This paper was not the usual type of Educational Learning that we have become accustomed to in this class, but still just as important in its message and content. In the opening message the question is asked, "In the service of what?" this is an issue that does merit the attention of teachers, policy makers, and academics, who take seriously the idea that learning and service reinforce each other and should come together in America's schools, as suggested by the authors of this article.
To begin with, I like how first we defined the three type of service learning;
A] Community Service - when you do something it makes you feel good.
B] Service Learning - applying academic learning to the real world
C] Advocacy - The highest level of Community Service.
I personally have engaged in Community Service in several areas;
A] On every Earth Day, I work with other volunteers and clean up parks,
river banks, and anywhere else we need to clean up trash and discarded tires.
C] I work with different Veteran's groups, both with time and money on a
regular basis. I attend and financially support all of their efforts with one of my
brothers, Senator Dan Issa, both Wounded Warriors, Operation Stand Down.
We do this, in part, to give back to the organizations that helped my nephew
who came back in 2004 from Iraq, where he served with the 115th Military
Police, and had one of the worst cases of PTSD that they had ever seen.
B] Now in class and from our Inspiring Minds tutoring, we are learning about
the third type of Service Learning, in that we apply the lessons in class and
from our readings and discussions on applying this academic knowledge into
the real day by day world. Since we are volunteering our time, it not only makes
us all feel good about ourselves, but pays us back in real life experiences with
the students that we are tutoring and interacting with. I agree that this is the top
level of the three types Service. I have enjoyed and learned more than I taught.
The Moral, Political, and Intellectual Domain
Just as the difference between change and charity may provide an important conceptual
distinction for those analyzing service learning curricula, it is helpful to distinguish the moral, political, and intellectual goals that motivate those who support service learning. Those goals below;
MORAL POLITICAL INTELLECTUAL
CHARITY GIVING CIVIC DUTY ADDITIVE EXPERIENCE
CHANGE CARING SOCIAL RECONSTRUCTION TRANSFORMATIVE
EXPERIENCE
========================================================================
The above Moral shown differentiates between the two types of relationships. Giving, which is charity is simply the donation of money. I personally give to Crossroads, St. Jude's for Children, Disables American Veteran's, MS, and several others due to distance from their headquarters and events.
The second type shown is caring; in where the relationships that you form are closer, as you are not just writing a check, but giving a more important commodity; your time and your heart. I have done various Walks for Cancer, Bike Rides, and helped man the Exhibits for 5K Runs for Events. This is the most important thing that you can do. With me it is all about the Veteran's. I have seen it in my own Family and it affected me deeply. Now I both donate money for these causes and if locally held I will also attend and help out in the various booths. This has impacted me deeply until the day I die.
Under Political, I actually quit going to Bryant College in 1974, in order to help run the campaign of
my political science professor, Vincent "Buddy" Cianci. This was not based on any real "caring" but in a selfish motivation to see someone get elected whom I believed in and knew would transform the beaten down city landscape into a Renaissance City. We succeeded and I got a job as Special Assistant to the Mayor. But my motives were both civic and selfish, and not charity or caring. It is very interesting that the same person is running for mayor again, but for my own selfish reasons, this time I chose to sit this one out.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Talking Points on Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us, By Linda Christensen
I have long wondered about the impact on children by cartoons. It never dawned on me growing up
as I was a Saturday Morning cartoon addict. My brothers and I would make a pact that whomever
woke up first would wake up the other two, and try not to wake up our hardworking parents. Mom was good-natured about us getting up early, but Dad was like a bear awoken early from hibernation.
Anyways, the author is spot on in her message that their message is one of racism, whether it is intentional or unintentional. I can remember not only the cartoons which were obvious, but also the Cowboy and Indian shows. The Lone Ranger apparently had the only good indian in the entire country at his side? Tonto who rode with the Lone Ranger seemed to help him kill his own people. If that is not out and out racism I do not know what is. It is not until we grow up and read about how the American Indians welcomed the Pilgrims and Puritans and all other white men and told these new settlers that there was plenty of land, fish, and game to sustain both of their people. The Plymouth tribes even helped the new settlers survive the first winter, when they would have otherwise starved. How did we pay them back? We almost totally killed off their various tribes and drove them off of their land. While I have gotten off target, you can see where I am going with this, from the cartoons that show the Indians are bad and the white man is good. All of the other cowboy shows had the same racist theme running through it, and we were none the wiser until we grew up.
Further; I agree with Dorfman, when he said that children receive a "secret education" in the media. I can remember that it seemed that these stories did more than entertain, but seemed to project a certain image as to how we should act to always be the hero, how women should look, and that they were the weaker of the species and that males had to rescue them from some bad people, which we the hero had to destroy. It is odd that this may have been the first time that we were encouraged to develop a racist attitude against indians or guys wearing black hats, which was a dead giveaway. Dorfman is also right when it seems that we were being told as how to dress, act, and whom to conquer. We were being manipulated and did not even know it.
I remember one incident when we were watching some show from an ancient fable, which portrayed people in Arab clothes, and my baby brother started crying. I looked at him and he said that we were half Syrian and they were being portrayed as the bad guys and he did not want to be the bad people. My Mom had to come in and say something to calm him down, and said that these people were not Catholic, but were from some "other religion" and did not believe in our God. He asked her how can you tell. She said the people who wear these robes were the ones who drove the Catholics out of the Middle East, and that was why you did not see any of the Catholics. She showed us a picture of her Grandmother and Grandfather from our Dad's side of the family dressed up in their Sunday Best and on-board a ship ready to sail to the United States. It was at this point that I started to question the love that I had for our Saturday morning cartoons.
It is the same way with children's books, where we thing that we are being told an entertaining little story, but in reality we are being manipulated into how we should act towards other groups racially. I had a African-American friend Gerald, and he and I used to walk to school together and I would share my lunch with him. Poor Gerald had no Dad at home and he was very poor. My Mom would let me give him and his family the old clothes of myself and my brothers. I remember that he and I were watching television in our home and it portrayed some people of color as the bad people. Gerald just sat there looking ashamed until he said, "I guess that he why my Daddy is in jail? We all be bad." My Mom always listening nearby came into the room and said, "Gerald, this is just a story, and not real. your people are not bad, you have not been given the same opportunity as other people." I had no idea what my Mom meant at the time, but I loved her for it. This is exactly what Dorfman and others were stating when they talked about young minds being manipulated by this and similar media. Years later, a Race Riot broke out in in Pawtucket at a Downtown Block Party, as we were coming out of the Ice Skating Rink and somehow my friends and I found ourselves surrounded by angry black people about to start tearing us apart. All I heard was a voice that said, Fred, what have you gotten yourself into now?' I turned and saw Gerald, who lead us out of the angry crown and said "get out of here now." I never saw him again and that was about fifty years ago. I never even thanked him.
The part about Charting Stereotypes is so blatant and obvious now, but we were clueless then. Who plays the lead in the story? White men. Who plays the bad person? Black people or indians or the Mexicans. Even beauty is manipulated and portrayed here as someone being good and in the right, while someone who is old or ugly is portrayed as being evil or bad. Even Indians in Looney-Tunes are depicted as being inferior human beings. Fat women were never the main characters of the story, nor were they good. The good characters of the story, men or women are always shapely, handsome, with sex appeal, with teeth so white as to have just come from a dentists office. The bad people were always dirty, in black, fat, with bad teeth and a bad attitude, trying to take advantage of the good white women. I am just surprised that no one at the time ever spoke up against this type of racism.
I liked the Black Cinderella story better than the original Cinderella Story, more for content and context, as well as for originality. Growing up I remember my little female relatives all had white dolls with blonde hair and blue eyes. Which by itself is interesting because most of both sides of my family had brown or black hair and brown eyes, and a very few like my grandmother had blonde hair and blue eyes. I once asked my Mom's Mom how come she had different colored hair and eyes then the rest of us? She said Sicily had many conquerer's and masters during its long history, like Italy. At the time I did not know what this meant, but years later I read about what she meant about the various invaders from many nations. The point of this story is that even the dolls were all white and had fair features. It was many years later that someone who was enlightened enough to realize a wide open market existed for dolls other than white. Maybe it was Hasbro, with the G.I. Joe doll series.
Taking Action. If we are all going to be level-headed teachers regardless of our color, race, creed, or sexual choices, we must present ourselves as not buying into these racial stereotypes and myths about others not being as good or smart as the white race. If we see something in books that speaks of a racial bias, or in some way putting down any other races, then we need to act. We need to point it out to our students, and explain "in detail" the error of the author in portraying people as they did. Further, we need to take it up with the principles, and point out that this book may not be appropriate for our students. If nothing else, we need to make sure to expose the myth of racial stereotypes in this book or article. Then at least we have taken the right road, and hope to further enlighten our students.
I have long wondered about the impact on children by cartoons. It never dawned on me growing up
as I was a Saturday Morning cartoon addict. My brothers and I would make a pact that whomever
woke up first would wake up the other two, and try not to wake up our hardworking parents. Mom was good-natured about us getting up early, but Dad was like a bear awoken early from hibernation.
Anyways, the author is spot on in her message that their message is one of racism, whether it is intentional or unintentional. I can remember not only the cartoons which were obvious, but also the Cowboy and Indian shows. The Lone Ranger apparently had the only good indian in the entire country at his side? Tonto who rode with the Lone Ranger seemed to help him kill his own people. If that is not out and out racism I do not know what is. It is not until we grow up and read about how the American Indians welcomed the Pilgrims and Puritans and all other white men and told these new settlers that there was plenty of land, fish, and game to sustain both of their people. The Plymouth tribes even helped the new settlers survive the first winter, when they would have otherwise starved. How did we pay them back? We almost totally killed off their various tribes and drove them off of their land. While I have gotten off target, you can see where I am going with this, from the cartoons that show the Indians are bad and the white man is good. All of the other cowboy shows had the same racist theme running through it, and we were none the wiser until we grew up.
Further; I agree with Dorfman, when he said that children receive a "secret education" in the media. I can remember that it seemed that these stories did more than entertain, but seemed to project a certain image as to how we should act to always be the hero, how women should look, and that they were the weaker of the species and that males had to rescue them from some bad people, which we the hero had to destroy. It is odd that this may have been the first time that we were encouraged to develop a racist attitude against indians or guys wearing black hats, which was a dead giveaway. Dorfman is also right when it seems that we were being told as how to dress, act, and whom to conquer. We were being manipulated and did not even know it.
I remember one incident when we were watching some show from an ancient fable, which portrayed people in Arab clothes, and my baby brother started crying. I looked at him and he said that we were half Syrian and they were being portrayed as the bad guys and he did not want to be the bad people. My Mom had to come in and say something to calm him down, and said that these people were not Catholic, but were from some "other religion" and did not believe in our God. He asked her how can you tell. She said the people who wear these robes were the ones who drove the Catholics out of the Middle East, and that was why you did not see any of the Catholics. She showed us a picture of her Grandmother and Grandfather from our Dad's side of the family dressed up in their Sunday Best and on-board a ship ready to sail to the United States. It was at this point that I started to question the love that I had for our Saturday morning cartoons.
It is the same way with children's books, where we thing that we are being told an entertaining little story, but in reality we are being manipulated into how we should act towards other groups racially. I had a African-American friend Gerald, and he and I used to walk to school together and I would share my lunch with him. Poor Gerald had no Dad at home and he was very poor. My Mom would let me give him and his family the old clothes of myself and my brothers. I remember that he and I were watching television in our home and it portrayed some people of color as the bad people. Gerald just sat there looking ashamed until he said, "I guess that he why my Daddy is in jail? We all be bad." My Mom always listening nearby came into the room and said, "Gerald, this is just a story, and not real. your people are not bad, you have not been given the same opportunity as other people." I had no idea what my Mom meant at the time, but I loved her for it. This is exactly what Dorfman and others were stating when they talked about young minds being manipulated by this and similar media. Years later, a Race Riot broke out in in Pawtucket at a Downtown Block Party, as we were coming out of the Ice Skating Rink and somehow my friends and I found ourselves surrounded by angry black people about to start tearing us apart. All I heard was a voice that said, Fred, what have you gotten yourself into now?' I turned and saw Gerald, who lead us out of the angry crown and said "get out of here now." I never saw him again and that was about fifty years ago. I never even thanked him.
The part about Charting Stereotypes is so blatant and obvious now, but we were clueless then. Who plays the lead in the story? White men. Who plays the bad person? Black people or indians or the Mexicans. Even beauty is manipulated and portrayed here as someone being good and in the right, while someone who is old or ugly is portrayed as being evil or bad. Even Indians in Looney-Tunes are depicted as being inferior human beings. Fat women were never the main characters of the story, nor were they good. The good characters of the story, men or women are always shapely, handsome, with sex appeal, with teeth so white as to have just come from a dentists office. The bad people were always dirty, in black, fat, with bad teeth and a bad attitude, trying to take advantage of the good white women. I am just surprised that no one at the time ever spoke up against this type of racism.
I liked the Black Cinderella story better than the original Cinderella Story, more for content and context, as well as for originality. Growing up I remember my little female relatives all had white dolls with blonde hair and blue eyes. Which by itself is interesting because most of both sides of my family had brown or black hair and brown eyes, and a very few like my grandmother had blonde hair and blue eyes. I once asked my Mom's Mom how come she had different colored hair and eyes then the rest of us? She said Sicily had many conquerer's and masters during its long history, like Italy. At the time I did not know what this meant, but years later I read about what she meant about the various invaders from many nations. The point of this story is that even the dolls were all white and had fair features. It was many years later that someone who was enlightened enough to realize a wide open market existed for dolls other than white. Maybe it was Hasbro, with the G.I. Joe doll series.
Taking Action. If we are all going to be level-headed teachers regardless of our color, race, creed, or sexual choices, we must present ourselves as not buying into these racial stereotypes and myths about others not being as good or smart as the white race. If we see something in books that speaks of a racial bias, or in some way putting down any other races, then we need to act. We need to point it out to our students, and explain "in detail" the error of the author in portraying people as they did. Further, we need to take it up with the principles, and point out that this book may not be appropriate for our students. If nothing else, we need to make sure to expose the myth of racial stereotypes in this book or article. Then at least we have taken the right road, and hope to further enlighten our students.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Speaking the Unspeakable.......In forbidden places..........
Talking Points on Speaking the unspeakable in forbidden places: addressing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equality in the primary school.
First I have to say to say that this really "blew me away." Once I got through the education-speak, I was able to decipher what was being done. I liked how they reintroduced the concept of Cinderella, with the story that I have never heard before of the "The Paper Bag Princess."
I feel that when difficult issues come up, the UK seems to find a way to take them on appropriately. In the new version of Cinderella, the kids are initially happy by the initial rejection of Prince Charming, by Cinderella, but did not understand why Cinderella would reject the wearing of beautiful dresses. I find that the kids may be reacting to Cinderella taking an antiestablishment line, when all of the kids have probably heard this story a hundred times. But none of the kids could understand why anyone would reject wearing nice clothes.
In the following exercise where the kids were asked, What advice would you give if you were the Paper Bag Princess to Cinderella? I found that the kids seemed to reject the concept of homosexuality and come up with "other reasons" why the Prince might not want to marry Cinderella. But came up with other reasons instead, like wanting to remain single, or avoid gold-diggers.
In the King and King, it seemed a similar reasoning. At the end of the story the Prince married another Prince, but all but 2 kids seemed to accept the outcome, but when the term lesbians was mentioned the kids seemed to laugh and say, Yuk? I liked the point at which hot-seated Cindy, by asking are you really Gay?
I do not know about others feelings, but mine are if you can not accept people from different sexual choices, than maybe you should not be a teacher. It must have been very hard for gays and lesbians during the sixties to express themselves. Coming out of the closet could not have been easy.
In the Central Falls High School we had two guys that were known to be gay. They were excused from some of the all guy activities. One guys name was Brian and he was huge, so no one picked on him. The other guy was Eddie and he was very feminine and unfortunately attracted bullies. Eddie was a straight A student and later on went on to become a doctor out-of-state. I think that the Bullying took its toll. Both of the Guys mentioned were one and two years ahead of me, but I would have not treated them any different then or now?
Our society has become both more and less tolerant. By more tolerant, I mean the courts have finally allowed people to marry the people that they love without fear of discrimination, or fear of reprisal. On the less tolerant side, we are still seeing some Gay Bashing of both men and women by people who must hate themselves if they can not accept people as they are, and not as they think that they should be.
I feel that our current Political and Societal feelings are more of general acceptance then ever before, not just based on legal decisions, but also based on people should be allowed to be protected when they chose to marry whatever partner they want and have the same legal protection under marriage as anyone else. We have openly gay and lesbian people holding public office and doing a damn fine job.
For myself, I had to explain to my 9 year old Grand daughter Ava, about people that were gay when I took her to the beach and two girls were kissing. I thought I did a pretty good job because her Mom called me later and thanked me for having to explain it to her.
This was an impressive study / experiment and only by continuing to do so will we be able to move further ahead as an enlightened society.
First I have to say to say that this really "blew me away." Once I got through the education-speak, I was able to decipher what was being done. I liked how they reintroduced the concept of Cinderella, with the story that I have never heard before of the "The Paper Bag Princess."
I feel that when difficult issues come up, the UK seems to find a way to take them on appropriately. In the new version of Cinderella, the kids are initially happy by the initial rejection of Prince Charming, by Cinderella, but did not understand why Cinderella would reject the wearing of beautiful dresses. I find that the kids may be reacting to Cinderella taking an antiestablishment line, when all of the kids have probably heard this story a hundred times. But none of the kids could understand why anyone would reject wearing nice clothes.
In the following exercise where the kids were asked, What advice would you give if you were the Paper Bag Princess to Cinderella? I found that the kids seemed to reject the concept of homosexuality and come up with "other reasons" why the Prince might not want to marry Cinderella. But came up with other reasons instead, like wanting to remain single, or avoid gold-diggers.
In the King and King, it seemed a similar reasoning. At the end of the story the Prince married another Prince, but all but 2 kids seemed to accept the outcome, but when the term lesbians was mentioned the kids seemed to laugh and say, Yuk? I liked the point at which hot-seated Cindy, by asking are you really Gay?
I do not know about others feelings, but mine are if you can not accept people from different sexual choices, than maybe you should not be a teacher. It must have been very hard for gays and lesbians during the sixties to express themselves. Coming out of the closet could not have been easy.
In the Central Falls High School we had two guys that were known to be gay. They were excused from some of the all guy activities. One guys name was Brian and he was huge, so no one picked on him. The other guy was Eddie and he was very feminine and unfortunately attracted bullies. Eddie was a straight A student and later on went on to become a doctor out-of-state. I think that the Bullying took its toll. Both of the Guys mentioned were one and two years ahead of me, but I would have not treated them any different then or now?
Our society has become both more and less tolerant. By more tolerant, I mean the courts have finally allowed people to marry the people that they love without fear of discrimination, or fear of reprisal. On the less tolerant side, we are still seeing some Gay Bashing of both men and women by people who must hate themselves if they can not accept people as they are, and not as they think that they should be.
I feel that our current Political and Societal feelings are more of general acceptance then ever before, not just based on legal decisions, but also based on people should be allowed to be protected when they chose to marry whatever partner they want and have the same legal protection under marriage as anyone else. We have openly gay and lesbian people holding public office and doing a damn fine job.
For myself, I had to explain to my 9 year old Grand daughter Ava, about people that were gay when I took her to the beach and two girls were kissing. I thought I did a pretty good job because her Mom called me later and thanked me for having to explain it to her.
This was an impressive study / experiment and only by continuing to do so will we be able to move further ahead as an enlightened society.
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Orientation on October 3rd, 2014 at the MET School
Yesterday, I had my first opportunity to visit the MET School at 325 Public Street. Although I have heard a lot about the school and its Open Learning Programs, I had never had the chance to visit it.
First Impressions were very good with the quality of the open style of the buildings, upkeep and the maintenance of the grounds, and in general a peaceful learning environment right in the middle of an area that is challenged by economic and social issues. The lack of graffiti alone spoke volumes of the love of the school by its students. I have not seen any public or private school go through its lifetime without the usual senseless and destructive tagging by its students or outsiders in the neighborhood. We were served a quick lunch which was made by the students and staff of the MET, and not only was it tasty, but healthy as well.
Meeting Dennis the founder was itself an experience of almost going back through the sixties in manner of dress and language. I was extremely impressed by the man and by his message of education. His message really had an immediate impact upon me when he said that, "We build our education around the Individual Students." I think that Public School Educators should take a lesson from him. He referred to the Traditional Method of Education where you have an educational structure and then mold the students around the process. This is what I went through, and it was repressive, authoritarian, and more bent on discipline then on being a center for Open Education and Learning. Dennis'es message is more like an education built upon the strengths and weaknesses of the Individual Students, and not like forcing a round peg into an educational system built more like a square hole.
While my brothers and I made it out of the Central Falls School System alive, their were times when I asked the question, "Am I failing the School System, or is it failing to properly educate me?" I graduated with a B average because I rarely missed any classes, and my memory was pretty good. But even back then with a Principle that demanded that you conform to his Educational System or be run over by a cement truck, which he kind of resembled. All three of us have been successful in life if you measure it by the quality of our character, and willingness to give back to the community in time and in financial support. Measuring by the old method of success by accumulating wealth was not our primary goal in life, but we achieved that too.
I am glad that I made the choice to tutor in a Non Traditional Charter School, now that i have seen up close and personal the quality and dedication of the Teachers and its Students. Each of the Four Learning Centers is more of a close-knit family then of an Educational Learning Center. The success rate of 89% graduates and 11% drop-outs speaks for itself. I will have more to speak about in the coming semester year, but I wanted to share my first impressions with my fellow future teachers. So far there is Shay and myself from our FNED-346 Class, but there is another orientation with others from this same class. All in all I am excited and looking forward to learn and participate in this coming years tutoring in the Met School in 2014.
Yesterday, I had my first opportunity to visit the MET School at 325 Public Street. Although I have heard a lot about the school and its Open Learning Programs, I had never had the chance to visit it.
First Impressions were very good with the quality of the open style of the buildings, upkeep and the maintenance of the grounds, and in general a peaceful learning environment right in the middle of an area that is challenged by economic and social issues. The lack of graffiti alone spoke volumes of the love of the school by its students. I have not seen any public or private school go through its lifetime without the usual senseless and destructive tagging by its students or outsiders in the neighborhood. We were served a quick lunch which was made by the students and staff of the MET, and not only was it tasty, but healthy as well.
Meeting Dennis the founder was itself an experience of almost going back through the sixties in manner of dress and language. I was extremely impressed by the man and by his message of education. His message really had an immediate impact upon me when he said that, "We build our education around the Individual Students." I think that Public School Educators should take a lesson from him. He referred to the Traditional Method of Education where you have an educational structure and then mold the students around the process. This is what I went through, and it was repressive, authoritarian, and more bent on discipline then on being a center for Open Education and Learning. Dennis'es message is more like an education built upon the strengths and weaknesses of the Individual Students, and not like forcing a round peg into an educational system built more like a square hole.
While my brothers and I made it out of the Central Falls School System alive, their were times when I asked the question, "Am I failing the School System, or is it failing to properly educate me?" I graduated with a B average because I rarely missed any classes, and my memory was pretty good. But even back then with a Principle that demanded that you conform to his Educational System or be run over by a cement truck, which he kind of resembled. All three of us have been successful in life if you measure it by the quality of our character, and willingness to give back to the community in time and in financial support. Measuring by the old method of success by accumulating wealth was not our primary goal in life, but we achieved that too.
I am glad that I made the choice to tutor in a Non Traditional Charter School, now that i have seen up close and personal the quality and dedication of the Teachers and its Students. Each of the Four Learning Centers is more of a close-knit family then of an Educational Learning Center. The success rate of 89% graduates and 11% drop-outs speaks for itself. I will have more to speak about in the coming semester year, but I wanted to share my first impressions with my fellow future teachers. So far there is Shay and myself from our FNED-346 Class, but there is another orientation with others from this same class. All in all I am excited and looking forward to learn and participate in this coming years tutoring in the Met School in 2014.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Talking Points AGAIN on Lisa Delpit's, The Silenced Dialogue: Power & Pedagogy in Educating Other People's Children.
I have always known about discrimination against African Americans and many other minorities, even though I too could be considered one as being of Sicilian and Syrian descent. However, my skin is white and I have also seen the White Male Christian Heterosexual Privilege up close and personal, and have in some cases enjoyed and used it to my favor. However, after 911, I could NOT get a job for two years, due to the fact that my last name is the Arab equivalent in 28 countries of Smith is in the US. But I am getting off target. Lisa Delpits article opened my eyes to the fact that even after Minority Teachers get a job in a white controlled school system that they are expected to follow the accepted White Textbooks and manner of teaching. And not only African Americans, but any minority where the white establishment calls the shots on what is and what is NOT to be taught to their students. Wow. So we are NOT REALLY A FREE SOCIETY? This blew me away. Maybe I am getting into the Wrong Profession of Teaching if we can ONLY teach a single side of History? When I was in High School, they talked about General George Armstrong Custer, and how he civilized the West and how the Dakota Sioux Indians slaughtered his men. The accepted story was all that I was taught. Only much later did I learn how Custer and his men killed old men, women, and children at the Wounded Knee. I spent an entire summer reading and researching Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. I guess that I was misguided when I thought once that you complete your degree program to teach and all of the testing and background tests that I would be free to teach True History as we come across New Data and New Evidence. For example we were taught about the largest of the dinosaurs that roamed the earth? This year New Evidence in the form on two new skeletons have been found, one was a new species of land mammal, and the other is a water based mammal. Is not History supposed to be the same way? If Lisa Delpit is correct, and I know these stories are true, that the White power structure may hide the truth as it is discovered? I have to think about future choices?
ReplyDeleteI have always known about discrimination against African Americans and many other minorities, even though I too could be considered one as being of Sicilian and Syrian descent. However, my skin is white and I have also seen the White Male Christian Heterosexual Privilege up close and personal, and have in some cases enjoyed and used it to my favor. However, after 911, I could NOT get a job for two years, due to the fact that my last name is the Arab equivalent in 28 countries of Smith is in the US. But I am getting off target. Lisa Delpits article opened my eyes to the fact that even after Minority Teachers get a job in a white controlled school system that they are expected to follow the accepted White Textbooks and manner of teaching. And not only African Americans, but any minority where the white establishment calls the shots on what is and what is NOT to be taught to their students. Wow. So we are NOT REALLY A FREE SOCIETY? This blew me away. Maybe I am getting into the Wrong Profession of Teaching if we can ONLY teach a single side of History? When I was in High School, they talked about General George Armstrong Custer, and how he civilized the West and how the Dakota Sioux Indians slaughtered his men. The accepted story was all that I was taught. Only much later did I learn how Custer and his men killed old men, women, and children at the Wounded Knee. I spent an entire summer reading and researching Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. I guess that I was misguided when I thought once that you complete your degree program to teach and all of the testing and background tests that I would be free to teach True History as we come across New Data and New Evidence. For example we were taught about the largest of the dinosaurs that roamed the earth? This year New Evidence in the form on two new skeletons have been found, one was a new species of land mammal, and the other is a water based mammal. Is not History supposed to be the same way? If Lisa Delpit is correct, and I know these stories are true, that the White power structure may hide the truth as it is discovered? I have to think about future choices?
Talking Points on Kozol's Fire in the Ashes;
Both the audio and written versions of the article listed above, left this reader with a deep sense of despair. You can not but help to put yourself into the position of the people in the declining cycle of abject poverty, drug abuse, neglect, discrimination, and sexual abuse. An uncaring Governmental System which when notified publicly sought not to correct or fix the problems, but to move it out of sight and into an equal or worst environment. I come from a family where my Mom went as far as graduating from Junior High School, and being from an immigrant family of a total of eight people, had to quit school and go to work in the Garment Industry. My Dad also had to quit at the end of the 6th grade, as he was part of an immigrant family of 6 people. My Mom and Dad always worked two jobs each, so that we had our own home with a back yard and woods behind us where we could explore. Reading this article taught me how little many people had in other cities and towns.
ReplyDeleteBoth the audio and written versions of the article listed above, left this reader with a deep sense of despair. You can not but help to put yourself into the position of the people in the declining cycle of abject poverty, drug abuse, neglect, discrimination, and sexual abuse. An uncaring Governmental System which when notified publicly sought not to correct or fix the problems, but to move it out of sight and into an equal or worst environment. I come from a family where my Mom went as far as graduating from Junior High School, and being from an immigrant family of a total of eight people, had to quit school and go to work in the Garment Industry. My Dad also had to quit at the end of the 6th grade, as he was part of an immigrant family of 6 people. My Mom and Dad always worked two jobs each, so that we had our own home with a back yard and woods behind us where we could explore. Reading this article taught me how little many people had in other cities and towns.
I
really liked the honesty of Peggy McIntosh's article. In it she not
only talks about how White, Male, Privilege has put her at a
disadvantage for placement, jobs, curriculum, but she does not stop
there. She further says that she in being a White Female, that she has
an advantage over Black Females. So she does not simply point her finger
at White Male privilege, but agrees that she also causes disadvantages
for her Black Female sisters.
I also got a kick out of her confronting White Males and while initially denying their is White Male privilege, she got them to state that they would aide her in overcoming her disadvantage that they inadvertently may have caused her. That is until the perception was that they would be unwilling to give up any of their White, Male Privilege power advantages.
I liked the way the author stated that most white male students in the US think that Racism does not affect them because they are not people of color, they do not see "whiteness" as a racial identity. In addition, since race and sex are not the only advantaging system at work, we need to look at "age advantage" or "ethnic advantage"
or "physical ability" or advantages related to nationality, sexual orientation, or religion.
ReplyDeleteI also got a kick out of her confronting White Males and while initially denying their is White Male privilege, she got them to state that they would aide her in overcoming her disadvantage that they inadvertently may have caused her. That is until the perception was that they would be unwilling to give up any of their White, Male Privilege power advantages.
I liked the way the author stated that most white male students in the US think that Racism does not affect them because they are not people of color, they do not see "whiteness" as a racial identity. In addition, since race and sex are not the only advantaging system at work, we need to look at "age advantage" or "ethnic advantage"
or "physical ability" or advantages related to nationality, sexual orientation, or religion.
My
name is Fred and my hobbies are Sailing, Scuba Diving, and
Spearfishing. While I like all seasons I am first and foremost a Summer
person. I love Narragansett Bay and the Ocean. For this reason I am a
strong believer in Environmental Protection of our bay and ocean. I have
two sons, Daryll and Scott, and along with my grand daughter Ava Marie
Kathleen McGarrity Issa, they are My Life. I have been fortunate to have
traveled to 47 countries in my life for My Career. Plus I love the
Caribbean for taking my vacations. Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, St Thomas,
and St Maartan.
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"Railroad track
Train all big 'n' black
On dat track, on dat track, on dat track
Ain't no way I can't get back
Back from dat track
Back from dat track
Big 'n' black I be back
I found it fascinating how he diffused his Mother's anger by creating a poem on the spot and entertaining her at the same time, while acknowledging his misdeed. Lem was able to draw on his verbal abilities he had acquired in a language community that greatly values verbal improvisation and quick thinking and which he greatly showed at a preschool age.
How about little Gabriella, a young Puerto Rican four year old. Her teacher asked a question that he had repeated in two earlier classes, "How many mittens are there? Instead of answering the question, Gabriella chose to turn to an adult next to her and say, "Why can't she remember that?" Rather than Gabriella answering the question, she was piqued when she assumed that the teacher was asking the class because the teacher could not remember the answer? Of course because Gabriella did not answer the teacher, the teacher would have wrongly assumed that the child did not know the answer. This is definitely cause for reflection. This particular child had a history of not answering the questions of the teacher. Gabriella, who came to school with little experience of books, book reading was not shaping up to be a very pleasurable or intellectually stimulating activity, these students tend to become unruly and call out. This is not behavior that the teacher approves, but one that the teachers should try and rectify.
I liked the case of Colette, a five year old Haitian girl who was homeless and lived in a homeless shelter with her Mother. This child became engaged with the rest of the children in class, when the teacher brought in a new book called, "Leola and the Honeybears." This is an African American of Goldilocks and the three bears. Colette would happily and excitedly point to one of the illustrations in the book and say, "That's me." She identified with the main character in the book and as a result became fully engaged in the discussions of the book. Not only did she like the book, but also enjoyed the retelling of it over and over again. Laughing delightedly little Colette, would say, while paraphrasing the main character in the book, "But I don't think she would mind this time?" Children connect with books when there is either a central character that may bear a strong resemblance to them, or to someone or something in the book. Once this connection is made. The rest is easier to do.
Further,