Talking Points #8: Anyon Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum

          "Less than 30 percent of the women work, some part-time and some full-time, on assembly lines, in storerooms and stockrooms, as waitresses, barmaids, or sales clerks. Of the fifth-grade parents, none of the wives of the skilled workers had jobs." This first quote did not surprise me because this article was written in the 80's. I wonder what researchers would find if they did this same study over. New and different forms of the same outcomes to the same type of situations? Or would there be a completely different outcome? Higher education nowadays does not guarantee people jobs.  Jobs once considered to be lower class and unemployment is much more common amongst people that would be considered to have a head start in society. Those very people that Johnson defines in his article.
          In the affluent classrooms, "The products of work are often highly valued by the children and the teacher...The teacher's attempt to control the class involves constant negotiation." These children are encouraged to think creatively and solve problems themselves. They are not required to do much memorization and they can find the answers to different problems in different ways. It even said that if a classroom feels they are not ready to move on that they can negotiate with the teacher to remain on a subject. Working class schools are not offered this type of luxury and most of their work involves memorization! 
          Best of all the classes is the elite. "In the executive elite school, work is developing one's analytical intellectual powers. Children are continually asked to reason through a problem, to produce intellectual products that are both logically sound and of top academic quality. A primary goal of thought is to conceptualize rules..." These are the children who are the CEO's and executive of companies. They make the rules that people in the working class for example, have to follow. This reading reminds me very much of the Silenced Dialogue because those who have to follow the rules that the elite class is taught to make in their own schooling are silenced when it comes to their own working, social, economic, lives. 
          I really liked how this reading broke schools into class and honed in on how different classes of schools teach their children differently. It was interesting to see how people are shaped and the connections they have to society through the classroom. I wish Anyon had spoke more about her feelings on the topic though. I wonder what type of background she has and what type of these schools was she educated in. 
          

Talking Points #10: Critical Teaching for Social Change

          One quote in this article really hit home with me and I felt that it described my exact situation concerning my Service Learning Project. Shor says in his article, "People are naturally curious. They are born learners. Education can either develop or stifle their inclination to ask why and to learn." When I go to work in the classroom I always arrive early with another girl who comes at the same time that I do. We sit for a few minutes and talk to the teacher usually about how the kids are coming along or what the class is working on at the moment. Today she droned about how she thinks the kids are always looking for assurance in the questions they answer and how they are always checking with her to make sure they are right. The teaching method used in the school is direct instruction. All I could think about was how are the kids expected to answer questions where only one memorized answer is expected. These children are basically socialized to follow instruction and direction from other...a.k.a. the working class depicted in Anyon's reading!
          "People begin like as motivated learners, not as passive beings. Children naturally join the world around them. They learn by interacting, by experimenting, and by using play to internalize the meaning of words and experience. Language intrigues children; they have needs they want met; they busy older people in their lives with questions and requests for show me, tell me." Society and the constraints it exudes teaches people about rules, about embaressment, punishment, about following orders, etc. For instance, when a child talks out of turn or gets caught doodling in class, the teacher many times punishes their behavior with a lecture or a verbal lashing in front of the classroom, teaching them that if they do not focus on the instructor they will be embarresed for not following orders. I learned at the Diversity Event in one of the classes that people use their brains differently. Some use the left side more and others use the right. Children who doodle in class tend to be right side thinkers and they take in more when they draw or listen to music. Social conditioning many times impedes on childrens learning and it hurts their educational experience.
          "To make problem-posing work, the teacher needs to listen carefully to students to draw out the themes and words from which critical curricula are built." This reminded me of the "Silenced Dialogue" and the fact that teachers not only need to listen to their students but they also need to listen to each other. The article on community service offered some light on the fact that children AS WELL AS adults learn through their community. Learning does not only come through an enclosed space where books and worksheets are assigned, it comes through each other, questions, inquisitive thought, etc.
          This article proved very interesting. I found an abundance of quotes that I wanted to use, but there were so many to choose from. Many other authors like Meier, whom we've read in class were used through out the article. I really liked how the author did not just focus on elementary and secondary levels, but it also looks at the college level. The article brings up how education is molded by politics and  also elite classes. Many of the topics brought up in the last class concerning how politics drive education were also mentioned in the article. For example, how more money goes to upper class schools serving elite classes much better than lower. All in all, a good read.

Talking Points #9: "Citizenship in School" Christopher Kliewer

          Citizenship in School: Re-conceptualizing Down Syndrome covers the fact that children with down syndrome are often marginalized in schools. It offers insight to the notion that community is an important part of the learning process and the fact that we are all different and it is from these differences that we can grow from each other. The author makes light of the fact that those with down syndrome may be different physically and in cases mentally, but they have spirit and willingness, which is something that we all have as learners. The first quote that caught my eye and also may favorite in all of the readings thus far is, "Humility, Freire (1993) agrees, is central to democracy. 'How can I dialogue,' Freire asks, 'if I always project ignorance onto others and never perceive my own? How can I dialogue if I regard myself as a case apart from others--mere 'its' in whom I cannot recognize other 'I's?" This quote is crucial to our existence. How can we grow if we just ignore and belittle those around us? So many readings came to my mind when I read this. First and foremost, "The Silenced Dialogue" because of the ignorance expressed by other educators who did not necessarily refuse new ideas, but instead they just overlooked at what others said because they were afraid to be wrong.
          This reading coincides with many others that we have done in class. The next quote that I liked tied into another reading that I did. In the reading by Elizabeth Weil, titled "Teaching Boys and Girls Separately," I found myself confused and at odds over my feelings about the notion of separating classrooms based on gender. I couldn't decide whether I agreed or disagreed, but this quote has brought me to a decision. "It's not like they come here to be labeled, or to believe the label. We're all here--kids, teachers, parents, whoever--it's about all of us working together, playing together, being together, and that's what learning is. Don't tell me any of these kids are being set up to fail." The classroom that this woman is talking about does separate students by age, rather it groups them by their abilities. Three students in the classroom have down syndrome and the other 10 have to labeled disabilities. The fact of the matter is though, those students with labeled disabilities are able to learn and grow on community based relationships and they are not marginalized in a classrooms that impedes on the abilities that they can learn and grow with!
          I work as a lifeguard in the summertime and I also teach swim lessons. I have taught kids with different levels of down syndrome. Shayne Robbins quote, "I don't ten to see Down Syndrome as something. If you look at those three kids running around the room, they're incredibly different from each other. They're different in terms of what their bodies are like, how they best communicate, what they're like socially, their interests. And with those three kids in the room it would be hard to say, 'This is how you should teach kids with Down Syndrome.' They are not at all alike." This reminded me of my lessons because I have found that different kids respond to different games. For instance, Matty loved pro-wrestling. So I had to create crazy different wrestling moves that also incorporated swimming. His favorite thing to do was what I called the 'Torpedo of Doom." Matty would push off the wall towards me and I would move farther and farther away until he knocked me out, which was basically sinking under water.
          I really liked reading this article because, as the article stresses the individual and community, I was able to relate to what the author stressed. I like the idea that children with down syndrome are not alike and the fact that they do learn, just on different levels. Kids who are not labeled with disabilities learn at different levels and different teaching methods affect kids in different ways, depending on how they learn. This article makes light of an important notion that kids who are labeled with differences are marginalized in our society. These differences should be noted and conscious efforts should be made to help expand children's minds not based on their color, their gender, their disabilities, etc, but rather on what works to help all children to achieve greatness!

Talking Points #7: Teaching Boys and Girl Separately by Weil

          "On an unseasonably cold day last November in Foley, Ala., Colby Roster and Michael Peterson, two students in William Bender's fourth-grade public-school class, informed me that the class corn snake could eat a rat faster than the class boa constrictor." Just saying, I know not every one agrees, but I liked to watch snakes too when I was a kid. Having pet snakes in my classroom would have been fun. That is not something that pertains just to boys. Creating settings that aim to set social standards for children based on gender in crazy. What are these kids going to do when they are faced with settings that are co-ed, like many colleges? I really cannot say much on this subject because the idea of splitting children based on their gender may really prove successful, but I still wonder if this idea will embed social norms amongst these children which would later cause issues in their personal and social lives.
          "Fifty-seven percent of Foley Intermediate’s students are white, 24 percent are black and 17 percent are Latino; 70 percent receive free or reduced-price lunches each day. In the first year of Foley’s single-sex program, a third of the kids enrolled. The next year, two-thirds signed up, and in its third year 87 percent of parents requested the program." Reading further into the article, the author provides statistics and the fact that enrollment into the single-sex programs are receiving overwhelming support and more and more people are committing their children into these schools. Apparently they are doing something right because this strategy has proven to work. Focusing on areas where girls and boys learn better based on proven tests is a strong factor that is weaning people's support on the issue. Tests that show boys listen better to louder, deeper voices, and that girls learn better when colors are used does play a key role in what these schools are focusing on to create the most favorable and effective outcome. Maybe they could take this idea and those who fell that integration is crucial and find a common ground where they can be mixed and still have an effective outcome! 
            "So many variables are at play in a school: quality of teachers, quality of the principal, quality of the infrastructure, involvement of families, financing, curriculum — the list is nearly endless. Riordan says, 'You’re never going to be able to compare two types of schools and say, ‘The data very strongly suggests that schools that look like a are better than schools that look like b.’ ” I agree completely with Riordan's quote because so many factors play into how well a school performs and how well the children fend in the school. Before schools can be judged all factors need to be accounted for and if the school does well in certain setups that others do not, it may not be because that system is bad, it may just not work for a certain school. 
          This article was actually very enlightening because it did not play into one side although it does somewhat glorify the idea of single-sexed schools. I mean to say that the article gives examples where single-sex schools have failed and proven not to work. I'm at odds with whether I agree with this issue or not because in certain situations it does really seem to work, according to the article anyway. What I did not like was the fact that the article mentioned single-sex religious school setting and the fact that they are failing. I wonder if some of the information in the article is fabricated because many Catholic school for example are failing due to their traditional methods and this is a problem amongst single-sexed and co-ed schools. All in all though, I found the article to be interesting and I always like ideas that are different. 

Talking Points #6: Wise "A Particularly White Whine"

          This article makes light of the fact that many white Americans complain that it is easier for African American students to receive scholarships to colleges that they would normally not enjoy because their merits are not up to par. It gives statistics that show how untrue this notion really is. According to Wise in fact, less than 4% of scholarships are awarded because of race and that 0.25% of scholarships are restricted to minorities. This article is interesting because I have heard that excuse before. I can't really say where, but I have heard it and dismissed it. I actually would assume and I may be wrong, that colleges would not want to award scholarships that apply directly to race because... whether people like to say it or not, as in the Johnson's S.C.W.A.M.P. article, race is a touchy subject, and many would rather just avoid it. All I can think about is those people who say things concerning whether scholarships are easier for African Americans obtain and I wonder about their ignorance and what they would say if someone showed them a few statistics. 
          Reading further I learned that the National Merit Scholarship for example is awarded to only 15,000 students and it is evenly distributed between the states and students receive them based on PSAT scores. BUT the kicker is, "Because the quality of schools varies dramatically across states, average scores on the PSAT will also vary widely, but students in Mississippi will alway get their 'fair share' even though many of them wouldn't have qualified had hey attended school in a state like Massachusetts." This system automatically knocks out those of color for the most part. In states that don't perform as well as others giving the privileged all the rewards. Just the tone of the writers article reminds me of Delpit's "The Silenced Dialogue." The author is obviously frustrated and the sarcastic tone is coming out because he is sick of hearing comments that black scholarships are unfair. 
           The last point that I really liked because it confronts the fact that there is racism and we can't avoid it. Many writers even myself, say that we need to end the fact that people base their opinions and ideas off of race and that we need to move forward and look past that, which should not be important anymore. But racism does exist and we can't just say get rid of it every being present. We have to recognize our mistakes and confront them instead of leaving ourselves in ignorance. The author says, "Surely scholarships for people of color are not predicated on intolerance for whites, nor are they based on some kind of blind contempt for white as a group. Rather they are rooted in the quite reasonable belief that people of color have been singled out for mistreatment on the basis of race, and thus, special efforts should be made to provide full opportunity to them, by taking account of the thing that had prompted the mistreatment in the first place." This reminds me of last weeks article by Kanhe and Westheimer because they confront what community service has become and that it shouldn't be about charity, but rather it should be because there is caring for the greater good and the fixing the wrongs that have been done to others!

          

           

Can somebody make dis happen........prolly not but they cud try

Talking Points #5: Kahne and Westheimer "In Service of What?"

            This article's focus is based on students and how they can participate in the community. The article, "In Service of What?" explains the importance and enriching factors which community service can provide to younger populations. Kahne and Westheimer bring to the table an important notion that children should not be confined to learning only in a classroom. Classrooms can provide rich learning experiences, but that does not mean that learning will be well-rounded.
          "As is commonly the case with new policy initiatives, however, more attention has been focused on moving forward than on asking where we are headed. While service learning advocates rush to forge coalitions and find a shared vocabulary that accommodates multiple agendas and while practitioners and researchers begin to work on difficult  implementation and evaluation issues, educators from schoolhouse to university to statehouse are neglecting to answer the most fundamental question: In service of what?" This quote is so true in that it basically reacts to people's want of everything RIGHT NOW. Impatience has grown to become a key behavioral trait that many societies possess. I know I myself rush to do everything, even though I always find myself late. The authors give two examples of legislation, The National and Community Service Act of 1990 and The National Service Trust Act of 1993. People expect positive results right away, but not everything works in high-speed. I think that as humans, we need to be looking at the path we are walking on, instead of the clearing up ahead, which is what the authors are trying to relay.
         The second quote that caught my attention was, "In contrast, much of the current discussions regarding service learning emphasizes charity, not change. The claim regarding the relation of service  learning to the development of altruism is relatively simple to articulate and, in many respects, compelling." I think that people revert to calling their service a charity, for many people anyways, is the fact that as one person, many feel that they cannot really change anything. This is obviously not true because however small an impact is, it's still an impact. Going back to Christensen's article about the media, we see all these movies about people who have done great things which they are praised for, but what about those people who have done great things which have not been recognized?
          "To tap into the full power of service activities, however, these practitioners would want to combine critical inquiry with action. This process can transform students' understandings of both disciplinary knowledge and the particular social issues which they are engaged." I liked this quote the best because I want to be a teacher. I know that when I become a high-school teacher that I will have to consider ideas like this because no two students are alike, each and every one will learn differently. I also liked it because, as I said before, it will help to make a well-rounded classroom. I know there will be millions of things that I can't teach my kids, but that is what makes this article so important. If I can connect my students actions with critical inquiry, there service will have more importance. Even more, some of those things that I or other teachers cannot touch upon, they will learn from others who can!!!!