society is heard and talked about they won't be such a minority any more, just a diverse community.

Journal #7: Elementary School Visit

For my 7th visit to the elementary school, I was eager to start lesson plans as usual. There were new games in the folder today that consisted of a matching game using sight words. I was excited to start working on the words with them because I know they could always use more work on becoming fluent in reading. The sight words seem to help them make their phrases more fluent. I started working on a timed game in which the kids had to read simple phrases correct and with the correct inflection within a 3 minute period. They love competition among each other so this was great fun for them.

We then read the story of the three little bears and they each took turns reading their lines as if it was a play. We talked once again about periods and commas, they seem to be getting better at reading than at the beginning of our meetings and I am happy to help.

On another note, the girls in my class told me about how they are all dating the same boy, and it's okay for them to do so as long as they don't fight over him. I found this a funny little side note to my visit to the school and I hope to have more fun moments as I continue volunteering.

One connection to the readings I could make from this visit would be the kids that were being pulled out of class for special help. This reminds me of the Oakes reading on tracking, and that the kids all learn the same, and the smarter children aren't held back, yet the ones who need extra help attain that as well. I see this system work very well each visit and yet children aren't separated for any reason, making the tracking system unneeded.

Talking Points #8: Anyon

1.) "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."

- This quote stood out to me because I didn't think that it would truly make a difference in what type of schooling someone received. To me, you're schooling is all how you perceive it. If you apply yourself and attain a good then I didn't see how income could change anything.

2.) "In the two working-class schools, work is following the steps of a procedure. The procedure is usually mechanical, involving rote behavior and very little decision making or choice. The teachers rarely explain why the work is being assigned, how it might connect to other assignments, or what the idea is that lies behind the procedure or gives it coherence and perhaps meaning or significance."

-This stood out because it is clear to see that the children in the middle class are being prepped to work as blue collar employees. They use methods like; follow procedure and rote behavior, this is something that would be greatly used during a regular skills using job.

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 exemplified to me a great deal of power and privilege being put into use by the school, teachers, and by the children themselves. The kids had the privilege to do as they pleased in the class room, and the teachers treated them with equal amounts of respect. I saw this as being a great difference from the "working class school' in which the kids were to do as told and follow all rules.

This reading opened my eyes to many of the differences in teaching at schools of lower to higher class. I also saw it tying in greatly to readings of Delpit's culture of power and Johnson's philosophies on power and privilege.

Journal #6: Elementary School Visit

I had a very great day today at my elementary school. I came in to find that the teacher that is present in my classroom, was out for the day and there was a substitute. The children were not respecting the teacher, and her culture of power, as discussed in Delpit, was clearly being taken away do to lack of privilege given by the students. I grouped my children together and we worked on a matching and writing game with sight words. They seem to be getting a lot better with knowing sight words off hand, and the improvement is helping them when reading.

Then, we moved on the recognizing blends, as in: sh, ch, st, they have a hard time recognizing that you don't pull the syllables apart. While learning these, the kids started to get off track, and talk about how a girl in the class was Puerto Rican, but was "too" white. I kindly informed them that was not the task, and that it did not matter skin tone of a person, her heritage could be Puerto Rican. I could also relate this to talk of Rodriguez and that a person can loose their identity in main stream life.

I enjoyed teaching again today and I look forward to next week too because the kids seem to be making progress. They also wrote me little notes that said, "I love you." I must say, it was the most adorable thing I've ever seen.

Talking Points #7: Weil

1. "Separating schoolboys from schoolgirls has long been a staple of private and parochial education. But the idea is now gaining traction in American public schools, in response to both the desire of parents to have more choice in their children’s public education and the separate education crises girls and boys have been widely reported to experience."

- I am unsure as to my reaction to this reading, because I think separation, in anyway, especially at a young age, can be harmful to the growth socially of children. The idea of one group being better than another and, "privilege", as talked about by Johnston, can be applied.

2. "Currently, there are 49, and 65 percent of those have opened in the last three years. Nobody is keeping exact count of the number of schools offering single-sex classrooms, but Sax estimates that in the fall of 2002, only about a dozen public schools in the United States offered any kind of single-sex educational options. By this past fall, Sax says, that number had soared to more than 360, with boys- and girls-only classrooms now established in Cleveland; Detroit; Albany; Gary, Ind.; Philadelphia; Dallas; and Nashville, among other places.

- I find this number very low, if the article says that it is such a good idea, I think this shows that people have apprehensions of separating kids, regardless of the learning rate they have.

3. "Sax also goes out of his way to note that Bender had this conversation with the boy “shoulder to shoulder,” not “face to face.” “Just remember this rule of thumb,” Sax tells readers: “A good place to talk with your son is in your car, with you driving and your son in the passenger seat.”

- This was an interesting point of view on the situation, that kids open up more when they are not directly facing a person. I can remember back to elementary school when I would talk more to my parents (not like I didn't talk enough all the time), when I was in the car and not indirectly speaking to them

-I am still unsure how I feel about the single-sex classrooms. In a way I see it as going backwards instead of forwards in the bridging the gap of who is "better" than another.

Talking Points #6: Tricia Rose

This talking points was an interesting one to write about. I found the news clip about 'hip hop' useful to watch and as I started paying attention I took notice to the start of the clip when it is discussed that 'hip hop' is all the rage and there for is talked about less. I agree with this statement mainly because I think there are racial issues and derogatory references that go along with 'hip hop', but because it's such a large influence today society is less apt to talk about it.

Another part of the video I found interesting was the talk about what is 'hip hop'. I took notice to the fact that they acknowledge the change in 'hip hop' and culture in current times. I noticed the fact that they also acknowledge that men are supposed to be "stronger" and not notice weakness.

This news clip was one of great knowledge and I enjoyed how well spoken the professor on the clip was. She was well knowledgeable and seeing someone speak other than just reading it in an article. It helped when putting a face to the name.

Journal #5: Elementary School Visit

For my visit today, I arrived at normal time, and proceeded into the classroom. I was excited to work with the children as usual, and like always, they were equally excited to see me.

We worked on a game in which pictures were handed out to the children and then they were to find the beginnings and endings of the sight words and match them together. The kids liked the game, especially because they enjoy being timed and having a competition. I try to keep it a friendly competition though, and make it known that they all do equally well. The kids had some trouble spelling a few words, so we worked on writing them five times each and phonetically sounding them out.

We then moved on to reading time, each child took turns reading a page, which is always their favorite activity. They reiterated to me that punctuation has to be closely paid attention to because it makes reading sound smoother. They tend to have trouble with reading fluency so reading is what normally helps them most.

The kids all listened attentively to me and have no trouble listening when I give directions. My visits have been going very well, and I hope to keep them that way. They are very enjoyable.

Journal #4: Elementary School Visit

As my fourth visit for the elementary school, I was as excited as usual. I waited inside the room as the kids came in from the bathroom break. We worked on compound words during our sessions. It was a matching game that the kids really enjoyed. They put together words like 'grandmother' and 'butterfly'. I had trouble with the kids taking turns, but they learned to share and the session went really well. Some of the kids talked a bit inappropriately, but I taught them some knew ways to say words that are appropriate.

The session went well, I hope it goes equally as well next time.

Talking Points #5: Kahne & Westheimer

1.) "With the current interest in and allocation of resources to service learning comes a growing need to clarify the ideological perspectives that underlie service learning programs."

-This stood out to me mostly because it brings up the question of why servicing the community is done. It isn't always being done because it's the right thing to do. It's happening because people are forced to partake.

2.) "These curriculum theorists and education reformers wanted students to engage in service learning projects so that they would recognize that their academic abilities and collective commitments could help them respond in meaningful ways to a variety of social concerns."\

-I agree with the fact that In the second teacher, Ms. Adam's. the kids not only helped others, but also learned and saw meaning in what they did. They weren't just servicing the community to say they'd helped. They studied and made a difference. This compared to Johnson, seemed to be of greater use.

3.) "David Hornbeck, former Maryland state superintendent, referred to as "the joy of reaching out to others.""

- I found this quote to connect personally to me. It voiced the outlook I have on the service learning I do for FNED. It is supposed to be a job, but even more so for me, I find if enjoyable and eye opening. I not only help kids to learn new aspects of reading and writing, but learn new ways to teach so it is most affective.

This reading was one that I found very different from the others. It brought in a new aspect of what we learn in class. It talked less of unprivileged, or oppressed people, and more on how those could be helped. It still though, could connect to Delpit's Culture of Power, in that those who are in the culture of power help, and those who aren't get the services to teach them.

Journal #3: Elementary School Visit

On my third visit to West, I told the children I would bring them stickers if they had behaved, and so as I entered the classroom, I carried in hand a bag with Hannah Montana, Tinkerbell, and Spiderman stickers. I called up the first group of three children and we went over an activity on contractions that entailed the kids pulling apart words from contractions to find the meaning. We quickly went through the activity and because the kids understood the concept well, I allowed them to read aloud. Each child took turns reading a page in the story book. This activity is probably most helpful of them all because the children don't get much reading time other wise and need work on fluency and completing phrases.

I was able to work on the same activities with the second group that I called up, they took a bit longer to understand the concepts so had less reading time. We still got to read though, which is something they greatly enjoyed. Not as much as the stickers at the end of class though, that was the biggest hit of all. I was told next week to make sure I bring plenty more back. I hope my visits keep going this well because I enjoy my time in the classroom greatly.

Talking Points #4: Christensen

1.) "... according to the novels I red my thick ankles doomed me to be cast as the peasant woman reaping hay while the heroine swept by with her handsome man in hot pursuit."

- This statement made just in the second paragraph stood out to me at first glance because it exemplifies the ideologies that are placed in children's heads at the early age of even four or five when stories of Cinderella, or The Little Mermaid are most appealing. I had never really looked into the fact that all the fairytale 'Disney' characters were all young, skinny, pretty girls without any apparent flaws. The idea of being 'perfect' is instilled at such an early age without ever even knowing it.

2.) "She was beginning to peel back the veneer covering some of the injustice in out society, and she was dismayed by what she discovered."

- I had the same reaction while reading this article. I began to see that the stereotypes we have in society in the way boys and girls 'should' carry themselves. I connected this article more and more the the idea of scwamp; in that fairytales are always; straight, white, privileged men saving women. This is true in most cases except for the occasional story.

3.) "I realized these problems weren't just in cartoons. They were in everything - every magazine I picked up, every television show I watched, every billboard I passed by on the street."

- Another aspect I considered while reading this article was that the stereotypes in childhood movies carry over into the media, magazines, and simple ads. It doesn't end while the mind is forming at a young age, 'scwamp' is a concept that never leaves.

This article is one of my favorites because it discusses themes and stereotypes that I had never really read into. I knew that fairytales were very small minded, but the thought that they start molding minds by such a young age never really sunk in. This also plays into the ideas of scawmp and the culture of power greatly.

Journal #2: Elementary School Visit

On my second visit to the school of West, I was greatly enthused about returning. It was again, raining, so I made my way quickly into the building where the children were just returning from a bathroom break and snack. As I set up my lesson plans at the small corner table, I heard several; "Hi Miss. Sam"'s, from kids walking around the class.

Several minutes later, I had the first set of three children up at the table with me. They were eager to begin the games for the day, both of which were based on consonance, vowel, consonance words. One game we played was to create as many sight words using CVC, and the other was to roll dice and make words. The game in which to roll dice, was the more successful of the two games. Once both of those were completed, there was still time left so we had reading time in which the children read to me from reading books on their desks.

The same pattern was followed from the second group of kids who finished early as well. We read for about fifteen minutes and then it came time for me to leave. By the time I left, I had been convinced that for each sight word the kids made up they got either Hannah Montana, Jonas Brothers, or iCarly stickers. Guess I'll be making a trip to the dollar store some time soon...

Talking Points #3: Carlson

1.) ["But words do not merely stand in for "things." They emerge out of and take on meaning within particular discourses and practices. Thus, the words "homosexual,""gay,""lesbian," and "queer" have histories we have to consider when we invoke them."]

- This quote was stand out to me because it says that words aren't just words and meaning is behind all of them. I think that it is mentionable as well because people don't consider what the words they say mean when saying them.

2.) ["Nothing seems more certain than the homosexuality is contagious."]

- This part of the reading was stand out mainly because it was so mind boggling to me. I can't rap my head around the fact that people could be so ignorant in thinking homosexuality could be contagious. It's sad to me that that's how people actually think it'll happen, that to be around a gay person you can simply catch. It's so far from the truth I was thoroughly taken aback.

3.) ["For the more they talk about things gay, the more the taboo collapses."]

- I found this to be very true. I think the more it is talked about and not pushed under the rug, the more people will come to see it as just a normal, everyday, part of life. The fact that others want to make it quiet and want people to fit into the 'culture of power' is a task that can't be done.

This reading was interesting to me because I have many close gay friends in my life and to me, I would never think twice about judging others on their sexuality. Sexuality doesn't change a person, it is a part of who they are, but it's not all that there is to a person and I had to really open my mind to see how close minded others could be. This article closely related to the idea of 'scwamp' and how society and those of higher power want to only acknowledge people who fit the mold of the 'culture of power' talked of by Marie Delpit.

I had my eyes opened to others hesitancy on different types of sexuality that I other wise wouldn't know because I wouldn't associate with other people's ignorance and lack of knowledge.

Journal #1; First Elementary School Visit

As I took my first visit to my school of West on a dreary Wednesday, I attempted to find the correct building and park in the correct spot, while in the downfall of rain, which seemed to be a task in itself.

Once inside, I was seated in the office while I waited for other FNED students in the program to arrive, and for the literacy coach to give us an orientation. She gladly walked us through the activities and steps of tutoring and volunteering, then brought us each to our individual classrooms. There, I was introduced to the six students I would be working with. Each group of three kids got to split their time with me and I found the whole visit quite enjoyable. I look forward to returning next week!

Talking Points #2: Rodriguez

1. "An accident of geography sent me to a school where all my classmates were white, many the children of doctors and lawyers and business executives."

-I found this quote on the first page to be stand out because it is an example of how geography can play a large role in how you live, or are viewed in society. It reminded me of the reading Amazing Grace, by Kozol because that book was a large discussion on how location can be a struggle in life. This quote is displaying that idea.

2. "We lived among many gringos and only a block from teh biggest, whitest houses."

-When I read this at first, I laughed at the grammar used because gringo, is Spanish slang for a white, English person. I also was confused knowing what gringo meant, if the 'whitest houses' part of the sentence referred to the actual color of the houses, or the people who lived in them. It was just an interesting set up.

3. "It was her public face the mortician had designed with his dubious art."

-The last sentence of this reading was stand out to me because it displays the underlying message that growing up in an English speaking society, not knowing the speech of many as a first language, gives two different personas to people. The person who is comfortable in their own skin, and the person who tried to mold to what society accepts.

Talking Points #1: Kozol

Jonathan Kozol; Amazing Grace

Samantha Taylor

1. "Depression is common among children n Mott Haven. Many cry a great deal but cannot explain exactly why. (p. 4)"

- This is a stand out quote to me because it demonstrates the emotional stress put on children living in such a bad area. It is strong for me because the children don't even have reasons for why they are crying, yet neurologically and emotionally they keep becoming more and more unstable.

2. "Come on over here, I'll show you how to end your life. (p.)"

-This quote stuck out to me mainly because it was such a strong statement to add in at the end of the reading and it made me realize just how hard it must be to live in a place that it seems impossible to escape from.

3."We came here in chains, and now we buy our own chains and we put them on ourselves. (p.)"

-The last stand out quote to me was this because it is displaying how some people are oppressed because they can in some ways do it to themselves, and they get into bad things such as drugs that bring them down even more.

I found this reading to be different because it was factual, yet also included statistics and evidence as well. I liked the incorporation of both to make it a better read article. While I read it, I was interested as well as informed, alike the story of Wind-Wolf, and the Indian father's plea.

It also relates to over texts we've read because there is much discussion on diversity, and poverty, both of which play into the idea of scawmp. The discussion on minorities and their struggle to survive can greatly connect to the "culture of power" and the Johnson reading on oppression.

First Post #1

I am currently a freshmen at RIC, and my major is El. Ed./Special Ed. with a minor in Spanish. So far my semester has been going well, I don't have a vert hard schedule and I enjoy my classes more than last semester.

While I'm not in classes I enjoy hanging out with my roommate/best friend Meghan. We live on campus in Sweet. When we're not out or doing homework I like to play the piano and listen to music.