Shore

The author talks about what the children should be focusing on in school.  That it should not focus solely on the three R’s but should focus on socialization and peeking people’s curiosity.  I agree with this.  School is too much pressure and focuses on taking tests, and how you need this grade or you are viewed as a failure.  Then when people get in the real world it is not asked that you need to know what is the covalent bond of such and such.  You actually have to use real skills.  You must learn to be able to work with people and use your thinking skills to be able to figure things out.  However schools kind of negate this and want you to work by yourself (as my teacher was telling me in my Inspiring minds volunteer hours).  If kids are able to socialize than they can work better together, go off of each other’s ideas to form something great, and may be able to help each other if one student does not understand something.  Yes, I realize there is no conventional way to teach this, and yes I am aware if students socialize too much they may begin to goof off and not focus on the task that they are supposed to be doing.  However working together can help kids learn and making them use their curiosity allows them to grow.  Where would we be in live if people were not curious?  We would have never come to America, went to the moon, or advanced technology as much as we have.  These things need to be the main focus in school and not just tests. 

 

this quote is true.  Imagination comes from curiosity and can form something amazing that benefits everyone in the world.  That is why we should focus on that instead of tests.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeGrxJYntk8

in this Ted talk the man talks about how important curiosity was in his life.  He does not discuss how important taking the NECAP tests were, it was how curiosity helped him.   

Social Justice Assignment

For my social justice seminar I attended a presentation of how women are portrayed in the media.  This is something that we have discussed in class before and how women can be treated unequally. In the presentation at one point they showed a part of a music video where a woman was standing with a bunch of men getting drinks poured on while she was dancing around and the men were loving it.  Then they showed a video of a woman in South America where she was on a street and a bunch men going up to here and pouring drinks all over her.  They were yelling for her to dance and other rude gestures.  The woman was crying, trying to escape from this but she could not since she was surrounded.  The men seemed angry that she was not dancing around and the broken woman was soaked.  This related to Christenson since the media presented something that influenced a society.  The men have seen women getting drinks poured on them in the media and the women act as if they enjoy it while in actuality it is a poor representation of how women should be treated.  This was really powerful to watch and it made me very upset. 

Another article that I made a surprise link to was the Hunger of Memories.  I am not too sure how this connection came about but it did.  I remember in this reading the author discussed about his first day in school and how nervous he was.  In the seminar it was discussed how younger and younger children are seeing these music videos where women are being disrespected.  In my mind I somehow made this connection.  Let’s say there is a girl who is nervous about her first day of school this year because all she wants to do is fit in and be normal.  Now she watches the media and sees how women are represented.  She gets the idea that is what I must do and now makes a poor decision based on the media.  I know it is a stretch of a connection but somehow this is one that somehow came into my mind and to me it makes sense.  People just want to be accepted and in a situation where it is your first day of school and you are nervous, this may come into factor. 

Another reading I related it to was Delpit.  Now with Delpit it was kind of discussed about how teachers plan differently for white and black students.  According to the presentation I attended it is similar with music videos.  That they must portray the women of the two separate races differently.  Both are degrading to women but the fact that they actually have to plan this so differently.  The presentation talked about how the white women needed to half extremely skinny bodies, long flowing hair, and be able to flirt.  The black women can wear their hair differently, must have a big butt to expose, and can be a little more assertive then the white women but still must listen when it is time to be put in their place.  Both of the separate planning just makes me want to shake my head.  A teacher must plan differently to teach students based on their race (not the individual but the color of their skin) and how the media must plan differently if they want to show off a white woman rather than a black woman.  It just makes you wonder about some people. 

The presentation was very interesting how it used direct examples from the media to show their point.  The presentation mostly focused on music videos but it was so impactful.  You hear all the times that women are disrespected but when clips are played over and over again with the thought in your mind it really makes you think.  It showed how women can be abused, stalked, be servants, and just be degraded.  When you are watching these videos sometimes you do not even put these pieces together but once someone points it out to you, you see all the wrongs in these videos. 

Earlier I discussed about the part where women were having drinks poured on them in the media VS in real life.  This is something that will stick with me for a while.  It was so impactful because you see this in videos but you do not think, what would this be like in real life?  The woman is not proud of what is happening, she is broken and in tears.  It was just such an impactful moment to watch.  The people watching sat in silence and the person speaking did not have to say much since the images did the talking.  Powerful was the word I would use to describe this moment. 

Hopefully one day things will change.  That people may be able to stand up and say no!  That women will not say well if the media is showing it than that is what I must do.  Maybe if people saw the break down that we did then maybe people would change.  I know it is only for entertainment but where is the line drawn?  Where do people say this is not real and decide to take a stand?  

This assignment did remind me of some of our readings in class.  One reading that I related it to was Kozol.  There a boy was immune to the horrors that were around him and unfortunately in a lot of these cases that was spoken about the women are in some bad situations that they have become accustomed to.  This especially happens in foreign countries where women have few to no rights.  Another reading I related it SCWAAMP, this is because in the reading they talk about how men have all the power and very much so in these music videos the men do.  The speaker even said that exact quote, that men have all the power and the women are used as tools.  It is not right that the women are degraded in these videos but unfortunately in the year 2014 they still are. 

 

in this photo from the hit song "Blurred Lines" you can clearly see how men are empowered and women are used as tools.  In real life if a scenario like this were to happen then the woman would probably not have the same expression on her face that she does here.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyDUC1LUXSU

here is the video of the song i stated above.  You can clearly see how the women are exploited and how they are used to draw men in.  Yes, this is a catchy song but once you actually listen to the lyrics and see what they are saying you can become appalled by just how disrespectful they are being towards women.  

Kliewer

I have worked with the Special Olympics for many years now so I have encountered many people with Down syndrome.  Some people who have this can be very smart, you can have a normal conversation, can do every day work and so much more.  Others are not so advanced and need much assistance.  With my athletes at least, I know them on a personal level since I have been with them for so long, so I know what they can handle and what they cannot handle.  However, my athletes are much older so I did not know them in their youth and I did not know them when they were in school.  What I do know is what I have seen from the special education departments in the schools I attended growing up.  Some people complain that people with Down syndrome should not be subjected to special education, and from the schools I have been in they are not.  Yes that is where they are originally assigned but the parent can switch them out of special education and into other classrooms.  I do not know the process of going about this but it is possible.  In middle school and my freshman year of high school I had people in special education come to my class and learn with us (after freshman year I saw it still going on I just was never in one of the classes).  Yes there are some people who can succeed in these classes and belong; however there are others who do not since they need a more one on one approach.  In middle school three people from special education were in one of my class; two did fine the other was always behind.  Constant questions were asked and that person never understood material and we spent the whole class going over things everyone understood so when it came time for homework there were problems we did not understand because we spent so much time going over the things we knew but did not go over the rest.  With everything, everyone is different.  It all depends on that individual.  If they can succeed by all means let them, if they extremely struggle and hurt other’s learning maybe they may belong in a more one on one environment.  I do want to close this out by stating that people with Down syndrome are people too and must be treated as such.  We must talk to them like they are human beings and not like they are broken.  You must correct them too like you would anyone else.  If they do something wrong you must tell them and not just say well they did not know better, because they do understand.  They are people just like everyone else and they like being treated as such.  I love working with the Special Olympics and it is something I will do for a long time.  The athletes I work with like me but the big thing is we treat them as equals not like charity and that is the key. 

 
special olympics has been a big part of my life growing up.  It is something i have done for many years and will continue to do.  It is through this that i have learned how to treat people with down syndrome and etc. You treat them like a normal human being

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFp429nqQXc
it really warms my heart to see so many different organizations (like the NBA) getting involved with special olympics.  Things like this make the athletes so happy and a little of a person's time can clearly go a long way.

Finn

In this piece the author makes the argument that strong literacy should be thought to everyone whether they are rich, poor, black, white, or etc.  I agree with him.  People should have a chance to learn since they could be underestimated.  You do not know what is going on in someone’s mind.  They may seem quiet and not seem understand but they may comprehend a piece of literature like no one else could ever imagine.  Perhaps they can relate it to a real life experience that no one else can and therefore they make a judgment at what the piece means.  All literacy is interpretive and perhaps what means one thing to you may actually mean something else to someone.  However, as sad as this sounds, there are people who would not care if they got these readings.  They may destroy the stories or not even care whatsoever.  There are bad eggs in this world and at times we only remember the bad and do not remember the good.  I still believe everyone should get a chance with a variety of readings.  Even if they did not understand one reading maybe a different one they will be able to relate to and blow people’s minds.  People must be given a chance because if you just make assumptions or write someone off, you could be throwing endless potential away. 

 

if you give people a chance with the readings their potential may be reached and they may shine.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0rXUr-msX0 

this scene is from freedom writers that we watched in class, as some of us saw that this teacher challenged her students even though others said to write them off, and these kids were able to excel.  

et al

The thing that sticks with me in this article is something that I have written about in my blog and have spoken about in class and that is testing.  I cannot stand state testing or anything like that for that matter.  This poor girl had to take a state test to see if she was smart enough and according to the test she was not.  How discouraging is that to a student that the state says you are not smart enough?  Especially with so many outside factors like some people are not good test takers, maybe they had a bad night sleep, skipped breakfast, were over stressed, and so many other things.  This girl probably had enough stress to not be told she was not smart enough. 

            One thing I did like about the article was the fact they followed this girl for a long period of time.  Most observers only follow for a short period of time and you cannot see growth.  This was good to see how this one girl developed from sixth to eleventh grade.  However this is only one girl.  Every girl and boy are different so it would have been nice if they did this with a bunch of different people from different areas to see a bunch of different results and would be able to compare and contrast the different results.  I say this so we the readers can see what it’s like for the majority instead of just one person.  My mother came here not speaking any English and had go to similar process but had different results.  I know I am nit picking but this is something I would like to compare, I do not know if the rest of the class would have the same question. 

 

Do not ask me why but when they talked about her being separated from her friends at different schools this is the connection i made.  This immediately came to mind, I do not know why but I felt since it did I should share the picture and see if others make the same connections.

This video strikes me because of the cut of ESL.  Some kids need extra help with their english since it is not their first language.  However if they cut the program and the students start to do poorly on the state tests since they do not understand what the test says, the state will just say they are not smart enough, rather money was more of a factor than actually letting students learn 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRZ9JcuG4Lc 

School Board Video

            The video shows that the board is trying to fix problems in school such as inequality for race.  They talk about how some people are not treated equally and how some changes need to be made.  Honestly the only real way to solve this problem is not by new rules and regulation but with the teachers.  The teachers need to treat each student as an individual rather than as a color.  Each person is different so the teacher can not discriminate.  The teacher cannot go into a classroom and say, “Oh he is black/white so he will never be able to pass my class.”  The teacher must treat every student as an individual since every person is different and must realize that person’s strengths and weaknesses.  People also need to stop saying how much of a disadvantage people of a certain race have, how they have a lower chance of graduating or go to college.  If you keep saying that and the person of the certain race keeps hearing it, eventually they may start to believe it and not even try when that person could have the potential to do great things.  People need to stop treating people by the color of their skin and treat them by who they are because there are good students and there are bad students, but the color of their skin is not the factor that decides that.

            Another problem I have with schools that the board truly needs to fix is testing.  Too much of a person’s academic career relies on testing whether it be regular tests, SATs, ACTs, the CORE, the Practicum, and etc.  Taking a test does not show if you are a good student or will be a good teacher.  There are people who are bad test takers but are brilliant.  Also there are people who are great test takers but put them in front of people to teach and they fail because they have no connection, rather they only know how to take tests.  When in the real world are you going to need these test skills as well?  When am I ever going to need to answer true or false and if false explain why, answer the question and use evidence from the text that means something different to you than it does to someone else, or anything else.   Too much relies on tests that students only care about the test.  They ask, “Will this be on the test?” if its yes they listen, if no they do not.  People seem to not truly care about learning rather just getting the material they need that will be on the test so they can move on.  This issue needs to somehow be resolved and instead of making more ridiculous test students need to pass to move on (NECAPS, CORE, etc) they need to make less because it is adding unnecessary stress which hurts a student’s ability to learn. 

 

this shows that too much relies on tests and how some people do not get real world experience, rather know how to answer questions on a test. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ylot0wVzAb8 

this video from Boy Meets World, shows that kids only care about the information that will be on the test rather than learning 

Kahne & Westheimer, "In The Service of What?"

When doing this reading, for obvious reasons, the first thing that came to mind was the service learning project we are completing in FNED.  As you know, in this project we go into a classroom or two and assist the teacher in helping the students learn.  Most of originally look at this on how this can benefit ourselves, by giving us practice in the field, doing a portion of our required hours, and helping us complete the class.  Few think of right away on how we doing this will help the actual students until we actually walk into the classroom.  In my service learning project I help a group of kids learn to read and pronounce words correctly.  I have not even completed the assignment and already the students have shown great progress from my first visit to now.  By showing up I am giving the students more attention with their subject than the teacher could with a class of twenty plus students.  By doing this I may have helped kids learn and help them with a skill they will use throughout their live.  By doing this I was able to help others rather than just myself, in a way relating it to the quote in the reading said by President Kennedy, “Ask not what your country can do for you but rather what you can do for your country.” 

            This is not the first time I am participated in a service learning project.  In high school I was in the National Honor Society and did many of these.  None of those brought me the satisfaction that I got in this school.  However still this service learning project does not pass my work with the Special Olympics, which is something I love doing and enjoy going to.  We may think of how things can help/benefit us rather how doing it helps others.  We could do so much in this world to help and we do not even notice we are doing it and how much we are helping others. 

The special Olympics is something I love doing.  You can consider it a "service learning project" in a way but I do not.  I volunteer with them a lot.  There I always think how am benefiting the athlete and I always have a good time going to help. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsfuXVccF2w 

this link shows the special Olympics impact on the world.  How a billion dollar company like the wwe supports it and how the superstars saying both being there and the athletes bring a smile to their face.  This is what it is all about helping others and by doing so being able to bring a smile to both theirs and your face.