Education is Politics, Ira Shor

I found three quotes in this article I like. Here I will discuss what the quotes mean to me and relate them to articles I read throughout this semester. The first quote I choose is from the topic Resisting Endullment: The Performance Strike. “Nonparticipatory institutions depress the performance levels of people working in them.” As the article continued on to say that students are refusing to perform at high levels and non-participating students are labeled or looked at as not knowing the information. This quote is relatable to the freedom writers the students were labeled as not knowing the information but the teacher had to change the curriculum to meet their needs. Everyone learns at a different pace.

The second quote I choose is from the topic Integrating Cognitive and Affective Learning. “The difference between empowering and traditional pedagogy has to do with the positive or negative feelings students can develop for the learning process.”  As the article continued on to say that students compete against one another. I agree with this quote and I can relate it to the Indian Fathers Plea. This is somewhat relatable to me in regards to the tutor cite. I have observed the students competing with one another and on the other hand they help each other during different task.

The last quote I choose was from the topic of starting from every day to know and overcome it. “By starting from the student’s situation problem-posing increase their ability to participate, because they can begin critical reflection in their own context and their own words. I agree with this quote because students are able to understand a subject matter through dialogue instead of the traditional teacher approach standing in front of the class teaching. Similarly to our class we are able to discuss and give our perspective on any given topic and learn from each other.

Here is a short clip of Ira Shor from his perspective as a parent, in regards to his son experience in a small school environment.

 https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=video&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCgQtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DK-sx0yRRPmY&ei=-nI9VffGDIuegwTujYHICQ&usg=AFQjCNHy_4aQY9AtGFI_V9irbuOUV3bcTg&sig2=rBPSBxdsVmHW8VpZwFO0MQ

Citizenship in School: Reconceptualizing Down Syndrome

 I found three quotes in this article that stood out to me. The author used the perceptive from people living with Down syndrome and the different challenges they encountered during their time spent in schools. “Mia finished school in segregated returned after graduation to take content-area courses originally denied her.” For example, Mia expressed how she felt about being in special ed. her entire life and the disadvantages in educational opportunities she missed out on because of the label that followed her because she was considered disabled. Once an individual has a label on them that society finds fitting it is rather difficult to escape the discrimination and stereotypes that follows that individual. I found this relatable to Lesley Grinner (SCWAMP) in regards to being able-bodied and how society would look down and judge someone with a disability.

I also found interesting Shayne the teacher who worked with a diverse group of students with disabilities. Her ability to listen and work with these different individuals she was able to assist them with becoming successful in their community in which they resided in. For example, her classroom associate Anne expressed to her she wanted to work in Hollywood. Shayne took it upon herself to find a movie rental shop which hired Anne to work in. This was an accomplishment for Anne to get away from previously work in education. With this transition Anne made she became successful and important in her community. “Shayne’s efforts with both her associate and students created a context in which traditionally devalued and dismissed individuals found community membership and connection within framework of academic, social and community achievement.” I was able to relate this to the “Freedom Writers”, how Ms.G was able to listen and communicate with each student on a personal level and help assist them with their individual needs in becoming successful as a student.

Last quote “Vygotsky found that the culture of segregation surrounding people with disabilities actually teaches underdevelopment of thinking through the isolation of children from socially valued opportunities.” Meaning in order for an individual with a disability to become successful in any given situation there must be people in their lives to help accomplish their dreams and also for their community to give them equal opportunities and not label a discriminate against them. I am able to relate this to the Tim Wise speech. Someone with a disadvantage because of a race, or disability will be left behind in the community or in education.

Here you can find a short video of a student with down syndrome opening his acceptance letter to college.

gwww.youtube.com/watch?v=HFs4_DXF1Qg

Finn "Literacy with an Attitde"

 This article could not have a better tittle “Literacy with an Attitude” I can appreciate an author who is honest with their experiences instead of sugar coating the truth. Also the fact that he is able to write about his family’s history including his disability which led him to his teaching career was an attempt to gain his readers attention and interests.

Although this quote is not surprising to me it is rather disturbing “The theory was that the slowest students would get more attention in smaller classes. The reality was that as the year wore on there were spaces available in the lower classes to dump troublesome students from higher classes.” (Finn pg. 3)  This is something I can relate to not for myself but, I have seen this happen to many students I attended high school with. The Charter School I attended was not established, it was fairly new. In fact, my class was the third class to graduate from that particular school. The teachers there would take the students who were disruptive smart or not and dump them into one class. Seems to me that they were being labeled as slow students because, they had lower level work they had to do. This also relates to the film The Freedom Writers, Kozol’s Amazing Grace and White Privilege article. These readings are related because, the staff, principal, teachers etc. were all white and working class. Perhaps they cannot relate or understand the struggle many African Americans or minorities endure on a daily basis just because of their culture.

Here is a link a review of Finns article by a scholar from McGill University

http://www.centreforliteracy.qc.ca/sites/default/files/Book_Review_ClassnLitcy.pdf

"Becoming Something Different" By: Fairbanks, Crooks, and Ariail

In response to Maria Zapasnik Blog

Like Maria I was able to connect the Rodriquez and Kozol readings to this article. “Throughout all these, Martinez saw herself as increasingly American while her father enforced certain rules that were among the traditional Mexican practices and beliefs.” (Maria)  I have seen so many people lose their culture in order to assimilate to the American culture including myself.  There is something we want or it is expected from society to fit in with the people you are around whether it is in school, communities, work, and even at home. I can understand why Martinez would relate her improving grades to her improvement in English proficiency. She is conditioned to this way of thinking, from American schools. If she is capable of socializing with peers and comprehend English she meets school standards.

Here is a quote I found fitting in regards, to Maria’s blog. The marginalizing effect of schooling on English language learners and bilingual students has been well documented by Valencia. These researchers argue that perceptions of Latina/o students as lacking English proficiency, adequate motivation, and parental support, combined with the school’s devaluing of cultural practices different from the mainstream, too often position Latina/o students as deficient.” In reading this paragraph the first thing that came to my mind was the article Indian Father’s plea. It is interesting that this research found lack of parental support part of this issue, perhaps the parents can’t communicate with the  school because, of the language barrier. The students that transfer from other countries to American schools are considered deficient. Why is that? Perhaps where they came from they were taught an entire different curriculum.  

Here is a link to the authors of this article  all about Fairbanks, Crooks and Ariail. Where they are employed and where they received their education.

http://hepg.org/her-home/issues/harvard-educational-review-volume-81-number-1/herarticle/learning-from-esme_807

Wise, "Between Barack and a Hard Place"

This topic of racism and inequality among blacks and whites while go on until the world ends. This has been a hot topic for generations. I choose three quotes that stood out to me throughout Wise speech “Between Barack and a Hard Place”. The first quote I found interesting was at the opening of his speech where he stated, “if people did not want to have the conversation about racism (white people) they would say I’m not racist most of my friends are black.” The word friend is often used to loosely with people in our society. Often time’s people claim others to be a friend but, like Wise mentioned that they have no clue about the people they are speaking of. This can be interpreted in many different aspects depending on one’s definition of a friend. I have many friends whether black, white, Hispanic etc., that I am friends with and I do not know their mothers name so it depends on the person.

            The second quote I found interesting is when Wise stated, “that him and his preschool friends were eventually not friends in high school, due to the teachers and staff treating the students fundamentally different.” As he went on to say that although he was not a very good student, he was able to progress and advance in school whereas, the black students a labeled, judged and reprimanded with harsher penalties such as suspension for behavior. This was confusing to me because, he said the staff and teachers in the school were primarily black, so I am not sure why there was such a negative impact on the black students.

            The third quote I found interesting “acknowledging that racism is part of your belief people can take time to not act on it” As we all know and do not like to admit, we all have racist tendencies in us. People are usually judged by skin color before anything else.

I connected this speech to Scwamp, Johnson Privilege, Power and Difference, White Privileged and the speech on Affirmative Action.

Here is a link to Tim Wise Biography

           http://speakoutnow.org/userdata_display.php?modin=50&uid=156 

Kahne and Westheimer, "In Service of What?

 I had a hard time relating to this article “In the Service of What?” Seems to be all about politics to me. From my understanding of the reading in regards, to the two service learning cases, many schools are promoting more towards Mr. Johnsons approach with having his high school “students participate in community service projects.” Whereas Ms. Adams approach with her middle school students, she kept the students in the classroom and brought advocacy groups into the classroom from the community to help enlighten the students of economic and social issues in their communities.

“The requirement that all students take part in volunteer activities in either their school or community as a condition for graduation from high school.” I have to disagree with this quote, having students from public schools volunteer (service learning) as a requirement for graduation. Many students in urban communities have to work to help their parents provide for them, especially single mothers. Most students have enough on their schedule as it is for example, sports, studying and working for pay not volunteering or for charity. Sports alone can take up a student’s entire day. Schools want these children to volunteer but, they do not consider that these children have lives outside of school. For example, if you are a student on the basketball team in East Providence High School. They practice every day after school for two hours and two hours on Sundays, the kids could not even get to church if they wanted to. When they have a basketball game the bus returns to the school between 9:30 -10:00 pm. Schools expect too much from the students just my opinion from my experiences with my children.

Here is a link on the debate if service learning should be required for high school students to graduate.    http://www.debate.org/opinions/should-high-schools-require-community-service

Shirley Wilcher, Executive Director of the American Association for Access

 

Reflection on the speech given by Shirley Wilcher, Executive Director of the American Association for Access, on the topic of Affirmative Action history and understanding Equality and Diversity. (AAAED) Affirmative Action has to ask the question, why are things not working? Here at Rhode Island College “the Affirmative Action Office provides leadership to the campus community concerning matters of equity, affirmative action, prejudice reduction and multiculturalism.” Affirmative Action is not only for the working community it is also for students in higher education. To prevent discrimination on students “on the basis of race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, gender, religion, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital, citizenship status or status as a special disabled veteran.”

Here is a list of Higher Education Admissions who were denied for discrimination due to various reasons.

v  Regents of the University of California v. Bakke

v  Grutter v. Bollinger and Gratz v. Bollinger

v  Fisher v. the University of Texas

It was interesting to hear that as an African American woman, Shirley overcame many obstacles in her life as a respectable professional woman. She shared some of her personal experiences with the audience. I found one of her recent experiences with racism and ignorance disturbing. Recently in Washington while trying to get a cab with a white colleague a cab pulled to the side of the curb, as Shirley put her hands on the door of the cab, the cab driver drove off. Why is this still happening in such a diverse and educated society in 2015?

 It is interesting to note, that “John F. Kennedy was the first to use Affirmative Action which covered federal contracting , companies who did not comply would lose their contracts” according to Shirley Wilcher. Here I will list some meaningful dates that impacts us in our society today. In 1963 the feminist movement began.

Successive Executive Orders on Civil Rights (President Orders)

v  1969 gay rights movements.

v  1969 The Philadelphia Plan “good faith” to stop discrimination of women construction workers.(Nixon)

v  1973 Nixon signed the act that require affirmative action plan for hiring, placement, for people with disabilities. “thou shall not discriminate” (Nixon)

Connections to class readings:

v  S.C.W.A.M.P

v  White Privilege

v  Indian Father’s Plea.

Connections to society:

v  University of Oklahoma college students from the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.

v   Locally the recent fire of a Fatima Hospital employee with no explanation.

v  Someone I know is accusing Walmart of not hiring her for her disability.