Not sure if anybody's even checking in here, but just in case, a few articles you might be interested in:
Dakota came across this story which details an interesting step (whether forward or backward is up for debate) to reorganize an urban school system in Omaha, Nebraska along strictly racial lines.
Sunday's Tribune had an update on the case of Shaquanda Cotton, a 14-year-old African American girl from Paris, Texas who was sentenced to up to 7 years in prison for shoving a teacher's aide (who was not injured) at her school. Cotton was recently released after a year in a youth prison, but her ordeal speaks to our discussions of zero tolerance and of the permanence of racism in U.S. society.
Also in Sunday's Trib, a brief sidebar on Newt Gingrich's recent ignorant comments on bilingual education:
WASHINGTON -- Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich on Saturday equated bilingual education with "the language of living in a ghetto" and mocked requirements that ballots be printed in multiple languages.
"The government should quit mandating that various documents be printed in any one of 700 languages depending on who randomly shows up" to vote, said Gingrich, who is considering seeking the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. He made the comments in a speech to the National Federation of Republican Women.
"We should replace bilingual education with immersion in English so people learn the common language of the country and they learn the language of prosperity, not the language of living in a ghetto," he said to cheers from the crowd of more than 100.
Finally, the Sun-Times reported last week on a new student loan program that is going to be piloted at 5 schools in Illinois. It's not an answer to all the problems you've voiced, but it sounds promising.
Monday, April 2, 2007
Friday, March 9, 2007
Bumper Sticker
I was driving home from ISU today, and I saw this bumper sticker:
"I work 40 hours a week to be poor."
I started to laugh, and then I remembered all we had been talking about and it actually made me sad. And then I started thinking about the person actually driving the vehicle. Was the person actually poor? Obviously he/she had a car. Then I had to think, what does that driver identify as poor? I mean, compared to the rest of the residents of Wheaton, my family is poor because we are working class. But we are by no means living in a one bedroom apartment sharing one car and barely able to afford the bills (ok, well maybe the bills are a struggle, but anyway...). So I guess poor is a realtive thing, and I would have liked the opportunity to actually talk to that driver and learn his/her understanding and definition of "being poor." Just wanted to share that wiht y'all. I'm hoping people still plan to read this! haha
"I work 40 hours a week to be poor."
I started to laugh, and then I remembered all we had been talking about and it actually made me sad. And then I started thinking about the person actually driving the vehicle. Was the person actually poor? Obviously he/she had a car. Then I had to think, what does that driver identify as poor? I mean, compared to the rest of the residents of Wheaton, my family is poor because we are working class. But we are by no means living in a one bedroom apartment sharing one car and barely able to afford the bills (ok, well maybe the bills are a struggle, but anyway...). So I guess poor is a realtive thing, and I would have liked the opportunity to actually talk to that driver and learn his/her understanding and definition of "being poor." Just wanted to share that wiht y'all. I'm hoping people still plan to read this! haha
Immigration....Helping The Students, vs. Punishing The Parents.
Ok...so last night' class got pretty intense, and I know that within my small group, I sparked some defininte heat--bows and arrows were probally being visually shot my way. But, that's ok-on an issue like this, I'm all about sharing my thoughts, for sometimes I feel that other people may feel the same way, they just don't want to say it. But, from my Diversity class with Greg in the summer, I'm use to it. I also needed a night to kind of cool off, and take a breather, for I left the class very heated, and I just didn't want to post with anger and blood to my ears and not listening or thinking clearly, I tend to do that.
Here is goes.....I feel that if you are an illegal immigrant living within the United States, and you get caught here illegally, too bad so sad! Work it out! WAIT! Before the evil comments come flying my way--I do recogonize that it isn't the easiest process and that living here in America is probally way better then in Mexico, or where ever your home country is, but still. When we look back into our history like Greg was talking about doing, look at the Irish Immigrants that came into this country. My family is predominatly Irish, so yes, I am an a decendent of immigrants as well, and I recongize that--but still. My family bust their asses to get where they are today. My Great-Grandfather who came here straight off the boat, for the predjuices, and dirty looks, and the, "No Irish Need Apply." But, that never stoppped him. He went through the citienship process, he learned to speak English when all he knew was Galelic, and he became a top guy in the Labor Union World. He payed his dues, so that his ancestors, being my family and myself, didn't have to go through some of the things that the illigal immigrants children are going through. SO, my question is....what has changed from then till now?
With that said, I like Dakota am all about and in favor of The Dream Act. I do not feel that the children should have to pay for the mistakes, or maybe not mistakes, but misfourtunes of their parents, but like he said, that could be abused, and then the whole act would be a sham! We wouldn't want that now, would we? Yes, this does sound like am I saying to punish the parents, but you can't live life blaming other people for everything that has haappened to you--there needs to be some ownership for your life. I think that it great that they are getting out of their coutry where it sucks, but there is always a cause and effect to everything that happens in life, and I feel that people forget that, when it comes to this issue.
Finally, it may seem that I am this non-compassionate heartless bitch, but I am not tryin to be. There was talk last night about looking at things on a case-by-case basis, but that imposssible! If that were the case, then to hell with the rules! That's what that sounds like to me! We can't do that, we live in a society that needs rules and structure; they just need to be reformed and reevaluted, so that everyone can win, or that the process of becoming a citizen doesn't take 7 years.
And, I agree with what Robert said, "We are all every other's country trash!" Our ancestors were immigrants, and they worked to get where they are today--and I feel that immigrants in this country should do that same.
Alright--send the flaming bows and arrows my way!
Here is goes.....I feel that if you are an illegal immigrant living within the United States, and you get caught here illegally, too bad so sad! Work it out! WAIT! Before the evil comments come flying my way--I do recogonize that it isn't the easiest process and that living here in America is probally way better then in Mexico, or where ever your home country is, but still. When we look back into our history like Greg was talking about doing, look at the Irish Immigrants that came into this country. My family is predominatly Irish, so yes, I am an a decendent of immigrants as well, and I recongize that--but still. My family bust their asses to get where they are today. My Great-Grandfather who came here straight off the boat, for the predjuices, and dirty looks, and the, "No Irish Need Apply." But, that never stoppped him. He went through the citienship process, he learned to speak English when all he knew was Galelic, and he became a top guy in the Labor Union World. He payed his dues, so that his ancestors, being my family and myself, didn't have to go through some of the things that the illigal immigrants children are going through. SO, my question is....what has changed from then till now?
With that said, I like Dakota am all about and in favor of The Dream Act. I do not feel that the children should have to pay for the mistakes, or maybe not mistakes, but misfourtunes of their parents, but like he said, that could be abused, and then the whole act would be a sham! We wouldn't want that now, would we? Yes, this does sound like am I saying to punish the parents, but you can't live life blaming other people for everything that has haappened to you--there needs to be some ownership for your life. I think that it great that they are getting out of their coutry where it sucks, but there is always a cause and effect to everything that happens in life, and I feel that people forget that, when it comes to this issue.
Finally, it may seem that I am this non-compassionate heartless bitch, but I am not tryin to be. There was talk last night about looking at things on a case-by-case basis, but that imposssible! If that were the case, then to hell with the rules! That's what that sounds like to me! We can't do that, we live in a society that needs rules and structure; they just need to be reformed and reevaluted, so that everyone can win, or that the process of becoming a citizen doesn't take 7 years.
And, I agree with what Robert said, "We are all every other's country trash!" Our ancestors were immigrants, and they worked to get where they are today--and I feel that immigrants in this country should do that same.
Alright--send the flaming bows and arrows my way!
Dream Act
After class yesterday I was really interested in what we had discussed about the Dream Act. I might be in the minority on this, but I had never heard of this act before. (unfortunatedly im not up -to date on new policies that are pending.)I re-read the information sheet we got in class and I think that it was very much on target. It's terrible for hardworking students to be denied a chance at citizenship, therefore being excluded from some benefits that students that are already citizens do. To me, the crucial condition in this policy is that they must be good and hardworking students who have never gotten in trouble. The Dream Act states that these teenagers must haved lived more than 5 years in the United States prior to high school graduation. During this time, if they respected authority, were conscientious students, and showed moral responsibility, then I feel they are likely to continue in this pattern. I think it would be terrible for their schooling to have to end because they are not citizens. Also, this law would essentially grant them temporary citizenship and if they fullfilled their obligations, then they would be permanent citizens. I think that these are exactly the type of people we would want to become citizens. I don't think good people should be punished or at the very least give the kids a chance if they have already been working hard to prove themselves. Just some of my own thoughts but I would like to hear what everyone else's thoughts were on the Dream Act .-Have a good spring break everyone!
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Continuing tonight's conversation
"Illegal immigration into the United States is a highly profitable proposition for both employers and the US government, and it also benefits Mexico, which is the largest source country of undocumented immigrants into the US." Deborah White (http://usliberals.about.com/od/immigration/a/IllegalImmi.htm)
" Our findings show that many of the preconceived notions about the fiscal impact of illegal households turn out to be inaccurate. In terms of welfare use, receipt of cash assistance programs tends to be very low, while Medicaid use, though significant, is still less than for other households. Only use of food assistance programs is significantly higher than that of the rest of the population. Also, contrary to the perceptions that illegal aliens don't pay payroll taxes, we estimate that more than half of illegals work "on the books." On average, illegal households pay more than $4,200 a year in all forms of federal taxes. Unfortunately, they impose costs of $6,950 per household." (http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html)
Just a few quotes I found today after coming home from class. I fear that we get lost in the media hype, the skewed way that we read, see, and hear about undocumentented people living in this country. We lump these people into one catagory because it's hard to see them as part of OUR life. When we see them, we can't picture them sitting with us on our dining room table enjoying a family dinner. It's easier to turn a blind eye to their needs since they don't look like us. Now I offer no solution to this as I am merely a college student with minimal experience with US budgets and politics and what not. But I do hope that us as future educators and future parents and decent human beings can see past this "me first" ideal and teach our children to be open compassionate individuals.
We will survive...the united states is the most affluent country in the Free world. Even the poorest have at least one television in their home...that should tell us exactly how well off we are.
Last comment, if we are donating funds to impoverished countries all around the world, how dare we neglect the ones who do come here and work hard not to take but to contribute. Food for thought.
By the way, I wish everyone a fun spring break.
" Our findings show that many of the preconceived notions about the fiscal impact of illegal households turn out to be inaccurate. In terms of welfare use, receipt of cash assistance programs tends to be very low, while Medicaid use, though significant, is still less than for other households. Only use of food assistance programs is significantly higher than that of the rest of the population. Also, contrary to the perceptions that illegal aliens don't pay payroll taxes, we estimate that more than half of illegals work "on the books." On average, illegal households pay more than $4,200 a year in all forms of federal taxes. Unfortunately, they impose costs of $6,950 per household." (http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html)
Just a few quotes I found today after coming home from class. I fear that we get lost in the media hype, the skewed way that we read, see, and hear about undocumentented people living in this country. We lump these people into one catagory because it's hard to see them as part of OUR life. When we see them, we can't picture them sitting with us on our dining room table enjoying a family dinner. It's easier to turn a blind eye to their needs since they don't look like us. Now I offer no solution to this as I am merely a college student with minimal experience with US budgets and politics and what not. But I do hope that us as future educators and future parents and decent human beings can see past this "me first" ideal and teach our children to be open compassionate individuals.
We will survive...the united states is the most affluent country in the Free world. Even the poorest have at least one television in their home...that should tell us exactly how well off we are.
Last comment, if we are donating funds to impoverished countries all around the world, how dare we neglect the ones who do come here and work hard not to take but to contribute. Food for thought.
By the way, I wish everyone a fun spring break.
Language Discussion
To touch on a sensitive issue, I am curious to find out people's reactions and opinions about something that I heard recently. I was talking with my cousin the other day, and she told me something that she said really irritated her. She then went on telling me that the Disney channel had played the Premier of the second Cheetah girls movies in Spanish before they played it in English. Please..PLEASE do not jump down my throat when I say this, but that made me, I do not want to say mad, but for lack of a better word "mad." At this, I was just wondering what everyone else thought about this.
The Hidden Suburbia
I grew up in an all white community, went to all white schools, when myself and another family, made up the Hispanic population at my school. I watched people when I was in high school (talking specifically about the negative, and that is not to say there was only negative, because that is not true), and I saw the things that they were getting into trouble with, and I also saw how easy it was for them to get out of the trouble. So when I learn more about urban education, and the negative stereotypes people have about it, it makes me question why people do not see the negative things youths are doing in suburban schools? Answering my own question, I feel that even though many of the same things that happen in suburban school as urban school, suburbia has done an extremely good job of hiding what goes on in their towns. I feel they able to hid it because they have the money to do so, they do not have negative stereotypes that minorities unfortunately have, so very little attention is paid to their mistakes. This frustrates me, to know that one group is constantly being seen as “good”, while the other is seen as “bad.” I am curious to know what you guys think, is it fair to same that suburbia has done a good job of hiding their mistakes? This is still a thought I am trying to work out, so please offer your opinions.
Reaction to "What Will Become of Children Like Miguel Fernandez?"
While reading this article, I couldn't help but think of how I would deal with the problems at Miguel's school if I was a teacher there. I think that teachers in over-crowded and under-funded schools can't completely stop these problems on their own but they can help make the classrooms more efficient for learning. Yesterday in group discussion we talked a little about things we could do to improve the quality of education. I just wanted to share some of our ideas with the rest of the class and see if anyone had any others.
One idea was to have a box of extra school supplies that were set aside for students that can't afford to buy them. Someone had a great idea to let friends and family know about what you are doing and ask if they could donate just one thing to the class. There are a lot of materials that are needed for school and if everyone just donated one item at family function or when friends get together then that might really help the students in the class who are struggling. Another great idea someone had was to have speakers come into the class that would be willing to donate their time. I was thinking that this could be someone representing a scholarship program but it could also just be someone who discusses their profession or trade. Also, museum tour guides may be willing to donate some of their time to speak. Someone else had a good idea to look for grants to purchase things that the students otherwise would never obtain, such as the disposable cameras from the video we watched. Class field trips that would enhance the learning experience would be good for a hands-on activity. Museums may offer a student discount or may be willing to waive the fees for entire classrooms. These are just a few of the ideas and if anyone thought of anything else feel free to share.
One idea was to have a box of extra school supplies that were set aside for students that can't afford to buy them. Someone had a great idea to let friends and family know about what you are doing and ask if they could donate just one thing to the class. There are a lot of materials that are needed for school and if everyone just donated one item at family function or when friends get together then that might really help the students in the class who are struggling. Another great idea someone had was to have speakers come into the class that would be willing to donate their time. I was thinking that this could be someone representing a scholarship program but it could also just be someone who discusses their profession or trade. Also, museum tour guides may be willing to donate some of their time to speak. Someone else had a good idea to look for grants to purchase things that the students otherwise would never obtain, such as the disposable cameras from the video we watched. Class field trips that would enhance the learning experience would be good for a hands-on activity. Museums may offer a student discount or may be willing to waive the fees for entire classrooms. These are just a few of the ideas and if anyone thought of anything else feel free to share.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Reflection on "Juvies"
Reflecting back on the movie "Juvies" makes me think about the children I've grown up with and my little brothers, sisters, cousins, and family friends. I could see them in those children in the movie and it hit me hard. Children are callled children for a reason. They have yet to develop the proper cognitive skills for rational mature thinking. Punishing children as adults is fruitless. It is taking away their lives before they had a chance to begin. Children should be corrected and lead down a positive path while still respecting their backgrounds and upbringings. I think of my sister who is 19 now and how many times she makes my hand slap against my forehead in frustration at the stupid ignorant things she can say and do and to think of one of her many horrible judgements landing her in jail for her natural life scares me. A life is precious no matter who's it is and all prisoners should have services to help rehabilitate them to be functional members of societies but it should be in place especially with the younger ones who have yet to start their lives in the real world.
The Balwin article "A Talk to Teachers," really spoke to me. Though it is outdated, I feel alot of it still applies today and not only to Black students but all minorities. We are expected to love our country, especially in this time of war, but our country does not love us. Instead they allow the continued segregation of inviduals with in neighborhoods and schools, they still permit the systematic oppression of people from diverse backgrounds, and do not push the promotion of people from various backgrounds. But if we complain about this system what do we hear? "Why don't you go back to your own country?" This comment I've heard said around me and said to me many times.
Baldwin says "...societies really, ideally, want is a citizenry which all simply obey the rules of society." It is easier to run a society when there aren't many going against the grain. Moving with the flow keeps everyone happy and ignorant that not everything is rosy and bright to the point that even now racism has become an invisible problem. We all know it's there but we can't see it.
Until we bring this invisible problem to light and work against the system to change this, minority students will continue to hear comments like "Go back to your own country," when they finally stand up and speak against the injustices of this country they are supposed to love.
Baldwin says "...societies really, ideally, want is a citizenry which all simply obey the rules of society." It is easier to run a society when there aren't many going against the grain. Moving with the flow keeps everyone happy and ignorant that not everything is rosy and bright to the point that even now racism has become an invisible problem. We all know it's there but we can't see it.
Until we bring this invisible problem to light and work against the system to change this, minority students will continue to hear comments like "Go back to your own country," when they finally stand up and speak against the injustices of this country they are supposed to love.
Does Race Take Away From The Real Meaning of Teaching
Today I was watching TV, and though the show was good but it was a concept that I had seen before. It was called Fighting the Odds: The Marilyn Gambrell story and it was similar to the Ron Clark story and others like it. It was a white teacher in a black school playing a superhero role, so I feel. I think I feel this way because when minority teachers go in and teach minority or white students, they arent on TV for it. I read an article where a white teacher left a school less then a year after he started because he felt disillusioned by pupils who struggled, parents who weren't involved and the constant pressure to meet state achievement standards. "It's not because of race issues," he says. "It's about where you feel comfortable." I did not choose this career path because of money, I chose it because I want to make a difference. Schools that have students that struggle and parents who arent involved is not going to make me feel uncomfortable. So was his reason for leaving not really a race issue? He felt more comfortable teaching high-performing fourth-graders at a wealthy, mostly white Atlanta school. Now, not all white teachers leave, in this same article I read, one teacher said, "I really see no difference in what my job is, whether the students are black or white. They're children. It's my job to teach." There are also black teachers who grow up in this poor, low-income areas and they "sellout" by going to this schools where it is easier for them to teach. I feel if your not working hard, if your not making a difference, then your not doing your job. But I do wish that these "based on a true story" shows would stop showing white teachers as superheros, it makes me feel like black teachers, or minority teachers in general aren't out there doing what they are doing to make a difference and I beg to differ. Whether they're white, black, rich or poor, they all have needs and as a teacher, white, black Asian or Chinese, you are suppose to be there, not cop-out.
Diversity Education Conference
I also went to the Diversity Education Conference and thought that the keynote speaker, Bill Ayers, dicussed some very valuable topics for teachers. He believes that believing you know everything as a teacher can be very dangerous. I think this as well because we can learn from our students too. Ayers went on to explain that teachers are not the ultimate vessels of knowledge but that the best teaching involves a dialogue in which teacher and student learn together. I thought that it was interesting that he made the same observation that we did in class about Hollywood movies. These movies tend to follow the same pattern with one teacher that is the "savior" and has to sacrifice something for the good of their students. I think that this could discredit the students. I also agreed with Bill Ayers belief that their are negative effects of labeling students, such as "at risk." He mentions that labels should be resisted because it stifles the student's potential. I think that labels can also cause teachers to form judgements right away about what the students can and cannot do. There are some vaild arguments for why there is a need for labels but I just wonder if they do more harm then good. One thing that Bill Ayers spoke about that inspired me was that teachers should be passionate about something in their lives so their students can model after them.
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Actively Antiracist
One of the conversations that I believe is at the core of fulfilling the intentions of this class is the one from the Defining Racism article about moving the opposite way on the moving walkway and how this can be done. This article calls many of the alarming acts and consequences of racism to our attention, and it is a good reminder to be conscious of these situations. It goes a step further to suggest that the only way for white people in this society to avoid racism and promote change is to be "actively antiracist". It goes on to explain that racism is bigger than individual prejudice acts and that it is also due to the fact that all of us are born into and inherit an entire political and social system that is racist. How can we change that? What are some steps that we can take to be "actively antiracist"? What are some steps that we can take to go a step further and actually promote CHANGE? If all white people are benefiting from the White Privilege, how can we change that? Although we have mentioned some suggestions before, I think that this makes for a great discussion and it is a really great thing to focus on, especially among future teachers that are working towards change in communities in which many of the inhabitants are getting the brunt of the racist system.
Monday, March 5, 2007
"Mexican" Jobs
Since I have been taking this class, I have been trying to keep my eyes open more to the subtle prejudices, misconceptions, or discrimination that occurs in day-to-day life. I had some interesting feedback due to my new jobs this semester, and it kind of reminds me of the discussion my group was having last week about the "faceless" people that do the jobs that are often considered to be the "menial" jobs. It also seemed relevant to some of the issues brought up in "So Mexicans Are Taking Our Jobs" and "And What Will Become of Children Like Miguel Fernandez".
It is clear that certain jobs carry a stigma with them. I experienced an example of this through my own experience in minimum wage campus dining jobs. For the last two years, I have been working a few shifts a week for minimum wage campus dining service jobs. In previous semesters I worked at a deli and a bakery. This semester I was placed at both Burger King and Pizza Hut. Since I accepted jobs this semester at both venues, I have been getting very different reactions from others than I ever got when I worked at the deli or the bakery. Reactions I got included:
"Wow, your parents are going to be proud!" (sarcastically)
"Why would you want to work there? These are mostly Mexican jobs."
"Why don't you just work at Subway with your sister? Those jobs are much trashier."
In continuing the conversation with the ISU student who made the comment about a minimum wage Burger King job being trashier than a minimum wage Subway job. He had no rationale to support his comparison between Subways and Burger King. When we continued to talk he said that "as 'the big house with a white fence and a dog' is the stereotypical image of success, working at a low-paying fast food establishment is the stereotypical image of failure." He also went into a "what about the adults who consider this their career" speech.
The second statement that I encountered which labeled minimum wage fast food jobs as "Mexican jobs" reminded me of the article "And What Will Become of Children Like Miguel Fernandez" by Pedro A. Noguera. The article addresses the idea that "Latinos are trapped in the lowest paying jobs" and that they "specialize in doing the dirty work, the work that U.S.-born Americans reject".
These comments really struck a nerve with me and they brought to life how real some of these issues are. I wonder how other people would react to such statements and how people reacted to the article and the poem.
It is clear that certain jobs carry a stigma with them. I experienced an example of this through my own experience in minimum wage campus dining jobs. For the last two years, I have been working a few shifts a week for minimum wage campus dining service jobs. In previous semesters I worked at a deli and a bakery. This semester I was placed at both Burger King and Pizza Hut. Since I accepted jobs this semester at both venues, I have been getting very different reactions from others than I ever got when I worked at the deli or the bakery. Reactions I got included:
"Wow, your parents are going to be proud!" (sarcastically)
"Why would you want to work there? These are mostly Mexican jobs."
"Why don't you just work at Subway with your sister? Those jobs are much trashier."
In continuing the conversation with the ISU student who made the comment about a minimum wage Burger King job being trashier than a minimum wage Subway job. He had no rationale to support his comparison between Subways and Burger King. When we continued to talk he said that "as 'the big house with a white fence and a dog' is the stereotypical image of success, working at a low-paying fast food establishment is the stereotypical image of failure." He also went into a "what about the adults who consider this their career" speech.
The second statement that I encountered which labeled minimum wage fast food jobs as "Mexican jobs" reminded me of the article "And What Will Become of Children Like Miguel Fernandez" by Pedro A. Noguera. The article addresses the idea that "Latinos are trapped in the lowest paying jobs" and that they "specialize in doing the dirty work, the work that U.S.-born Americans reject".
These comments really struck a nerve with me and they brought to life how real some of these issues are. I wonder how other people would react to such statements and how people reacted to the article and the poem.
Taking account of class in the classroom
We talked in class last week about the impact of poverty on people's lives and some of the stereotypical assumptions educators make about poor children and families. As Sue Books explained in the chapter we read from her book, people in the U.S. aren't poor due to character flaws or an absolute scarcity of money--instead, poverty results from the structure of our capitalist economic system and wrongheaded policy choices.
Here's a good (and fairly short) article from the latest issue of Teaching Tolerance that echoes that critique and takes it one step further with suggestions on what teachers can do to transform their practice in ways that will take account of poverty without making assumptions or sweeping generalizations about students.
(Note: The link above will take you to the home page of Teaching Tolerance. Click "The lastest issue of Teaching Tolerance" (under the artwork of the girl's face), then you'll see a link to the article on the right--it's called "The Question of Class" by Paul Gorski.)
Here's a good (and fairly short) article from the latest issue of Teaching Tolerance that echoes that critique and takes it one step further with suggestions on what teachers can do to transform their practice in ways that will take account of poverty without making assumptions or sweeping generalizations about students.
(Note: The link above will take you to the home page of Teaching Tolerance. Click "The lastest issue of Teaching Tolerance" (under the artwork of the girl's face), then you'll see a link to the article on the right--it's called "The Question of Class" by Paul Gorski.)
A Column I Read
For one of my other classes, we were talking about how much money the big company CEO's get, and how unfair it is compared to other people.
Somebody mentioned that the President of State Farm a few years back ended up earning something like an 80% raise.
At the same time State Farm also tried to weasel its way out of paying off claims for Hurricane Katrina victims (until a class action lawsuit demaned they do so).
Out teacher told us the read the following column to discuss in class, and I found it to be somewhat infuriating. I was just wondering what other people thought, since it has some times to idea of poverty and education.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/op-ed/navarrette/20070221-9999-lz1e21navar.html
Somebody mentioned that the President of State Farm a few years back ended up earning something like an 80% raise.
At the same time State Farm also tried to weasel its way out of paying off claims for Hurricane Katrina victims (until a class action lawsuit demaned they do so).
Out teacher told us the read the following column to discuss in class, and I found it to be somewhat infuriating. I was just wondering what other people thought, since it has some times to idea of poverty and education.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/op-ed/navarrette/20070221-9999-lz1e21navar.html
Saturday, March 3, 2007
The city that works?
Jenn asked me in class last week what I thought about Mayor Daley getting re-elected for a sixth--yes, sixth--term. Many casual observers believe Chicago has flourished under Daley, but their observations are usually about cosmetic improvements ("It's so much cleaner!" and "Millenium Park is so pretty!"). It's worth asking, though, who has really benefitted and who has suffered during Daley's time in office? Does "the city that works" work equally well for all?
For those who are interested, here's a clear-eyed assessment of Daley's record and where Chicago is as a city (including its schools): "He's Going to Win (and Here's Why You Should Vote Against Him Anyway)." It was written by Ben Joravsky and published a few days before the election in the Chicago Reader.
For those who are interested, here's a clear-eyed assessment of Daley's record and where Chicago is as a city (including its schools): "He's Going to Win (and Here's Why You Should Vote Against Him Anyway)." It was written by Ben Joravsky and published a few days before the election in the Chicago Reader.
Job Offerings
This past Tuesday I went to the Educators' Job Fair, and I was just being nosey and looking around seeing if my elementary or high school was there. But I ended up leaving prematurely because I was constantly annoyed by recruiters. They would as me questions about what I want to teach and what grade level, and there were dozens that would come up to me at once. Okay I understand that there is a great need for male teachers in the elementary grades and even more need for colored males in education in general. This is a question or more of a testimony for my other males and colored folks, do you ever feel that you are being hired or getting a lot of attention due to the need to fill a quota? I may be tripping but I am really nervous that I might not be qualified for the accolades that I receive but I receive them because the color of my skin not the content of character. I know this was brought up in class once, but I just figured out how to start my own topic!!!
Friday, March 2, 2007
Working to Stay Poor
So, I was thinking about the budget worksheet we did in class. The title on the worksheet was something like working to stay poor...but we didn't really talk about what I think of when I consider that statement. Then, I attended a sociology class and they were talking about economic status and the poor as well...which was weird. Someone in the class posed the question that some people are trying to stay poor so they can get a check each month. He even went to high school with people who said they couldn't wait to turn 18 and receive their check in the mail. Now, although the kid had a negative spin on that towards poor people...he brings up a good point. The professor said that there has been no evidence or studies that proved people try to stay poor. I beg to differ. And this is why:
Now, I don't know if I'm just thinking of a different issue..but from experience, I think that the financial aid and federal aid is set up so that people have to try to stay poor. For example, in my family, my mom is a full time mom and my dad has been unemployed for 6 years. We are surviving because my parents are the world's best savers when the money was good. For last year, when we were applying for financial aid, we put 0 as our income. Add to that the fact that I'm a RA, and I was basically getting paid to come to school. Not only did my parents not have to pay anything, but I got checks in the mail for a lot of money. For this year, my dad is still unemployed, but he got some freelance work to get a few grand. So we didn't get to put 0 as our income...and as a result we got 0 financial aid. But we are still unemployed and are beginning to struggle. But since we could put a few grand for our annual income AND being a RA hurts me this time, because then room and board is paid for...so we get nothing from aid. The same thing occurs for any kind of aid people get. The moment they cross over into another category..so from drowning to gasping for air basically...their aid decreases tremedously. So why try and get a slightly better job? Why even look? Why try? I just don't understand how that system can possible help anyone. Am I not understanding it properly? What do you all think? cause just letting you know...I'm PISSED. Sorry for the language Greg.
Now, I don't know if I'm just thinking of a different issue..but from experience, I think that the financial aid and federal aid is set up so that people have to try to stay poor. For example, in my family, my mom is a full time mom and my dad has been unemployed for 6 years. We are surviving because my parents are the world's best savers when the money was good. For last year, when we were applying for financial aid, we put 0 as our income. Add to that the fact that I'm a RA, and I was basically getting paid to come to school. Not only did my parents not have to pay anything, but I got checks in the mail for a lot of money. For this year, my dad is still unemployed, but he got some freelance work to get a few grand. So we didn't get to put 0 as our income...and as a result we got 0 financial aid. But we are still unemployed and are beginning to struggle. But since we could put a few grand for our annual income AND being a RA hurts me this time, because then room and board is paid for...so we get nothing from aid. The same thing occurs for any kind of aid people get. The moment they cross over into another category..so from drowning to gasping for air basically...their aid decreases tremedously. So why try and get a slightly better job? Why even look? Why try? I just don't understand how that system can possible help anyone. Am I not understanding it properly? What do you all think? cause just letting you know...I'm PISSED. Sorry for the language Greg.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Racism and Class
I keep finding that what we are talking about in this class relates to what I am reading about in my EAF 228 class. Today, I was reading about "Capitalism, Class, and the Matrix of Domination" in Allan G. Johnson's book Privilege, Power and Difference (2nd ed.). One of the opening sentences really caught my attention.
"White racism hasn't been around very long -- hardly more than several centuries and certainly not as long as peoples now considered 'white' have been aware of other 'races.' Its appearance in Europe and the Americas occurred right along with the expansion of capitalism as an economic system" (Johnson 41).
After reading this, I suddenly realized why it is so hard to separate class and race; racial discrimination was created to preserve a class system as a part of the larger capitalist economy. The author goes on to explain why this is true by citing historical facts like the use of slave labor, low working wages, and creating divisions among the "masses." All of these things help the dominant, privileged (white) class to turn money into more money.
Have any of you ever realized this connection before? Do you agree with what this author thinks about the connection between racism and class? Why or why not? I'm really interested in what everyone thinks.
"White racism hasn't been around very long -- hardly more than several centuries and certainly not as long as peoples now considered 'white' have been aware of other 'races.' Its appearance in Europe and the Americas occurred right along with the expansion of capitalism as an economic system" (Johnson 41).
After reading this, I suddenly realized why it is so hard to separate class and race; racial discrimination was created to preserve a class system as a part of the larger capitalist economy. The author goes on to explain why this is true by citing historical facts like the use of slave labor, low working wages, and creating divisions among the "masses." All of these things help the dominant, privileged (white) class to turn money into more money.
Have any of you ever realized this connection before? Do you agree with what this author thinks about the connection between racism and class? Why or why not? I'm really interested in what everyone thinks.
Zero Tolerance
I wanted to write my thoughts about this earlier and now that the topic keeps coming up in other classes I really wanted to touch on this. So in the article Zero Tolerance as Mandatory Sentencing, I really agreed with one section that stated, " These recent zero tolerance policies do not take into account whether a student knew he or she had the object that is deemed to be a weapon, or intended to do any harm." Also, that "zero tolerance" really doesn't have anything to do with tolerance but everything to do with one-size-fits-all mandatory punishment. That jumped out at me the most because its true. I feel that the Zero Tolerance policy needs to be re-defined. A punishment needs to be handled on a trial by trial basis. A weapon doesn't have to be anything sharp or with some kind of point and a lot of people don't understand that. If a 6'4, 300 lb student who is heavy handed decides to attack somebody smaller then him with a hard cover textbook and bludgeons that person to death, then that book has just been used as a weapon. Has it not? How can you apply the same expulsion rules to a six year old as to a seventeen -year old? I think thats absolutely absurd.
So, what do you think about the Zero Tolerance policy?
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Diversity Conference
I went to see Bill Ayers speak at the Diversity Conference on Friday, February 23rd. One thing Bill said that has really stuck with me is "Teaching at its best allows humans to become more powerful." For me, that sums up exactly why I want to become a teacher. I want children to be able to feel like they have the ability to do something with their lives, to be something great. My ideal job would be a literacy teacher in first or second grade. Literacy is perhaps the most powerful tool in becoming what is considered "successful" in today's world.
At this point in our schooling, I think we all kind of take reading for granted. But if we really stop to think about it, would any of us be here right now if we were not literate? Not only do I want to give students the gift of reading, but I also want to help them to LOVE reading. Kids these days are so fixated on movies, TV shows, playstations, and ipods. To me, nothing is better then being so absorbed in a book that I have to finish reading it before I go to sleep. If I could instill even a bit of my passion for books into my students, I will consider myself a successful teacher.
Did any of you attend the conference? What are your thoughts?
At this point in our schooling, I think we all kind of take reading for granted. But if we really stop to think about it, would any of us be here right now if we were not literate? Not only do I want to give students the gift of reading, but I also want to help them to LOVE reading. Kids these days are so fixated on movies, TV shows, playstations, and ipods. To me, nothing is better then being so absorbed in a book that I have to finish reading it before I go to sleep. If I could instill even a bit of my passion for books into my students, I will consider myself a successful teacher.
Did any of you attend the conference? What are your thoughts?
Sunday, February 25, 2007
How far have we come since 1963?
There was a lot we didn't get to last week with regard to the articles we read about race and racism. We had a pretty good discussion about the Tatum article--especially the metaphor of the moving walkway, and how we all get pulled toward the racism that permeates society unless we take steps to actively move against it (by being anti-racist). Still, we didn't even touch on the Baldwin or Cashin pieces, and while we'll try to give them some time next week, I thought I'd post a couple questions here to see if they generate any discussion.
Baldwin wrote "A Talk to Teachers" in 1963. He writes of the miseducation of Black children in schools, and of a society that professes equality for all but that in reality is hostile to African Americans. "A black child," he writes, "looking at the world around him, though he cannot know quite what to make of it, is aware that there is a reason why his mother works so hard, why his father is always on edge....And it isn't long--in fact it begins when he is in school--before he discovers the shape of his oppression."
How relevant or outdated is Baldwin's commentary on America's racial landscape? Do you think his critique and his advice to teachers still resonate today, and if so, how? If not, why not?
Sheryll Cashin, writing over 40 years after Baldwin and a year after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, says that while much has changed for African Americans since the Civil Rights movement, vast inequities persist--particularly in racially isolated inner cities. Cashin says that while many White people have no problem relating to African Americans on an individual level, they fear Black people in large numbers--especially "the Black ghetto." Do you agree with this assessment, and if so, what are the implications for urban schools?
If neither of these questons interests you, see recent posts (below) by Dakota, Trish, and Dave, and Katie's response to my "More on whites and racism" post.
Baldwin wrote "A Talk to Teachers" in 1963. He writes of the miseducation of Black children in schools, and of a society that professes equality for all but that in reality is hostile to African Americans. "A black child," he writes, "looking at the world around him, though he cannot know quite what to make of it, is aware that there is a reason why his mother works so hard, why his father is always on edge....And it isn't long--in fact it begins when he is in school--before he discovers the shape of his oppression."
How relevant or outdated is Baldwin's commentary on America's racial landscape? Do you think his critique and his advice to teachers still resonate today, and if so, how? If not, why not?
Sheryll Cashin, writing over 40 years after Baldwin and a year after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, says that while much has changed for African Americans since the Civil Rights movement, vast inequities persist--particularly in racially isolated inner cities. Cashin says that while many White people have no problem relating to African Americans on an individual level, they fear Black people in large numbers--especially "the Black ghetto." Do you agree with this assessment, and if so, what are the implications for urban schools?
If neither of these questons interests you, see recent posts (below) by Dakota, Trish, and Dave, and Katie's response to my "More on whites and racism" post.
"People of Color"
I’ve been thinking a lot about last class lately- mostly about the labels we use to identify people according to their race and/or ethnicity. I have a lot running through my mind, and I was hoping that some of you would respond with comments or clarifications. Sometimes I feel very lost…here is what I mean by that:
When we talked about filling in circles about race on tests/applications/etc I usually don’t fill in anything, not only because I don’t believe that I should be categorized in such circumstances, but because I don’t really know where I belong.
I love it when people ask about me…they usually have no idea what I am, and I am happy to clarify that to those people curious enough to actually ask. I love my cultural background and I love the fact that I feel so connected to it. But, many people do not know. Many do not ask; many are ignorant to the fact that people like me exist-people who are considered “Other” without anymore explanation.
When 9/11 occurred, my mother had to put a large American Flag sticker on her car so that it would be avoided when people were egging “terrorist” cars. In school, I was considered an “A-rab” [sic]. The people who knew my mother was from Iraq automatically connected me to being a follower of Saddam. I was asked where my towel was, whether Saddam was a relative, whether I celebrated Christmas or Easter. In the airport, my family is the first to be pulled out of line and searched. These are the most recent treatments I have gone through, but I’ve had similar experiences since the time I moved out of Chicago into the suburbs. No one knew what “kind of people we were.” I used to hate looking the way I do; I still struggle with the same issues I did when I was seven. The amount of harassment that Middle Easterners have to go through is an issue that oftentimes gets overlooked- yes, it’s in the news, but it’s often negative and they usually show “my people” running around without any shoes, burning American Flags-basically animals who walk upright. The War in Iraq is not only in Iraq…9/11 has not gone away…I am still the girl that is different from everyone else- even in our C&I class. I know there is a fairly large group of Middle Easterners in Urban schools- all my cousins (first second, third cousins) went to school in inner city Chicago. When do those issues get brought up in a way that people can openly discuss what is going on? Am I missing or wrong about the issues I am having?
When we talk about “people of color in class” I am usually hopeful that I am considered somewhere in there, but even then many of us continue with, “Hispanic, Black, Latino.” I can’t help but to wonder, “What about everyone else?” I know that the above mentioned make up what would be (I guess) the “majority of the minority” (ironic, I know) and I know we can not possibly touch on every culture, race, ethnic group, but I think that a lot of issues are being ignored when we don’t take into account that “people of color” is also a label that needs to be defined as well.
So in closing: When you hear “people of color” who do you think about? Is it a safe way to label such a variety of individuals? When our students have come to us, just as I have today, and ask you, “Where do I belong?” how will you react?
When we talked about filling in circles about race on tests/applications/etc I usually don’t fill in anything, not only because I don’t believe that I should be categorized in such circumstances, but because I don’t really know where I belong.
I love it when people ask about me…they usually have no idea what I am, and I am happy to clarify that to those people curious enough to actually ask. I love my cultural background and I love the fact that I feel so connected to it. But, many people do not know. Many do not ask; many are ignorant to the fact that people like me exist-people who are considered “Other” without anymore explanation.
When 9/11 occurred, my mother had to put a large American Flag sticker on her car so that it would be avoided when people were egging “terrorist” cars. In school, I was considered an “A-rab” [sic]. The people who knew my mother was from Iraq automatically connected me to being a follower of Saddam. I was asked where my towel was, whether Saddam was a relative, whether I celebrated Christmas or Easter. In the airport, my family is the first to be pulled out of line and searched. These are the most recent treatments I have gone through, but I’ve had similar experiences since the time I moved out of Chicago into the suburbs. No one knew what “kind of people we were.” I used to hate looking the way I do; I still struggle with the same issues I did when I was seven. The amount of harassment that Middle Easterners have to go through is an issue that oftentimes gets overlooked- yes, it’s in the news, but it’s often negative and they usually show “my people” running around without any shoes, burning American Flags-basically animals who walk upright. The War in Iraq is not only in Iraq…9/11 has not gone away…I am still the girl that is different from everyone else- even in our C&I class. I know there is a fairly large group of Middle Easterners in Urban schools- all my cousins (first second, third cousins) went to school in inner city Chicago. When do those issues get brought up in a way that people can openly discuss what is going on? Am I missing or wrong about the issues I am having?
When we talk about “people of color in class” I am usually hopeful that I am considered somewhere in there, but even then many of us continue with, “Hispanic, Black, Latino.” I can’t help but to wonder, “What about everyone else?” I know that the above mentioned make up what would be (I guess) the “majority of the minority” (ironic, I know) and I know we can not possibly touch on every culture, race, ethnic group, but I think that a lot of issues are being ignored when we don’t take into account that “people of color” is also a label that needs to be defined as well.
So in closing: When you hear “people of color” who do you think about? Is it a safe way to label such a variety of individuals? When our students have come to us, just as I have today, and ask you, “Where do I belong?” how will you react?
Interesting Connections
This isn't related directly to the class but I thought it was a good piece to share with some people.
This past Saturday a teacher panel from Urban Teaching backgrounds spoke about their experiences to a crowd of students. One teacher who taught elementary students on the west side of Chicago said to us "They're just kids."
This comment was in response to the misconstrued fear weaved by the ignorant. The fears that all inner-city are in gangs. The fear that all inner-city kids will steal your wallet, purse or car. The fear that when inner-city kids speak another language, their talking about you. She was responding to a situation where a first grader stenciled a crown on her folder. Since this is a common gang symbol in their neighborhood they wanted to remove the girl from the class and give her some type of punishment. The teacher asked to wait and talked to the girl about the crowns. It turns out that on the very folder that she stenciled on was the same crown. The first grader liked it so much that she wanted to try and draw it.
"They're just kids."
I just finished watching a documentary called Born into Brothels. It's about children born into the brothels of Calcutta and how they live. I really liked this film and want to recommend it to everyone. What I liked about it was the fact that it showed the kids being kids.
Yes it showed the difficult lives they had but the film did not dwell on it. The majority of the film consists of these children laughing, talking, playing and taking photos. It shows us that even though we, as Westerners, see these "major" social issues, see the disparity of these children's lives, see the frustrations of those who try and help, these children still grow and live like children.
They still played with each other. They still were fascinated by new things. They still wanted to learn and be doctors and lawyers when they grow up. They still wanted the best for their family. They still wanted to have fun.
"They're just kids."
This past Saturday a teacher panel from Urban Teaching backgrounds spoke about their experiences to a crowd of students. One teacher who taught elementary students on the west side of Chicago said to us "They're just kids."
This comment was in response to the misconstrued fear weaved by the ignorant. The fears that all inner-city are in gangs. The fear that all inner-city kids will steal your wallet, purse or car. The fear that when inner-city kids speak another language, their talking about you. She was responding to a situation where a first grader stenciled a crown on her folder. Since this is a common gang symbol in their neighborhood they wanted to remove the girl from the class and give her some type of punishment. The teacher asked to wait and talked to the girl about the crowns. It turns out that on the very folder that she stenciled on was the same crown. The first grader liked it so much that she wanted to try and draw it.
"They're just kids."
I just finished watching a documentary called Born into Brothels. It's about children born into the brothels of Calcutta and how they live. I really liked this film and want to recommend it to everyone. What I liked about it was the fact that it showed the kids being kids.
Yes it showed the difficult lives they had but the film did not dwell on it. The majority of the film consists of these children laughing, talking, playing and taking photos. It shows us that even though we, as Westerners, see these "major" social issues, see the disparity of these children's lives, see the frustrations of those who try and help, these children still grow and live like children.
They still played with each other. They still were fascinated by new things. They still wanted to learn and be doctors and lawyers when they grow up. They still wanted the best for their family. They still wanted to have fun.
"They're just kids."
Thursday, February 22, 2007
More on whites and racism
A clarification to my comment on David's "Defining Racism" post (below):
I agreed with David that questions of race and racism can get overwhelming, "especially," I wrote, "for those of us who are white and who benefit from white privilege in this society." What I meant is that for those of us who have lived our lives without experiencing much (or any) racism directed toward us, actually thinking about how race works in society can be a daunting and uncomfortable task. For some, it's easier to remain in denial.
I should have added, though, that whatever psychic discomfort whites experience when thinking about racism pales in comparison to the psychic, emotional, economic, and sometimes physical pain that people of color experience when confronted with racism in their daily lives.
There's a big difference between the two.
I agreed with David that questions of race and racism can get overwhelming, "especially," I wrote, "for those of us who are white and who benefit from white privilege in this society." What I meant is that for those of us who have lived our lives without experiencing much (or any) racism directed toward us, actually thinking about how race works in society can be a daunting and uncomfortable task. For some, it's easier to remain in denial.
I should have added, though, that whatever psychic discomfort whites experience when thinking about racism pales in comparison to the psychic, emotional, economic, and sometimes physical pain that people of color experience when confronted with racism in their daily lives.
There's a big difference between the two.
Monday, February 19, 2007
Another Reaction to Juvies
Juvies was a very serious film and for me it was hard to take that all in. I mean I know some people personally who are in jail but knowing that these kids are getting 30 years or life is completely overwhelming to me. I think as teachers we need to make sure that we are there for our students and that they know this themselves because it might be possible for us to help them.
The movie also made me think about one of my friends who I worked with who is currently in jail. He was a great guy who had got out of the whole gang scene when I had met him. When he told me stories about things that had happened and about his friends who were still in the gang, he always seemed to go back and forth between the things that he liked about being in the gang to the things that he was glad he wasn't a part of anymore. And this may sound totally corny but when we talked I felt like I was one of his ways out. Like I was one of those people who he could trust and connect with who actually cared about listening to his problems and trying to help him out or direct him in the opposite way of the gang. We kept in touch, but when I came back here to school I found out that he had rejoined the gang he had been apart of before. And he got into a really bad fight with guns and what not and went to jail.
The point of my little story is that I know as teachers we may not be able to be as close with the students as we are with our friends like I was with mine. But we do need to let them know that we are there for them, another outlet to help them. I guess I just felt when this happened to my friend, that I didn't fail him really because I tried to helping him and what not but it seemed more that everyone else around him had failed him. And then when I was gone there was only his other friends who were still part of this gang to be friends with and thats why he went back because there wasn't anyone else willing to help. So as teachers, with certain limitations we can be a big help and set kids in a successful direction.
I guess I just feel that we need to be supportive so our future students make good choices. In some ways maybe even trying to make other teachers who might already have bad perceptions on certain kids, see that these kids can change for the better but they also can't always do it by themselves. They need the confidence to change without being constantly reminded on how they are always being labeled by everyone else, especially if it isn't a good label. They need to know that there are people who care about them and their future, otherwise they could resort to other options that are in reach that may not be the best choice for them.
The movie also made me think about one of my friends who I worked with who is currently in jail. He was a great guy who had got out of the whole gang scene when I had met him. When he told me stories about things that had happened and about his friends who were still in the gang, he always seemed to go back and forth between the things that he liked about being in the gang to the things that he was glad he wasn't a part of anymore. And this may sound totally corny but when we talked I felt like I was one of his ways out. Like I was one of those people who he could trust and connect with who actually cared about listening to his problems and trying to help him out or direct him in the opposite way of the gang. We kept in touch, but when I came back here to school I found out that he had rejoined the gang he had been apart of before. And he got into a really bad fight with guns and what not and went to jail.
The point of my little story is that I know as teachers we may not be able to be as close with the students as we are with our friends like I was with mine. But we do need to let them know that we are there for them, another outlet to help them. I guess I just felt when this happened to my friend, that I didn't fail him really because I tried to helping him and what not but it seemed more that everyone else around him had failed him. And then when I was gone there was only his other friends who were still part of this gang to be friends with and thats why he went back because there wasn't anyone else willing to help. So as teachers, with certain limitations we can be a big help and set kids in a successful direction.
I guess I just feel that we need to be supportive so our future students make good choices. In some ways maybe even trying to make other teachers who might already have bad perceptions on certain kids, see that these kids can change for the better but they also can't always do it by themselves. They need the confidence to change without being constantly reminded on how they are always being labeled by everyone else, especially if it isn't a good label. They need to know that there are people who care about them and their future, otherwise they could resort to other options that are in reach that may not be the best choice for them.
Friday, February 16, 2007
'Defining Racism'
I may be jumping the gun a little bit, but I started to read the articles for next week and I feel a bit compelled to talk about it early.
I mean, it's obvious that we're all taking this class because we're intersted in teaching in urban areas, and of course it means that we also have to come to terms with racial issues and sterotypes and things of that nature, and overcome them.
I think this class is a wonderful first step, but I'm going to honest and say that it's a little bit overwhelming.
Starting out on the defining racism article the quotes "Oh, is there still racism?" and "But in fact, in almost every audience I address, there is someone who will suggest that racism is a thing of the past," got me thinking.
I know that I aspire to be above and beyond all this racism stuff, but the more I read these articles, the more I realize that I'm falling a bit short. Not to say that I'm some sort of bigot, but the more of these articles I read, the more my ignorance of this subject and these sorts of situations is revealed.
It's a good thing, it means I'm learning something.
And, as G.I. Joe says, "knowing is half the battle".
But, in this case, what accounts for the other 50%?
Reading these articles is an eye opening experience. I mean, some of this stuff isn't exactly new to me, but to actually sit down and pay direct attention to it is. Learning about this stuff is definately necessary, but I suppose it has me a little bit worried too. It feels like there is more I should be doing, but I'm not exactly sure I know what that is.
Obviously there is no quick fix, no easy sollution. There is no test or activity you can perform in and instantly find yourself no longer contributing to the biased and bigotted system we live in. This whole issue is far more complicated and complex than that, and thats one of the things that has me worried.
It makes me thing first off, can I teach these kids.
And secondly, should I?
Not from any deficiency on their part, but on mine.
Of course, I have these concerns and they are very real, but I'm not going to let them get the best of me. I'm not going to give up, in fact its these sorts of very real concerns I have, that makes me want to try ever harder.
Going backto the "A Talk With Teacher's" Article, another quote stood out.
" I began by saying that one of the paradoxes of education was that precisely at the point when you begin to develop a conscience, you must find yourself at war with your society,"
Which is something that I think is very true, but it's very scary at the same time. How does one put themselves in the position of being 'at war with society' and remain optimistic as opposed to winding up cynical and jaded, as thats not going to be much help to anyone.
(One of the saddest things about the work Kurt Vonnegut has been doing lately, is that he lost his optimism and has grown very cynical and bitter, and it's just depressing.)
Anyhow,
I feel like I just said a whole lot of random things, but I feel better at least about getting it out there. Feel free to comment. It would be nice to know that I'm not the only one worried about this stuff (or that i'm being paraniod for no reason).
I mean, it's obvious that we're all taking this class because we're intersted in teaching in urban areas, and of course it means that we also have to come to terms with racial issues and sterotypes and things of that nature, and overcome them.
I think this class is a wonderful first step, but I'm going to honest and say that it's a little bit overwhelming.
Starting out on the defining racism article the quotes "Oh, is there still racism?" and "But in fact, in almost every audience I address, there is someone who will suggest that racism is a thing of the past," got me thinking.
I know that I aspire to be above and beyond all this racism stuff, but the more I read these articles, the more I realize that I'm falling a bit short. Not to say that I'm some sort of bigot, but the more of these articles I read, the more my ignorance of this subject and these sorts of situations is revealed.
It's a good thing, it means I'm learning something.
And, as G.I. Joe says, "knowing is half the battle".
But, in this case, what accounts for the other 50%?
Reading these articles is an eye opening experience. I mean, some of this stuff isn't exactly new to me, but to actually sit down and pay direct attention to it is. Learning about this stuff is definately necessary, but I suppose it has me a little bit worried too. It feels like there is more I should be doing, but I'm not exactly sure I know what that is.
Obviously there is no quick fix, no easy sollution. There is no test or activity you can perform in and instantly find yourself no longer contributing to the biased and bigotted system we live in. This whole issue is far more complicated and complex than that, and thats one of the things that has me worried.
It makes me thing first off, can I teach these kids.
And secondly, should I?
Not from any deficiency on their part, but on mine.
Of course, I have these concerns and they are very real, but I'm not going to let them get the best of me. I'm not going to give up, in fact its these sorts of very real concerns I have, that makes me want to try ever harder.
Going backto the "A Talk With Teacher's" Article, another quote stood out.
" I began by saying that one of the paradoxes of education was that precisely at the point when you begin to develop a conscience, you must find yourself at war with your society,"
Which is something that I think is very true, but it's very scary at the same time. How does one put themselves in the position of being 'at war with society' and remain optimistic as opposed to winding up cynical and jaded, as thats not going to be much help to anyone.
(One of the saddest things about the work Kurt Vonnegut has been doing lately, is that he lost his optimism and has grown very cynical and bitter, and it's just depressing.)
Anyhow,
I feel like I just said a whole lot of random things, but I feel better at least about getting it out there. Feel free to comment. It would be nice to know that I'm not the only one worried about this stuff (or that i'm being paraniod for no reason).
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Reaction to "Juvies" video
I think that watching the "Juvies" video was an eye opener for many people, especially for those who have never known anyone who had similiar experiences in Juvenile detetention facilities. This may be the case, particularly for people who have grown up in suburbs where there isn't as much violence and as many gangs. We have learned from reading and our own experiences that drugs, gangs, violence, etc exists in any type of area, not just inner cities. However, the problems are more prevalent in inner cities, therefore one would think that more people living in those areas would have a greater background knowledge and/or know a young person who faced jail time for those problem-related activities. Either way it's interesting to hear the teenagers themselves in the video discuss their situation and their hand in the crimes committed. It is also good for viewers to see that some of the teenagers in jail are or were at one time good kids with good intentions. An example is the boy, Duc, who faced jail time because he got mixed up with the wrong crowd. Before watching the video, I hadn't been aware of a gang association law, which can convict young people if they befriended a gang member and was present at the time a crime was committted. He was in the car with a gang member that shot and killed someone, yet he is facing up to 30 years or close to it. It says something about the juvenile system and how it effects the lives of such young kids, for the long term. I was relieved to hear that Duc later got a sentence reduction,but one still has to consider other kids like him going through the same situations.
As for the other kids in the video, some of their sentences may have been justified due to the seriousness of their crimes. However, when such young people are in the same prisons as adults they are susceptible to even more dangerous activity. For example,drugs start to play a role in the lives of people who may not have been using drugs prior and with more frequence as well. This is why I think that teenagers should not be in adult prisons to begin with. The adult prisons often don't assist in the rehibilitation of young people, as we learned in the video. The question of whether to try teenagers as adults is complex and muti-faceted. On the one hand, families who have lost their own children at the hands of other children have every right to want justice. They are going to want long sentences and harsh conditions because their own children do not get to live the rest of their lives. On the other hand, can we just throw away these teenagers in an adult prison with dangerous criminals to fend for themselves? The question is not easy to answer,which is why debates over whether to try teenagers as adults are ever present. The problem is not black and white and I personally believe that it gets harder when deciding where to draw the line. Has a 16 year-old developed the same cognitively as an 11-year old? No, however, because of life experiences, a 14 year-old may be more mature than an 18 year-old.
For teachers ,these issues may appear in classrooms where a child may have an older sibling, parent, friend, or other family member who is in jail or prison. Teachers need to realize this and take this into account when determining possible reasons for behavior changes. These problems at home, of course make school learning difficult. School work may not be considered as important because of the immediacy of the problems. Teachers need to be supportive, but also careful not to intrude too much in the lives of their students, which is not an easy task. I think it's important that students just know that you are there for them and in extreme cases other school personell may need to step in for assistance.
As for the other kids in the video, some of their sentences may have been justified due to the seriousness of their crimes. However, when such young people are in the same prisons as adults they are susceptible to even more dangerous activity. For example,drugs start to play a role in the lives of people who may not have been using drugs prior and with more frequence as well. This is why I think that teenagers should not be in adult prisons to begin with. The adult prisons often don't assist in the rehibilitation of young people, as we learned in the video. The question of whether to try teenagers as adults is complex and muti-faceted. On the one hand, families who have lost their own children at the hands of other children have every right to want justice. They are going to want long sentences and harsh conditions because their own children do not get to live the rest of their lives. On the other hand, can we just throw away these teenagers in an adult prison with dangerous criminals to fend for themselves? The question is not easy to answer,which is why debates over whether to try teenagers as adults are ever present. The problem is not black and white and I personally believe that it gets harder when deciding where to draw the line. Has a 16 year-old developed the same cognitively as an 11-year old? No, however, because of life experiences, a 14 year-old may be more mature than an 18 year-old.
For teachers ,these issues may appear in classrooms where a child may have an older sibling, parent, friend, or other family member who is in jail or prison. Teachers need to realize this and take this into account when determining possible reasons for behavior changes. These problems at home, of course make school learning difficult. School work may not be considered as important because of the immediacy of the problems. Teachers need to be supportive, but also careful not to intrude too much in the lives of their students, which is not an easy task. I think it's important that students just know that you are there for them and in extreme cases other school personell may need to step in for assistance.
Monday, February 12, 2007
One strike and you're out
Based on what you read in the Schwartz & Rieser piece (and your own experiences), what do you think of "zero tolerance" policies in schools? What should the goal of school disciplinary policies be? When rules are broken, is it a time to punish? A teachable moment? Both?
Also...
The film Juvies has a lot to say about the juvenile justice system and treating kids as "lost causes." What does it have to say to teachers or future teachers--particularly to teachers in city schools?
Also...
The film Juvies has a lot to say about the juvenile justice system and treating kids as "lost causes." What does it have to say to teachers or future teachers--particularly to teachers in city schools?
Sunday, February 11, 2007
CPS threatens to close innovative school
The Chicago board of education is threatening to close an innovative small high school that I've worked with over the past few years. I wrote about it in the Sun-Times yesterday. Click here if you're interested in learning more.
Friday, February 9, 2007
Video
I strongly believe that there is a difference between having youth and adults in jail. I do feel that someone who is constantly molesting children should rot in jail, i don't understand how someone can be so sick as to prey on little children. I do feel that people who have done wrong should get counseling because there is still hope for them. But i also believe that things should be taken case by case because every one's situations are different. There is no reason that a teenager especially one that hasn't reached puberty yet should be in prison for fifty years. Psychologically they are not even fully development to be put in situations like that. In the video it seems that prison does not help the majority of the people in there because they are in a constant battle for their life. For instance for the child to get raped on a regular basis by her father she needs counseling not to be thrown in jail. Things such as that can alter your entire life. She has not even been able to enjoy her childhood having a life such as the one that she had it is hard to stay on the straight and narrow because she has no outlet. She didn't even feel comfortable talking to her mother about the situation. Also i feel that children should not be portrayed in the media like that. So youth may get the wrong impression when they see a child going off to jail. There also should be programs for children whose parents are in the system or are in jail. Programs that will teach and lead them in the right direction and show them that the streets doesn't have to be an option.
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Picking up loose ends from class
I tend to over-plan for classes, so sometimes (former students of mine might say most times) we won't get to everything on the agenda. One function of this blog, then, will be to provide an opportunity for us to pick up loose ends from our previous class. Here are a few threads--feel free to respond.
- I'm curious to get responses to the letter from a Native American mother that Ayers reprints on pages 39-40. What was your initial reaction after reading it? What can we learn from it? How do you think this letter is relevant, if at all, to our study of city schools?
- We talked a lot in class about Ayers' notion of "seeing the student." In the excerpt you read from Push, a novel by Sapphire, you were introduced to 16-year-old Precious Jones. How do you think Precious's former teachers (before she came to the alternative school) saw her? What do you think they didn't see, and why?
- In the excerpt from Our America, LeAlan Jones writes about growing up poor on Chicago's south side. What in his account stood out to you or surprised you? How does LeAlan's portrayal of his own experiences differ from Hollywood or meainstream media portrayals of the lives of city kids?
If none of these questions interest you, check out some of your classmates' recent posts and give us your take on the issues they raise or the questions they pose.
Thursday, February 1, 2007
The First Year Part II
This was part of an article in the USA Today Posted 8/18/2005
"More teachers, it seems, are ready to leave their schools behind. Forty percent of public school teachers plan to exit the profession within five years, the highest rate since at least 1990, according to a study being released Thursday."
This film gave us a great example that could cause a dedicated teacher, Maurice, to possibly fall into this statistic. Without the help, or feeling of it, from your school system can cause discouragement. Here was a teacher that put forth his time and effort, which for a first year teacher could be very difficult, to get a student the help that they needed. After all his efforts and finally getting the student to the speech therapist nothing came from it. Maurice went as far as trying to get services around the community for the student. When all failed he did the best he could to provide the student the extra help himself. This is not uncommon in the education profession and can make people very distraught with the system; on the other hand, it could also be motivation for a teacher to try to make a change and get things turned around. I hope for that school that Maurice was motivated by this and has stayed with the profession. I think a lot of good teachers move on to other professions and it is a shame. People come out of school and get that first job thinking that they are going to change the world. I wish it were true, not to sound cynical, but it isn't the way it works. I know that I have not been in that situation but I have been in similar and it sucks when you lose that fire. WE as future teachers need to understand that there are going to be things that makes us angry with the system and that we don't understand how a kid can go without services, but it is our job to give them the best that we can and try to make a difference. Tonight in class I heard someone say the students want a voice, as teachers we also need to have a voice, that voice is what is going to make the changes as enable the students to gain theirs.
"More teachers, it seems, are ready to leave their schools behind. Forty percent of public school teachers plan to exit the profession within five years, the highest rate since at least 1990, according to a study being released Thursday."
This film gave us a great example that could cause a dedicated teacher, Maurice, to possibly fall into this statistic. Without the help, or feeling of it, from your school system can cause discouragement. Here was a teacher that put forth his time and effort, which for a first year teacher could be very difficult, to get a student the help that they needed. After all his efforts and finally getting the student to the speech therapist nothing came from it. Maurice went as far as trying to get services around the community for the student. When all failed he did the best he could to provide the student the extra help himself. This is not uncommon in the education profession and can make people very distraught with the system; on the other hand, it could also be motivation for a teacher to try to make a change and get things turned around. I hope for that school that Maurice was motivated by this and has stayed with the profession. I think a lot of good teachers move on to other professions and it is a shame. People come out of school and get that first job thinking that they are going to change the world. I wish it were true, not to sound cynical, but it isn't the way it works. I know that I have not been in that situation but I have been in similar and it sucks when you lose that fire. WE as future teachers need to understand that there are going to be things that makes us angry with the system and that we don't understand how a kid can go without services, but it is our job to give them the best that we can and try to make a difference. Tonight in class I heard someone say the students want a voice, as teachers we also need to have a voice, that voice is what is going to make the changes as enable the students to gain theirs.
Reactions and Thoughts to Part II
I have so many thoughts about this part II of the film. Some are small, like...
Did anyone else feel some type of connection between the whistle in the film when the students were in a fight and the stereotypes of Gestapo? Maybe that is just the way my mind works, and trust me I AM NOT TRYING TO SAY OUR SCHOOLS ARE ANYTHING LIKE THE JEWISH GHETTOS, but I just found that distant whistle sound to be characteristic of a different time period...I'm probably alone on that one.
Or
How about the phrase "my kids". The teacher that commented on the playground (Maurice?) kept on referring to his students as "my kids". It brings back another question asked to me and many of my colleagues long ago: "Do you as a teacher need to love every student?" I might have confused the phrasing of that question but that was the idea behind it. Thoughts?
Or
Did anyone else have an issue with the way the Speech Specialist was talking to the student she was assessing. Sure he is in kindergarten, but I think he should be talked to like a human being and not as a baby. Especially coming from a Speech professional, developing good speaking skills is both listening and speaking. Is this another example of teachers having lower expectations for their students? Obviously Maurice had no problem communicating with his student.
More "Heavy" Questions:
One teacher in the film mentions that she has a hard time creating a rhythm for her class. She mentions that it is difficult because one day is great, the next is OK and the next is horrible. My question is what role should consistency play in our classrooms? Surely school provides some type of "grounding" needed by many children. School is often the place where they can leave the harsh realities of the world outside and come into a consistent, safe and, hopefully, educational "home". Is too much consistency a bad thing? What about that history teacher that only produces worksheets and lectures? What about us as teachers? Of course were going to have outside issues that will inevitably come into the classroom. What role and to what degree should consistency play in our school/classroom/band room/theatre/community/lives/curriculum/etc.
What do you do when you have that student that always laughs at your point? This thought was triggered by the one student who kept laughing after the guest speakers mentioned that he wouldn't be laughing if is brother, mother or other family members died. He just kept laughing. I saw the guest speaker try to engage with the student and tell him that he would not be laughing but the speaker gave up and disengaged after he realized the student kept laughing. I have pulled that same move before. Just this summer I had a camper at a camp I worked at that made fun of some of his fellow campers. When I talked with him, I asked him "Would you laugh if someone called you a Quad?" (A quad is something he made up by the way) Sure enough the boy said yes he would. Now me, being inexperienced, caught of guard and well having a slight control issue, came back with a overwhelming..."Yes you would!" Good job Dakota! Touche! Not quite. I ended up just letting him go and telling him not to do it again. I can walk away now reflecting on that situation, kicking myself of course, but what about in the future. How do we drive our points home even though some students are not going to let us in and come back at us with every defense mechanism they have...like laughing?
That's enough for me.
DMP
Did anyone else feel some type of connection between the whistle in the film when the students were in a fight and the stereotypes of Gestapo? Maybe that is just the way my mind works, and trust me I AM NOT TRYING TO SAY OUR SCHOOLS ARE ANYTHING LIKE THE JEWISH GHETTOS, but I just found that distant whistle sound to be characteristic of a different time period...I'm probably alone on that one.
Or
How about the phrase "my kids". The teacher that commented on the playground (Maurice?) kept on referring to his students as "my kids". It brings back another question asked to me and many of my colleagues long ago: "Do you as a teacher need to love every student?" I might have confused the phrasing of that question but that was the idea behind it. Thoughts?
Or
Did anyone else have an issue with the way the Speech Specialist was talking to the student she was assessing. Sure he is in kindergarten, but I think he should be talked to like a human being and not as a baby. Especially coming from a Speech professional, developing good speaking skills is both listening and speaking. Is this another example of teachers having lower expectations for their students? Obviously Maurice had no problem communicating with his student.
More "Heavy" Questions:
One teacher in the film mentions that she has a hard time creating a rhythm for her class. She mentions that it is difficult because one day is great, the next is OK and the next is horrible. My question is what role should consistency play in our classrooms? Surely school provides some type of "grounding" needed by many children. School is often the place where they can leave the harsh realities of the world outside and come into a consistent, safe and, hopefully, educational "home". Is too much consistency a bad thing? What about that history teacher that only produces worksheets and lectures? What about us as teachers? Of course were going to have outside issues that will inevitably come into the classroom. What role and to what degree should consistency play in our school/classroom/band room/theatre/community/lives/curriculum/etc.
What do you do when you have that student that always laughs at your point? This thought was triggered by the one student who kept laughing after the guest speakers mentioned that he wouldn't be laughing if is brother, mother or other family members died. He just kept laughing. I saw the guest speaker try to engage with the student and tell him that he would not be laughing but the speaker gave up and disengaged after he realized the student kept laughing. I have pulled that same move before. Just this summer I had a camper at a camp I worked at that made fun of some of his fellow campers. When I talked with him, I asked him "Would you laugh if someone called you a Quad?" (A quad is something he made up by the way) Sure enough the boy said yes he would. Now me, being inexperienced, caught of guard and well having a slight control issue, came back with a overwhelming..."Yes you would!" Good job Dakota! Touche! Not quite. I ended up just letting him go and telling him not to do it again. I can walk away now reflecting on that situation, kicking myself of course, but what about in the future. How do we drive our points home even though some students are not going to let us in and come back at us with every defense mechanism they have...like laughing?
That's enough for me.
DMP
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Interesting Comments
Ok, so I am in a History class, we were discussing the Jim Crow laws. I had made a comment in an online post about some of the things we have been discussing in this class and how segregation seems to still exsist in certain regards in the inner cities throughout this country. This is the comment my professor responded back with..............what does everyone think? I find his comments to be very interesting.
"The Jim Crow segregation laws represent de jure segregation, de jure, by law. The type of segregation you are describing is socio-economic segregation it is described by the phrase de facto segregation. Busing formulas, mandated long-distance busing, equalized funding formulas were all supposed to somehow address this large-scale school inequality. It did not work very well.
The funding per student is often 2500-4500 dollars less for inner city students than for suburban students. It is also often 3000-5000 dollars less for rural students than for suburban students. Test scores, achievements and funding do not always go together and some inner city schools out score some rural schools. Chicago inner city (minority) schools have a drop out rate that is about the same as many (majority white) rural Indiana schools ranging from 33-50%. The suburbs seem to have a significant advantage, even the less affluent suburbs (not the poor ones). So poverty and the culture of poverty have an influence on education and school success. The physical quality of the school facilities in the inner city and in some rural areas is due to the lack of capital funds and the lack of government commitment to those schools. Growing areas with rising property values try to build newer modern schools and remodel or replace old ones to attract new business and investment. Poor areas can not attract the new businesses and new housing, they also can not raise the capital to replace old schools unless the state provides the funds. So economic segregation is a fact. It affects minorities in the inner city and whites in the rural areas."
Some things to think about!
"The Jim Crow segregation laws represent de jure segregation, de jure, by law. The type of segregation you are describing is socio-economic segregation it is described by the phrase de facto segregation. Busing formulas, mandated long-distance busing, equalized funding formulas were all supposed to somehow address this large-scale school inequality. It did not work very well.
The funding per student is often 2500-4500 dollars less for inner city students than for suburban students. It is also often 3000-5000 dollars less for rural students than for suburban students. Test scores, achievements and funding do not always go together and some inner city schools out score some rural schools. Chicago inner city (minority) schools have a drop out rate that is about the same as many (majority white) rural Indiana schools ranging from 33-50%. The suburbs seem to have a significant advantage, even the less affluent suburbs (not the poor ones). So poverty and the culture of poverty have an influence on education and school success. The physical quality of the school facilities in the inner city and in some rural areas is due to the lack of capital funds and the lack of government commitment to those schools. Growing areas with rising property values try to build newer modern schools and remodel or replace old ones to attract new business and investment. Poor areas can not attract the new businesses and new housing, they also can not raise the capital to replace old schools unless the state provides the funds. So economic segregation is a fact. It affects minorities in the inner city and whites in the rural areas."
Some things to think about!
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Reactions to "The First Year" Pt. 1
What were your reactions to Part 1 of The First Year? What scenes or storylines impacted you most, and why? In what ways, if any, were the teachers' day-to-day challenges made even more difficult by working in a huge, bureaucratic urban system?
Saturday, January 27, 2007
What if it was you?
I have four sisters and in class we discussed about the article :What's Different About Teaching in Urban Schools? We discussed that "students moral radar quickly identifies teachers who lack wholeheartedness, and such teachers lose credibility and trust." I have a twelve year old sister and last year her and one of her teachers were constantly having problems. My mother would blame her and say she needed to learn to her mouth close...mind you she is at the stage of when ever someone says something to her she has to reply with a comment...so her and the teahcer had some issues and every week it was a parent conference. I was seating down with her one day just trying to figure out what the problem is and she replied to me, "You dont understand she a races woman, she only picks on the black kids. We always get in trouble even when we dont do anything. I can tell you that every last one of has been to the principal, kicked out of class for some stupid reason." I was a little concerned and told my mother what she had told me the next day my mother spoke with a few other black parents in the class and they told my mother their child had said the same thing and yes they had had several conferences with this teacher also. A large conference was called with the parents, teacher and admin. Now it is a new year and these students including my sister have moved onto 6th grade and they are being investigated for their address they use to get into the school. We have been living at the same address for 12 years now and because my sister called this teacher a races woman in her face they have decided to remove her from the school at the end of this year. It was appealed and the board of ed thought that it was best that she do transfer and go to a school that my keep her a lot busier.She is a very intelligent girl so they are sending her to Whitney Young going to bus her there everyday. But my question is what if it was you, that they transfered out of your neighborhood school to go across town to a magnet school just for expressing what you feel is the truth? Do a student have a right to say those things if they feel that way about a particular teacher? Do you feel like any child should ever have to experience something like that?
Friday, January 26, 2007
Hollywood Teachers
For those who are interested in how the teachers who are glorified in Hollywood films feel about their portrayals, click here to read an interview with Erin Gruwell, the teacher who is the protagonist in Freedom Writers. Also, here is a link to some comments from Ron Clark, the hero of The Ron Clark Story, about his visit to the set of the movie. The website also has some discussion boards you may find interesting--some people bowing down before Clark, others quite critical (i.e., pointing out that he only taught in New York City schools for two years).
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Movies
So, I was thinking in class how much of an impact movies like Lean on Me and The Ron Clark Story have on society. Not just because they portray urban schools in a fictional light, but because they back up the views that society already has. What I mean by that is, people love to be right, let's face it. We make blanket statements and feel empowered when we are proven right. Well, for such a long time, society as a whole has a negative view on the inner city and the people that occupy it. Movies like Lean on Me confirm all their fears about the inner city. People watch it and say, "See! I knew the inner city was a dangerous cesspool!" It is so dangerous how people take media and consider it fact. Furthermore, people blow things out of proportion all the time, and movies like this fuel them. I am student teaching in Little Village next year through the PDS program. Coming from Naperville (ugh), my mom is naturally nervous for me. She would read an article in the paper about a shooting in the area, or something like that, and say, "Now, see what I'm telling you? Why don't you want to teach down the street? It is safe here." Also, she went to high school in an apparently shady part of Wisconsin, and she would tell my family stories about how there was hair in the sinks of the girls bathroom. She explained how the hair was pulled from a girls head in a fight. I'm not sure if she even witnessed this, but naturally, if there is hair in the sink, there was a fight. I'm wondering what kind of mindsets your parents or guardians have? Anything they tried to instill in you?
Getting things started out
I just wanted to start out, people mentioned and wondered in class about the way the media portrays Urban schools, and its potential effect on people.
There have been major studies and theories developed around the idea of the media helping to shape people's understanding and view of the world. It's called "The Cultivation Theory" If you really wanted to know more about it you can click HERE
One part of this Cultivation Theory is called "Mean World Syndrome" in which, as a direct result of large doses of media consumption (and at this day and age we are all consuming media in large doses on a daily basis). Mean World Syndrome is when people start believing that the world is a more dangerous place than it really is. It is how they are socialized, and where they get information about the world around them. This is why people generally think that more murders occur in the world than really do, or think crime rates are a lot higher than they actually are.
Since the only real view the media gives the viewing pubic, are of these terrible schools and situations (Like oberved in Lean on Me) and the newspapers concept of "If it bleeds it leads", it would be safe to assume that these things ARE in some way responsible for forming people's views and perceptions on these things.
Of course, it would be safe to say that this isn't something people in the media are doing intentionally. But, as long as these sorts of stories and films put money in their pockets, it's not likely to change. (Most media people feel no ethical responsibility for this sort of thing, though they really should.)
I was wondering though, while a lot of educators and people tied into urban education see these films and obviously find big problems with them, what, if anything is being done about it? Obviously nobody can start a one person campaign to set people straight, but are the schools doing anything perhaps to combat these images?
Also, if these stories are all based on true events, what do the people these films are about have to say? It must be flattering to have a movie made about you, but at the same time it would have to be difficult to watch a distorted version of the truth. If these professionals did anything close to what these films suggest, I would think these teachers would be intersted and concerned about the image of Urban education, and would be upset to know that their stories were being used to perpetuate stereotypes.
(i'll just add that my first degree was in Mass Communications, so whenever media stuff comes up, i always find myself thinking about things through that lense).
There have been major studies and theories developed around the idea of the media helping to shape people's understanding and view of the world. It's called "The Cultivation Theory" If you really wanted to know more about it you can click HERE
One part of this Cultivation Theory is called "Mean World Syndrome" in which, as a direct result of large doses of media consumption (and at this day and age we are all consuming media in large doses on a daily basis). Mean World Syndrome is when people start believing that the world is a more dangerous place than it really is. It is how they are socialized, and where they get information about the world around them. This is why people generally think that more murders occur in the world than really do, or think crime rates are a lot higher than they actually are.
Since the only real view the media gives the viewing pubic, are of these terrible schools and situations (Like oberved in Lean on Me) and the newspapers concept of "If it bleeds it leads", it would be safe to assume that these things ARE in some way responsible for forming people's views and perceptions on these things.
Of course, it would be safe to say that this isn't something people in the media are doing intentionally. But, as long as these sorts of stories and films put money in their pockets, it's not likely to change. (Most media people feel no ethical responsibility for this sort of thing, though they really should.)
I was wondering though, while a lot of educators and people tied into urban education see these films and obviously find big problems with them, what, if anything is being done about it? Obviously nobody can start a one person campaign to set people straight, but are the schools doing anything perhaps to combat these images?
Also, if these stories are all based on true events, what do the people these films are about have to say? It must be flattering to have a movie made about you, but at the same time it would have to be difficult to watch a distorted version of the truth. If these professionals did anything close to what these films suggest, I would think these teachers would be intersted and concerned about the image of Urban education, and would be upset to know that their stories were being used to perpetuate stereotypes.
(i'll just add that my first degree was in Mass Communications, so whenever media stuff comes up, i always find myself thinking about things through that lense).
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