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.