The one thing I've started to do but I feel is kind of selfish is talk to my younger cousins about the different choices there are to go to high school. It's hard because I'm upstate and trying to graduate but whenever we're on the phone I'll always ask them about classes, how they like the school, etc... What I've learnt in class about different high schools such as Bard and Bronx Science, and different opportunities like after school programs, Head Start, and summer programs. I have cousins of all different ages from 2-18 and I'm just trying to tell them about things I was never told.
The second thing I'm considering doing is applying for an internship at the Department of Education so I can gain a better understanding of the workings within the system itself.
The last thing I'm doing this winter break is working at center where they tutor and mentor students. It's pretty much an after school program where kids can hang out and have fun but I will be trying to slip in little comments about the different opportunities that I've learnt from this class.
I don't plan on changing the world but as long as I can help or influence or even open the eyes of one person I think that's pretty good. Thank you everyone for teaching me this semester and good luck =-)
Friday, December 7, 2007
Friday, November 16, 2007
You can't say that
Censorship from the Right and Censorship from the Left both introduced me to ideas that I really didn't know that much about. I didn't really understand what people hoped to achieve by censoring certain material and not allowing students to be exposed to different ideas that were deemed dangerous. The Right believes that, "children will be shaped by what they read and will model their behavior on what they read" while the Left believes that they can create a Utopian society by limiting what children read. My main problem with these views is that where did the first idea of violence come from? Many original ideas come from a person's mind and aren't always influenced by what they read or see. Sometimes it's just their own imagination and how can you censor some one's imagination?
These readings reminded me of a book I read in high school titled "Fahrenheit 451" which described a world where the firefighters set fires instead of putting them out. The main idea in this book was a certain group of people deemed what books were acceptable to be read and all other books were to be burnt but no one knew why these books were deemed dangerous. Everyone just followed the directions they were given with out questions until the protagonist becomes curious and begins to read one of the books that were labeled dangerous. I don't remember most of the details but the point is that the books that were seen as dangerous were books that expressed ideas that the people in power did not agree with and this was the only reason they were burnt. This way of life doesn't leave room for someone to think for them self and creates a population with only one way of thinking that are controllable.
The solution that I can suggest to deal with the type of information students are being exposed to and censorship is to allow teachers to teach what they view as important to their class. Allow open class discussions by ensuring a safe and accepting atmosphere. Fully explain the topic and allow students to question or argue with the ideals. By banning books and not allowing certain material to be taught this only makes the students want to seek out this information even more. There is no guarantee that the student will understand what they are reading if someone isn't there to help them. For example, on page 81 in Censorship from the Left it says, "Twain's use of the word nigger will ensure that Huckleberry Finn remains controversial long into the future." If we attempt to erase this word in a few decades we will forget it ever existed and with it will go the history of slavery. When we try to erase or forget things it increases the possibility of repeating the same mistakes but if we explain these events and show why they should never occur again it helps our future.
This link breaks down censorship, the First Amendment, and how it effects teachers, their teaching styles, and the students. It defines things such as age appropriate, roles, and responsibilities. It ties into my suggestion of what we can do about censorship and how we can ensure that students are appropriately exposed to different ideas.
http://www.ncac.org/education/schools/
These readings reminded me of a book I read in high school titled "Fahrenheit 451" which described a world where the firefighters set fires instead of putting them out. The main idea in this book was a certain group of people deemed what books were acceptable to be read and all other books were to be burnt but no one knew why these books were deemed dangerous. Everyone just followed the directions they were given with out questions until the protagonist becomes curious and begins to read one of the books that were labeled dangerous. I don't remember most of the details but the point is that the books that were seen as dangerous were books that expressed ideas that the people in power did not agree with and this was the only reason they were burnt. This way of life doesn't leave room for someone to think for them self and creates a population with only one way of thinking that are controllable.
The solution that I can suggest to deal with the type of information students are being exposed to and censorship is to allow teachers to teach what they view as important to their class. Allow open class discussions by ensuring a safe and accepting atmosphere. Fully explain the topic and allow students to question or argue with the ideals. By banning books and not allowing certain material to be taught this only makes the students want to seek out this information even more. There is no guarantee that the student will understand what they are reading if someone isn't there to help them. For example, on page 81 in Censorship from the Left it says, "Twain's use of the word nigger will ensure that Huckleberry Finn remains controversial long into the future." If we attempt to erase this word in a few decades we will forget it ever existed and with it will go the history of slavery. When we try to erase or forget things it increases the possibility of repeating the same mistakes but if we explain these events and show why they should never occur again it helps our future.
This link breaks down censorship, the First Amendment, and how it effects teachers, their teaching styles, and the students. It defines things such as age appropriate, roles, and responsibilities. It ties into my suggestion of what we can do about censorship and how we can ensure that students are appropriately exposed to different ideas.
http://www.ncac.org/education/schools/
Friday, October 26, 2007
Your test is to create a new test
I never knew there were so many different ways that people could learn and it was interesting to take the test and be told what type of a learner I was. However, by telling me what type of a learner I am doesn't that in one sense restrict me into learning one way. I may begin to believe that the only way I can learn is if I can practice it with my hands but when it comes to a lesson where I just have to think about it am I going to lose out? Otherwise, I thought all the different sections were very interesting.
It's a lot harder then I thought it was going to be to create solutions to help the education system but I still believe that there is one way that we can at least make the system better. On page 35, England writes "Standardized assessments give only a snapshot of what a student knows (or does not know) on a given day. This snapshot is not panoramic. It does not give an expansive view of all a student has achieved. Instead, it a singular glimpse of an isolated skill or set of skills."For years I've very rarely had a problem with taking test because I felt like I know how it works. You go to class, zone out after 15-45 minutes depending on the class, and when the test comes around you try to memorize as much information as possible to take the test and hope you pass. This mentality has made me feel as if I was wasting my time and that I learn more on my block from my friends and elders than I do when in class (where I pay a certain amount to have someone tell me exactly the same thing I read in my textbook the night before). If all I need to do to pass is memorize a certain amount of information before the test, going to class is a waste when I could be sleeping. But that's not the way it should be but this is how taking tests like multiple choice make me feel.
If we could use the examples that the group and Kerri-Ann brought out in class (I couldn't think of anything else because I'm not that creative) by offering the students a variety of choices on how to express their understanding of a specific topic maybe our students would gaining knowledge instead of memorizing facts. When dealing with Math, English, Science, or any other subject a teacher could teach them the method and take the time to make sure they understand how to apply it. Then they can present a question such as apply the Pythagorean Theorem to figure out what the answer is for 3+b=25. The students can either use diagrams, models, a play, or pictures and they have a choice of working alone or in a group. Working in a group will help to expose them to other students with different learning styles and they can hopefully learn from each other. This will all be done in class and then when everyone is finished or enough time has passed they can present their answer to the class. The class can ask questions and this will help everyone to further understand the topic and "test" them on how to use it. After this, if necessary a multiple choice test can be given the next day just for grades. This idea isn't completely flushed out yet but I think it's a start. Two negative effects that I can see are it will be a little time consuming and expensive depending on how much of the classroom supplies are used each time but in this circumstance I feel the ends will justify the means because I don't want to have to worry about who's running on the world when I'm playing Bingo and drinking lemonade on my front porch.
This is a link to a young girl's presentation of the milky way that she practiced at home and someone videotaped her. She's talking about the milky way and using a project she made from Lucky Charms to show what she's talking about. It's a little cheesy but it gets the point across.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quz0PJyAsFo
It's a lot harder then I thought it was going to be to create solutions to help the education system but I still believe that there is one way that we can at least make the system better. On page 35, England writes "Standardized assessments give only a snapshot of what a student knows (or does not know) on a given day. This snapshot is not panoramic. It does not give an expansive view of all a student has achieved. Instead, it a singular glimpse of an isolated skill or set of skills."For years I've very rarely had a problem with taking test because I felt like I know how it works. You go to class, zone out after 15-45 minutes depending on the class, and when the test comes around you try to memorize as much information as possible to take the test and hope you pass. This mentality has made me feel as if I was wasting my time and that I learn more on my block from my friends and elders than I do when in class (where I pay a certain amount to have someone tell me exactly the same thing I read in my textbook the night before). If all I need to do to pass is memorize a certain amount of information before the test, going to class is a waste when I could be sleeping. But that's not the way it should be but this is how taking tests like multiple choice make me feel.
If we could use the examples that the group and Kerri-Ann brought out in class (I couldn't think of anything else because I'm not that creative) by offering the students a variety of choices on how to express their understanding of a specific topic maybe our students would gaining knowledge instead of memorizing facts. When dealing with Math, English, Science, or any other subject a teacher could teach them the method and take the time to make sure they understand how to apply it. Then they can present a question such as apply the Pythagorean Theorem to figure out what the answer is for 3+b=25. The students can either use diagrams, models, a play, or pictures and they have a choice of working alone or in a group. Working in a group will help to expose them to other students with different learning styles and they can hopefully learn from each other. This will all be done in class and then when everyone is finished or enough time has passed they can present their answer to the class. The class can ask questions and this will help everyone to further understand the topic and "test" them on how to use it. After this, if necessary a multiple choice test can be given the next day just for grades. This idea isn't completely flushed out yet but I think it's a start. Two negative effects that I can see are it will be a little time consuming and expensive depending on how much of the classroom supplies are used each time but in this circumstance I feel the ends will justify the means because I don't want to have to worry about who's running on the world when I'm playing Bingo and drinking lemonade on my front porch.
This is a link to a young girl's presentation of the milky way that she practiced at home and someone videotaped her. She's talking about the milky way and using a project she made from Lucky Charms to show what she's talking about. It's a little cheesy but it gets the point across.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quz0PJyAsFo
Who chooses?
The line that stood out in my mind from the Kozol reading and the presentation is "The neighborhood is ghetto, so the people are ghetto." The term "ghetto" is something I can't quite grasp because what does being ghetto or living in a ghetto have to do with education. I understand the dynamics of if the neighborhood is poor then there isn't as much money coming from the taxes for the school but this doesn't justify why in some schools the bathrooms are locked, there are bars on the windows, cracks in the floor, wholes in the walls, paint chipping, broken desks, broken air conditioners, shaky staircases, or any other kind of hazard that can cause a child harm. For Fortino to understand and be able to describe blatantly what's going on shows that the school system isn't fooling anyone. It doesn't make sense to allow a student to have the chance to choose whatever school they want to go to if 4 schools are really nice but the other 16 are shady and falling apart. 4 schools couldn't possibly hold all the students in one district so why are they trying to pull this veil over our eyes as if by choosing to go to the school closest to your home that is falling apart you chose to be punished. In order to have choice there must be options and the options must at least be plausible. On the topic of choice, I still feel that if a person runs for a position where they control over the school system they should have an idea of how to begin to fix the problems. Maybe if they didn't spend so much money campaigning and sat down with a group of students from these school or even students from our class they could actually stop pretending and make moves. If you run for the position and your stance is that you are going to help fix the system that means you've been planning from before what moves you were going to take. It's not easy, I understand but I'm not going to rub your back and say "I understand it's difficult, take your time". If you had enough faith in yourself to run for the position and make promises to make a difference make a freakin difference because I don't vote on how cute the candidate is. I vote on how believable his plans are so your excuses will fall on deaf ears because that not the tune you were crying when you ran for the position.
This article is about poor architecture of schools and how it affects a child's learning experiencing. It discusses how students have lower self-esteem and participation in older buildings because of the architecture. It also outlines a few different techniques such as natural light and pictures on the wall that can create a positive and healthier learning atmosphere for students.
http://www.designcommunity.com/discussion/26903.html
This article is about poor architecture of schools and how it affects a child's learning experiencing. It discusses how students have lower self-esteem and participation in older buildings because of the architecture. It also outlines a few different techniques such as natural light and pictures on the wall that can create a positive and healthier learning atmosphere for students.
http://www.designcommunity.com/discussion/26903.html
Can't think of a witty title
England brings up some great points in Chapter One about the inequalities in our education system and a plausible solution or starting point to help our society. On page 7 she quotes Julie Landsman saying, "I always come back to the necessity for white men and women who are the leaders in this country to recognize the deep-seated inequality in our school system and in our economic structure." The solution she presents is on the same page and says, "First, we must understand that we are already dealing with the proceeds of disparity. Second, we must look at the cycle that creates ongoing inequality, and third, real teaching, infused with multicultural education, must begin." If so many people see that there are drastic differences and inequalities in our education system why aren't we seeing any serious changes and why is it that other people still think it's just a "coincidence" that there are more minorities in poorer schools?On page 8 Englands continues to explain that we must change our long held attitudes and perceptions of each other and I agree with this completely which is why it makes me wonder why people can't grasp the concept that there are very few coincidences in the world and that many things happen for a reason. If we could take these blindfolds off that we insist on using to make our worlds look pretty in pink maybe we could begin to truly make a change. Accept what's going on and take a step towards changing it but stop doubting that there is wrong in the world.
England also addresses the idea of "them and us" which I thought was amazing. We (including myself) see terrible events on television but we can't really emphatize because we've become so detatched from those around us that don't matter. When I say don't matter I mean those that don't directly affect us. Some of us care about our families, partners, friends, and others that we have some sort of daily contact with but everyone else is outside of our bubble so we can't let their negative experiences burst our perfect world. This is why it's so hard to start working towards an actual solution because those that truly have a say in this situation don't have direct contact with those that need help. I'm not saying this is everyone but how many of us can really relate to the stories that England presents in Chapter One? When I say relate I don't mean we have a friend that has a friend that has a friend who knew someone that the same thing happen to. I mean you know how it feels to experience these situations or you have a friend that's been through this. You don't need to be able to relate to make a difference but at least make a difference so that we can all begin to relate to each other. At the end of the day, wasn't that the point of integration or was it all about the resources?
England's solutions were different and a breath of fresh air because they had nothing to do with tangable resources. The main resource that she sees needed for change was us and acceptance of different cultures. It's different but worth a try! =-)
This is a link to a radio program about segregation and education. You don't have to listen to the entire show but the first twenty minutes are very interesting about different students and their experiences in their schools, what type of friends they have; Charles Ogletree (Law Professor at Harvard) and Armstrong Williams (outspoken commentator) also comment on Brown vs. Board of Education and the effects its had on not only education but also on segregation in general.
http://www.justicetalking.org/viewprogram.asp?progID=436
England also addresses the idea of "them and us" which I thought was amazing. We (including myself) see terrible events on television but we can't really emphatize because we've become so detatched from those around us that don't matter. When I say don't matter I mean those that don't directly affect us. Some of us care about our families, partners, friends, and others that we have some sort of daily contact with but everyone else is outside of our bubble so we can't let their negative experiences burst our perfect world. This is why it's so hard to start working towards an actual solution because those that truly have a say in this situation don't have direct contact with those that need help. I'm not saying this is everyone but how many of us can really relate to the stories that England presents in Chapter One? When I say relate I don't mean we have a friend that has a friend that has a friend who knew someone that the same thing happen to. I mean you know how it feels to experience these situations or you have a friend that's been through this. You don't need to be able to relate to make a difference but at least make a difference so that we can all begin to relate to each other. At the end of the day, wasn't that the point of integration or was it all about the resources?
England's solutions were different and a breath of fresh air because they had nothing to do with tangable resources. The main resource that she sees needed for change was us and acceptance of different cultures. It's different but worth a try! =-)
This is a link to a radio program about segregation and education. You don't have to listen to the entire show but the first twenty minutes are very interesting about different students and their experiences in their schools, what type of friends they have; Charles Ogletree (Law Professor at Harvard) and Armstrong Williams (outspoken commentator) also comment on Brown vs. Board of Education and the effects its had on not only education but also on segregation in general.
http://www.justicetalking.org/viewprogram.asp?progID=436
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Pretty Cutrains
Just to start off I'm going to answer Kerri Ann's question of what should we do with the No Child Left behind Act. Burn it point blank. The point has been brought up time and time again that this policy is a pair of "one size fits all" stockings. I feel that these policies are being made blindly because how can someone present a solution to a situation that they've never been involved in. Yes you provide an objective point of view but you don't really understand the problem until you've become emersed in it.
One solution that may seem out of the ball park is to give control back to the schools themselves (the teachers, prinicpals, and parents), the people that are actually in the forefront, the true stakeholders. They can identify or try to identify the problems and come up with solutions within themselves. If they only have one school to deal with they can focus on the problems and put 100% of their energy into reaching a common goal because this is something that directly affects them and something they can change. Pouring money into the system, treating every school like they have the same problems, blaming teachers, testing students to tears, and the other paths that have been taken have not worked so how about the people on top try to let the schools try it their way. Instead of treating schools like working calss students give them a chance to think for themselves, analyze the situations, and create solutions. What harm can be done to these students that hasn't occurred already. It's scary when videos like "Read A Book" are being created in order to address social problems like education.
One question that troubles me is have we reached a state within our state where trust means nothing? We need test to prove that students are learning and to prove that teachers are doing their jobs? We as a society have to check on everyone else to make sure they're doing their job but are we doing ours? Why do we need policies like NCLB to tell teachers to make sure they do their job? Where did all that passion to teach go? we should test students to make sure they are learning in class but has it gone too far? (More questions than answers. sorry Kerri-Ann)
Here's a link to an article about a voucher system where public funds are used to pay for private education. http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=603
One solution that may seem out of the ball park is to give control back to the schools themselves (the teachers, prinicpals, and parents), the people that are actually in the forefront, the true stakeholders. They can identify or try to identify the problems and come up with solutions within themselves. If they only have one school to deal with they can focus on the problems and put 100% of their energy into reaching a common goal because this is something that directly affects them and something they can change. Pouring money into the system, treating every school like they have the same problems, blaming teachers, testing students to tears, and the other paths that have been taken have not worked so how about the people on top try to let the schools try it their way. Instead of treating schools like working calss students give them a chance to think for themselves, analyze the situations, and create solutions. What harm can be done to these students that hasn't occurred already. It's scary when videos like "Read A Book" are being created in order to address social problems like education.
One question that troubles me is have we reached a state within our state where trust means nothing? We need test to prove that students are learning and to prove that teachers are doing their jobs? We as a society have to check on everyone else to make sure they're doing their job but are we doing ours? Why do we need policies like NCLB to tell teachers to make sure they do their job? Where did all that passion to teach go? we should test students to make sure they are learning in class but has it gone too far? (More questions than answers. sorry Kerri-Ann)
Here's a link to an article about a voucher system where public funds are used to pay for private education. http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=603
Friday, October 5, 2007
Different Curriculum
The one comment that continued to resurface in class on Wednesday is if we had the same curriculum within the public school system then it would help level the playing field or no one would have a head up on anyone else. But it's not only the curriculum. It also depends on who is teaching it and how they present the info. If everyone had the same curriculum wouldn't it be cheaper to just make photocopies of all the assignments and send them home with the children so that the parents that don't attend these ever so necessary PTA meetings can teach it to them. It's not just about the curriculum even though this is a very important aspect within the problem but it's also the supplies and the teachers. If a teacher is just going to read word for word from a textbook in comparison to a teacher that has us re-enact the event or encourages us to question what we read who do you think is going to learn more?
One of the comments that annoyed me from the reading was on page 69, "I wonder why there are not months dedicated to the entirety of the melting pot." We are a not melting pot because when different elements are put into a melting pot they become one entity and are the same in my opinion. If we were a melting pot then we wouldn't need Black History month since we'd all be of the same culture we would all be able to relate to different lifestyles and ideas. I feel that by becoming a melting pot we all lose our identities and I would never want to be like certain other people. I am proud of who I am and where I came from. I feel like this ideal of a melting pot is being forced upon us in school in order to cause us to lose a sense of history and to adapt the American lifestyle completely. This idea of a melting pot never existed and I hope it never does.
Another thing that upset me is how little teachers are paid. These are the adults that are leading our youth and future by helping them learn. On page 73 it says, "There is shame, somehow, in having two master's degrees and yet still be struggling, on occasion to make ends meets." I think this is Crystal England talking about herself but if she is I think it is a shame to have a teacher making so little that she can barely give her child lunch money but we can all pour money into the entertainment business that isn't promoting many positive ideals. To have actors, atheletes, and singers making so much money is a damn shame but if that's where our head is at then our society should stop trying to act like they give two sticks about our education and train us at young ages to shake our ass and rap so that we can be successful like J.Lo and Britney Spears.
----Internet Thug =-)
Here's a link to a paper called the Local London about exams being dumbed down to help students:
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